After completing everything, Chu Tian, along with Miao Zuo and Lin Ran, departed the Luo family's small world and headed directly for Liaozhong.
He and Old Yang were heading in opposite directions. Old Yang and his group were going south, while Chu Tian was heading north. They would form an arc and eventually rendezvous.
Along the way, Old Yang's group had three remaining targets, and Chu Tian's group also had three. Aside from the one near the Chuan trunk line, the remaining spiritual energy spheres were located in densely populated urban areas.
When Chu Tian parted ways with Old Yang's group, he instructed them not to split up, but to stick together, focus their attacks, and eliminate the targets one by one. Chu Tian feared that if Old Yang's group split up, their strength would be diluted, making it difficult to handle any unforeseen circumstances. After all, the Hall Master had escaped.
That guy had been scared away by Xiao Fahai's snake form. He had fled too quickly, and with Chu Tian solely focused on Yueyue at the time, he hadn't paid close attention to the Hall Master's strength! He had only sensed that the aura emanating from the other party was extremely chaotic, as if possessed by myriad vengeful spirits, utterly disorganized! For an ordinary person, absorbing so much resentment would have led to their seal.
Thinking of this, Chu Tian suddenly remembered the Taoist nun. Where did she get the Soul-Entrapping Beads she carried?
Lost in thought, they soon arrived near Liaozhong. Despite traveling at a rapid pace, Chu Tian had deliberately taken routes through more populated areas. He observed the lives of ordinary people, and found no special changes. The streets were bustling with activity, and people on their way to work hurried along. Everything seemed just as peaceful as ever, as if the changes occurring in the world had nothing to do with them. The only thing Chu Tian heard them discussing was the Heavenly Dao World, which sparked a different line of thought in him.
The Heavenly Dao World was currently in a state of near dormancy. Although the faction war had begun, the four major factions of Dragon Country – East, South, West, and North – had seen three of them unify. After unifying, these three factions were launching an offensive against Dragon City, the sole main city of Dragon Country's grand faction. Their attacks had resulted in heavy losses.
Meanwhile, the remaining Northern War Zone presented a peculiar situation, with a tripartite division of power within this smaller war zone. Chu Tian's God's Defiance Alliance, which had started with immense momentum in the early stages of the game, lacked sustained power. Moreover, the president of the God's Defiance Alliance had been offline for a year and a half, with the executive president managing the guild, leading to a trend of conservative development.
The Slaughter Guild, sponsored by the Huang Corporation, had initially been suppressed by the God's Defiance Alliance. However, they recruited a formidable general, "One Piece of Meat," who had previously fallen out with the God's Defiance Alliance president, "I am not a Druid." One Piece of Meat possessed a hidden profession that allowed him to summon an undead army, and he alone could contend with an army of 100,000. He was unstoppable in conquering territories, his power unyielding. It was precisely due to his addition that the Slaughter Guild managed to turn the tide.
During the Fortress Wars, had One Piece of Meat not appeared, the Slaughter Guild wouldn't have even qualified for a high-level fortress. Everyone knew the God's Defiance Alliance was coveting their position and would absolutely not allow them to relocate their guild stronghold peacefully.
Someone named "May Fortune Come Immediately" had once been dispatched. This guy was a pervert, also possessing a hidden profession: Blood-Soaked Demon God. The more he killed, the stronger he became. It was also rumored that "I am not a Druid" devised an extremely insidious plan, having May Fortune Come Immediately assemble a suicide squad. These squad members weren't actually meant to die; rather, it was May Fortune Come Immediately who was meant to kill them. It was said that his ultimate skill, which could destroy buildings, had its cooldown reset through killing. This put the Slaughter Guild in a difficult position, fearing retaliation.
This May Fortune Come Immediately was cunning. He would always find a way to infiltrate the heavily guarded vicinity of the Slaughter Guild's fortresses. Once discovered, he would unleash his ultimate skill and flee. His ultimate skill manifested as a thousand-meter-long greatsword, incredibly terrifying. Those it touched perished, and those it grazed died. Upon landing, it would cause ground fissures, spewing magma. The flowing magma would inflict a certain degree of damage on any structure it touched.
However, after One Piece of Meat appeared, he used a skill called "Undead Cataclysm" to directly capture a high-level fortress. High-level fortresses were different from ordinary ones. Since One Piece of Meat exclusively used undead, his method of accumulation relied entirely on numbers, thus not damaging the city's defensive equipment. Therefore, with a complete defensive system in place, May Fortune Come Immediately couldn't infiltrate within range to unleash his ultimate skill. His last appearance was being spotted by the city's defensive archers from a thousand meters away. In his panic, May Fortune Come Immediately unleashed his greatsword, its tip tens of meters away from the city wall. He was then pierced through the heart by the city's defensive giant crossbow and instantly killed. From then on, May Fortune Come Immediately disappeared without a trace. The Slaughter Guild entered a period of stable development.
Another incident occurred in Black Soil City. The "Qingcheng Guild" inexplicably acquired a high-level fortress and recruited all the player guilds abandoned by the Huang Corporation, forming a super-powerful alliance organization. Led by the Qingcheng Guild, these guilds were allowed to establish their presence within the main city to prevent their dissolution.
Currently, in the Northern War Zone, with its three main cities and three factions, the Slaughter Guild faced the most difficulties. To the south, they were blocked by the God's Defiance Alliance; to participate in the Dragon City War, they had to pass through the territory controlled by the God's Defiance Alliance. Originally, teleportation from Four Seasons City to Shengjing City was possible for a fee. However, due to the God's Defiance Alliance controlling four high-level fortresses, they held significant authority in Shengjing City, allowing them to close the teleportation route from Four Seasons City to Shengjing City. Players from Four Seasons City wishing to reach Shengjing City now had to travel on foot.
Furthermore, the God's Defiance Alliance had established a front line. Any player from Four Seasons City entering Shengjing City's vicinity was met with lethal force. This was all to prevent them from passing through. Consequently, players from Four Seasons City harbored deep hatred for the God's Defiance Alliance in Shengjing City. Skirmishes between players from the two cities were constant. However, the players from Shengjing City were remarkably unified, and killing players from Four Seasons City was as easy as cutting through melons. This, however, also united the players from Four Seasons City, fostering a sense of shared purpose and leading them to band together.
Huang Xueyi and Tianya Kuangdao had visited Black Soil City several times to negotiate with the Qingcheng Guild's leader, Qingcheng. However, they received the response: "What were you doing back then? What were you thinking when you abandoned us? Get lost, as far away as you can!" This tall woman with a mature figure, Qingcheng, when meeting Huang Xueyi and Tianya Kuangdao, either intentionally or unintentionally, removed her veil, revealing her true face to them. But as soon as her childlike voice emerged, the two men were completely stunned. Upon seeing Qingcheng, their reaction was no less than Chu Tian's. Tianya Kuangdao even exclaimed, "Holy crap!" and nearly slid off his chair. This further enraged Qingcheng, who immediately ordered them to be thrown out. They hadn't even gone far, having just exited the city, when they were ambushed by thousands of rogues. The people they had brought with them were swiftly assassinated. The remaining two were subjected to individual slashes from a horde of rogues, lasting for a full thirty minutes before their throats were slit.
Upon returning, Huang Xueyi and Tianya Kuangdao were furious, considering it a profound humiliation. From then on, the Slaughter Guild and the Qingcheng Guild formed an alliance, becoming bitter enemies, leading to constant friction for over a year. This was the source of the Slaughter Guild's predicament. To the south, they faced the formidable God's Defiance Alliance; to the north, they contended with the wolves of the Qingcheng Guild Alliance.
Of course, the God's Defiance Alliance wasn't having an easy time either. With the opening of the war zone boundary, the Slaughter Guild had requested reinforcements from the other three war zones. The other three war zones, aiming to unify all war zones, could reduce Dragon City's defenses by up to forty percent. However, their grand entrance ended in a hasty retreat!
Initially, they were concerned about the city's interconnected defenses. But when they advanced into the area, they discovered that the God's Defiance Alliance had not activated their shield. Instead, they had formed a defensive formation, awaiting their arrival. As they charged furiously towards the meager numbers of the God's Defiance Alliance, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted. A cannonball emitting green fire detonated in their midst, sending a mushroom cloud billowing into the sky. This single shot terrified the allied forces of the three war zones. A quarter of their manpower had evaporated from this blast.
Following this, they witnessed a large passage slowly opening in the center of the God's Defiance Alliance's ranks. With a rumbling sound and powerful engine noise, a colossal behemoth slowly advanced.
"Holy crap, a tank?" This was the thought on the minds of all the surviving members of the allied armies from the three war zones. This caused immense commotion. Standing atop the tank, which stood thirty to forty meters tall, was a person. This individual stood with one hand behind his back, exuding an air of swagger, and holding a microphone.
"You grandsons from the three factions, come on... try my demonized evil energy war chariot!" The allied forces from the four factions were utterly bewildered. They had never seen anything like this. To call it a tank seemed insufficient, given its sheer size. The person had just called it a "demonized evil energy war chariot." How was this thing created? How incredibly formidable was the God's Defiance Alliance? Their president had been offline for so long, yet they remained so powerful?
At this moment, the various leaders and guild masters of the allied forces felt a sense of powerlessness. It was as if the existence of the God's Defiance Alliance was a mountain pressing down on them, preventing them from ever occupying a place on the stage of history. This caused them considerable distress.
"Come, bear my wrath! Prepare... to reload!" The demonized evil energy war chariot made mechanical noises. Its colossal cannon barrel slowly retracted, and the muzzle began to glow.
"Retreat... Retreat quickly!" A shout suddenly echoed from within the allied forces of the three factions. This cry acted like a fuse. With a rush, countless people began to surge backward. They were terrified. This group started to run back, with some shouting, "Holy crap, run!" "I came to fight, not to be cannon fodder!" "One of my brothers who was blown up just messaged me saying he dropped 10 levels directly!" "What? 10 levels? Are you kidding? Dying once only drops twenty percent experience!" "It's true, I just asked. This thing is strange, run!"
Countless shouts arose, one after another. The leader-level figures among the allied forces shouted orders, and some even resorted to killing their own men. However, only a handful of them could do anything against a million players scattering like leaves in the wind. These million players stampeded backward. Two unfortunate allied leaders were trampled to death by the throng. This chaos lasted for over ten minutes, eventually leaving behind a messy landscape of footprints. The million-strong allied forces vanished.
At this moment, the person standing atop the evil energy demonized war chariot sat down abruptly on the chariot. "Damn it, good thing I scared them. One cannonball costs over seven hundred thousand gold coins, and it took three months to build. If I had to produce another one, I really wouldn't have it!" This person was none other than Mo Shi, a capable subordinate of Chu Tian, known as "Didn't Bring Paper to Big Account!"
Beside him stood a woman. This woman also wore a look of lingering fear. This was none other than Gao Kai's wife, Chu Tian's Honorary President, Lei Qingcheng... Qi Xi! After Chu Tian disappeared, Luo Luo, Zhao Lei, Gao Kai, and Jing Kaiyu – these four guild veterans, pillars of strength – gradually reduced their online time. Especially Luo Luo, who hadn't been online at all a month after Chu Tian's departure. The entire guild affairs of the God's Defiance Alliance were entirely handed over to Qi Xi.
This woman had never imagined that after marrying Gao Kai, she had planned to leave Bincheng for Shengjing. When she couldn't find a job, she decided to help Chu Tian out of a favor. She had initially intended to work in the guild's logistics. Now, here she was. After Chu Tian bestowed upon her the title of Honorary President, he became a hands-off manager without a word. Over the past two years, Chu Tian would occasionally appear in the first half of the year, but then he truly disappeared.
Although Qi Xi knew some things about Chu Tian, Gao Kai had not provided her with any detailed explanations. This was the only thing Gao Kai had kept from Qi Xi. Several times, Qi Xi had argued with Gao Kai in reality, but Gao Kai would only say: "It's better for us if you know less about Xiao Tian's affairs." This inevitably led to Qi Xi's complaints. However, she remained fully committed to her work and showed no slackening in the development of the God's Defiance Alliance. Although confined to the Shengjing City area, the God's Defiance Alliance's economic income was not insignificant. As Honorary President, she had everything she desired. Even if she found another job, it wouldn't match the income of this one.
Women, after all, have their little tempers. Qi Xi was currently in the Luo family's small world and had heard about everything happening outside. Just now, she had clearly seen Chu Tian's comings and goings from the mountain near the Luo family's residence. Seeing Chu Tian's lewd, domineering, and murderous demeanor, she pouted.
"Finally back. If you hadn't returned soon... that girl Luo Luo wouldn't have been able to hold on!" Qi Xi murmured softly, her gaze directed towards Luo Luo and the other two women. She felt happy for them. After over a year of interaction, women could easily become friends without any ulterior motives. Moreover, Qi Xi wasn't much older than Luo Luo.
When she was still a young girl, she had been rescued by Gao Kai during one of his missions. From that moment on, she vowed to marry Gao Kai, a promise and a wait that lasted over ten years! She thought that if it weren't for Chu Tian, Gao Kai might not have accepted her until now.
"Go take care of your business! What you've entrusted me with, I will guard for you!" Qi Xi murmured again, turning and returning to her room.
Chu Tian, naturally, was unaware of all this. He was even more unaware that Qi Xi harbored a sense of gratitude towards him. Gao Kai also didn't know that Qi Xi's previous arguments with him weren't complaints, but rather her genuine concern for Chu Tian, whom she considered her benefactor!