239: Chapter 239 Mandatory Mission

Lin Tian looked at the information, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The Orc Alliance... they really are a major trouble.

He had just wiped out one of their vassal kingdoms. Although it was a small border state, a grudge had definitely been formed.

The Xuanhuang Empire's attitude seemed slightly better, but 'cooperation' was likely akin to seeking a tiger's hide; he had to be extremely cautious.

What truly caused an uproar among all the lords, and made Lin Tian's pupils shrink, was the announcement at the very top of the channel, marked with a dark red border and flashing continuously: [Global Compulsory Mission].

[Regional Compulsory Conquest Order (For all District 88 Lords)]

Mission Objectives (Complete either one):

Independently or in a team, completely purify one 'Contaminated Space' (no intensity limit). Mission contribution will be comprehensively determined based on combat performance, purification degree, and other factors.

Independently complete the slaying of one 'Confirmed Contaminated Lord'.

Time Limit: 30 natural days.

Mission Rewards: Based on mission difficulty and completion evaluation, rewards include abundant Spirit Crystals, rare Materials, special building blueprints, high-quality equipment, and even... law crystals.

Failure Penalty: Those who fail to complete the mission after the time limit will be permanently stripped of their Lord status and all Lord privileges, becoming slaves. Their territory, resources, and population will be automatically and forcibly absorbed and merged by the nearest Lord who has completed the mission.

Special Reminder: The Heavenly Dao has temporarily granted all Lords basic perception abilities, allowing them to vaguely sense the fluctuations of 'Contaminated Space' entrances near their territory and receive warnings about 'Contaminated Lords' in close proximity. Please use this ability wisely.

As soon as this announcement came out, the entire channel was like ice water into which a red-hot iron had been thrown—it completely boiled, evaporated, and then fell into a state of frantic agitation!

"WTF! A compulsory mission?! If I don't finish it, I become a slave?"

"Purify a Contaminated Space? Team up? How is contribution calculated? Will I be screwed over by teammates?"

"Kill a Contaminated Lord? Easier said than done! Are those things easy to kill? Whoever wants to go after a freak like Karl can go!"

"The rewards are truly damn generous though..."

"I'll give it my all! If I don't, I die. If I do, I still have a chance to get the rewards!"

"Any big shots need a sidekick? I have excellence quality troops, I'm obedient and can tank, looking for a team!"

"Buying Contaminated Space coordinates at a high price! Or info on Contaminated Lords! DM me!"

"..."

Lin Tian closed the channel interface and leaned back in his chair. For a moment, the only sound in the study was his fingers unconsciously tapping on the armrest.

The sunlight outside the window was bright, yet he felt a chill slowly climbing up his spine.

"As expected... the Heavenly Dao is starting to 'speed up the progress'."

He muttered to himself, his usual relaxed smile disappearing, replaced by a deep solemnity.

The rewards were indeed tempting, especially the 'law crystals'. For someone like him who had already tasted the sweetness of Law power, it was an irresistible temptation.

But the penalty was even more terrifying: being stripped of Lord status and becoming a slave.

For the lords who had experienced the cruelty of conquest wars and struggled to get where they were, this was harder to accept than death.

It meant all your hard work, ambition, and even your dignity would be completely trampled upon and reset to zero, becoming someone else's accessory.

One could imagine that in order to avoid falling to such a state, over the next month, the entire District 88, and even all two hundred districts, would fall into a state of madness and bloodshed.

Teaming up? There would likely be more people stabbing others in the back than those sincerely cooperating.

Hunting Contaminated Lords? That was an even more dangerous gamble with a slim chance of survival.

Lin Tian couldn't help but recall the bloody battle in the alternate dimension he had just experienced.

The overwhelming, inexhaustible Polluted Monsters, that eerie phantom that could devour blood Qi to grow stronger, the tragic casualties...

If not for Lin Feng's Battle Soul, he might have perished in there himself.

"And that was just a newly awakened Contaminated Space..."

Lin Tian felt a bit of bitterness in his mouth.

Even with his strength, the victory was so hard-won; for those lords with ordinary troops, scarce resources, and no top-tier combat power, wouldn't going in be just seeking death?

But not going meant a slow death. However, he didn't know if the strength of the Contaminated Spaces around other people's territories was the same as his own.

"This month... I don't know how many more people will die, how many lords will disappear from the list forever."

He looked out the window, his gaze seemingly piercing through the city walls to see the countless figures about to struggle in despair or head toward destruction driven by greed.

The Heavenly Dao was using the most brutal method to accelerate the screening process.

The weak, the unlucky, and those not ruthless enough would all be eliminated, becoming nutrients for the rise of the strong.

And that newly granted 'Contamination Perception' ability seemed like a lifeline, but in reality, it was more like a death warrant.

It allowed you to 'see' danger, yet forced you to proactively walk toward it.

The study door was gently pushed open, and Lin Yin walked in carrying freshly brewed tea.

She keenly sensed the low pressure permeating around Lin Tian and gently placed the teacup by his hand.

"Brother Tian, what's wrong?"

She asked softly, her cool eyes carrying a trace of hard-to-detect concern.

Lin Tian exhaled a breath of turbid air and briefly explained the upheaval in the channel and the compulsory mission.

Lin Yin listened quietly, her expression unchanging, only frowning slightly:

"It's very dangerous. It's very dangerous for everyone."

"Yeah, it's very dangerous. But the Contaminated Space around our territory has already been cleared."

Lin Tian picked up the tea and took a sip; the warm tea seemed to dispel a bit of the chill.

"Lin Yin," he turned around, his eyes bright.

"Have Lin Kong and the others increase their reconnaissance efforts, focusing on the surroundings of our territory, especially the newly conquered southern regions, to see if there are any new Contaminated Space fluctuations or suspicious lord auras. We must take the initiative; we can't just wait."

"Additionally, the regional channel is a mixed bag, but there might be valuable intelligence or... candidates worth 'cooperating' with.

Keep an eye out, especially for news regarding high-value targets or the appearance of 'Contaminated Lords'."

"Finally!"

The corners of Lin Tian's mouth curled into a cold arc.

"Notify Lin Feng and Lin Yan to speed up the cleanup of the southern border and the construction of Lindi City. Then..."

He looked toward the south, toward the broader and unknown world.

"Then, we go to eliminate other Contaminated Spaces, make some money, and improve our strength along the way."

"Although the battle in that last Contaminated Space was tragic, the rewards were truly sweet! The soldiers' Ranks shot up, and we got so many spirit crystals and Materials... this is a shortcut for rapid development!"

The first person he thought of was Lord Su Wan.

There was also a Contaminated Space near this girl's territory. The previous beast tide was likely because of this, but the intensity seemed average.

"Perfect, I'll start with a smaller one to test the waters and return a favor at the same time."