Chapter 140: Crush the Evil Spirits, Seek Aid at the Node

【Challenger Notification (Full Channel): The Crimson Mist Coast has been invaded by the Dark Moon Domain, spawning a Newborn Intelligent Evil Spirit Warrior. Full-Team Mission Activated: Purify the Evil Spirits.】

Purify the Evil Spirits (Full-Team Mission)

Mission Description: Kill the spawned evil spirits and destroy the Evil Eye Tower. During this mission, kill rewards for evil influences increase by 20%. Campaign contributions are counted toward the Contribution Leaderboard, with additional mission rewards distributed based on leaderboard ranking.

……

As the game notification chime sounded,

on the Crimson Mist Coast, within the Dark Moon Domain.

Black matter coalesced, like ink stirred by an invisible giant hand, twisting and spiraling upward like a black serpent lunging toward the sky.

As time passed, the tower’s silhouette emerged.

Its body was built from pure black matter, with clean, sharp lines piercing the heavens.

The tower’s surface was not smooth, but covered in strange patterns—ancient incantations or the veins of dark creatures, faintly writhing under the Dark Moon’s glow, as if endowed with life.

At that moment, a rotating spatial vortex formed atop the Evil Eye Tower.

A massive purple-skinned eyeball surfaced from the vortex, extending countless jet-black tentacles that fused with the tower’s peak.

When the Evil Eye merged with the tower, its perception connected to the Black Black Tide’s node on the Pale Continent.

Upon completion of the connection, the Evil Eye lifted its gaze toward the platform ahead.

At the point of focus, a tiny black speck spun rapidly, tearing at the surrounding air.

As time passed, the black speck expanded, eventually forming a circular black hole three meters in diameter.

A tall, two-meter-tall evil spirit warrior clad in jagged black battle armor stepped from the darkness, passed through the spatial black hole, and landed on the tower’s platform, turning to Iron Face the Evil Eye.

“Nai Xiu, welcome to the Monster World. I am your auxiliary eye in this world.”

The purple eyeball greeted him.

Upon hearing this, Nai Xiu nodded calmly, then took a deep breath, sensing the energy content in the air.

Simultaneously, Nai Xiu’s relevant information appeared in Qi Sheng’s mind.

【Nai Xiu (Black Black Tide Evil Spirit)】:

Hunting Rank: 79

Target Analysis: Black Black Tide Commander-Level Intelligent Evil Spirit Warrior, recruited from the Star Fall World.

……

“Evil Eye, describe the power structure of this world and which lord-level evil spirit commands me.”

In response, the purple-skinned Evil Eye shook its head:

“In this world, lord-level and apostle-level evil spirits all fall under the command of king-level evil spirits—including you.”

“King-level?!” Nai Xiu was startled, then continued:

“How strong is this world? Give me details.”

“This world is called the Monster World, created by a fallen god, Di Zhao, who mastered countless rules. Classified by world level, it is an endless world—or a super world—with an almost indestructible structure and an endless, self-generating supply of energy resources.”

“You were recruited here due to your outstanding performance in the Star Fall World; otherwise, you wouldn’t even qualify to enter this battlefield.”

Though the Evil Eye spoke plainly, Nai Xiu did not grow angry.

Upon entering this world, he had sensed the energy particles in the air and realized its strength was extraordinarily high. As a commander-level warrior, he was granted an Evil Eye at the start—a privilege never afforded to him in his previous three battle worlds.

In his prior three worlds, only the Black Black Tide’s First Permission Commander had been granted an auxiliary eye.

Clearly, the upper echelons held great importance for the Monster World.

“Compared to the Star Fall World I previously fought in, what is the strength gap?”

In response, the purple-skinned Evil Eye shook its head:

“No comparison is possible. This is not merely a world of greater strength—it is a fundamentally different dimension of power. Even a billion Star Fall Worlds combined cannot match the Monster World’s strength. The Star Fall World is merely an insignificant minor world.”

“No wonder king-level warriors are needed to command. I understand.”

“No, you clearly still don’t understand. King-level warriors command only the Pale Continent region—not the Black Black Tide’s supreme commander of this world. The first batch of Black Black Tide supreme commanders have all perished. You may understand the Monster World as being equal in strength to my clan’s homeworld.”

The purple-eyed explanation left Nai Xiu incredulous, yet he showed no emotion, instead asking in a low voice:

“Given my strength, where would I rank in this world’s combat hierarchy?”

“As a Black Black Tide commander, your personal strength matters little. But based on available intelligence, your power is classified as middle-lower tier of the food chain. Many powerful lifeforms here could kill you easily. Even among the strongest opponents on the Pale Continent—the Reverse Black Tide Legion—their most basic regular soldiers match your combat power… I mean the most ordinary ones.”

“But you need not worry about your personal combat power. As a Black Black Tide commander, you are empowered by Black Black Tide energy—your strength cannot be measured by your base level.”

“I am currently extracting energy from nearby energy cores to generate a low-tier Black Black Tide. Begin your growth as soon as possible.”

“Note: The Monster World hosts numerous powerful clans. Danger may strike at any moment. Prepare for war.”

As the Evil Eye finished speaking, black matter radiated outward from the tower.

Upon contact with the Corrosion Cores, they rapidly dissolved, automatically merging into the black mist and continuously releasing stored energy to nourish the Black Black Tide.

On the Crimson Mist Coast.

The player army stood ready, the scene resembling the Eight Immortals crossing the sea.

Sailboats, speedboats, hovercrafts, water scooters, warships… Wealthy players boarded multi-person vehicles heading toward the Dark Moon Domain at the ocean’s edge.

Players without wealth crafted rafts from local materials or simply swam toward the target.

Some flew through the air using aerial vehicles.

Drawn by the high mission rewards, players surged toward the Dark Moon Domain at the ocean’s edge, determined to crush the Black Black Tide before it could fully rise.

Compared to other factions, players despised the Black Black Tide.

As the game’s most iconic “poor bastards,” they were absurdly endowed with immense growth potential.

The evil spirits had just arrived, still in their infancy.

Once the Black Black Tide fully grew and spawned endless waves of evil influences, clearing them would become far harder.

The Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit of Emperor Tomb Mountain was a warning—now one of the two major roadblock bullies of the mountain, and despite repeated player alliances, no one could reclaim even one node.

Players feared the Black Black Tide on the Crimson Mist Coast would become another novice village bully.

They believed it must be crushed—no growth allowed.

This battle had no player commander; players employed free-form tactics, targeting the Evil Eye Tower and the intelligent evil spirit directly.

Two hours later.

The first wave of players entered the Dark Moon Domain. The golden sun in the sky instantly became a crescent moon, casting crimson light.

The sea turned blood-red. Countless ocean-derived evil influences, like cats scenting fish, attacked players who entered their territory.

For many players, this was their first encounter with sea-based evil influences—the battle erupted instantly.

Small-scale team battles ignited within the Dark Moon Domain.

As time passed, more and more players flooded into the Dark Moon Domain scene.

The purple-skinned Evil Eye immediately relayed this news to Nai Xiu.

Upon hearing the report, Nai Xiu spoke at once:

“Evil Eye, use the absorbed Dark Moon core energy to generate troops. Also, who are these opponents?”

After a brief silence, the purple-skinned Evil Eye replied:

“According to intelligence shared by other nodes, they are the Player Clan—like us, invaders from the Outer Domain World.”

“Player Clan? Are there other invaders in this world?”

Hearing this, the purple-skinned Evil Eye nodded calmly:

“This world hosts numerous invading factions. We Black Black Tide are merely one. The exact number of invaders cannot be counted. According to the information database, the Player Clan is extremely troublesome—evil spirit warriors killed by them cannot feed back energy to the Black Black Tide. You must treat them with caution.”

“Was this land once the Player Clan’s territory?” Nai Xiu asked further.

He could not understand why the Player Clan would attack so fiercely at the very moment of his arrival.

“This land has always been under the Dark Moon’s domain, unrelated to the Player Clan. But their behavior is erratic—no logic can predict their actions. They wage war without reason, driven only by slaughter—even when there is no gain, they launch wave after wave of attacks, causing countless clan members to die pointlessly… Perhaps they find joy in combat and killing.”

The Evil Eye’s answer left Nai Xiu with a pounding headache—he realized this world was far more complex than he’d imagined.

“Evil Eye, assist me in generating troops and provide me with a perception perspective.”

“Understood, Nai Xiu.” The purple-skinned Evil Eye nodded, extending several tentacles that pierced Nai Xiu’s spine.

Instantly, the perception perspective expanded outward from the tower, rapidly widening its coverage.

Simultaneously, the dense black mist beneath the tower began generating vast numbers of 1–3 rank evil influences, which rapidly matured, their hunting ranks rising as energy from other Corrosion Cores flooded into them.

Nai Xiu’s mind then revealed a black palace.

Countless petrified statues stood within the palace—Black Black Tide Worms, Black Black Tide Shadow Hounds, Black Black Tide Demon Fleas… Each statue represented a deployable combat unit.

This was the lowest tier of the Black Black Tide’s 28 Destruction Temples—the troop repository. Focusing on a statue displayed detailed combat stats and ability traits of that unit, allowing commander-level evil spirits to select appropriate forces for varying battlefield conditions.

Nai Xiu’s gaze moved among the combat units, then entered the second palace level.

Here, Black Black Tide combat units were divided into distinct system sects.

Catastrophe System, Death Catastrophe System, Rampage System, Plague System, Apocalypse System… Each unit type possessed unique traits.

After a quick scan, Nai Xiu chose the Apocalypse System as the core combat force of the Black Black Tide.

The Apocalypse System’s strength lay in powerful area-of-effect attacks, capable of generating formidable Black Black Tide armor or regeneration abilities—one of the mainstream unit systems in the Black Black Tide Legion.

Using the Black Black Tide energy data provided by the Evil Eye, Nai Xiu focused on the Apocalypse System statues.

Apocalypse Warriors clad in molten armor, wielding massive black-flame greatswords; Apocalypse Archers with longbows; Apocalypse Behemoths… Countless unit templates flooded his mind, materializing in the black mist as Black Black Tide energy poured in.

Meanwhile, the remaining Black Black Tide energy in his mind steadily decreased.

“Evil Eye, increase the extraction speed from the energy cores.”

“Accelerating.” The purple-skinned Evil Eye nodded, its eye widening abruptly. Instantly, the Black Black Tide surged faster, drawing node energy from the cores into the Evil Eye Tower, converting and absorbing it into Black Black Tide energy.

Outside the island, the battle between players and oceanic evil influences reached a fever pitch.

Three kilometers from the island, a line of players simultaneously activated their Flow Shadow traits, summoning multiple clones that hurled waves of ink-flame fireballs infused with thunder attributes, igniting the blood-red sea into a roaring inferno.

Near them, a group of close-range players leapt from a multi-person vehicle, their bodies enhanced by Crimson Gang Qi, allowing them to walk effortlessly on water as they battled the evil spirits of the sea and oceanic realms.

During this time, players following the Support Function stream continuously switched between light shields and Binding Soul Soul traits, occasionally applying a Blood Burn trait to their own close-range allies to enhance their combat power.

Meanwhile, the regional voice channel became incredibly lively:

“We’ve lost a member—someone with a Stone Statue stream, bring a Binding Soul trait, hurry and join us to obliterate the evil spirits! Bags of sacrificial power await you.”

“Need more violent DPS for the magic-caster cleanup squad—focus on sweeping everything away. No domain magic users—we can’t afford you.”

“Evil spirit, your player daddy’s here—open up and welcome me.”

“Guys, push harder—don’t let this evil spirit grow. If it becomes an Overlord, it’ll be a nightmare.”

“Our boat’s been destroyed—is there any kind soul nearby who can give us a ride? Magic users swim too slowly—help!”

…

Because this operation was sudden, no player was assigned to command.

As a result, tactics were utterly chaotic.

Those flying in the sky, swimming underwater, and sprinting across the surface—all attacked at random, doing whatever felt satisfying.

One corner of the battlefield.

Li Zheng led his Gan Emperor Team across the waves, his body enveloped in a crimson Crimson Gang Qi aura, each step on the water generating energy ripples that spread outward.

Ahead of them stood a barrier evil spirit: the “Netherwater Demon.”

Suddenly, the evil spirit leapt from the sea and lunged toward Li Zheng at the front.

“Stun!”

In the team, Baozi Tou Zero-Charge raised his hand and pointed at the Netherwater Demon. Instantly, the Binding Soul trait activated, binding the demon in midair with invisible chains.

Shaxindong raised his hand, summoning a Baqi -shaped flame bow. His index and middle fingers drew back the string slowly, rapidly forming a blood-colored arrow.

Bing!

Sou!

The crimson arrow pierced the Netherwater Demon’s body in an instant, spraying black blood as it shot through the air.

Li Zheng, leading the advance, closed in, grabbed the demon’s massive tail, twisted his hips, and hurled it toward Family Shared Godfather.

“Catch it.”

“Kick it.” Family Shared Godfather’s Crimson Gang Qi surged into his right leg, then he kicked the demon’s head with a powerful motion, sending it flying back toward Li Zheng.

But Li Zheng made no move—he snapped his fingers.

Qiong Dao Chi Tu and Hao Wan Bu Ke, already primed, struck simultaneously. Enhanced by Extreme Speed, their lightning-and-fire balls formed a line in midair, instantly exploding the Netherwater Demon into a shower of shredded flesh.

After slaying the barrier evil spirit, they continued advancing toward the island.

Besides Li Zheng and a few other physical stream players who could walk on water, Chi Tu and Hao Wan Bu Ke, both magic users, stood on surfboards, using their vehicles to move forward.

Along the way, they slew several more derivative evil spirits and successfully landed.

The island showed no vegetation—only twisted, growing derivative evil spirit tentacles and various types of derivative evil spirits.

Among them were the familiar Spell Soldiers.

But the strength of these Spell Soldiers in this domain far exceeded those in the Emperor Tomb Mountain region.

For Li Zheng and the Gan Emperor Team players, the Spell Soldiers’ strength was negligible—they pushed forward relentlessly toward the direction of the Evil Eye Tower.

Compared to the Black Black Tide in Emperor Tomb Mountain, the combat here felt exhilarating to Li Zheng and his team—the long-missed joy of overwhelming power dominance.

It reminded them of the invincible grass-cutting Cultivation Mode when Di Nian Evil Spirit first appeared.

That joy vanished after Di Nian Evil Spirit rose to power.

Now, Di Nian Evil Spirit no longer controlled the Black Black Tide to spawn low-tier evil spirits; instead, it bred system-based troops, making players feel disgusted and frustrated.

Worse still, Di Nian Evil Spirit had devised a sneaky war tactic specifically targeting players.

Whenever a Black Black Tide troop suffered heavy damage, it would command the wounded unit to retreat, reabsorb into the Black Black Tide, decompose early, and reform—avoiding any chance of being killed by players.

This enraged the players.

As the commander of the terrifying Black Black Tide, instead of unleashing a sweeping, destructive tactic, it resorted to sneaky, self-replenishing strategies—utterly shaming the Black Black Tide.

But the players could only rage—they couldn’t change Di Nian Evil Spirit’s tactical layout.

It was clear that Di Nian Evil Spirit’s response to players was becoming increasingly refined.

Di Nian’s AI intelligence left players disgusted—it even had a learning and growth Cultivation Mode.

To prevent such scenarios, all players prepared for a wheel-revival battle, determined to crush this evil spirit.

As the frontline advanced, the first wave of players quickly made contact with the Black Black Tide.

The great battle was about to begin.

Li Zheng and other close-range players unleashed Crimson Gang Qi to shield themselves, charging into the evil spirit Black Tide and activating their sweeping Cultivation Mode. Behind them, the Ink Flame Clan’s attacks tore across the sky like falling meteors, crashing into the rear of the Black Black Tide.

Players long accustomed to team battles knew their roles well.

With no damage immunity for allies, magic users had to consider the safety of frontline fighters, avoiding splash damage—casting abilities as far back as possible.

During this time, one figure stood out vividly.

He swept through the Black Black Tide, with no evil spirit able to withstand his single punch.

He was “Hammer,” a player from the Kindergarten Team.

By tossing the Infinite Dice and drawing a high-boost state, he transformed into a battlefield god, displaying true invincibility amid the evil spirit Black Tide.

With an 8x attribute boost, his combat power rivaled that of a Level 72 Hunter monster.

Facing average-level Black Black Tide evil spirits (Level 10+), he completely dominated them—his fist blasts, infused with Crimson Gang Qi, swept across the Black Tide.

Behind him followed a group of brothers who had drawn the Weakness state, absorbing the Extracted Energy Clusters that flew from Hammer’s kills.

It resembled a high-level player leading a group of children through a dungeon.

Although they were among the first players to enter the game alongside the Gan Emperor Team, the Kindergarten Team, after obtaining the Infinite Soul, had embarked on a path of pure luck.

Every Infinite Dice roll was a power reshuffle: players who drew power boosts became the main DPS, while those who drew debuffs followed and supported.

But luck-based rolls weren’t entirely without merit.

A player who drew a boost could single-handedly compensate for the entire team’s DPS efficiency.

But what saddened the Kindergarten Team members was that this time, the boost went to their tank player, Hammer.

As a tank, his kill efficiency was the lowest in the team.

If a magic user had drawn the boost, kill efficiency would have been five to ten times Hammer’s—akin to a magical artillery platform capable of wiping out clusters of evil spirits.

“Hammer, why don’t you switch to magic? Then our team could rotate our harvesting phases,” suggested Zui Nai from behind in the voice channel.

“No way. Magic streams suit you little kids. Real men push forward with bare flesh. Magic users hiding behind and tossing spells? Too boring.”

“You’ve been coddled too much, Hammer—your team protects you so well you barely get hit, yet you dare say such heretical things. Next time, I’ll send you to the Reverse Black Tide Legion for training—let you feel real physical torment,” added the squad leader.

“You don’t get it. Have you seen the Ancient God Champion? His body withstands elemental torrents, and one punch sends blood qi soaring—that’s my goal. I’m walking the path of flesh-to-saint cultivation.”

As he spoke, Hammer leapt forward, landed, and slammed his palm forward, gathering Crimson Gang Qi.

Instantly, a surge of Crimson Gang Qi coalesced into a wave, crashing forward and slaughtering countless evil spirits.

“See? Blood qi transforms into Crimson Gang Qi—Crimson Gang Qi can serve as a semi-ranged attack skill.”

“Don’t run off so far! Come back! We old, weak, sick, and injured can’t handle the Black Black Tide’s harassment—come protect us!” As nearby Black Black Tide evil spirits rapidly gathered, and Hammer pulled away, the Kindergarten Team members shouted in protest.

On the other side.

Veterans Team members displayed exceptional combat discipline.

Close-range fighters led the charge, magic users provided rear-line DPS, and assassins circled the team, eliminating isolated evil spirits.

The 27-member squad advanced steadily, with highly efficient voice communication, constantly adjusting tactics based on Black Black Tide intensity.

Beyond Soul traits, each member carried a series of weapons developed by the Arms Dealer.

Such as fifth-generation Spirit Energy firearms, Spirit Energy hand cannons, shield orbs, and beam-serrated swords.

These weapons could be instantly retrieved from their Spatial Satchels during combat. Veterans Team members were long-time Arms Dealer clients, purchasing every weapon upgrade.

At that moment, five Doom Warriors emerged from the surging Black Black Tide ahead.

“Old Dog, deploy the Binding Sphere!”

Hearing Commander Li Tie’s order, Old Dog pulled a palm-sized metal sphere from his Spatial Satchel, twisted his hips, and accurately tossed it toward the Doom Warriors.

The Binding Sphere activated instantly upon landing, firing countless energy threads that wrapped around nearby Doom Warriors and evil spirits, then contracted violently.

This was a new weapon developed by the Arms Dealer Society, nicknamed by forum players as the “Monster Cluster God.”

Its energy beams instantly ensnared nearby monsters and pulled them to the sphere’s location.

While the sphere’s countdown to explosion ticked, the Veterans Team unleashed concentrated fire on the clustered evil spirits.

Boom!

The beam sphere exploded, instantly clearing all the clustered monsters under the barrage.

Through tactics combining technology and Soul traits, the Veterans Team advanced with exceptional efficiency, quickly pulling ahead of other players.

The players’ furious assault caught the rear-line Nai Xiu Evil Spirit off guard.

He gritted his teeth and glared at the Purple-Skin Evil Eye:

“Evil Eye, this region is too dangerous—it’s unsuitable for my early development. Why did you drop me here?”

In response, the Purple-Skin Evil Eye shook its head calmly:

“All landing zones are calculated by higher-level Evil Eyes. Only regions confirmed suitable for beginner development are chosen. This domain, shrouded in the Evil Moon, has never been invaded by external forces. Its energy core has never been disturbed by any faction—thus, it was definitively classified as ideal for beginners.”

“Then how do you explain these players’ arrival?”

“I cannot explain it. War arrives for too many unknown reasons. Theoretically, even if you just entered the Monster World, you could be instantly killed by a sudden invasion force.”

Hearing the Purple-Skin Evil Eye’s explanation, Nai Xiu felt helpless.

But his immediate priority was to repel the player faction quickly, so he could understand the world’s background and construct a corresponding Black Black Tide army space.

Unlike Di Nian Xie Ling, Nai Xiu was well aware that as the Black Black Tide commander, he should not join the battlefield, so he continuously monitored and regulated the Black Black Tide’s power.

“Xie Yan, give me detailed information on the Player Clan, and all tactical plans other nodes have used against them.”

The purple-skinned Xie Yan fell silent, then input the relevant data into the Black Black Tide node information database. Immediately, all information on the Player Clan and tactical plans provided by Di Nian Xie Ling appeared in his mind.

“Nai Xiu, according to the tactical plans in the database, you must alter your strategy: reintegrate wounded Xie Sui back into the Black Black Tide to reduce energy loss.”

“I’d love to, but the Xie Sui I incubate generally can’t survive a single burst of damage—there’s no way to use this feedback strategy,” Nai Xiu roared.

“Change your strategy: when fighting the Player Clan, avoid incubating low-tier units. Instead, generate high-tier units using Black Black Tide energy—this makes recovery easier… Though this will contract your frontline, it’s the only option left.”

Hearing the purple-skinned Xie Yan’s suggestion, Nai Xiu felt like spitting blood.

He had assumed that upon descending into this new world as the Black Black Tide commander, he could finally unleash his full potential.

Instead, from the very start, he faced this fearless Player Clan assault—and the purple-skinned Xie Yan advising him on a elite-unit warfare strategy.

Though he had only participated in three battles to devour worlds, this was the first time he’d ever heard of a Black Black Tide tactic based on elite units.

Before this, he believed the Black Black Tide should be infinite—relying on its overwhelming numbers, limitless feedback, and terrifying devouring-and-growing power to crush all opponents.

“I’ll follow your advice.”

The frontline continued advancing toward the Xie Yan Tower. Forced by circumstance, Nai Xiu adjusted his tactics and decomposed all low-tier Xie Sui he had incubated.

From then on, all newly incubated Xie Sui became Apocalypse-tier units.

But this tactic completely abandoned the Black Black Tide’s inherent war nature, relying purely on unit strength.

Three hours later, more and more players landed on the island, some even returning from death to rejoin the battle.

All sorts of bizarre tactics emerged.

Especially the “gamer” players—their battlefield performance was utterly abstract.

For example, to the north of the battlefield, a pay-to-win Dalao stood suspended in midair, pointing forward with one hand:

“Sword, come!”

Instantly, the players behind him switched to their Qi Spirit forms, hovering and circling him.

The pay-to-win Dalao stood with arms crossed, towering in the void, robes fluttering like a god descending, speaking calmly:

“Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source.”

The Qi Spirits swirling around him instantly spread out behind him, forming a rotating formation resembling a peacock’s tail—lavish and dazzling.

Each Qi Spirit emitted a different glow.

Some swords gleamed like autumn water, icy and sharp; some staves twisted like spiritual serpents, swift and agile; some battle-axes loomed like mountains, heavy and solemn… Each Qi Spirit hovered in the air, obeying the pay-to-win Dalao ’s voice-command.

Then, the pay-to-win Dalao suddenly raised his hand and pointed forward:

“Ten Thousand Swords Unsheathed!”

Instantly, the rotating Qi Spirit formation swept forward, striking the Black Black Tide like a tunnel-boring shield machine—spinning rapidly, slicing through the Xie Sui ahead.

The spectacle immediately drew massive player attention, with everyone giving perfect ratings in the voice channel.

Facing the players’ praise, the pay-to-win Dalao bowed and spoke into the voice channel:

“Thank you, fellow cultivators. I am Li Jianshen…”

“Shut the hell up, you’re acting like a drama queen—just kill the Xie Sui already!”

Before he could finish his pose, a player interrupted him.

…

On the other side.

A group of players specializing in Evening Shadow Ming Hun activated their Speed Burst trait, darting across the battlefield as black shadows. Their heads bore the Craving Blood Lao Yin, absorbing blood everywhere to offset the qi loss from Speed Burst—joy radiated from their faces.

Others included the Clone Speed Miner Squad, the Dragon-Style Spell Output Squad, the Monster Mount Stream, the Thunder Rolling Ball Push Stream, the Solo Domain Stream… All unleashed their performances upon landing.

One of the most bizarre traits of players was that you couldn’t deduce their abilities from their appearance.

For example, with the Black Black Tide or Insect Black Tide, different unit types were instantly recognizable by their forms.

But the Player Clan’s hallmark was wearing wildly bizarre gear.

Players who looked frail and garishly dressed could charge through the battlefield like tanks.

Players who appeared to be armored tanks actually hid behind the lines, tossing fireballs, refusing to enter the front.

Different streams had distinct tactical roles on the battlefield.

For many players, war was a grand performance—being killed was fine, but not being entertaining.

The key was, some of these absurd tactics delivered surprisingly strong results.

For instance, the Qi Spirit Formation Stream—once assembled, its crushing power was terrifying, and its kill efficiency even surpassed many guild squads.

With their imaginations fully unleashed, players always pulled off dazzling maneuvers.

In stark contrast to the players’ joy, Nai Xiu Xie Ling’s mood was the opposite.

Three hours later.

Facing the relentless advance of the Player Clan army, Nai Xiu continuously launched counterattacks—but could not halt their progress.

Realizing continued advancement meant certain defeat, Nai Xiu spoke gravely:

“Xie Yan, if we continue like this, we will surely lose. I need support from other nodes.”

“Wait a moment—I’m contacting them.”

After the purple-skinned Xie Yan responded, it transmitted a request for support to the King’s Auxiliary Eye overseeing the Pale Continent region.

Seconds later, the purple-skinned Xie Yan received a reply from the King’s Sacrificial Eye.

The purple-skinned Xie Yan turned to Nai Xiu Xie Ling, standing on the platform before him:

“The King-level Xie Yan is currently assisting the Black Black Tide and Reverse Black Tide army in direct combat. No extra energy can be spared. Suggest seeking support from other nodes.”

“Do it now.”

The purple-skinned Xie Yan said nothing, beginning to establish information links with other nodes.

…

Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, Tian Meng Yuan Domain Node.

On the Xie Yan Tower platform, shrouded in thick, pitch-black mist, Di Nian Xie Ling enjoyed rare peace.

Because for over half a day, no annoying Player Clan members had dared to intrude.

Though the Insect Black Tide still raged, to Di Nian Xie Ling, the Insect Black Tide posed far less threat than the Player Clan.

Fighting the Insect Black Tide, the Black Black Tide at least absorbed nutrients.

Though the amount was small, it still offered minor support to the Black Black Tide’s growth.

In contrast, the Player Clan gave nothing.

Xie Sui killed by players couldn’t feed back into the Black Black Tide—this period of fighting had disgusted him thoroughly.

Enjoying this rare peace, Di Nian Xie Ling smiled:

“Xie Yan, it seems the Player Clan’s reserves are nearly exhausted.”

The floating Xie Yan opened its massive eye:

“I doubt it. From recent encounters, the Player Clan has been descending gradually from the Outer Domain World. Even if their reserves are slowly depleted, their decline should be gradual—not vanish suddenly. I have two theories.”

“Speak.”

“First theory: the Player Clan considers the Emperor Tomb Mountain Range too hard to invade, has abandoned it, recalled their backup players, and chosen a new descent point.”

“Second theory: the Player Clan believes gradual descent cannot defeat us, and is gathering strength in the Outer Domain World to launch a massive, simultaneous descent… We must guard against this possibility and prepare for a brutal battle at any moment.”

Hearing this, Di Nian Xie Ling sighed helplessly:

“I hope it’s the first.”

“So do I,” the Xie Yan agreed deeply.

At that moment, the Xie Yan’s eyelid drooped slightly, then spoke gravely:

“Di Nian, I’ve received a distress signal from another node—needing support.”

“Support?”

“It’s from the new Xie Yan Auxiliary Eye in the Cangxing Sea Node. They’re under mass Player Clan invasion, locked in brutal combat… The Xie Yan Tower here isn’t fully constructed yet, and absorbing the core’s refined energy takes time. The situation is dire.”

Hearing this, Di Nian Xie Ling froze, then asked curiously:

“How strong are the Player Clan forces there?”

“According to the node’s recorded footage, the invading Player Clan members are roughly equal in strength to those we’ve faced. It’s likely the Player Clan has shifted their descent point to Cangxing Sea—that may also explain why they suddenly vanished from Emperor Tomb Mountain Range.”

The Xie Yan paused, then spoke with grave tone:

“Di Nian, another distress signal has arrived. I need your answer.”

“No.”

“According to the King’s orders, all nodes must support those currently in combat. It’s a rule.”

“No.”

“Di Nian, understand the consequences. Your actions violate the King’s decree—you’ll Iron Face severe punishment, and if severe enough, you’ll become Black Black Tide nourishment.”

Hearing the Xie Yan’s warning, Di Nian Xie Ling fell into deep thought.

Mutual aid among Xie Ling was a core trait of the Black Black Tide—but since fighting the Player Clan, his craving for resources had become pathological.

He understood all too well how helpless he’d become without sufficient resources against the Player Clan.

If this were when he first descended into this world, he’d have instantly agreed to any support request, sending part of the Black Black Tide’s energy to the battle node.

But now, it was unknown whether the Player Clan had truly withdrawn.

Sending this vital energy to another node now might leave him vulnerable if the Player Clan returned.

No matter what, he wouldn’t give this resource.

But doing so risked violating Black Black Tide regulations.

"Evil Eye."

"I am here."

"Give me an idea: how can I refuse a support request without violating the regulations?"

"Your thinking is dangerous. As Black Black Tide warriors, we are one whole—our glory is shared, our ruin is shared. Every warrior is a speck of energy in the Black Black Tide sweeping across countless worlds; it is the convergence of countless us that forms the Black Black Tide disaster that brings terror to billions of living beings... Therefore, our thoughts must originate from the collective, not from individual advancement or decline."

Hearing Evil Eye’s solemn warning, Earth-Ni Evil Spirit froze in surprise.

Evil Eye’s counsel made Earth-Ni Evil Spirit suddenly realize how dangerous his own thoughts had been.

As Evil Eye said, the Black Black Tide is a whole—it never serves the growth of any single individual.

"I understand. My thinking was flawed. I will redirect one-third of our resources to the Azure Star Sea region to assist the new node in combat."

Just as Earth-Ni Evil Spirit had prepared to dispatch support, the hovering Evil Eye changed tone:

"Wait. I sense the current momentum of the Insect Black Tide is dangerously unstable—it may launch an attack against us at any moment. I recommend striking first."

Earth-Ni Evil Spirit paused, startled.

He then switched his perception angle to the direction of the Insect Black Tide’s rampage, rapidly shifting perspectives—yet found everything normal.

Confused, Earth-Ni Evil Spirit opened his mouth to ask—then suddenly realized something, and turned to curse at Evil Eye.

Evil Eye blinked innocently:

"I merely offered a suggestion. The decision on how to act rests with you."

Hearing this, Earth-Ni Evil Spirit froze, then said solemnly:

"The Insect Black Tide is coming. To defend against this invasion, mobilize all resources from Emperor Tomb Mountain Range and prepare for war."

"Understood, Earth-Ni." Evil Eye blinked once more.

"Reply to the Azure Star Sea node: Emperor Tomb Mountain Range node is engaged in combat and cannot provide any resources."

"No problem."

"By the way, send footage of my control over the Black Black Tide’s battle against the Insect Black Tide to the King-Level Auxiliary Eye... and delete all records of our previous conversation."

"Deleting conversation logs violates regulations and will arouse suspicion from the King-Level Auxiliary Eye... but as the child of the 13th Evil Eye, I have authority to alter the feedback content of this dialogue."

Hearing Evil Eye was willing to risk itself for him, Earth-Ni Evil Spirit felt moved—but still warned:

"Evil Eye, your actions are dangerous. How dare you use your permission to alter content for my growth?"

"No, I think your thinking is more dangerous. But as your Auxiliary Eye, I will wholeheartedly aid your growth—until we ascend together to the world’s peak, or perish together in war."

Mid-sentence, Evil Eye fell silent briefly, then continued:

"Third support request received. Nai-Xiu Evil Spirit wishes to establish a mental link with you and requests your assistance in controlling Black Black Tide power against the Player Clan... After all, all relevant data on the Player Clan was provided by our node. Nai-Xiu believes you can offer effective war guidance."

Hearing this, Earth-Ni Evil Spirit immediately directed the Black Black Tide to launch an offensive toward the Insect Black Tide:

"Don’t you see I’m locked in fierce combat with the Insect Black Tide? I have no time to connect with it, and no resources to spare. Tell it to apply elsewhere."

Ten thousand characters complete.

It’s been a long time since I played a game. Lately, the pressure’s been overwhelming.





(End of Chapter)