Chapter 95
Chapter 95
At the critical instant, the Sword Saint condensed an enormous sword in midair, blocking the Flame Giant King’s attack.
BOOM!!
The two greatswords, each hundreds of meters long, collided and unleashed rolling shockwaves. The Hanfeng Mountains shook violently, and even the mountainside began to collapse where the residual force struck it.
Once two god-tier experts displayed their true power, every attack they exchanged was enough to reshape an entire map.
“How long can they protect you?” the Flame Giant thundered. “One day, you will die beneath my sword!”
“I could say the same to you!”
Zhou Ming’s expression was indifferent, his voice utterly certain. “One day, you will die beneath my sword!”
“You…”
The Flame Giant wanted to say more, but Qianying had already activated teleportation.
They could not afford to delay their retreat.
Other Demon Gods were currently crossing the void toward them. If they sealed the surrounding space, escape would no longer be so easy.
“Ding!”
[You have entered Juyan City (Secondary City)!]
The scene shifted, and Zhou Ming returned to the safest place currently available to him.
Juyan City had only recently endured a siege. It would not fall again for at least a month.
“Flame Giant King · Rod!” Zhou Ming murmured. “A Demon God who specializes in the Fire element. That’s a pleasant surprise.”
“Ding!”
[Attention! Due to widespread destruction, Hanfeng Mountains has transformed into Icebound Ruins!]
Another system chime rang, as if to demonstrate how terrifying a serious battle between god-tier experts could be.
About ten minutes later, the others returned safely.
“Are you all right?” Zhou Ming asked.
“We’re fine!”
Qianying shook her head and explained, “An encounter in the wild isn’t constrained by rules. Against an opponent at the same tier, escape is rarely difficult unless their Speed completely overwhelms yours.”
“It seems the Demon Gods will do everything in their power to stop you from getting stronger from now on,” Renee said helplessly.
The Demon Gods had crossed regions for no reason other than to force Zhouyou Shijie to remain holed up in Juyan City.
If situations like this happened frequently, they might not escape in time on every occasion.
“The harder they try, the more it proves they’re afraid!” Zhou Ming remained calm. “This trip brought me tremendous benefits. I won’t need to risk leaving Juyan City again for a while.”
Pinnacle Showdown!
This was the event activated when his cumulative Fame surpassed 10,000. Its timing could not have been better.
[Pinnacle Showdown] (Eastern Region)
Description: There is no first place in literature, but martial strength admits no second. This is a game for the mighty.
Event Rules: Defeat opponents to raise your personal ranking. The higher your ranking, the greater your rewards. (Note: Participants may not use skills with cooldowns longer than 10 minutes.)
Entry Requirement: Adventurers at Level 20 or higher.
Registration Deadline: Three days from now.
Ranking Rewards:
Champion: ??? (Note: Rewards include at least one National Artifact.)
Runner-Up: ???
Third Place: ???
Top Ten: Level +5, at least one War Soul equipment item, one outfit, and a large quantity of gold coins.
…
Every game held server-wide tournaments between players!
Destiny was no exception.
Unlike other games, however, Destiny had deliberately kept its rewards a mystery.
Even so, the benefits of reaching the top ten were already tempting enough.
After all, once Qianying enhanced a War Soul equipment item, it could reach Celestial Spirit tier, one tier higher than Zhou Ming’s current weapon.
Moreover, although the champion’s reward had not been revealed, the event already specified that it would include at least one National Artifact.
A National Artifact…
Surely that could be enhanced too, right?
“Hiss!”
Zhou Ming sucked in a sharp breath.
The generous ranking rewards available to other players would become two whole tiers more valuable once they landed in his hands.
Riiip!
Without warning, a gash opened in the void.
The colossal Flame Giant King stepped through, each stride making the ground rumble.
“Do not think hiding inside the city will let you cling to life!” The Flame Giant King lowered his head and gazed down at Zhou Ming and the others. Surging flames enveloped his entire body, making him a terrifying sight.
He opened his palm, revealing a scroll. Flames consumed it an instant later, transforming it into a peculiar force that flew into Juyan City.
“Ding!”
[Flame Giant King · Rod has used Heavenly Decree Construction Blueprint (SSS Rank). Whenever sufficient resources are available, Juyan City will automatically construct city buildings. Construction Efficiency +300%!]
“Caw! Caw! Caw!”
After the Flame Giant King used the item, countless massive birds flew from the void behind him. Their bodies were crimson and their movements puppet-like. Carrying enormous quantities of construction materials, they continuously dropped their cargo into Juyan City.
“Ding!”
[Juyan City Wood Resources +10!]
“Ding!”
[Juyan City Iron Ore Resources +8!]
“Ding!”
[Under the effect of Heavenly Decree Construction Blueprint (SSS Rank), construction of the City Lord’s Manor has begun automatically!]
…
Under the Flame Giant King’s various methods, Juyan City went from a postwar ruin with everything awaiting restoration to a thriving construction site in the blink of an eye.
Watching it all unfold, Zhou Ming asked Ye Zhibei, “Can we destroy the city’s buildings?”
He saw through the Dark Faction’s purpose immediately.
If they developed Juyan City into a Tier-One Main City, it would likely be able to accommodate far more than three god-tier experts.
“No.”
Ye Zhibei shook his head. “Other powers cannot attack Juyan City for one month, but by the same token, its internal facilities cannot be damaged either!”
“Hmph!”
The Flame Giant King snorted and retreated into the spatial rift. “The rules will not always stand on your side!”
Zhouyou Shijie had survived this long through a combination of strength and luck, but the key was his ability to exploit the rules for his own benefit.
However!
He was not the only person capable of using the rules!
“Now we’re in real trouble!”
Renee watched as more and more resources fell from the sky and were automatically used for construction. She found the situation deeply troublesome. “If Juyan City becomes a Tier-One Main City, there will be no limit at all on the number of god-tier experts it can hold!”
Clearly, the Dark Faction had already begun preparing for the decisive battle one month from now.
The moment the siege cooldown expired, its entire army would attack.
When all ten Demon Gods descended, not only Juyan City but even the super capital of any region would fall.
“What is there to fear?”
Zhou Ming remained perfectly composed. “A month isn’t especially long, but it isn’t short either. A great deal can change in that time.”
“Well said, Brother Zhou!” Ye Zhibei strongly agreed.
Barely a month had passed since Zhouyou Shijie entered the game. No one could say what heights he might reach after another month.
“Fortune and disaster always go hand in hand!”
Looking at the falling construction resources, Zhou Ming reminded them, “Take as much of the stuff they’re delivering as we can. Store it somewhere hidden. We’ll definitely need it later!”
The City Founding Token was still sitting in his inventory.
In one month, it would probably be time to put it to use.
If they gathered resources now, they could rapidly raise the level of their own city when the time came.
“All right!”
…