Chapter 458: Gambler

Air mounts began to spark heated discussions among players. With the introduction of the air mount system, Nie Yan’s name became widely known among players across various empires, significantly boosting the reputation of the Bull Riders guild.

Nie Yan’s recent actions truly shook the entire server. Although the air mount system had been introduced on the official website for some time and players had been eagerly anticipating it, no one expected it to be launched in such a manner.

In the Sater Empire, the Blood Sacrifice Totem Fortress stood tall, its walls rising over twenty yards high and studded with black spikes that exuded a chilling aura.

At the center of the Blood Sacrifice Totem Fortress stood a grand building—the headquarters of the Angel Dominion guild.

Currently, Angel Dominion controlled three cities and fifty-one fortresses within the Sater Empire, making it an undisputed giant and the dominant force in the entire empire.

The top members of Angel Dominion had gathered anxiously in the meeting hall, creating a scene of intense activity.

At the front of the hall stood Angyiyuansu, wearing a light white decorative robe. Since they were inside the fortress, he had taken off his full gear and wore only a simple robe. He scanned the room and asked, “Haven’t Cryrock and Reaper arrived yet?”

“They’re running a dungeon with Bark, Paterson, and Liusha,” explained a guild member nearby.

Angyiyuansu nodded and glanced around. There were about a hundred people in the hall.

“It seems most of us are here. Let’s begin. Today, we’re discussing the air mount system. Although aerial combat may not become the mainstream, one thing is certain—it will be crucial. Every air mount is a powerful strategic resource. The flying speed of air mounts is astonishing, allowing them to easily cross borders. Once their numbers grow, they can easily launch surprise attacks on fortresses. As you all have heard by now, the rogue Lunatic Nie Yan has obtained the first air mount. We cannot afford to fall behind. Starting today, I want everyone to conduct a thorough search. Any quest clues related to air mounts must be reported immediately—none can be overlooked,” Angyiyuansu declared. Although it would take time for air mounts to become widespread, Angel Dominion needed to start preparing now. Lunatic Nie Yan’s acquisition of the first air mount posed a significant threat to him.

The subordinates quickly relayed Angyiyuansu’s orders. The Angel Dominion leadership was highly efficient, divided into various sectors managed by different responsible individuals. The message was swiftly disseminated to every ordinary player.

“Keep a close watch on the Bull Riders through the Mage Alliance and Sacred Guardians. How is Angel Fall doing?” Angyiyuansu turned to a lean shaman among the guild members and asked.

“Angel Fall is locked in intense battles with several guilds and won’t be able to focus on development for now. However, for some unknown reason, they’ve recently received a large influx of funds, catching those guilds off guard,” the shaman reported.

“A large influx of funds?” Angyiyuansu frowned, suddenly recalling that Nie Yan had previously auctioned off a large amount of equipment from the underground world. A sudden realization struck him—could there be some connection between the Bull Riders and Angel Fall? “Investigate this thoroughly!”

“Yes!”

“How are Maniac and Fallen doing?” Angyiyuansu asked. He knew that although Maniac and Fallen were no match for Lunatic Nie Yan, they should be able to provoke him into action, at least gauging Nie Yan’s strength. They knew very little about Lunatic Nie Yan. Before Maniac and Fallen went after him, they had made thorough preparations.

“Lunatic Nie Yan is currently on a quest. Everyone is talking about air mounts, and the topic of challenges seems to have quieted down.”

“Let them wait a bit longer. The Bull Riders will definitely show up. I don’t believe they’ll ignore Maniac and Fallen’s provocations,” Angyiyuansu said. He firmly believed the Bull Riders wouldn’t let Maniac and Fallen’s challenges go unanswered.

Angyiyuansu continued assigning tasks for Angel Dominion’s future plans. He himself also began devising ways to search for flying mounts, determined not to fall behind Lunatic Nie Yan!

Besides Angel Dominion, guilds such as the Mage Alliance and Sacred Guardians also began taking swift action. All players started searching for flying mounts, and no one could predict how many flying mounts would emerge in the future.

Nie Yan had triggered a massive upheaval. He himself was also devising ways to hatch the Darkwing Dragon. Only after the dragon egg hatched could he truly claim to possess a flying mount.

After saying goodbye to Breckspeare, Nie Yan headed towards Carol City with the newly recruited Karrens and the others. In the future, when traveling, Karrens and his team could handle certain matters on his behalf, eliminating the need for him to intervene personally.

At the central plaza of Carol City, Maniac and Fallen continued to accept challenges from players. Few could match their strength. Although Lunatic Nie Yan hadn’t appeared, players understood that he wasn’t avoiding combat—he was simply occupied with a quest and had no time to come.

“It seems we’ve been ignored. The Bull Riders don’t seem to have any intention of showing up,” Fallen said with a bitter smile.

Maniac stepped back after finishing a battle, letting out a sigh of relief. After fighting dozens of matches in a row, he felt like vomiting.

“Damn that Lunatic Nie Yan, hiding like a coward and not showing up yet…” Maniac, known for his temper, couldn’t help but curse.

They continued provoking the Bull Riders with various words, but the Bull Riders remained unresponsive.

The arena was still surrounded by a large crowd of players. They understood that the Bull Riders would eventually show up. Once they did, this place would witness an intense showdown that no one wanted to miss, so they refused to leave.

The area around the arena was packed, and Maniac was growing increasingly impatient when sudden excited shouts erupted from the crowd.

“The Bull Riders are here!”

“That’s Shui Se Yantou. I heard that during the last battle at Krips Fortress, he charged into the Bloodthirsty Blades’ crowd alone and slaughtered over thirty people, including two high mages!”

“That’s Cui Can Daoguang. I’ve heard of him. He’s the Bull Riders’ main tank, with over 1,800 defense!”

The crowd stirred, gradually parting to reveal a total of eight people.

Shui Se Yantou, Cui Can Daoguang, Desire Touched Youth, Benzhi Mowang, Li Li Huasha, Leader Brother Seven, Black & White, and Wu Feng. The Bull Riders’ elite members hadn’t all arrived. Notable members like Sun were still completing quests.

The eight of them occupied a corner near the arena.

“Five gold per match is too boring. Let’s bet something bigger, or we won’t bother playing with you,” Shui Se Yantou said indifferently, casting a clearly provocative glance at Maniac.

“You finally showed up. I was getting sick of waiting. Tell me, how big do you want it?” Maniac recognized Shui Se Yantou and the others, lifting his greatsword onto his shoulder and coldly responding.

After being enemies with the Bull Riders for so long, they were already familiar with each other.

The top members of Angel Dominion and the Bull Riders were finally clashing. This was just the beginning, with only a few members from each side present.

“I’ll go first,” Shui Se Yantou said to Cui Can Daoguang and the others, then leaped onto the arena.

Seeing Shui Se Yantou step onto the arena, the players below erupted in excitement.

“Unexpectedly, Shui Ge is the first to take the stage.”

Indeed, the Bull Riders had several well-known members. Nie Yan was naturally the most famous, followed by Shui Se Yantou, Cui Can Daoguang, and Sun. The others were slightly less renowned but still figures of admiration among ordinary players.

“Let’s make it more exciting. The winner can take any piece of equipment from the loser,” Shui Se Yantou said. He had to admit that Maniac and Fallen’s gear was quite impressive. Angel Dominion rarely participated in wars and hadn’t suffered significant losses even during the Krips Fortress battle, unlike the Bull Riders, where everyone had died a few times. Their equipment naturally couldn’t compare to Angel Dominion’s.

Like Shui Se Yantou, he had once lost an epic-tier piece of equipment to the Bloodthirsty Blades after dying. However, Shui Se Yantou and the others had their own advantages. They were all battle-hardened veterans, having survived countless life-and-death situations. Their mastery of PVP techniques and combat experience far surpassed that of Angel Dominion members.

Upon hearing Shui Se Yantou’s words, the players below held their breath. They hadn’t expected him to propose such a high-stakes bet. For a skilled player, each piece of equipment was painstakingly acquired, with no equivalent available on the market. Losing even one would significantly impact their strength.

Maniac’s heart also skipped a beat. Shui Se Yantou was like a reckless gambler, constantly challenging the limits and dancing with death. Maniac, on the other hand, was accustomed to overpowering others with superior gear and strength. This kind of high-risk, all-or-nothing game wasn’t something he usually played.

However, refusing Shui Se Yantou’s challenge at this moment would undoubtedly diminish his imposing presence.

“Fine, let’s bet on equipment,” Maniac said, stepping to one end of the arena and facing off with Shui Se Yantou.

Fallen glanced at Cui Can Daoguang and the others below. Shui Se Yantou was playing such a dangerous game, yet his companions remained utterly unfazed, treating it as routine without even attempting to stop him. This unsettled Fallen deeply. Suddenly, he began to comprehend why the Bull Riders had managed to dominate both the Triumph Empire and the Bloodthirsty Blades. Though the Triumph Empire and the Bloodthirsty Blades were no weaker in strength compared to the Bull Riders, they lacked that fearless, life-or-death ferocity.

A player like Shui Se Yantou, when fully committed and willing to fight to the death, could unleash astonishing power.

The duel between Shui Se Yantou and Maniac was about to begin.

“Boss Daoguang, has Nie Yan arrived yet?” Yu Wang Ran Zhi Qingchun asked Cui Can Daoguang.

“He’s on his way and will be here soon,” Cui Can Daoguang replied. If Nie Yan arrived, things would become even more exciting.