Volume 5: Protracted War Chapter 24 Another Turbulence
The Nether Dragon King appeared at the right time and officially announced that Taotao had replaced Ludi and became the tenth undead who was qualified to enter the "Hell Magma Pool" for cultivation. Before I had time to congratulate Taotao again and share the joy of victory, I saw countless eyes staring at it at the same time, with a little envy, but more greed and violence, filled with murderous intent. Witnessing the performance of the undead creatures gathered on the top of the mountain, I suddenly thought of something, something that was overlooked. I only cared about the present and only thought about being able to enter the "Hell Magma Pool" for cultivation, but I didn't consider that even if the challenge was successful, it would still bring very terrible consequences. The challenger would also challenge it. Next, Taotao might have to face the challenge of other undead creatures.
In the "Dead Soul Space", the strong prey on the weak, and everything depends on strength. Although Taotao and I won the challenge together, Ludi's death was all thanks to God, not our own strength. The undead creatures that can survive in the area close to the top of the "Hell Volcano" are all strong, and they can naturally judge Taotao's true strength. I believe no one will take it seriously, and there must be many people who dare to challenge. At that time, the opponent is not decided by us. If a guy with a clear speed advantage pops up, Taotao and I will be in danger. Besides, the initiative of the challenge is in the hands of others, and it may start at any time. I can't always stay by its side. If I am forced by the situation to face the challenge alone, the consequences will be even more unimaginable. The promotion was successful, but the upcoming "relegation battle" is really not optimistic!
I was worried, but luckily, the Nether Dragon King paused for a moment, then spoke slowly again. The decision he made finally made me feel a little relieved. "According to the rules, the winner of the challenge will have one to three months to recover from the injuries inflicted in the battle. During this period, he does not have to accept challenges from other undead creatures to gain the qualification to enter the 'Hell Magma Pool'. The best result can be achieved by killing Ludi. Considering the strength comparison between the two sides, Taotao, as the challenger, may be seriously injured after this battle. In order to be fair, Taotao will be given a three-month recovery period, and he can start accepting challenges after three months."
Praise the Nether Dragon King, thank the Nether Dragon King, looking at it feels much more pleasing to the eye, it is simply the cutest person in the "Dead Soul Space". Although three months is not a long time, it has taken good care of Taotao. It is the greatest preferential treatment it can give, at least much more than one month. For now, if you want to have more opportunities in future challenges, you can only encourage Taotao to complete the third evolution as soon as possible. Only in this way can you make a rapid progress in strength and achieve a "qualitative" change. On the one hand, we must hope that the magical effect of the "Hell Magma Pool" can accelerate Taotao's growth. On the other hand, we must do everything possible to let it absorb more and more powerful soul , accumulate and transform it as much as possible, and use it for ourselves. For non-volcanic undead, the "Hell Magma Pool" is more of a "catalyst" role, and soul energy is the fundamental element related to the growth and evolution of undead creatures. Alas, I originally just wanted to take a simple "lava bath", but I didn't expect so many troubles to arise, and I had to carry a heavy burden out of thin air, which is not something I can control. Eating more and sleeping more are just the accumulation of "quantitative changes". If I want Taotao to achieve "qualitative change" from "quantitative change" within three months and complete the third evolution, it is really not easy. It gives me a headache just thinking about it.
This decision naturally disappointed the other undead creatures, but they did not dare to show the slightest disrespect and could only bow their heads to show obedience. I was busy praising and flattering Lord Hades, the Dark Dragon King, who was "wise, brave, and wise". Everyone likes to hear good words, and he was "very pleased". There was no other way, Taotao would have to work under him in the future, and he would have to rely on him for care and support. We had to manage the relationship between us well.
Then we allocated time to practice in the "Hell Lava Pool". Taotao's group was assigned ten days in the middle of each month. May was almost the end of the month, so we could only start in mid-June. This was good. Taotao had plenty of time to take me down the mountain. Without it as a "guide", I would not dare to step onto the "Hell Volcano" alone. The "lava storm" was too terrifying. However, the "violent period" had not yet passed, so we still had to hide on the top of the mountain for a while. This would also make it easier for Taotao to transform the soul energy of Ludi that he had absorbed before and truly merge it with his own strength. Such an opportunity was extremely rare. Ludi was not killed by Taotao himself. If the two were not in a hostile and challenging relationship within the scope of the system rules, it would really be impossible to absorb its soul energy. The powerful Skeleton General variant was definitely a "tonic" for Taotao at the moment, and it should improve his own strength. And there is another good news. Taotao, who has improved his perception ability and obtained permission, can now identify the route direction on the "Hell Volcano" by himself and can enter and exit freely without my guidance. More importantly, he can maintain spiritual contact with me at any time without being disturbed by the harsh environment, which saves me a lot of trouble. Otherwise, according to the original situation, the road is long, and in order to avoid getting lost or having any accidents, I must send him up the mountain. In this way, I will have to wait on the top of the mountain for ten days in vain, which will inevitably affect my development in the "Dead Space".
At this time in "Tianxia", the event of challenging the sacred beasts to obtain artifacts had not achieved any results. Although some sacred beasts were killed successfully, including the "Resistance Alliance" led by the Desert Eagle who finally killed a big demon, the fifth artifact never appeared. The initial high enthusiasm gradually subsided, and just when it had calmed down, it suddenly became lively again because of a piece of news.
On June 1st, the game officials announced another big news through "Tianmei": In view of the fact that players from the four continents have basically achieved free flow at this stage, the "World Heroes Conference" held separately by the four continents in the original closed mode is no longer suitable for the requirements of the development of the situation. In order to strengthen the interaction and communication of all players of "Tianxia", truly reflect the current situation of the game, and also to celebrate the first anniversary of the successful operation of "Tianxia", a real "World Heroes Conference" will be held on August 1st. It will still be divided into individual and team competitions. As long as the registration fee of one gold coin is paid, any player can sign up to participate in the individual competition. The organizing committee will select 512 seeded players based on the strength of the players and previous competition results, and divide them into 512 groups for preliminaries. Slightly different from the previous conference, the top two in each group will qualify, and a total of 1,024 players will enter the next main competition. Only mercenary groups that have been officially registered with the Mercenary Guild are eligible to participate in the team competition. They need to pay a registration fee of 20 gold coins. Each team consists of 20 players. All players will play together in each game. In other words, the team competition will be a 20-on-20 melee, and all participating players must be formal members of the same mercenary group. No "foreign aid" is allowed. This is to facilitate the measurement of the true strength of a mercenary group, not relying on a few top players to conquer the world. A comprehensive comparison will be made based on the personal rankings of the 20 participating players, and 32 seed teams will be selected and divided into 32 groups for preliminaries. The top two teams in each group will advance to the main competition.
Through the "Heroes of the World Conference" held on August 1st, the "Top Ten Masters of the World" and "Top Ten Mercenary Groups of the World" will be publicly selected, which not only represents a kind of honor, but also can obtain rich material rewards. Moreover, all players and mercenary groups that enter the main competition will not return empty-handed, and will receive a certain amount of bonus according to the results of the competition. The individual competition will not be less than 1,000 gold coins, and each team in the team competition will start with 10,000 gold coins. With each round, the prize amount will increase. All expenses will be paid from the registration fee and the ticket income for watching the game. In the official words, it is said that "take from the people and use it for the people". The main purpose of holding the "Heroes of the World Conference" is to benefit and entertain the players of "Tianxia", not just for the purpose of profit.
At the same time, players who choose life professions do not have to be discouraged, as life profession skill competitions will be held at that time, allowing them to show their skills and select the "Top Ten Alchemists, Craftsmen, Architects, Fashion Designers and Doctors in the World". Those who win this title will not only receive rewards for winning the competition, but will also become famous throughout the world and become the object of scramble for attention from all major forces, which will be more beneficial to their own development.
Almost all players are looking forward to the "World Heroes Conference" two months later. Those with less strength want to see the excitement, while those with strength want to show their skills and prove their worth. Players and mercenaries who are qualified to compete for the "Top Ten" are gearing up and have begun various preparations. When interviewed by the reporter of "Sky Media", they are determined to win this honor. Although our "Resistance Alliance" is not qualified to form a team to participate in the competition, we also attach great importance to this competition. We have specially convened a board meeting to discuss and encourage members to actively sign up and participate, strive to occupy more seats in the "Top Ten", at least not to lag behind the bright professional players. For this reason, we have also applied for special rewards to commend members who have achieved excellent results in the "World Heroes Conference".
The Tongxin League, which was established first and has the longest qualifications, is no exception. Every member is enthusiastic. They dare not expect to win the first place, but at least hope to have the title of "Top Ten Mercenary Groups". No wonder everyone is so confident. Relying on a good start and an almost unbeatable record, coupled with the cooperation of key members such as Xue Wuxia and Yun Wuying, the performance of Tongxin League is booming and the development trend is quite good. It has attracted many powerful players to join, and the overall strength has been greatly enhanced. If it was more dependent on the super performance of me, the undead wizard, now Tongxin League is a truly powerful mercenary group. There are top masters like me, Afeng, and Longkong who have a certain reputation, and there are also a group of players with quite good strength such as Xue Wuxia and Yun Wuying. It is generally considered to be a strong competitor for the "Top Ten". Of course, this is just an outside evaluation. We dare not be careless at all. Xue Wuxia also pointed out this problem at the whole group meeting. In the current "World", there are thousands of small and medium-sized mercenary groups in the four continents. Each of them is a hidden dragon and crouching tiger with impressive strength. They must not be underestimated. Moreover, as everyone advances to the sixth-level profession, they have the opportunity to choose a new pet. There are still two months before the competition, and their overall strength is full of variables. It is not ruled out that they can "go further" with a powerful pet. Therefore, we, the Tongxin League, must not relax. If we want to be among the "Top Ten", everyone must work harder.
As for Afeng, besides the Tongxin League itself, what he has always been thinking about is naturally Hua Mantian and his Huadu Mercenary Group. As long as there is a chance to attack the opponent, he will not let it go. Although Hua Mantian has changed his job to the Knight of Light and everything has to start all over again, relying on his rich game experience and one-third of the attributes retained after the job change, he has a great advantage in development. In two months, his level may not catch up for a while, but if he is equipped with top-level equipment or even has practical artifacts, he may not be unable to fight against top masters. Moreover, with the personality of Hua|Hua|Gong|Zi, he will definitely not give up this opportunity to "show off". The last "High and Angry Battle" was purely a case of the strong bullying the weak. Killing Hua Mantian only gave him a momentary pleasure and could not prove anything. If he could personally eliminate Hua Mantian and Huadu at the "World Heroes Conference" that hundreds of millions of players were paying attention to, not only would Afeng gain a psychological advantage, but when Hua Mantian learned the truth in the future, it would also be a big blow to his psychology. This is exactly the effect Afeng is trying hard to achieve. No matter it is the new hatred between the two major mercenary groups, Tongxin League and Huadu, or the old grudge between Afeng and Hua|Hua|Gong|Zi personally, they all determine that we must go all out. After all, based on past battle records, without external interference or help, neither Tongxin League nor Afeng has the upper hand against Huadu and Hua Mantian.
Let's not talk about other people for now. As Afeng's brother, I naturally have the responsibility to lend him a helping hand. Although there are many contestants and we may not necessarily meet each other, we must be mentally prepared for the confrontation and can only win, not lose. It's okay in the team battle, which is a test of overall strength. The individual competition is a one-on-one contest, and everything depends on oneself. All I can do is to enhance his personal combat power as much as possible. For an old player like him, the fighting skills have been finalized, and there is not much room for improvement. The most direct way is to think about equipment, and the most urgent thing at present is to get a powerful mount for him who has been promoted to a level 6 knight.
My financial resources are limited. Apart from sending some to my parents, most of my income was invested in that "Phoenix Feather Cloak". Afeng is also a poor man and does not have much spare money. It is impossible for him to spend a lot of money to buy it. Naturally, the only feasible solution is to be self-reliant and solve the problem myself.
