The next day.
At eleven in the morning, Lin Zhao, Chen Xue, Shen Xingchen, and others logged off in unison. The scent of food wafted from the first-floor lobby of the studio. Luo Man, with Mo Chenxue’s arm around her shoulder, went downstairs to help Wang Ju cook. Lin Zhao took the opportunity to have a few games of 11-ball with Ding Chi in the activity room. Chen Xue, holding her laptop, took a break from her busy schedule to compile the data report for the Scarlet Moon Knight guild from the previous week.
Shen Xingchen walked out of the residential entrance, and instantly Nangong Jilin and other guards stood up, their faces respectful, "Young Lady!"
"Mm."
Shen Xingchen nodded, her beautiful eyes looking at Nangong Jilin, "Why don't you… stop guarding? You've all seen that I'm doing well here with Lin Zhao. Everyone gets along well, and no one bullies me in the studio. You can leave one person to watch the equipment, and the rest can go back. It must be hard for you to camp out here in all kinds of weather."
"That won't do."
Nangong Jilin frowned and said, "The master's orders were for us to guard here, without leaving an inch. Moreover, danger might exist in places your young lady's eyes cannot see. Therefore, it is our mission. Please forgive us, Young Lady."
"Then… as you wish."
Shen Xingchen was a little helpless.
"Young Lady."
Nangong Jilin looked at the time and smiled, "The six-month contract, your bet with Lin Zhao, has already passed by almost two months in the blink of an eye. It's actually not that long. In four months, the Young Lady will regain her freedom, and we won't have to stay here guarding every day."
"Oh?"
Shen Xingchen was slightly stunned, as if in a daze. Time passed so quickly; it had already been two months? She thought she had only joined the Scarlet Moon Knight guild less than a month ago…
Nangong Jilin, observing her expressions, felt a slight ripple in his heart. "Does the Young Lady not want to leave the Scarlet Moon Knight guild?"
"Ah?"
Shen Xingchen was slightly flustered and smiled, "How could that be? Do you think I'm someone who likes to be bound by a contract? I wish the six-month period would pass sooner. I don't want to be ordered around for another day."
"Mm."
Nangong Jilin smiled. "That's good, that's good!"
Saying that, he leaned in to peek at the scene inside the villa. "Making lunch? The stir-fried eggs with green peppers smell really fragrant…"
Shen Xingchen couldn't help but chuckle, "I'll serve you half a bowl later, to go with your rice?"
"No, no, no."
Nangong Jilin shook his head hastily. If he really accepted, it would be overstepping. After all, he was merely a retainer in the Shen family and had no right to accept the Young Lady's kindness. If Chairman Shen Tiannan found out, it would be disastrous; he would suspect him of having ill intentions towards the Young Lady. As a retainer, harboring inappropriate thoughts towards the Young Lady was a grave taboo, one that must not be touched.
…
Not long after, the studio living room was filled with the aroma of dishes. Wang Ju was skillful and her cooking was getting better and better. Moreover, knowing that there was a version event at noon, Wang Ju cooked an especially rich meal, even making a pot of turtle soup for everyone to nourish themselves. After a hurried meal, Chen Xue and Luo Man helped clear the dishes.
Shen Xingchen watched from afar, actually wanting to help. Otherwise, she felt a little guilty. She was also a member of the studio; it wasn't right for her to act superior all the time. However, she had never done any housework in her life. Washing pots and pans, although trivial matters, were still beyond her. Where to put the scrubbing ball after use, how much dish soap to pour, how many times to rinse to remove the soap – she knew nothing about these. Thus, she could only watch from afar, afraid that if she tried to help, she would only make things worse and embarrass herself…
Lin Zhao sat aside playing with his phone. Seeing Shen Xingchen's complicated expression, he felt he should be more considerate. So he said softly, "What's wrong, Xingchen? Are you not feeling well? Your complexion doesn't look good. Could it be that time of the month? I'll go get you some hot water."
"Sit down right there for me…"
Shen Xingchen was exasperated. Sometimes she really couldn't do anything about this dense guy.
Lin Zhao scratched his head. A woman's heart is like a needle in the sea; it's really impossible to understand. Since that's the case, he wouldn't bother. Shen Xingchen was a grown woman; she should have the ability to take care of herself. He stood up and said, "Damn it, let's go online. The Stone of Destiny will be mine!"
Shen Xingchen and Chen Xue both rolled their eyes at him. Luo Man and Mo Chenxue clenched their fists and said, "Brother, go for it!"
Ding Chi and Zhang Jun cupped their foreheads. They really couldn't stand being in this damn studio for another day. Sometimes, seeing the way Luo Man and Mo Chenxue looked at Lin Zhao, they wanted to pack their bags and leave. But they couldn't take the first step to run away from home, because the money the studio distributed was simply too much.
…
At noon, they logged in.
"Shuua!"
A white light scattered before his eyes, and Lin Zhao appeared in front of the Natural Residence in the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, still maintaining the fist stance from when he logged off. He took a deep breath, retracted his stance, and checked the time: 11:44 AM. There were 16 minutes left until the "Stone of Destiny" map opened. The icon for the Stone of Destiny map had already appeared in the upper right corner of the interface. The map was located within Chun'an City, Furong State. He clicked to confirm the teleportation, and in the next moment, he was in Chun'an City. Opening the large map, he could see the Stone of Destiny map, shimmering with golden light, already appeared south of the city.
He leaped into the air and rode his flying sword, Red Leaf, towards it.
Shortly after, he arrived at a southern desert map. In the desert, a golden teleportation gate appeared out of thin air – it was the entrance to the "Stone of Destiny" map. However, the entrance was still closed and required a few more minutes.
Outside the city, players were rushing from Chun'an City in an endless stream. Soon, Leng Yan, Shen Xingchen, Chen Xue, Ding Chi, and others appeared in sight. Even players like Guo Ke Wu Ming, Ling Ren Fa Zhi, and You Ling Wang, who had joined the Northern Four Tribes' sects, made their appearance. These people were still players, but their allegiances had changed. They could directly teleport to participate in such system-wide maps, otherwise, it would be too unfair to them.
"Hmph!"
Ding Chi's lips curled up as he glanced at Guo Ke Wu Ming not far away with a cold smile.
"It's fine."
Guo Ke Wu Ming, clad in high-level armor and holding a cold-gleaming sword, sneered, "You can look now. Once we enter the Stone of Destiny map, you won't be able to when your head is on the chopping block."
"Tsk, tsk, so fierce. I'm so scared!" Ding Chi said nonchalantly.
Lin Zhao frowned. Mimicking the demeanor of a martial artist, he walked to Ding Chi's side and looked at Guo Ke Wu Ming in the distance. "Guo Ke Wu Ming, try to avoid me as much as possible once we enter the Stone of Destiny map. My sword has no eyes."
"…"
Guo Ke Wu Ming's expression turned icy. He did not retort, as he knew he couldn't win in a real fight.
Ling Ren Fa Zhi sneered, "Yo yo yo, the top player in both combat power and cultivation on the national server speaks so terrifyingly. If I didn't know better, I'd think Bai Yi is already the recognized superstar of the national server, and that Su Xinghe has willingly handed over the number one spot."
Not far away, Su Xinghe frowned. "What does this have to do with me? Fight your verbal battles, but don't drag me into it."
"What nonsense…"
Leng Yan pursed her lips, too lazy to bother with such scenes. She merely glanced at Guo Ke Wu Ming from afar, a hint of killing intent in her beautiful eyes. In fact, she didn't care. Once inside the Stone of Destiny map, if she encountered Guo Ke Wu Ming alone, Leng Yan was confident she had at least a sixty percent chance of winning. It's true that Guo Ke Wu Ming was apprenticed to one of the Five Realms of the Demon Race, but Leng Yan was not inferior. Her Winter Spring Sword Sect, with Senior Sister Lu, was thriving every day!
Shen Xingchen, holding her staff, stood beside Lin Zhao. "Once you enter the Stone of Destiny map, it's random teleportation. You can't form a team within the map, and the large map isn't displayed. So it's hard to find people. There are also many 'hidden traps' like quicksand whirlpools. Once you step on them, you'll be randomly teleported to another corner. Therefore, sticking together for warmth in this map is almost impossible. It all depends on individual ability. Just go in and let loose, Lin Zhao."
"Right."
Chen Xue said, "Lin Zhao, our Scarlet Moon Knight guild doesn't have any grand ambitions. Our only current small goal is to keep this supreme treasure, the Stone of Destiny, within the human race's faction. We absolutely cannot let those demons and monsters from the Northern Four Tribes snatch it away."
"Mm?"
Ling Ren Fa Zhi raised his eyebrows. "Chen Xue, who are you calling demons and monsters?"
"Whoever takes the bait is the one…"
Chen Xue put a hand on her slender waist and smiled. "Ling Ren Fa Zhi, you've been getting a bit arrogant lately, haven't you? Do you really think you're ranked on the national server now and are someone significant?"
"…"
Ling Ren Fa Zhi frowned. He didn't retort. If someone weaker had said this, he would have cursed them thoroughly. But the one mocking him was Chen Xue. In the last honor battlefield, Chen Xue was the only Knight who had broken into the top ten of the honor board. For a Knight specializing in defense to enter the top ten was already an extraordinary feat. He truly didn't have the standing to retort to Chen Xue.
"Alright."
Guo Ke Wu Ming said with a faint smile. "All the verbal sparring outside is useless. It will be decided once we enter the Stone of Destiny!"
…
Not long after, with a ding of a bell, the Stone of Destiny map officially opened! At this moment, there were approximately 5000+ players gathered around the Stone of Destiny map's teleportation entrance, all of whom were level 130+. The ones who would compete for the supreme treasure, the Stone of Destiny, in the national server would naturally come from these 5000 people. However, they were all elite players of the national server. With the surging tides, who would emerge victorious was still uncertain.
"Shuua!"
Lin Zhao directly consumed 5 Charm points and entered the map with a group of people. In the next moment, golden light flashed before his eyes, and his character appeared in a desert map named "Stone of Destiny." Not far away, a golden sand scorpion raised its tail and rapidly burrowed into the ground with a "shasha" sound. Immediately, a line rose from the desert and sped towards Lin Zhao. Even though the attack was launched from underground, wasn't it too obvious?
At the same time, a ringing sound was heard in his ear—
"Di!"
Map prompt: Killing minor monsters within the map has a certain chance to drop Divine Pact Pages. Collecting 10 Divine Pact Pages can summon an Earth-tier Boss. After successfully killing it, there's a chance to drop True Martial Scrolls. After collecting 10 True Martial Scrolls, you can summon a projection of Emperor Ren Huang Wang Chong. Killing it will definitely drop the supreme treasure, the Stone of Destiny!