Chapter 319: Perfect Marketing: A Bet Destined for Victory

Ye Ming's figure tore through the long sky like a black Lei Ting, crashing down with a boom onto the center of Misty Island.

"Activate the Spatial Interference Great Array!"

His voice, wrapped in divine might, exploded across the entire island.

The standing Elder Council, though unclear on what had happened, decisively dispersed to the array nodes on the island.

Their withered, thin palms pressed simultaneously onto the reef stones etched with ancient runes.

As obscure incantations rang out, the seawater surrounding Misty Island began to flow backward, forming a vortex barrier that enveloped the island.

Instantly, the space in the region where the island lay began to become chaotic.

"General, the Great Array has been activated."

The leading Elder bowed toward the direction where Ye Ming stood suspended in the air.

Ye Ming hovered above the black palace in the center of the island, his black robe rustling loudly amidst the chaotic spatial fluctuations.

He looked up toward the direction of Dream Island, cold battle intent flickering within his soul fire.

"Very good, let me see how the Gold Coin Guild intends to send the Rule Fragments in."

From previous contacts, he knew the Gold Coin Guild possessed spatial jump capabilities, allowing them to easily cross vast distances and enter Misty Island directly.

But now, he had already activated the Spatial Chaos Great Array.

This Great Array was a technique he had specifically developed to counter spatial jump attacks.

The Monster World has too many races that master spatial techniques; combined with the abundant production of spatial resources, spatial jump channels can be built very easily.

There are also many powerful figures who possess the ability to tear space themselves.

Surprises of this type of ability are difficult to prevent.

They can ignore terrain obstacles, bypass all conventional defenses, forcibly break through any physical barrier, and strike the core directly.

Traditional city walls, barriers, and patrol legions are like empty shells in the face of spatial jumps.

But the Spatial Interference Great Array is different.

When the array is fully activated, the twelve Ming Pillars surrounding the island will release Ming Fog particles; these particles can weave an invisible turbulence net around the island.

Any spatial jump behavior is essentially folding a temporary channel in the real dimension, and the Ming Fog particles will, like gravel seeping into gears, forcibly jam this precise dimensional folding process.

Secondly, the Great Array will continuously release spatial ripples, like constantly throwing stones into a calm lake, causing the spatial coordinates of the entire area to remain in a high-frequency trembling state.

Even if the first layer of interference is breached, the teleportation landing point will suffer severe deviations due to coordinate chaos.

And there is a high probability of being sent into the Void World.

Now, the entire Misty Island is like being wrapped in a constantly twisting and deforming spatial bubble.

He wanted to see how the Gold Coin Guild would break through this coordinate location, which even a Ban Shen Jing powerhouse would find difficult to lock onto precisely.

Dream Island.

A Lan sat in the auction hall, editing a forum post.

The auction had already ended, and representatives of all races had departed; at this moment, members of the Gold Coin Guild were tidying up the venue debris in an orderly fashion.

The debris they were handling consisted mostly of exhausted crystal shells, spirit fruit pits left from the banquet, and so on.

The Gold Coin Guild members would throw this debris into the sea.

The crystal shells sinking to the seabed would become nutrients for coral groups, and the spirit fruit pits would be snatched away as snacks by passing small sea beasts and spirit fish; there would be no pollution whatsoever.

Although offering them to Beneath Di Zhao would be more convenient, completely skipping the transportation link.

But A Lan believed that this debris itself possessed certain value.

After the exhausted crystal shells sink to the seabed, they will gradually release residual gentle spiritual power; this energy is the favorite food of coral polyps, capable of prompting them to accelerate the secretion of limestone, while the scattered spirit fruit pits will attract groups of small sea beasts and spirit fish; the feces they excrete while gnawing on the fruit pits happen to become the best organic fertilizer for the coral groups.

Feeding this debris to the sea can, in the future, exchange for more tradable land for the Gold Coin Guild.

The time required for the debris to nourish the reefs might be somewhat long.

But as a player, A Lan knew his lifespan could not be measured by the lifespan of a real body.

He had plenty of time to layout the future.

At this moment, the post was already edited; he clicked send at this time.

The win rate for this bet with Ye Ming was naturally one hundred percent.

He could be certain that Ye Ming's choice to agree was necessarily because he possessed means of spatial interference.

Secondly, Ye Ming would soon deploy defenses around the waters surrounding Dream Island to ensure players found it difficult to leave Dream Island.

Even Misty Island was heavily guarded; not even a mosquito could fly in.

But he held a Rule-level "Positioning Teleport"; when he went there previously, he had laid down multiple positioning coordinates on Misty Island, allowing him to cross space and go there at any time.

The so-called spatial interference technology simply could not defend against the infiltration of Rule-level power.

He could secure victory in the bet in minutes.

But merely winning the victory was, in A Lan's view, far from enough.

He had actively sought out Ye Ming to make this bet not just to prove the Gold Coin Guild's capabilities to Ye Ming.

It was also to launch a recruitment plan.

Now the Gold Coin Guild was developing prosperously, but the number of players responsible for delivery services remained unable to rise.

Generally, newbies would come to work for a while, then decisively resign to throw themselves into Qi Ta Wan Fa.

Among these, the group with the most stable number of delivery personnel was the Fishing Party players.

This group was accustomed to drifting at sea, often fishing for over ten hours; those obsessed could even fish continuously for several days without logging off.

For them, the Gold Coin Guild's delivery missions were merely an extra Shou Shou Jili income earned along the way.

Hanging up the fishing rod while accepting a delivery order, and delivering goods during the interval waiting for a fish to bite, perfectly matched their game rhythm.

But the problem was that the number of pure Fishing Party players was limited.

Most players are more enthusiastic about hunting, dungeons, or exploring new maps.

Those willing to spend long periods at sea are ultimately a minority; even though the Gold Coin Guild raised delivery fees, it still struggled to attract enough players to support its ever-expanding trade network.

However, delivery missions can only be executed by the guild's own players; hiring outsiders would mean losing one of the Gold Coin Guild's golden brand promises: "Absolute Security."

Therefore, the new player group has always been the Gold Coin Guild's main delivery personnel.

The recent closure of the A Le Training Camp in the Winter Snowfield region caused a surge in the number of Gold Coin Guild delivery personnel, completely solving the problem of excessively long delivery times.

But after the Phantom Spirit Wasteland region opened and the A Le Training Camp reopened, the surge in delivery personnel numbers quickly plummeted to rock bottom.

At this stage, the number of Gold Coin Guild delivery personnel can no longer keep up with the guild's expansion speed.

The bet with General Ye Ming serves as an excellent exposure method.

During the auction, a large number of players watched the proceedings in his livestream room.

Players on the forum saw the bet between him and General Ye Ming with their own eyes.

At this moment, using this as a gimmick to post a challenge thread would attract a massive number of players to participate.

Once the event ends, as long as some players are willing to become stable delivery personnel for the Gold Coin Guild, this bet will be considered a success.

As for the bet itself, it was won from the very moment it began.

Jump to the forum's main page.

The thread he just posted was rapidly gaining heat.

【Gold Coin Guild: Our guild is launching a special challenge event today, inviting all players to participate, with generous rewards.】

Poster: Collecting Shou Shou Jili.

Content:

The Gold Coin Guild is now launching a special challenge for all server players: Break through Misty Island.

Mission Content:

Successfully deliver designated supplies to Misty Island while General Ye Ming personally commands the defense and the entire Misty Fog Clan is on high alert.

Target Location: Misty Island, wrapped in Misty Fog particles and spatial turbulence (currently guarded by General Ye Ming's Spatial Interference Great Formation; conventional spatial jumps are ineffective).

Mission Requirements: After challengers enter Misty Island, they must privately message the guild leader, conduct a cross-space transaction, and hand over the Rule Fragment to a Misty Fog Clan member (rewards are limited to the first player to arrive).

Challenge Success Reward: 150,000 Shou Shou Jili.

Time Limit: From now until 72 hours later.

All players are welcome to sign up.

Event contact IDs are as follows: Old Sea Dog, Star Orbit Chatter, I Am Too Strong...

Comment Section:

Three-Pronged Hermes: The fishing guys have work to do now; who understands the joy of earning two streams of income while fishing? I'll take this order, setting off immediately. It seems I'm only half a day's journey from Misty Island; wealth is right before my eyes. Wait until I return to brag to you all.

Supreme: I watched this bet live; it concerns the face of the entire Player Race. It seems this old man is time to make a move. Youngsters, watch closely and learn well; how I, having played this game for 60 years, will easily earn 150,000 Shou Shou Jili.

No Cilantro: Hiss~ The unit price is truly high. As long as I succeed, I get 150,000 Shou Shou Jili. I worked at the Gold Coin Guild for two days when the Winter Snowfield closed down recently; I know the process. I'll take this order; don't anyone try to steal it from me.

Sour Bean Foot: When it comes to piloting vehicles, this Sword Immortal takes it without hesitation. Back in the day, I made the Strange Butterflies in the Emperor's Tomb Mountain Range region vomit. If it hadn't knelt and begged for mercy, asking me to spare its life, this prehistoric beast that existed since the server opened would have already been contained. No bragging, my sword-flying skills are number one on the entire server; delivering something is just a small matter.

Nut: Hah, if General Ye Ming can catch me, I'll eat all the Misty Fog Clan's resources right then and there. Also, I've signed up. I plan to use the Twilight Painful Painful Minghun to slip straight in. Since we're both in mist form, they'll think I'm one of their own and definitely won't attack me. Send the Shou Shou Jili to me first, then I'll go deliver it.

The thread's heat was rising rapidly, just as A Lan had expected.

Within a short time, a large number of players contacted the event organizers, wanting to participate.

Whether any players could successfully deliver the goods, A Lan was not clear, but he knew his purpose had already been achieved.

Delivery-related services gained very high exposure on the forum; besides new players, many veteran players also paid attention and learned about it.

Once the event ends, some players who dislike hunting or Fu Ben Wan Fa will surely be willing to stay and work long-term.

As the thread's heat continued to ferment on the forum.

Video clips of his bet with General Ye Ming also sparked heated discussion on the forum.

Many players believed this bet had evolved into a battle of honor between the Player Race and the Misty Fog Clan.

We must slap the Misty Fog Clan's face hard, making them understand the might of the Player Race.

Even many player guilds spontaneously organized "Misty Island Assault Teams," researching tactics fervently in their guild channels.

Some players suggested a human wave tactic, sending out a massive number of assassin-type players to break through from different directions simultaneously, exhausting the Misty Fog Clan and making effective defense impossible.

Other research-oriented players planned to go the technical route, studying how to find loopholes in the Spatial Interference Great Formation.

Even hunting-party and dungeon-party players, who were originally completely uninterested in delivery missions, joined the fray.

For this group of players, the way to break through General Ye Ming's defenses was to force a breakthrough using their own martial power.

As the forum discussion heat escalated, a concept was born on the forum: whoever successfully delivers the goods is the coolest kid on the forum.

This bet turned A Lan into a perfect marketing case.

A large number of players were enthusiastically signing up to participate.

They set sail from the Colorful Mist Coast region, launching breakthrough operations from different directions.

During this period, the Misty Fog also began assassination operations.

The entire Dream Island was under strict surveillance; all Player Race members leaving the island were immediately killed, ensuring players inside Dream Island could not walk out of the island at all.

But for players, this behavior was meaningless.

After all, the Rule Fragment was always in the hands of the Gold Coin Guild's Guild Master "A Lan"; as long as a player broke through successfully, a single cross-space transaction could deliver the Rule Fragment directly.

Even if Dream Island was blockaded, players could still use the Colorful Mist Coast as a starting point and break through from different sea directions.

During the challenge event, players displayed their unique skills like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea.

Players with flying vehicles broke through from high altitudes, believing that as long as they flew high enough and fast enough, they could find an unintercepted flight path above the clouds, and the Misty Fog Clan would be unable to effectively assassinate them.

Defending the sea surface is easy, but defending the sky is very difficult.

These players pilot various flying vehicles, shooting straight up from the Colorful Mist Coast.

For players without flying vehicles, the deep sea became another escape route.

No matter how tightly the Mingwu Clan blockaded the sea surface, they could not fully cover the unfathomable depths.

Some players used submersible vehicles, or simply relied on underwater-breathing pills to slip silently through the seabed.

Light was dim in the deep sea, making Mingwu Clan patrols difficult to reach.

The downside was that dangers came not only from the Mingwu Clan, but also from giant sea beasts and swirling undercurrents—potential threats that could bury escapees in the seabed.

But evidence showed that the tactics players currently used had no effect whatsoever on the Mingwu Clan's defenses.

General Ye Ming's strategy was simple: blockade the seas surrounding Dream Island, then concentrate forces near Wuyin Island.

No matter how successful the breakout elsewhere, anyone approaching Wuyin Island would face an inescapable net.

As the challenge countdown progressed, players invented more and more breakout methods, and many bizarre tactics emerged.

Although Dream Island's blockade appeared an inescapable net, players believed no defense was truly unbreakable.

Whether soaring through the sky, diving into the deep sea, or launching frontal assaults, every method tested players' strategy and courage.

Meanwhile, the Mingwu Clan adjusted their tactics with each clash.

This cat-and-mouse game stirred intense emotions among countless players.

…

In the Cangstar Seas, outside Wuyin Island.

A squad of over a hundred Mingwu warriors was patrolling the sea 49 nautical miles from Wuyin Island.

Each warrior radiated black mist, their gazes sweeping the sky, sea surface, and even piercing through the water to scan the seabed.

"Da Da Hunzi, where are you?"

"Don't bother me—I'm way too nervous, terrified the Mingwu Clan will talk to me."

With that, the player with game ID "Da Da Hunzi" continued controlling his Yingzong Body, following the Mingwu warrior squad as they flew farther out.

Their tactic was named: Yingzong Tactics.

It was a stealth tactic built around the obscure second-generation Painful Painful Minghun: Yingzong.

The Yingzong Painful Minghun's effect allowed control of a target's "shadow" in combat.

But here, "shadow" did not mean the silhouette cast by sunlight on the ground.

It was a template generated directly based on the target's abilities, its strength influenced by the player's mental power, and capable of integrating other Painful Painful Minghun traits. This was a relatively obscure Painful Minghun on forums; its advantage was that when facing a tough opponent, one could use the Yingzong trait to create a shadow body possessing the opponent's abilities for countermeasures.

(PS: The Yingzong Painful Minghun first appeared in Chapter 227.)

To ensure the plan proceeded smoothly, Da Da Hunzi's battle group engaged in a fierce battle with this Mingwu squad at sea.

Before retreating, Da Da Hunzi used the Yingzong trait to create a shadow body amid the chaos—and killed the original target whose abilities had been copied.

Now, this Mingwu squad had not yet discovered that one of their warriors had been replaced by a player, and continued their patrol.

"Give me a mental tonic—the farther the distance, the higher the drain. I'm running out of mana."

Hearing Da Da Hunzi's call, a teammate immediately pulled out a mental recovery potion and poured it into his real body's mouth.

Meanwhile, Da Da Hunzi's consciousness remained on the Yingzong Body, darting wildly across the sea with the squad.

"Will this plan even work? What if this squad doesn't head back to the island? Are we just going to waste two days here?"

"We're past the point of quitting. I've already ordered your nutrient IVs—just stick with the patrol. If this succeeds, you get the bulk of the 150,000 Shou Shou Jili."

"Fine," Da Da Hunzi reluctantly agreed.

Fortunately, this squad was strictly disciplined; no one spoke throughout, and only the squad leader occasionally issued brief commands to adjust patrol routes.

The sea wind carried the Mingwu Clan's distinctive chilling aura over Da Da Hunzi, tightening his nerves—he had to constantly maintain the stability of the Yingzong Body; one slip could expose him.

Yingzong could replicate all of the target's non-rule-based abilities, but it could not replicate memories.

That was why he feared conversation.

If they actually started talking, his flaws would be obvious—he'd be easily spotted and killed.

Time passed. Da Da Hunzi summoned a map and saw the patrol route was not advancing toward Wuyin Island at all. He couldn't help complaining in the squad chat:

"This patrol route is so repetitive—why are we just circling?"

"Don't rush. Mingwu patrols are inherently irregular. Be patient," his teammate quickly soothed.

Just as Da Da Hunzi was about to complain further, a water column suddenly erupted far out on the sea.

A player fleet was forcing a breakthrough—cannon fire roared, spells intertwined, and the sea instantly boiled.

Da Da Hunzi's Mingwu squad immediately went on combat alert. The squad leader barked:

"Intercept!"

Seeing their own players appear, Da Da Hunzi's heart tightened.

If the Yingzong Body joined the fight, it might be killed—but if it did nothing, suspicion would arise.

"Guys, big trouble—we've run into our own Violent Breakout Squad. What do we do? Fight?"

"Fight, but don't go all out."

"Also, when you fight, send me the Violent Breakout Squad's game IDs—I'll DM them to beg for mercy, ask them not to target you."

"Got it. We're engaging—get ready to DM and beg."

The battle erupted. The Violent Breakout Squad's sea fortress rapidly approached in sight; Mingwu warriors moved into action.

The Yingzong Body under Da Da Hunzi's control gritted its teeth and followed.

Upon seeing the opposing player's ID, he promptly sent it to the squad chat.

After ten seconds, impatient, Da Da Hunzi asked in chat:

"How's it going? DM'd yet?"

"Still begging. Keep fighting, don't go all out—watch out, your own guys might actually kill you."

Before long, Da Da Hunzi's anxious voice rang out again:

"Holy crap, the enemy warband is so vicious; I'm a bit scared. Do you guys have a private chat or not?"

"We've already made contact. We sent a Shou Shou Jili red packet. From now on, fight freely; they will definitely spare your life."

The great battle ended half an hour later.

Only twenty-three warriors of the Mingwu Squad survived, including the Shadow Pursuer body controlled by Da Da Hunzi, which had fought a fake match.

Meanwhile, the player-formed violent breakout squad was completely annihilated.

At this moment, the patrol squad, having suffered heavy losses, had its captain choose to advance toward Mist Veil Island.

This made Da Da Hunzi and his teammates immensely excited.

Victory was getting closer and closer.

The patrol squad, dragging a broken formation, flew toward the direction of Mist Veil Island.

The mist on the sea surface grew ever denser; the temperature around plummeted, and tiny ice crystals forming in the air were visible.

In the distance, the outline of an island shrouded in black mist gradually became clear; that was precisely the Mingwu clan's territory: Mist Veil Island.

Da Da Hunzi controlled the Shadow Pursuer body, mingling among the surviving Mingwu warriors, his heart pounding like a drum.

"Almost there, one hundred and fifty thousand Shou Shou Jili is within reach." He cheered softly in the team voice channel.

"Don't get happy too soon. The closer you get to Mist Veil Island, the more powerful Mingwu warriors there are. Your Shadow Pursuer body has no flaws, but watch your behavior; observe how other Mingwu warriors act and follow their lead." A teammate struck a blow at this moment.

Da Da Hunzi swallowed hard and controlled the Shadow Pursuer body to scan the surroundings.

The Mingwu warriors beside him advanced in silence; none spoke, nor did they show the sorrow expected of a clan whose members had died.

Just as they were about to reach the shore, a pitch-black figure slowly emerged from the mist.

This was a high-ranking commander of the Mingwu clan, clad in dark-patterned battle armor, with black mist surging around him; merely standing there, he gave Da Da Hunzi a suffocating sense of pressure.

"Patrol squad, report the situation," the commander said in a low voice.

The captain of the Mingwu Squad immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said:

"Reporting to the commander: we were ambushed by the Player Clan, suffered heavy losses, but have completely annihilated the enemy forces."

The commander's gaze slowly swept over the remaining warriors and finally stopped on the Shadow Pursuer body controlled by Da Da Hunzi.

He's been spotted!

Da Da Hunzi froze stiff; cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

"Your aura is somewhat chaotic; are you injured?"

Facing the inquiry, Da Da Hunzi felt anxious in his heart but still forced himself to suppress his nervousness and remain silent; he merely knelt on one knee, fearing exposure.

Just as he thought he might be exposed, the squad's captain explained on his behalf:

"Commander, it suffered considerable injuries during the battle and may be temporarily unable to speak now."

Da Da Hunzi's heart nearly burst through his chest; teammates frantically reminded him in the voice channel:

"Hold steady, don't panic. What are you nervous about? At worst, the mission fails."

At the critical moment.

Boom!

Suddenly, a huge water column erupted from the sea surface in the distance; immediately after, a warship broke through the water, with thousands of Mingwu warriors pursuing behind it.

"Enemy attack! The Player Clan is attacking!"

The commander, disregarding Da Da Hunzi, immediately shouted sternly:

"Intercept... you all enter the island first to heal."

Da Da Hunzi, as if granted a reprieve, immediately controlled the Shadow Pursuer body to follow the squad deeper into Mist Veil Island.

But the crisis seemed not to be resolved.

Along the way, figures of Mingwu warriors standing ready could be seen, appearing and disappearing in the surging mist.

As a veteran player, Da Da Hunzi felt he had never been this nervous even when facing death.

Dying allows resurrection, but if exposed, the loss would be one hundred and fifty thousand Shou Shou Jili.

Continuing deeper inside, a watchtower stood every hundred meters, with a ghost-blue mist lamp hovering atop each tower.

Analysis showed that this ghost-blue beam could quickly scan for potential hidden units.

It was evident that the Mingwu clan had already developed a targeted solution against infiltration.

Unfortunately, they had encountered players.

Several minutes later, Da Da Hunzi, controlling the Shadow Pursuer body, followed the surviving Mingwu warriors through the thick, ink-black sea mist.

With every step forward, the surrounding mist grew even more viscous, winding around the body as if alive, penetrating the bones with bone-chilling cold.

Finally, Da Da Hunzi's Shadow Pursuer body passed through the last dense mist barrier.

The instant both feet firmly stepped onto the black reef stones of Mist Veil Island, the entire warband's voice channel instantly exploded.

"Holy crap, we really got in! Hurry and send the video; I need to contact the person in charge of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild. We've made a huge profit."

"Hahaha, awesome! I see several Shadow Pursuer squads on the forum already, but we were the first to succeed. So satisfying."

"Contacting the person in charge of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild now; preparing to receive the Rule Fragment."

"One hundred and fifty thousand Shou Shou Jili, brothers! This is a massive win. Let's have a table of the most expensive Spirit Food tonight; I want to eat until I'm satisfied."

Before long, Da Da Hunzi, still advancing with the squad, received the Rule Fragment traded to him by his teammates.

With the clear challenge mission completed, Da Da Hunzi stopped pretending entirely.

His nervousness turned into ecstasy; amidst the astonished gazes of other Mingwu warriors, he placed his hands on his hips and laughed loudly toward the sky.

Inside the great hall at the center of Mist Veil Island.

General Ye Ming's slender bone fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the Wang Zuo; a crisp sound rang out as fingertips met metal, and the soul fire within his skull slowly flickered.

Two days have passed since the agreed time.

It has been proven that the Coin Guild did not deliver the rule fragment as promised to Mingwu Island.

"It seems I overestimated the Coin Guild."

A low voice echoed through the hall, tinged with disappointment.

In previous encounters, though he had reservations about the Coin Guild, he had more hope.

He believed that, with the Coin Guild's capabilities, the Mingwu Clan might ascend to a new level.

But the Coin Guild did not seem as omnipotent as it claimed.

At that moment, an elder of the Mingwu Clan flew in from outside the hall and knelt before General Ye Ming on one knee:

"General, members of the Coin Guild disguised themselves as our warriors, breached our layered defenses, entered the island, and brought this item."

As he spoke, the Mingwu elder raised a dark-gold metal box with both hands.

General Ye Ming's gaze flickered; he reached out and summoned the object through the air.

The metal box landed steadily in his palm, emitting a soft "click," its lid automatically opening to reveal the black fragment within.

This was precisely the rule fragment from his wager with the Coin Guild.

General Ye Ming's five fingers clenched suddenly; the rule fragment blazed with blinding light in his palm.

His sharp gaze swept over the officers in the hall, his voice like cold iron clashing:

"Space-distortion array, triple mist barriers, three hundred and seventy-two watchtowers, three hundred and sixty mist eyes monitoring—and patrol squads constantly sweeping the seas. How was it possible for someone to slip into the island undetected through this net of surveillance?"

Faced with the question, the elder who brought the rule fragment grew uneasy:

"General, we examined the Coin Guild infiltrator thoroughly—his bodily structure and ability traits were identical to ours. Even the mist eyes detected no flaw."

"Where is he now?"

"After handing over the rule fragment, his body disintegrated and vanished."

After hearing the elder's explanation, General Ye Ming said nothing.

It seemed the Coin Guild possessed a powerful disguise technique.

But this method of success was too clever by half.

Yet defeat is defeat…

Just as General Ye Ming was reflecting, the space at the center of the hall suddenly twisted; his expression hardened.

The space-distortion array on Mingwu Island had been fully activated; theoretically, not even a mist fly could be teleported in.

After the white light faded, the figure that appeared was none other than the Coin Guild's representative: Shou Shou Jili.

"General Ye Ming, long time no see."

Seeing the smile on A Lan's face, General Ye Ming suddenly realized something.

All the infiltration operations over the past two days were meaningless—mere scripted games in the eyes of the Coin Guild.

They could have breached the space-distortion array at any time, entering and leaving Mingwu Island freely, yet they chose to arrive now.

Even going so far as to use disguise and infiltration merely to toy with him.

But the anger flashed through his mind and vanished; General Ye Ming spoke calmly:

"The Coin Guild—impressive."

"First, infiltrate and deliver the rule fragment; then, demonstrate your core capability with space technology."

He stared directly at A Lan, his eyes free of defeat:

"You have proven the Coin Guild's strength. This wager, the Mingwu Clan has lost."

"If the Coin Guild can freely breach our space blockade, then your earlier infiltration was surely just a test of our defensive capabilities, wasn't it?"

A Lan smiled slightly:

"General Ye Ming, testing is mutual. The Mingwu Clan wished to learn the Coin Guild's capabilities; how could the Coin Guild not wish to learn the Mingwu Clan's?"

"And the result? Are you disappointed? Did my Mingwu Clan make your delivery task so easy?" The soul-fire in General Ye Ming's skull flickered as he stared at A Lan.

"The Mingwu Clan's elite warriors can annihilate a player squad in three minutes. That combat power is admirable."

Hearing this reply, General Ye Ming burst into loud laughter:

"Good! Excellent, the Coin Guild!"

"Master Shou Shou Jili, you need not spare my face. Lost is lost. The Mingwu Clan has ruled the Cangxing Sea for generations, weathered storms and tides, even faced extinction—we are not so fragile that we cannot accept defeat in a wager. This time, I yield wholeheartedly. You have proven the Coin Guild's strength. From now on, I will no longer test you. I offer my sincere cooperation."

A Lan, having achieved his goal, nodded with a smile:

"Your grace is admirable."

With that, his figure instantly blurred, like mist scattered by the wind, dissolving into the air without warning.

No space ripple, no energy wave, not even a breath of wind disturbed the air—as if he had never come.

General Ye Ming's pupils contracted sharply.

With his perception, he had caught not the faintest trace of the man's departure.

This was clearly not space teleportation, nor an illusion fading—it was more like erasure by some higher-dimensional entity.

"What an extraordinary Coin Guild…"

General Ye Ming slowly clenched the armrest of the Wang Zuo, realizing the power just shown was likely only the tip of the iceberg.

(End of Chapter)