The Boss Behind The Game

by Little Merger

Lu Wu, an aimless video game developer, had been feeling perturbed ever since he found out he was the direct descendant of a king from the underworld. Other than the title, His Excellency, his ancestor hadn’t passed down anything else to him. On top of that, all of his ancestor’s subordinates had rebelled against him and completely usurped his inherited territory. Under the circums

2. 33

The Boss Behind The Game #Chapter 33 - Read The Boss Behind The Game Chapter 33 Online - All Page - WUXIA NOVEL HUB

Chapter 33: The Underworld Sea

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

There was nothing else Cha Na could do other than to suppress the flames of fury deep inside his heart as he confronted the pushy yet powerful Sea King.

"So, you've agreed? Fine, I'll accept it but the offerings have to be doubled!" the Sea King added on to the requirement.

"You..." Cha Na's face was ghastly pale but he realized that he did not have the right to negotiate with the Sea King.

The audience finally saw the Sea King's true appearance.

There were three blue stripes on both sides of his face like the gills of a fish while cyan-colored hair grew on his chest. With his approximately two meters in height, he successful subdued Cha Na's imposing vigor although Cha Na was more than ten meters tall. He constantly exuded a dauntless aura, resembling a ferocious beast.

In the comment section:

"He looks so manly! But why is he not punching Cha Na? Go on and beat him up!"

"He is so strong! Cha Na is already bleeding after merely one punch! Is Poseidon possibly at Level 999?"

"Keep quiet please. I've already signed up to be a fan of Poseidon. I'm waiting for him to beat Cha Na up!"

"He has repressed Cha Na with one sole punch! So powerful! Is this character class available for the public? I want to advance my character class to be at Poseidon's level!"

"Why are they chattering? Continue to fight please! I've prepared sunflower seeds and coke as snacks. Please, continue fighting! Don't let me down now, Poseidon!"

…...

"Why? Are you feeling reluctant?" the Sea King reached out his hand to summon his trident. It then whooshed out of the sea and landed perfectly in his grip.

Cha Na took a deep breath and said with a sour face, "I agree. Please dismiss your troops."

"Haha!" upon Cha Na's surrender, the Sea King's scornful laughter reverberated across the atmosphere.

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He took another disdainful glance at Cha Na before he let out a howl. All the sea monsters immediately rushed into the ocean.

"You should've known this earlier. Why did you send your envoy to provoke me? Cha Na, you have to understand that, in the underworld, your Land of Beiqi is divided. The place is extremely vulnerable. You've been living for so long. Do I still have to remind you that only the strongest will survive?"

After he finished his words, the Sea King jumped into the ocean and a wave appeared at the offing, moving speedily toward the Sea King.

Upon seeing the Sea King, a hint of resentment flashed across Cha Na's eyes. He growled as he punched the ground heavily. As a result, the earth quaked and the mark of his fist was imprinted on the ground.

"Du Yan, you're tired of living!"

…...

In the comment section:

"We are balled up. Is the battle over?"

"I'm confused as well. What's happening? Are they done?"

"What? Why did Poseidon stop? My sunflower seeds and Sprite are going to waste."

"This is bad. I have to give this a poor rating. Poseidon is so unreliable! Why did he let Cha Na go?"

"Fuck, this battle ended right after I got excited? I've just taken off my pants!"

"I despise Poseidon. He seemed so strong at the beginning, but why did he leave after he merely attacked with some malicious words?"

"Although I couldn't hear what they said, I think that Cha Na begged for forgiveness and Poseidon decided to spare his life."

"The disgraceful Cha Na must have pleaded for forgiveness, or else he would have been battered!"

The live streaming channel was flooded with comments. The players were extremely unsatisfied with the Sea King's decision to stop the fight during the climax of the battle. A lot of the players were upset.

Lu Wu closed the live streaming page before he turned to look at Bei Li who was still eating.

"Little Li, who is this guy?"

"Hmm?"

Bei Li was still chewing on food. With her puffed cheeks, she stared at Lu Wu, looking confused.

Lu Wu massaged his forehead before he pointed at the screenshot on the screen, "This guy with the hairy chest."

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Bei Li finally heard Lu Wu. She craned her neck, swallowed the food in her mouth and took a glimpse at the screen.

"The Sea King? He is a powerful character. He has fought multiple times with the Lord King of Beiqi."

"He fought with my ancestors before?"

Bei Li nodded her head firmly. "Yes, they often fought with each other. The King of Beiqi would disturb the Sea King whenever he was free. There was one time when the King of Beiqi brought me along. I even witnessed as the Lord King of Beiqi pressed him on the ground and rubbed him against the floor. It looked so painful!"

Lu Wu was dumbfounded. "Why did my ancestors want to fight with him?"

Bei Li shrugged and replied, "Did he need a reason to start a fight? Perhaps, the Lord King of Beiqi wanted to bully him."

"Bu… bully him?"

Upon recalling the domineering Sea King, Lu Wu massaged his forehead once again. His ancestor was really powerful if he was capable to pin a strong man on the ground to torture him. Just like what he expected, he was still far weaker than his ancestor.

"Oh, yes. Why are you asking about the Sea King?" Bei Li asked as she reached out for the bag of snacks, took out a box of chocolate and opened the wrapper.

As a reply, Lu Wu told her about the event he witnessed via the live stream just now.

"Cha Na was thrashed?" Bei Li was shocked at first. Then, she giggled. "He deserves it!"

"After the King of Beiqi's death, the Sea King must have thought that he could never retaliate against the abuse he received. To vent his anger, he could only beat up the Lord King of Beiqi's then subordinate."

"Is the Sea King the strongest in the Underworld Sea?" Lu Wu asked.

"Pfft!"

Bei Li choked on the soda that she was drinking, "Cough… hahaha!"

Noticing that Bei Li was staring at him as if he was an idiot, he replied with a half-hearted smile, looking embarrassed, "What's wrong?"

"Do you know how vast the Underworld Sea is? The Sea King is only an overlord of the water beside the Land of Beiqi. How can he be the king of the Underworld Sea? Even the Lord King of Beiqi couldn't conquer the Underworld Sea during his heyday."

"The Underworld Sea connects all the large domains of the underworld. Its area is almost as extensive as the land. Meanwhile, the Underworld Sea is divided into seven parts. The Sea King is merely one of the overlords among the seven sea areas. He doesn't even dominate the sea area."

"He can't dominate one sea area even when he is so strong?"

Lu Wu was astonished by the Sea King's true strength just now. He genuinely thought that he was a very powerful character.

Bei Li nodded. "Based on the Lord King of Beiqi's words, the nearest sea area to us is known as the Void Ocean and the overlord of this sea area was Taowu. Allegedly, he is a formidable leader. Even the Lord King of Beiqi was no match for him when he was still alive. The Sea King is only Taowu's underling who is in charge of a subarea."

For a while, the room was silent as Lu Wu attempted to take in the information. Finally, he raised his head.

"Little Li, what do you think about forming a navy after we conquer Liuli District? If the Sea King attacks us with a blitz, we are not capable of defending ourselves at all."

Bei Li nodded, acknowledging Lu Wu's idea, "I've had the same thought before. However, we have to restore the equipment depot of the Mansion of the Dead first. There are a lot of blueprints inside the room, including the design of a Specter Ship which is able to grow by consuming raw materials. Restoring the place will be helpful for the development of our players' abilities."

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Chapter 34: The Cursed Apostle

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Initially, Lu Wu planned to follow Bei Li's suggestion and immediately restore the equipment depot.

However, after he learned from Bei Li that a whopping 500,000 soul coins were required for the restoration, Lu Wu decided to abandon his plan temporarily.

The reason was simple. Unlike the Library where only books were stored, a lot of items in the equipment depot contained soul power. As extra soul power would be required to fill the soul equipment, it would cost them greatly if they were to restore the depot.

However, the construction of a Specter Ship, which was also mentioned by Bei Li, had attracted Lu Wu's attention.

According to her, the Specter Ship was a unique ship that could devour any spiritual materials in the world to self-remold and evolve.

The ship was indestructible. Even if it was completely dismantled, the ship could return to its original form after it consumed a large amount of spiritual materials as long as its core was still intact. Therefore, it was very suitable for gamers.

By the time they got their hands on the blueprint, they could start producing basic models of a Specter Ship and sell them to the players. Then, the players could proceed to customize and upgrade their ships.

Lu Wu hit upon an idea, thinking that he might be able to make development simultaneously on land and at sea.

Meanwhile, the live streaming video that was broadcast on the forum yesterday had evoked a strong desire among the gamers to visit the Underworld Sea. Many fans were ready to build ships on their own, intending to rescue Liuli District from Cha Na before they commenced their voyage.

Cha Na of Liuli District had now became a thorn in the players' sides. They were itching to eliminate him for good.

However, many players had watched the scene at the shore. They knew how powerful Cha Na was. With the capability of the current players, they would not stand a chance against him.

Even if they had an advantage because of their huge numbers, they were still no match for Cha Na in terms of their individual strength. Hence, they had to focus on their personal development.

But there was never a lack of talents in the forum. Soon, a few Strategy Masters had started to chalk out a stratagem.

On the other hand, some illogical players intended to hunt for Poseidon in the Underworld Sea in order to team up with him.

However, the suggestion was immediately rejected.

Although a lot of players adored the fearless Poseidon, they knew that this man was not an easy man. Considering that even Cha Na had to bow down to him, it was impossible for the players to negotiate their terms.

In spite of that, the players had not been demotivated. They began to map out a new operation plan and, at the same time, allowed the other players to store their strength. Once they were strong enough, they were bound to wipe out the Ghost General, Cha Na, and pillage his territories.

Meanwhile, for the players' convenience, Lu Wu told Bei Li to add in a new feature for the game – an auction house.

The auction house allowed the players to easily search for required items. Players would now be able to find an item, which had been priced by the other players, just by typing the name of the item in the search bar.

As for those gamers who were of a higher level and wished to obtain advanced equipment, they could sell off their unneeded weapons in exchange for the equipment.

Inevitably, Lu Wu charged for the service, imposing twenty percent of the total sales in soul coins.

On the day the feature was launched, tens of thousands of items were placed in the transaction column.

There were a variety of items on sale. Other than weapons and armor, some players were even selling peculiar stones at an insane price, hoping to snap up bargains.

Many players could not help but rant about the omnipresence of unscrupulous merchants, causing some experienced players to recall the times when they were cheated in other games.

…...

The next day after the launch, Lu Wu was sleeping soundly before Bei Li woke him up by shaking him strenuously.

Lu Wu opened his eyes and was instantly terrified by Bei Li who was staring at him with a pair of glowing eyes and a shabby dagger in her hand.

"Wu, I've found a way for the assassins to advance their character classes!"

"Calm down. Can you please put the dagger down?" Lu Wu pulled up his quilt nervously.

Appearing excited, Bei Li took a step backward and made a stroke in the air with the dagger.

"This is a relic of the Cursed Clan. To my surprise, it was found by a player! I think there's a chance for the assassins to undergo class advancement."

Lu Yi glanced at the rusty dagger with an apparent broken knife edge. He did not find it special.

"Is this thing powerful?"

Bei Li nodded her head vigorously, "Absolutely! This is the weapon of the Cursed Clan, I've been considering to develop the Cursed Clan as the assassins' class advancement or hidden character class. However, it had always been merely an idea. This time, it can finally be materialized!"

Lu Wu was astonished by Bei Li's proposal, "Tell me all the details. What's this about?"

Bei Li gave another firm nod before she explained, "The cursed apostles once formed an influential clan in the Land of Beiqi. This clan was said to be related with the Naraka of the Underworld's large domain. All the clan members were born killers, possessing the ability to summon the Cursed Demons. In the past, they declared defiance to the Lord King of Beiqi and was violently quelled by the great army led by the King of Beiqi. The word is that the clan has vanished from the Land of Beiqi. I was surprised when I discovered the object. I was planning to try my luck and search for it at the equipment depot after it's completely restored."

As Bei Li spoke, her eyes narrowed and turned into a crescent moon-like shape.

"I was bored just now, so I decided to check out the auction house. Eventually, I found this cursed weapon. I'm not sure who the player was who put it on sale and it was only worth five soul coins. Haha, I got myself a great bargain!"

"What's the strength of the item?" Lu Wu replied with a grin.

"I'll demonstrate it to you," Bei Li held Lu Wu's hand and immediately activated the artifact to travel to the Mansion of the Dead.

Still in his pajamas, Lu Wu was dragged by Bei Li into the laboratory in the Mansion of the Dead.

Bei Li toyed with the dagger. Then, with the assistance of the experimental machine, the dagger was disintegrated into innumerable tiny particles. Bei Li waved her hands. Followed by that, the particles were absorbed by the subring, an artifact in her hand, and were transmitted into the space of a battle artifact and turned into a series of data.

Immediately, Bei Li began to meticulously arrange the numbers.

After two hours of work, Bei Li finally put on a big smile, appearing excited.

Lu Wu immediately went forward. He quickly noticed the content that was converted from the data.

[Introduction of Character Class:

[The Cursed Apostle: The ones who are willing to be cursed and abandon their faiths in order to turn into the wielders of death. The Cursed Apostles obtain their source of power from pain. From their perspective, death is the beginning, while life is nothing but hell.

Character Class Specialty: Possess the cursing power and the ability to summon the Cursed Demons.

Weapon: Dagger

"That's awesome!" Lu Wu, out of pure thrill, rustled Bei Li's hair.

"Don't disturb me. This isn't complete yet. Give me a minute!" in her lab coat, Bei Li pouted as she gave Lu Wu a push, causing Lu Wu to stagger backward.

Bei Li promptly returned to work.

Lu Wu felt reassured and relieved.

Behind every successful man, there is an almighty woman. Who can deny that?

…...

At noon, a notification alerted all players in the game.

"Server Announcement. Game update. New character class upgrade for assassin's advancement: The Cursed Apostle."

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Chapter 35: The Naraka Realm

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Upon seeing the server announcement, the assassins in the game were fired up.

After they entered the class demonstration of the character class, the surrounding of the players rapidly changed to the familiar wilderness.

At the bare plain, the Rune Master had transformed into a silhouette who wore a tight black suit on his body and a demon mask on his face.

[Introduction of Character Class:

[The Cursed Apostle: The ones who are willing to be cursed and abandon their faiths in order to turn into the wielders of death. The Cursed Apostles obtain their source of power from pain. From their perspective, death is the beginning, while life is nothing but hell.

Character Class Specialty: Possess the cursing power and the ability to summon the Cursed Demons.

Weapon: Dagger

Prerequisites for the Character Class: Players must be Level 30 and above, with assassin as their default class.

After the introduction faded out, the silhouette began to move.

"First Level of the Naraka Realm – The Night Killer"

As the voice disappeared, a black circular formation appeared beneath the Cursed Apostle's feet. Followed by that, a dense black fog spewed out of the formation and the demons' cries reverberated across the atmosphere. It seemed like there were a mass of black, shrivelled-up arms reaching out of the formation, as though they were trying to grab onto something. But, soon, they disappeared in a flash.

Followed by the surfacing of the formation, a three-meter-tall shadow of the demon slowly appeared behind the Cursed Apostle.

The demon, which was crimson from head to toe, wore a livid face. Holding a bloody blade in its hand, it emitted an extremely intimidating aura.

After the formation disappeared, the Cursed Apostle made a strike with the dagger. In the meantime, the Night Killer Demon imitated the Cursed Apostle's action and charged forward with the bloody blade. All of a sudden, a beam of red light flashed past, leaving a bottomless crack on the surface of the ground.

The scene paused and an introduction of the skill popped up.

[First Level of the Naraka Realm, the Night Killer's Spell: Summon the Night Killer Demon as Guardian Apostle for 30 minutes. During this period of time, any attack will strengthen the power of the Night Killer. Meanwhile, with the protection of the Night Killer, any damage the player suffered will be reduced by fifteen percent.

The introduction of the skill disappeared and the tutorial continued.

"Second Level of the Naraka Realm – Avīci"

As the second skill was activated, the Night Killer Demon vanished. This time, another formation emerged under the Cursed Apostle's feet. The shadow of an Avīci Demon, coupled with a pair of wings, appeared behind the Cursed Apostle.

The Avīci Demon made a strenuous flap with its wings and brought the Cursed Apostle into the air.

In mid-air, the Cursed Apostle launched an attack with his dagger. The shadow of the Avīci Demon then let out a low growl before it dashed toward the direction where the dagger was pointing at.

"Boom!"

The earth quaked and a deep pit appeared at the area of explosion while raging fire burned relentlessly within the pit.

"Thud!"

The Cursed Apostle gradually descended from above. His toes gently touched the ground before he eventually made a landing.

[Second Level of Naraka Realm – the Avīci Demon's Nihility: Summon the Avīci Demon as an Attacking Apostle for one minute. Within this period of time, players will be granted the ability to fly. Players are allowed to choose an area as the Avīci Demon's target. Extensive damage will subsequently be triggered.

"Third Level of Naraka Realm – Praj?ā Scarification"

After the third skill was actuated, the third formation took shape on the ground.

Out of the players' expectations, this time, what appeared at the back of the Cursed Apostle was not a demon, but a golden buddha that was sitting cross-legged on a lotus throne.

Meanwhile, a berserker, who held a silver greatsword in his hand, materialized before the Cursed Apostle.

"Argh!"

The berserker roared as he charged toward the Cursed Apostle.

The Cursed Apostle gave the berserker a chilling gaze before he lifted the dagger and thrust it forward.

All of a sudden, the berserker, who was initially storming forward, was stunned and stopped in his tracks. He struggled with a scowl on his face, but there was no way for him to break free from this invisible fetter.

Before long, the players were astonished by the subsequent scene. The Cursed Apostle lifted the dagger and mercilessly stabbed himself in his chest.

"Puff!"

The Cursed Apostle was not injured by the self-mutilation at all. On the contrary, blood gushed out from the mouth of the berserker, who was at a distance, and his chest was punctured.

Upon seeing that, the Cursed Apostle sneered. Then, he moved the dagger to his neck and stabbed it ferociously.

At this moment, an amicable smile was painted across the face of the Praj?ā Golden Buddha's statue. As if a kind man who offered salvation to all sentient beings, the Buddha shimmered in glory and an enormous symbol ascended above his head.

The color of the bloodstain on the neck of the berserker gradually darkened. He then fell onto the ground and dissipated into a waft of black smoke.

[Level Three of the Naraka Realm – the Praj?ā Scarification's Ultimate Move: One of the three ultimate levels. Reincarnate as the Praj?ā Magic Buddha for one minute. Within this period, the targeted opponent will be forcefully controlled and restricted. In the meantime, any damage suffered by the Cursed Apostle will be reduced by 85 percent and the chosen target will bear the damage instead.

…...

Once the class demonstration of the 18 levels of Naraka were completed, another notification popped up:

[Attention: The Cursed Apostle will be able to illustrate 18 types of demons of the Naraka Realm and possess the ability to perform 18 forms of attacks, that consists of four stages ranging from basic to advanced, namely spell, nihility, void, and ultimate. Among all the levels, the third, ninth, and 18th are levels of extreme evilness, which will be exceptionally difficult to acquire. For further details, please refer to the Class Advancement Instructor.]

The notice regarding the class advancement of the Cursed Apostle electrified the players.

Strike_Gold: "Fuck! I have a feeling that the Cursed Apostle who grasps all 18 Naraka Realms will be more powerful than the Rune Master. This is insane! He can kill his opponents by inflicting suicide. He is matchless!"

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "Argh! Please allow me to undergo class advancement immediately! I want to rule the Naraka Realm. This is so cool! Nothing is better than fighting alongside the shadows of the demons! As expected, assassins are the best job in the game. The remaining character classes will be thrashed within a fraction of a second."

Crayon_Shinchan: "How about the mage? My middle finger is losing control. Someone please hold it down for me."

Assassin_Creed: "I'm on my way to find the Class Advancement Instructor. I think I will get insomnia if I don't complete the class advancement now."

A_Mammoth: "Honestly, the Cursed Apostle is terrific! This character class completely fulfills my fantasy, especially the shadows of the demons behind the player. I'm begging for class advancement materials. I want to go through class advancement right now!"

Black_Witch: "What happened to the wonderland the mages were promised? How can assassins turn so powerful? All the mages will be dead if we encounter an assassin who has mastered the third level of Naraka Realm in the later stages of the game."

Jia_Xu: "Shut up, everyone. I predict that Athena will be the class advancement for mage. Successful class advancement would immediately promote the character class to god. Then, we will be able to destroy the earth within a second."

A_Mysterious_Deity replied Jia_Xu: "That's bullshit. Athena? Do you want me to send over a few cockroaches for you to form a team of Saint Seiya?"

…...

Following the debut of the Cursed Apostle, all the assassins were pumped up.

In the public's opinion, the rise of the assassins was inevitable, providing that they could achieve the character class advancement to transform into the Cursed Apostle and master the 18 Naraka Realms. After that, they would basically be invincible.

However, there were circumstances that they did not foresee. All assassins lost heart after they read the prerequisites for class advancement.

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Chapter 36: The Tomb Of The White Phantom

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

[Prerequisites for character class advancement to Cursed Apostle:

Mission One: The assassins must first achieve Level 30 to be eligible for the class advancement quest. After accepting the quest, players will be able to obtain extra Blood Essence by killing any creature (not including players). Once the assassin accumulates 10,000 points of Blood Essence, the first level of the Naraka Realm will be activated. Then, the player has successfully achieved the character class advancement and become a Cursed Apostle.

Initially, all the assassins were excited to see such an easy mission.

Compared to the character class advancement to Rune Master, which required the players to hunt for various materials, the rather boring quest for the assassins was as easy as pie.

However, the assassins lost hope when they noticed the prerequisite skills listed below that.

Mission Two: Character class development.

Second Level of the Naraka Realm, the Avīci Demon's Nihility: Players have to find three different sources of the cursing power and hand it to the Class Advancement Instructor. The Class Advancement Instructor will proceed to engrave the three curses on the player's core in order to complete the second class development for the Avīci Demon.

Third Level of the Naraka Realm, the sacrifice of Praj?ā's Ultimate Move: Praj?ā sacrificed with no form and desire. Players have to grasp the praj?ā's theory via death. (Extremely difficult level. Players are required to fathom the theory on their own.)

Fourth Level of the Naraka Realm, the quaking Mountains of the Void: Players have to collect fragments of the Mountain Spirit and submit it to the Class Advancement Instructor in order to fulfill the class development.

…...

All the assassins were stunned after they read the prerequisites for class development.

Assassin_Creed: "Why are the elaborations for the sacrifice of Praj?ā, the most powerful skill, so brief and confusing? To grasp the meaning of praj?ā's theory via death? Does it mean that we have to repeatedly kill ourselves? Why is there a skill that requires the players' self-realization? Why can't the Skill Instructor guide us?"

The_Great_Assassin_Player replied to Assassin_Creed: "Perhaps, even the instructors don't know what to do (Joke)."

A_Mammoth: "I'm confused as well. The tutorial for the sacrifice of Praj?ā is too succinct. This is my first time seeing an ability that requires players' apperception. Isn't this too difficult? I will just sit back and wait for tutorials after the experts complete the quest!"

Strike_Gold: 'As expected, the more powerful the skill, the more difficult it is. I can finally get peace of mind. However, I still think that the class advancement for the assassins is too easy. They only need to kill creatures. By now, none of us, the berserkers, have successfully undergone class advancement. That wrenches my heart!"

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "Brothers from the Association of the Guardian Angels, come and destroy the Ghost Mountains with me. After I've collected 10,000 points of Blood Essence, I aspire to become the first Cursed Apostle in this game!"

Ye_Xueer's_little_follower replied to Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "Xue'er is definitely the strongest! I'm rooting for you!"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Ye_Xueer's_little_follower: "Hi lickspittle, here we meet again. Wave~"

Ye_Xueer's_little_follower replied to Crayon_Shinchan: "Hmph!"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Ye_Xueer's_little_follower: "Defeating you with a backhand slap!"

…...

Besides the Night Killer, the assassins were totally clueless about the remaining procedures to complete the character class development.

However, there was nothing Lu Wu could help them with. Even though the template of the Cursed Apostle was easy to design, it depended solely on the players to achieve their own class development.

This especially applied for the sacrifice of Praj?ā. Even among the Cursed Clan, there were only a handful of them who could master the skill. Therefore, to mimic the realisticness, the players should practice and cultivate on their own in order to pick up these powerful skills.

The players could learn the skills of the Night Killer easily because Bei Li had set a shortcut for the class advancement within the artifact for the players to upgrade into the Cursed Apostle.

When the players successfully accumulated 10,000 points of Blood Essence and submitted it to the Class Advancement Instructor, the Blood Essence would be transmitted into the Artifact Channel. The artifact would then infuse these Blood Essence points into the player's core, helping the players to forge a new body.

Since the players were no longer required to take an oath to the Naraka Realm and provide sacrifices, the procedure was way easier than before.

Although the mission was extremely hard, it did not demotivate the assassin players at all. The players were seen everywhere, hunting for creatures.

Although the mages were let down by the introduction of the Cursed Apostle, they were looking forward to the launch of a class advancement that belonged exclusively to the mages.

Lu Wu did not want to keep the mages waiting. With research led by the almighty Bei Li, a template for the mages had been finalized. It would be introduced into the game after Bei Li tested it.

Meanwhile, to enrich the in-game experience, Lu Wu's subsequent plan was to restore the Spirit Summoning Room.

The Spirit Summoning Room was where the King of Beiqi kept his defeated enemies and the spirits of his subordinates who died on the battlefield. There were many spirits of the courageous generals who used to fight alongside the King of Beiqi as he expanded his territory. More precisely, it was a memorial building.

There was a reason why Lu Wu wanted to restore the Spirit Summoning Room instead of the equipment depot.

As of now, the development of class advancement was approaching perfection. However, there was absolutely no progress for the hidden character classes.

According to Bei Li, there were spirits of talented warriors locked within the Spirit Summoning Room. Their inheritance could be extracted with the help of the artifact.

Their plan was to establish spontaneous class advancement quests in the game. Players would be able to achieve hidden character classes upon the completion of certain side quests.

After the update was launched, the players would be able to accomplish holistic development.

The hidden character class was extremely unique. It was independent from the three main characters. Hence, the introduction of the hidden character class would create new prospects to the game, making it more mysterious and intriguing.

Nevertheless, everything was still in progress.

Although the sum of Lu Wu's soul coins was increasing by leaps and bounds every day, the expenses were huge as well.

For instance, Lu Wu had set up two transport arrays at the border separating the Mansion of the Dead and Liuli District to make traveling easier for the players.

As this cost him a lot of soul coins, the balance of his soul coins was insufficient for the restoration of the Spirit Summoning Room, which was priced at 20,000 soul coins. Therefore, he had to save up again.

However, the Underworld was always full of surprises and unpredictable events could happen everywhere.

Right after Lu Wu and Bei Li decided on the future of the hidden character classes, Bei Li frowned as she placed her mind on a certain player in the Underworld.

Upon seeing that, Lu Wu shifted his vision to the Underworld as well.

…...

In Liuli District, they were surrounded by dead woods.

A berserker raised his chin to look at the blue sky. His face crumpled with despair.

He was not enjoying the view of the blue sky. In fact, he fell into this pit that was more than ten meters deep and was now surrounded by slippery rocks. There was nothing else he could do other than just stare at the sky.

He made a few attempts to climb up the rock wall, but to no avail. Not only was the wall utterly smooth, it was also extremely hard. Even his greatsword of Blue Class Quality could not make a slit on the wall. During his multiple attempts, he repeatedly fell down before he could go further than a meter.

He had the intention to escape by commiting suicide. However, he quickly lost hope. Every time he tried to injure himself, a green ray, originating from the wall, would immediately heal his wounds.

In despair, Sun Qi leaned on the wall wearily. He stared blankly and silently at the sky.

"The Tomb of the White Phantom? Wu, this man is in the Tomb of the White Phantom!"

Looking at the distressed berserker, Bei Li exclaimed in astonishment.

"What is this Tomb of the White Phantom?" Lu Wu asked curiously.

"There are unique Yin soul beasts inhabiting the Land of Beiqi. These creatures are rare and exquisite. They usually search for a secret place to keep their inheritance to pass it down to a living being from the Underworld who encounters it by fate. He is so lucky!"

Although Lu Wu failed to comprehend her words, he had a hunch that this was going to be an amazing thing.

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Chapter 37: The Inheritance Of The White Phantom

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

At the brink of death, Sun Qi was suddenly reminded of something. He activated the Skill Menu and selected the live streaming option.

Then, he typed the title, "I'm in a tight situation, requesting backup now. This is urgent…"

After the livestream began, he silently waited for other players to save a weakling like him.

Moments later, many players began to appear in the live streaming channel.

"What is this place? The view here is amazing!"

"Simple. Perform a Gecko Wall Climb and you can get up easily. Also, a Wudang Ladders sounds good, too."

"Noob! Just do as I say, put your left foot on your right foot and levitate. You'll be out of there in no time."

Besides the players who were here for the drama, some of the players provided some supposedly helpful advice.

Sun Qi attempted every possible way, but to no avail.

An hour later…

Sun Qi was even more distressed as he laid down slowly and stared at the sky.

Lu Wu was anxious when he saw this. Therefore, he registered an account via the official website and posted a message in the livestream's comment section.

"Hey man, cut your finger and try to paint your blood on the rock wall!"

Sun Qi looked at Lu Wu's comment and quietly shifted his attention back to the sky once again.

Hopeless, he was too tired to try again.

Lu Wu was lost as well. It was clear that the player had given up and was no longer interested in trying out any groundless suggestions that were posted in the comment section.

Lu Wu had no choice but to activate his reward menu. He set aside five soul coins as a reward and posted another comment.

"Brother, just do as I say and these five soul coins are yours!"

Sun Qi appeared puzzled at the sight of the soul coins.

In Sun Qi's opinion, this player had a convoluted mind because he seemed to enjoy watching someone else's suffering.

However, for the five soul coins, Sun Qi sighed as he stood up. He held the greatsword and slit his wrist with it. He hurriedly pressed his wrist against the rock wall before the healing power of the wall was activated.

The following scene made the spectating players and Sun Qi's jaws drop.

Sun Qi's arm was magically stuck on the rock wall and he was unable to remove his arm. All the blood that came out of his wrist was absorbed by the rock wall.

That sight did not cause Sun Qi to panic. Instead, he was overjoyed. He thought to himself, I can finally be freed.

The other players were rather curious, "Brother, rest in peace. We'll see you in three hours!"

Sun Qi's face looked pale due to the massive blood loss. When he thought his life was about to end, a sudden wave of energy coursed through the rock wall.

Following a wail, a shadow of a white deer appeared from the rock wall. It danced around Sun Qi as fluorescent green specks of light filled the pit.

Everyone was stunned by the sight, clueless of the whole situation.

The white deer circled Sun Qi for a moment and Sun Qi suddenly realized that his health was completely restored.

When Sun Qi was about to close off himself, the white deer grunted softly. It then lowered its head and charged toward Sun Qi's core.

Bei Li, who was already prepared, activated the weapon and began to digitalize the inheritance.

With Sun Qi as the center, a flash of green light ran around the pit. A green cocoon slowly took shape and encased Sun Qi.

"Server Announcement: Congratulations on player Sun Qi's successful class advancement and unlocking of the hidden character class: White Phantom"

A server announcement popped up, causing a commotion in the game.

Soon enough, many people found Sun Qi's livestream channel. The number of viewers quickly exceeded fifty thousand. Before long, the viewer count had hit a hundred thousand.

"I was snacking when this fellow advanced into a hidden character class. If you have just joined the livestream, you can watch the replay…"

"That's awesome! The first hidden character in the region. But, you're not as good as you seem?"

"Damn. What's a White Phantom? Help me out!"

The page was continuously refreshed as hundreds of new comments appeared every second.

At this moment, Sun Qi felt as though his mind was overwhelmed by new information. However, the information was intercepted by the artifact before it was translated into data and displayed before his eyes.

A moment later, the eyes of countless players shone with excitement as the green cocoon burst open and the pit was instantly filled with green thick fog.

The players who were watching the livestream held their breath as they anticipated the White Phantom's first appearance.

When the white fog slowly dispersed and Sun Qi finally reappeared, the other players put on an indecipherable expression.

A puppy with white, smooth fur appeared at the bottom of the pit.

In the comment section:

"Hahaha, I laughed so hard that I blew a snot bubble. Congratulations on transitioning into a dog!"

"I can't stand it anymore. I just had my operation done today. I'm out. This is too hilarious!"

"Hahaha! Congratulations! Your hidden character class is so cool!"

"I accidentally choked on water just now. Anyway, congratulations, too!"

"Are you trying to kill me with laughter and then ruin my credit score? What a shameless fellow! Hahaha!"

Sun Qi was also very confused. He was not aware of what had happened. He only knew that he seemed to have transitioned into a hidden character class, not knowing that he had actually become a dog.

He instinctively opened his Skill Menu.

Player: Sun Qi (Player Level: Level 21, 26%)

Character: White Phantom Spiritual Beast (First Form)

Introduction of the White Phantom Spiritual Beast: A type of unique and precious Yin soul beast that inhabits the Land of Beiqi. The noble blood of the Divine Beast flows within them. When their lives are coming to an end, they will search for a concealed place to pass on their inheritance to the beings who encounter it by fate.

Character Class Specialty: Every level upgrade will increase the player's attributes by 100%. At Levels 20/60/90/120, the player will receive an Inherited Skill. The second form will be unlocked upon reaching Level 150.

Note: The blood of the White Phantom has healing properties.

The players who were initially teasing Sun Qi were astonished after they read Sun Qi's Skill Menu.

"Damn it! I want to be a dog, too. I didn't foresee it to be the inheritance of the Divine Beast. I'm so jealous!"

"You're in luck! You upgrading one level is equal to us upgrading two levels. This is crazy! You're so lucky!"

"Apart from the adorable appearance, the attributes are amazing. I am absolutely jealous."

"Have you all realized that his blood has healing properties? The first medic of the region has appeared!"

"He's not a medic! He's basically the holy grail! I have prepared a washbasin to fill up his blood because the potions in the shop are way too expensive!"

"I have prepared a water tank. Are you ready to extract your blood?"

"Shut up, guys. Mister white puppy, do you want to be my pet? We will be the strongest in Beiqi and eliminate all the traitors of the ghost clan! Isn't that wonderful?"

Sun Qi's Skill Menu had caused a hubbub among the players. All the players were enthusiastically discussing Sun Qi's transformation into a puppy.

Sun Qi's inheritance was deemed as pure luck. Even Lu Wu did not have the Class Advancement Menu of a White Phantom.

The other players were also keen to become a White Phantom. But they have to find the land where the White Phantom had left its inheritance behind.

Of course, the chances would be extremely slim.

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Chapter 38: Sun Qi's Despair

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Upon seeing the attributes menu, Sun Qi was overjoyed.

As a beginner with neither skills nor cash to spend in the game, his only means to upgrade his level and obtain equipment was to fight monsters. But now, everything had changed.

Owing to this hidden character class, he would definitely be able to turn into a pro. Perhaps, he could even become one of the top-notch players.

However, he was not quite accustomed to his new dog form yet. He glanced at his paws and began running in the pit experimentally.

As he slowly got used to the body, Sun Qi put on an ambitious expression as he braced himself for a mighty leap. Then, he started to bounce between the granite walls.

Buffed by his new form and powerful attributes, this time, Sun Qi managed to spring out of the pit with ease.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air outside, Sun Qi was satisfied. He could already foresee himself on the path toward the glorious peak of his life.

In the comment section:

"What an agile doggy! So, his previous attributes were doubled as well after his class advancement? I wish I were him!"

"Buddy, are you interested in joining the Association of the Guardian Angels? We are in need of talent like you!"

"Hey buddy, the Battle Wolf Guild would surely be the most suitable for your development. Come! Join us on our quest to build this game's strongest guild!"

"Doggy, be my pet!"

Reading the players' comments, Sun Qi smiled. For the first time ever, he felt popular and important.

Just as he was falling into his fantasy, a net made of vines suddenly fell from a tree nearby. Sun Qi was caught within and before he realized what was going on, several heavy blows from a wooden stick struck him.

Sun Qi barked in agony.

"Brother, this doesn't look like a zombie wolf to me. It's just a white puppy," lifting a corner of the net, a girl with a wand said disappointedly.

"It's fine. Tie it up. We can use it as target practice. Zombie wolves are rather difficult to tame anyway. This little white puppy should be pretty easy to handle," said the disheveled assassin player.

"Hmm! Let me try it out!" the female player grabbed her wand and nodded.

In the midst of Sun Qi's utter confusion, he was dragged out of the net and tied to a dead tree.

In the comment section:

"Hahaha! Oh my god! Someone, I need help! Our almighty hidden character class is going to be tamed!"

"These two players are unbelievable! They managed to kidnap the first player with a hidden character class! My stomach hurts from laughing. Hahaha!"

"I'm just sitting here waiting to see him tamed. Use as much violence as possible. Don't go easy on him! I need this to relieve my jealousy."

"The first-ever White Phantom pet is going to be born. Let's join to watch the fun!"

When Sun Qi saw the female player took her cane out excitedly, his mouth went agape and he began to wail.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm a player. A player!"

Due to his transformation, his wails simply sounded like barks to the female player.

"Look, sister. All wild beasts carry their vicious instincts. Don't underestimate it for its size. You have to cane it with all you've got to make it fearful of you. This is the first step of beast taming, like what the beast taming master taught me."

"Got it, brother!" the female player replied with a firm nod.

Upon listening to that, the audience burst out laughing. Even Lu Wu and Bei Li, who were watching the scene, were unable to bite back their laughter.

"Smack!"

Sun Qi grit his teeth as the blows rained upon him.

"Smack, smack, smack!"

A couple of consecutive blows later, Sun Qi was left whimpering. He was filled with dread when he saw a shred of excitement flash through the female player's eyes as she continued her brutal caning.

If he could, he would have hidden his face. Then, he recalled that he was still in the midst of a livestream. He was so embarrassed that he would rather die.

He had missed the best chance to escape earlier. Now that he had been tightly restrained, Sun Qi was clueless about what he should do next. He even began to worry whether the two players would decide to simply kill him off in the end, the assassin player especially.

Sun Qi had heard that all assassin players had been going mad over Blood Essence points lately, to the point that they would kill all the plants for it if they could.

Then, Sun Qi suddenly recalled that he probably would have received an Inherited Skill, considering he had achieved Level 20.

Immediately, he activated his Skill Menu.

[Sweet Rain Dew (Inherited Skill): Players are able to summon a healing rain within a certain range. This will drain 2 percent of the player's max health per second and trigger a huge range of area of effect healing.

Seeing that it was actually not a battle skill, Sun Qi glanced at the female player, who was standing before him, in despair before a tear rolled down his face.

"Brother, the white puppy is crying!"

Noticing that, the assassin approached Sun Qi and said, "Old dog, why are you crying? You ought to be ashamed to cry at this old age."

In the comment section:

"I'm choked with laughter! He's right! Why is an old dog like him crying? That's so shameful!"

"I'm keeping this as a meme, hahaha! I swear I'm going to die from laughter as I watch this livestream channel."

"Didn't you all notice the Inherited Skill? It's insane! I'm sure whoever recruits this puppy to join their guild will get a huge leap in their ability for wilderness player killing!"

"I noticed. This is the first time I've seen a healing skill, not to mention an area of effect one! The puppy is probably going to be a popular target for recruitment from now on."

Meanwhile, facing the two torturers, Sun Qi turned his face away before he let out a few sobs. He had given up on resisting. He turned his pain reception down to zero so that he could at least be spared from the pain.

Indeed, the two players carried out a whole series of inhumane taming trials on him that were nothing short of his expectations.

Eventually, the mistaken taming process came to an end when other players, after laughing their heads off, finally decided to take pity on the white puppy, who was already on the verge of submission, and rescue him.

Sun Qi's experience was a laughingstock for the players, but many also came to realize something, too.

It was true that there were inheritances in the game, and heirs of these inheritances would receive a powerful hidden character class.

This sparked the flame in many players, as they began to search all over the map for pit holes and tunnels in hopes of receiving an inheritance for a hidden character class.

It led to many weird occurrences in the game — some obsessive players went to the extent of jumping into every pit and hole they came across, creating many hilarious incidents.

Others went even further — they specifically jumped off cliffs in the delusion that there were some ultimate inheritances beneath the cliff.

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Chapter 39: Cooperative Advertising

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

At the headquarters of the Black Sea Technology Corporation in Dragon Metropolis.

At this moment, a crowd was gathered in the meeting room. All of them wore a solemn expression on their faces.

"Sadly, we were a step behind. The majority of the influential game developers within the country have already signed agreements with the Jie De Corporation to mutually promote each other. Let's discuss about our plan to manage this," Wu Li spoke from the main seat after he swept his gaze across the crowd.

The higher-ups of the Black Sea Technology Corporation never expected that the Jie De Corporation would make their move so quickly.

Seemingly, during their press conference, the Jie De Corporation had already sent their representatives to different cities in the Dragon Nation to seize contracts with most of the game developers. Thinking that the years they had spent for the research and preparation might go up in smoke due to the turn of events, everyone of the Black Sea Technology Corporation was bitterly disappointed.

"Chief Wu, according to our intelligence, there is still one game developer of considerable significance that has not sealed the deal with the Jie De Corporation yet. Apparently, they rejected Jie De's offer."

"Only one?" Wu Li heaved a sigh of disappointment.

"It's better than none. Send someone over to negotiate with them. We'll try our best to fulfill their demands, and hopefully, we can work with them."

Although he felt inwardly helpless, Wu Li had no intention of forgoing this opportunity.

Soon after the meeting had ended, the Black Sea Corporation managed to connect with Lu Wu through Platform173.

Originally, the staff in charge intended to hold a physical meeting, but Lu Wu rejected and responded with only one question.

"Will I be charged for the collaboration?"

Although the person in charge was rather flustered by Lu Wu's question, he replied with a firm answer.

"The cooperative advertising project is to create a win-win situation. You will certainly not be charged. At the same time, your company's game will be pre-installed in our gaming console, meaning that once the gamers purchase our consoles, even without downloading, your game will automatically appear in the list."

After he listened to the proposal, Lu Wu immediately agreed to the deal. No one foresaw that the dialogue would go on so smoothly – even the person in charge at the Black Sea Technology Corporation was a little bewildered.

In the phone call, Lu Wu also promised the representative that they would promote the Black Sea Technology Corporation's gaming consoles in the game after its official release.

The next day, Lu Wu received the contract for the cooperative advertising project mailed by the Black Sea Technology Corporation.

Lu Wu carefully read through the contract. After confirming that all the details were correct, he signed it and kept a copy for himself. Upon returning the signed copy to the Black Sea Technology Corporation, the alliance between the two parties was officially established.

The news of Lu Wu's collaboration with the Black Sea Technology Corporation soon reached Orisha, Jie De Corporation's representative.

This left her in shock. As the person in charge of the cooperative advertising project, she did not expect to see the man who rejected her offer to cooperate with the Black Sea Corporation.

She quickly relayed the news to the headquarters back in A Nation.

Jie De Technology Corporation was never merciful to its competitors. They immediately decided to block Battle Online on all their consoles.

Then, Battle Online would not be available on any console that was sold by the Jie De Technology Corporation.

In their opinion, there were still a vast choice of games available for their consoles. Gamers would surely weigh the pros and cons, and opt for the better devices.

In the meantime, at the Mansion of the Dead in the underworld.

"Your majesty, your majesty!" Du Yan bowed with respect to a silhouette that was standing not far away.

"Why did you return? Have I not ordered you to stay beside Cha Na?" Lu Wu, appearing as the King of Bei Qi, questioned softly.

"I was forced to return. Cha Na has discovered my treachery. I'll certainly be killed if I remain by his side!"

"Oh? Why is that so?" Lu Wu asked, appearing surprised.

"When I went back to Cha Na, the Ghost General, upon Your Majesty's orders. I first lied to him about the cause of Third Ghost's death using the Tree Demon's branches. Then, I was told to visit the Sea King to respond to the matter of the offerings. However, I informed the Sea King that Cha Na, the Ghost General, had refused to deliver his request."

"This infuriated the Sea King. He commanded the sea creatures to launch a blitz. That was when I became certain that I would be exposed soon. So, I had to leave!"

Hearing this, Lu Wu was immediately reminded about the battle by the sea that was live streamed by the player the other day. He had not expected Du Yan to be the cause behind the violent exchange.

"By the way, I brought this with me before I left!"

Du Yan took something out of his black robes as he spoke, only to reveal a pitch-black orb that was sitting on his palm.

Lu Wu was puzzled. He waved his hand and a cloud of condensed Yin energy brought the black orb before him.

He activated the analyzing function of the artifact.

[Yin Soul Pearl: 230,119 Yin souls

Item details: This item is able to store Yin souls.

"I was previously in charge of the storage of Yin souls in Liuli district. Therefore, I took all the Yin souls that belonged to Cha Na with me before I left."

He is an utter traitor. He did not forget to give his former owner a final stab in the back before he escaped! However, I appreciate a treacherous old chap like him.

Lu Wu wore a grin as he said, "Du Yan, you did a great job!"

He waved his hand. A cloud of soul power was released from his sleeves and rushed into Du Yan's body.

"Boom!"

The soul power acted like a flammable liquid, causing the soul flame within Du Yan's skull to grow explosively. The color of his head slowly morphed from green to crimson.

Simultaneously, it could be clearly seen that Du Yan's pitch black skeletal structure began to thicken, while flecks of glowing emerald appeared on it.

"This…" Du Yan was shocked.

Having lived for several thousand years, this was his first time witnessing a skill that was able to control soul power directly. This doubled his ability in an instant.

Turning back to look at Lu Wu, Du Yan knelt on the ground and presented a kowtow. "Thanks to your majesty for your gracious reward!"

Lu Wu nodded. It was not a difficult feat for him to raise Du Yan abilities.

This was different from improving a player's ability.

The growth of a player's ability needed to be accumulated in a step-by-step manner, following the correct order. It was similar to the process of digging a drain and turning it to a pond, which would ultimately grow into a lake. It required orderly advancement. On the contrary, presences like Du Yan, who had been cultivating for thousands of years, already possessed a solid foundation. All Lu Wu needed to do for Du Yan was to add water to the pond.

Even so, the technique he had revealed appeared to be a miracle in the eyes of Du Yan.

This advancement gave Du Yan a deeper understanding of Lu Wu's mysteries. He even felt a tinge of relief, thinking that his betrayal was one of the best decisions he had ever made.

However, Lu Wu had not intended for Du Yan to stay at the Mansion of the Dead despite his return. Lu Wu gave Du Yan an order.

"Du Yan, I have a mission for you."

"Pray tell, your majesty. I shall give it my all," Du Yan spoke dutifully.

"Seek refuge from the Rock Ghost King!"

"This…" Du Yan was dumbfounded.

"Your majesty wishes for me to sour the relationship between the Rock Ghost King and Cha Na, the Ghost General?" Du Yan asked unconfidently after a brief moment of thought.

"That is one of the objectives, but I will handle Cha Na. The main purpose is for you to investigate the Rock Ghost King's current status and report it to me."

"But, will the Rock Ghost King believe me?" Du Yan was a little hesitant.

"Bring this along!" with a wave of his hand, Lu Wu removed 150,000 Yin souls from the Yin Soul Pearl using his artifact. He gave the pearl with the remaining 80,000 Yin souls to Du Yan.

Upon receiving the Yin Soul Pearl, Du Yan replied with a firm nod, "I shall not disappoint your majesty's expectations!"

Then, he transformed into a black shadow, left the Mansion of the Dead, and traveled toward the North Rocks.

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Chapter 40: Building An Instance Dungeon

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

After Du Yan's departure, Lu Wu's consciousness left the underworld, too.

Originally, Lu Wu planned to give all the Yin souls to Du Yan so that Du Yan could use it as a bargaining chip when he took shelter under the Rock Ghost King.

After all, to Lu Wu, his own soul power was clearly more useful than the Yin souls.

However, his idea was denied by Bei Li, forcing him to extract and store 150,000 of Yin souls in his battle artifact.

"Little Li, how are these Yin souls useful?" Lu Wu asked Bei Li once his consciousness returned to the room.

"They are definitely useful. You must know that others do not possess artifacts that have the ability to manipulate soul power like we do. They can only rely on Yin souls to forge weapons and equipment. Only the making of high-level equipment requires a rare soul stone. Besides, a Yin soul has a very important use — to build a two-way passage."

"Can we not do that with soul power alone?" Lu Wu was astounded.

"No, that is different. Portals can be built with soul power alone. However, it is different for the two-way passage. The construction of the two-way passage requires offerings. In this instance, a Yin soul acts as the contribution. That makes the fundamental difference between the soul power and Yin soul."

Lu Wu rolled his eyes, "You should be more specific. I literally know nothing about the underworld."

Bei Li smiled and nodded. "Have we not been brainstorming on the construction of the Instance Dungeon? These Yin souls will be extremely helpful. That is why I specifically asked you to keep 150,000 Yin souls. It is the exact amount needed as offerings to reach the Naraka Realm."

Finally, Lu Wu understood. He exclaimed in a pleasantly surprised tone, "Does it mean that we can introduce the dungeon to the public now?"

Bei Li nodded, "Yes, I've chosen the Naraka Realm, a forbidden zone in Naraka where demons are constantly spawned. It is an ideal ground for players to gain experience and upgrade their level in the game, especially for the assassins as many of the materials required for their class advancement can be found there."

"More importantly, there are eighteen levels in the Naraka Realm. The further you go, the more powerful the demons will be. So it will be especially challenging for growing players."

"How long does it take to build the two-way passage?" Lu Wu thought for a moment before he asked.

"It'll take approximately an hour."

Lu Wu nodded before he instantly released a server announcement with the help of the Battle Artifact.

"Server Announcement: Our server will undergo maintenance in ten minutes. This will be followed by the launch of the Instance Dungeon. Stay tuned!"

The players burst into an uproar upon the announcement.

Lu Wu only made this decision after careful consideration. It would be too conspicuous to form an array right outside the Mansion of the Dead, as he had to be physically present. Being the mastermind behind the curtain, it would be better for him to stay hidden.

After ten minutes of waiting, Lu Wu took a glimpse at the viewer count and realized there were some 80,000 players who were still online.

Therefore, he forcibly kicked out the players using the artifact's administrative authority.

With nowhere else to go, the players began to gather at the game's forum instead.

Crayon_Shinchan: "Damn. I almost killed the metal zombie. I have spent a whole twenty minutes fighting it! Will I get compensation for that?"

Peppa_Boar: "Same here. I was in the midst of battling the netherworld creatures with my team. We were just about to defeat it when we were kicked out mercilessly. I demand compensation! I am not asking for much, a purple weapon will be just enough."

A_Mammoth: "Did you guys not notice the highlight of the announcement? The Instance Dungeon will be launched!"

Invincible_Loneliness: "I'm on my daily quest to collect soul coins and grow cash. Anyone selling soul coins for good? Add me now!"

Assassin_Creed: "The features in this game are amazing and I'm looking forward to the Instance Dungeon. I'm trying to form a team to explore the Instance Dungeon together. Let's grow and advance together~"

Xueli_The_Strongest: "I hope the drop rate of this Instance Dungeon will be higher… I really want to change my equipment, but my soul coins run out too quickly. Poor me~"

From the discussions, it was evident that the players' expectations for the Instance Dungeon were rather high. Of course, Lu Wu would not let them down. He brought Bei Li along as he returned to the underworld.

The usually crowded Mansion of the Dead was rather deserted after the maintenance began. However, this was exactly what Lu Wu hoped for.

They took a stroll around the Mansion of the Dead and eventually stopped at a spot that was neither far nor close to the mansion before they began the construction of the altar.

When it came to technical tasks like these, Lu Wu could only remain an onlooker.

Bei Li waved her hand and extracted all the Yin souls from the battle artifact. All of a sudden, they were surrounded by many green jellyfish-like objects that were floating in the air.

Then, Bei Li shifted her attention to the Yin energy. With the Yin energy, she inscribed an enormous circle on the ground before she continuously filled the circle with twisted and indecipherable patterns.

Ten minutes later, Bei Li, with an earnest expression, waved her hand once again, prompting the Yin energy in the air to surge toward the array on the ground, materializing the formation on the ground as it shimmered with a dark glow.

"Hum… hum…"

As the patterns within the array took its form, the ground gently quaked. The lines on the floor began to glow in crimson.

"The offerings!" upon Bei Li's command, the suspended Yin souls rushed toward the core of the array.

"Sob… sob…"

An ancient cry of sorrow originated from the array resounded through the atmosphere. The sound resembled an old man who was bidding farewell to the world in the final moments of his life.

Then, a shocking scene appeared before Lu Wu. A pair of crimson red arms, dripping with molten lava, reached out from the array and grabbed the air viciously. Within a blink of an eye, the cloud of Yin souls were completely removed.

Looking at that pair of arms, Bei Li's expression remained solemn. She uttered a few sentences in a language unheard before by Lu Wu.

The pair of lava-drenched arms gently oscillated as they listened to her. A weathered sigh arose from the array. The gigantic arms slowly sunk into the ground until it was no longer visible.

The array Bei Li inscribed had become a crimson red circular pit with a bright glow churning within. Its bottom was unfathomable.

"It's done!" Bei Li smiled happily as she looked at Lu Wu, anticipating his compliment.

Lu Wu reached out to ruffled her hair, "What were those arms earlier? Also, what did you say to him?"

Bei Li pouted, "You should not address him as 'arms'… he is one of the oldest divine beings here in the underworld. Even after his death, he is still a supreme existence. I was communicating with the residues of his consciousness in an ancient sacrificial language earlier. I asked for a passage to the Naraka Realm in exchange for 150,000 Yin souls."

"Did he agree?"

"Of course! There is no other way this tunnel can be built successfully otherwise. For he was, and remains, the only god in charge of the forbidden zone, the Naraka Realm."

Lu Wu nodded. "So we have to do this for every new Instance Dungeon we build?"

"Yes. All forbidden zones contain the residue of an ancient god's consciousness. It is the existence of these prehistoric gods that labels these areas as the forbidden zones. Therefore, we will require the gods' permission before we can create a connection that leads to a forbidden zone. You have to find a way to encourage the players to plunder more Yin souls and contribute to us in order to establish more Instance Dungeons!"

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Chapter 41: The Stone Coffins In The Naraka Realm

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

After she finished the carving in the Naraka Realm, Bei Li extracted a default soul from the Artifact Channel. She introduced the settings of an Instance Dungeon Facilitator into a default soul before she left the underworld with Lu Wu.

After reading the comments, he realized that the players were all trying to picture the appearance of the Instance Dungeon. After some contemplation, Lu Wu made an announcement on the main page.

"Game maintenance is complete. The Instance Dungeon has been launched: Naraka Realm. New NPC: Instance Dungeon Facilitator"

[Naraka Realm (Instance Dungeon):

The Naraka Realm contains eighteen levels of different settings for players to train and upgrade their levels. Every level has multiple monsters of the highest level and powerful creatures. For more details, please approach the Instance Dungeon Facilitator.

Prerequisite to join Instance Dungeon: Your team should be made up of a minimum of ten players.

After they heard the news, impatient players immediately logged into the game and flooded the Instance Dungeon's portal.

"Wow. This is a major Instance Dungeon. We can only access it with a ten-player team. Do they have to set such a high requirement for this?"

"Sob. I'm a loner who's looking for a team to adopt me!"

"Our assassin team is recruiting. Join us, assassins… it's time to hunt for materials for our class advancement!"

"I can't believe there is a time limit for the quest. We can only stay in the dungeon for an hour. This is unfair for the clumsy players!"

After the Instance Dungeon Facilitator briefed the players about the Naraka Realm, many players were excited to experience the Naraka Realm for themselves.

At this point, Bei Li had also created a mage character class for herself in order to mix into the crowd.

Bei Li had never been to the Naraka Realm either. Therefore, she was very curious about it and wanted to visit the place, too.

Lu Wu had no reason to stop her. After all, her presence was virtual and she would not be physically threatened.

To strengthen their first attempt, many teams were busy expanding their teams, trying to recruit as many players as possible. That was how Bei Li took the chance to join one of the teams.

Coincidentally, the team she joined was Ye Xue'er's Association of the Guardian Angels.

Anyone who intended to join the team was required to first join the guild. After she submitted the form, Bei Li's application was quickly approved and she became one of the members of the guild. She was then assigned to Ye Xue'er's team.

Being the team leader, Ye Xue'er did the headcount. Once she made sure that there were thirty players, she made an announcement through the guild live chat channel, "Let's go!"

She reached out to access the Instance Dungeon's portal, prompting a menu to pop up.

[Instance Dungeons:

Naraka Realm

There was only one option. Ye Xue'er chose the only option and the entire team felt an abrupt loss of gravity.

According to Bei Li's settings, for the group transportation, the system would first bring the players to the Artifact Channel. During this entire period, the player's senses would be shielded. Then, they would be transferred from the artifact to the Instance Dungeon.

This was for the convenience of the players. After all, it would be very slow and troublesome if they were to jump into the passage one after another.

As for where they would be transported to, the system would program it randomly. They would appear at any place depending purely on the players' luck.

When the players regained their senses, the team realized that their surroundings had undergone a vast change.

The dry land beneath their feet was full of cracks with red molten lava flowing within. Even if their senses were reduced, they could still feel the heat waves charging at them.

"Eighteen levels of Naraka, Level One"

Before long, the words which indicated the players' location gradually faded away.

"The Naraka Realm looks so realistic. This is so cool!"

The players were astounded by the environment of the Instance Dungeon and the Naraka Realm. There were even players who reached into the cracks to touch the lava before they quickly felt a sharp pang on their arms. Meanwhile, a number appeared above their head, implying the loss of their health.

"Alright. Let's not touch anything and continue our journey as a team. According to the Instance Dungeon Facilitator, there are many precious materials and treasures in this place. Let's look carefully and not miss anything."

Ye Xue'er checked her surroundings before she spoke through the guild live chat.

The team began their exploration.

After ten minutes, a waterfall made of lava appeared before them.

Initially, Ye Xue'er intended to take a detour to bypass the waterfall. However, at this moment, a sharp-eyed player noticed a cave on the left of the waterfall and notified the team via the guild live chat.

Considering that they were here for treasure hunting, Ye Xue'er was rather curious about the cave. Ye Xue'er beckoned the team to follow her as they approached the waterfall.

As they got closer to the waterfall, the temperature continued to increase. Other than the strong berserker, all the mages were losing their health by one point every five seconds.

Fortunately, they had already arrived at the entrance of the cave. Otherwise, they would be too afraid to continue their venture.

Ye Xue'er walked to the side of the cave and popped her head into the cave to scan the place. Realizing that it was impossible for her to see the end of the cave, she beckoned her members over and led the team into the cave.

The cave was close to the lava waterfall. However, the team was surprised to feel absolutely no heat after they entered the cavern.

As they went deeper, they were overwhelmed by extreme cold that sent chills down their spine.

As their vision got increasingly obscured, Ye Xue'er gestured her team to make use of the torch they bought from the shop. In a flash, their surroundings were made bright.

Owing to the burning flames, the chamber appeared eerie and terrifying. The graphical scene caused some of the timid players huddle up together.

As they progressed, they reached the end of the cave and were welcomed by a bend. The team stopped in their tracks.

A gust of sinister wind, which originated from the bend, swamped the players. It was so terrifying that they felt as if there was a monster hiding around the corner.

Ye Xue'er took in a deep breath and walked in front of the team. Likewise, she was afraid. However, as a team leader, her dignity was more important than her life.

After they passed the corner, an empty and extensive room came into their sight. Following their arrival, flames appeared on the rock wall and lit up the entire place.

When the team finally checked out the place, they were all taken aback.

They were at a burial chamber, with dozens of coffins, which were organized neatly, in front of them. The scene brought a great shock to Ye Xue'er and her crew.

Ye Xue'er reassured herself that everything lying before her was not real.

She took in another deep breath and led the team toward the coffins.

When Ye Xue'er reached the center of the room and was about to take a closer look at the coffins, she was startled by a deafening bang. Instantly, her face turned pale as she tried to stop herself from screaming.

She turned to trace the source of the sound, only to realize that it came from her brother, Ye Chen. He was destroying a stone coffin with his greatsword.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Ye Xue'er could not hold back her anger and reprimanded him.

"There must be an inheritance within the coffin, if not a treasure," Ye Chen replied with a serious answer before he swung the sword once again.

After a brief stun, Ye Xue'er changed her mind. Ye Chen might be right. After all, treasures are always found in hidden places.

Seeing that Ye Xue'er was no longer against Ye Chen's idea, a few other players were convinced, too. With their staffs, swords, and daggers, they destroyed the coffins, hoping to earn a hidden character class.

The symphony of bangs and thuds left the players breathless. Depressed, they stared at the unyielding stone coffins.

"This is infuriating! They should've just installed a switch for this! Do they still want us to play the game? What a poor gaming experience!" Ye Chen ranted.

The other players grimaced as they listened to Ye Chen's tirade. Did you install a switch on your ancestor's coffin?

"When I die, I will install a switch on my coffin. Everyone will be able to open and close it with a mere flick," Ye Chen continued to mumble.

His words left the other players speechless.

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Chapter 42: Fire Gobbling Dragon

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Ye Chen's words left the entire team speechless.

At this moment, Wang Zuoshou, his best friend, asked, "Brother Ye, would you prefer a sliding lid or a flip lid?"

Ye Chen was flustered.

"A touch screen seems more savvy," Bei Li, who had been silently observing, piped up.

Noticing that all eyes were on her, Bei Li was embarrassed as she raised her wand and took a few steps backward.

"What should we do? There are treasures here but we cannot reach them. That's awful," Ye Chen looked at his sister, Ye Xue'er.

"It seems like we have to give up for now. Mark the location. When we grow stronger, we will come back to open the coffins," Ye Xue'er said weakly.

Although they gave up on opening the coffins, the team continued to search the burial chamber, not wanting to overlook any treasure.

Eventually, they found three sealed earthen jars.

After multiple attempts to break the jars open, the team realized that the stone jars were made of identical materials as the coffins. There was no way they could crack them open.

"Actually, there may not be any treasure in the jars. We have many similar jars buried under the ground of our village. If you are lucky, you might find some good old wine brewed by the ancestors," a mediocre-looking berserker among the team commented.

"And if you are unlucky?" the team gazed at him curiously.

"If you are unlucky, you might unearth one of your ancestors."

His answer baffled the others.

Upon listening to the blunt berserker's theory, the team's perception of the three jars had changed. They were disgusted at the thought of holding cremated ashes in their hands and decided to leave the jars on the ground.

Seeing their reactions, Bei Li took a few steps forward and carried the three jars in her arms, "I'll bring them with me if you don't want it!"

The members found it hilarious when they saw the petite Bei Li carrying the three big jars. Yet, they shook their heads.

Bei Li put on a smile. With the jars in her arms, she disappeared into the Artifact Channel.

None of them thought this was strange.

Nonetheless, every player had their personal channels. Unbeknownst to them, the personal channels were essentially part of the battle artifacts channel which had been segregated into portions for each player.

After they scanned the burial chamber once again and made sure that they did not miss anything, the team followed Ye Xue'er out of the chamber. In the meantime, they marked the location down, intending to return when they grew strong enough.

The moment they left the cave, the team was swamped by the strong wind and extreme heat.

They lifted their gaze to see a huge fire dragon charging at them. Underneath the fire dragon, some ten players were frantically trying to escape while their leader held a fiery red egg in his hand.

"Brothers, help, help!" noticing Ye Xue'er and her team, the leader seemed immensely relieved as he bolted toward them.

"Damn, brother. Don't come near me!"

Seeing this, Ye Chen pointed at the other players, who were running toward them, with his greatsword before he yelled hysterically.

"Brother, save us!"

"Don't come near us!"

The players on both sides continued to shout at each other.

"The dragon is this level's boss. I'll let you be the first to slay it. Help!" the leading player cried.

"Nonsense. Why don't you kill it first? If you come one step closer to us, I will kill you," Ye Chen howled.

Looking at the dragon which hurtled toward them, Ye Xue'er and her group screamed in fright, hoping that the egg thieves would not drag them into their misery.

"Quick! Get into the cave!"

As the fire dragon advanced toward them, Ye Xue'er quickly led her team into the cave.

In less than five seconds, the earth began to quake before they were showered by crushed stones.

"Roar!" the fire dragon's howl resonated across the atmosphere.

The cave shook once again and more stones rained down.

As the team scrambled to find their footings, they found that they were joined by three other players.

They stared at the player who was carrying the dragon egg. Everyone in the room went silent for a few seconds before Ye Chen slowly raised his greatsword.

Despite everything that was happening, Ye Xue'er was moved when she suddenly heard the innocent cry of the baby dragon from the egg.

She was adept at manslaughter and pillaging. Hence, she did not try to stop Ye Chen.

"Brother, let's talk about this. Please don't hurt us!" the leading berserker put on an awkward grin as he held the dragon egg closer.

"Surrender the egg!" Ye Xue'er drew her dagger and ordered angrily.

The berserker was especially distressed at this instant. His team thought that they would be safe if they ran away after they stole the dragon egg, not knowing that it was impossible for them to bring the egg into their personal channel. After the fire dragon noticed that its dragon egg was missing, it traced the egg with the help of its smell.

As a result, they were down to three players. They knew that they were no match for Ye Xue'er's team if they were to fight.

Looking at Ye Xue'er's team who were ready to fight, the corner of the berserker's mouth twitched as he prepared to distract and argue with his opponent verbally. Before he could do that, he lost his balance as the cave began to shake again.

This time, the quake was even worse than before. Following the dragon's shriek, they felt as though the cave was going to blow up.

What fell on them was no longer crushed stones but huge rocks.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

The players were buried by the rocks one after another while the quake intensified. Apparently, they had driven the fire dragon up the wall.

At this point, Ye Xue'er leapt forward and mercilessly kicked the berserker who was holding the dragon egg. Then, she snatched the dragon egg in his hand.

The berserker was completely stunned. Their team had sacrificed greatly for this dragon egg. Furthermore, the value of the dragon egg was certainly priceless.

However, when he intended to retrieve the egg, a huge rock from above fell right on top of him.

Getting ahold of the dragon egg, Ye Xue'er immediately attempted to hide it in her personal channel. To her surprise, she was not allowed to do that. Instead, the channel responded with a message.

"Living things are prohibited in personal channels."

At this crucial moment, a pure and innocent moan came from the dragon egg as fiery red flare began to run around the egg.

"Crack!"

A crack appeared on the egg shell before it continued to lengthen.

"Boom!" the egg broke and a cute little fire dragon flew out of the egg.

"Howl…" the baby fire dragon immediately raised its head and let out a gleeful roar.

However, Ye Xue'er nipped the little fire dragon by its neck and held it before her.

Relentless, Ye Xue'er made another attempt to bring the baby fire dragon into her personal channel.

Something unexpected happened. The little fire dragon transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into her body.

[Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Ye Xue'er for hatching her first pet, a Fire Gobbling Dragon (Infant)]

As the announcement was released, a deafening roar echoed and flattened the cave. At this moment, Ye Xue'er was also drowned by the stones.

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Chapter 43: The Guild Tournament

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

The fire dragon egg hatched at the crucial moment and was digitized by the artifact to be stored into Ye Xue'er's inventory. With that, she obtained her first pet in the game by mere luck.

As for the berserker and his team who had their dragon egg snatched away from them, they were beyond furious. Immediately, they started an argument in the online forum.

Even the berserker's guild, called the Demolition Officers, had declared hostility against the entire Association of the Guardian Angels.

The increase in the number of players resulted in the establishment of many new guilds. The Demolition Officers were originally a strong guild from another game. After the rise of Battle Online, the players had moved their base and settled down as a new guild in Battle Online. Even though their guild was fairly new, their capabilities were exceptionally strong, almost comparable with that of the Association of the Guardian Angels.

Right then, Ye Xue'er was feeling extremely pleased. Although her first attempt at the Instance Dungeon ended very quickly, she felt that it was worth it since she had obtained a fire dragon egg.

She also became more convinced that manslaughter and pillaging were the true significance of joy in the game. She was also not wary of the challenge from the Demolition Officers and instantly accepted their challenge in the forum. She was prepared to go head to head with them in the wild after her respawn. It would be a major battle between the guilds.

However, the other players were not interested with the feud between the two guilds. Instead, the fact that pets can be obtained from the Instance Dungeon in the Naraka Realm had captured everyone's attention.

This incited envy from many of the players. Many casual players had also joined together in teams to take on the Naraka Realm in hopes of hatching a pet for themselves.

Nevertheless, the first level of the Naraka Realm was already perilous to these players. Even the players, who worked in groups, found it difficult to beat the weakest fire dragon. Although there were relics and treasures lying around, it was extremely difficult to find. The task was nearly impossible without either skills or luck.

For instance, despite the fact Ye Xue'er's team managed to find the stone coffins, it was pointless because they failed to open them.

Yet, as more players rushed into the Naraka Realm to try their luck, coupled with the many images that were posted in the forum by others to flaunt the materials or treasures they found, the player's enthusiasm to challenge the Naraka Realm had only increased. It was as if they enjoyed being tortured by the Instance Dungeon of a gruelling difficulty.

After the cooldown period of her respawn ended, Ye Xue'er logged into the game again expectantly.

She clicked into her Attributes Menu and her gaze fell upon a new section for pets.

[Fire Gobbling Dragon – Level 0 (Infant):

Pet Details: Beast of fire attributes that thrives in high temperature zones year-round and is immune to fire.

Pet Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 4, Endurance 4, Willpower 6

Pet Quality: High (From lowest to highest starting with Low, Medium, High, Spiritual Beast, Yin Soul Beast, Divine Beast, Omnipresent Spirit)

Pet Skills: None (Able to develop apperception)

Growth Requirements: Consuming fire type Spirit Stones can increase pet's experience

(Note: You can purchase pet revival pill from the shop to revive your pet after it dies)

Regarding the settings for the pet, Bei Li had already planned everything out beforehand. After all, there would be some diminution to the pet's spirituality, especially because they had to be completely digitized.

For example, the Fire Gobbling Dragon should be ranked as at Spiritual Beast, but after being digitized, it could only be a high-ranking beast at most. The downgrade of the pet was inevitable.

In fact, in order to digitize the pets, the pets must be recently hatched and still an infant. They had to be collected into the artifact the second they were exposed to the outside world. It would not be possible to digitize a pet that had already matured, even with the help of the artifact.

Regarding the revival of the pet, it was obvious that Lu Wu would not let the players use the artifact for free. The players would be charged at a high price for it. Each revival would cost 30 soul coins.

After she was done reading the pet's Attributes Menu, Ye Xue'er clicked the option to summon her pet. A black whirlpool immediately appeared in front of her before a chubby little fire dragon flew out eagerly, flapping its wings excitedly.

"Howl… howl…" the little fire dragon flew around Ye Xue'er before it snuggled into her arms.

Having seen the little dragon's action, Ye Xue'er grabbed the little fire dragon by its scruff and held it up before her eyes to scrutinize it.

"It seems pretty weak. Yet, I still have to spend time to cultivate it. How troublesome!" Ye Xue'er was rather disappointed.

The little fire dragon seemed to be able understand Ye Xue'er's words. It puffed its cheeks and spat with all its might. "Cough… Cough…"

Ye Xue'er stared at the weak flame emotionlessly.

"This is perfect to light a cigarette!" Ye Chen, who was standing by the side, scoffed.

Ye Xue'er placed the little fire dragon back into the pet channel before she turned to glare at Ye Chen, "Prepare our men. I believe the Demolition Officers are ready. Let's go beat the crap out of them!"

"Sure!" Ye Chen grinned as he lifted his greatsword and rested it on his shoulder. He then turned to leave.

At that moment, Lu Wu was discussing with Bei Li about the recent issues of the disputes between the guilds.

Since the launch of the Naraka Realm, the conflicts between the guilds continued to intensify, mainly because of the players who constantly fought with each other for materials and treasures.

The squabbles between the Association of the Guardian Angels and the Demolition Officers were just one of the many cases. Every guild would be involved in a disagreement to a certain extent. Therefore, Lu Wu decided to conduct the very first in-game tournament for the many guilds.

A piece of drafting paper was set before Lu Wu with the words 'Guild Tournament' scribbled on it.

Lu Wu's idea was very simple, which was to construct a huge battlefield and a hundred fortresses in the Artifact Channel. All guilds with more than 500 members would be eligible to register and participate in the Guild Tournament.

The main idea of the tournament was to capture the flag.

A blank flag would be placed in the heart of every fortress. When a guild successfully seized the fortress, they could then replace the blank flag with their guild's official flag.

However, claiming the flag is only part of the battle. Even after a certain guild had conquered one of the fortresses and replaced its flag, players from other guilds were allowed to overthrow the ruling guild and take over the fortress.

The players were required to focus on attack during the beginning of the tournament and, later, defense. The tournament would last for half a day and when time was up, the guild that had topped the most fortresses would be enthroned as the Almighty Guild. Besides that, Lu Wu had also prepared rewards for the champion.

This was certainly a big project. Even if they could easily agglomerate Yin energy in the Artifact Channel for the construction of the fortresses, it was still a massive task. Lu Wu had to commit a lot of time to build the place.

Therefore, the event was still in its early stage of preparation and would not be introduced so quickly.

Currently, there were already more than 300 guilds with 500 members in the game. Lu Wu decided that he would launch the tournament once there were 500 guilds with enough crew. Not only that, he even hoped to gather 1,000 guilds with sufficient members before he launched the tournament.

When the time came, it would be a majestic event for the strong guilds to showcase their respective strengths. It would definitely be a battle worth waiting for.

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Chapter 44: Predestined Archery (Part I)

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

The third day after the Naraka Realm was opened, Lu Wu finally managed to accumulate 200,000 soul coins and commence his long-awaited plan to construct the Spirit Summoning Palace.

After approximately thirty minutes, a towering pagoda appeared near the Mansion of the Dead.

At the same time, the players in the game received their first surprise after the completion of the latest system update.

[Server Announcement: The latest system update will introduce a new hidden character class, the Sun Chasing Archer, along with its Inheritance Trial. The hidden character class is limited to ten players only. For more details, please ask the Character Class Instructor.]

The inheritance of the Sun Chasing Archer was the first gift from Lu Wu to the players.

The valiant spirit Zhuri, known as the ultimate sun chaser, used to be the number-one archer under the King of Beiqi's reign. His ability was almost comparable to the Ghost King. His archery skills were unmatched throughout the land of Beiqi, making him one of the King of Beiqi's most valued henchmen.

However, he was sacrificed by the patriarch of the Cursed Clan during the skirmish to annihilate them in order to activate the Praj?ā Scarification.

Zhuri's death broke the King of Beiqi's heart. Deeply saddened by his loss, the King of Beiqi knew that there was nothing he could do. However, the King of Beiqi managed to retrieve Zhuri's soul and keep it in the Spirit Summoning Palace, installing him as one of the valiant spirits to be worshiped by the later generations.

The Sun Chasing Archer was the first hidden character class created by Bei Li after the recent restoration of the Spirit Summoning Palace.

As the game was true to life where archery skills were difficult to master by any ordinary people, Lu Wu had only made available ten limited spots for the players. In the meantime, he introduced a pilot challenge for the players to inherit the hidden character class.

The prerequisites to join the pilot challenge were fairly simple. First, all the players who registered for the challenge would be teleported to the shooting range in the Artifact Channel that was built by Bei Li.

Then, players had to undergo three tests. They were required to shoot fixed targets at the 50 and 100 meter range, and then a moving target at a 150 meter range.

Every player was given five chances. The top ten players with the highest marks would be rewarded with the inheritance of the hidden character class, the Sun Chasing Archer.

The pioneering project had excited many players. However, it was apparent that the trial was extremely difficult. An arrow would always travel in a parabolic path. Any ordinary person who had not gone through a proper training could hardly hit an immobile target, not to mention the moving target at the 150 meter range, where the difficulty would be at its highest level.

Despite the hard challenge, the enthusiasm of the players to achieve the hidden character class was not hindered. Other than the players who were not interested in archery, most of the players had registered for the Inheritance Trial.

The registration ended on the next day and the number of applicants peaked at 250,000 players.

The trial that had been keeping all the players on pins and needles finally began. All the registered players were teleported to the shooting range in the Artifact Channel.

To prevent players from affecting one another, they were separated in different spaces. From the shooting range, a scoreboard could be seen in the distance which conveniently allowed the players to check their scores and rankings.

The first test was conducted at the 50 meter range. There were five rings marked on each target. The players would get 10 points by hitting the bullseye. Whereas for the other outer red circles, there was a decrease of one point in accordance to the order of the rings from the center. The players would secure just 5 points by hitting the target but not the ring. Of course, they would earn no points at all if they missed the target completely.

The minimum requirement to pass the first stage was to earn 10 points.

When the test officially began, an iron bow appeared in every player's hand. Meanwhile, they were also given five arrows, respectively.

Although the first test was only conducted at a distance of 50 meters, it was already challenging for the players who had no experience with archery before. After finishing their five attempts, out of the 250,000 players, there were less than 40,000 who advanced to the second stage.

Lu Wu, who had been spectating, simply felt helpless. Obviously, the archer character class, was too difficult to achieve. It was something that not everyone could do.

Before long, the second test started. All the players who succeeded in advancing the first test fixed their gaze upon the scoreboard.

First place: Li Lin (50 marks)

Second place: Su Mu (50 marks)

Third place: Ye Chen (50 marks)

Fourth place: Mo Lingtian (50 marks)

Actually, all the current top ten players managed to reach a 100% target hit rate.

For most of the players, these people must be experts who had been practicing shooting in real life. Otherwise, it was impossible for them to have such high accuracy and hit rate.

However, Ye Chen disagreed.

Seeing the target being rearranged to 100 meters, he was gaping in disbelief.

He did not expect to achieve much from this archery inheritance and simply participated for the fun of it. He certainly did not foresee that his amateur shooting could still land his arrows on the center of the target.

Ye Chen's face was flushed red when he saw that he was ranked third place on the scoreboard.

When the second test began, new arrows were distributed. Ye Chen once again took out an arrow from the quiver and put it against the bowstring.

"Whoosh!"

With a soft whistle, his arrow pierced through the wind.

"Ding!" The scoreboard in the distance lit up: 10 points

Ye Chen was completely stunned this time. Understanding that he had never been taught archery skills, nor had he ever touched a bow, he was flabbergasted by his luck.

Perhaps, I was born a talented archer?

Therefore, he took out an arrow once again and placed it to the bow. He made a nonchalant effort to aim at the target before he released the bow.

"10 points!"

"10 points!"

"10 points!"

"10 points!"

After the fourth arrow was shot out, Ye Chen was full of admiration toward himself and his skills. Claiming to be a prodigy now, Ye Chen thought that archery was way too easy for him.

Entering the third round, there were only less than 3,500 players left. Ye Chen's ranking still remained at third place, causing him to feel increasingly elated.

When the third test started, the target, unlike before, was no longer fixed. On top of that, the distance of the range had been increased to 150 meters. The difficulty was greatly increased as every player was given only thirty seconds to shoot.

Looking at the target which was moving back and forth in an arrhythmic manner at 150 meters away from him, Ye Chen was slowly losing his confidence.

He took out an arrow and placed it on the bowstring. After he roughly predicted the movement of the target, he released his arrow.

"Thud!"

"Ding! 10 points!"

His bowstring was still vibrating when the scoreboard announced his score from afar.

"Haha, I'm a real genius!" Ye Chen was ecstatic when he managed to score ten points once again.

The next four shots happened just as what Ye Chen predicted. Every shot hit the bullseye. When the final result was announced, Ye Chen was extremely proud of himself.

[Server Announcement: The ranking for the Inheritance Trial is as follows. The top ten players will begin the inheritance for class advancement.]

First place: Ye Chen (150 marks)

Second place: Mo Lingtian (149 marks)

Third place: Li Lin (143 marks)

Fourth place: Su Mu (141 marks)

Even though I wanted to keep a low-profile, this must be my actual ability! Seeing that he was in the first place, Ye Chen could not help but laugh out loud.

Immediately after the ranking from the Inheritance Trial was revealed, Lu Wu looked at Bei Li and said, "Let's start the inheritance!"

Bei Li nodded and transferred her consciousness into the artifact. Ten sets of the inheritance of the Sun Chasing Archer were copied and transferred to the ten players' templates. Besides that, Bei Li spent 2,000 soul coins for each player to help them to build a new body template so that they would be able to adapt to the inheritance.

At the same moment when the inheritance began, Lu Wu also satisfied the curiosity of the inquisitive players by allowing ten live streams of the shooting range, each focused on one of the ten winners who inherited the hidden class.

Notifications appeared in Ye Chen's and the others' mind after the inheritance began.

"Congratulations! You've successfully advanced your character class to become the Sun Chasing Archer. More details and information of the character class can be found in the Attributes Menu. Meanwhile, the shooting range will continue to stay open for the next thirty minutes. Hurry up and practice your new skills at the shooting range!"

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Chapter 45: Predestined Archery (Part II)

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

[Sun Chasing Archer: Inheritance of the best archer in the Land of Beiqi]

Character Class Background: The Sun Chasing Archer, the man who was enthralled by archery, had devoted decades to mastering his archery skills. However, even until later in his life, archery still had not become his forte. When his Yin Flame was about to be extinguished, he witnessed the silhouette of Emperor Jin Wu passing by amidst the sunset. Looking at the Scorching Flame that was scattered across the entire sky, the realization hit him hard. All of a sudden, he gained the apperception of the Sun Chasing Aura. His life was revamped and his lifespan was subsequently prolonged. He outdid himself and, within the next three years, became the best archer in the Land of Beiqi.

Cultivation of Character Class: Attributes will be enhanced by 50% every time the level of the player increases. Players will also receive a unique supplementary passive power, Eagle Eyes, and an extra energy bar, Sun Chasing Aura.

"Eagle Eyes (passive)": Enhancement of visual ability. Players will be able to adjust pupil's focal length independently.

"Sun Chasing Aura (100 energy points)": Every Sun Chasing shot will consume one energy point. Meanwhile, the application of the skill will constantly consume energy points. The energy points will recover by one point for every three seconds.

Additional Skills: Sun Chasing Dispersion, Sliding, Annihilation

"Sun Chasing Dispersion (consume five points)": Players will be able to shoot five arrows that have been strengthened by the Sun Chasing Aura, and execute an area damage.

"Sliding (consume three points)": Players are allowed to flexibly utilize the Sun Chasing Aura and apply it onto their feet, enabling the players to perform a short-distance rapid slide. (It can be used to avoid attack and approach opponents.)

"Annihilation (consume all remaining energy)": Players will be able to consolidate all the Sun Chasing power from the entire body and forge an arrow of soul energy to release a deadly attack. (No arrow is needed to apply this skill.)

"The second stage will begin after the player has reached Level 100 and completed the class development. Details can be obtained from the Character Class Instructor."

Character Class' Weapon: Bow and arrow.

The players, who had been watching the live stream, enviously looked at the Inheritance Menu of the Sun Chasing Archer.

"The ten Archery Masters have gained the inheritance with their own capability. I respect them!"

"I'm envious but not jealous for you have obtained the inheritance with your own ability. Even if I had your character class, I will not have hit the target with my ability."

"I acknowledge this! In order to master this character class, it really requires talent in archery. An ordinary person will never be able to do this!"

The audience unanimously approved the ten players who were about to receive the inheritance. After all, they had earned this with their own ability rather than merely by luck. All the other players were genuinely happy for them.

Soon after Ye Chen achieved his class advancement, he was overjoyed to immediately receive three new skills.

Knowing that he had another thirty minutes to test his skills, Ye Chen felt ambitious.

He lifted up the iron bow and drew one arrow from his newly acquired quiver. Then, he locked the arrow to the bowstring. He aimed at a fixed target that was 50 meters away and released the arrow confidently.

"Thud! Zero points." The scoreboard displayed the score from afar.

"Cough. This is a mistake. It's a mistake," knowing that he was on a live stream, Ye Chen put on an embarrassed grin before he took out another arrow.

However, before long, Ye Chen's laughter had been completely extirpated.

He made five consecutive attempts and none of the arrows managed to hit the target.

Ye Chen was appalled by the result.

With his trembling hands, Ye Chen aimed at the target that was 100 meters away and activated his Eagle Eyes. He could clearly see the distant target with his naked eyes.

Ye Chen lifted up the bow again and took a deep breath before he slowly let go of the bowstring in his hand.

"Thud! Zero points."

"Thud! Zero points."

"Thud! Zero points."

Ye Chen, who refused to give up, focused his gaze upon the moving target that was 150 meter away from him and began to shoot frantically.

"Thud! Zero points."

"Thud! Zero points."

The consecutive nils left Ye Chen dumbfounded.

And the players, who were watching the live stream, were as astounded as him.

A_Mammoth: "Isn't he the champion? The result… I have a terrifying idea."

Crayon_Shinchan: "Predestined Archery. The player will be able to hit the target only during the right times. I think that the other player is having the same idea."

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "I was skeptical when I saw my brother's outstanding archery skills as he has never undergone any training before. Now, I understand what's going on. This is such an overwhelming truth."

Strike_Gold: "This is really overwhelming. Can this really be the legendary Predestined Archery?"

Invincible_Loneliness: "Perhaps he shut down the automatic aiming system and accidentally exposed his real ability."

Watermelon_Taro: "So… will his account be scrapped?"

Guard_With_Knife replied to Watermelon_Taro: "Basically… it's scrapped…"

Golden_Saint_Seiya: "It seems a little tense now. Well, I have a question, can I laugh now?"

The_Bronze_Player replied to Golden_Saint_Seiya: "Hahaha, I'll start first!"

At this moment, Ye Chen realized how major the issue was.

Perhaps the previous fifteen shots on the targets were merely coincidence!

This idea turned Ye Chen's face pale and his gaze soulless.

After he achieved the class advancement and became an archer, bow and arrows were the only weapon that he was equipped with. At the thought of this, Ye Chen's hand, which was still holding the bow, trembled uncontrollably.

He tried to extract the blue greatsword from his channel.

"Reminder: You have achieved Class Advancement and are now a Sun Chasing Archer. Your default weapons are bows and arrows. You are not allowed to use a greatsword."

"Oh my god! Can I downgrade myself to be a berserker again?" Ye Chen squatted on the floor and growled helplessly.

In the comment section:

Crayon_Shinchan: "What a show! Congratulations on driving someone crazy!"

A_Mammoth: "Don't cry, my brother. You can show off your Predestined Archery to the audience."

Strike_Gold: "Don't cry, you still can use your bow… to whack your enemies, hahaha!"

Watermelon_Taro: "Can you share some sympathy to this man? Look at how hard our champion is crying, or rather, how sorrowful he is!"

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "Brother, there are some things that you can't change. You can do this! Start practicing your archery skills now. You'll soon become an Archery Master!"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "Predestined Archery Master? (This is hilarious.)"

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest replied to Crayon_Shinchan: "Are you guys from Great Dragon Guilt trying to pick a fight?"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "We don't have the audacity to do that. You guys have the Predestined Archery Master on your side. We're afraid to be shot in the head. (This is hilarious.)"

Looking at the comments under the live stream, Ye Chen grew more distressed.

Remembering how he used to be a simple and ruthless berserker, he regretted not cherishing that character while he could and made a bad decision to join the trial.

He grew even more bitter when he realized that he was actually the champion.

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Chapter 46: The War Is Coming

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

At Liuli District.

On the Skeletal Throne, Cha Na looked at the mountains in the north with a gloomy expression as he slowly clenched his fists.

Never had he foreseen that Du Yan would betray him, but he was more upset by the fact that Du Yan had stolen all his Yin souls.

He was in a tight spot right now.

First of all, he had promised to offer 100,000 Yin souls to the Sea King as sacrifice. Besides, his ability was supposed to surpass the realm of the Ghost King and this batch of Yin souls was one of the keys to his breakthrough.

However, he had lost all of them now.

He recalled the news from his envoy, saying that Du Yan had sought refuge from the Rock Ghost King by offering all his Yin souls. Cha Na's eyes turned fiery.

Both the Sea King and the Rock Ghost King were more powerful than him. The breakthrough that he was initially confident about had been hindered, and Cha Na was completely lost.

"Lord Cha Na, since it is unsafe for Liuli District to be in the middle, why don't we move our base camp and seek shelter at the Mansion of the Dead? We can then deliberate over the issue after you break through the realm of the Ghost King."

Cha Na was astounded by the proposal. After some contemplation, he reckoned that the idea was feasible.

Although, the Mansion of the Dead was not rich in resources like Liuli District, it was a place far from the Underworld Sea. He believed that the Sea King would not travel from Liuli District to the Mansion of the Dead to retrieve the 200,000 Yin souls from him.

The next second, Cha Na unexpectedly put on a frown, "What about the Pool of Yin Souls in Liuli District? We can't just desert it like that!"

The Pool of Yin souls was the Yin souls' birthplace which had been always under Du Yan's care before this. The Yin souls that were produced internally every year were essential for Cha Na's cultivation. Therefore, he was reluctant to abandon it.

Upon listening to that, the soulbringer heaved a sigh, "Lord Cha Na, we don't have time to think about that now. You can only gain a voice in the Land of Beiqi after you surpass the realm of the Ghost King. Otherwise, we'll face a terrible consequence when the Sea King comes after us to request the promised Yin souls!"

The soulbringer's words awakened Cha Na. At last, he grit his teeth and said, "Pass down my command. Pack as many supplies as possible and we'll leave for the Mansion of the Dead in ten days!"

……

The next day after the introduction of Sun Chasing Archer, the hidden character class, many NPCs appeared around the Mansion of the Dead.

These additional NPCs were created by Lu Wu to enrich the gameplay.

Among them, the most popular ones were the chubby chef of the dark cuisine and the old man with a goatee who taught players to brew potions out of various herbs.

The debut of the chubby chef was especially well-liked among the players as they were now able to experience tastes in the underworld like never before.

Although some players were poisoned to death by the dark cuisine after they tried to cook it with poisonous ingredients from the underworld, it was not a big deal to the gluttons.

Some players with unique palates even brought corpses of wolves and elephants to the chef. The presence of the chef was undeniably the biggest welfare for the foodies in the game.

Owing to the advent of the chubby chef, the players also gained a new hobby to search for edible ingredients, regardless of whether they were poisonous or not. Before the 12-hour game ended, they would make food with the ingredients and gobble it down.

As the game was extremely lifelike, eating in the underworld was very realistic, absolutely intriguing the players.

Players who had shrewd business acumen immediately started many cooking live streaming channels.

A foodaholic player in the forum even wrote a book called "The Record of Dark Cuisine" after he experienced innumerable deaths by tasting a plethora of poisonous menus.

It described the ingredients that could be found in the area near the Mansion of the Dead. Besides, it taught its readers ways to match the ingredients for the chubby chef to prepare delicious dishes.

The most popular NPC was none other than Lu Mo, the leader of the newbie village.

Lu Mo was the first NPC every player would meet. He would brief the players about the thrilling and fascinating underworld that was awaiting to be explored.

In short, Lu Mo simplified the underworld and made it accessible to new players.

Moreover, Lu Mo was set to carry an amicable persona. He would often engage in heartfelt conversations with the players and listen to their concerns and worries. For the players, he was perceived as a friend rather than a virtual existence. Hence, Lu Mo was undeniably the most popular NPC in the game.

……

On this day, Lu Wu received a call from Wu Guoyi, telling him that the selection, that had been going on for a month, had finally ended.

Just like what the players predicted, Battle Online, among all the other games, had earned the most number of votes.

The dark horse had surprised many people this time. However, after the public experienced the game, their astonishment turned into awe and praise.

Even Li Tianxia was unreservedly captivated after he tested the game. Subsequently, he became the vice chairman of the Avengers, one of the major forces in the game.

After the result of the selection was announced, Wu Guoyi discussed with Lu Wu over the phone, hoping that Lu Wu could start to work on the theme song of the game. According to Wu Guoyi, Lu Wu was welcomed to ask for Wu Guoyi's help if he encountered any problems.

Consequently, Lu Wu began to deliberate over the theme song.

However, he was distressed, undecided over the singer and the production of the song.

He reached out to Bei Li expectantly, hoping that she would lend a helping hand.

However, Bei Li responded with a scoff, looking at him as though he was a fool.

"I only know how to do research. I don't know how to sing and compose a song!"

Lu Wu, who was left with no other options, passed the problem back to Wu Guoyi.

Wu Guoyi did not mind at all and accepted the challenge immediately. In the meantime, he offered to introduce a few celebrities for auditions. As for the theme song of the game, he planned to hire a professional composers to produce it.

However, he would certainly not let Wu Guoyi bear the cost.

Now that the game was on the right track, there would be many ways to earn money. Lu Wu intended to create more outfits for the characters in the game.

The different outfits would not enhance the player's abilities. Although they could only beautify the players' appearances, he reckoned that there would be many players who would willingly spend money to upgrade their look. This was also the only thing that the players could buy with their credits in the game.

As the popularity of Battle Online expanded on Platform173, the people who were in charge of the other gaming platforms grew more perturbed.

With strenuous effort, they blended into the employees of Platform173 and successfully obtained Lu Wu's contact information.

On a daily basis, Lu Wuyi received dozens of phone calls from other gaming platforms, hoping to invite him to join in cooperative advertising. They were very keen to list Battle Online on their platform.

Lu Wu declined the offers without hesitation.

Of course, Lu Wu did not reject them thoroughly. After all, he had an agreement with Wu Guoyi that Platform173 would provide a two-month exclusive advertisement for Battle Online.

Wu Guoyi had done great help to him and Lu Wu could not break his promise.

Two months later, Battle Online would have to build its own brand.

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Chapter 47: The Immortal Bird

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Ba Lun was an international student who hailed from Dragon Nation.

When he was studying in Dragon Nation, Ba Lun's favorite pastime, besides playing games, was listening to rock music.

Due to his interest in rock music, he formed a rock band with his friends, aspiring to build their future with rock music.

After he was accidentally exposed to Battle Online, Ba Lun was hooked on the game. Consequently, he forgot about his dream to become a musician.

In the game, he was a berserker who was also a member of a certain guild. Now, his daily routine was to spend time with his guild mates, ardently engaging in wilderness player killing, making investments, and exploring places outside the Mansion of the Dead.

Feeling as though he could immerse himself in another extremely graphic and realistic world, Ba Lun completely indulged in the game.

On this day, the game finally ended after twelve hours when Ba Lun, who yearned to continue playing, was kicked out of the game.

After Ba Lun removed his helmet, he pursed his lips as he whined about the game, calling it a trashy invention. Then, he logged into the forum of the game routinely, intending to update himself with the latest intriguing news of the games and look for new tips from other players.

However, his attention was quickly caught by the title of the official announcement that was pinned on the page:

"Online Game Theme Song Contest"

In the underworld, there was a piece of land blessed with tranquility. Under their king's reign, thousands of tribes lived together in harmony, inhabiting this quiet land which was free of disputes.

However, there's a fine line separating peace and war. By virtue of the Demonic Dragon's advent, the Land of Beiqi was greeted by darkness.

Darkness grows in the loss of light, and vice versa. The emergence of a new evil force has triggered the bloodshed on the land that had been hushed for millenia.

Today is the day! You, the children of Beiqi, polish your long swords and put on your armor. It's time for you to release your righteous ardor in the woods and execute justice at sea. With blood and tears, pen down the dawn of your expedition now!

Requisites for the theme song:

The song should be optimistic and relevant to the content of the game.

The composers should own full copyrights of their submissions. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden.

The "Battle Online Corporation" reserves all the right of final interpretation.

Prizes:

Winner will be able to pick one from two prizes:

3000 soul coins

1 million dollars cash

Ba Lun read the introduction of the songwriting contest, then the prize options, with his eyes wide in shock.

He scanned the page for other comments and found that the other players appeared to be just as astounded as he was.

Invincible_Loneliness: "I'm taking the 3000 soul coins! I'm going to immediately hire someone to compose the music for me. Soul coins, wait for me!"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Invincible_Loneliness: "Hey zillionaire, what if your song doesn't earn you the prize and you lose all your money?"

Invincible_Loneliness replied to Crayon_Shinchan: "I'm not short of cash. I'm only afraid to not have enough soul coins to squander!"

Xueli_The_Strongest: "3000 soul coins! Oh my god. I'm feeling a little dizzy right now. No, my eyes are slightly blurry too. That makes approximately 2.4 million dollars after conversion… someone hold me tight before I pass out."

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "I will pick 3000 soul coins!"

Strike_Gold: "Only idiots will pick 1 million dollars over the soul coins. There is a major shortage of soul coins now. One can easily sell the soul coins for 2 million dollars."

A_Mammoth: "I personally know a famous lyricist. I'll bring a few bottles of liquor to his place and develop a rapport with him. The prize of the contest is mine!"

Watermelon_Taro: "A loser like me can only sit here quietly while I watch you experts tear each other apart!"

Ba Lun fell silent after he read the comments.

Undeniably, he was very tempted to join the contest. On top of the alluring prize, he had the opportunity to compose a theme song for the game he really liked. His dream to be a rocker was reignited.

Finally, he found a notebook in his drawer. Then, he lifted his pen and began to write down the music…

The next day morning, a few of his good friends rushed to the school's music room after they received Ba Lun's phone calls. Shocked, they stared at Ba Lun who had dark circles under his eyes.

"Help me out, brothers!" Ba Lun said feebly.

Noticing that his good friends were exchanging looks in confusion, Ba Lun handed them the copies of music score he prepared beforehand:

"The Phoenix (The Immortal Bird)"

"Ba Lun, did you write this? I heard that you've been obsessed with video games recently. What makes you start to play with music again?" his friends exclaimed.

Ba Lun shook his head weakly and told them about the songwriting contest.

"So, are you willing to help me?" Ba Lun asked.

Seeing that Ba Lun was staring at them expectantly, his friends looked at each other before they giggled.

Ba Lun put on a grin after he received the answer from his friends.

They formed a band with a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, a lead singer, and a member who was in charge of the rhythm section.

The five of them gathered in the music room after Ba Lun got some rest. Promptly, they took up the challenge of composing the song:

"Put on your war paint

You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down

Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground

We are the jack-o-lanterns in July

Setting fire to the sky

Here, here comes this rising tide

So come on

Put on your war paint"

……

Silver clouds with grey linings

So we can take the world back from a heart attack

……

Then I'll raise you like a phoenix

Put on your war paint

The melody resonated across the music room, attracting the attention of many students.

Listening to the upbeat song, they subconsciously stopped in their tracks as they gradually felt moved by the sonorous melody and overwhelmed by the hopefulness of the music.

……

The theme song contest was led by Lu Wu, who reckoned that he might possibly be surprised by the players' talents as he awaited Wu Guoyi's reply.

Being the only judge of the contest, Lu Wu's workload had increased significantly since the day the theme song contest officially commenced. He was caught off guard by the innumerable submissions that swamped the inbox of his secondary email.

Expecting assistance, Lu Wu looked at Bei Li who was savoring her meal. However, she replied to Lu Wu with merely an assuring gaze and an encouraging gesture.

Flustered, Lu Wu had no choice but to pull himself together and begin to screen the submissions.

To ensure that he was fair to every player, he listened to every song carefully before he sieved the awful ones out. Then, he compared the remaining songs in order to choose the better ones.

After five days of hard work, Lu Wu was left with three songs.

Lu Wu liked all three songs immensely. The finalists were:

"Who Rules Over the Land of Beiqi's Destiny" by Invincible_Loneliness

"The Awakened King" by Midnight

"The Phoenix (The Immortal Bird)" by Ba Lun

Although he genuinely enjoyed all the songs, there could only be one winner. Lu Wu contemplated to decide on the winner.

After he repeatedly listened to the songs, Lu Wu finally decided to crown Ba Lun's "The Phoenix (The Immortal Bird)" as the champion.

In comparison to the two other songs, Ba Lun's song was able to pump up the audience more effectively. Therefore, it was apt to be the theme song of a war game.

After the result was decided, Lu Wu sent an email to Ba Lun to notify him about his victory. Meanwhile, Lu Wu also informed Ba Lun that the reward would be credited to his account after the song was officially released.

Next, Lu Wu only had to wait for Wu Guoyi to hire a professional singer.

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Chapter 48: Ao Jian

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

At the peak of the Hidden Tiger Mountain which was located at the border of Dragon Nation.

Two silhouettes were standing apart amidst the clouds as they stared at each other.

The man, who was dressed in green, carried a Green Mountain Longsword in his hand. He gazed into the distance expressionlessly with an unyielding and egoistic aura.

The other man had a black robe draped around his shoulders. He carried a red sheath on his back and, in his hand, he held a black longsword, which could maneuver the clouds surrounding the mountain.

"Ao Jian, I have won again!"

Blood dripped down from the wrist of the man in green before he loosened his grip and dropped the Green Mountain Longsword on the floor.

"During the battle that year, I accidentally killed your father. It was my fault and I understand your desire for revenge. However, your talent in kendo is still lacking compared to mine. It will not make any difference even if you practice for another ten, or even twenty years. You will never be qualified to be my adversary," the man in black spoke as he looked at Ao Jian, appearing perturbed.

"Talent?" the expression of the man in green slowly turned from composed to anguished.

In order to revenge, he left his family behind and committed his life in perfecting his swordsmanship. Was his obsession toward swordsmanship ultimately in vain?

Ao Jian was overwhelmed by resentment. He lifted his head up once again, this time with a ferocious expression. He reached out to grab the Green Mountain Longsword that had elevated in the air before he tightened his grip around the sword.

"Let's do this again!"

Sparks flew from the intense sword fight atop the mountain, visible even through the misty clouds. The gleam of their blades flashed around their surroundings.

"Ao Jian, you don't have a stable sword spirit. If you continue to battle, beware of going astray in kendo!"

The man in black made a slash with his longsword and created a gigantic sword shadow to encase himself within. In spite of the swamping Sword Qi, he was kept safe and secure within the shadow.

"You shall die!"

Ao Jian's eyes turned crimson red and he had become a complete maniac as he heedlessly swung his longsword. The demon in him grew incessantly.

"Bang!"

A clear clang resonated across the atmosphere. The Sword Qi at the mountaintop immediately dispersed as though the source of the Sword Qi had been destroyed, while the Green Mountain Longsword fractured.

Following a loud thud, Ao Jian dropped to his knees before he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Sigh. Ao Jian, you have been deeply engrossed in kendo. But now, because of kendo, you have turned monstrous! Repent and be saved. It's time to let go of your sword now!"

Ao Jian gave no response. He stared at the broken longsword with a pair of soulless eyes as though his spirit had been extirpated.

"Sigh…"

Wu Qing heaved another long sigh before he sheathed his black sword and left the scene.

Once again, the cloud surrounded the mountaintop. Ao Jian, like a soulless body, continued to stare emotionlessly at the broken sword.

A year later, it was drizzling when Ao Jian reappeared on a street, which was paved with blue slate tiles, in an old town.

Following a byroad, he left the town before he traveled along a muddy road toward the peak of the mountain.

When he arrived at the mountaintop, Ao Jian overlooked the two tombstones that were set up side by side. They were almost completely covered with weeds. Before long, he left the place.

He was obsessed with kendo as though his life was attached to the sword. He had sacrificed too much in the process of sharpening his swordsmanship. He had no regrets even if he had to go through the unbearable pain and grief after his wife and daughter's death.

Ao Jian, whose very name means majestic sword, was born for the sword and thus, was named after it, too.

This was what his father told him. Hence, he never stopped working on his swordsmanship.

However, at this moment, Ao Jian was completely lost.

His father was accidentally killed by Wu Qing in combat. Despite the fact that he had given everything up to cultivate his swordsmanship, he still could not prove to be a worthy rival for Wu Qing, the man who murdered his father.

He did not know what he should do next. Neither did he know where he could pursue the abstruse Supreme Kendo.

Confused and dispirited, Ao Jian continued his journey without direction and purpose. All he wanted was to search for the Supreme Kendo that had been imprinted on his mind.

On this day, Ao Jian stopped at a corner of the street, looking unkempt and depressed.

As two young men were walking past him, he overheard their dialogues.

"Hey, have you heard about the fight between the Demolition Officers and Guardian Angels in the wild yesterday? There was an assassin who played as the berserker and he was totally invincible! He must be adept at his swordsmanship in real life as well. I hope I can be his apprentice and learn from him…"

Upon listening to the conversation, the misted eyes of Ao Jian, who was still hiding in the corner, lit up. He stood up abruptly and stopped before the young man who was speaking. He reached out to grab the man by his arm.

"The swordmaster? Where is he? Tell me!"

"Ouch, you're hurting me!" agonized, the young lad's face was flushed red. He defended himself by slapping Ao Jian in his arms.

"Tell me. Where is the swordmaster?"

"Battle Online. He's in the game, Battle Online. His name is Mu Jiuge…"

This was Ao Jian's first time in using a virtual reality device. He clumsily adjusted his outfit and put on the virtual reality headset before he logged into Battle Online.

Ao Jian was astonished by the true-to-life virtual world that was laid before his eyes.

He grew up in an ancient town far away. Since he was a child, he committed all his time practicing his swordsmanship as he was obsessed with it. That explained why this was his first ever encounter with such a high-tech device.

Fortunately, the game provided tutorials to guide the players as they created a new character. With the help of the manual, he chose a berserker who was equipped with a sword and officially joined the game.

Ao Jian, whose swordsmanship had achieved the Microcosm Realm, was very sensitive to the difference between reality and the virtual world. However, even he suspected if everything before his eyes was real.

His sole purpose here was to look for Mu Jiuge to personally witness his swordsmanship.

He did not kill a single monster throughout his entire journey. All he did was to ask and search for Mu Jiuge's whereabouts.

At last, he met Mu Jiuge from the Demolition Guild after almost half a day's search.

"I want to challenge you!" Ao Jian said the moment he met Mu Jiuge.

Looking at the level zero that elevated above Ao Jian's head, Mu Jiuge shook his head before he chuckled and said, "Come back again after you've reached a higher level!"

"You are afraid to accept my challenge? The first rule in practicing kendo is to be courageous. You don't deserve to cultivate your swordsmanship!" after being rejected by Mu Jiuge, Ao Jian shook his head as he walked away.

Similarly, Mu Jiuge had devoted his life in sword fighting in reality. Therefore, Ao Jian's words had certainly infuriated him.

"You're no one to comment on me. You, conceited man, I'll fight with you if you insist!" Mu Jiuge retorted.

With a grin on his face this time, Ao Jian turned around before he lifted his starter longsword.

Unlike other players, Mu Jiuge bought a longsword from the shop instead of other powerful weapons that could be helpful to the berserker such as the Greatsword or the Battle Axe.

They were separated by twenty-six levels, but Mu Jiuge was completely stunned during the beginning of the fight.

The swordsmanship and skills exhibited by Ao Jian were nothing like Mu Jiuge had seen before. Ao Jian bonded with his sword as one. Mu Jiuge felt as if he was fighting with a single sharp, lethal sword.

Within three quick rounds, Mu Jiuge had been attacked more than ten times. However, Mu Jiuge's sword did not even touch Ao Jian once.

Mu Jiuge believed he would have been defeated if it was not for his high level, good attributes, and defensive protective gear.

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Chapter 49: Demonic Sage Of Ten Swords

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

After a few rounds of violent exchanges, the bloody '-1' that continuously appeared above Mu Jiuge's head caused his face to turn pale.

He could not believe that his swordsmanship, which he took pride in, was merely child's play in front of this man.

"Go to hell!" eventually, Mu Jiuge could not help but to unleash his berserker's skill, the Groundbreaking Slashes.

A fiery red blade surfaced from the ground. It formed a crescent shape, then charged toward Ao Jian.

Upon seeing this, Ao Jian focused his gaze before he nimbly dodged the blade and avoided the attack by the skin of his teeth.

"Wu, one of the inheritances in the Spirit Summoning Palace seems unstable!" Bei Li, who was eating, said in a serious tone.

"Huh?" puzzled, Lu Wu stared at Bei Li.

"Let's go and have a look!" Bei Li's consciousness entered the artifact and Lu Wu quickly followed after seeing that.

The battle between Mu Jiuge and Ao Jian was still ongoing. Mu Jiuge could not help but use his skill after he learned that Ao Jian was a strong opponent. After all, his dignity did not allow him to fail.

However, he was surprised by the fluidity of Ao Jian's sword skills. Ao Jian was able to avoid Mu's skills and, at the same time, struck him with his sword.

Facing such a skillful opponent, Mu Jiuge was slowly worn out as the fight continued. He panicked when he saw his health that was soon going to be depleted and messed up his subsequent performance.

Conversely, Ao Jian remained cool and ruthless as he moved his sword agilely as though it was a part of his arm and launched multiple attacks toward Mu Jiuge.

"Ding! You have killed the player, Mu Jiuge."

As the notification appeared, Mu Jiuge slowly fell onto the ground with resentment written across his face before he eventually turned into black smoke and vanished into thin air.

Ao Jian was surprised by Mu Jiuge's extremely ordinary swordsmanship. In fact, Ao Jian thought Mu Jiuge's skill was almost terrible. It was not what he expected from a swordmaster.

In spite of the disappointing battle, Ao Jian was astonished when Mu Jiuge showcased his skills during the later part of the fight.

Ao Jian could clearly sense the change of the surrounding energy when Mu Jiuge exhibited the skill. Ao Jian was completely amazed by it.

A man with the worst swordsmanship had actually fought and simultaneously activated the energy of heaven and earth. What was deemed impossible by Ao Jian had happened right before his eyes.

When Ao Jian was pondering over the question, a notification popped up and Ao Jian sensed that a great force had landed on him.

[Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Ao Jian for comprehending the sword spirit and achieving the hidden character class: The Demonic Sage of Ten Swords.]

Lu Wu and Bei Li were dumbfounded to see what had happened.

According to Bei Li's settings, some of the hidden character classes in the Spirit Summoning Palace would only be unveiled under certain conditions.

As these valiant spirits still carried their remaining consciousness, they were allowed to choose their inheritors based on their own will.

As the actual location of the Spirit Summoning Palace was located within the artifact, the valiant spirits could absolutely feel the player. However, this was the first time the valiant spirit connected with the player, triggered the settings of the artifact and revealed the inheritance.

"What power is this!"

Ao Jian was horrified as he could clearly feel a force of the Supreme Kendo lingering above his head.

He appeared enthralled by the domineering yet overwhelming energy as his lips gently trembled.

This was the power of ultimate kendo that he had never possessed and had always yearned for.

Ao Jian raised his hand, intending to touch the energy above his head. However, at this moment, the energy rushed into his body.

In the meantime, the artifact was activated and all the inheritance was digitized.

Then, a man with a wrinkled face, who was carrying a Nine Spiritual Sword, appeared in front of Ao Jian.

The character class menu of the Demonic Sage of Ten Swords popped up.

[Demonic Sage of Ten Swords:

Background of Character Class: Jian Chou devoted his life to comprehend kendo to avenge his father's death. Owing to his lack of talent, many times he almost lost his life. While the other swordsmen continued to grow stronger, he was no match for his rivals. He went into seclusion for thirty years and vowed that he would never leave the mountains until the day he grasped the ultimate kendo.

Thirty years had passed when Jian Chou finally left the cliff of despair with nine swords and mercilessly killed his enemies.

Quote from Jian Chou: "One's lack of talent can be curbed by a sword. If one sword is not enough, use two; if two swords are not enough, use three. I spent thirty years to comprehend kendo and created ten swords. And, I am the tenth sword."

Character Class Introduction: The Nine Spiritual Swords will be upgraded alongside the player's level. When one has fully grasped the kendo, one can slash the heavens, the earth, and all their foes.

Character Class Weapon: Unique character class, unarmed.

Character Class Growth: No additional attributes. Not allowed to acquire the berserker's skill.

"Demonic Sage of Ten Swords… Demonic Sage of Ten Swords!" Ao Jian murmured with a blank look on his face.

"No. Where did the energy go? Where is it? Give it back to me now!"

Aggrieved, Ao Jian howled as he could no longer feel the energy after it fused into his body.

At this moment, he suddenly turned his head and found nine spiritual swords of different colors, that were levitating in the air, behind him.

"It will be upgraded alongside the player's level…" realization hit Ao Jian hard as he reread the menu. He then rushed to the Mansion of the Dead.

Flustered, Lu Wu and Bei Li watched as Lu Wu sprinted toward the Mansion of the Dead, not believing that the level-zero player had actually earned the inheritance.

Unbeknownst to them, Ao Jian almost thought that his supreme inheritance was gone when it was actually being digitized.

After he learned that only upgrading his personal level could trigger the power of the Demonic Sage of Ten Swords, Ao Jian embarked on his journey to upgrade his level and grasp the true purpose of swordsmanship.

After Ao Jian had comprehended Jian Chou's Demonic Sage of Ten Swords, Ao Jian reckoned that this might be the time for him to take his revenge. This was the true Supreme Kendo! He believed that if he thoroughly understood the power of Jian Chou's kendo, he would be able to defeat Wu Qing!

Jian Chou's kendo was aimed for revenge. Just like Ao Jian, Jian Chou had an enemy who was far stronger than him. Ao Jian felt as though they shared the same experience.

To quote Jian Chou, if one was not as strong as one's rival, he or she should use two, if not three swords. Jian Chou's kendo was what Ao Jian had always desired.

However, Ao Jian did not know that Jian Chou's valiant spirit was moved because they shared identical sword spirit. That was why Jian Chou passed his inheritance to Ao Jian.

At this moment, Ao Jian had found his purpose in the game. He regained his enthusiasm while his cracked sword spirit was once again consolidated.

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Chapter 50: The Cultivator

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

After Ao Jian had advanced into the hidden character class, the news was heavily discussed by the players in the forum. Who is this player? Is the hidden character class powerful?

Before long, one of the players uploaded a 10-minute video to the forum and triggered a tumult amongst the players.

In the video, a Level 4 player was seen challenging the netherworld creature at the Ghost Mountains.

The players were astonished to find the nine glowing Spiritual Swords levitating behind the Level 4 player. His style appeared to be extremely glamorous.

It was inconceivable for other gamers that a Level 4 player could effortlessly defeat the netherworld creature, which was far stronger.

He continuously changed the Spiritual Sword in his hand as he utilized his Shenfa to stealthily move around and attack the netherworld creature. Not only that, his every strike landed accurately on the netherworld creature's vital body parts.

The video lasted for 10 minutes. The Level 4 swordsman single-handedly killed the netherworld creature with his incredible ability before he picked up the Netherworld Pearl and headed to the Ghost Mountains.

The players who had watched the video were greatly impressed by the man's skills.

Strike_Gold: "He is the true boss! He must be the player who has successfully achieved class advancement and become the Demonic Sage of Ten Swords."

Crayon_Shinchan: "I take my hat off to this man! He performed his skills perfectly as though he was a bot! I have scrupulously watched the video thrice. Every step he took was well-judged. Moreover, his every attack hit precisely on his enemy's vital body parts, namely the head and throat. He is the real boss!"

A_Mammoth: "A bot-like player makes the most formidable opponent!"

God_Slayer: "After I watched the video, I have a sudden urge to replace my Greatsword with a Longsword. If I were the opponent, I would yield to his skill at my own will!"

A_Rough_Man: "Before this, I used to always wonder why berserkers would opt to use the Longsword, a light weapon, during fights. The damage of the Longsword is not as impactful as the Greatsword and Greataxe. However, after I watched the fight between Mu Jiuge, the Demolition Officer, and the bot-like player, I learned that the Longsword is the most powerful weapon, given that you are exceptionally skillful!"

Junior_Captain_Of_Demolition_Officers: "He is probably the godlike man who, according to Old Mu, was defeated thoroughly by a Level 0 unimportant player! Initially, I refused to believe it , thinking that it was merely a joke. But now, I am absolutely convinced!"

Captain_Of_Demolition_Officers: "The Demolition Guild needs mighty men like this. Join us! (Clamour till our voices crack)"

Watermelon_Taro: "The number of experts is increasing. Today, they have all risen and their eyes are fiery. Can we launch an attack at Cha Na now? My patience is wearing thin!"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Watermelon_Taro: "Talented man, please relax! We shouldn't act impulsively. When our team grows more mature, we'll definitely beat Cha Na!"

Xueli_The_Strongest: "Wow! It was an outstanding play! Upon witnessing his skills, I began to admire this bot-like player deeply!"

……

Just like how it was showcased in the comment section, the swordsmanship of the bot-like player had impressed the other gamers tremendously. Apparently, his expertise was beyond the public's belief.

Out of curiosity, Lu Wu did a little research on Ao Jian's soul, only to find out that the strength of his soul was noticeably stronger than the other players.

In Bei Li's opinion, the player had definitely gone through cultivation in real life and his personal ability must be sufficiently good. Otherwise, it was impossible to strengthen one's soul to this level.

Lu Wu was astounded by Bei Li's theory, "It's possible for one to go through cultivation in real life?"

Similarly, Bei Li was surprised by Lu Wu's questions, "When the underworld truly exists, why is it impossible for cultivation to be carried out in real life?"

Lu Wu replied, "If that's true, why haven't I met any cultivator?"

"Had you visited the underworld before this?" Bei Li asked a rhetorical question while she looked at Lu Wu as though he was an idiot.

Lu Wu was dumbstruck by Bei Li's rather sound reply.

At this moment, Lu Wu's mind was filled with graphics of cultivation, zombies, Taoism, Buddhism, and immortality. Nevertheless, he was an experienced man.

Bei Li stared impassively at Lu Wu who was engrossed in his fantasy.

"You don't have to dwell on it. The underworld is at its Dharma-ending age because of the dissipation of reiki. Cultivators might exist but they are as rare as hens' teeth and you will hardly meet one throughout your entire life."

"Then, why would a cultivator join the online game? Have they discovered something?" Lu Wu could not help but ask after a terrifying thought struck him.

Upon listening to the question, Bei Li chuckled, "Wu, you've underestimated the power of the artifact. The Lord King of Beiqi has invested his whole life to forge the artifact. Even if they run a thorough investigation, they will not be able to uncover the underworld. For them, this will just remain a game."

Lu Wu heaved a sigh of relief. He was afraid that he would turn into the cultivators' target. He would be in deep water if Kunlun, Shushan, or any other virtuous forces collaborated to arrest him for the felonies he had committed.

"Wu, it actually benefits us when a cultivator joins the game."

"How so?"

"I've never told you before. You only know that the King of Beiqi forged the battle artifacts in order to conquer the underworld. However, you didn't know that he will never antagonize a player. Instead, he may even aid the players as they develop their strength."

"But, why!" Lu Yu was baffled.

"Because their souls have been marked by the battle artifact. If they are disloyal to the King of Beiqi, their souls will be recalled by the artifact to be exterminated! This is a crucial part of the Lord King of Beiqi's plan to ensure that there's no traitor under his reign!"

Lu Wu was shocked by Bei Li's words. He did not expect the battle artifact to be this potent. Then, he recalled about his plan to put the game on the map. He was pumped up.

Lu Wu's plan was to turn the underworld into a second world for mankind. Regardless of their age, everyone would be able to have fun in this world. Killing monsters was only one of the fun activities. That means if his plan works out…

He will rule mankind!

"Little Li, can I ask you a question?"

Curious, Bei Li lifted her gaze and asked, "What is it?"

"Can you tell me about your background?" Lu Wu took a deep breath and summoned his courage to ask the question.

It was a question that had been buried in his mind for a very long time. Not only she participated in the development of the terrifying artifact, she also gained the trust from the Old Ancestors. Besides, her ability was outstanding. That was why he had always been curious about her true identity.

"I… I was… adopted by Lord King of Beiqi," Bei Li responded awkwardly as she played with the corner of her shirt.

Lu Wu was caught off guard by the answer. After a short while, he put on a grin on his face and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it now. I'll patiently wait for the day when you are ready to tell me the truth."

A hint of dejection flashed across Bei Li's eyes, but she gave a confident nod.

"Wu, I'll definitely tell you when it's time! But, you have to believe me when I say that our fates are intertwined. I will never betray you even if the three worlds are against you!"

Lu Wu smiled and patted Bei Li's tiny head again before he left the room. Then, he went to prepare a plethora of delicious dishes as a reward to the hardworking game master.

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Chapter 51: Do You Play Battle Online, Too, Master?

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

The sun was rising from the east and its beaming light dyed the Cachito Mountains red that were usually covered with white snow throughout the year.

Gu Yu (Invincible_Loneliness) widely opened his arms to feel the amazing nature in this serene world. His cheeks had turned pink because of the cold air, yet he enjoyed the moment. Though incomprehensible, it was all shown by the expressions in his eyes.

Gu Yu stood on the highest cliff and looked down. The red crimson mist was like rolling waves and underneath was a sliver of silver lining. The mountains within resembled intertwining snow dragons, while the piercing cold wind clashing in the air created howling sounds like the roars of a raging dragon.

As he looked back at the few squad members, there was an expression of helplessness shown on Gu Yu's face.

It was an order by his father to hike up to the peak of the Cachito Mountains. He had no choice but to obey the command and come all the way here.

Otherwise to Gu Yu, he would rather be cooped up at home playing Battle Online. At the same time, he could collect some soul coins to level up his game. That would make him happier.

His father was a business tycoon who owned countless properties and estates.

According to his father, he was once an ordinary extreme sports athlete. One year, he came to the Cachito Mountains with his team members for a wingsuit flying challenge sponsored by a dairy beverage company.

When his father climbed to the top of the mountain, he met a mysterious man. According to his father, this man's guidance and blessing had led him to his success today.

An atheist like Gu Yu obviously would not take it seriously but merely treated it as a fable.

Naturally, he did not believe in the existence of any magical persons or divine entities. However, he just could not disobey his father, so there he was, obediently carrying out his father's request.

Gu Yu's father had even spent a fortune to hire a team of professionals to protect and help him on his journey to the peak of the mountain. At the same time, he was given a piece of jade by his father. He was to present the piece of jade when he reached the top in order to meet the mysterious man.

Gu Yu grew increasingly excited as he approached the mountain top.

He finally knew why his father liked extreme sports. It was the feeling of accomplishment in conquering nature.

As he stepped toward the peak of the mountain and looked down, he saw mountains shrouded in clouds and mist. He then gave a loud cry of excitement.

At the time, little did Gu Yu notice when the jade in his pocket suddenly flashed with a beam of light. In the meantime, in a wooden hut at the top of the mountain, a man wearing worn-out clothes who was seated cross-legged opened his eyes slowly.

"This is great! Hehe, it was said that the mountains at the Cliffs of Desperation are much higher than the peak here. I shall challenge it soon!" Gu Yu mumbled alone in excitement.

He had only treated this hike as an amusement.

While looking at his squad setting up camp for the night, Gu Yu took out his oxygen cylinder and took a few breaths. After informing the squad that he would explore the areas deeper into the mountains, he then walked in that direction.

He did not believe that anyone could survive in this place where the air was so thin and the wind so strong. The only thought he had in mind then was that his father had either been fooled by someone, or deceived by illusions…

As Gu Yu walked around the towering stone pillar and was about to continue moving forward, he was surprised to find a smiling bald man in thin clothes looking at him from a near distance.

Gu Yu stood there in silence.

There's really such a master? Gu Yu was astonished in disbelief.

"You're here!"

The man appeared to be the same age as himself, but Gu Yu was able to sense years of vicissitudes from him. It was a weird feeling.

"So… you're the master my father spoke of?" Gu Yu asked suspiciously.

"It's too much an honor to be called a master, but if your father is Gu Yuan, then I am the one you're looking for."

"Yes, yes, yes. My father is Gu Yuan. He wanted me to look for you," Gu Yu replied responsively.

The bald young man then nodded, "Please come with me."

At that moment, Gu Yu was convinced a little. One had to be very skillful like a master in order to survive in such a place.

He followed the man for a few hundred meters and a wooden hut appeared in front of Gu Yu. The man then opened the door and with a smile on his face, gestured for him to enter the hut.

Gu Yu saw his motion and stepped inside.

It was simple and crude inside the hut. There was a wooden bed and two wooden chairs, but there was no blanket or food of any sort except some white-colored plants. Gu Yu was surprised. He was extremely curious to know how the man survived that place in such a condition.

Seeing the man sitting at the bedside, he then sat on a wooden chair next to it.

"Back in the day your father saved my life. He disrupted my cultivation when I was about to lose myself and get taken over by the demonic side. I told him that I will grant him two requests. The first one was already fulfilled and now, please tell me the second request," Qi Ming spoke with a faint smile on his face.

Gu Yu went blank for a second and said, "Err, my father has always said that I am useless, that I only know how to play games. He was hoping that you, master, could show me the light and guide me, to see if I could repent from my mistake…"

Gu Yu was to a point ashamed when uttering those words. Although he did not think that he had any problems, his father was resentful toward Gu Yu for failing his expectations. His father thought that the Gu family would eventually fall one day if Gu Yu inherited the family business.

Gu Yu disagreed with his father on this. He would continue gaming as usual and occasionally had some fun outside. He always believed that the wealth possessed by his family was unlimited, so why should he tire himself so much? One should be having as much fun as time allowed.

Qi Ming nodded after hearing what Gu Yu had said. He gave it some thought and nodded again, "Both you and your father have different personalities. Just as your father had said, if you're going to inherit the family business, you'll definitely lose everything."

Gu Yu felt unsettled for a few seconds, yet he had to ask, "Do you have any way to deal with it, master?"

Qi Ming nodded, "I can pray for you with The Art of Five Fortune Ghosts to increase your luck in fortune. Under the protection of the Five Ghosts, your luck in fortune shall prosper. No matter how incompetent you are, you will still be able to preserve your family business."

Gu Yu was stunned and speechless, he was somewhat assured by the master, yet he did not think that he was useless until that extent.

In terms of spending money, the biggest expense he had made lately was only on collecting soul coins in the game. He had not done anything over the line. How could someone compare him to a wastrel?

Qi Ming glanced at Gu Yu and smiled, "Alright then, let's start. After this, there will be no more attachment as what I've promised is fulfilled. It is a blessing to me indeed."

As soon as he finished talking, Qi Ming extended his arm and pointed at the ground. Gu Yu was flabbergasted at what happened next.

A dark vortex appeared slowly from the ground and cold air blew from the inside. Gu Yu could not help but shiver.

The cold was bone piercing. It was unbearable even when he was wearing thick protective clothes.

Such a trick was really a shock to the belief of an atheist like Gu Yu.

"Five Ghosts of Fortune!" Qi Ming bit his finger and the blood from his finger was sucked into the dark vortex.

"The successor of the Ghost Fortune Sect, Qi Ming shall borrow the power of the spirits and ghosts!"

Qi Ming's face was looking pale as blood continued to flow out of his body. His gaze, however, appeared firm.

At the side, Gu Yu was stunned as his worldview was overturned at the moment.

However, Gu Yu's eyes were enlarged as soon as he saw five translucent figures floating gradually from the dark vortex, "Master, do you play Battle Online, too?"

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Chapter 52: Qi Ming Returning To The World

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

These five figures looked very familiar to Gu Yu.

Were they not the ghosts from the depths of the Ghost Mountains? Compared to the Wandering Souls, they were almost the same except that they looked more solid now.

In normal days, it would be a piece of cake for Gu Yu and his team to eliminate dozens of such ghosts. It was also because of this that Gu Yu was stupefied, not able to discern what was actually happening.

Qi Ming was a little confused as he glanced at Gu Yu who was dumbfounded. Even so, he did not query but turned to look at the dark vortex again.

After the Five Ghosts appeared, Qi Ming bit his own tongue and spat out some blood.

The blood floated in the air and split into five portions, each of them then entered the bodies of the Five Ghosts respectively.

The bodies of the Five Ghosts became even more solid as a result. At this time, Qi Ming said while pointing at Gu Yu, "Five Ghosts bring wealth!"

As if the five Wandering Souls had received an order, they rapidly approached Gu Yu and hovered around him. Between them and connecting them together was a transparent lacing.

Qi Ming was pleased as he watched the scene. He extended his arm and waved. The Five Ghosts faded away little by little followed by the slowly disappearing dark vortex.

"It's done. You may go now. The fate between me and the Gu family has come to an end. We shall be strangers from now on. Even if you wanted to meet me, I will not appear," Qi Ming appeared to be slightly tired.

Gu Yu felt weird after hearing Qi Ming's words. He stood up and started searching around the room. While Qi Ming looked at him cluelessly, Gu Yu went through everything in the room before coming back to his original position, "Master, where did you hide your virtual reality projection devices?"

"Virtual reality projection devices?" Qi Ming was taken aback.

"Master, don't fool me! The Five Ghosts that you just summoned are known as ghosts, right? Do you really think I've not played Battle Online before? I could kill dozens of those per day!"

According to Gu Yu, Qi Ming must be a player of Battle Online. He had used the virtual reality projection technology to fool other people. If Gu Yu had not played this game himself, he would surely have believed him already.

Qi Ming was stupefied as well, though he could understand from his words that Gu Yu had seen the Five Ghosts before. He even knew the names of the Five Ghosts.

Looking at Qi Ming who was bewildered, Gu Yu grinned, approached Qi Ming and patted his shoulder, "Which character class do you play, master? I have set up a guild, let's level up together, shall we?"

"I don't understand what you've just said," although he was puzzled, Qi Ming calmly shook his head.

"Hey, don't pretend anymore, it's just five ghosts. I have even killed the netherworld creatures, steel zombies, and the Fire Demon before. These ghosts are nothing to me, Five Fortune Ghosts? What fortune nonsense is that! I could butcher dozens of them in one day yet they never give me any good stuff!"

As he heard this, Qi Ming frowned, "You know about the netherworld creatures and steel zombies?"

As the successor of the Ghost Fortune Sect, excluding the Fire Demon, he had seen before the other two ghosts in the illustration handbook of the sect. However, Qi Ming was shocked that Gu Yu, who was just a common person, knew so much about the ghosts.

"Why wouldn't I know? Have you been to the official web forum of Battle Online? Do you know about the loaded user Invincible_Loneliness who has been collecting soul coins daily? That's me!" Gu Yu boasted proudly.

"This Battle Online that you mentioned, what is it exactly?" Qi Ming was very curious, he could not understand why the secular world had information about the underworld.

"It's Battle Online! Stop with your pretense, I was already very clear about it!" Gu Yu's eyes widened.

"I still don't understand," Qi Ming replied honestly.

"Alright, alright. The favor is done. I can go back and report to my father now, you may continue with your act!" looking at Qi Ming who was still pretending, Gu Yu waved his hand in the air and walked out of the wooden hut.

While looking at the white scenery outside, Gu Yu hummed a tune as he walked. As what he had in mind, the master was simply a charlatan. He even guessed that underneath the wooden hut of this master, there had to be space for storing living supplies. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to survive without eating and drinking.

But he did not care about all these. Gu Yu was in a very good mood thinking that he could continue with his game when he reaches home.

……

Even after Gu Yu had left, Qi Ming was still frowning.

At first he thought he would have settled everything and finally able to retreat into the mountains without any attachment to the common world, but after his encounter with Gu Yu, his mood was very disturbed instead.

Qi Ming was not able to comprehend even after giving it much thought. He then took out a satellite phone from his bedside, installed the battery and dialed a number.

After a while, the phone call went through.

"Grandfather, how are you free to call me!" a voice resembling a slightly old man was delivered through the satellite phone.

"Do you know about Battle Online?" Qi Ming thought for a while and asked.

"Battle Online? I'm not sure, please hold, I'll have someone to look into it."

After he finished speaking, there was a voice of giving orders to his subordinates on the other side of the line.

About five minutes later, the same voice appeared, "Grandfather, here's what I've found. It is actually a virtual reality game and it is said that the game is extremely real."

This should be it, Qi Ming thought.

"In these few days, I will leave the mountain to meet you, so please prepare a set of equipment for me by then. I need it," Qi Ming hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.

In the meantime, on the lawn of a certain golf club, a man in his fifties who looked rather old was holding a golf ball. He had a weird look on his face.

After his father was born, his grandfather had followed after an old man in a black robe. It was said that he went to seek immortality. Since then, there was no news about him at all. Just when everyone thought that he had disappeared for good, he appeared suddenly one day.

It was during the time when his father was approaching old age. Yet, his grandfather remained his young looks. It really shocked everyone.

It was also because of his grandfather that he was able to succeed in his career. Only then he knew that his grandfather had already become a legendary monk.

He was not able to track his grandfather at all except a few occasions of his appearances.

He was expecting something important when he received his grandfather's phone call out of the blue. However, it turned out that the reason his grandfather leaving the mountains was merely to play video games. He was dazed when he heard it.

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Chapter 53: The Battle Of Cultivators

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

At the entrance of the Ghost Mountains.

Qi Ming's figure appeared.

He chose to return to the world again because he could not resolve the confusion in his heart. He even ordered his descendants to prepare equipment such as the virtual reality headset and then he registered an account in the game.

After experiencing the gaming content, Qi Ming was in absolute shock.

Even though he had never been to the Underworld, he really suspected that the gaming scenes before his eyes were built according to the blueprint of the actual underworld.

To understand the truth, he had even ordered his grandson to investigate the situation of the proprietor of this game.

However, the outcome showed that the proprietor of the game was only an ordinary person and had no strong background. All of these seemed peculiar.

There was no information leakage of any sort regarding the research team behind the game. Such a tight blockade was really surprising.

His grandson planned to continue the investigation but was stopped by Qi Ming.

To him, the proprietor that came out from the investigation was only a disguise. There must be a scary cultivator behind the scenes.

He even suspected that the ability of the person behind all this had reached the state where he had access to the Nine Nether Regions, making him a person like the Earthly Deity who could travel back and forth between the Yin and Yang.

He did not understand why the powerhouse wanted to create this game. However, as the heir of the Ghost Fortune Sect, he was curious about the underworld and he felt the need to explore the place no matter what.

Therefore, Qi Ming chose to return to the world this time and settled down under his grandson's arrangement.

However, his grandson seemed confused.

From the grandson's point of view, he had always thought that his grandfather was a free but profound person who had been hidden from the world. But nowadays, he would only stay indoors to play games, until the extent of totally not stepping outside at all.

He was having a mental breakdown in his heart as his grandfather's image started to crumble and the whole world became unfamiliar.

……

While experiencing the game, Qi Ming slowly understood that leveling up could make one stronger.

After leveling up several times, he became addicted to that feeling as he found out that his body strength in the game increased as the attributes became stronger. This feeling felt so real and at the same time solidified his guess last time.

In the game, Qi Ming chose the character class of mage which was more relatable to his own ability. He also learned his first skill of 'Yin Soldier Summoning Skill' at the Cultivation Pavilion.

After using the skill several times, Qi Ming felt shocked.

This was because the releasing of the skill could trigger the movement of energy particles in the air. Other players could not sense this, but as a cultivator with a powerful state of mind, he could sense the movement clearly.

To testify this matter, he spent three days' time to release the skill and realize the movement tracks of space energy.

After ensuring that he had fully mastered the movement tracks of this beginner's skill, he started to try it in reality. The result was shocking.

Although he failed several times, he actually did summon a Yin soldier that was half-complete to the world of the living. The game was unreal but the scary thing was that the Yin Soldier Summoning Skill could actually be released in the living world!

Such a shocking discovery appalled Qi Ming and at the same time made him realize the horror of this game. He suspected that the powerhouse behind the game was attempting to use the game as a medium of inheritance.

Qi Ming was totally addicted to the game due to a combination of factors such as enhancing his cultivating techniques in the game, for the inheritance which might or might not exist and his yearning toward the underworld.

But, what freaked out Qi Ming's grandson, Qi Lu was the moment when his grandfather asked for money from him without a hint of shame. Initially, he did not take it seriously. However, when he asked his grandfather what he was going to do with the money, Qi Ming said something he just learned from the official web forum, "Buy soul coins and get fortified with cash!"

Qi Lu was stunned!

His impression of his grandfather changed drastically at that moment.

Conversely, Qi Ming did not take this matter seriously.

As the players in the forum said, "How can you be strong without using cash!" Besides, he could not explore the game properly without coins, not to mention that he still had to learn new skills and buy new equipment. He had to spend coins everywhere.

As a 100-year-old man, Qi Ming deeply understood a principle at the moment, that gaming experience could only be improved by using cash.

……

Coming to the Ghost Mountains this time, Qi Ming walked alone into the mountains as usual.

When he was about to enter deeper into the mountains, he suddenly discovered a netherworld creature standing beside a heap of giant stones.

As he mingled around the forum very often, Qi Ming knew that the netherworld creatures were species that seldom drop items after being killed, so he was feeling delighted. When he was just about to attack the creature, a figure flashed out from beside him and overtook him.

"It's mine!" the man turned around his head, glanced at Qi Ming coldly and walked toward the netherworld creature.

"Don't you know about the courtesy of first-come-first-serve?" Qi Ming was not angry but he was not planning to let go of the creature either. He followed the man decisively.

"Whoosh!" a red long sword appeared out of nowhere and was held in the hands of Ao Jian.

At the same time, there were eight Spiritual Swords with different colors appearing behind his back, hanging in the air and emitting streams of the shining Sword Qi.

Seeing that, Qi Ming frowned as he could feel the overflowing Sword Qi. Other than that, he also felt that the person before him was quite different from other players he had seen before.

"Do you want to die?" Ao Jian looked at Qi Ming coldly while holding the Spiritual Sword in his hand.

"I have always seen people fighting over creatures on the forum. This is my first time encountering this. Please, enlighten me," Qing Ming smiled and hit the ground with his wand. All of a sudden, black vapor started clouding and the Yin soldiers crawled out from the soil one after another.

With that, two real-life cultivators started their battle for the first time in the game.

See that Qi Ming was not giving up, Ao Jian became cold-hearted and with a swing of his red sword, he released a beam of sword light as he charged toward Qi Ming like lightning.

Without being frightened, Qi Ming started controlling the Yin soldiers to guard the attack while releasing a 'Yin Corrosion' and backed off continuously.

During the fight, Ao Jian was surprised to discover that the Yin soldiers Qi Ming had summoned were totally different from that of other players.

As if every one of them had its own conscious mind, they even knew how to avoid an attack actively and foresee the next attack, which seemed very peculiar.

Naturally, Ao Jian did not know that Qi Ming was a cultivator with a powerful state of mind and practiced spells in real life. To him, multitasking was a piece of cake.

However, Ao Jian already had some speculation in his heart. He did a quick duck and barged toward Qi Ming.

Seeing that, Qi Ming did not panic. Instead, he started wrestling with Ao Jian by slowing him down with the Yin Corrosion's poison. At the same time, the Yin soldiers could always defend the attack coming from Ao Jian at critical moments.

For a moment, it was a tie between both parties.

After fighting again for a while, Ao Jian suddenly stopped attacking and asked, "Are you a cultivator?"

Qi Ming smiled and said, "If I guessed correctly, you are using the Ao Family Sword Style!"

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Chapter 54: The Law Of Reincarnation

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

After hearing Qi Ming mentioned the sword style he was using, Ao Jian was stunned.

"Who are you?" Ao Jian asked boldly after putting away his red sword.

Qi Ming smiled, "Is it that important to know who I am? Since we are both cultivators, then this netherworld creature…"

"Impossible, it's mine!" Ao Jian interjected Qi Ming coldly.

"It's a tie between us. Moreover, I was the one who discovered it first."

Ao Jian did not reply this time. The red Spiritual Sword in his hand turned into twinkling lights and re-formed behind his back. Then, Ao Jian reached out both hands to release a skill, where green and blue Spiritual Swords at his back flew out and rested in the grip of his hands.

"A tie? You've underestimated me!"

Qi Ming was helpless against Ao Jian's attitude. Ao Jian was truly from the Ao family for his bad temper.

However, Qi Ming was not planning to give up. He did not want to walk away from the opportunity of finally coming across a netherworld creature.

Resuming the fight, Qi Ming was surprised to discover that Ao Jian's sword style had totally changed. He kept changing the weapon in his hand and his style became more offensive and complicated. It was unpredictable, sometimes as aggressive as scorching fire and sometimes as cold as ice, making it hard for Qi Ming to defend.

Again, Ao Jian got close. Qi Ming backed off as he tried to control the Yin soldiers to block the attack. However, he saw the Nine Spiritual Swords behind Ao Jian detaching from his back simultaneously and charged toward him as Ao Jian pointed his fingers at him!

Qi Ming was not expecting him to use Sword Manipulation.

The Yin soldiers in front of him were torn apart at once, but the Spiritual Swords did not slow down. Then, Nine Spiritual Swords penetrated his body all at the same time.

The scene before his eyes started to fade away. Ao Jian just glared at the fallen torso, turned around and walked toward the netherworld creature.

In the meantime, the Nine Spiritual Swords in his body vibrated slightly and returned to Ao Jian's back automatically before neatly arranging themselves into a fan shape.

Ao Jian had not used his full power from the start in the fight against Qi Ming.

Initially, he was just using the Ao Family Sword Style. However, after knowing that Qi Ming was also a cultivator, he realized that the Ao Family Sword Style would not be effective against him. So, he decided to change his attacking strategy by using Jian Chou's Demonic Sage of Ten Swords and ended the battle easily with his Sword Manipulation.

Seeing the power of Demonic Sage of Ten Swords, Ao Jian seemed calm outwardly but he was extremely excited in his heart. He knew that he had chosen the right path and that he was truly the mightiest swordsman. If he continued to comprehend, he would become a sword master one day!

Even though he had never seen Jian Chou in person, Ao Jian had long considered him as his respected teacher. He was determined not to disappoint Jian Chou's inheritance and become the greatest swordsman!

Aside from leveling up, another important reason he wanted to get the netherworld creature was realizing the importance of soul coins as he gained gaming experiences. Even Ao Jian, who regarded wealth as unimportant, had the desire for soul coins.

This was because other than enhancing the strength of his Spiritual Swords and leveling up, materials could be added to further increase the power of his Spiritual Swords.

There were a lot of materials being sold at the auction house, but one must have sufficient soul coins to purchase them.

The lowest price a netherworld creature could sell for was 100 soul coins. So, Ao Jian could not resist the temptation of getting a free netherworld creature.

Ao Jian was delighted now but Qi Ming who was logged out of the game got shell-shocked.

"Ao Jian, you little brat! You have angered me!" Qi Ming who had usually been easy-going and expressionless was experiencing a turbulent mood swing now.

This was the first time he met someone who showed him no respect at all and even cut him to death.

Qi Ming was still afraid when he recalled the scene of the Nine Spiritual Swords penetrating him at the same time.

"Sword Manipulation? That was definitely not the Ao Family Sword Style. Did he inherit those skills in that world?"

Thinking of this, a fire of passion was aroused in Qi Ming's heart. If he can get it, why can't I!?

What Qi Ming did not know was, during his battle with Ao Jian, an inheritance in the Spirit Summoning Palace within the Artifact Channel was resonating. However, at the moment before the inheritance befell, he was slashed to death by Ao Jian and was forced to leave the game.

If Qi Ming knew that his inheritance was interrupted by Ao Jian, his level of hatred would have escalated beyond just snatching a creature and killing him.

……

Lu Wu and Bei Li also left God's Eye after Qi Ming died.

Due to the appearance of cultivators, Lu Wu paid quite some attention to Ao Jian. He did not expect to see such a battle while observing Ao Jian.

To his surprise, Qi Ming was also a cultivator.

Lu Wu did not understand what was happening. Why did all these hidden cultivators show up one after another? Lu Wu was worried that they had found out the truth behind Battle Online.

However, regarding this, Bei Li had asked Lu Wu not to worry one bit.

First of all, these cultivators would be marked once they had gathered any Yin Body in the artifacts. Betrayal would mean death. Furthermore, Battle Online was considered as a game in the world of the living. No matter what, they would not be aware of the existence of the underworld.

Lu Wu raised his doubt regarding Bei Li's explanation. What if there was a cultivator who could travel between the Yin and Yang? If that cultivator met one of the players, everything would be exposed.

"You do not have to worry about this. Traveling between the Yin and Yang was something only the Earth Deities could do. There is no such powerful cultivator of that level because of the degrading soul energy in the world of the living. The Earthly Deities that once existed had already left and would not come back anymore."

"Where did they go?" Lu Wu was curious.

Bei Li pointed at the sky and stuck her tongue out.

Lu Wu, "What?"

"Oh yes, there is one more problem. If a player met an extremely strong deity in the underworld, can the battle artifacts protect their soul from de-attaching?"

Lu Wu's worry on this issue could be seen from his eyes.

Lu Wu was not worried at all if he encountered someone on Du Yan's level. However, after knowing that there were deities in the underworld, he was scared that some audacious players would approach them and gave it a try to dance on the verge of death.

"Wu, do you know what materials the battle artifacts are made of?" instead of answering directly, Bei Li questioned Lu Wu while looking at him with a serious face.

Lu Wu shook his head.

"The Supreme Law of the underworld, reincarnation, is very intricately related to the battle artifacts. Wu, I cannot tell you the exact relationship between them now, but you have to understand that you don't have to worry about this. No matter how strong a deity is, he is not above the law. No one can be above the Supreme Reincarnation!"

Hearing her explanation, huge waves started rolling in Lu Wu's heart. More doubts arose in his heart. Why the old ancestor, a mere King of Beiqi would be involved with the Supreme Law of Reincarnation? Moreover, what is Bei Li's true identity? Why does she know all of this…

However, he once said that he would trust Bei Li. So, he would wait until the day Bei Li tells him the truth!

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Chapter 55: Christmas Battle

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

Christmas, a festival from the West, was now popularized in the Dragon Nation and had become an important festival. But unlike in the West, Christmas in the Dragon Nation had a romantic atmosphere that could not be put into words.

Walking on the street at night, Christmas trees were placed outside many shopping malls. The streets were decorated with flashing neon lights and filled with Christmas vibes.

After finishing dinner, Lu Wu and Bei Li were hanging out at the shopping mall. They could see many couples in pairs.

Looking at Bei Li who was enjoying her ice cream, Lu Wu suddenly felt that this festival was not friendly to him.

Initially, Lu Wu planned to buy some new clothing for Bei Li but she did not seem to be interested. Her gaze was locked on the snack shops.

After giving Bei Li's head a rub, Lu Wu pointed at a children's clothing store, "It's time to get you some new clothes."

Bei Li was about to answer Lu Wu but suddenly, her expression changed, "Wu, let's go home!"

"What happened?" Lu Wu asked as he realized something bad might have happened.

"Cha Na is here!"

……

During Christmas, there were fewer players in the game, which was rare.

Obviously, single people were excluded.

At this moment, the players who were wandering around Liuli District suddenly saw a huge black army marching toward them from Liuli District.

The players who saw this scene had their hearts skip a beat and quickly rushed toward the direction of the Mansion of the Dead. At the same time, they shouted in the guild live chat channel crazily, asking everyone to spread the news, or else they would soon lose control over the Mansion of the Dead!

As the game master, Bei Li found out the movement of Cha Na's army through the players who first discovered them. So, she had immediately asked Lu Wu to rush back home.

At this moment, thunderous roars of beasts could be heard at the border area between Liuli District and the Mansion of the Dead. A great army of 100,000 soldiers had arrived at the border.

At the very front of Cha Na's army and on the Skeletal Throne, Cha Na asked with a cold gaze, "What are those creatures along the way? Why are they here?"

The soulbringer beneath the throne bowed at Cha Na, "Lord Cha Na, these creatures always appear in Liuli District, but they are extremely vulnerable. I think they are a nomadic race from other large domains."

Cha Na nodded and turned his gaze toward the area of Mansion of the Dead, "March on!"

The Beast Cavalry comprising of zombie wolf riders, zombie elephant riders, and zombie rhino riders rode on after receiving Cha Na's order.

More and more players heard the news of Cha Na arriving. They quickly mobilized more players to form a temporary army, preparing to defend against their enemy.

As he got closer to the border of the Mansion of the Dead and Liuli District, Cha Na became more confused as to why the creatures were increasing.

Eventually, he instructed the Yin soldiers to catch a few stragglers and bring them before him.

These players had seen the video of the seaside, so they were naturally familiar with Cha Na. Looking at the figure on the Skeletal Throne, the three captured stragglers started worrying.

The players frequently discussed on the forum that their idea was to attack Cha Na at the right time, but they never expected Cha Na to initiate the attack first. The worst part was that the number of players tonight was obviously lower than the last few days.

"Which large domain have you come from, and which race are you?" the soulbringer asked the three players after glancing at Cha Na.

"Descendant of the King of Beiqi, Gao Dashan!"

"Descendant of the King of Beiqi, Yu Dahai!"

"Descendant of the King of Beiqi, Peng Wanli!"

The three players were not afraid of facing Cha Na at all. They reported their identities out loud.

Having heard the replies of the three players, Cha Na was stupefied and had a weird expression on his face.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Seeing this, the soulbringer went forward and gave each of the players a slap on the face, "How dare you disrespect Lord Cha Na!"

"Fuck you!"

"Bitch, I dare you to hit me again!"

These players were clearly bad-tempered. After being slapped, they lost their temper and started scolding the soulbringer aggressively.

Slap! Slap! Slap! The soulbringer slapped them again while remaining expressionless.

"I shall ask you again. Which race are you and why are you here at the Mansion of the Dead!"

"Bitch, you'll be dying a painful death and your son will have no butt!"

"Cha Na, take care of your dog! If you can't handle it, tie a leash on it!"

Being restrained and slapped again, the three entrapped and angered players could only continue swearing and scolding.

The soulbringer was angered by their words. He turned and looked at Cha Na. After Cha Na nodded, he raised the sickle in his hand and beheaded all three of the players.

Looking at the players who turned into black vapor, Cha Na showed a surprised face. He did not say much but only instructed the army to march on and behead all creatures of the same kind along the way.

In Cha Na's point of view, since he had moved to the Mansion of the Dead, he would not allow other races to settle here. This would be his territory before he breaks through the Ghost King's Territory.

But as they got closer to the Mansion of the Dead, the number of players had suddenly reduced drastically. When the mansion appeared right before his eyes, Cha Na was dumbfounded by the scene before him.

There were hundreds of thousands of players densely packed together, looking at them from afar.

"Brothers, that bastard Cha Na is coming. Is everyone ready!?" Wu Guoyi, the temporary Commander In Chief growled boldly with his battle axe raised and his head turned to look at his brothers.

"Kill the bastard!" all the players behind chanted in unison.

Looking at the players' camp from far, Cha Na's face darkened, "They're quite a huge number. If we started a war, my army will suffer many unnecessary losses as well."

Seeing this, the soulbringer quickly said, "Lord Cha Na, we cannot go back to Liuli District. Even though there are a lot of them, they are weak. We will definitely win this battle!"

Hearing that, Cha Na nodded. To him, after killing several thousands of them, they would be terrified. The rest would be in disarray and easily defeated. He nodded and said, "Then, we shall fight!"

After receiving the order, several giant rhinos with war drums on their backs started marching forward with heavy steps from behind Cha Na's army.

Looking at the players' camp from afar, Cha Na slowly stood up from his Skeletal Throne. A huge banner that read 'Cha' was lifted behind him.

Then, Cha Na raised his hand up high and held his fist. Immediately, the sound of the war drums started to play at the back. Thump! Thump!

Roar!

The beasts growled after getting the command to attack. On the backs of the beasts, the Yin soldiers' thirst for blood could be seen in their eyes. They roared as they charged recklessly toward the players.

The image of hundreds of thousands of soldiers charging forward was devastating to the mind. The players who had never seen a real war was stunned by the sight before them.

As the smoke billowed, even the earth was shaking unceasingly as Cha Na's beast riders charged on wildly.

Then, Wu Guoyi lifted his battle axe, "Follow me and kill! We must take Cha Na's head!"

"Kill!"

The players came back to their senses after hearing Wu Guoyi's roar, with much boldness on their faces. All of them followed Wu Guoyi and charged toward Cha Na's army while crying out loud.

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Chapter 56: Sacrifice And Madness

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

Cha Na's surprise assault caught Lu Wu and Bei Li completely by surprise. When they arrived at the battlefield, the war had already begun.

When the two powerful forces collided into each other, waves of players and Yin soldiers were knocked down to the ground. With that, the bloodbath began.

Faced with Cha Na's army which equaled them in numbers, the players were having a hard time defending on their own. They seemed to be losing in a one-sided massacre.

However, the players were utterly unfazed by the situation and attacked madly as they followed their comrades ahead.

As more and more members fell, the players' camp was pushed backward by Cha Na's army, slowly approaching the center of the Mansion of the Dead.

Cha Na sneered at the sight that was unfolding. Just as he had expected, this alien race would not be able to withstand any attack from him.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound of battle drums was heard again. A rain of blood started falling from the sky. The Yin soldiers with bloodshot eyes cried excitedly at the sky.

"Kill! Leave no survivors!"

With Cha Na's command echoing in the air, every Yin soldier's eyes were crazed with bloodlust. Together, they pounced on the players again.

"Commander, there are too many of them. What should we do!?" Li Tianxia shouted at Wu Guoyi after cutting down a Yin soldier with his sword.

"Kill!" Wu Guoyi replied simply and charged ahead again. His battle axe danced around frantically, killing many Yin soldiers.

This is the first time the players encountered a real war. They could not adapt to this sort of extreme environment but they fought fearlessly, knowing that their base camp, Mansion of the Dead was just behind them. They were willing to give up their lives to protect it.

As their comrades continued to fall, it fueled the anger burning at the bottom of the players' hearts and their attacks became increasingly vicious. Under their ferocious momentum, Cha Na's army started depleting as well.

Cha Na's expression froze for a moment when he saw this happen before him. This was not what he expected. The fall of the player's comrades should have despaired the others, but it seemed like they were madder than before.

He only had 100,000 men, so the rising death toll distressed him greatly. Finally, he could not take it anymore. He let out an angry growl and jumped into the air, turning into a ferocious, muscular giant and charged toward the players.

"That traitor Cha Na is coming!"

"Prepare to die!"

The appearance of Cha Na drove the players crazier. Together, they swarmed toward Cha Na.

"You bunch of scum!" Cha Na bellowed angrily. He slammed his enormous palm on the ground as he approached the players.

The force of his palm left a large pit on the ground instantly. Every player in the area was smashed to pieces by the huge force.

Lu Wu and Bei Li spectated the war with sullen expressions. The players' camp had a very slim chance to win this battle.

At that moment, strings of messages started to appear in Lu Wu's mind.

"Master, Lu Mo requests to fight. I am willing to kill that traitor Cha Na and restore my father's glory!"

"Master, Fatty Li requests to fight. I am willing to kill Cha Na and restore glory to the King of Beiqi."

"Master, Master Qu wishes to fight. I am willing to kill Cha Na and restore glory to the King of Beiqi"

……

Lu Wu was stunned by the number of requests appearing in his mind from several dozen NPCs.

These NPCs had regarded the memories implanted during their creation as their own true memories. They were once subordinates of the King of Beiqi and therefore had the same hatred toward Cha Na.

Lu Wu glanced at the players who were fighting hard in the bloodbath and his gaze became more determined than ever!

"Requests granted!"

Receiving Lu Wu's command, Lu Mo's eyes flashed with deep hatred as he leaped from the Mansion of Dead toward the battlefield. The other NPCs followed his lead and hurried toward the same direction.

Cha Na's power was so great that almost no one could stop him. Facing his vicious slaughtering, the players were facing a challenge they had never encountered before.

Cha Na's patience was burning out as he was continuously attacked by the players. He inhaled deeply and spat out burning hot hellfire from his mouth.

The hellfire was overbearing. Once a player was contaminated, he would be burned to a puff of dark smoke and forced to leave the game.

As the hellfire spread rapidly, player casualties continued to rise.

At the moment of crisis, dozens of figures appeared out of thin air.

They stood in front of the players and defended against Cha Na's hellfire together, saving the players from a fatal attack.

The appearances of these figures shocked the players. They never expected the NPCs to help with the war.

At that moment, Lu Mo and several others were assisted by Lu Wu's soul power. Although their own strength was fueled to the maximum, they could never reach Cha Na's level due to the limits of their foundation. They were obviously ready to give up their lives for this battle.

Cha Na looked at Lu Mo and the others mockingly. Then, he raised his fist and smashed it forward forcefully. Immediately, hellfire gushed out from the ground and spread ahead rapidly.

"Leave!" Lu Mo looked back while struggling and shouted at the players who were still rooted to the ground.

In Lu Mo's memories, the players were real. Just like himself, they were descendants of Beiqi. He was not willing to let them sacrifice in vain.

"I said leave!" Lu Mo shouted again. His face, red from hellfire burn, was ferocious and determined.

"Brother Lu, we will fight with you!" the players were determined and refused to leave. They resumed their series of attacks toward Cha Na.

As the players resumed their onslaught, Cha Na hardened his ruthless heart and increased the intensity of the hellfire in his mouth. It was getting harder for Lu Mo and the other players to hold their defenses.

Amidst the burning hellfire, Lu Mo and the others grew weaker, and their soul power would soon be exhausted.

Looking forward at Cha Na, Lu Mo's eyes flashed with a glimpse of hatred. He then glanced backward at the players who came for support regardless of danger and he felt a surge of warmth flowing from the bottom of his heart.

They are here to fight for my father's glory, I can't let them down!

Having thought that, Lu Mo gathered all his power in his palm and smacked behind himself.

Giant energy waves rose and forced the incoming players to retreat, "Leave us! Live and avenge us!"

"Leave and avenge us!" Fatty Chef also directed all his strength to push the players back. The players were once again pushed backward by several yards.

"Don't forget the skills I taught you. Live on! You are the hope of Beiqi!" with a smile, Master Qu used the remaining of this strength to push away the players.

……

The hellfire finally broke through the barricade formed by Lu Mo and the others, igniting and burning them. Even in the midst of the burning hellfire, their eyes remained hopeful as they looked at the remaining players.

The players were touched by the scene in front of them.

They remembered as clear as day Big Brother Lu who was like a neighborhood brother to them. He would read them stories, talked and listened to them with all his heart.

They also remembered Fatty Chef, who loved to joke but could also cook the most delicious meals ever.

They too remembered Master Qu, a tutor who was stern and reserved but had taught them attentively and relentlessly.

……

The sacrifices of those familiar faces left the players dumbstruck.

As the bloody rain fell upon their faces, their expressions were dazed as they felt like they had lost something.

Once again, they turned toward Cha Na and his army. This time, their fury was unleashed without reservation.

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Chapter 57: The Returning Comrades

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

A video was posted on the homepage of Battle Online's forum by one of the players that was forced to log out after being killed in the game.

[Our friends have died! I appeal for the return of my comrades to battle with me and avenge their deaths!]

In the video, Lu Mo and the rest of the team could be seen exhausting their last bit of power to push back the rest of the players. In the end, they were set on hellfire and burned to ashes.

The video had completely stunned the players who were not in the game.

Crayon_Shinchan: "I could still remember our heart-to-heart talks with Big Brother Lu at night and the fine liquor that he shared with me. Rest in peace, big brother! I shall avenge your death!"

Cantabile_years: "Rest in peace, brothers! I shall slaughter Cha Na and his army to avenge you."

Xueli_The_Strongest: "I never thought this would happen while I was away on a date outside. I, Xueli, requesting to join the team! I'm going to kill Cha Na for revenge!"

Foodie_XiaoJia: "Just the thought of not being able to taste Fatty Chef's food anymore makes me so angry!!! Wait up, I am on my way home. Hold on, my fellow brothers!"

The death of Lu Mo and the other NPCs angered the players. Many of them contacted each other and were rushing home to join the alliance.

During this time, most of the Battle Online players had learned about the incident on Christmas night from their guild's chat group or from messages between friends.

And the players' rage had been fully ignited.

Somewhere in an unnamed hotel room, a man was hastily dressing up. While his exasperated girlfriend was giving him a bewildered look, he rushed for the door.

At a certain karaoke joint, several guys simultaneously put down their microphones with indignation, quickly bid their friends goodbye and headed back to their homes.

In one of the bars, while a group of revelers was happily drinking, a man picked up an unexpected phone call and his expression immediately turned somber. He proceeded to say a few words to his mates. Then, the few of them immediately walked out of the bar and cabbed back to their homes.

Somewhere in a billiard room, a person was forwarding the message he received to his fellow pool players. At once, they paid the bill and rushed back to their homes.

……

Just like that, similar events happened in many places.

One by one, the players appeared in the game. Once logged in, they were all invited by their comrades to join the battle for vengeance.

From the Demolition Guild's live chat channel, the guild master's roar sounded in the members' ears, "Brothers, I will be at the forefront. If I were to die in the battle, I want all of you to step over my corpse and charge ahead! Kill!"

From the Avengers Guild's live chat channel, Wu Guoyi bellowed, "Unity will keep us together, let us protect the Mansion of the Dead! Onward with me!"

From the Great Dragon Guild's live chat channel, Chen Ziyu yelled, "For the glory of the King of Beiqi, for our lost friends. Let there be no regrets tonight! Kill!"

From the Invincible Myth's live chat channel, Invincible_Loneliness spoke in rage as he waved his long sword while staring at Cha Na from far, "Tonight, I vow to kill Cha Na, and I won't stop until he is dead!"

……

At this point, every guild had decided to let go of their conflicts between each other and were preparing to launch a forceful attack at Cha Na.

Even Cha Na was stunned when he was faced with an increasing number of creatures gathering in front of his eyes. The number of creatures had impressively reached more than 300,000. On top of that, he did not even know where these creatures were coming from. It seemed impossible to exterminate them completely.

Lu Wu felt encouraged when he saw the players unite together. He then retrieved the music file from Ba Lun's email and let Bei Li digitize the data before uploading it into the artifact.

Thump! Thump! The sounds of the war drum resonated throughout the realm from the back of Cha Na's army. At the same time, background music started playing in the ears of all the players.

"The Phoenix (The Immortal Bird)"

Put on your war paint

You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down

Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground

Setting fire to the sky

Here, here comes this rising tide

So come on

Put on your war paint

Silver clouds with grey linings

So we can take the world back from a heart attack

The music resounded throughout the battleground, concealing the beat of the drums while firing up the passion within the players.

"Roar!"

"Kill!"

The two torrents collided once again. The players turned their anger into strength, showing an overwhelming power of combat against their opponents.

The frightening thing in a battle was not one's weaknesses, but the lack of determination to fight to the death.

Under the influence of the background music, the players went on without a single step back and even managed to push back Cha Na's army.

As the heat of battle continued to rise, Cha Na was starting to feel helpless against such a huge number of players, even with his own attack. What scared him even more was that the number of players was still increasing by the moment.

In this battle, the players' forces were slowly overpowering Cha Na's army in terms of morale.

"Charge on, fellow Night Killers!" under the command of Ye Xue'er, the group of assassins gave a loud roar and rushed toward the frontlines.

One after another, large red figures emerged from behind the enemy's army, shrouding over everyone. With a few swings of their gigantic bloody blades, fresh blood splattered in the air.

This squad of assassins was assembled by Ye Xue'er with a huge amount of coins. Consisting of ten members, each of them had farmed more than 10,000 points of Blood Essence to become the first batch of players to advance their character classes to Cursed Apostles. Hence, they were able to unleash their powerful energy in this battle.

The Night Killers were slaughtering the Yin soldiers with their demon-like powers while Cha Na could only stare in horror.

"Night Killers! Naraka Realm! You are the descendants of the Cursed Clan!" Cha Na exclaimed with a horrified expression.

He recognized the power of the Cursed Clan. He himself used to be a member of the army team that laid siege on the Cursed Clan, a powerful clan that required the King of Beiqi himself to defend against.

He would not have guessed that the weaklings before him had found out how to use the forces of the Naraka Realm. The fear in Cha Na's heart started to spread.

Not to mention, the deaths of Lu Mo and the others had utterly fired up the anger in the players' hearts. Their desire for vengeance was unceasing and their attacks were unstoppable until the blood of Cha Na is spilled.

"Roar! Cha Na you old thief, I want you dead!" a berserker broke away from the crowd. With reddened eyes, he darted toward Cha Na while swinging his Greatsword and slashed at Cha Na's thigh.

Memories of his breakup half a month ago and his heart-to-heart talk with Lu Mo at that time floated in his mind. Recalling Lu Mo's sincere advice and genuine smile, he became even more infuriated.

"Kill!" Invincible_Loneliness from the Myth Guild took off his cape to expose the etched runes on his body and proceeded to clench his fist. As an emerald lit up, he leaped toward Cha Na. Next, a ruby glowed as he concentrated all his strength into his fist and smashed onto the top of Cha Na's head, knocking him a few steps backward. The punch also left an imprint on the top of Cha Na's skull.

After spending a huge sum of money to acquire soul coins, Gu Yu had finally gathered all the materials required for class advancement. He became the first-ever Rune Master in the game and he had shown powerful skills.

In the meantime, a figure leapt onto the battlefield, capturing the attention of the Yin soldiers.

This person yielded Nine Spiritual Swords. A circle of Sword Qi revolved around him and a blade storm followed his presence, creating a space of vacuum.

Under Ao Jian's control, the Spiritual Swords demonstrated unparalleled power as they reaped through the bodies of the army like the scythe of a Grim Reaper.

Ao Jian was not aggrieved by what had happened, but he knew only one thing, that Jian Chou was his mentor and his mentor had always been loyal to the King of Beiqi!

Cha Na was so stunned by the entrance of Ao Jian and could not help exclaiming, "That's Jian Chou's swordmaster! I thought he was dead!?"

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Chapter 58: Destiny Is Incredible!

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

However, this was not the end of Cha Na's nightmare.

Numerous arrows began raining down on Cha Na's rear troops and immediately, there was a burst of dazzling lights that blew up a large batch of the Yin soldiers.

"Impossible! This is impossible! The strength of the Sun Chasing Archer… but he died long ago, how could this be?!"

The sudden appearance of these once-familiar skills launched Cha Na into a panic.

Memories of him and a few of his former comrades, who had been loyal subjects to the King of Beiqi, arose in his mind. Even with their great strength and capabilities, these comrades had been lost in battle.

"Argh! Comrades, advance forward, we shall not stop until we are dead!" Wu Guoyi roared.

"Yes!" the players roared in unison as they took a heavy step forward uniformly, shaking the earth as they did.

One look at the increasing morale of the army of players and Cha Na's army had lost its original indomitable force, and was forced to retreat.

However, the players were determined to kill every last soldier of Cha Na's army. Forming a thousand meter long front line facing the enemy, the army of players lead by ten Night Killers charged ahead to attack the enemy.

Furthermore, the Magic Division began summoning the Skeleton Army. In no time, a wave of Yin soldiers had appeared, making the players' battle array look even more epic.

"Gou Zi, heal our comrades!"

Gu Yu's furious order rang loudly through the MythGuild's live chat.

Subsequently, a small white dog jumped high into the air and unleashed an Inherited Skill, making green rain dew fall from the sky.

Under the droplets of rain dew, the injured players on the front line got on their feet once more. Lifting their weapons, they continued their onslaught of slaughter.

Tonight was bound to be a sleepless night for the Battle Online players.

After four hours of continuous fighting, the players had pushed back Cha Na's army to the border between the Mansion of the Dead and Liuli, yet there were still no signs of the battle ending.

Players who had died in the battle continued watching the battle through the live broadcast on the website and once their respawning cooldown time ended, they were quickly integrated into the battle again.

The strength and capabilities displayed by the players' camp in the past four hours of constant fighting had cut into Cha Na's Yin soldiers' fearlessness. They had never seen such endless and fanatical madness on the battlefield.

It was as though these beings were not afraid of death. Even on the verge of death, these players would try to plant a few stabs or sink their teeth into them with their last breath.

At this point in the battle, more than half of Cha Na's army had been killed or seriously wounded and even Cha Na himself held up a face as pale as a ghost. By suffering such a huge loss, he knew that he would no longer have a say in the Land of Beiqi.

Although Cha Na wanted to retreat, it was all too late now as the players did not have the slightest intent of letting any of them go. He was certain that even if his army were able to return to Liuli District, this bunch of wild players would just continue to pursue them.

He would never have imagined that the power he had accumulated for so many years would be buried at the hands of these players.

In desperation, Cha Na roared as he launched himself into the horde of players.

Yet, although Cha Na was powerful, the players were undaunted.

"Cha Na! Die!"

Everyone circled in on Cha Na, trying frenziedly to cause some damage to him no matter how insignificant it seemed. In less than half an hour, a terror-stricken Cha Na could no longer withstand the brunt of such frenzied attacks and had retreated back to his own army.

Presently, his body was wounded from countless cuts and stabs caused by the mob of angry players. As the old saying goes, even the bites of a colony of ants could kill an elephant. Despite his overwhelming strength, the extensive damage received was still unbearable to him.

Seeing Cha Na's forced retreat, the excited players gave an earth-shattering yell.

Under these circumstances, Cha Na finally gave in and roared loudly.

"Retreat!"

Aware that Cha Na was going to order a retreat, the crowd of players surged forward.

"Cha Na, you dog, fuck you! You will die today!"

"Charge on! Avenge our dead brothers! Tonight, there is no turning back!"

"Brothers, have courage! Kill all of Cha Na's scum!"

"Scum, don't even think about leaving! Kill!"

The players' blood pumped with adrenaline as they saw the fear apparent on the Yin soldiers. All of them charged toward their enemies, swinging their weapons in the air, not leaving any opportunity for Cha Na's army to escape.

Within all of the guilds' live chats, the commanders bellowed orders excitedly for troops to continue their attacks at the retreating army.

Soon, the battleground began shifting from the Mansion of the Dead to Liuli District as the players pursued the retreating army. At last, Cha Na's army was finally cornered at the Underworld Sea with no place to run.

After eight hours of hard battle, the first light of dawn broke through the horizon. The battle had lasted the entire night and the players' side had lost more than 400,000 lives, but with the ability to respawn, more than 200,000 lives remained. As for Cha Na's forces, about 80,000 were killed or seriously injured while the remaining soldiers had already lost their spirit to fight knowing that they were trapped on the sandy beaches of Liuli District.

"Brothers! Victory is in sight. Let's cut off Cha Na's head to avenge our lost friends!" Wu Guoyi gave out the last command as he raised his sword at Cha Na.

"YesS!" the players roared in unison, moving steadily towards the remaining Yin soldiers.

Cha Na's heart filled with regret as he stared at the hordes of players advancing in his direction.

If he had been given a second chance, he would not have provoked this bunch of lunatics. He had now lost all desire to continue this battle.

He had once thought that by killing part of this group of beings, he could frighten them into submission. How foolish.

"Kill!"

The battle resumed as the players launched their final attack.

One by one, the Yin soldiers faltered under the deafening shouts for death from the players' end. At this point, any resistance was futile and Cha Na lost all hope as the dead bodies of his Yin soldiers began piling up.

He took a glance at the ocean, then back at the impenetrable force of the players in front of him with hatred. A second later, he lept towards the sea.

"Don't even try to escape!"

Seeing that Cha Na was deserting his troops in escape, Gu Yu gave a yell as the runes on his body glimmered. He sprung into the air forcefully, concentrating all of his strength into his fist to land a blow on Cha Na.

"Whoever stops me shall die!"

Cha Na roared, and he too raised his fist to strike Gu Yu.

As their two fists collided, Gu Yu disappeared immediately in a trail of black smoke. However, Cha Na's body also froze in the air from the impact and started falling downward swiftly.

As it happened, a dozen figures surrounded him.

In an instant, ten Night Killers swung their bloodied blades at Cha Na. From the side, Ao Jian carried out a sword spirit infusion and directed nine Spiritual Swords that sped toward Cha Na.

"Fuck off!" Cha Na's fists lashed out masterfully, smashing into several Night Killers. However, Cha Na still sustained several attacks in addition to the nine Spiritual Swords having made a bloody cut across his body.

At this moment, the other players also swarmed in on him, ensuring that Cha Na was not able to escape.

Cha Na who had already used up most of his energy in the night-long battle could only weakly try to fend off the swarming players.

He wanted to attempt another escape, but as soon as he lept up, nine bolts of Annihilation suddenly appeared to strike him back into the mob of players.

Instantly, all the players exhausted different methods to pin him down in their efforts to prevent him from running away.

Feeling the energy and strength that was draining away by the minute, Cha Na cried out in misery and anger. He then proceeded to heave himself up as he used his remaining strength to leap toward the ocean.

This was his only chance. If this escape was unsuccessful, then only death awaited him!

The players screamed in rage as they saw Cha Na leaping up. However, they were helpless as they had worn out all their means of attack.

At this moment, not far away, Ye Chen took a deep breath and steadily raised his Sun Scorching Bow.

As Sun Chasing energy was dispersed, an energy-charged arrow slowly formed on the bowstring. Taking aim at Cha Na's figure, Ye Chen gave a loud cry and released his hold on the bowstring.

The supercharged arrow, carrying the hopes and dreams of the players as well as Ye Chen, cut swiftly through the air and punctured Cha Na's body from behind.

Ye Chen's eyes gleamed as he watched the body of Cha Na fall into the sea, muttering to himself.

"Destiny is incredible!"

Chapter 59: Annals Of Great Battles

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

This time around, the falling Cha Na had truly fallen. The fighting throughout the night had completely consumed all of his energy, and he no longer had any lethal capabilities or skills to utilize. He had nothing but a broken and tired body.

Facing another onslaught from the players, with some of them climbing onto his body to stab and cut him, Cha Na's eyes flashed with indignance as he thrashed his arms about in attempts to fight off the players. However, with the constant frenzied attacks from the mob of players, the burning fire of life in him began to diminish slowly.

Eventually, his body fell to the ground, the soul flame within his body finally extinguished.

Immediately, the white light of collective leveling up flashed through the area.

"Roar!"

Looking at the sun rise up the horizon, all the players raised their weapons and cheered in unison!

The battle on Christmas came to a joyful stop with the death of Cha Na, and everyone felt extra jovial and satisfied.

In this peaceful world, only Battle Online could bring them the prime excitement of clashing blood and metal alongside the taste of humans' most primal survival instincts.

The players' blood pumped with lingering adrenaline as tens of thousands of players shouted in excitement, unable to repress their inner exhilaration. At the same time, a large number of players flocked to Ye Chen, raising him up in the air in celebration.

Ye Chen's shot had exceeded everyone's expectations.

It could even be said that most players had not been confident in his last shot. As far as Ye Chen's archery went, it was the butt of everyone's jokes in the gaming forum and was the subject of ridicule to everyone.

Yet this time, at such a critical moment, Ye Chen's performance had made all the players cheer for him.

Off the battleground, the players who saw this scene were slamming the table in excitement.

"Ye Chen, you're such a fucking genius! I really want to give you a kiss now, you've made us all proud!"

"You didn't screw this one up. I give a perfect score for this shot!"

"Smooth-sailing, Wu Guoyi! Ye Chen, this last shot was the best in the game!"

"That was awesome. This shot will be recorded in the game's history books! It was so epic!"

"Suddenly, I'm this punk's fan now. Fuck it. From now on, whoever dares to make fun of Ye Chen, don't blame my wand for being cruel!"

"It's a celebration for all of us, for the victory of our Beiqi army!"

"Everyone did a great job. The nine hours of hard work was worth it, we finally won the battle!"

"Cheers to our victory!"

"We are the strongest!"

……

At this moment, all the players were giddy with excitement as they cheered and shouted by the beach to vent their hot-blooded spirit.

Lu Wu smiled as he saw this scene and acted to capture and save this scene of excitement with his artifact. Simultaneously, a sheepskin book appeared in front of all the players in the game, titled with the "Annals of Great Battles" written on its cover.

The pages turned slowly.

"December 25, 2318, Merry Christmas! After nine hours of fighting, the Beiqi Army finally forced Cha Na's army to the coast of the Underworld Sea, killing the rebel Cha Na and winning an epic victory! This Christmas battle shall go down in the Annals of Great Battles!"

Below the text was a picture of all the players shouting excitedly while holding their weapons up in the air.

[Server Announcement, all players who participated in this Christmas battle win an Epic Title: Aeonian]

[Aeonian (Epic Title): Dedicated to the warriors who fought hard during the Christmas battle on December 25, 2318!

Attribute of Title: Two free additional trials of Instance Dungeon every day!

Looking at the picture captured after the battle, the players raised their weapons in excitement and cheered on once again.

They felt honoured and proud of this achievement. Not only had they been contributors to this epic battle, they had also been awarded with an epic level title, the highest glory that no one had ever achieved before!

Outside the server.

"Congratulations everyone, give yourself a pat on the back! An Epic Title! That's so cool!"

"I'm so happy! Although I was killed, I'm really happy!"

"Thanks for this wonderful Christmas, you guys! I will remember this forever!"

"I could never have imagined that I would be able to participate in such a real battle. From being frightened to being determined, and then to being angry in fighting for a cause. Thanks to the comrades who fought side by side with me! Thank you all!"

"Our Beiqi Army is the strongest! Let's go to war! Our glory will fill the pages of the Annals of Great Battles!"

"Moving forward into the future, Xue Li, member of the Beiqi Army is ready!"

"Moving forward into the future, Wu Guoyi, member of the Beiqi Army is ready!"

"Moving forward into the future, Gu Yu, member of the Beiqi Army is ready!"

"Moving forward into the future, Chen Ziyu, member of the Beiqi Army is ready!"

"Moving forward into the future, Ye Xue'er, member of the Beiqi Army is ready!"

……

Everyone wrote their oaths to join future wars on the forum notice board as they firmly believed that the glory of the Beiqi Army would not stop here. In addition, they also wanted to challenge themselves with a new battle and a new phase of reigning in the coming year of 2319!

……

Subsequently, the players walked toward the direction of the Mansion of the Dead as they laughed merrily. At the front of their troop, Cha Na's military flag had been torn off the flagpole and replaced with his decapitated head. It had been brought back as a souvenir and was afterwards hung onto the outer high wall of the Mansion of the Dead.

Many players then began taking photos with Cha Na's decapitated head that hung outside the high wall. Each of the photos were uploaded onto the forum to show off the results of their hard work.

Today was a celebratory day for the players. Thus, it formed a rare sight where all the players were hanging out and having a celebratory meal at the Mansion of the Dead instead of rushing off to complete a quest, to level up or to look for treasure.

All the players took out their fine wines, spirits, and food from their inventory to share with each other.

After the celebration, the players instinctively gathered outside the Mansion of the Dead to erect a monument to commemorate Lu Mo and the dead. It was to this monument that all the players gave a deep bow to as a sign of respect to their sacrificed heroes.

Lu Wu felt that the death of Lu Mo and the others was a great pity as well, but it had been their exact sacrifice that had motivated the players' passionate fighting spirit.

Although he would be able to recast the souls of Lu Mo and the others, it was pointless as they had already passed on. They would have no recollection of these players and the memories they had shared together. They would just become brand new NPCs and would no longer be the person that the gamers used to know.

After a moment's consideration, Lu Wu gave up the idea of reviving Lu Mo and the others. However, he would recast their soul and send them back into the game with a different identity.

Just like the erected tombstones, there could only be one of each player in these players' hearts. So it was for the best to let them stay in the hearts of these players and became part of the history they remembered!

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Chapter 60: New Expansion Pack (Ferocious Waves)

Translator:?Larbre Studio?Editor:?Larbre Studio

When the Christmas battle had ended, the exhausted players that had fought strenuously for a whole night eventually started to log out of the game.

It was at this point in time that the official website for Battle Online released an update notice.

[Maintenance and Update Notice, addition of new expansion pack 'Ferocious Waves':

During the Christmas battle, the Beiqi Army fought hard and obtained possession of Liuli District after an arduous fight. However, within the North Rocks lies a much more terrifying and formidable enemy awaiting the challenge of players. In the mysterious region of the Underworld Sea, countless treasures and ancient ruins await your exploration and domination.

With the Rock Ghost King in the North and the Underworld Sea in the East, new challenges have once again arrived. The clarion call for war has sounded again. So let's put on our battle gear and set sail for the ferocious waves.

[Content Update:

Special items added in shop: Specter Warship, Specter Ship

[Specter Warship (Guild-Specialized): A naval battle weapon specially made for large-sized guilds and has the ability to convert ingested spiritual materials into energy. Players are able to choose their own cultivation method.

Specter Warship Main Cultivation Branches:

Phantom form: Speed is the main evolutionary direction. Should the owner choose this mode of evolution, the Specter Warship will turn all converted energy of spiritual materials into an increase of the ship's navigation speed and efficiency. Special navigation abilities may be uncovered in later evolutionary stages.

Armor form: Hull hardness is the main evolutionary direction. Should the owner choose this mode of evolution, the Specter Warship will turn all converted energy of spiritual materials into an increase of the ship's hull hardness. In later stages, special impact skills such as Wrath of the Dragon Horn and Armor may be evolved.

Calamity form (special): With this state as the cultivation mode, the Specter Warship will acquire the dual evolutionary direction of the Phantom and Armor forms. At the same time, there is a probability of acquiring a primary consciousness that is capable of mastering Oceanic Power in the process.

Note: Please be careful in choosing the Calamity form. In this state, the spiritual materials required for consumption for the evolution of Specter Warship will be multiplied.

Price: 3000 soul coins

[Specter Ship: Build your very own Specter Ship with more than a hundred types of cultivation methods waiting for players to explore in their sail toward the ocean!

Price: 200 soul coins

Details on Marine Treasure

Son of the Sea (Fruit): A mysterious fruit blessed by the sea and a priceless Epic Level treasure. After ingestion, players obtain the blessing of the Underworld Sea God and gain a Gifted Level ability by chance.

Qinglin Wood: One of the best spiritual materials for the evolution of Specter Warships and Specter Ships, it provides the opportunity to apperceive special abilities.

Spiritual Sea Fish: In the Underworld Sea, there are millions of Spiritual Fish. By ingesting a Spiritual Fish, players acquire relevant attributes of the eaten fish.

Fish Classification Levels: Fish Level (useless, normal), Spiritual Level, Sea Spirit Level, Spirit Channeling Level, Sky Spirit Level, and Ocean Spirit Level.

(Note: Ingestion of a Spiritual Fish above the Sea Spirit Level offers opportunity for special abilities!)

Marine Ruins

At sea, there are numerous islands and inheritances left behind by powerful sea clans. For details, please feel free to explore the area yourself.

Maritime Disasters

The mysterious Underworld Sea is filled with numerous undercurrents and natural disasters. Please pay attention to your safety when exploring.

Addition of new NPCs such as Weapon Forgers, Skill Instructors, and Sea Navigators

[Maintenance time for this update: 12 hours, apologies for the inconvenience caused]

Seeing this notice, the players on the forum went into a buzz.

Xueli_The_Strongest: "Haha! I, Xueli, am finally going to be a pirate king!"

Crayon_Shinchan: "The naval headquarters have been established, the pirate king from above please surrender yourself!"

Watermelon_Taro: "Isn't the Son of the Sea fruit the Devil's fruit? Damn, I was trembling with excitement and could already imagine a magnificent sea war happening, but when I saw that the cheapest Specter Ship requires 200 soul coins, I could only shrink into the corner and sob uncontrollably. The word 'fuck' isn't enough to explain my emotions!"

Invincible_Loneliness: "The Calamity Ship looks good (funny face). Also, I'm accepting soul coins indefinitely. Don't assume that I don't have enough money, I'm just afraid that you don't have enough soul coins. Players with soul coins please join this group (318815704)"

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "So sad, I'm really short on soul coins. Why hasn't this bastard game opened up the top-up channel?! And who is the bastard boss of this game, did he actually give the research and development team salary?! (Angry)"

Little_Tiger: "Looking for a sugar mommy, one that buys me soul coins!"

Chief_Of_Demolition_Officers: "There are so many treasures in the Underworld Sea. I have a hunch that I will soon acquire a hidden character class inheritance."

Cultivating_Longetivity (Qi Ming): "Wow, this world is getting more and more wonderful. Let's not talk about it, I'm going to ask my grandson for money to get FortifiedByUsingCash!"

Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome replied to Cultivating_Longetivity: "Grandson? How old are you?"

Cultivating_Longetivity replied to Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Hehe, I'm over 120 years old."

Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome replied to Cultivating_Longetivity: "Haha (Middle Finger)!"

Director_Of_Demolition_Officers: "Interesting, seems like we have another goal. No matter ocean or land, we Demolition Officers will be the first!"

harder_said_than_done: "Naval Battle? In reality, I'm a chief mate, looks like it's time to fight! (Surprise.jpg)"

Prandtl: "As an explorer, I'm ready to sail! Other than that, I want to collect soul coins to build my own ship and start my own great adventure on the sea ~Happy~"

After the release of the new expansion pack Ferocious Waves, the response from the players was very strong in addition to being curious about the Underworld Sea region. Suffice it to say, the price of soul coins fluctuated again soon after the release of the expansion pack.

All of the major guilds wanted to build a guild-level Specter Warship one step ahead of the others. Thus, under mass acquisition and demand, the price of soul coins began to rise to the point where it was practically priceless.

This was also because the players were full of curiosity and had a deep desire to explore the sea. They also wanted to build their own Specter Ships and were therefore unwilling to sell their soul coins.

This then further led to many complaints on the forum as a few hundreds of thousands of players pinned a thread of comments titled "Rubbish game, top-up channel still not open, we strongly protest!" at the top of the main page of the forum. Their purpose was very much obvious, which was to force Lu Wu to quickly open up a top-up channel.

However, Lu Wu merely glanced at it as he continued to peel an apple calmly. Then, he put it near Bei Li's mouth and watched her eat it bite by bite.

Top-up? What top-up? Such a thing does not exist!

Authorized user, please understand!

Chapter 61: Warship Moira

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

The opening of the new expansion pack had made all the players feel excited again. Hence, shortly after the maintenance period, a large number of players poured into the game.

Upon entering the game, the players' vision moved to the new CG trailer associated with the expansion pack.

The sight of the words 'Ferocious Waves' appeared to them in dark blue characters. Thereafter, the scene switched from Liuli District to the Mansion of the Dead to the sky above the Underworld Sea.

The graphics kept on changing, showing seabirds singing in the sky as fish leapt out of the water from time to time, creating splashing waves of white amongst the blue. Everything seemed extremely pleasant and peaceful.

At this time, the words 'Void Ocean' emerged, followed by a huge black warship that broke through the words to land heavily on the surface of the sea sea, setting off a huge wave as it did so.

As the warship appeared, the sky flashed and thundered while the wind picked up to form a hurricane. Countless sea monsters emerged from the sea, roaring in the direction of the warship as they swarmed toward it.

Surrounded by the sea monsters, the warship looked like it was about to be torn into pieces at any time.

"Roar!"

At that moment, a loud roar resounded from within the warship, overpowering the roars of the sea monsters. With that, a huge phantom of an eight-clawed monster appeared above the warship.

"Moira! It's all up to you now!" at the foredeck, a man clad in black robes waved and pointed at the densely packed monsters at sea.

The huge monster called Moira turned and looked at the black-robed man, then its twinkling scarlet eyes blinked as if to answer the man. Subsequently, it broke away from the ship to pounce toward the sea monsters.

The moment Moira came in contact with the sea, a huge vortex suddenly appeared on the sea's surface. Almost immediately, the surrounding sea monsters were pulled into it and torn into pieces.

After tearing apart all the sea monsters, Moira waved its eight claws as it let out a loud roar to the sky before floating back onto the warship in phantom form and slowly fading away.

At this moment, the black-robed man came to the edge of the boat and leaned against the railing. He looked at the sea that had been dyed red from blood and smiled.

"Moira! Time to eat!"

As soon as he finished his sentence, the scarlet color in the sea visibly faded whereas the hull of the ship began to shine with a dark red light. Vaguely, a slowly wriggling on the surface of the hull could be seen, as if this was not a warship at all, but a living monster.

Thereafter, the graphics slowly dimmed while a row of introductory data emerged.

[Moira Level 13 (Calamity Specter Warship): Top-level Warship Moira bred through ingestion of a large number of sea creatures' blood and spiritual materials!

Attribute Introduction: Hull Hardness Level 14; Navigation Speed Level 12 (A total of 24 levels from low to high)

Abilities Introduction: Wrath of Moira; Armored Impact; Sea Spirit's Blessing; Bloodlust (Special Passive Skill)

[Wrath of Moira: Summons the spirit of Warship Moira for 30 minutes. The cooldown period is one day.

[Armored Impact: Speed is increased by 100% in one minute while hull hardness is increased by two levels. The cooldown period is six hours.

[Sea Spirit's Blessing: With the blessing of the sea, navigation speed is increased by 30% for three hours. The cooldown period is one day.

[Bloodlust (special passive skill): Under the cultivation of the captain, Moira obtains a new evolutionary direction. Besides being able to evolve through ingestion of spiritual materials, it also acquires the special ability to ingest the blood of sea creatures for evolution.

Overall Evaluation: A Disaster Level Warship with Bloodlust as its evolutionary direction.

As the data slowly disappeared, a line of words emerged again at the end of the graphics.

[Would you like to own such a warship, named and cultivated by yourself? Then, the sea is your ideal choice!]

Upon watching this CG trailer, the players burst into rapid discussion on the forum once again as lines of comments flew through the CG continuously.

"How should I cultivate to get a warship like Moira? I really want it!"

"Damn, different cultivation methods induce different abilities! How challenging! What should we do if we cultivate a weak warship?"

"In reply to the one above, only the weak will cultivate a weak warship. My warship will definitely be the strongest! Roar~"

"I'm selling myself for a sugar mommy, I want to cultivate a ship."

"I have decided on a name for my ship, I will call it the Golden Meryl!"

"Can the one upstairs shut up? That's my boat! Put it down! No one is allowed to take this name before I collect enough soul coins to build the Golden Meryl. This wand will only give warning once!"

"All I want is Moira, already in tears!"

"Slams the table, do you all even have enough soul coins? What are you arguing about without soul coins? Even though I too want Moira! Cry!"

"I want to cultivate a warship with an invincible defense. The name is already decided, it shall be called Invincible. I'm already in a fantasy and I can't extricate myself. My heart is full of anticipation!"

"Looking at the surging waves on the CG, I wanted to recite poems for everyone, but I am uncultured, so I can only say, damn the waves are so big!"

"Good poem up there, I'll give you a thumbs up"

"Oh sea, you are all water!"

"Shut up, the one upstairs! You're even more uncultured."

"I feel as though the price of materials is going to increase. Players should go to the auction house quickly to buy spiritual materials. The price is definitely going to skyrocket!"

"It's time to hoard lots of materials and make a fortune. We just need to wait for the filthy rich to buy at a high price."

"Fuck, why did you guys say that out loud, don't you know how to keep quiet when making a fortune? (Angry)"

"We're still short of three people to make up a ten person group. Come on, anyone with soul coins and a good character. Each of us will pay 20 soul coins. Let's set sail first! As for the name of the ship, we can discuss it! In addition to that, our captain is a beauty~ The ownership of the ship also has to be given to the captain."

After seeing the contents of the CG, the players began having a heated discussion on the cultivation methods and the names to be given to their respective Specter Ships.

The opening of the new expansion pack could only be considered as a brand new experience for the players, making them look forward to the follow-up of the game.

……

The death of Cha Na's army during the Christmas battle had made Lu Wu a fortune of soul coins.

In collecting enough soul coins, the material storage room and the equipment depot of the Mansion of the Dead had been built during the maintenance period.

As for the Specter Ship that was seen by the players, it was originally a blueprint from the weaponry room that had been researched and digitized by the omnipotent Bei Li.

It was seemingly Lu Wu's intention to open the main quest from both sides at the same time.

After all, besides the Rock Ghost King, the Sea King was also an overlord that was a big headache for Lu Wu.

With the threat of the Sea King, the players were not safe in Liuli District, so Lu Wu simply allowed the players to start the ocean development route in advance. When the players became stronger, then there would naturally be no reason to fear the Sea King.

At the same time, Lu Wu also set up a portal between the Mansion of the Dead and Liuli District so that it would be more convenient for the players to go back and forth.

In the shop, there were also many new things besides the most important specter ship.

Such as fishing tackle, bait, and so on.

The emergence of such things excited some players in the game because they had learned from the expansion pack on the official website that the Spiritual Fish of the Underworld Sea were all gems.

It was also because of the emergence of these new items that there was a new category of life players who would make a living with this in the game.

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Chapter 62: The Fisherman Laboring For Money On Livestream

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

After logging on to the game, all the players walked out of the Mansion of the Dead in surges as they headed toward the Underworld Sea region.

This could only be attributed to the anticipation created inside the players' hearts from the update notice and expansion pack that described and illustrated the Underworld Sea region.

Meanwhile, on the official website's livestream platform, the number of viewers on one of the livestream channels was growing rapidly, catching the attention and curiosity of Lu Wu.

"Build your personal raft, become a fisherman, labor for soul coins to buy a ship!"

On the channel, two players relying on the resources from the beach were making a tutorial on how to build a raft, teaching players in extreme detail the method to do so. Since most players could not afford to buy Specter Ships, a lot of them were actually learning and observing very earnestly.

By chopping down trees to form suitably sized wooden columns and using vines to replace rope in tying the wood together, these two players had built a simple raft within the span of three hours.

Looking at their finished product, the two players smiled.

"Everyone, now that the first step of laboring for money in order to buy a Specter Ship is done, let's head out to sea!"

Thereafter, these two players spent 10 soul coins on buying fishing equipment and bait before pushing their raft off to the Underworld Sea, using wooden oars to paddle them toward the high seas.

From the comments:

"It looks so crude… why do I get the feeling that this raft will probably fall apart with a single wave?"

"My two brothers, I hope your fishing endeavor end up favorably, and that you end up earning enough soul coins to buy a Specter Ship. Let's work for it together!"

"Hope you get a good harvest! If you guys fish up a Spiritual Fish, I'll buy it!"

"To be honest, rather than use this kind of raft, wouldn't it be easier to just go diving. I mean, you wouldn't even need fishing equipment like that, it saves money (funny)"

"What do you do if you meet a monster at sea? (frightened)"

"I have a deep fear of the sea and there's actually monsters in this one, I will not set sail unless it's in a ship! Over my dead body!"

With the well-wishes of the other players, the two players paddled their way out to sea.

An hour or so later, land had already faded away from sight and was hardly visible. The two players then stopped paddling and took out their equipment to begin fishing.

As time passed, the creel on the players' raft began filling up with fish. Yet, although these two players were very experienced at fishing at sea, they seemed to not have the luck to match it. They had spent around two hours fishing, but they had not caught a single Spiritual Fish.

At this moment, the fishing rod began shaking again, and the player, Ba Mu's face lit up with eagerness, his hand slowly reeling in the line.

However, this time, he did not reel it in as smoothly as he did the past few times. It seemed as though the fish that had been hooked was especially vicious and was violently struggling to get away with surprisingly enormous strength.

The situation made many watching players realize that this was probably the moment they had been waiting for.

At the same time, Ba Mu's face was also shining with glee, but his glee soon turned to anxiety as he realized that this fish was just too strong and no matter how hard he was tugging and pulling, he could not reel in the fish. At this point, the raft had also begun to move further toward the ocean with increasing speed because of the force exerted by the fish.

"Bro, help me out here, we've got a big one!" faced with such a tough struggle, Ba Mu could hardly hold on any longer and was quick to seek help from his companion.

Subsequently, the both of them began pulling together, holding on to the fishing rod stubbornly as they leaned backwards, locked in a battle of strength with the fish.

From the comments:

"Wow, a live version of the old man and the sea."

"You've definitely caught a shark this time!!!"

"If you all continue moving like this, I'm afraid you won't be able to find your way back, brother!"

"Hang in there, work for that Specter Ship! Imagine the wondrous future, just hang in there!"

"Maybe it's a small-sized sea monster (funny)"

"I bet it's a Spiritual Fish!"

It was quite obvious that Ba Mu and his little companion were just no match for the creature at the bottom of the sea. At this point in time, their faces were already red from their efforts and their hands that were holding the fishing rod were also trembling.

Hence, Ba Mu grit his teeth and simply spent two soul coins at the shop to buy two bottles of endurance tonic in recognition of the situation they were in. Taking turns to gulp down the tonic, they then continued their battle of strength.

Both of them felt somewhat better after taking the tonic, but the battle of strength had no end in sight and they were now floating further and further away from land. In fact, they could no longer see any land at all. All they had now were directions on the map and even so, they were still very confused as to where they currently were.

This battle of strength lasted a full five hours. Most of the watching players who went off for a meal had come back only to see that these two people were still trying to reel in the fish.

Just as the two players were on the edge of giving up, the force pulling on the fishing rod was suddenly released, making them almost fall backward into the sea.

While the two players blustered in confusion as to what had just happened, a large red fish broke through the ocean's surface and leapt up, splashing waves that glittered colorfully under the sunlight before diving back in.

The two of them hurried to pull on the fishing rod again as both their faces lit up in joy.

This was because in the instant that the fish had leapt out of the water, they had seen the attributes of this fish.

[Hawthorn Fish (Sea Spirit level): Sea Spirit level fish with gentle qualities, earns 10 to 30 additional points of related attributes after ingestion, also provides a small probability of oceanic capability comprehension

(Note: option to sell to shop for 200 soul coins)

In the comments:

"Damn, you've struck gold, you've hit the jackpot!"

"Well I'll be damned, you guys actually reeled in a Sea Spirit level fish. Thankfully, it's gentle, otherwise you guys wouldn't have been able to defeat it! (funny)"

"What's that note underneath the attribute section? Option to sell to shop? I fucking regret selling my Netherworld Pearl to the shop, I mean, the selling price for it on the market now is 150 soul coins!!!"

"I agree, I didn't know it before but selling to the shop is a great loss."

"I'll buy this fish for 250! Sell it to me! Sell it to me!"

"I'll have it for 300!"

"Sell it to our Myth Guild, our chairman has soul coins, but we can buy it with cash. You name the price."

The comment area suddenly burst with discussion at the sight of a Sea Spirit level Spiritual Fish and there were already offers for purchase and negotiation. Seeing this, Ba Mu and his companion were once again filled with determination to reel in this Hawthorn Fish.

Although it was of a gentle nature, the Sea Spirit level Hawthorn Fish was extremely strong and it was still very hard for the two of them to handle it.

Yet as time began to pass, the Hawthorn Fish's energy started depleting and the raft that was being pulled on slowed down as the resistance to the fishing rod reduced as well. Noting the change, hope was reignited within the both of them and they hastened to pull on the fishing rod, wanting to bring the Hawthorn Fish onboard the raft.

Just as they expected, there were only a few bursts of resistance when they reeled it in as the Hawthorn Fish had already expended all its energy struggling to swim away.

With victory so close in sight, Ba Mu and his companion both smiled.

However, exactly as the Hawthorn Fish was about to be pulled out the water, a dark shadow of something about a thousand meters wide appeared beneath the raft.

As this gigantic shadow floated upward rapidly on the livestream, all of the watching players held their breaths.

When the Hawthorn Fish finally broke the water's surface, large jaws appeared from the depths of the water to swallow both the raft and the Hawthorn Fish whole.

Immediately, the two players grappled around unsteadily, but as a wholly dominant energy surrounded them, their bodies were instantaneously ripped apart.

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Chapter 63: A Misfortune Might Be A Blessing In Disguise

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Now, the players, who were watching the live stream, could finally see the true face of the creature.

Its head, that was exposed above the water, was over a kilometer wide. Similar to a tiger's head, there was a red king-like character blazing on the center of its head. Light gleamed on the brown-colored scales on part of its body that was seen above the water.

The players could feel its overbearing aura even through the live stream.

As the giant beast dove into the water, a message popped up.

[Taowu (Overlord of the Void Ocean): The supreme king of the ocean who has ruled the Void Ocean for tens of thousands of years. Its ability has reached the level of an Ocean Spirit!]

Specific information: ? (Unidentifiable!)

In the comment section:

"Wow~ They caught an Ocean Spirit of the highest level…"

"Damn, it's so huge! This creature is gigantic. I reckon a creature as big as this can swallow a dozen Cha Nas in one gulp!"

"I'm terrified!"

"Well, I'll be damned! What kind of creature is this? It's at least 10,000 meters long! This is so horrifying!"

"Damn. I once secretly wished to get lucky and catch a Spiritual Fish of the Ocean Spirit level, thinking that I'd make a fortune from it. But, can I fucking catch this? I'm speechless."

"You can certainly catch it. Why not? Didn't you see how our two little friends successfully caught it? Although they did pay a huge price for it (this is hilarious)."

"So this is the level of an Ocean Spirit… I'm so scared!"

"I'm dumbstruck. If this Ocean Spirit was caught, I reckon that even a warship like Moira would be defeated immediately!"

"The brothers were abundantly lucky. They met the most powerful one in the Void Ocean the first time they sailed. It's such a waste that the Hawthorn Fish is gone. They are now finished alongside the boat!"

"Damn. Can you not compare a vicious beast of this level with Cha Na? It's too ferocious!"

"Oh my god. For a second, I thought that I was watching a disaster film about a giant beast… no one could beat the luck of these two men. It was a Spiritual Sea Fish. Then, it upgraded to the supreme Ocean Spirit. That's so scary!"

"Ding~ Congratulations to the two brothers. You have successfully become the fisher of the Ocean Spirit. Congratulations!"

"This is the Overlord of the Void Ocean? The Sea King's boss? Wow. It's so difficult to conquer the water!"

"I accept the challenge. My Naraka Warship has already aimed its main cannon at it!"

"It's just an Ocean Spirit. Believe it or not? I can fight a round with him!"

"I believe that you'll be eaten within one round? (hilarious)"

"I think that the Hawthorn Fish probably attracted Taowu's attention. Perhaps, it was too hungry and conveniently swallowed the brothers, too. They were really lucky."

All the players, who were watching the live stream, were startled when the live streaming channel blacked out.

The size of the Taowu was sufficient to distress a person immensely, not to mention that it had not shown its ability yet. All the players felt that they were no match for this powerful overlord of the ocean.

However, challenges were supposed to act as motivations. After a heated debate, the players vowed to take down the strong rival and share the Spiritual Meat of the Ocean Spirit with one another.

Even Lu Wu and Bei Li were extremely shocked by Taowu's advent.

One could only explain this as a coincidence when the overlord, who spent most of its days resting at the bottom of the Void Ocean, would unexpectedly appear at the surface of the sea to hunt for fish. It even ate the two fishermen who really had terrific luck.

Before long, a message was published in the forum. The audience quickly crowded around.

"What happened? Where is my Spiritual Sea Fish? I am confused!"

Watermelon_Taro: "I'm taking up the front row! By the way, congratulations on catching an Ocean Spirit!"

Ba Mu replied to Watermelon_Taro: "I'm asking about the Spiritual Sea Fish. Don't talk nonsense!"

Watermelon_Taro replied to Ba Mu: "I saved the video of your live stream. You should have a look! (hilarious) — Video Attachment"

Strike_Gold: "Whoops! Congratulations, brother! You've successfully shown us Taowu's charm! He's so charming!"

Crayon_Shinchan: "Bro, do you want to take revenge? (hilarious)"

Xueli_The_Strongest: "Is that the original poster? Hugs~ The Hawthorn Fish is currently in Taowu's stomach."

Invincible_Loneliness: "Many of my guild members told me to watch your live stream just now. They said there were great deals, asking me to purchase them. But, I was speechless the moment I entered the live streaming channel and saw the scene!"

Cultivating_Longevity: "Taowu? The vicious beast is so scary. I predict that it is not far from becoming a god."

Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Can I kill it with a single arrow?"

A_Mammoth replied to Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Of course! Brother Ye Chen is always the strongest man!"

Xueli_The_Strongest replied to Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Of course you can! Our big brother, Ye Chen, is a headwind artifact. One Taowu is nothing. For him, two Taowus are only worth one arrow!"

Assassin_Creed replied to Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Brother Ye's arrows are unstoppable. Be it Taowu or the Ocean Spirit, he can kill them with a single arrow. He can even puncture the heaven vault and bring down the sun to make it into a ball!"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Brother Ye, you've been rather confident lately (hilarious). Also, @everyone: Promise me, let's not be an obsequious dog, okay? (hilarious)"

Crayon_Shinchan @everyone: "But first, let me pat the dogs who have just commented (hilarious)"

Ba Mu: "I've finished watching the video. What the hell! Taowu was too harsh. Give me back the Hawthorn Fish! (grief)"

After watching the synopsis of the video, many players, who missed the live stream, were stunned, too. The players started to discuss enthusiastically about Taowu's strength in the forum.

However, the players' astonishment did not die down. Three hours later, Ba Mu respawned at the Mansion of the Dead and logged into the game again. Following that, he created another post in the forum.

The post immediately caused a turmult within the forum and attracted the attention of all the players.

"Hmm, when I was swallowed, I might have grabbed something by accident. It seems to be something amazeballs. Let's take a look at this! This is its first appearance. We should evaluate it and guess its price!"

A picture was attached to the post. A light blue spine, which was about the length of an arm, appeared before the players' eyes, coupled with a screenshot of its attributes.

[Demonic Dragon Skeleton (fragment): The skeleton of a Demonic Dragon, a vicious beast from the ocean of a Sky Spirit level. It can be used to make Purple Weaponry and Armor.]

(It can be sold in the shop in exchange for 800 soul coins!)

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Chapter 64: The New Year's Event

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

The players were envious of Ba Mu to be able to obtain such a treasure from the ocean even after his death.

As a result, the players became more avid to explore the Void Ocean.

There was even a phrase going around the forum:

"Do you want treasure? Then, set sail!"

Within a few days' time, there were a hundred warships from the guilds, while the number of the minor Specter Ships had reached tens of thousands. The navy of the Beiqi Army had gradually taken its form.

On this day, Battle Online posted another notice on its official website, attracting the attention of all the players.

[Notice of the New Year's Countdown Event:

Thanks for the players' constant support to our game. In conjunction with the celebration of a new year, we will launch a special event. Players with outstanding performances throughout the event will earn special rewards.

Throughout the three days of the event, all players will earn 10% extra from defeating monsters. The event consists of three activities…

First activity: New Year's Countdown Fishing Competition (Day One)

This event will begin on the night of New Year's Eve. Players can look for the Sea Navigator on the coast of Liuli District to register for the event beforehand. After the event has officially started, players will earn points for every fish they catch, while the score is dependent on the type of fish that is captured.

The first 1,000 players will win a Level 20 Red Weapon or armor (based on player's choice) of the player's respective character class. The top 100 players will be rewarded with 200 soul coins, while the top 10 players, 300 soul coins. The top three players will gain 500 soul coins. Last but not least, the winner will be rewarded with 1,000 soul coins and crowned with the event title, the New Year's Star.

The corresponding points for different fish types during the event:

Normal fish (1 point)

Fish of Spiritual Level (50 points)

Fish of Sea Spirit Level (500 points)

Fish of Spirit Channeling Level (4000 points)

Fish of Sky Spirit Level (80000 points)

Fish of Ocean Spirit Level fish (Immediate advancement to the Championship!)

Fish of special types (1000 – 80000 points)

The players were thrilled to learn about this event. Looking at the corresponding points for different fish types, the players could no longer stay cool.

Xueli_The_Strongest: "I'm clenching my fists. Developers, please come here and take this fishing rod. Show me how to catch Taowu of the Ocean Spirit level with this!"

Crayon_Shinchan: "(covering my face) That's a little too much! You're even thinking about the Ocean Spirit already. If someone catches it, I'll eat shit on a live stream!"

Strike_Gold: "For players like us, the Sea Spirit Level is already our limit. Even if we work as a team, the most we can handle is a fish of Spirit Channeling Level. But, are we supposed to sacrifice our life to catch this Ocean Spirit? (covering my face)"

Invincible_Loneliness: "Hehe~ That's interesting. On the day of the event, I'll go fishing in the deep sea with my Black Pearl Warship~"

Watermelon_Taro replied to Invincible_Loneliness: "Boss, bring me along. I have neither a ship nor a warship. I'm afraid that I will never be able to catch anything by the shore!"

Cultivating_Longevity: "I haven't gone fishing for at least sixty years. Hehe, how I miss it~"

Soda_Water: "You're all finished. I'm going to bring out my grandfather, the fishing addict. He is a strong competitor!"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Soda_Water: "What? Even your grandfather's joining, too? That's so cool!"

Soda_Water replied to Crayon_Shinchan: "Not only my grandfather, my parents love fishing as well. Our whole family shall fish together! (cool)"

Second activity: New Year's Treasure Hunt (Day Two)

Throughout the event, the New Year Certificate will auto-refresh every ten minutes at the Mansion of the Dead and Liuli District. All players can search for this certificate in these two areas during the event period. Players can redeem the rewards from the NPC Festive Messenger, with the certificate.

List of rewards:

1 New Year Certificate: Ten bottles of Revive Potion

5 New Year Certificates: One random Level 30 Blue Weapon

20 New Year Certificates: One random Level 30 Red Weapon

50 New Year Certificates: One Level 50 Skill Book of corresponding character class

100 New Year Certificates: Event title, the New Year's Star

New Year's Star (Blue title): The movement speed of the player, who wears this title, will increase by 10%

300 New Year Certificates: Inheritance of Character Class (Ghost Monster)

Upon reading the summary of the second activity, the forum was once again full of discussions.

Strike_Gold: "I'd like to know if the New Year Certificates can be traded. This is a very important question."

Invincible_Loneliness: "If it can be traded, then on the day they release the New Year Certificates, I will be standing right next to the ambassador and buy them all in cash~"

Crayon_Shinchan: "Horrible. Wealthy players are so presumptuous. Wait till I gather all 300 certificates to redeem the inheritance."

Xueli_The_Strongest: "I don't think it can be traded. It's time to depend solely on our luck. I, Xueli, am not asking for much. I only want the title of the New Year's Star. Next time, I shall be called as Xueli_The_Fleet_Footed!"

Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Will this be predestined as well?"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Ye_Chen_The_Most_Handsome: "Please don't be predestined anymore. It's terrifying. You'll give us a very bad gaming experience!"

Ye_Xueer_is_the_cutest: "I've achieved class advancement to be the Cursed Apostle. So I'll just take the event title…"

Third activity: Sales at the shop (Day Three)

On the third day of the New Year's event, there'll be a 10% discount on all items in the shop. This event will last for an hour. Players are encouraged to make the most of the time to make their purchases.

The three activities were specially customized by Lu Wu for the players to celebrate the advent of a new year.

It was apparent that Lu Wu introduced the third activity to compensate the expenses.

The first two activities cost him greatly. On the third day, with a 10% discount, he expected a great number of players to hurry to purchase items. By then, he would be able to earn back the outlay.

After all, wool comes from the sheep's back!

As someone who held the highest authority, Lu Wu certainly understood the theory.

The introduction of the event hyped the players up. They were all enthusiastically planning out a strategy to rule the event. The forum, once again, went into a fever.

Xueli_The_Strongest: "10% discount! Hehe. I can finally build my cute little ship~"

Strike_Gold: "I'm anticipating the event~ Brothers of the Great Dragon Guild, let's all give our utmost effort during the event and get the first place!"

I_Am_Berserker: "The event sounds so interesting. But, where is our long-awaited top-up system? Who deleted the petition post? Come forward. Let's see if I can twist your head off."

Crayon_Shinchan: "Oh yes! Now that I'm reminded, the top-up passage hasn't been introduced. Are they planning to terminate this game? Is the boss trying to generate electricity with love? Is he going to pay us with love?"

A_Mammoth: "Brothers, let's create another post. We must tell them justly. We! Request! For! A! Top-up! System!"

Invincible_Loneliness: "Agreed! How are we supposed to gain strength without the top-up system? It's not right to do this for this game. You're spoiling the market. What would the predecessors of the top-up passage think?"

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Invincible_Loneliness: "The predecessors would probably climb out from their tombs and thrash the boss of Battle Online. Explain to him what it means that we can only become stronger with the top-ups (hilarious)"

Lu Wu put on an indifferent smile as he read the comments. Then, he nonchalantly deleted the new post that was being upvoted uncontrollably!

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