The match begins

"The match begins!"

The moment the system prompt faded, the 3000 Blue Star Professionals were simultaneously enveloped by a pale blue stream of light.

White Night felt his vision blur for a moment, the sensation of weightlessness receding like a tide, and his feet landed firmly on the hard ground.

He opened his eyes and discovered he was inside a massive fortress.

The fortress walls were constructed from dark gray stone, covered in deep green moss, with pale golden energy flowing through the gaps in the moss like veins connecting every corner of the fortress.

Overhead was a domed vault made of transparent crystal, through which the gray, hazy sky outside was visible. Broken rocks floated in the sky, and occasionally, a rock would fall, striking the fortress's energy shield with a dull roar.

In the center of the fortress stood a ten-foot-tall crystal pillar, emitting a soft white light, with the flow of laws faintly visible at its core.

This was the fortress core that needed to be protected.

In the surrounding open space, the other 2999 Blue Star Professionals were appearing one after another from the streams of light. Most of them were wearing Mythical-grade equipment issued by the guild, the radiance of their armor reflecting off the white light of the crystal pillar.

Just then, a stream of information suddenly flooded everyone's minds:

"Fortress Assault and Defense Match Guide: 1. Both sides are located at the fortresses on the east and west sides of the 'Shattered Battlefield,' with an initial distance of 50 kilometers. 2. The fortress periphery has three layers of defensive shields. The shield strength decreases over time and can be reinforced by collecting 'Energy Crystals' within the battlefield. 3. The battlefield contains various terrains such as abandoned sentry towers, tunnels, and canyons, with randomly spawning monsters and resource crates. 4. Victory Conditions: Destroy the opposing fortress core, or defend your own core within 12 hours."

The moment the information dissipated, the gazes of all the Professionals turned towards White Night in unison.

The crowd automatically parted to create a path. A middle-aged warrior clad in Star-tier armor stepped forward quickly and knelt on one knee, his armor making a dull thud as it struck the ground: "Greetings, Guild Master!"

Immediately after, the other 2999 Professionals simultaneously knelt on one knee, their voices converging into a deafening torrent: "Greetings, Guild Master!"

Among them were newly ascended powerhouses who had just broken through to level 99, gripping brand-new Mythical-grade longswords.

There were also young mages holding staffs, their faces filled with nervousness and excitement.

But at this moment, their eyes all burned with the same flame: absolute trust and fanaticism towards White Night!

White Night raised his hand to gesture for them to rise, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable power: "Rise. Now is not the time for formalities; everyone, attend to your duties."

3000 people rose simultaneously, their movements uniform, like a well-trained army.

A middle-aged warrior stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said: "Guild Master, I am Zhao Feng, Captain of the 7th Squadron of the Dragon Kingdom, level 99. Give the order, and we will go scout the terrain immediately!"

White Night nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Zhao Feng, take 1500 people to explore along the eastern canyon. Focus on collecting Energy Crystals and marking the locations of sentry towers. If you encounter enemies, there is no need to fight head-on; prioritize reconnaissance."

"Yes!" Zhao Feng turned and selected 1500 Professionals. They quickly formed a combat formation, weapons in hand, and walked towards the passage on the east side of the fortress, the reflections of their armor casting long shadows at the passage entrance.

"The remaining 1499 people," White Night's gaze shifted to the other side, "will be led by Lin Yue. Advance along the western mountain range, focusing on checking tunnels and abandoned camps to find resource crates. Remember, report your location every hour, and if you encounter Energy Crystals, prioritize bringing them back to the fortress."

A woman wearing a light purple mage robe stepped out in response, the tip of the Star-tier staff in her hand shimmering with a deep blue light: "Please rest assured, Guild Master!"

This woman was Lin Yue.

Lin Yue was a participant in the first arena tournament and had added White Night as a friend back then.

At the same time, she was also the first member to join the Peak of the Multitude of Peaks.

As the two teams left one after another, only White Night and the crystal pillar remained in the fortress.

He walked to the core, placed his hand on the crystal pillar, and felt a cold sensation on his fingertips; the flow of laws within the core became clearly discernible.

He could feel that this crystal pillar was not just a defensive core, but could also sense energy fluctuations within 5 kilometers, which was the reason he chose to stay behind.

A moment later, Zhao Feng's voice came through the team channel: "Guild Master, the first Energy Crystal mine has been discovered in the eastern canyon, with about 50 pieces. I am arranging personnel to mine them!"

Immediately after, Lin Yue's report also rang out: "An abandoned sentry tower has been discovered in the western mountain range. There is a resource crate inside, suspected to contain items to reinforce the shields!"

White Night acknowledged with a hum, his gaze turning towards the entrance of the fortress.

The defensive shield there was rippling faintly, and the wind outside, carrying gravel, struck the shield, making a rustling sound.

He knew that the 3000 people of the Shi Yu Civilization must also be in action at this moment. With their 100% win rate, they would never be satisfied with passive defense.

The crystal pillar suddenly vibrated slightly, and a faint energy fluctuation came from the east side.

It was Zhao Feng's team encountering enemies. White Night did not move, but said to the team channel: "Zhao Feng, avoid head-on conflict. Use the canyon terrain to maneuver. I will mark nearby monster spawn points; lure the monsters to distract them."

Zhao Feng's response came from the other side of the channel: "Understood!"

White Night withdrew his hand and walked to the fortress's arrow tower.

The window of the arrow tower faced the center of the Shattered Battlefield, where the sky was darker than elsewhere, and black wings could be vaguely seen darting through the clouds.

It was the vanguard of the Shi Yu Civilization!

He gripped the Eternal Demon Blade tightly, the thunderous light on the blade's body flowing quietly amidst the white light of the crystal pillar.

What about a 100% win rate?

Today, this fortress would be the end of the Shi Yu Civilization's winning streak.

The wind outside the fortress grew stronger, and the whipped-up gravel struck the shield with dense, crisp sounds, like the drumbeats before a battle.

White Night gazed into the darkness in the distance, his eyes as calm as water, with only the thunder at his fingertips silently waiting for the moment to erupt.