Morning.
In the Jiuzhangyuan area, a patrol squad of the Rock Army, armed with spears and pointed shields and clad in dark green armor, passed through Jiuzhangyuan. These armored soldiers hailed from Yangping Pass in the human world. The small group of a few dozen men had established a camp at Xueyutianchi, assisting in patrolling the surrounding areas to prevent a large-scale invasion by the demon race.
Amidst the morning mist, a group of core players from the "Quan Yuan E Ren" guild lay prone on the giant rocks in the Jiuzhangyuan area. The highest-level guild leader, Ding Chunqiu, frowned as he watched the approaching Rock Army soldiers.
"Guild leader, didn't I tell you?"
A level 104 sharpshooter chuckled in the party chat. "I've already figured out the patrol routes of the Rock Army. They pass through here every 2 hours. I also have a rough idea of the Vermilion Bird Cavalry's routes. After we finish this job, we'll ambush the Vermilion Bird Cavalry. I've also scouted the patrol routes of the Xueyutianchi cavalry. If we can't get enough kills, we'll have to inconvenience the Xueyutianchi cavalry."
"Are we going to attack Xueyutianchi too?"
The level 105 raid leader, brandishing a long spear, knitted his brows. "Aren't we going too far? I heard that Xueyutianchi is currently led by Bai Yi, the guild leader of the Scarlet Moon Knights. I don't know if it's true, but if it is, attacking Xueyutianchi's NPCs means we're completely falling out with the Scarlet Moon Knights."
"You still care about these things?"
Ding Chunqiu glanced back at him and sneered. "When have we, Quan Yuan E Ren, ever been afraid of offending people? Even if we did, fortune favors the bold. These 100 heads are our stepping stones to joining Lu Xiuyuan's sect. So what if we offend the Scarlet Moon Knights? Remember, the reason 'Tian Xia' is great is its free-for-all player mode. If we want to join the demon race, we can. No one can stand on a moral high ground to criticize us. Killing a few NPCs, what can Bai Yi say?"
The vice guild leader, Qiu Qianren, raised the corner of his mouth and chuckled. "Alright, even if we don't kill Xueyutianchi's NPCs, do you think Bai Yi would consider us his own? Forget it. Bai Yi ate his fill in Xueyutianchi and, once the cultivation system opened, he reached the eighth realm. Did he ever think of leaving us a bit of soup to drink? No, he treats all the resources in the world as his own. In Bai Yi's eyes, we are just leeks to be harvested again and again. Don't you feel the sting?"
The others grinned, showing knowing smiles.
"Prepare yourselves!"
Ding Chunqiu gripped his long sword, overlooking the Rock Army patrol squad below, and said sternly, "A total of 30 NPCs, including one captain who is a quasi-boss of the Flowing Gold tier. I will charge and lock onto him directly. The Rangers in the team will lock onto my heals. The rest will find their own targets. Sharpshooters and mages will control and output damage. We aim to finish the battle within one minute."
"Yes!"
…
With a soft "swish," a cascade of snow fell from the green rocks as Ding Chunqiu's body slammed heavily into the leading Rock Army soldier. The soldier trembled, his eyes filled with astonishment. He never dreamed that these cultivators from another world would attack their own.
"Alert! Defend!"
The squad leader roared, his body trembling as he withstood Ding Chunqiu's assault and adopted a shield formation. The other armored soldiers quickly converged, and in an instant, the 30 Rock Army soldiers formed an iron bucket formation, shields held forward, spears thrusting through the gaps in the shields to resist the players' onslaught. Simultaneously, the squad leader roared, "Signal flare, call for reinforcements from the camp!"
"Yes, sir!"
An armored soldier took a firework-like object from his waist.
"Quick!"
Ding Chunqiu roared, "Sharpshooters, stun him! Make sure he doesn't release the distress signal!"
On the green rocks, several sharpshooters from above unleashed their Soul Burning Arrows, instantly stunning the soldier attempting to release the flare. Following that, the mages' Meteor Shower, the Sword Master's Sword Qi Cage, and the Falling Sword Style skills erupted with "boom boom boom" in the crowd, constantly pushing back the Rock Army's defense line.
The Rock Army had defended Yangping Pass for years without a single loss, their combat power being among the best in the entire Great Shang Dynasty. Known for their defense, the Rock Army was also one of the most difficult armies for the human race to break through. Although the "Quan Yuan E Ren" guild repeatedly attacked, they could not breach the shield formation. They could only rely on the mages' spell penetration to inflict damage until the health of the outer Rock Army soldiers was depleted and they fell one by one. Only then was the 30-man iron bucket formation finally broken.
"Damn it!"
Ding Chunqiu fiercely plunged his sword into the throat of the Rock Army squad leader, drawing a spray of hot blood. He stomped the enemy's head to the ground and roared, "It took a full three minutes, how embarrassing. Quickly, cut off all their heads and bring them to me. Hurry!"
Saying this, he brought his sword down heavily, severing the head of the squad leader who had not yet died, and placed the bloody head into his inventory. The others followed suit, and in an instant, all 30 warm heads were stored in Ding Chunqiu's inventory. He turned to a sharpshooter in the team and said, "Continue leading the way, we're going to lie in wait for the Vermilion Bird Cavalry."
"You got it, boss!"
Things proceeded extremely smoothly. The members of "Quan Yuan E Ren" wore smiles, their moods seemingly quite good.
…
Streaks of sunlight pierced through the clouds, quickly dispelling the mist, and the entire Xueyutianchi was bathed in the morning sun. From the southern mountain, a group of players ascended the mountain. Leading them was a level 114 Sword Master, none other than Su Xinghe, the guild leader of the Xinghe guild. Behind him were two vice guild leaders: a young knight in armor riding a fierce horse, named Feng Bing Cao Jia, and a beautiful woman in a flowing robe holding a staff, named Yun Mi Wu Suo.
Since Shen Xingchen left Xinghe, Su Xinghe had begun to heavily rely on the legendary "Feng Yun" duo. Feng Bing Cao Jia was upright and brave, suited for leading charges, while Yun Mi Wu Suo was an extremely intelligent woman who served as a military strategist for the guild, offering advice to Su Xinghe. Coincidentally, Feng Bing Cao Jia and Yun Mi Wu Suo were siblings, now Su Xinghe's right and left hands. It was said that in the national server player power rankings, both Feng Bing Cao Jia and Yun Mi Wu Suo were rated T0.5, only slightly inferior to top players. They were pillars of the Xinghe guild, with Su Xinghe at the top, followed by the Feng Yun duo.
Behind Feng Bing Cao Jia followed Shen Lingyuan, Shen Xingchen's brother. Shen Lingyuan, holding a spear, had a troubled expression. He was still a raid leader in the Xinghe guild, and his situation was somewhat awkward. Many in the Xinghe guild constantly criticized him due to Shen Xingchen's departure. However, Shen Lingyuan believed he had a contract with Xinghe and insisted on staying. Moreover, he truly did not wish to join the Scarlet Moon Knights and was annoyed by Lin Zhao and Ding Chi, those bastards who called him "brother-in-law."
In terms of strength, Shen Lingyuan deserved a T1 rating, but in terms of guild status, he vaguely felt that among the 10 raid leaders of Xinghe, his position was nearing the bottom.
He had no choice but to endure.
"Yo!"
On a stone bridge in Baiyuxi, a player was fishing. It was Yi Shi Cang Liang, the guild leader of the Canglong guild. Seeing Su Xinghe visiting with a group of Xinghe guild players, he couldn't help but laugh. "Xinghe finally couldn't wait any longer and came to Xueyutianchi?"
"Where are you getting that from?"
Su Xinghe laughed heartily. "Xueyutianchi is a map resource belonging to the entire Huaxia server, not someone's private property. Besides, Xinghe is a lifelong member of the national server, and it's our duty to march north and kill demons. Guild leader Cang Liang, stop being so sarcastic, it's very annoying."
Yi Shi Cang Liang couldn't help but chuckle. "Have you joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
As he spoke, he tilted his head and observed. Among the hundreds of people Su Xinghe brought, more than half of their armor displayed a light golden character "绣" (Xiù), clearly indicating they had joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Even the two vice guild leaders, Feng Bing Cao Jia and Yun Mi Wu Suo, had become disciples of Qin Cheng, the vice pavilion master of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and were now presented with a new outlook.
"Yes."
Su Xinghe said, "A wise bird chooses its tree to perch on. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is an important organization in Baidi City, and Pavilion Master Cao Ying is my master. So it's not unreasonable for the Xinghe guild to be deeply intertwined with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, right?"
"Indeed."
Yi Shi Cang Liang said, "But I'm afraid it's more than just a deep entanglement. With your character, Su Xinghe, other players likely wouldn't have had the chance to get involved in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Most of the opportunities and chances to become disciples within the Embroidered Uniform Guard have probably been monopolized by your Xinghe."
"Haha~~~"
Su Xinghe laughed. "If one sleeps beside another's bed, how can one allow them to snore? If it were you, you'd do the same."
"Indeed."
Yi Shi Cang Liang waved his hand. "Go on, go on. Don't disturb my fishing."
"Fishing?"
Su Xinghe couldn't help but laugh. "Guild leader Cang Liang is truly a hidden quest enthusiast. Do you think you can fish out a great opportunity here?"
"No."
Yi Shi Cang Liang smiled nonchalantly. "But my fishing is a quest, and the final reward will definitely be better than grinding monsters on the mountain. You guys should hurry, or the resources in the Jiuzhangyuan area will be all consumed."
"Understood, we're leaving."
Su Xinghe urged his horse and led his men straight to the northern mountain.
…
Xueyutianchi, North Mountain.
As Su Xinghe and his group reached the mountainside, they saw a figure of a swift rider galloping from below the mountain. The rider on horseback was clad in fiery red armor but was covered in blood, his head injured. A trickle of blood flowed from his forehead to his chin, making him appear extremely disheveled. As the warhorse reached the mountainside, he could no longer sustain himself and fell to the ground with a thud. Raising his hand, he said solemnly to Su Xinghe and his group, "The human race has traitors... Our human race has traitors..."
Su Xinghe's heart grew tense. What kind of luck was this? He had just arrived at Xueyutianchi and triggered a quest?
He quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and helped up the injured soldier from the Vermilion Bird Battalion. "Hold on, I'll take you to the Vermilion Bird Battalion camp!"