"Top player on the Famous People Rank! Happy, it's actually you?! I've heard of your name for a long time!" Ancient Wind's face was filled with surprise and crazed delight. His attention instantly shifted completely to Happy.
"You praise me too much."
"I definitely did not praise you too much. I was puzzled just now and was wondering who on earth could get the attention of the teachers from the six sects. I didn't expect it to be you."
Ancient Wind looked excited, and his slightly exaggerated words caused the people who had went to Shaolin Temple and Wudang Sect to look at them. Their gazes wandered about Happy's face, and their eyes began to sparkle with even more vigor than before.
"The teachers are discussing something of great importance, so it'd be best if you kept quiet," Zhou Zhiruo reminded him at the perfect moment. Clearly, she was very displeased with Ancient Wind making a fuss out of nothing.
"Urk, sorry." Ancient Wind clearly did not want to leave behind a bad impression in Zhou Zhiruo's heart, and he apologized repeatedly. His voice also became much softer.
Zhou Zhiruo repeated the words she just said to Happy, then opened her mouth to give them a little more information.
"Five Banner Division is divided into Sharp Gold Banner, Great Log Banner, Tidal Wave Banner, Scorching Fire Banner, and Great Earth Banner. Each banner contains astonishing fighting prowess. Five Banner Division has protected the evil cult for some time, and their movements cannot be predicted.
"They have been keeping a guard on the path to Light Summit, and there is no way to fend against them effectively. Many of the scouts from our sects have either died or were heavily injured by their hands. Up until now, we haven't managed to make any progress. We can only wait for the day the heroes gathered in this place to force our way up Light Summit."
"Five Banner Division?"
Ancient Wind's expression grew solemn as he listened attentively. In the movies, when Ming Cult defended against the attacks of the six sects, Five Banner Division played a huge part in the battle. They killed countless wandering martial artists, and their abilities were much stronger than of the disciples from the branch cults.
"Aside from killing the enemies, you must also be careful of Great Earth Banner's ambush from the tunnels, Tidal Wave Banner's poison, Sharp Gold Banner's arrows and throwing axes…
"When there is a need for it, pay attention to and protect your companions nearby."
The system's notification arrived.
"Ding!
"Received subquest. On the way to attack Light Summit, protect the important Emei Sect disciple Zhou Zhiruo, Zhou Zhiruo's eldest senior sister, and Zhou Zhiruo's second senior sister."
The trio looked at each other. It was clear that they had all accepted the quest.
Zhou Zhiruo continued to give them more information.
"There is also one more thing that you need to pay attention to when we attack Light Summit. Beware of the flag bearers of Five Banner Division, along with their elites. If you kill them, you can destroy the operational system of Five Banner Division and reduce the teamwork between the division."
The system gave another notification.
"Ding!
"Received assassination subquest. On your way to attack Light Summit, with every normal disciple from Five Banner Division or Ming Cult member you kill, you will gain one point. With every flag bearer you kill, you will gain ten points. With every Five Banner Division elite you kill, you will gain thirty points! Once the battle ends, you can ask for rewards from Mistress Annihilation."
The others also received their subquests, and when they looked at Happy, their gazes sparkled even more.
If Happy's actions had not inspired them, they would not have received those subquests and shortened the distance between them and the six great system-allocated sects. It was something that even the players who were disciples of the six sects were not privileged to have. They could only trigger their own quests while they were at Light Summit.
Since the quest had not officially begun, and there was still a long time before the battle at Light Summit would begin, Happy and Momo discussed among themselves to log off for a while. The moment the quest was about to officially begin, they would log in.
Happy used that period of time to eat all the food that Xu Xin had prepared beforehand for him. He then rested for a while before he returned to the game.
When he logged in, he noticed that the atmosphere nearby had become slightly different.
There were more people around!
What caught Happy's attention the most was Class One Hall's Blood Robes and Dream Clouds appearing together at Mount Hua Sect's camp. When they noticed Happy's gaze, they looked over at the same time, and their eyes focused.
"Happy, we finally meet." Blood Robes smiled and stood up elegantly before he walked over. He smiled broadly and said, "Let's get to know each other. I'm Blood Robes, and am currently a vice hall master of Class One Hall."
'I obviously know you.'
Happy would naturally not say those words. Blood Robes was the person who had met him in reality in his previous life and got him drunk before he proceeded to destroy everything in his life.
Happy suppressed his urge to draw his sword while looking at the other's smiling face and stood up slowly.
"You're Blood Robes. You're the one who led the team during the fight against Beautiful Robes Faction…"
Blood Robes placed his hands behind his back and said with his smile ever present, "Heh, friendship grows in an exchange of blows. I am truly regretful toward your friends and Beautiful Robes Faction."
His tone and expression made him seem incredibly sincere, but Happy could clearly sense that Blood Robes was trying to make him mad.
Momo had also been paying attention to Blood Robes after she logged in. When she heard his words, she tightened her grip over her longsword.
Chapter 408 - Provocation, Counterattack!
Beautiful Robes Faction might have merged with Mu Clan, but its destruction was a wound in Happy's heart.
Blood Robes was also the enemy Happy hated the most. He had just elevated his own status in Happy's heart to the enemy he must absolutely kill after he led his people to destroy Beautiful Robes Faction.
Hence, when Blood Robes appeared in front of him with a fake smile and mentioned the matter of Beautiful Robes Faction's destruction, an extreme anger swiftly grew in Happy's c.h.e.s.t, and it nearly burned his rationality to ashes.
His mortal enemy was right before him!
Happy s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath, and his gaze turned sharp and cold. He wanted to kill Blood Robes with a single slash and take revenge for his brothers in Beautiful Robes Faction as well as resolve his grudge from his previous life.
But at that moment, Happy suddenly noticed the gazes from the teachers of the six great system-allocated sects.
'Something's wrong.'
His movements came to a pause.
A bad thought flashed in Happy's heart.
Blood Robes should know that he was in possession of Emperor Shocks World, and he could kill whomever he wanted instantly if they were close to him by tearing through their defenses. Yet he acted arrogantly and haughtily, which meant he had support—the teachers from the six great system-allocated sects.
As if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, Happy's rampaging emotions swiftly calmed down. He cast a glance at Dream Clouds, who was in a crowd of people in Mount Hua Sect, and he cursed her for her sinister nature.
There were six teachers with unfathomable strength by the side, so if he attacked recklessly, there was a high possibility that he would cause Annihilation, the abbot from Shaolin Temple, and the others to misunderstand him, and even regard him with hostility. It was not impossible for them to kill him on the spot either.
'Blood Robes… what a man you are. As expected of a monster from a top-class gaming guild. You actually managed to think of a way to use others to help you get a kill.'
When Happy thought of that, he quelled the crazed rage and killing intent in his heart and said coldly, "There's nothing to regret for you, is there? If you're really that eager to go, we can solve this on the spot. Do you want to fight right in front of the seniors from the six sects?"
His words made the expressions of the players who had sensed their hostility to change. All of them looked very eager.
Blood Robes and Dream Clouds' expressions changed.
'This brat sure can control his emotions.' A cold glare shone in Blood Robes' eyes.
In truth, he had indeed tried to provoke Happy just to lure him to attack without warning. Then, he wanted to use the teachers of the six great system-allocated sects to kill Happy, but he did not expect that the youth would notice it. Instead of rushing in, he decided to go along with the conversation and suggested that they settle it with a duel, causing Blood Robes' plan to fall to ruin.
He could not destroy Class One Hall and his own prestige before so many people. Hence, he immediately smiled calmly and said, "Let's not do it today. The six sects are about to begin their attack on Light Summit. If we fight now, we might not be able to decide the victor. Why don't we fight after this quest is over?"
The people in the area nodded. They felt that Blood Robes' words were logical.
The disciples of the six great system-allocated sects had also begun to shrink their formation. Quite a number of Ming Cult disciples had appeared on Mount Huangshan, so a great battle was about to erupt!
Right after Blood Robes finished speaking…
"We don't actually need that much time."
Happy stood up at a moderate pace right before everyone's eyes. While drawing his Noble Sword from the ground, he looked at Blood Robes, whose expression had changed slightly.
"I have always loved to spar against others to make friends. I heard a long time ago that you inherited Star S.u.c.k.i.n.g Great Skill, and I've been itching to fight against you. Since you also have such thoughts, why don't we just go along with the flow and do it now? Don't worry, we won't need that much time. We'll end it in ten moves! If I can't end the battle in ten moves, then I, Happy, will willingly admit defeat!"
His last sentence caused Blood Robes' expression to turn so red that he looked purple.
'He's too arrogant…'
Even though Happy had made himself sound very tactful and polite, every person in the area could tell just how great his killing intent and confidence were.
He wanted to use ten moves to kill Blood Robes, who was the successor of Star S.u.c.k.i.n.g Great Skill, and whom everyone said was invincible when it came to one-on-one fights?
Ancient Wind's eyes sparkled while he remained by the side. He could not believe that Happy, who had been very cordial and gentle when he communicated with others, would be like a sword that had never been sheathed when he faced a monster from Class One Hall! He fully displayed his might!
Dream Clouds' expression changed repeatedly while she was in the crowd. Her eyes sparkled, and she seemed to be thinking about the possibility of Happy winning by deciphering his arrogant words.
"Oh."
"Boy… you sure are confident. You want to defeat me in ten moves?"
A man who cared about his image in other people's hearts would usually not allow anyone to challenge their dignity. As Blood Robes spoke, he could not help but release a great deal of killing intent.
When Happy saw that the fake smile on Blood Robes' face had fallen away and his mask had finally been torn, he felt pleased. He did not hesitate and said resolutely, "If you don't lose in ten moves, then my skills are simply beneath yours."
Right after he finished speaking, Blood Robes began laughing coldly in a continuous fashion.
Everyone held their breaths. Even the elites and teachers from the six great system-allocated sects watched the development of the matter with cold gazes. The atmosphere in the area became even graver, and the animosity in the air was so great that conflict could break out at any second.
At that moment, Momo did not forget to add oil to the fire. She stood up and moved to the back so that she could be more than thirty feet away from them.
"Blood Robes, don't worry. It might even be too many if we're talking about ten moves. Hurry up and fight. The quest is about to start."
Momo's actions finally made Dream Clouds' expression change drastically while she was in the crowd. A hint of unease appeared in her eyes.
"Blood Robes—"
The cry that came from her lips was drowned out by Blood Robes' sudden shout.
"Alright!"
Dream Clouds saw Blood Robes, who was usually calm and willing to face anyone with a smile, lose the elegance he usually had for some strange reason. He lost all control over his emotions. His expression was twisted into a savage look, and his gaze was cold and fierce.
While he spoke, he did so with exasperation and through gritted teeth. "Some Happy you are. I'd like to see whether that position of yours as the top-ranked player on the Famous People Rank is something you managed to get by boasting your way up there. You want to defeat me with ten moves? How arrogant!"
As he spoke, a powerful qi surged out of his body. The dust in the area flew with an astonishing momentum.
"Blood Robes extended a duel invitation to you. Will you accept it?"
The moment the system notified Happy of the duel invitation, he accepted it without another word.
Once the ceremony for an official duel was completed, even if someone was killed, the characters in the main storyline could not interfere, because they were witnesses.
"Blood Robes." Dream Clouds could no longer hold herself back. She stood up and walked out from among the disciples of Mount Hua Sect.
Her gaze was cold and awe-inspiring beneath her silver veil. "What time do you think it is? Why are you acting on impulse here?! Are the matters of the guild are less important than your personal glory and honor? Happy is still young, and it's easy for him to be rash. I can fully understand that, but you're more than ten years older than him, and you're acting so foolishly with him ? Come back!"
He had finally made Blood Robes angry after considerable effort and caused him to extend a duel invitation himself, so there was no way he would let Dream Clouds destroy everything.
In his previous life, he'd had quite a close "relationship" with Blood Robes, and he had in-depth understanding regarding Star S.u.c.k.i.n.g Great Skill's battle prowess. With Blood Robes' abilities right then—he had not mastered the technique yet—he would only be able to display a very limited amount of the techniques' abilities. It… would not be that difficult for Happy to kill Blood Robes within ten moves!
However, just when Happy and Blood Robes were about to exchange blows, a voice calling out the name of Buddha reached their ears and snapped them out of their rage.
"Amitabha!"
Happy and Blood Robes stopped moving. They were dragged out of their duel because of that one voice calling out the name of Buddha.
"It is time! My peers in the world of martial artists, we will attack Light Summit and destroy this evil cult in one fell swoop!"
Someone flung a huge vajra, and the shouts for bloody murder swiftly filled the entirety of Mount Huangshan like an avalanche.
Chapter 409 - Splitting Up
It was as expected of the abbot in charge of Shaolin Temple. Even though the old monk was so stubborn that many found him annoying in the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, his Buddhist martial arts were very pure. With one declaration of Buddha's name, he had calmly infused the power of mantras from Buddhist's Lion Roar.
Happy felt his body tremble, and his qi was completely dissolved. It was also difficult for him to gather up his qi within a short period of time. During it, he would be unable to bring out the body fortification effects of Golden Bell Cocoon.
This made Happy feel gloomy, but at the same time, he was secretly relieved that he did not recklessly attack Blood Robes. Otherwise, he would have been unable to avoid the Lion Roar eve
n if he activated Petite Dragon.
Blood Robes' expression was not any better.
He did not believe that Happy could defeat him within ten moves, but Dream Clouds' words had caused him to lose his dignity in front of the people. He snorted coldly and returned to Mount Hua Sect's camp.
At that moment, they were no longer the center of attention!
The people from the six great system-allocated sects stood up.
"Teachers, to prevent anyone from the evil cult escaping, I believe that it would be best if we split up and each of us led a large group of people to surround the mountain while we also attacked head-on. We would trap the people from the evil cult in Light Summit and destroy them in one go."
Emei Sect's Mistress Annihilation stood up. Her gaze was as cold as ice, and her killing intent was awe-inspiring.
Song Yuanqiao might have felt slightly uncomfortable because of the great killing intent from the woman who had become a nun, but he still showed his support to Emei Sect's decision on the surface. "Mistress, you're right. The six sects will split up. We'll lead large groups on Light Summit, and if we run into elites from the evil cult, we will immediately send a messenger pigeon to warn you."
"Great Swordsman Song of Wudang Sect has agreed to this. What do the rest of you think?"
"We'll go along with it!"
Each sect agreed to it.
The disciples of the six great system-allocated sects divided themselves into multiple teams and surged up Mount Huangshan like a tidal wave.
"Follow them!" Zhou Zhiruo shouted at Happy and the others. They did not dare to be negligent and quickly followed behind a group of Emei Sect disciples.
Dream Clouds and Blood Rivers quickly headed in another direction with the people from Mount Hua Sect. They disappeared without a trace.
There were more than one thousand extraordinary martial artists from everywhere following behind the disciples of Emei Sect. Further back were a group of players who followed them cautiously and tentatively. They did not intend to be the vanguard.
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