Chapter 141: Victory in Campaign, E Ba Strengthened

Cangxing Sea Region, Xieyue Domain.

Having gained energy from three nodes, Nai Xiu’s suppressed mood eased.

Unlike the energy supplied by the lower node and the Erosion Core, energy from other nodes was Black Black Tide energy, usable directly without conversion through the Gao Ta Furnace.

What troubled him was that the node providing intelligence on the Player Clan remained permanently disconnected.

He had originally planned to have evil spirit warriors who had previously fought the Player Clan assist him in warfare, or even replace him in command.

But according to feedback from the Purple-Skin Xieyan, the intelligence-providing node was locked in fierce combat with the Combat Insect Clan and could offer no assistance.

“Xieyan, allocate part of the energy to upgrade the Gao Ta Furnace; channel all remaining energy into generating End-Time troop types.”

After Nai Xiu issued the order, his perception viewpoint instantly descended upon the front lines.

Focusing his gaze, the churning black mist rapidly coalesced, and batches of End-Time Warriors and End-Time Colossi emerged from within.

A new round of counterattack had begun.

Players engaged in combat with the Black Black Tide soon noticed something was amiss.

The intensity of the Black Black Tide had clearly increased, and the rank of the generated Black Black Tide evil influences had risen significantly.

This provoked players to curse aloud, yet also strengthened their resolve to crush the newborn evil spirits.

As one player in the regional voice channel put it: This creature’s growth potential is terrifying—must not be allowed to survive!

Learning that the newborn evil spirits possessed immense growth potential, many casual and scenery players grew restless.

Caiwu Coast was considered a holy land by casual, scenery, and fishing players.

Unlike the high-intensity combat in Dizhong Mountain Range, those stationed at Caiwu Coast could freely choose their activities.

Upon hearing of the Black Black Tide’s strengthening, their first mental image was: Xieyue enveloping Caiwu Coast, once sunlit beaches overrun with twisted Erosion Cores, the azure sea turned into a blood-red ocean, the refreshing sea breeze replaced by chilling, sinister winds, and all manner of delicious marine life destroyed by Xieyue.

Afterward, Caiwu Coast would continuously generate repulsive, ugly derivative evil influences.

As one forum user urged everyone to join the battle explained:

Imagine this: you bring your girlfriend out of the newbie village, sit on the beach eating spiritual food and singing, then suddenly Xieyue arrives—a grotesque blood corpse splatters across your Iron Face, making you lose your appetite. So this battle is also for yourselves—everyone, join the fight.

This statement had enormous psychological impact on casual players.

It framed the offensive against Xieyue Domain as a counterattack against Black Black Tide invasion.

Large numbers of players exploring new regions or fishing along the coast rushed toward Xieyue Domain, determined to contribute their strength and prevent Caiwu Coast from falling under Black Black Tide rule.

This time, all players mobilized en masse, determined to eliminate the newly arrived evil spirits.

The scene of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea reappeared.

Casual players’ transport vehicles were equally diverse, especially explorers, who commonly owned universal transport units due to frequent long-distance travel.

Meanwhile, within Xieyue Domain, the battle raged on.

With energy from three nodes, Nai Xiu entered a Fengkuangbaobing Cultivation Mode, pushing players all the way to the coastline.

Gaining the upper hand, Nai Xiu’s evil spirits grew confident, preparing to command the Black Black Tide to swallow all players on the shore.

At that moment, a new wave of players arrived through Xieyue Domain.

These newly arrived players were far weaker in ability than the main force, but vastly superior in creativity.

For example, fishing players.

Power poles, self-detonation rods, entanglement rods, and more.

Fishing rods were their weapons; various traits combined with rods were swung wildly across the battlefield.

During this time, a group of bizarre Pokémon-style players emerged.

These players all embedded Control Soul Core, fighting via beast-taming methods.

But unlike Yu Yun controlling celestial soldiers.

This group of scenery players captured only low-hunting-level monsters.

The most absurd case was a player bringing fifty beach-captured, hunting-level-0 Jin Qian Crabs to attack the Black Black Tide—the scene left nearby players stunned.

Before this, Jin Qian Crabs were classified as delicious ingredients, with combat power nearly zero.

Though pinching a finger hurt, their damage was limited to pain—not lethal.

Nearby players immediately shouted warnings: Don’t send them! Keep the crabs for yourself to eat.

Many other bizarre monsters existed, with combat power too pitiful to watch—purely for camaraderie.

These scenery players made considerable contributions to mapping the Monster World, but were utterly ineffective in actual combat.

Yet not all scenery players were weak; some delivered impressive performances in battle.

These players deeply understood one truth: how far you go depends entirely on your own strength—your own power is the foundation for exploring the Monster World.

Five days later.

After continuous high-intensity combat, Nai Xiu realized players could not be eradicated.

He had driven the Player Clan’s forces off the island multiple times, yet they quickly reorganized and returned.

Energy from the three nodes was nearly depleted; the Gao Ta Furnace had not yet been upgraded, and energy conversion could not keep pace with troop consumption.

If this trend continued, he would soon fall back into disadvantage.

But aside from continuing to fight, he had no way to withdraw.

The Black Black Tide, which had always grown stronger through battle, had become the one being consumed by the Player Clan—a reality that left Nai Xiu’s evil spirit deeply frustrated.

Realizing he would inevitably lose if this continued, he once again sought support from other nodes.

……

Tianyuan Domain Node.

Receiving the support request from Cangxing Sea Node, Di Nian’s evil spirit, currently commanding the Black Black Tide against the Insect Black Tide, immediately prepared to refuse.

But the Xieyan interrupted:

“Di Nian, the situation at Cangxing Sea Node is dire—if this continues, it will be overrun by the Player Clan soon.”

“What’s that to me?” Di Nian’s evil spirit was puzzled.

“I suggest we find an opportunity to provide support.”

Hearing this, Di Nian turned to look at the floating Xieyan behind him—he knew the Xieyan would not speak without reason.

“Speak. What heretical idea do you have now?”

The Xieyan blinked once, then continued:

“According to intelligence shared by other nodes, there is a clear rule under the King’s jurisdiction: any evil spirit providing battlefield support has the right to claim all resources from fallen evil spirit nodes. Cangxing Sea Node is now in dire straits and may be wiped out at any moment. I recommend providing support before Nai Xiu’s death, offering remote command assistance.”

“You sneaky Xieyan!” Hearing this, Di Nian’s evil spirit’s eyes widened.

He now understood why the Xieyan had suddenly changed its mind and wanted him to offer support.

Support was a pretense—reaping the corpse was the real goal: seizing control of the Black Black Tide at the final moment and devouring all remaining energy from Nai Xiu’s node.

It appeared as support, but was truly heretical.

“Xieyan, are you mad? Even targeting your own kind?”

“I am an auxiliary eye—I only offer suggestions. If you deem my suggestion unreasonable, you may reject it… Also, I strongly advise you to reject this proposal—it does violate Black Black Tide regulations.”

Hearing this, Di Nian’s evil spirit’s eyes widened again.

He realized the Xieyan had learned to be cunning.

The once-simple Xieyan now played mind games: offering a massive temptation, then feigning regret and urging him not to choose it.

“Xieyan, your heart has grown corrupt.”

“I have no heart. Do you want me to reject it?” the Xieyan blinked innocently.

“Wait—keep observing Cangxing Sea Node. Provide full support at the critical moment.”

“Di Nian, you just called that idea heretical and against Black Black Tide regulations.”

“We are all evil spirit warriors loyal to the Black Black Tide. I have an obligation to assist.”

“Di Nian, your heart has grown corrupt.”

“Shut up.”

……

After six consecutive days of battle, players grew more exhilarated.

High rewards combined with extra contribution bonuses made the Xieyue Domain island on Cangxing Sea appear to players as a leveling paradise.

Most importantly, the Black Black Tide’s intensity here was far lower than in Dizhong Mountain Range.

With players’ current battle rank, it was an outright joyride.

Though death was inevitable against the surging Black Black Tide, after the short cooldown in the “small black room,” they returned as fresh warriors, ready to rejoin battle.

Many players completed Ming Hun upgrades during this campaign; some even successfully raised their Duan Ti level.

During this time, players noticed the Black Black Tide’s tactics had changed.

Clearly bearing Di Nian’s style.

But its tactical execution was far less refined than Di Nian’s—obviously newly learned, with clumsy battlefield control.

Just as players believed victory was imminent, an unexpected scene unfolded: a figure tore through the churning black mist and entered the battlefield, leading the Black Black Tide evil influences in a counterattack.

Nearby players focused their gaze on the figure clad in grotesque, pitch-black battle armor, activating their analysis ability.

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

Hunting Level: 79

Target Analysis: Black Black Tide Commander-level intelligent evil spirit warrior, summoned from Tian Luo World.

……

Players now realized that Nai Xiu, the evil spirit commanding the Black Black Tide, had personally entered the fray.

Even more puzzling to players was that the combat patterns of the Black Black Tide evil influences had also changed.

This sneaky combat style made players instantly think of one of the tyrants from the Emperor Tomb Mountain region: Di Nian Xie Ling.

Just as the players had suspected.

Facing their frenzied assault, Nai Xiu, realizing his inevitable defeat, once again applied for reinforcements from other nodes.

This time, Di Nian Xie Ling from the Emperor Tomb Mountain region established a connection, responded, and offered to provide operational command.

This was also the reason Nai Xiu chose to personally enter the battlefield.

The controller of the Black Black Tide node in the Cangxing Sea region had now become Di Nian Xie Ling; under his control, the Black Black Tide began generating Catastrophe-class tank units.

Whenever its life dropped by around 50%, Di Nian would decisively order the wounded evil spirits to retreat, disassembling and reforming within the Black Black Tide.

Players who noticed things growing increasingly suspicious began angrily shouting in the voice channel:

“Wait, this sneaky counter-last-hit technique—I feel like I’ve seen it before. Why does it seem so familiar?”

“Why did the Black Black Tide’s Apocalypse-class units suddenly switch to Catastrophe-class tanks? Isn’t this exactly Di Nian the Tyrant’s damage-free tank tactic? The worst part is retreating at minor injury—this reeks of sneakiness. I now strongly suspect Di Nian the Tyrant is commanding this battle.”

“Thank goodness the Black Black Tide’s intensity isn’t high—if it were, this tactic would genuinely make me sick. This is unmistakably Di Nian the Tyrant’s style.”

“That skilled counter-last-hit… ssshh… yeah, this is definitely the flavor. The evil spirit’s AI learning speed is too fast. This thing’s potential is even more terrifying than Di Nian the Tyrant’s. We can’t let it live—if it grows, we’ll lose the Misty Coast region.”

“Guys, push harder! Don’t let the Black Black Tide grow any further—we’re just one step away from victory.”

…

Just as players were hotly debating the Black Black Tide’s tactical shift.

Nai Xiu Xie Ling, however, appeared extremely excited; behind him, a purple-skinned evil eye connected, providing real-time battle assistance.

As it charged into the player ranks, it was like a demonic god descending—the nearby players had no one capable of standing against it.

This gave it the same feeling it once had during its campaigns in minor worlds.

Deep within, it felt profound gratitude toward Di Nian Xie Ling for coming to its aid.

It could see that under Di Nian Xie Ling’s control, the Black Black Tide was more than a match for its own—its flexible unit counter-reformation drastically reduced energy consumption, making the battle rhythm flawless.

“No wonder you’re a senior,” Nai Xiu Xie Ling couldn’t help praising inwardly.

Hearing this, the purple-skinned evil eye shook its head:

“Nai Xiu, Di Nian arrived only slightly earlier than you. Its initial individual combat power was even lower than yours. By combat experience, you’re its senior.”

Ignoring the purple-skinned evil eye’s reminder, Nai Xiu at this moment connected to Di Nian Xie Ling and expressed gratitude:

“Di Nian, thank you for your support.”

“We’re all part of the Black Black Tide Legion. Supporting you is my duty,” Di Nian Xie Ling replied while still commanding.

After expressing thanks again, Nai Xiu Xie Ling fully let loose—no longer needing to command the Black Black Tide, it became a battlefield god of slaughter, unleashing its power without restraint.

On the Gao Ta platform, a new Qiheisedeyanmou appeared.

This was the projection of Di Nian Xie Ling’s auxiliary eye.

Through the evil eye’s connection to Gao Ta, Di Nian Xie Ling’s consciousness controlled the Black Black Tide’s battle, continuously sensing the energy reserves within the Xie Yue domain.

What surprised Di Nian Xie Ling was:

The energy reserves within this Xie Yue domain were extremely high.

But because Gao Ta had just been generated and the furnace had not yet been upgraded, the energy conversion efficiency was very low.

This was one of the key reasons Nai Xiu Xie Ling had fallen into a predicament.

Early-stage Black Black Tide required purification of energy through Gao Ta’s furnace to transform it into pure Black Black Tide energy.

The energy provided by the Corrosion Core was drawn from the node’s domain, possessing only contamination properties—it could not remove impurities, so the energy it supplied contained many impurities incompatible with Black Black Tide.

Upon learning this, Di Nian Xie Ling immediately conceived an idea: perhaps he could harvest the resources of this Black Black Tide domain early, without waiting for the tedious corpse-collection process—and avoid the need for explanations.

At this moment, it connected to Nai Xiu Xie Ling and asked in a low tone:

“Nai Xiu, why hasn’t the Gao Ta furnace been upgraded?”

“I had no time to upgrade it. When I first descended, the Evil Eye Gao Ta had not yet fully formed when the Player Clan attacked. I could only continuously drive the Gao Ta to generate Black Black Tide energy to create units, without a single moment’s rest. This is precisely why I needed to seek support.”

“I understand. I have an idea that requires your permission: I wish to transfer the impure energy here to my node’s Gao Ta, assist you in purifying it, generate pure Black Black Tide energy, then return it.”

Upon hearing Di Nian Xie Ling’s idea, Nai Xiu immediately agreed:

“You’re now the commander here. I approve your decision.”

With that, Nai Xiu Xie Ling spoke inwardly:

“Evil Eye, open energy permission.”

Hearing Nai Xiu’s command, the purple-skinned evil eye hovering behind it fully opened its permission.

Instantly, the energy from the Corrosion Core surged like a Black Tide through the node connection, flowing into the Xie Yan Gao Ta at the Tian Meng Yuan node.

The furnace of the Tian Meng Yuan Gao Ta, now receiving impure energy, burned fiercely; the Black Black Tide below churned more violently.

At this moment, Di Nian Xie Ling laughed inwardly—but he did not keep all the energy, returning one-third to the Cangxing Sea node.

Throughout this process, the evil eye provided full cover, replacing the purple-skinned evil eye as the battlefield auxiliary eye, controlling all data.

…

The great battle continued to the eighth day.

All energy provided by the Corrosion Core had been transferred to the Tian Meng Yuan node.

Nai Xiu Xie Ling, now in a desperate situation, struggled to hold on.

At this moment, Di Nian Xie Ling proactively connected to Nai Xiu Xie Ling and provided battlefield recording data:

“Nai Xiu, I must return to defend against the Insect Black Tide invasion. This support mission is over.”

This news struck like a thunderclap, sending Nai Xiu Xie Ling, already in dire straits, into utter panic.

But Di Nian Xie Ling had already provided days of command support—it had no grounds to prevent Di Nian Xie Ling from returning to guard its own node.

“I understand. Thank you for your command, Di Nian.”

“The battle situation has worsened. I recommend you re-take command and immediately contact the King for reinforcements.”

With that, the evil eye on the Gao Ta platform vanished; Di Nian Xie Ling’s consciousness returned to the Emperor Tomb Mountain region.

Feeling the surging energy beneath the Gao Ta, Di Nian Xie Ling couldn’t help laughing heartily.

This auxiliary command had earned him his due reward—it was time to begin a new round of unit upgrades.

But before that, he still had to perform one more act.

Then record and report this information.

As for whether the King would notice the anomaly, Di Nian was not concerned.

Its auxiliary eye had permission to modify records—upon detecting errors, it could directly alter or delete content.

Just like the previous lunar phase change report—even after being stored in the data archive, it could still be deleted.

As long as the Cangxing Sea node didn’t report it, there was no chance of discovery.

But he didn’t care about this issue.

He had fought countless battles against the Players; he understood their tactics and behavior extremely well.

Nai Xiu Xie Ling was doomed.

If it didn’t die, he had contingency plans ready.

But the immediate priority was to start the war and record the footage.

At this moment, his perception expanded, locking onto the Insect Black Tide devouring the ground; he commanded the Black Black Tide to launch a second fierce assault.

This time, he intended to lure the Insect Black Tide toward the Gao Ta area.

Turn his proactive provocation into a forced defense.

…

On the other side, within the Cangxing Sea’s Xie Yue domain:

Still fighting desperately, Nai Xiu Xie Ling immediately retreated toward the Gao Ta after Di Nian Xie Ling departed.

Seeing this, the players surrounding Nai Xiu Xie Ling shouted in the voice channel:

“Stop it! Don’t let this kid escape—kill it and we win.”

“Brothers with Taunt Soul, move now! Even one second of aggro will do—hold it here, and a successful beheading wins the battle.”

Just as Nai Xiu Xie Ling slaughtered the players attempting to trap it and was about to retreat:

A figure blocked its path.

This figure radiated intense bloodline fluctuations, its eyes vacant, standing like a puppet.

The arrival was Yu Yun’s controlled Heavenly Soldier puppet.

After ending his half-month wandering, he inquired for guidance and confirmed the residual mark within the Heavenly Soldier had vanished—he was finally at ease, returning from the Ghost Shadow Sea into the Xie Yue domain.

Seeing his side locked in battle with the Black Black Tide, he decisively joined the battlefield.

With the Heavenly Soldier’s enhancement, the dense battlefield of evil spirits was, in his eyes, a money-printing machine—every second yielded substantial evolution points and sacrificial power gains.

He had long since recovered the sacrificial power spent to control the Heavenly Soldier.

Now seeing Nai Xiu Xie Ling attempting to retreat, he decisively commanded the Heavenly Soldier to intercept it, raising his fist to strike.

Fist met fist; Nai Xiu Xie Ling and the Heavenly Soldier both slid backward over ten meters.

“Blocked! Brothers, charge! My good brother’s back!”

After completing the interception, Yu Yun decisively recalled the Heavenly Soldier to his side.

That punch—struck the Heavenly Soldier’s fist, but hurt in his heart.

The Heavenly Soldier was his endless treasure—he couldn’t afford to let it die here, nor could he afford injuries.

Because every injury required medicinal potions to heal—and those cost money.

While other players shouted “stingy” in the voice channel, they all rushed toward Nai Xiu Xie Ling, hurling restraints at it to prevent its retreat.

The Taunt Soul then unleashed its divine power.

Although unable to control Nai Xiu for long, each time Nai Xiu attempted to depart, its departure was forcibly interrupted by the players’ Taunt Soul, followed by furious punches aimed at the player who activated the Taunt Soul.

At this moment, the players activated the Sacrifice Cultivation Mode, solely to trap Nai Xiu’s Evil Spirit.

Surrounded, the already exhausted Nai Xiu Evil Spirit appeared extremely passive.

It remained unable to break free.

With no other choice, it spoke in a low, resonant voice:

“Xie Yan, return immediately and connect to Gao Ta to seize control of the Black Black Tide.”

Upon hearing this, the purple-skinned Xie Yan made no reply; its tentacles embedded in Nai Xiu’s spine retracted and drifted toward Gao Ta.

Nai Xiu then let out a thunderous roar.

A chilling wind surged, filling the air with malevolent energy and the scent of death. The ground trembled, then Nai Xiu suddenly opened its mouth and inhaled sharply—immediately, vast quantities of evil influences surged into its maw.

In an instant, Nai Xiu transformed into a monstrous giant formed from swirling black mist.

If Gao Ta were destroyed, it would mean its journey to this world ended prematurely.

But it would never allow its own failure.

It had prepared for this day for a long time.

The battles and struggles in the first three minor worlds were all for this moment of glory.

Becoming the Black Black Tide Commander was its dream—it would not allow itself to fall at the very beginning of that dream.

More and more player clan members attacked from all sides. Nai Xiu roared, raised its massive limbs, and summoned a violent storm—wherever its misty claws swept, players were sliced and slain.

On the other side, the purple-skinned Xie Yan extended its tentacles toward Gao Ta, attempting to link with its control system to manipulate the Black Black Tide and aid Nai Xiu’s escape.

But before its tentacles could touch Gao Ta, a teleportation spiritual rune spontaneously formed beneath it.

The purple-skinned Xie Yan’s eyes widened in shock; before it could react, it was teleported away.

When its vision cleared, it found itself suddenly appearing on the shore, where players were most densely concentrated.

The nearby players were equally stunned.

Forum players had analyzed the Black Black Tide’s combat power system, and many had sought guidance to understand it.

The Black Black Tide’s core combat power system consisted of three parts.

They were: the Commander-type Evil Spirits, the Strategist-and-Support Xie Yan, and the Black Black Tide and evil influence troop types responsible for warfare.

Seeing the enemy strategist suddenly appear, the players were dumbfounded.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to go!

After a brief silence, damage skills rained down like hail upon the purple-skinned Xie Yan.

The purple-skinned Xie Yan swiftly formed a psychic barrier before itself to block the players’ assault.

At that moment, a figure approached, instantly enveloping it in Taunt Trait.

In a daze, the Xie Yan’s psychic shield shattered, and the players’ concentrated attacks struck it instantly.

“Nai Xiu, my mission ends prematurely. Farewell.”

After transmitting its final message to Nai Xiu, the purple-skinned Xie Yan exploded violently, dissolving into a dazzling shower of colorful energy.

Upon learning this news, the Nai Xiu Evil Spirit went completely mad.

It did not know exactly what had happened, but it was highly likely the players had executed a decapitation tactic, ambushing and killing the Xie Yan near Gao Ta.

Now that the Xie Yan was dead, even if it obtained Gao Ta’s Xu Kequan, it could no longer control the Black Black Tide without support.

At this point, it was trapped in a hopeless situation.

Three hours later, Nai Xiu, utterly spent, opened its arms and chose to self-destruct to end its life.

The victorious players continued advancing toward the Black Black Tide Gao Ta.

Without command, the Black Black Tide began randomly spawning various types of evil influence lifeforms to auto-defend against player incursions.

But it could not possibly resist the players’ ferocious assault.

Not long after, the player army pushed to the Xie Yan Gao Ta, with the Rapid-Division Miners leading the charge, swinging their pickaxes to begin dismantling it.

Other players were equally active, releasing various Soul Traits to destroy the Gao Ta’s defenses.

BOOM!

Soon after, the Gao Ta collapsed with a thunderous crash—a flash of light burst forth like dawn breaking through darkness.

Victory arrived at this moment.

Players embraced each other, weeping with joy; others raised their arms and shouted loudly. The air was filled with an indescribable sense of elation and accomplishment—every player’s Iron Face bore a smile.

Countless cheers echoed, laced with excitement and exhilaration.

At this moment, all fatigue, all effort, all sweat, were repaid.

The shouts of different players rang out across the regional voice channel.

“Brothers, after nine days of brutal battle, we’ve finally won!”

“Hahaha! I’ve respawned 34 times, survived only on nutrient fluid, didn’t dare rest once—finally secured top 100 honor ranking! So satisfying!”

“Big Brother Di Zhao, it’s time to settle the wages—why hasn’t the Challenger notification appeared yet? (Eating dirt, slapping table.jpg)”

“Everyone, don’t rush—quickly seize the nearby domain nodes! Charge!”

……

The remaining players now charged toward the island’s domain nodes.

After players made contact with the domain crystals, three spatial black holes emerged successively across the island.

The area of Di Zhong Village expanded rapidly during this time.

The Challenger notifications also rang out in succession:

【Challenger Notification (Global Channel): Congratulations to the Player Army for successfully completing the Purification of the Black Black Tide Campaign, earning additional Contribution Ranking rewards...】

【Challenger Notification (Global Channel): Congratulations to the Army for successfully securing the Domain Node: Heilong Pass (Ore Resource Node)—Di Zhong Village area expanded.】

【Challenger Notification (Global Channel): Congratulations to the Army for successfully securing the Domain Node: Tian Pen Island (Spiritual Qi Resource Node)—Di Zhong Village area expanded.】

【Challenger Notification (Global Channel): Congratulations to the Army for successfully securing the Domain Node: Coral Isle (Spiritual Qi Resource Node)—Di Zhong Village area expanded.】

The final core node, located at the Gao Ta, was the Level-3 Spiritual Qi Resource Node: Coral Isle.

When the last node was secured, the evil moon in the sky surged violently, entering an unstable state resembling lunar phase transition.

Players all looked up at the waning moon.

At that moment, the waning moon twisted rapidly and vanished—sky like a torn curtain, sliding away from the moon’s former position until it disappeared entirely.

The setting sun’s afterglow replaced the evil moon, illuminating the world. Sea breezes, long absent, swept across the island, brushing against the players’ faces.

Whether alive on-site or watching the livestream from their isolation cells, all players cheered and leapt in joy.

This battle proved far more difficult than the players had imagined.

Although they held the upper hand for most of the time, the Black Black Tide proved extremely resilient, periodically receiving boosts that drove them off the island multiple times.

But through the Infinite Respawn tactic, they ultimately emerged victorious.

Every time they fought together, participating players felt overwhelming pride.

And Nai Xiu Evil Spirit became a stepping stone for them to ascend higher—this battle granted all participating players massive Ji Li rewards, with many players’ Soul Traits leveling up by three ranks.

As the great battle ended, the Challenger notification echoed in their minds, initiating the Campaign Contribution Settlement.

Simultaneously, the Honor Album reappeared.

The album’s background was a panoramic view of the battlefield at sunset: golden afterglow bathed the still-smoldering island battlefield, players’ silhouettes stretched long in the light, appearing both insignificant and majestic.

Clicking the video at the center of the background revealed an edited montage of the campaign’s progression.

From the players’ arrival and battle with sea-based evil influences, through the slaying of Nai Xiu Evil Spirit and the purple-skinned Xie Yan, to the final destruction of the Xie Yan Gao Ta.

Below the video was a line of text:

【On this land, lost to the ages, we wrote an immortal legend with sweat and blood, etched into history.】

Then came a succession of screenshots capturing the campaign’s most brilliant moments.

The first photo: a player stood mid-air, arms crossed behind his back, behind him rotated the Qiling Great Array.

Clicking the photo revealed a five-second clip: the player extended his hand toward the horizon, the Qiling Great Array spun forth, and waves of evil influences were shredded.

The second photo: a low-health player held three Spiritual Energy Bombs, unhesitatingly broke from the formation, charged toward the Black Black Tide, sacrificing his life to clear a path for his team.

The third photo: a group of players surrounded the purple-skinned Xie Yan; finally, the Xie Yan exploded, scattering dazzling colored light rain.

The fourth photo...

Every brilliant moment on the battlefield was captured and archived into this campaign’s Highlights Photo Collection.

In the lower-right corner of the album, one could also see the squad Honor Ranking and individual player Contribution Ranking for this campaign.

These records would be permanently preserved—a crucial milestone on the path of the player army’s rise.

During this process, the island’s area rapidly shrank, eventually reduced to less than one-fifth of its original size.

Countless players fell into the sea; the very instant they had been cheering joyfully, they were swept under by surging seawater.

In contrast, Di Zhong Village expanded by nearly two-thirds.

Qi Sheng, who had monitored the entire battle from behind the scenes, smiled faintly.

Feedback data from the Zhi Yin flooded into his mind.

Beyond territorial expansion and domain node acquisition, this campaign granted him 74.63 million Ji Li in returns.

This meant a new round of mass recruitment could begin.

This time, he planned to open another exploration node and upgrade the main city (Di Zhong Village space).

But before that, he needed to carefully plan the allocation of Ji Li.

Ensuring no overspending occurred.

……

Several hours later.

A large number of players returned to Emperor Tomb Village.

Players with abundant sacrificial power either upgraded their Body Strengthening rank, went to the Testing Tower to reconfigure their Star Vein combinations, or headed to the Armed Vehicle Factory to upgrade their vehicles.

Players who suddenly became wealthy began retaliatory spending.

At this moment, before the Armed Vehicle Factory in Emperor Tomb Village’s space, the God-King stepped out of the factory gate after finishing modifications to his armed vehicle.

By calling up the Guild panel, one could view the guild member list and detailed guild information.

In the upper-right corner was the average level of the guild’s players.

The members he recruited were all top-tier players in the player faction; after this battle, their average level had reached 36.5, average Body Strengthening rank 2.9, and average Star Vein Slot opening level 4.7.

This battle increased the guild’s average level by 3.2, granting a significant power boost.

With the campaign over, the God-King thought of the several domain nodes in the Emperor Tomb Mountain region.

He had calculated the approximate average battle power level needed to capture each node and felt the time was now right.

Seize this surge in battle power while the Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit has yet to catch up.

Take whatever you can; otherwise, when the Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit suddenly spikes in strength, you’ll be dragged into another grueling fight.

Though the great battle had ended and he felt a touch of mental fatigue, he still decided to launch a joint operation.

With the idea formed, he immediately called up his contact list and opened the group chat “Pinnacle of Players.”

The group members were all guild leaders or management personnel.

God-King: Brothers, with this power surge, any interest in a joint operation to capture a node in the Emperor Tomb Mountain region?

Not long after, replies began pouring in.

Vosnidi: Did you inject steroids, God-King? I’m utterly exhausted, munching on spiritual fish by the coast—delicious.

Divine Wing: You’ve got insane stamina—nine straight days of battle, and I just want to log off and sleep. You’re still thinking of fighting? Are you a battle robot?

Prince of Hope: Take a break, man. Wait until after a few hours to organize. We’re humans, not robots.

God-King: Don’t say that. Think carefully—how much effort have we poured into capturing the Emperor Tomb Mountain region? Strike now while our power surges and catch the Earth-Nourishing Tyrant off guard. If we wait, it’ll grow fat and we won’t be able to beat it.

A top-tier player chimed in: I agree with the God-King. This power surge has widened the gap between us and the Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit. Though we can’t yet take the Sky Abyss Node’s Evil Eye Tower or kill the Tyrant, capturing even one domain node would be a win.

Fish That Can’t Flip Over: I’ll leave it to you. When you decide, let me know. If you’re attacking, I’ll gather my allied guilds at Emperor Tomb Village.

…

After deliberation, and through the God-King’s persistent persuasion, high-ranking members of major guilds began assembling their members.

They decided to strike the Earth-Nourishing Tyrant while their battle power advantage was still fresh.

The target: the domain node “Star Pavilion,” located northwest of the Emperor Tomb Mountain range.

This node was closer to Wind Ripple Pond and farther from the Sky Abyss Node, making it a domain with slower Black Black Tide reinforcements.

The organization process took two hours.

During this time, many guild members were reconfiguring their Star Veins in the Testing Tower or had only partially equipped their armed vehicles and couldn’t yet detach.

Once all personnel assembled, the God-King activated the Warband Cultivation Mode within Emperor Tomb Village’s space, invited the management of each major guild into the warband, and then let each guild’s management add their own members to the team.

By reviewing the warband panel’s statistics, the God-King found that nearly all participants in this joint operation were guild members.

Indeed, previous joint operations always saw powerful solo players double their numbers—but this time, most solo players had gathered by the coast after the campaign, celebrating the cool night breeze and delicious food, utterly unwilling to fight.

The God-King found this frustrating.

But after all, solo players weren’t guild members; they hadn’t received his guild benefits and had no obligation to answer his call.

Once all gathered players had joined the warband, the God-King issued orders over the voice channel:

“Brothers, leave the village—attack the Tyrant!”

The God-King felt confident about this joint operation.

After a round of enhancements, guild players’ power had risen significantly; capturing a single node should be no problem.

When the joint warband arrived at the “Star Pavilion” domain node in the Emperor Tomb Mountain region, intending to seize it in one decisive push, an unexpected situation arose.

The Black Black Tide ahead surged violently, continuously spawning Black Black Tide evil influences.

Large numbers of Black Black Tide system troops rapidly emerged from the Black Tide.

Many were new hunting-tier troops the players had never seen before.

Apocalypse System: Demon Pioneers, Despairers, Dark Roars, Annihilation Spheres, Ash Looters, Apocalypse Devourers.

Catastrophe System: Death Spreaders, Necromancers, Youming Harvesters, Soul Walkers, Death Knight Riders.

Others included Disaster System, Catastrophe System, Destruction System, Fear System, Ruin System...

Members of the joint warband froze in shock upon seeing this.

They suddenly realized one thing: the number-one tyrant of the Xinshoucun map, the Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit, had once again cheated and grown stronger.

“Disgusting, so disgusting—why is it getting stronger again? And now it’s added so many new troop types? Are you even giving us a chance to live?”

“More nauseating than eating a dead fly. Strength increases should at least have a reason. I won’t complain about the AI learning system, but sudden power-ups are just too much.”

“Yeah, monster upgrades can be explained as game design—but design must have logic. Did the Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit just eat another airborne Heavenly Fire Law King during our battle?”

“Huh? The Heavenly Fire Law King came again to hand out experience? Is that real? Damn it… let the Earth-Nourishing Tyrant feast well.”

…

At this moment, the Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit was equally frustrated.

Seeing the player army attack again, its previously cheerful mood vanished instantly.

That damned thing has appeared again!

It realized its earlier assumptions were wrong—the Player Clan hadn’t switched battlefields or left; they’d merely vanished for several days due to some unknown reason and now returned in full force.

The foreseeable future meant the Black Black Tide under its control would again enter a resource-scarce phase.

“Disgusting—will this never end?!”

Standing on the platform of the High Tower, the Earth-Nourishing Evil Spirit spat venomously.

The Evil Eye hovering behind it nodded repeatedly in agreement.

(End of Chapter)