Nie Yan and Xie Yao walked into Kristin’s Pharmacy and looked into the distance, where Kuangfa also turned his gaze toward them.
Standing beside Kuangfa were more than a dozen individuals, all elite members of the Mage Alliance.
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere inside Kristin’s Pharmacy instantly became tense, filled with a strong sense of impending conflict.
Inside the pharmacy, dozens of casual players noticed the shift in atmosphere and cautiously stepped aside.
“Is that person Nie Yan the Rogue?”
“It seems so. The one facing him is Kuangfa, the leader of the Mage Alliance.”
“I’ve heard that the Mage Alliance and the Bull Tribe have never gotten along well.”
“Yeah, now that these two archrivals have met, I wonder what will happen. I heard they just fought recently.”
They whispered among themselves, cautiously observing both sides, as neither group was one they dared to provoke.
As they were murmuring amongst themselves, an elderly NPC clad in a gray robe hurriedly approached. He was thin, wore an expensive robe, had white hair and a beard, and exuded a sense of dignity.
The players were puzzled; why had he come out?
This elderly NPC was Kristin, the owner of the pharmacy. He was responsible for supplying all the medicines used in Hilton Fortress. Within Hilton Fortress, he was a well-known figure of high status—a noble with the title of Baron. He rarely appeared in the shop; if one was lucky enough to meet him, they might be able to purchase some extremely rare and valuable potions. Generally, he only sold his potions to players of high status and prestige.
Once, several players had persistently tried to buy potions from Kristin, one of whom had even attained the rank of Viscount. Enraged, Kristin had summoned the guards and had them thrown into jail for several days, after which the troublemakers quickly quieted down. Thus, players had developed a clear impression: Kristin was definitely someone not to be trifled with in Hilton Fortress.
Since they had finally encountered Kristin, they absolutely couldn’t miss the opportunity. Several players with minor noble titles or reputations tidied up their clothes and prepared to approach him, hoping to obtain a few bottles of potions. However, to their surprise, Kristin walked straight toward Nie Yan.
“Respected Scholar, Guardian Deity, Lord Nie Yan, greetings,” Kristin said, performing a noble bow with a reverent expression.
Kristin’s words shocked everyone present, who turned to stare at Nie Yan in astonishment. Even Kuangfa was deeply shaken.
Scholar, Guardian Deity—what kind of titles were those?
They had never heard of such titles before. Judging merely from the names, the rank of these titles was unimaginably high. In the strict hierarchy of Faith, Kristin, a Baron-level NPC, was showing such humility toward Nie Yan. Just what kind of figure was Nie Yan within Hilton Fortress?
Kuangfa clenched his fists, feeling a heavy pressure in his heart. Earlier in the Council Hall, he had already suspected that Nie Yan held an extremely high status in Hilton Fortress. As the leader of one of the top guilds in the Granland Empire, he was far inferior to Nie Yan.
No other guild leader could match Nie Yan in becoming the true spiritual leader of his guild. It was precisely due to Nie Yan’s extraordinary presence that the Bull Tribe had become an undefeated legend.
In the previous ambush, had the Bull Tribe truly lost? The Mage Alliance and Holy Guardians had suffered five times the casualties to eliminate only over a thousand Bull Tribe members. Such a result could hardly be considered a victory.
“Hello, Lord Kristin,” Nie Yan nodded slightly, responding in a calm tone.
Nie Yan’s indifferent attitude once again shocked the nearby players. How dare he speak to an NPC like that? What a powerful guy!
After saying a few polite words, Kristin stood a few yards to Nie Yan’s side, maintaining an extremely humble attitude.
Nie Yan turned his gaze toward Kuangfa.
Everyone around held their breath, eager to hear what Nie Yan would say next. They realized that whatever Nie Yan said, if posted on the forums, would be a major revelation.
“A duel to the death in the Karur Death Realm—Kuangfa, do you dare to come?” Nie Yan’s gaze was cold as he stared at Kuangfa across from him. Indeed, this was a clear provocation.
The moment “Karur Death Realm” was mentioned, everyone gasped inwardly. The Karur Death Realm was no stranger to many players, as the official website had already provided detailed information about it. In Hilton Fortress, there was a wandering space mage who could use space magic to create a magical otherworld. When players needed to settle matters through a life-or-death confrontation, they could seek him out.
The Death Realm had its own rules. Players would be randomly teleported to different points on the map and would then have to face harsh conditions while battling each other. If a player died within the realm, they would lose five levels and three pieces of equipment before being ejected from the realm. In large-scale battles involving over a thousand players, the map would have ten key points. The side that captured all the points and held them for an hour would be declared the winner, so the battles would inevitably focus around these ten points. In such large-scale team fights, the commander’s ability to adapt to the situation, command skills, and understanding of terrain were all crucial.
Losing five levels and three pieces of equipment was an extremely severe punishment for any player. Unless they were bitter enemies, most players would avoid such a place.
Everyone turned their eyes to Kuangfa, speculating whether or not he would accept the challenge.
Upon hearing Nie Yan’s words, Kuangfa’s heart sank. If he accepted the challenge, with a thousand versus a thousand, the Mage Alliance would undoubtedly lose. The Bull Tribe’s one-on-one combat ability was simply too strong. The Mage Alliance had too few top-tier players to match the Bull Tribe. However, if he backed down in front of so many witnesses, the video would quickly spread online, and he, Kuangfa, would become a laughingstock.
“You set the rules,” Kuangfa replied, feigning calmness while simultaneously sending a message to Cao Xu. Kuangfa was a clever man; Century Capital was his backing, and at this moment, he could only shift all the responsibility onto them.
Lost City was a small city in the Sa’thun Empire. In a church at the city’s center, Cao Xu watched the video sent by Kuangfa, deep in thought. Previously, he had wanted to acquire the Bull Tribe because he saw its enormous potential for growth, but his offer had been rejected. If the Bull Tribe continued to grow, it would pose a significant threat to him. He had taken advantage of the conflicts between the Bull Tribe, Triumph Empire, and Holy Flame, subtly manipulating the situation to drag the Bull Tribe into a chaotic war. However, unexpectedly, the Bull Tribe had grown stronger from the battles, eventually seizing Carol City. Helplessly, he had withdrawn his investments from Carol City.
The Bull Tribe’s development was astounding, driving the rapid expansion of Dragon Jump Capital and Tianxia Group in the virtual industry. These two factions were becoming increasingly significant in the virtual industry, squeezing Century Capital’s room for survival. The dissolution of War Blade Bloodthirsty and Dragon Jump Capital’s increased investment in the virtual industry had already caused Century Capital’s stock value to drop by 1%. If the Bull Tribe continued to grow stronger, swallowing up the Mage Alliance and Holy Guardians, Cao Xu could hardly imagine the consequences.
As Faith’s reach expanded, it became a piece of meat no one was willing to give up. Cao Xu was unwilling to hand this prize over to someone else. The forces under his command and the Bull Tribe were inevitably locked in a life-or-death struggle!
Upon hearing that Nie Yan had issued a challenge to the Mage Alliance, Cao Xu paused with his teacup halfway to his lips. After a moment of contemplation, he took a sip. Nie Yan’s move was indeed ruthless. By moving the battlefield to the Death Realm, both sides would be forced to field equal numbers. With the same number of players, the Mage Alliance would have no chance against the Bull Tribe and would be completely wiped out. If Kuangfa refused, the Mage Alliance would be ridiculed across the board.
Nie Yan heard Kuangfa’s reply and inwardly sneered. Under normal circumstances, the Mage Alliance would definitely dare not accept, as the Death Realm required equal numbers from both sides. But what could they do if he was clearly going to bully them?
“The Bull Tribe and the Mage Alliance each send three thousand players for a battle in the Death Realm. We won’t call in any outside help. If the Mage Alliance feels their strength is insufficient, they can bring in reinforcements. As for the stakes, the winner can freely choose five fortresses from the loser’s cities, excluding the main fortress, and the loser must not attack for a month. How about it, you Mage Alliance trash? Do you dare to come?” Nie Yan said, his tone far from polite, filled with provocation.
The more than a dozen elite members of the Mage Alliance standing beside Kuangfa were furious, even wanting to charge forward and fight Nie Yan to the death.
Kuangfa was still hesitating. Accepting the challenge would have unimaginable consequences for the Mage Alliance. He was waiting for Cao Xu’s reply.
All the players turned their eyes to Kuangfa, waiting for his response.
“The Mage Alliance must be scared now.”
“I think so too. With equal numbers, the Mage Alliance has no chance against the Bull Tribe. If I were Kuangfa, I’d just admit defeat.”
The distant players whispered among themselves.
“Boss, it’s all up to you. If you agree, even if we know we’ll lose, the brothers of the Mage Alliance will fight them in a glorious battle. But if you back down, none of us will have the face to remain in the Mage Alliance anymore. We might as well disband,” a priest beside him said solemnly. He was Xiao Yao Feng Tian, the top priest of the Mage Alliance, an extremely influential figure.
“Yeah, Boss, a man may be killed but not disgraced!” Others immediately voiced their agreement. They were all elites of the Mage Alliance, and they had their own pride.
Cao Xu had yet to respond, and Kuangfa was under immense pressure. If he agreed, without Century Capital’s support, they would surely lose. If he refused, the pressure from people like Xiao Yao Feng Tian would be enormous. If they backed down, the entire Mage Alliance would disband.
With no good options, Kuangfa tightened his grip on his staff.
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