Chapter 197: Cat Playing with Mouse, Granting You Victory

The Primordial Sacrifice Altar.

Through analysis and investigation, Qi Sheng had already learned the concept behind the Lord of Bliss's new plan.

Before this, although also creating players, the Lord of Bliss faced a series of unsolvable problems.

First was the players' experience.

Without continuous positive feedback, trying to mimic his creation of a player legion would result in most players fleeing before even getting started.

The Lord of Bliss's solution was to forcibly implement a death game, shifting the players from a state of enjoyment to a desire for survival under extreme pressure.

After changing the Cultivation Mode, there was no longer an issue of being unable to recruit players willing to Iron Face death.

After all, completing the mission offered a sliver of hope to survive, while failing meant certain death.

Given the choice between the hope of living and death, the vast majority of beings would choose the former.

Secondly, there was a certain probability of loss during teleportation and death.

This caused some players to die during the teleportation and retrieval processes before even entering the Monster World.

The method to handle this problem was to refine the spatial tunnels and shrink their structure.

Doing so meant that the number of players recruited each time would not be large.

Compared to these issues, what the Lord of Bliss cared about most was the deficit in resource expenditure.

Regarding this problem, the Lord of Bliss originally intended to temporarily shelve it, first testing the performance of Bliss Players in the Monster World before making a decision.

Thus, the third round of recruitment testing began.

In this round of recruitment testing, the Lord of Bliss was furious.

He granted the players recruited in this round twenty resurrection opportunities and raised their initial rank to Shield-Bow Rank (Hunting Rank: 35).

The result was that the Bliss Players still died in large numbers.

They were so inept it was unbearable to watch, getting thoroughly beaten in various ways by player clans with lower life intensity than themselves.

They were like beasts bound in chains, possessing strength but unable to find a point of application; every attack seemed incredibly strenuous, and their movements were extremely unfluid.

The Bliss Players appearing in this round of testing were simply giving themselves away for free.

It was a massive waste of Bliss Power expenditure.

This test also made the Lord of Bliss realize a problem.

The improvement of strength must be gradual; boosting growth artificially meant the Bliss Players could not control the power bestowed upon them.

After the third round of testing ended, the Lord of Bliss restructured the Bliss Player system.

After convening multiple divine meetings and internal discussions, a brand-new player system emerged.

The Lord of Bliss named it: The Death Trial.

This was also the point that made Qi Sheng applaud.

The Lord of Bliss had finally utilized his greatest advantage.

Although the recruitment method remained randomly selecting mortals from the Bliss World.

The recruited Bliss Players were not sent directly to the Monster World but instead underwent the Death Trial within an illusionary realm woven by the Lord of Bliss.

The Death Trial consisted of six rounds; only Bliss Players who completed the ultimate trial would be transported to the Monster World.

Reaching this stage, the Lord of Bliss had completely abandoned the "endless" tactic in forging his player legion, returning to the path of elite cultivation.

The Bliss Meeting records recorded by the Guide showed that among the thirty-two Bliss Divine Gods, some voices asked the Lord of Bliss: since he chose the path of elite cultivation, why not spend the resources consumed on cultivation on his own clansmen instead?

Although the number of clansmen was currently scarce, that was because they had previously followed the path of elite cultivation.

If there was a demand for numbers, they could completely change their reproduction methods to implement family planning and increase the number of new-generation clansmen.

The Lord of Bliss's answer was that he chose ruthless competition based on survival of the fittest, selecting the strong through a method akin to a gu competition.

How could he bring himself to lay hands on his own clansmen?

The Bliss Clan was a whole, not just him, the Lord of Bliss, alone.

He wanted to lead his clansmen together to the peak of the Monster World, not stand alone at the summit by exploiting his clansmen.

He would not give up on cultivating his clansmen, but he still needed a more perfect legion system to provide assistance.

After the meeting ended, the plan for the Death Trial was finalized.

Subsequently, the fourth round of Death Trial recruitment officially began.

In the first trial after this recruitment opened, the Lord of Bliss gave the players no support in terms of combat power.

Through combat performance, teamwork, and mission completion, these three dimensions were used to evaluate the comprehensive performance of the Bliss Players; then, the initialization enhancement resources that should have been given all at once were distributed to the Bliss Players in the form of points, allowing them to customize their enhancements.

The subsequent rounds of the Death Trial were also designed to temper the willpower, combat awareness, and other aspects of the Bliss Warriors.

The Death Trials that seemed cruel in the eyes of the Bliss Players were merely training courses for novice warriors in the eyes of the Lord of Bliss.

As for those who were eliminated, the Lord of Bliss would erase them without hesitation.

During this period, Xie Yu, who followed beside the Lord of Bliss, asked a question:

"Among the eliminated, there are no lack of warriors with potential; why not give them even a single chance?"

The Lord of Bliss's answer left Qi Sheng somewhat stunned.

The Guide had recorded this footage.

The Lord of Bliss's answer was:

"Luck may seem ethereal and elusive, yet it is part of one's strength. I can affirm that something called 'fortune' exists in the Monster World. The 'potential' you speak of is certainly important, but if potential lacks the blessing of luck, it is like a seed falling into a crack in stone; no matter how tenacious, it will struggle to break through the soil."

After saying this, the Lord of Bliss paused, his tone carrying a hint of cold rationality:

"In the Monster World, an environment where powerful clans stand in great numbers, there are too many forces with boundless potential that perish before they can even get started. In my eyes, luck and strength complement each other; poor luck means failing to seize fate's favor at critical moments, failing to make the most correct choice in those ever-changing instants, which in itself is a deficiency in strength."

"The true strong in my eyes must not only possess extraordinary talent and effort but also the ability to grasp opportunities within the torrent of fate. If one cannot even achieve this, then the so-called 'potential' is nothing more than an unfulfilled delusion."

While speaking these words, purple mist flowed in the Lord of Bliss's eyes, as if recalling those potential forces that had perished prematurely in his memory, before he continued:

"Whether fate truly exists, I cannot prove by any means, but it will only favor those who can both control their strength and adapt to luck."

Speaking to this point, the Lord of Bliss smiled and looked at Xie Yu:

"Therefore, do not complain about bad luck. On this cruel battlefield of worlds, the true strong never rely on fluke, or rather, they are always able to succeed by fluke."

"Forces capable of becoming powerful clans are destined to have avoided countless dangers of extinction during their growth process."

This scene of footage made Qi Sheng think of Good Fortune and Great Fortune, those two Ming Hun in the Ming Hun Repository.

Just as the Lord of Bliss had guessed, luck truly exists.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Guide, his method of filtering the strong was very reasonable.

At the end of the footage, the Lord of Bliss told a small story.

He stated that while reviewing the history of his homeland world, he saw a racial force that felt very familiar.

This force was the descendant of the "Ji Xing Clan," once a servant force of the Bliss Clan, and now the dominant race of the homeland world.

Back then, another force had shown development potential similar to the Ji Xing Clan under the rule of the Bliss Clan, but he viewed it as a threat and ultimately destroyed the entire clan.

The Ji Xing Clan and that other race were very similar, yet today the Ji Xing Clan had developed to the height of ruling the homeland world.

What was the difference between these two forces?

The essential difference was luck.

One rose during his process of developing the Bliss World and was viewed by him as a threat.

Whereas the Ji Xing Clan rose after he chose to leave; this timing was their "fortune."

The struggle and effort of a clan lead to completely different fates under different eras.

Effort is certainly important, but without the corresponding "fortune" of the right timing to bless it, the potential displayed will only become a factor in the clan's destruction.

With a single thought of mine, making the decision to leave the Bliss World, I constituted a new fortune for the lower-layer races.

When I descended, I happened to encounter the clash between the terrifying Black Black Tide and the Four Gods, which constituted my own fortune.

If I had descended into a Monster World still under the control of the Four Gods at that time, we would have certainly died; how could we possibly have gained a foothold in the Monster World?

The peak battle of the Monster World opened a new world pattern where myriad clans stand together.

The fortune that seems ethereal and elusive is actually driven by higher-dimensional events.

No matter how much potential one has, without the blessing of fortune, achieving the peak is destined to be impossible.

Therefore, when you say that those with potential died in the Death Space, it proves they did not have enough "potential" to support them reaching higher positions.

With this, the meeting ended, and the footage faded away.

The system architecture of the Bliss Player Legion was further perfected during this meeting.

All drawback problems were thoroughly resolved, shifting toward the path of elite cultivation.

Through cruel gu competition, warriors capable of handling affairs independently were selected.

More importantly, the warriors created through this cultivation Cultivation Mode took the team as their combat core.

And their iron-blooded friendship was forged between life and death.

Their teamwork ability was far beyond what ordinary player squads could compare to.

It could be said that under the condition of being unable to satisfy the "endless" characteristic, the Lord of Bliss forged a new path to create a new legion system architecture.

In terms of resource consumption, the Death Trial was a scene woven from Bliss Power, capable of being decomposed and returned at any time.

In terms of ability adaptation, the Death Trial was a novice training ground, capable of tempering a warrior's mindset and even willpower through cruel missions.

Even if they entered the Monster World with assets, they would possess combat power matching the resources expended by the Lord of Bliss.

In terms of quantity, although leaning toward elite cultivation, with the vast reserve of living beings in the Bliss World as candidates for selection, a massive number of elite warriors could be created in batches.

There were many other optimizations as well.

For this player legion architecture, the Lord of Bliss combined his most proficient ability: illusion weaving.

The concept of the Death Space seemed absolutely brilliant in Qi Sheng's eyes.

But he still felt that this series of architectures carried certain risks.

Thinking of this, he looked at the Guiding Water Orb hovering beside him:

"Guidance, what do you think of this legion structure?"

[It's quite good, but there are risks of losing control. The Lord of Bliss controls Bliss Players by imprinting mental seals, deciding their life or death at any time, but this only applies within the Death Space. Once Bliss Players are deployed to the Monster World, there are countless ways to break the mental imprint.]

[Suppose a Bliss Player breaks the mental shackles through a method similar to purifying rules; that player would become completely free.]

[There is even a tiny probability that this Bliss Player accidentally obtains a Law within the Monster World, gaining growth potential sufficient to rival the Lord of Bliss, much like a novel protagonist who kills the behind-the-scenes boss controlling them, achieving a heaven-defying turnaround.]

[Of course, these are merely possibilities; the specific situation depends on how the Lord of Bliss continues to refine the player legion. Perhaps he can find a way to completely resolve these hidden dangers.]

Hearing this, Qi Sheng couldn't help but nod.

Guidance's thoughts were similar to his own.

The Death Space operates under the will of the Lord of Bliss, with everything under control.

However, once Bliss Players enter the Monster World, various uncertainties can arise at any moment.

There are simply too many ways for Bliss Players to break free from control.

For instance, being captured by an Ancient God to duel in an arena.

Even if capable, the Lord of Bliss would not start a war with the Ancient God Clan over a single player.

Or perhaps a Bliss Player encounters an opportunity that greatly enhances their growth potential, such as the World Laws mentioned by Guidance, possibly finding power left behind by a descending faction during a mission.

After fusing with it, the Bliss Player becomes a self-contained system, completely breaking free from the Lord of Bliss's control.

Yet, aside from the potential risk of losing control, he gave high marks to the concept of the Bliss Player Legion.

It was indeed being continuously refined to resolve its drawbacks.

More importantly, he could also utilize the Death Space created by the Lord of Bliss to gain substantial support resources and profits from it.

Compared to wealth, the resources produced daily by the entertainment city the Lord of Bliss operates in the Monster World were over a hundred times greater than his own.

In terms of stored resources, there was simply no comparison.

He was determined to shear this wool.

Death Space, Final Trial.

After the pillar of light dissipated, the figures of Lin Xia and his teammates appeared.

Before them lay a battlefield as silent as death.

The sky was obscured by heavy lead-gray clouds; there was no sun, no moon, only a dim red light seeping through cracks in the clouds, resembling congealed blood.

The air was filled with the scent of rotting earth, as if this land had long been soaked in death and decay.

Beneath their feet was a patch of scorched black earth, with wisps of black smoke occasionally rising from cracked fissures in the ground.

In the distance, broken city walls stood like the skeletons of giant beasts, leaning crookedly on the horizon, their surfaces covered in magical runes.

A cold wind brushed against their faces, carrying a low moan, as if countless spirits were whispering in their ears.

The wind swept across the ground, stirring up a cloud of ash that spiraled in the air, lingering for a long time without dispersing.

Lin Xia looked at the battlefield scattered with various broken magical equipment, his gaze sweeping over armor covered in cracks before finally focusing on the tall magical tower standing at the end of his line of sight.

Information about this mission immediately surfaced in his mind.

[Main Mission: Cursed Killing Field]:

Background Introduction: An ancient battlefield cursed, once the site of a great war between gods and demons.

Main Mission Requirement: Destroy the enemy's magical crystal.

Mission Duration: 12 days (If no victor is decided by the end of the time limit, both sides' personnel will be teleported to the center of the battlefield for a final duel.)

Side Missions (Completing side missions can advance the main mission progress):

Magical Ruins (Side): Ancient magical devices and runes are scattered across the battlefield; collecting them can be used to repair the magical turrets in the area where our own magical crystal is located, allowing continuous damage to the enemy crystal.

Spirit Curse (Side): Undead spirits that cannot die wander the battlefield; killing them allows collection of "Whispers of the Dead," which can be used to increase the strength of our own magical crystal, with each upgrade providing a temporary 5% attribute buff to the entire team.

Enemy Squad Name: Iron Cavalry

This mission was not that complicated.

Now, two choices lay before Lin Xia.

Charge straight at the enemy crystal in one go, or steadily advance the main mission by completing side missions.

Before making a decision, he planned to first test the combat strength of the "Iron Cavalry" squad.

According to information gathered by his teammates, members of the Iron Cavalry squad entered the Death Space later than him, yet they had skyrocketed to first place on the Death Squad leaderboard with astonishing achievements.

Their strength could not be underestimated.

Intelligence reports described the Iron Cavalry squad as having 27 Bliss Players.

It was only known that their team included a very powerful ranged assassin (sniper); other intelligence was scarce.

Aside from the first round of the Death Trial, this squad had not added new members in subsequent trials, directly purchasing and signing team contracts at the stone tablet, and there had been no casualties in the following four Death Trials.

But before actual contact, intelligence could not prove anything.

He decided to first probe the true strength of the Iron Cavalry squad before considering how to advance the main mission.

If he judged that the Iron Cavalry squad's strength was inferior to his own, he would charge forward in one go to destroy the magical crystal they guarded, completing the Final Trial mission.

"Everyone, check your equipment!"

Hearing Lin Xia's order, the team members busied themselves immediately.

"Boss, food reserves are no problem."

"Boss, weapon repair stone reserves are no problem."

After listening to his teammates' reports, Lin Xia nodded coldly, then led the squad to advance toward the enemy stronghold.

Any undead encountered along the way were dealt with casually, and the "Whisper Energy" was stored in their spatial bags.

"Boss, the enemy is coming too."

As he spoke, a teammate stepped forward two paces, placing a hand on Lin Xia's shoulder to share his perspective.

Instantly, Lin Xia saw a row of figures in the distance.

They all wore deep black long trench coats, the hems dancing in the wind with their steps, and each Iron Face was covered by a mask bearing different characters.

The most striking feature was the emblem on their chests, resembling a night owl with spread wings, its eyes inlaid with blood-red gems that flashed with red light.

Below the emblem was engraved a line of small text; the handwriting was blurry, yet it made Lin Xia inexplicably feel a sense of oppression.

Just then, Lin Xia suddenly turned his head.

Snap!

After the crisp sound, a fire-red arrow appeared just before his toes, its fletching trembling in the air.

Lin Xia's eyes turned icy cold.

This shot could have easily targeted his forehead, yet it was deliberately aimed off; this was clearly the Iron Cavalry squad intentionally provoking him.

"Retreat!"

Realizing the Iron Cavalry squad intended to start a fight immediately, Lin Xia chose to retreat first to the defensive zone protected by magical turrets out of caution.

This arrow made Lin Xia feel the pressure brought by the Iron Cavalry squad.

The enemy possessed a very powerful ranged assassin, fully capable of quickly picking off members of his own squad.

Returning to the defensive zone, Lin Xia issued orders.

He decided to divide the labor.

Considering the enemy had powerful pick-off personnel, he temporarily decided that melee team members would go out to hunt and complete repeatable side missions.

All other support-type Bliss Players would remain in the defensive zone to prevent being picked off while outside.

Before eliminating their powerful sniper and removing this danger point, they had to act with caution.

But Lin Xia's thoughts quickly changed during the ensuing clashes.

The first direct confrontation arrived on the second day.

Lin Xia was leading twelve team members to collect resources for magical turrets on the ruined battlefield when a teammate suddenly called out a warning:

"Boss, five members of the Iron Cavalry squad are approaching."

Hearing that only five enemy members had come, Lin Xia was momentarily stunned, unable to understand why they would choose such a reckless Cultivation Mode of attack.

Did they truly have such confidence in their own strength?

Filled with doubt, he decided to try making contact with the attacking Iron Cavalry members.

Before long, five figures appeared in his line of sight.

The figure at the front wore a colorful mask; their form gradually accelerated as they ran, while their right arm, clad in gauntlets, slowly raised.

Lin Xia decisively activated his Berserker talent.

His heart rate suddenly accelerated, and his body began to change drastically.

His originally well-fitting clothes were instantly torn into shreds under the impact of the tremendous power erupting from within his body.

The muscles beneath his skin writhed like living creatures, swelling at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The muscle bundles on his arms bulged high, resembling hard rocks, while blue veins coiled like winding snakes, clearly visible on the surface of his skin.

The sense of power brought by the expansion made Lin Xia emit a low roar.

His chest heaved violently, his pectoral muscles expanding outward like two huge shields, squeezing the surrounding air until it burst with sound.

Even his neck became thick during the berserk process, the muscles upon it like steel cables, tightly wound together.

"Explode!"

Facing the figure charging directly at him, Lin Xia chose to collide head-on with his most formidable physical strength.

A heavy fist swung out, tearing through the air amidst bloody qi currents, colliding with the fist of the leading figure.

Boom!

This collision of fists stirred up a violent air current.

What left Lin Xia stunned was that his strength, which he took pride in, had failed to gain any significant advantage.

He and the leading figure of the Iron Cavalry Squad retreated simultaneously, their legs plowing two backward-extending trails into the ground.

"Not bad!" A voice came from beneath the mask.

"Since you're here, don't think about leaving," Lin Xia said coldly, his form like a tank crushing forward as he charged straight at the leading figure.

But after taking only three steps, he sensed the sound of breaking wind attacking from the side and suddenly ducked his head.

Immediately, the sound of breaking wind swept past overhead, severing several strands of hair.

A pitch-black figure had approached unnoticed, this strike nearly piercing his temple.

Lin Xia twisted his body, grabbed the ankle of the figure on his side, and slammed him violently into the ground.

But the sound of breaking wind came again from the right.

Lin Xia did not dodge; instead, he locked the ankle of the Iron Cavalry Squad's melee assassin with his fingers and smashed him into the ground.

He had confidence in his teammates.

Just as he had guessed, the attack coming from the right did not land on him; it was intercepted by his own teammate.

Boom!

Lin Xia slammed the assassin figure onto the ground, his thick right leg immediately following up with a fierce stomp.

A depression formed in the ground, and the struck assassin let out a muffled groan.

"Die!"

Ability activated; a bloody furious dragon coiled around Lin Xia's right arm, smashing violently into the assassin's head, causing the Iron Cavalry Squad assassin's head to explode instantly.

He whipped his head around to look, only to find that the two teammates who had blocked the attacks for him had both been pierced through the chest.

This made Lin Xia's eyes turn red, and the murderous aura in his heart surged abruptly.

"Kill!"

Facing Lin Xia in his berserk state, the four members of the Iron Cavalry Squad suddenly retreated at this moment.

But Lin Xia had only chased two steps before he stopped abruptly.

"Boss, don't fall into an ambush; this surprise attack is too strange, I fear there's a trick."

Hearing his teammate's warning, Lin Xia suppressed his rage and decisively halted.

Five death trials had taught him what it meant to take a single wrong step in a competitive environment.

He had to be cautious, ever more cautious, and absolutely could not let anger dictate his thoughts.

Gazing into the distance, after the four members of the Iron Cavalry Squad had run far away, they suddenly turned and clapped for him:

"Very strong, not bad."

Lin Xia did not answer, staring coldly at these four figures.

His body released its berserk state at this moment, gradually returning to normal, while a team member stepped forward to hand him fresh clothing.

In this initial exchange, the Iron Cavalry Squad lost one assassin, but his own squad had lost two powerful melee fighters.

Lin Xia's gaze fell upon a young figure within his team:

"Night Tiger, what's your assessment?"

"The positioning of these five opponents is respectively: main melee fighter, two assassins, and two support fighters. Regarding ability usage, the warrior confronting our captain directly should possess a melee-type talent, similar to the captain's Berserk ability. Secondly, the abilities used should be: Boiling Blood, Bull Rush, Skull-Crushing Strike..."

After listening to his teammate's analysis, the abilities of these five Iron Cavalry Squad members became concrete.

The final conclusion was that the strength of all five Iron Cavalry Squad members was slightly weaker than their captain, but stronger than the other members of their own squad.

If all members of the Iron Cavalry Squad possessed such strength, a direct confrontation would undoubtedly result in their defeat.

After completing the ability portraits, Night Tiger, who was responsible for the analysis, smiled and stated:

"Of course, Captain, you always display extraordinary strength when encountering desperate situations; you should be capable of contending with three of them."

Lin Xia did not answer, watching the departing members of the Iron Cavalry Squad.

Time passed.

In the subsequent confrontations, Lin Xia's pressure increased day by day.

The Iron Cavalry Squad gave him the feeling of playing a game, enjoying the process of confrontation with a cat-and-mouse sense of mockery.

They sought to destroy their confidence through torment and teasing.

Several times, they could have killed his teammates who were out exploring the battlefield, yet they chose to deliberately let them go.

The few direct collisions they engaged in were the same; each time, they would urgently retreat the moment he entered his berserk state, leaving him with a suffocating feeling of having strength but no way to unleash it.

As he gradually learned more about the Iron Cavalry Squad, they were also continuously learning about their team composition.

The hidden ranged assassins of the Iron Cavalry Squad were like a sharp sword hanging over their team's head, making him dare not easily dispatch his support-type players.

Even without acting, they could bring extreme pressure.

The more he understood them, the more Lin Xia felt the terror of the Iron Cavalry Squad.

They were like ghosts omnipresent on the battlefield, always able to launch attacks unexpectedly.

And apart from their combat capabilities, the most terrifying aspect of the Iron Cavalry Squad was that their members were willing to sacrifice themselves at any time to advance their plans.

Take the previous round of engagement, for example.

They had finally managed to force one member of the Iron Cavalry Squad into a desperate situation, yet at that moment, they received news that their rear magic crystal was under attack.

By the time they killed that Iron Cavalry Squad member and rushed back, they discovered their own side had already lost six support-type players.

On another occasion, he had meticulously planned a surprise attack.

He even dispatched part of their forces to feign battlefield activity, while in reality bypassing a corner of the battlefield piled high with debris to launch a silent surprise attack.

They had clearly received confirmation from teammates that the Iron Cavalry Squad members had deployed.

But when they launched their offensive according to plan, they found that the deployed members of the Iron Cavalry Squad had already returned, waiting for their arrival.

The surprise attack was easily neutralized, and this battle resulted in the loss of another eight members.

The Iron Cavalry Squad, however, had only lost two members.

The numerical advantage was constantly narrowing in this contest; their own advantage was disappearing.

Facing this dilemma, Lin Xia chose to switch from direct confrontation to tactical operations while they still held a numerical advantage.

He aimed to collect as many battlefield resources as possible to enhance his own personnel's attributes.

But as time went on, Lin Xia discovered that even in resource collection, their side, despite holding the numerical advantage, was falling behind.

Facing a desperate situation, Lin Xia knew it was time to make a choice.

There were five days left until the main mission time ended; judging by the current trend, the Iron Cavalry Squad's battlefield advantage would continue to expand.

Once the final battle was forcibly initiated, the probability of their failure would be very high.

Rather than sitting back and waiting for the opponent to grow stronger step by step, it was better to go all out and gamble on one fight.

Wager everything and engage in a peak confrontation ahead of schedule.

After conveying this idea to the team members, their thoughts aligned with his.

Facing the Iron Cavalry Squad's cat-and-mouse tactical operations, their situation would only worsen when the final battle began.

It was better to initiate the final battle early, with their target aimed directly at the Iron Cavalry Squad's magic crystal.

That night, Lin Xia led his team like a pack of nocturnal leopards, speeding toward the Iron Cavalry Squad's defensive zone.

Under the buff of the "Wind Howl Formation" activated by his teammates, the movement speed of the squad members continuously increased.

Yet the expressions of all team members appeared exceptionally grave, their heartbeats pounding fast like war drums.

They all understood what this battle meant.

Even if they achieved victory, it would inevitably be a pyrrhic one; the vast majority of their members would sacrifice themselves in this battle.

"If I can survive, I will definitely resurrect you all."

Lin Xia spoke at this moment.

He knew what was on his teammates' minds.

Before the final battle, he had to give his teammates the courage to continue fighting.

Therefore, "resurrection" was a very good reason.

In the Death Space, there were special items that cost points to resurrect teammates.

Although he had originally intended to eliminate some of these teammates, there were also some he wished to keep.

But regardless, he had to provide all teammates with positive feedback to boost their confidence.

Fifty minutes later.

Lin Xia led his teammates in breaching the Iron Cavalry Squad's defensive zone.

Just as he had anticipated, the members of the Iron Cavalry Squad were already waiting there.

The leading figure wore a black mask.

With a wave of Lin Xia's hand, the formation unfolded.

The turrets in the Iron Cavalry Squad's defensive zone automatically charged, aiming at them.

"Tsk, it seems you can't wait to die," the figure standing beside the leader, wearing a smiling mask, sneered.

Lin Xia said nothing, instantly activating his Berserker talent.

Accompanied by surging muscles, his body rapidly grew taller, charging toward the Iron Cavalry Squad with himself as the spearhead.

A great battle was imminent.

This was the first time Lin Xia had fought against the captain of the Iron Cavalry Squad.

After only a few exchanges, Lin Xia realized he was completely outmatched in combat technique.

But in terms of strength attributes, he held the upper hand.

Ha!

Accompanied by a fierce roar, Lin Xia lifted the Iron Cavalry Captain in a posture reminiscent of lifting a massive cauldron.

The strength buff aura from his teammates enveloped him; as his power surged, Lin Xia pressed his arms down, his right knee coiled like a cannonball leaving the barrel, driving straight toward the Iron Cavalry Captain's waist and abdomen.

Yet the Iron Cavalry Captain's arms tightly locked onto his neck at that moment, leaning back to borrow force, disrupting his balance and neutralizing his killing blow.

Bang!

A flame arrow struck his forehead, sending Lin Xia stumbling backward several steps.

Seizing the opportunity, the Iron Cavalry Captain smashed a fist into his neck, breaking free from the restraint as Lin Xia's grip loosened.

At the same time, the members of both sides engaged in battle.

But judging by their combat power, it was a one-sided slaughter.

Except for him, who was capable of fighting the Iron Cavalry players, his teammates were simply no match for the Iron Cavalry members in terms of strength.

Casualties mounted continuously.

Meanwhile, Lin Xia found himself surrounded and attacked by three opponents.

Facing this desperate situation, the ferocity in Lin Xia's heart was rekindled; like a trapped beast, he constantly squeezed every ounce of potential from his body.

Yet the three Iron Cavalry members, despite their coordinated assault, could not immediately overcome Lin Xia, whose defensive power and stamina were astonishing.

One hour later.

Lin Xia, whose stamina was nearly exhausted, persisted; both sides had suffered over fifty percent casualties.

Lin Xia's figure rushed straight toward the magic crystal deep within the defense zone.

He dared not look back.

He knew his teammates were being slaughtered by the Iron Cavalry.

This was the final step of the tactic.

The teammates chose to sacrifice themselves to hold back the Iron Cavalry players' offensive, buying him time to destroy the magic crystal.

Finally, the magic crystal appeared in his line of sight.

It was a rhombic crystal as tall as a person, hovering at the end of the defense zone, radiating brilliant light from every angle.

Lin Xia tilted his head back and downed a potion, forcing himself to maintain the Berserker Cultivation Mode that was about to automatically deactivate, and launched an assault on the magic crystal.

One punch, two punches... energy fragments splashed off the magic crystal; Lin Xia was covered in blood, looking like a madman.

Just then, he suddenly felt the sound of wind cutting through the air attacking the back of his head.

His head snapped around violently.

Bang!

That fist smashed into the magic crystal, sending up colorful fragments.

Turning to look, the Iron Cavalry Captain stood behind him, a mask covering his Iron Face so no expression could be seen.

Lin Xia twisted his hips to borrow force, smashing a fist into the Iron Cavalry Captain's chest, sending him flying, then turned back to continue brutally striking the magic crystal.

Slap!

Lin Xia's lower body was swept up, causing his body to tilt.

His reaction was fast; propping himself up with one hand and pushing off the ground, he flipped through the air and landed steadily.

The Iron Cavalry Captain closed in, fists raised against each other, and both sides retreated simultaneously.

Knowing that unless he dealt with the Iron Cavalry Captain, his plan to destroy the crystal would be hard to continue, Lin Xia let out a roar and charged forward with his head down like a fierce beast.

One punch, two punches, three punches... extreme physical collision, neither side dodging.

But Lin Xia's fists grew increasingly weak during the fight.

The Berserker state began its countdown; Lin Xia's body shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the decline in strength made his attacks no longer threatening.

A sense of weakness washed over him; the next punch he threw was easily caught by the Iron Cavalry Captain, who then executed a shoulder throw, hurling him violently into the air and slamming him heavily onto the ground.

But the attack was not over; the Iron Cavalry Captain, still gripping his right hand, did not let go, suddenly borrowing force to yank him.

Lin Xia's body instantly turned, and facing him was the Iron Cavalry Captain's rising knee strike.

Crack!

Lin Xia's front teeth were shattered; he felt dizzy and disoriented, smelling the scent of death.

"You lost."

The Iron Cavalry Captain released his hand, speaking in a relaxed, teasing tone, yet he couldn't help but cough violently, clearly heavily injured as well.

"I haven't lost!"

Lin Xia, his body trembling, tried to stand up.

Having come this far, he had expended countless efforts.

After every death trial ended, he had to spend points to enter the training space for high-intensity exercise, all just to continue living.

He would not allow himself to fall here.

Even if only one breath remained, he would continue to fight.

Just then, the remaining teammates of the Iron Cavalry arrived one after another, coming to stand beside the Iron Cavalry Captain.

All of his teammates had perished, but the Iron Cavalry still had seven members left; the outcome of this battle was already clear.

"Heh... as expected of the number one ranked Iron Cavalry." Lin Xia struggled to prop himself up, yet his eyes still burned with the will to continue fighting.

"Kill!"

With an angry shout, Lin Xia launched an assault on the Iron Cavalry Captain.

Thud!

But at that moment, the Iron Cavalry Captain lifted a leg, kicking Lin Xia squarely in the abdomen and sending him flying backward several meters.

Yet Lin Xia staggered to his feet again, feeling a ball of endless rage burning in his heart.

The Iron Cavalry had chosen not to kill him, but instead continued to toy with him like a cat playing with a mouse; such behavior was clearly an insult to him.

Just as Lin Xia took a deep breath, intending to fight again, he heard a teammate beside the Iron Cavalry Captain suddenly speak:

"Guild Master, shall we stop playing?"

"Mm." The Iron Cavalry Captain, addressed as Guild Master, nodded, then removed his mask, revealing a head full of silver-white hair; at this moment, he looked at Lin Xia, who still burned with fighting will, with an expression of appreciation:

"You are a warrior worthy of respect; you did not yield even unto death, your eyes holding only the determination to Iron Face death as if returning home. This round counts as your victory."

"What do you mean?" Lin Xia asked coldly.

The Iron Cavalry Captain then turned sideways, clearing a path to the magic crystal:

"My meaning is, I am letting you win this round."

This answer left Lin Xia stunned.

"Then... what about you?"

"With so many teammates dead, naturally we are going home; we don't have time to keep playing with you."

A figure beside the Iron Cavalry Captain removed his mask, revealing an aged Iron Face; at this moment, he looked at Lin Xia with appreciation and nodded.

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and do it."

Lin Xia did not understand, but he still wanted to live.

Struggling to his feet, he approached the crystal, his fist smashing down again and again.

Blood splashed, thoughts churned.

Just when the crystal had only its outermost layer remaining, Lin Xia suddenly stopped, turning his head to look at the Iron Cavalry Captain who was yawning:

"If I strike this punch, you will all die due to mission failure."

"Enough, just do it; we're used to dying, one more time makes no difference." A teammate beside the Iron Cavalry Captain urged impatiently.

Although he did not fully understand the meaning of these words, Lin Xia did not hesitate; he turned and smashed a fierce punch into the crystal.

Crack!

The crystal shattered; he heard a voice coming from behind him:

"My name is Li Tie; perhaps we will meet again. Congratulations on clearing the stage, Resonator."

The Bliss Main Hall.

Looking at the missing resource data information, the Lord of Bliss fell into deep thought.

The operation of the Death Space had never made a mistake.

But just now, an unexpected situation had occurred.

The resources that should have been decomposed and recycled after the Bliss players failed their trial missions had actually disappeared.

More importantly, what disappeared was the squad currently ranked first.

After their death, the resources consumed to enhance them also vanished.

Even the consciousness of the Iron Cavalry members was gone, not retrieved by the consciousness crystal.

This was a Bliss warrior squad he had highly favored, in whom he had placed great expectations.

He had thought they would become Resonators after this round of trials ended, but unexpectedly they failed strangely and vanished strangely.

The sudden turn of events left the Lord of Bliss dumbfounded.

At the same time, a notification of a hidden mission completion rang in the minds of the veteran squad members who had returned to the Emperor Tomb Village space.

Every member had gained over a hundred thousand points of Sacrificial Power revenue.

But their figures did not appear at the resurrection point; instead, they were sent directly into the small black room.

(End of Chapter)