Chapter 1

Guan Rongfei’s list of materials made even Ye Xiu sigh. But if this list were seen by other club guilds, it wouldn't just be a sigh; what kind of bloody storm would it contain?

Losing the fight for Wild Bosses was commonplace for any club guild. But frequently losing to the same guild was disruptive. This disruptive theme had been subtly present for a year and a half. Although Happy hadn't dominated, their profits far exceeded any powerhouse guild's production value in that time. That was an undeniable fact.

In the ninth season's end-of-year reviews, all major club guilds submitted failing reports. The number of Wild Bosses was limited. If one guild had more, another had less. With so many taken by Happy, the remaining guilds couldn't meet their targets.

The guild departments were embarrassed, and the bosses looked grim.

Yet, they couldn't over-criticize. Happy's competitiveness wasn't a secret; they had Ye Xiu. If the guild could defeat him, they should have transferred those members to the pro team to compete for championships.

The only comfort for the clubs was that they weren't the only ones with shrinking production values. Their main rivals were also frowning about it.

For a year and a half, they had exhausted various methods. After the level 75 update, pro players even risked affecting their condition to enhance their competitiveness in the game.

The pro players' involvement had a noticeable impact, but it wasn't absolute. After the update, Happy Guild continued to dominate.

Losing the Dragon Sword Master battle wasn't unique. Happy had snatched Bosses from pro players before.

But in this battle, with Yu Wenzhou, Xiao Shiqin, and Wang Jiexi present, they clearly felt that they couldn't keep up with Ye Xiu's pace in team battles.

How could this be?

The masters understood.

They were at the top of Glory, but detached from the game. They still had an advantage over ordinary players, but when they faced Ye Xiu, who was on par with them, the gap widened.

In a way, they were like newbies in front of Ye Xiu, defeated by his experience.

It was an awkward situation. Guild players had game experience but lacked Ye Xiu's skills. The pros had skills but lacked experience in large-scale battles and Boss fights.

This was a problem. Happy's advantage was somewhat inevitable.

After the Dragon Sword Master fight, the involved teams reflected deeply on this.

It was the summer break. Pro players were on holiday. Clubs couldn't demand they handle in-game matters. More importantly, in-game matters improved the team's hardware, but players might transfer during the window. Players with unstable positions were unlikely to fight for hardware improvements. They preferred to hone their skills, improving their own software.

Each player had their own considerations, but everyone had a heart that chased Glory.

The Thunder team didn't worry about transfers. They stayed in the team during the summer.

Micro Herb and Blue Rain had rookies with room to grow. They used the summer to train them, gaining considerable support.

After rebuilding, Hundred Blossom emerged from its slump. Though they narrowly lost to Tyranny in the playoffs, they showed tenacity. They were ambitious for the new season. The day after their elimination, they prepared for the next season. Zhang Jiale, who returned to Tyranny for a championship, faced criticism from Hundred Blossom fans, but it was less than expected. People placed new hopes on the new Hundred Blossom, moving on from the past and looking forward to the future.

There were other teams.

Tyranny's veterans hadn't given up. Would the tenth season be their last chance? They didn't know, but they would fight as if it were, treasuring every moment and not letting the break dull their resolve.

Even before the celebrations ended, the defending champion, Samsara, quickly signed Sun Xiang and One Autumn Leaf. Their determination was evident. Chasing a three-peat, the symbol of a dynasty, Samsara continued its glorious journey. They wouldn't slack off this summer either.

Showing their sharp edge, Howling entered the playoffs as the third seed, surprising everyone. They reached the semi-finals but were swept by Samsara. Losing to the eventual champion wasn't a disgrace, but the proud youngsters felt it was an anticlimactic end. Defeat was defeat, and they couldn't find any solace. They wanted complete victory.

Then there were Misty Rain, Void, 301, Royal Wind, even Everbright, Ascendant, and Magnificent Light...

The Glory Alliance's tenth season, the tenth year of the professional scene, and the first full season since the level cap increased to 75, every team seemed to have a reason not to fail and was more active than ever. Their burning ambition made this summer even hotter.

Another level 75 Wild Boss fight.

This was the focus of every club guild, directly affecting their silver equipment upgrades. Which guild didn't have Guan Rongfei's material list?

Lieping Mountains, Shadow Military Advisor Sha Han, a Dark-elemental Boss, dropped Dark-elemental equipment and materials favoring those classes.

Blue Rain's Warlock, Sorcerer, Misty Rain's Ninja, Dark Forest, Howling's Thief, Unconfirmed Devil, 301's Assassin, Scene Killer.

The four All-Star Dark-elemental characters were their team's cores. Shadow Military Advisor Sha Han was their priority. Samsara, Void, Thunder, and others with Dark-elemental mains wouldn't miss it. And Happy had Wei Chen's Warlock, Wind Howl, and Mo Fan's Ninja, Deception.

In a ravine in the Lieping Mountains, Shadow Military Advisor Sha Han, cloaked and with an indistinct face, walked in the shadows under the cliffs. Guilds arrived with intel and quickly filled the ravine, finding the terrain troublesome.

The ravine was flanked by high, steep cliffs, making formations impossible. The ravine wasn't wide enough for even one team to fight the Boss effectively, let alone... one, two, three, four...

There were too many to count! Guild players complained, but their presidents remained silent. They were only nominal leaders. With pro players present, they would defer, especially with captains like Yu Wenzhou.

"Captain Yu, this is hard to fight!" Blue Brook Guild's president, Chun Yi Lao, discussed the situation with captain Yu Wenzhou.

"Mm..." Yu Wenzhou replied, tapping the keyboard, deep in thought.

Huang Shaotian wasn't as quiet. He and Lu Hanwen, a big and small swordsman, were hiding somewhere. Yu Wenzhou could only hear Huang Shaotian's voice through his headset.

"This time, we must be calm and not expose our identities. Ye Xiu is a despicable player. If he recognizes us, he'll call us out, like last time, you know." Huang Shaotian lectured Lu Hanwen.

"Senior, it seems you exposed yourself last time? Where does 'we' come from?" Lu Hanwen asked.

"Excuses! If you're not careful, he'll easily recognize you." Huang Shaotian said.

"But... he doesn't seem to be here? I don't see Happy Guild." Lu Hanwen said.

"Hmph, how could he not be?" Huang Shaotian sneered. "He just asked me on QQ where I was. He must be here, just hiding."

"Oh, I understand." Lu Hanwen nodded. "Even if he wasn't originally here, after you told him where you were, he must be coming."

"Eh?" Huang Shaotian paused. That logic sounded wrong.

"Hanwen," Huang Shaotian said earnestly, "You know, my hands are super fast, often faster than my mind. It's like that with operations, and sometimes when seeing problems."

"I understand. No wonder the captain often emphasizes the importance of controlling hand speed." Lu Hanwen said.

"Hahaha, because he doesn't have to face this problem!" Huang Shaotian said.

"The captain is looking over." Lu Hanwen noticed Yu Wenzhou seemed interested in their conversation.

"Shut up! Focus! Focus, got it, Hanwen!" Huang Shaotian shouted.