Chapter 210: New Crisis (1/3)

I will compile a copy of the tournament rules and post it in the related section; aside from mentioning a few key points, no further details will be elaborated upon in the main text.

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Although Dong Qingli was a loyal fan of dark fantasy novels and games, her character level in the game was not particularly high, hovering around level twenty or so.

After all, her primary focus was entertainment, and alongside playing Diablo, she spent her time playing Legend of Sword and Fairy and watching television dramas.

Evidently, entering the Diablo tournament meant she would be no match for those veteran players who had already fought their way to Act V, but games were, after all, all about participation, so she signed up regardless.

Sharing her mindset were many instructors from the Lingyun Academy, as well as cultivators and warriors who had only recently picked up the game.

Not everyone came for the prizes; after slaying countless monsters, many simply felt an itch to experience what it was like to battle against real players.

PVP and PVE were fundamentally distinct concepts to begin with, and prior to this, the system version of Diablo did not support player-versus-player combat.

The introduction of PVP triggered a furious wave of discussion throughout the shop.

Players scrambled to devise entirely new skill combinations and gear loadouts specifically tailored to counter human opponents.

Meanwhile, the Counter-Strike team tournament arrangements were gradually taking shape, with the disciples of Lingyun Academy being the very first to form a squad.

Team Lingyun: Captain Nalan Mingxue, with members Xu Zixin, Shen Qingqing, Lin Shao, and Xu Luo.

As for Song Qingfeng, whose Assassin possessed the finest equipment and the highest level in the entire shop, he was naturally absent from the Lingyun roster, having set his sights on the Diablo tournament instead.

New players like Ji Wu knew they stood no chance of making a mark in Diablo, yet they refused to miss out on the competitive festivities.

Consequently, he simply dragged the Eldest Princess and several princes into the fray.

Since the foundational mastery of firearms could be acquired through the Resident Evil movie, the group began frantically cramming knowledge of firearms.

Thus, Team Royal was established.

When Fang Qi caught sight of this team name, he could only offer a silent, speechlessness.

As other major factions began to form their respective teams one after another, many players departed reluctantly only when the shop finally closed for the night.

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Meanwhile, nearly on the exact opposite side of the continent, within the Taixi Sect.

An elderly man stared at the message transmitted through the jade piece, his expression turning exceedingly grave.

"While our three sects are hosting the Cultivation Domain Grand Meet, they dare to hold some sort of competition... taking the opportunity to lure away the Wuwei Daoist Alliance that was meant to attend our gathering?!"

"To think such a thing could happen?!" The old man muttered in a deep voice, "Have they gathered so many factions that they have grown too large to easily handle?"

"It is indeed rather thorny. I never expected that a brief lapse in our vigilance would allow mere scoundrels to develop to such a degree!"

At this moment, Feng Xi still did not dare report the fact that he had been wounded in that shop and had even lost his spiritual treasure, otherwise...

He had to carefully plot and devise a strategy that would allow him to reclaim the spiritual treasure and crush that faction entirely.

For instance, invoking the aid of some major factions bordering the State of Jin.

"Haven't those factions always sought to curry favor with the members of our three sects?" Feng Xi thought to himself. "It seems I can only demand some assistance."

Before long, Feng Xi transmitted his message back.

"If that is the case..." Within the Taixi Sect, the elderly man spoke indifferently, "Then your request is granted. Those who offer their strength in this matter will receive the gratitude of our Taixi Sect."

Upon receiving the reply, Feng Xi felt a surge of joy and breathed a sigh of relief.

If reinforcements were dispatched directly from the sect, the news that he had failed his mission and lost a spiritual treasure would surely spread across all three major sects.

But now, as long as he kept his lips sealed and reclaimed his lost honor ahead of time, even if the news leaked back later, it would not be too humiliating.

The Cloud-Yun Upper Domain was a modest spiritual land located southwest of the State of Jin.

Of course, "modest" was only in comparison to the State of Jin; several ancient cultivator clans dominated this entire southwestern spiritual land, establishing order and dividing cities to create what was practically a massive realm of cultivators.

They were also one of the fiercest competing factions in the grand meet held once every thirty years, and this was precisely Feng Xi's destination.

To cultivators, the State of Jin was not affluent, lacking the abundance of spiritual lands and cultivation resources found in the Cloud-Yun Upper Domain; while warriors found fewer restrictions there, cultivators felt rather constrained.

In fact, major factions like the Blue Flame Sect and the Cloud-Flowing Daoist Palace relied heavily on the neighboring Cloud-Yun Upper Domain to resolve many resource and technical issues.

Moreover, the Cloud-Yun Upper Domain possessed an extremely rare mineral known as Cloud-Yun Jade, which was the premier choice for forging most high-grade or even peerless spiritual artifacts.

Therefore, war was not even necessary; by utilizing the simplest and most direct leverages of interest and consequence to pressure the Wuwei Daoist Alliance and the entire State of Jin, Feng Xi refused to believe these people would not know how to choose.

"When the time comes, I will force that brat to obediently hand over the 'Demon Suppressing Cauldron' and beg for my forgiveness!"

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And just as Feng Xi was rushing toward the Cloud-Yun Domain, a new round of updates for the two television dramas, Zhu Xian and Feng Yun, arrived in Fang Qi's shop.

In the previous plot, Zhu Xian was on the verge of the Seven Peaks Tournament, while Feng Yun, having updated four episodes each on Monday and Tuesday of the prior week, had reached the point where Nie Feng conquered Matchless City, leading to the Sword Saint challenging Xiong Ba to a duel seven days later; a clash between the two strongest figures seen in the early episodes of Feng Yun was imminent!

Both television dramas were about to enter their respective climaxes, which absolutely thrilled the fans of Zhu Xian and Feng Yun alike!

"Ah! I'm so happy!" At the thought of the exciting content ahead, Dong Qingli practically skipped into the shop today. "Boss! Is it time for the Zhu Xian update today?"

While many others were still fretting over the tournament arrangements, she harbored no such worries, being only around level twenty anyway.

"Boss! Quick! Activate episodes eleven and twelve of Zhu Xian!" Lan Mo and Jun Yangzi hurried through the door. "Two bowls of instant noodles and two sausages!"

As members of the Blue Flame Sect who had constantly coveted the various spells and treasures in Zhu Xian, and being new customers who excelled at absolutely nothing in Diablo or Counter-Strike, they decided to simply watch the drama first!

Yet for the other players, even on the eve of the tournament, such a thrilling segment was absolutely not to be missed.

The significance of the Seven Peaks Tournament required no explanation; it was precisely the moment to display a sect's might, and it served as a perfect opportunity for cultivator factions like the Blue Flame Sect and the Cloud-Flowing Daoist Palace to catch a glimpse of the whole through a single part.

The same held true for Feng Yun.

At this very moment, even Su Tianji, who was busy intensifying her team's training, spared some time from her hectic schedule to order a bowl of instant noodles, sitting before the computer to watch Zhu Xian with her two beloved disciples.

While Su Tianji happily enjoyed her instant noodles, before her eyes stretched a boundless blue sky, where countless streaks of multi-colored light soared and encircled the majestic mountain peaks; the display was dominated by swords, presenting a vivid and breathtakingly beautiful spectrum of colors.

Beholding such a scene truly inspired a desire to step onto an immortal sword and merge into that torrential deluge of spiritual light.

"I wonder when the members of our own sect will all be able to ride swords through the sky, covering thousands of miles in an instant..." Looking upon such a grand spectacle, many cultivators, including Su Tianji, could only click their tongues in profound envy.

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