Chen Tian emerged from the Savage Wind Valley, which was now devoid of any players. His previous warning had prompted many to leave. Seeing the valley's state and hearing the sounds after their departure, they were grateful for their decision, having not been completely consumed by greed. Otherwise, they would have been the ones to perish. In front of the Savage Wind Valley, Chen Tian opened his panel and repaired it. The areas with sword marks could not be restored, so Chen Tian used some formations to completely conceal them.
At this stage, it was estimated that no one except Chen Tian could comprehend this sword mark. If players saw it, it would inevitably cause confusion. After completing all preparations, a portal appeared behind Chen Tian, and he vanished from the Savage Wind Valley. With the Heart of Savage Wind secured, the remaining items needed were the Floating Dust Sword and the Tear of Starlight. The Floating Dust Sword was in the Dark Space, and Chen Tian believed he could find it in the last zone. Finding the Floating Dust Sword would be easy, as Chen Tian was very familiar with it. The key was the Tear of Starlight, and whether there was any news from Gate No. 4.
The Crescent Moon Bay was perpetually shrouded in moonlight, as if the moon never set. The star river was vast and majestic. Chen Tian arrived at the mountaintop of Crescent Moon Bay, gazing at the surrounding stars and moonlight. The Tear of Starlight, judging by its name, suggested it was a starlight item. Among all the maps, Chen Tian found Crescent Moon Bay to be the most fitting. Crescent Moon Bay was a scenic map, often a gathering place for couples due to its breathtaking beauty. Chen Tian, however, appeared there alone.
Night fell quietly. Chen Tian looked up at the sky, where the stars were brilliant and the expanse was boundless. The moon hung in the sky, its pure moonlight bathing the entire Crescent Moon Bay. Below the bay, the river seemed to be draped in a garment of moonlight. The starlight appeared alive, captivating everyone's attention. Some couples even chose this setting for their proposals. Chen Tian paid them no mind, shaking his head and saying, "It seems this is not the place."
Chen Tian had assumed Crescent Moon Bay was where the Tear of Starlight appeared, but now it seemed that was not the case. He waited for a full day. Chen Tian's intuition told him the Tear of Starlight was not here. Could the name itself be a misdirection?
What would the true Tear of Starlight be like?
Chen Tian fell into thought. Even the Myriad Breath Pavilion had no information about the Tear of Starlight. Chen Tian realized that finding this material might take a considerable amount of time. He then asked, "System, do you know the location of the Tear of Starlight?"
"Host, the Tear of Starlight can appear anywhere; it does not have a fixed location."
"Does that mean this material moves?"
"Host, it is not so. This system has no authority to assist the host with game quests."
Chen Tian wanted to ask for more information, but the system immediately disconnected. Chen Tian was left frustrated, cursing the unreliable system for being unhelpful when needed and overly helpful when not.
Chen Tian got up and decided to head to the nearest city to see if there was any news.
Hundred Days City was the closest city to Crescent Moon Bay. This city was not originally called Hundred Days City. When the Epoch of Time was first created, it was named Hundred Cities. After three years, the Epoch of Time had hundreds of cities. This was the very first city, and hence it was later renamed Hundred Days City.
"Hundred Days" represented a hundred days, hundreds of cities, and the development of the Epoch of Time. In three years, the game Epoch of Time had swept the globe. As Chen Tian walked through Hundred Days City, he suddenly stopped. A familiar aura and scent reached him, and his expression turned cold. He then walked towards his left, into an alley, where several players had cornered a female player. The girl looked terrified.
"No, please don't kill me. Please, don't kill me."
The girl begged, not wanting to die and lose levels. Her hard-earned experience was at stake. The men before her grinned sinisterly, "Not killing you? How is that possible? I play this game to kill people like you."
With that, he swung his blade. A flash of light appeared, and the man retreated, exclaiming, "Who is it?"
Chen Tian appeared before them, having blocked the attack. Chen Tian's face was cold as he said, "Are even you going to betray humanity?"
"Kid, what are you talking about? I don't understand. Now I'll show you the consequences of provoking me."
The man stepped forward, dual sabers appearing in his hands. Chen Tian looked at his opponent wielding twin sabers with disdain. Wielding dual sabers in front of him was pure foolishness, suicidal.
Chen Tian spread his arms, and twin sabers appeared in his hands. He unleashed two consecutive slashes so fast that the man had no time to react. Two cutting sounds echoed, and two blade marks appeared on his body.
The man died before he understood what had happened.
The dual sabers were so fast that he couldn't even discern the speed or movement of the blade lights. He died just like that.
Chen Tian raised his arm, and the contract on the man ignited. Chen Tian's eyes fixed on the man's followers, and instantly, countless flames danced, burning their bodies as well.
Chen Tian's figure vanished like a gust of wind. The girl looked at his receding form, admiration in her eyes. A drop of light fell from the corner of her eye; it was a tear. However, this tear landed on the ground without incident. The tear was crystal clear, like a gemstone, emitting no light. Seeing the crystal gem beside her, the girl thought it looked beautiful and placed it in her game inventory.
Chen Tian arrived at a hotel and ordered some food, which he ate with relish. His mind was elsewhere, lost in thought. Looking up at the sky, Chen Tian murmured, "How did the Evil Spirit Race infiltrate other countries if they weren't sealed there?"
Chen Tian was perplexed. The people he had killed in the alley all carried the aura of the Evil Spirit Race. Their identities were not Chinese but from other countries. The Epoch of Time had swept the globe, and its presence was felt worldwide. Previously, when the world was not merged, each server was distinct. Now that the world was merged, all players shared a single server, leading to collisions between players from different countries. Chen Tian had previously recognized the country of origin of the people he encountered through their contracts.
However, it was strange that other countries should not have seals, and it was impossible for the Evil Spirit Race to appear there. All sealing nodes were in China. How did the Evil Spirit Race establish connections with other countries?
"No, what if the traitor is a foreigner? Then everything would make sense."
Chen Tian suddenly had a flash of inspiration. If the traitor was a foreigner, then everything would connect. The enemies Chen Tian had were brought to mind, along with the events of the World Championship. That incident was not his fault, and Chen Tian had a clear conscience.
"It seems he is the traitor."
Everything connected. Chen Tian knew exactly who the traitor was. Was this person willing to drag the entire world down with them for revenge?
Chen Tian did not agree with this. He would definitely stop them. For now, Chen Tian needed to find the whereabouts of the Tear of Starlight. The information Chen Tian gathered was quickly obtained, but there was no news about the Tear of Starlight, as if it simply didn't exist.
Chen Tian knew that the system wouldn't issue a quest for a material that didn't exist. The official developers wouldn't release an impossible quest. The Tear of Starlight was definitely not what its name suggested, and Chen Tian did not know what it was for the moment.
"Host, the Tear of Starlight has appeared."
The system suddenly chimed in. Chen Tian was stunned. "Appeared? System, where?"
"Please, host, find it yourself."
Chen Tian was helpless against the system, which promptly disconnected. He was completely unable to do anything and dejectedly continued to eat his meal.
"Ding ding ding!"
Chen Tian's phone rang. The internal phone system of the Epoch of Time could connect to real-world phones. Chen Tian answered it. A voice on the other end, sounding somewhat anxious, said, "Chen Tian, something bad has happened. The army of the Evil Spirit Race has vanished from our sight. Your surveillance didn't detect them." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Shu Zi, calm down first. Tell me what's happening."
Chen Tian was a bit surprised. The other party could bypass his surveillance, indicating that there was a formation master in their ranks. The surveillance formation Chen Tian had set up must have been broken.
Shu Zi patiently explained the entire process to Chen Tian. After listening, Chen Tian didn't hesitate and logged off. He needed to return and deal with the Evil Spirit Race first. If Chen Tian guessed correctly, more than a day had passed.
"Shu Zi, I'll be back immediately. Have everyone prepare for battle. The fight might start earlier."
"But Chen Tian, if they took a detour, it should take longer."
"That's correct. They have a formation master in their ranks. They will integrate all my formations into one massive teleportation array, which will directly transport them in front of us. Time is short, so notify everyone to prepare for battle."
After saying this, Chen Tian hung up the phone and logged off. His figure dissolved into countless starlight fragments, leaving no trace of his presence. The hotel remained as it was, as if nothing had happened.
Chen Tian woke up in his room and immediately appeared on the city walls. A day and a half had passed. Chen Tian looked at the city walls before him. It wasn't enough; this level was insufficient to resist the enemy. Chen Tian raised his arm, and the ground rose, forming a city wall of earth blocks. Flames burned, water flowed, and vines entwined, transforming the earthen wall. A magnificent city wall rose, reaching three hundred meters in height.
Chen Tian nodded. Shu Zi then led everyone behind Chen Tian. Everyone behind Shu Zi gasped, looking at this feat. Were they gods?
"Chen Tian, I've brought all the warriors. What do we do next?"
"Everyone, defend the city walls. This battle is a fight for the survival of humanity. I don't want anyone to falter. Remember, you are humans. For humanity, for the world, for your families and loved ones, tell me, do you have the will to stop them?"
"Yes!"
"Battle! Battle! Battle!"
Chen Tian's words ignited everyone. Chen Tian waved his arm, and everyone appeared on the walls. Chen Tian had prepared weapons on the walls. Chen Tian stared at the area a few hundred meters ahead. According to the timing, they should be appearing soon.
A few hundred meters in front of the city walls, a world-shattering formation covered the entire ground. The formation with black patterns was a pentagonal array. Countless lights and figures emerged from the teleportation array. Leading them were three young Evil Spirit Race members, followed by all sorts of evil spirit creatures. Chen Tian sensed that the aura of each of these three young Evil Spirits was no weaker than his own. The central young man, in particular, Chen Tian could not see through.
"It seems this place does have some capable individuals. Kid, you used a lot of formations to stall for time, but unfortunately, formations have no effect on me. Instead, they have served us well. Thank you."