Once Ding Minjun did a headcount of the battlefield, the people were shocked.
Emei Sect had sent a little more than one thousand people to the raid, and in their first official battle, they lost so many people. It looked like it would be very difficult for them to continue on.
Quite a number of players at the back wore grave expressions.
Five Banner Division's abilities had always been extraordinary. With their various strategies, they could turn any place into their homefield, while their enemies could only be forced into defensive positions to resist them and counterattack. It was very difficult for them to decide their own fate.
*****
At the back of the large group were countless players who had turned into Ming Cult members. Their morale was high, and under Five Banner Division's protection, they suppressed various heroes from the distance and killed quite a number of players along their way.
The various heroes in charge of attacking Light Summit had been suppressed so badly by Ming Cult's Five Banner Division that they looked incredibly pathetic. Then, they were attacked by arrow showers from the dark, and their death count instantly increased by leaps and bounds!
They had to either break through the encirclement to head down the mountain, or be forced to retreat up the mountain. Their morale was incredibly low.
During the fight, the players among the Ming Cult disciples whispered nonstop to each other.
"Damn it, they didn't drop anything."
"Duh."
"Let's go. We have to gather more points. I heard that the person with the highest points might get Heaven and Earth Great Shift Qi Cultivation Technique!"
"Who said that nonsense?"
The morale among the members of Ming Cult had become much higher than before. Even if they did not get Heaven and Earth Great Shift Qi Cultivation Technique, if they could gain the favor of a Ming Cult elite, it would be good as well..
*****
During the time Emei Sect rested to reorganize their forces, messenger pigeons flew up and down from the crowd!
Many people were trying to get information on the progress and situation from the other groups.
Soon, the news of Ming Cult's large scale counterattack traveled among the players, and it stirred up an abnormal and uneasy atmosphere among them.
"Damn it! A large group of Ming Cult disciples is moving up with the help from those in Five Banner Division! Based on what my friends said, the strength of those people isn't that great, but they're very cunning. Their numbers aren't that much lower than ours, and they might actually be players."
"How could this be?!"
"He's right. They should be players Ming Cult drew to their side."
"Ah!"
"This is bad."
The crowd instantly burst into a commotion, and many people began complaining that it was unfair.
The six great system-allocated sects might have begun their attack with a great momentum, but on their way, the higher ups only sent their disciples and the various martial artists to attack; they never attacked themselves. Ming Cult's Five Banner Division, however, used their full strength to protect Light Summit, and they displayed their abilities right from the start!
"We can't fight this way anymore!"
"Let's go!"
"Let's just go down the mountain. That damn Mistress Annihilation. She never attacked. Does she intend to have all the Emei Sect disciples die?"
A number of players began to measure the strength of the six great system-allocated sects against the Ming Cult, and they were greatly disappointed. An idea to retreat spread among them.
Their words inevitably reached the ears of Happy and the others.
Ancient Wind tentatively approached Happy and spoke to him in a whisper while looking slightly uneasy. "What should we do? Happy, if this is true, we'll be forced into an even more defensive position by continuing."
"We'll keep them back when they come," Happy answered cooly, but his gaze wandered to the disciples beside Mistress Annihilation.
Ding Minjun and Bei Jinyi might not have displayed much of their abilities in the movies, but they were actually quite strong. During the encounter just then, they had been injured, but among the Five Banner Division members who died, more than ten of them did so because of them.
As for Zhou Zhiruo, her abilities were not inferior to those of her senior sisters, but she was not injured in the slightest. Momo followed Zhou Zhiruo around closely. When she met Happy's gaze in the air, there was slight annoyance in her eyes.
When she saw Happy walk over, she finally released a breath of relief.
"Isn't it about time for you to tell me the reason behind why I should protect Zhou Zhiruo? Don't tell me that you've taken a fancy for her beauty and to the fact that she's single…" Momo snorted lightly and stared into Happy's eyes.
Happy smiled. "You're asking even though you've guessed the reason?"
"I guessed it? Are you…" Momo's expression changed, and she frowned. She quickly lowered her voice. "What's going on? You accepted that quest? Do you want to die?"
"What other choice do I have? The system gave me that quest and asked me to protect a great beauty who is as pretty as a flower and a jade. She's even an important character to the plot. Was I supposed to refuse it?"
When Happy finished speaking, Momo rolled her eyes at him. "Of course you should have. Forget about Song Qingshu, do you intend to fight against Zhang Wuji for her? Anyone who interferes with the plot won't end up well, and no one has succeeded in the past. You'll end up dying in a ditch somewhere, and you won't even know how you died!"
Momo might have sounded cold, but the worry buried deep in her words was clear.
"I know my own abilities." Happy smiled. "Zhang Wuji might not be an easy opponent, but he's a kind person. He'll never kill easily. That's why I won't be in danger for the time being. Don't worry, I'll be cautious with every step I take."
Chapter 414 - Inner Hall Members at Light Summit
Being cautious in every step was Happy's situation at that moment. It was also most of the other players' situation!
The main quest of the final battle at Light Summit could not be interfered with easily. Even though some people had gotten close to the teachers of the six great system-allocated sects as well as the leaders of Ming Cult, they were treading on thin ice.
Light Summit was Ming Cult's headquarters.
No one, however, knew that it was already in peril, since everyone in the large hall had gone off to fight the war.
Zhou Dian was displeased with the way Yang Xiao led Ming Cult, and Yang Xiao flew into a rage, which resulted in the two men fighting fiercely. The other Five Wanderers were worried that Zhou Dian will suffer a setback, and they worked together with Black-winged Bat King Wei Yixiao to attack together.
But to their surprise, Yang Xiao had been practicing hard for more than ten years. His Heaven and Earth Great Shift had already reached the second realm. He sent everyone's attacks back into their bodies as well as negated them.
He also sent Wei Yixiao's unique martial art, Freezing Soft Palm, into everyone's bodies. But fighting against six top-class elites at the same time exhausted Yang Xiao, so he did not have energy left to do anything else.
The fight entered a stalemate.
Worst still, Xiaozhao, who had snuck into the isolation grounds of Ming Cult's master, had accidentally led Primordial Fusion Thunderbolt Hand Cheng Kun into Ming Cul just in time to witness that event.
With two Illusory Yin Fingers, Cheng Kun injured Yang Xiao and struck the Five Wanderers and Wei Yixiao with the force of his attack.
A smug and crazed laughter could be heard echoing in the large hall.
"If it were not for you seven fighting against each other at full strength, this humble monk wouldn't have been able to succeed with one strike! You brought this on yourself! Hahahaha!"
The seven elites of King Cult were filled with regret.
However, just when Primordial Fu
sion Thunderbolt Hand was about to kill them, Yang Xiao used his Heaven and Earth Great Shift to transfer everyone's qi into Leng Qian's body. Leng Qian turned around and executed a palm strike. Since he had the power from seven top-class fighters in him, he managed to injure Cheng Kun with his attack, and the seven split up.
However, this did not dissolve Ming Cult's crisis.
Compared to Yang Xiao and the others, Cheng Kun's injuries were not that grave. At that moment, Zhang Wuji, who was trapped in Heaven and Earth in One Breath Bag, was prepared to stop Cheng Kun. But against his expectations, Cheng Kun still had strength left. With an Illusory Yin Finger, he injured Zhang Wuji.
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
Two Ming Cult disciples in black shirts and pants rushed into the hall of the headquarters.
The seven elites of Ming Cult were delighted.
"Aren't you Wei Yixiao's disciples? Why are you here?"
Cheng Kun was also shocked, but his eyes sparkled.
Once the duo rushed into the hall, they swept a glance over the situation in the hall, and joy appeared on their faces when they looked at each other. Zhang Wuji was already on the ground, which meant that Cheng Kun had used up all his strength. That meant it was the perfect time to attack and gain the trust and favor of the seven elites of Ming Cult.
"Bright Left Messenger Yang, we were worried that someone had snuck in when we heard the sound of fighting here, which is why we came over to take a look."
Yang Xiao and the others were smarter than the rest. Even though they suspected the duo because they went against their orders and returned to the headquarters, they would give them special treatment during special times. Without any hesitation, they told them to seize the chance to kill Cheng Kun.
The two players had actually been lurking outside the hall for quite some time. They eavesdropped patiently, and it was only when they heard Zhang Wuji's voice that they showed up and approached the area.
But they did not expect that Cheng Kun would laugh coldly at that moment and stand up.
"Hahahaha! When I came to this place, I noticed that there was someone outside. I did not intend to kill you since God loves all forms of life, but you just had to come in on your own. Don't blame me for killing you now."
The duo's expressions changed, and their hearts filled up with fear.
"This is bad!"
"We have to leave!"
But unfortunately for them, before top class elites like Cheng Kun, their speed was nothing. After two Illusory Yin Fingers, the duo felt as if they fell into an ice cave that chilled them to the bone. Their consciousness swiftly became blurry.
The seven elites of Ming Cult sighed again.
Once Cheng Kun killed the two Ming Cult disciples, he became even more conceited. After seeing that the seven elites of Ming Cult were severely injured and would not recover anytime soon, he could not hold himself back and talked about his real identity and the secret he had kept hidden for many years, just as everyone expected.
And just as usual, Zhang Wuji, who was hidden in Heaven and Earth in One Breath Bag again while he tried to push his Nine Yang Divine Skill to improve, felt anger burn in him.
A few players looked at each other with somber expressions outside the hall.
"The system will not allow us to intervene and change the general plot."
The person who spoke had a goatee. He had a long flute by his waist, and he looked like a scholar.
The other two had extraordinary presences. One of them had a cold gaze and an equally cold expression. There was no expression on his face. The longsword he held was flat and had no sharpened blade, which made it resemble a black metal rod. Even when he heard the other man's statement, he still did not speak. He only stared calmly at the man in a white nylon robe across from him.
The latter nodded.
"That's right. It won't be so easy for us to exploit the loopholes in the plot. The system did warn us beforehand. Looks like we can only go with the flow. If we try to interfere blindly through force, we will just die. Those two can be considered to have given us a lesson."
The man paused for a moment before he suddenly jumped up to the roof. The other two quickly jumped after him and landed beside him.
The man in the white nylon robe looked down at the mountain and said slowly, "It's nearly time. The six sects have already reached the mountainside. Based on their speed, in at most an hour, they will break through Five Banner Division's last two defense lines. It will then be the time for Ming Cult to engage in the final battle against the six sects.
"Let's go down the mountain. Since we can't get any benefits here, we should try and get points before the end of the event, or else, if we end up with nothing at all, we'll look like idiots."
The scholar with the goatee touched the long flute by his waist and said bitterly, "Yeah, we're the ones who entered Light Summit before the others, so if obtain nothing, we'll become the laughingstock of the world of martial artists."
*****
As players disguised as Ming Cult disciples and Five Banner Division launched a pincer attack from the front and back of the six great system-allocated sects in the mountain, various great fighters from all parts of the land and people from the six great system-allocated sects perished. Once that happened, the battle finally descended into a real war, and both sides fought even more violently with each passing moment!
Once Five Banner Division's methods grew old and the disciples from the six sects became experienced in dealing with their tactics, they no longer fought as defensively as before!
The moment Five Banner Division members appeared for an ambush, they immediately caught the attention of incredibly vigilant fighters, who cried out loudly upon spotting them, and all sorts of throwing knives as well as hidden weapons were thrown as if nobody knew the concept of money. The crowd suppressed the people in the tunnels so much that they could not come out.
Happy remained fearless while at Emei Sect's side. He led the charge of a group of Emei Sect disciples straight ahead, and his golden figure was very eye-catching.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two Soaring Eagle Swords pierced two Great Log Banner members' bodies while they were on the branches. At the same time Happy killed them and made them fall, a dazzling and breathtaking sword force crashed into the huge log that came charging over.
Boom!
A great force exploded inside the log, and an innumerable amount of thin and fine bits of wood spread out in the air. They then went flying at the Great Log Banner members up ahead like hidden weapons.
Chapter 415 - Tunnel in a Sea of Fire
Ming Cult did not have many Five Banner Division members. If one man died, they would have one less fighting man. Hence, whenever they failed in their ambush, Five Banner Division would not dare to stay for long, so in the end, it turned into a slaughter between players.
Smoke rose from the foot of the mountain up to the mountainside. The sounds of battle were so loud that they could rouse the dead.
However, they never managed to wipe out the vanguards from the six great system-allocated sects.
As they acc.u.mulated experience, the players lost their wariness of the Five Banner Division members' tactics. They took the initiative to attack, and they managed to send their enemies retreating while suffering few casualties.
"Kill them!"
"If we head further ahead, we will reach the final defense line at Light Summit. Be careful, everyone."
Ding Minjun's voice suddenly rose from behind the crowd.
When Happy heard it, he lifted his head cautiously and looked over.
A ravine with a breadth of 328 feet was ahead of them. Its walls were as smooth as a blade, and there was no place for anyone to use as leverage. The cliffsides were covered by a dense forest, so the situation up there could not be seen clearly. If someone lay in ambush there, that place would form a natural barrier.
"Charge!"
Many players already had th
eir confidence rebuilt because of the offense in which they managed to sweep through everything. They had also become more eager toward acc.u.mulating points. They did not stop charging forward and ignored Ding Minjun's warning. They charged to the wide ravine in a swarm without slowing down.
"Careful!"
Happy, Momo, Ancient Wind and the others were not indifferent to Ding Minjun's warning. When they approached the ravine, they slowed down simultaneously and looked up warily.
More than one thousand people rushed into the ravine.
The two cliffs were silent and still.
Ancient Wind was stunned. "No ambush?"
He was taken aback, and the puzzlement and wariness in his heart immediately vanished. He sent his qi to his feet and got ready to chase after the group ahead of him.
Right when he was about to head out, Happy stopped him from behind. "Wait!"
If it were anyone else, Ancient Wind might not have bothered acknowledging them, but he paid a lot of attention to Happy. He hastily stopped and noticed that both Happy and Momo had stopped moving. They were observing the two cliffs with wariness and graveness in their eyes that did not diminish.
Ancient Wind instantly felt that there was something weird.
Logically speaking, the people from Five Banner Division should have attacked a long time ago. By then, the person in the lead had already charged out of the ravine.
The moment that thought arose in his head, a group of men in black appeared on the cliffs. They threw numerous black objects into the ravine.
WHOOSH!
Ancient Wind's expression changed drastically. He immediately recognized that the black substance was the petroleum of Scorching Fire Banner.
The sounds of heavy objects traveling across the air rose and fell. Neverending pots swiftly landed in the ravine from up high.
Clang!
Clatter...
While the sounds of pots shattering filled the ravine, the pungent and thick scent of petroleum quickly filled the entire area. Some people even swung their swords in reflex when they saw the unknown black objects charging at them quickly. As a result, the pots shattered in the air, and the sticky and black petroleum drenched the nearby players. All sorts of shouts in surprise and anger rose in the ravine.
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