Chapter 99: Moment of Glory (Seeking Monthly Votes)

The fierce battle at the Yuntian Domain node had already lasted for two hours.

During this time, terrifying support forces from the Black Black Tide surged in from all directions.

The joint combat regiment, which had advanced to the vicinity of the Yuntian node, suffered continuous casualties throughout this period.

But having held on until now, everyone knew clearly that victory was not far away for their side.

During this time, a new type of evil spawn birthed by the Black Black Tide gave Ye Xing, who was serving as the combat commander, a severe headache.

This evil spawn looked like a large flesh ball with two legs; its head was broad, with two eyes sunken deep within its thick, fleshy tumor-like body, growing a single huge eyeball that emitted a dim glow, while its cracked mouth was filled with sharp fangs, leaking green mist and dripping thick saliva that instantly corroded the ground into scorched black patches upon contact.

The evil spawn's lower limbs were thick and deformed, lacking hands, with two small flesh tumors protruding from its back, covered in spots of mold and rotting flesh, emitting waves of suffocating stench, and as it moved, these two small flesh tumors continuously released green mist.

It could be described as a mobile source of infection.

Players at the front lines had already analyzed it and posted information about the new evil spawn in the local area chat channel.

[Black Black Tide · Plague Ball]

Hunting Level: 12

Target Introduction: A Black Black Tide evil spawn, a low-tier unit of the Plague system, capable of releasing plague poison mist over an area; targets contacted by the poison mist suffer increased damage from Black Black Tide corrosion, accompanied by negative status effects such as dizziness and nausea (specific effects are influenced by the contacted individual's physical constitution; the stronger the constitution, the lower the infection damage, and if physical strength reaches a certain level, infection can be completely exempted).

……

The Plague Balls condensed by the Black Black Tide could be called tank killers.

The damage from plague corrosion was not high, but its effect was to weaken the defense of front-line Gargoyle Stream players, significantly increasing the damage dealt by Black Black Tide evil spawns.

It was just like the debuffs commonly found in games; once infected, a player's damage-bearing capacity would be weakened.

This caused the regiment's advance to suffer a setback.

Gargoyle Stream players were the solid rock of the team; their greatest function was to protect the players behind them so they could operate normally, avoiding disruption from external forces.

And the core ability of Gargoyle Stream players was their powerful physique and defensive power.

The poison mist released by the Plague Balls weakened the strongest attribute of Gargoyle Stream players, causing the number of casualties during the advance to increase significantly.

Coupled with the constant arrival of new Black Black Tide support forces, the battle was about to be dragged by the Black Black Tide into a war of attrition, which they excelled at.

In Ye Xing's view, as the one responsible for command, this was a sign of impending failure.

The disparity in numbers was already enormous; once trapped in a war of attrition, their faction would undoubtedly be defeated.

Throughout the entire Emperor Tomb Mountain Range region, the only force capable of engaging the Black Black Tide evil spawns in a war of attrition by continuously spawning troops was the Insect Black Tide.

The rule-based characteristic of the Combat Insect Clan collecting pheromones allowed them, even when temporarily at a disadvantage against new Black Black Tide unit types, to quickly breed new Insect Clan units specifically designed to counter that particular unit type.

Just like the Shield-Winged Order unit created previously to counter the self-destruct characteristics of the Ghost Dolls.

When special unit types like the Plague Ball encountered the Insect Black Tide, counter-units would also be quickly developed against them.

Perhaps it would be an Insect Clan combat unit capable of spitting out dispelling energy to resist the spread of plague energy, or perhaps an Insect Clan combat unit capable of absorbing plague energy, and so on.

As long as the Insect Clan Main Brain was given enough time to collect pheromones, combat units capable of countering the opponent's new unit types would appear.

These two major factions gave Ye Xing the impression that:

The Black Black Tide possessed a vast library of unit types; as long as the Black Black Tide's intensity reached a certain stage, it could select life sequence combinations from this library and then breed new unit types adapted to the current Black Black Tide intensity, with this happening at every stage.

From the initial level 2-4 evil spawns to the current Plague Balls, the Black Black Tide's intensity had already advanced several times.

The Insect Black Tide on the other side was the same.

As long as the Black Black Tide bred a new unit type, it could collect pheromones provided by the new unit through combat, and then create combat units specifically designed to counter this new unit type.

Without dwelling on this issue further, Ye Xing began to think about how to break the deadlock.

The advance of the battle formation was gradually slowing down; he had to find a way to deal with these troublesome Plague Balls to ensure the Gargoyle Stream players could maintain their advance.

"All guilds, tally the number of Assassin Stream players immediately and report it to me, quickly!"

Hearing Ye Xing's instruction, the guild masters of all major guilds decisively issued inquiries in their guild voice channels.

Before long, Ye Xing received the statistical data.

When he discovered there were only 59 players who had chosen the Assassin Stream in the joint combat regiment, he couldn't help but frown, but he still issued the order:

"All Assassin Stream players, activate Twilight Shadow Form, sortie from both flanks of the battle formation, target: the Plague Balls."

After the order was given, the Assassin Stream players in the joint combat regiment immediately set into motion, transforming into shadows and moving at extreme speed from both flanks, approaching the main battle line where the fighting was most intense.

At the same time, Ye Xing used his perception to lock onto the Plague Balls appearing at the front, then marked their location information and posted it in the local area chat channel, providing precise coordinate positioning for the assassin players.

"All Assassin Stream players, assassinate the Plague Ball closest to you based on the coordinates I posted."

"All Magic System Stream players, switch to free output Cultivation Mode; use the Eagle-Headed Demon Soul Core to guide attacks on the evil spawns at the front, but do not hit the Assassin Stream players cutting in behind the enemy."

"The remaining Gargoyle players push forward one more wave to create assassination opportunities for the assassin players; the Magic Defense Stream advance one battle line forward and attempt to release light shields remotely to protect the Assassin Stream players as they strike."

With the new command issued, the battle formation was redeployed according to Ye Xing's requirements.

As the Plague Balls continued to die, the Assassin Stream players were also rapidly depleted.

This made Ye Xing feel an immediate headache.

The number of Assassin Stream players was simply too small; there were at least several hundred Plague Balls rampaging alongside the Black Black Tide, and new ones were being born at any moment.

Observation through perception revealed that most of their Assassin Stream players lacked strong skills; facing the surging Black Black Tide, even achieving a one-for-one exchange was difficult for them.

Among these assassin players, only Ash from the Veteran Regiment could easily maneuver along the battle lines and carry out precise assassinations, but relying solely on his personal ability, he could not traverse the entire battle line and could only resolve the Plague Balls in certain areas.

The advance of the battle line fell into a deadlock once again.

On the first battle line, Gargoyle Stream players could advance against the Black Black Tide; their extremely high defense allowed them to exempt themselves from most damage, but their output efficiency was very low, and even if they got close to the Plague Balls, they could not kill them within a short time, soon being pushed back by the Black Tide of evil spawns.

On the second battle line, Artifact Spirit Stream players had very high output but could not advance against the Black Black Tide; their damage-bearing capacity was far inferior to that of Gargoyle Stream players, making them prone to falling against dense assaults, making it difficult for them to approach the Plague Balls.

Among the Magic System Stream, players possessing the Eagle-Headed Demon Soul Core could indeed achieve precise long-range guidance.

But near every Plague Ball, there were dense evil spawns providing protection; fireballs found it difficult to break through this meat-shield defense formed by the Black Black Tide evil spawns.

If only they had the defense of the Gargoyles combined with the output of the Artifact Spirit Stream.

Just as this thought surged into Ye Xing's mind, he suddenly recalled a post that had been very popular on the forum a few days ago.

It described a complementary tactic that covered each other's weaknesses, which the posting player called the Mount Stream.

After reading the content of the post at the time, he felt that from a practicality perspective, this combination setup was extremely reliable.

The power generated was far from being as simple as one plus one equals two.

In combined combat that complemented Star Vein shortcomings, theoretically, if both players had the same Soul Core level and each possessed three Star Vein Slots, combining them would result in combat power equivalent to six Star Vein Slots.

They could possess both output, as well as defensive power and mobility.

Having formed an idea, Ye Xing immediately spoke in the voice channel:

"All guilds, tally the remaining number of Monster Stream players as soon as possible; once the tally is complete, report it to me in the local area voice channel."

Two minutes later, seeing the statistical data, Ye Xing issued another command:

"All Monster Stream players retreat to the third battle line; Artifact Spirit Stream players in the middle section of the first battle line (map marker) also retreat to the third battle line."

"Magic Defense Stream, move to the first battle line, activate light shields and hold for a wave, buy me as much time as possible."

Under Ye Xing's command, the battle formation shifted once again.

Magic Defense Stream players possessing the Binding + Light Shield Soul Cores moved to the front row, resisting the Black Black Tide's fierce assault by condensing light shields.

But unlike the Gargoyle players.

The Magic Defense Stream needed to consume mental energy during combat; even if they could condense light shields to form a defensive barrier for a short time, this duration would not be very long.

While waiting, the Monster Stream and Artifact Spirit Stream players gathered at the third battle line.

Seeing this scene through his perception perspective, Ye Xing took a deep breath, then said in a heavy voice:

"I know the upcoming order might be somewhat difficult for many of you who chose the Monster Stream to accept, but we are only one step away from victory; how could we bear to give up at this moment? I believe you all share the same thoughts as me, so for the final victory, I beg all Monster Stream players to make a sacrifice... After this campaign ends, every player who follows the Monster Stream can come to me for cash compensation; thank you for your contribution."

After speaking, Ye Xing's tone suddenly rose:

"All Artifact Spirit Stream players, get onto the backs of the Monster Stream players, prepare to charge at the Black Black Tide!"

Hearing Ye Xing's command, although the Monster Stream players felt helpless in their hearts, Ye Xing had already lowered his stance to the absolute minimum.

Most importantly, they had already invested a large amount of resources and effort into this battle; how could they bear to give up at this point?

Facing victory, none of them complained, choosing to obey Ye Xing's deployment.

In contrast, the melee players who chose the Artifact Spirit Stream could not hide their joy, mounting their good brothers one after another, or even other people's good brothers.

Confirming through perception observation that the Monster Stream and Artifact Spirit Stream players at the third battle array had successfully paired up, Ye Xing issued another command:

"Third battle line, switch to the first battle line, prepare to charge."

Immediately, players riding Black Armored Snakes, Roaring Bears, and other monster forms advanced toward the first battle line, while the Magic Defense Stream, who were struggling to maintain the light shield barrier at the first battle line, retreated to the second battle line.

"Look at the coordinates I marked in the local area chat channel; all Monster Stream players, charge!"

Once the order was given, the cavalry combination at the first battle line advanced forward with the force of thunder and lightning, their target pointing directly at the Plague Balls hiding within the Black Black Tide.

Super-high mobility plus the powerful physique of the Monster Stream's single Soul Core plus the high melee output of the Artifact Spirit Stream; the killing power of the Mount Stream combination was far stronger than Ye Xing had anticipated.

The advancing first battle line was like the dawn's first light; braving the Black Black Tide evil spawns' suppression like a violent storm, they transformed into a surging torrent moving forward.

During this time, cries of astonishment constantly rang out within the squad and guild voice channels:

"Holy crap, this is so satisfying; this combination setup is truly invincible."

"I really want to bind myself to the brother beneath me forever and let him be my mount from now on, but I dare not private message him, afraid he'll turn his head and bite me."

"So freaking awesome; mounts are the strongest Star Vein combination; if future Star Vein Slots could embed a player following the Monster Stream, it would be perfect; summoning them with a trait when needed would simply be the ultimate combination that melee fighters have been dreaming of."

"Instantly addicted; I envy players who have Monster Stream good brothers; if I had a friend nearby who chose the Monster Stream, I'd nag him to death, doing whatever it takes to make him my mount."

"Damn your grandpa, you bastard riding on my back, try shouting 'Giddy-up' one more time; if it weren't for the sake of the God King, you'd be able to ride on this old man's body... The more I think about it, the angrier I get; wait until this campaign ends, I'll bite you to death, do you really think you're a knight?"

"The most aggrieved I've ever felt playing the Monster Stream, but for the sake of victory, I'll endure it; I kind of want to cry."

"You idiot on my back, stand steady; the monsters ahead are a bit dense; I'm going to unleash a Roar to clear the area; don't blame me if you get thrown off."

……

In the early stages, the intensity of the Monster Stream's single Soul Core far exceeded that of players developing multiple Soul Cores.

Their powerful physical constitution, combined with the violent output of Artifact Spirit Stream players, tore open a gap for the battle formation to advance forward.

The plague orbs, still spewing toxic mist, became the knights' primary targets; closing in, they unleashed a ferocious combined assault.

This charge instantly relieved the pressure brought by the plague orbs; countless orbs were slain, and the toxic mist scattered with the wind as time passed.

Ye Xing also issued new orders at this moment, and the speed at which the united battle formation advanced toward the Corrosion Core suddenly accelerated.

At this point, the distance to the Corrosion Core was less than 150 meters.

The battle for the Purification Node had entered its final moments of frenzy.

Twisted vines constantly rose from the ground, cutting into the rear ranks and churning wildly, attempting to disrupt the battle formation under Ye Xing's command.

Facing the gradually chaotic situation, Ye Xing redirected some Artifact Spirit Sect players from the front to fall back, tasked with protecting the sustained output of the Magic Sect.

Having fought until now, nearly three hours had passed, and the joint warband had lost nearly half its players.

In the early stages, new players who had resurrected rushed from Emperor Tomb Village to rejoin the battle formation.

But as the battle advanced to the vicinity of the Corrosion Core, even players whose resurrection cooldown had ended could not rejoin the continuously advancing formation.

Because the entire formation was now completely shrouded in a terrifying black mist, cutting off any retreat.

The remaining players had never considered retreating; facing the approaching Corrosion Core, they only thought that at worst, death would mean being locked in a small dark room for an hour.

In this final sprint phase, Ye Xing chose to have the magic players activate the Pay-to-Win Tactics.

Under his command, players in the magic front line continuously summoned Flowing Shadow Clones, launching charges via self-detonation in an attempt to tear through the twisted plants nearly obscuring vision before the Corrosion Core, carving out a path to victory.

Fifteen minutes later.

As the Corrosion Core shattered, flesh fragments splattered in all directions, and the originally mottled node crystal underground became covered by a layer of scarlet energy.

A pitch-black spatial vortex formed and expanded around the node crystal, seeming ready to devour the entire land.

A Challenger Prompt simultaneously popped up in the minds of all players:

[Challenger Prompt (All Channels): Group Mission "Purify the Cloud Field Domain Node" completed. Rewards distributed according to battle contribution as follows]:

Contribution Leaderboard:

First Place: Laozi Jiu Shi Wang Fa (Reward: Spiritual Field 5x5)

Second Place: Zhe Beizi Zhi Wan Fashi (Reward: Spiritual Field 5x5)

Third Place: Jian Zhi Cang Qiong (Reward: Spiritual Field 5x5)

Accompanying the system notification sound, a Honor Album floated into the vision of all players, flipping pages automatically.

Page One: The Dark Cave Campaign.

Page Two: The Magic Fall Pit Campaign.

Turning to the third page, a clickable campaign video appeared on the originally blank surface; screenshots continuously inserted themselves into the Highlights column on the right side of the album to be permanently recorded, while the bottom displayed the campaign end time.

Amidst the unceasing cheers from the scene, Ye Xing's slightly hoarse voice rang out in the local area voice channel:

"Brothers, after 3 hours and 12 minutes of arduous fighting, we have finally won."

"To be nominated as the unified battle commander for this campaign and to fight shoulder to shoulder with all of you is truly a fortune of three lifetimes. I thank every brother who participated in this campaign; your efforts built our unstoppable battle formation, and your seamless coordination ensured that every tactical layout was executed perfectly. In this battle, we were not merely teammates, but each other's most solid backing, jointly writing another campaign chapter permanently recorded in history."

"In the days to come, we may Iron Face more unknown forces, insect tides, and evil influences; endless challenges await us on the road ahead to be conquered. I firmly believe that as long as we work together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. Once again, I thank everyone for their trust in me, and let us look forward together to the next glorious moment of fighting side by side. Thank you!"

Ye Xing's words lifted the emotions of the players present to a climax.

Even those players whom Ye Xing had furiously berated during the campaign had to admit his contribution to this battle.

The sense of achievement gained after overcoming difficulties and completing the challenge permeated every player's heart like warm sunlight.

Exhausted yet satisfied figures embraced each other in celebration; everyone cheered and leaped with joy, the aftertaste of victory flowing in their hearts.

Mission rewards were also distributed at this time.

Players who entered the top 1000 of the contribution leaderboard gained an additional Spiritual Field panel in their function interface, allowing them to purchase spiritual plant seeds from the mall for cultivation.

Each type of seed had a marked maturation time.

The higher the grade of the spiritual plant, the larger the area of Spiritual Field required for growth, and the longer the growth time demanded.

Some special spiritual plants also required players to perform extra growth care; answers regarding these aspects could be obtained by consulting the Guidance Clone.

Simultaneously, the area of Emperor Tomb Village, which had devoured the Cloud Field Domain Node, began to expand, accommodating more players to move within Emperor Tomb Village.

This was also a project Qi Sheng considered extremely important.

There were two reasons limiting the progress of player recruitment.

The core key was the stock of Sacrificial Power; each player required 1,000 points of Sacrificial Power to create an initialized body, meaning 1,000 players equated to an expenditure of 1 million Sacrificial Power.

The second factor was the scale of Emperor Tomb Village.

The larger the area, the greater the number of players it could accommodate.

If it were still at the scale of Emperor Tomb Village during server launch, it could not even accommodate the current number of players.

Following a mass death and synchronized resurrection, the entire Emperor Tomb Village would fall into a congested state of people crushing against people, completely blocking the roads leading to the outside world.

Therefore, every expansion of Emperor Tomb Village was preparing grounds for accommodating new players.

Once the player count exceeded one hundred thousand, Qi Sheng even planned to establish multiple resurrection zones within Emperor Tomb Village, as well as multiple exits leading to the outside world.

This was to ensure a smooth gaming experience for the players.

10,000 words completed; seeking monthly ticket support.

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(End of Chapter)