100: Chapter 100 Warning of Riots in the Forbidden Zone

Northern Chu City, Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce, third-floor study.

When Chen Hao pushed open the door and entered the meeting room, the five members of the Chu Alliance were already seated.

The leader was a middle-aged man around thirty years old, wearing dark red battle armor, with a broadsword hanging at his waist. He was none other than Chu Feng, the Deputy Manager of the Chu Alliance's Northern Chu branch.

The four guards behind him stood on both sides, hands pressed on their sword hilts, their gazes sharply sizing up Chen Hao as he walked in.

'Manager Chu, your presence is an honor; I apologize for not welcoming you sooner.' Chen Hao cupped his hands in a salute, his tone neither servile nor overbearing.

Chu Feng did not stand up, only nodding slightly: 'President Chen is too polite. I heard the Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce recently opened in Northern Chu City, so I came specifically to offer my congratulations.'

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the furnishings in the meeting room. The room was simply decorated, but a map of the Eastern Wasteland hung on the wall, with resource points and spheres of influence marked in different colors, among which the Chu State was marked in particular detail.

A tea set was placed on the table, with fragrant steam rising; it was high-grade 'Cloud Mist Spirit Tea,' worth a hundred Spirit Stones per jin.

'Manager Chu, please have some tea.' Chen Hao sat in the main seat and poured the tea himself. 'I wonder, besides offering congratulations, does Manager Chu have any other instructions?'

Chu Feng picked up the teacup and took a sip, a flash of surprise appearing in his eyes—this Cloud Mist Spirit Tea was of excellent quality, even better than what he usually drank. He set down the teacup and went straight to the point: 'President Chen, Northern Chu City is the territory of the Chu Alliance; this is known throughout the Eastern Wasteland. For the Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce to open here without notice seems to violate the rules.'

'Rules?' Chen Hao smiled. 'As far as I know, Northern Chu City is one of the seven main cities of the Chu State, under the jurisdiction of the Chu State imperial court. When did it become the private property of the Chu Alliance? We pay taxes according to the law and operate legally; what is wrong with that?'

Chu Feng's expression darkened slightly: 'President Chen, why pretend to be ignorant? All player factions within the Chu State must abide by the rules set by the Chu Alliance. This is the custom of the Eastern Wasteland.'

'Oh? Then may I ask what the rules of the Chu Alliance are?' Chen Hao feigned confusion.

'First, all new player factions entering the Chu State must report and register with the Chu Alliance and pay a management fee. Second, shop operations must obtain permission from the Chu Alliance and pay a protection fee monthly. Third, the movement of personnel must be subject to the review of the Chu Alliance.' Chu Feng said slowly, 'The Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce has not fulfilled a single one of these three.'

The smile on Chen Hao's face remained unchanged, but his eyes turned cold: 'Manager Chu, Heavenly Court is an independent faction and is not under the jurisdiction of any organization. We opened a branch in Northern Chu City as a normal commercial activity. As for the three points you mentioned...'

He paused, then said word by word: 'They don't work here.'

The atmosphere became instantly tense.

The four guards behind Chu Feng had already gripped their sword hilts, their auras locking onto Chen Hao. But Chen Hao remained composed, even picking up his teacup to take another sip.

'President Chen, do you know the consequences of refusing the rules of the Chu Alliance?' Chu Feng's voice turned cold.

'I know.' Chen Hao set down the teacup. 'It's nothing more than force, suppression of business, and harassment of personnel. The Chu Alliance should be very skilled in these methods.'

He stood up, walked to the map on the wall, and pointed his finger at several locations on the map: 'Manager Chu, look. These are the three main properties of the Chu Alliance in Northern Chu City: the 'Chu Alliance Trading Firm' in the south of the city, the 'Overlord Martial Arts Hall' in the west, and the 'Chu Family Inn' in the east. I've estimated that these three properties can bring in about 80,000 Spirit Stones in revenue for the Chu Alliance every month.'

Chu Feng's expression changed slightly: 'What do you mean?'

'I mean,' Chen Hao turned around, looking at Chu Feng with a calm gaze, 'if the Chu Alliance insists on making things difficult for the Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce, then I'm afraid those three properties will be hard to operate securely. We in Heavenly Court have operated in the Yan State for several months, and we were able to gain a foothold under the pressure of the Six Kingdoms Alliance not by compromise, but by strength.'

He walked back to his seat and sat down again: 'Manager Chu, I do not want to be enemies with the Chu Alliance. We opened the Chamber of Commerce only to make money. If the Chu Alliance is willing to cooperate, we can provide resources that cannot be bought on the market—such as primordial life stone essence, such as life spring divine fluid.'

Hearing these two names, Chu Feng's pupils contracted sharply.

primordial life stone essence! life spring divine fluid!

These two things were hard currency throughout the entire Eastern Wasteland, priceless and rare. The Chu Alliance had also sent people into the Primal Ancient Mine to try and find life stones, but they suffered heavy losses and had little to show for it. If Heavenly Court could really provide these...

'How much do you have?' Chu Feng asked in a deep voice.

'The first batch: ten primordial life stone essences, three bottles of life spring divine fluid.' Chen Hao stated the numbers. 'If the cooperation is pleasant, we can provide regular supplies in the future.'

Chu Feng fell into deep thought.

Ten primordial life stone essences were enough for the core members of the Chu Alliance to Cultivate. Three bottles of life spring divine fluid could even significantly improve the strength of three experts. The value of these resources far exceeded those measly management and protection fees.

More importantly, if they refused to cooperate and insisted on driving Heavenly Court out of Northern Chu City, it would inevitably trigger a conflict. Heavenly Court could go deep into the Ancient Mine and return safely, so their strength could not be underestimated. Even if the Chu Alliance could win, they would suffer heavy losses, and it would not be worth the gain.

'I need to ask my superiors.' Chu Feng finally said.

'Please do.' Chen Hao made a gesture. 'But a word of warning: our resources are limited, first come, first served. If the Chu Alliance decides to cooperate, send someone within three days to sign the agreement. After that, we will not wait.'

Chu Feng took a deep look at Chen Hao, then stood up to take his leave.

After seeing off the people from the Chu Alliance, Zhao Wuji walked in from the next room, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead: 'Brother Chen, that scared me to death just now. I thought a fight was going to break out.'

Chen Hao shook his head: 'Not for now. Chu Feng is a smart man; he knows the pros and cons. Besides, the Overlord of Chu is not in the Chu State right now, and the Chu Alliance would not dare to easily start a war.'

'Then will he agree to cooperate?'

'Eighty percent chance he will.' Chen Hao analyzed. 'The temptation of primordial life stone essence and life spring divine fluid is too great; the Chu Alliance cannot refuse. And since we showed a tough attitude, they will be even more cautious instead.'

He looked at the street view of Northern Chu City outside the window: 'The first step for the branch has been taken steadily.'

Over the next two days, just as Chen Hao expected, the Chu Alliance did not come to cause trouble again.

On the morning of the third day, Chu Feng visited again, this time with a much more respectful attitude. He brought the authorization from Chu Jiang, the Vice President of the Chu Alliance: the Chu Alliance agreed to cooperate with the Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce, and both sides would coexist peacefully and not infringe upon each other in Northern Chu City. In exchange, Heavenly Court would provide the Chu Alliance with five primordial life stone essences and two bottles of life spring divine fluid each month, which the Chu Alliance would purchase at market price.

Chen Hao agreed readily.

The agreement was signed, and the Heavenly Court Chu State branch officially gained a foothold in Northern Chu City.

The news was sent back to Chaos Valley, and Lin Ye nodded with satisfaction. Chen Hao did well, using both soft and hard tactics, showing strength while also giving the other party a way out. This approach was exactly what he wanted to see.

However, on the same day the Chu State branch successfully opened, a sudden change occurred.

--- Chaos Valley, Faction Hall.

Lin Ye was in the third-floor cultivation room consolidating his Realm. He wore the earth vein core close to his body, and the Chaos Earth in his spleen divine palace resonated with the earth, making his cultivation speed more than fifty percent faster than usual.

Suddenly, a hurried knock sounded on the door.

'Leader! Emergency!' It was Qin Ruoxue's voice, carrying a rare panic.

Lin Ye opened his eyes and put away his Cultivation Technique: 'Enter.'

Qin Ruoxue pushed the door open and entered, her face pale, holding a blood-colored Jade Slip in her hand. The surface of the Jade Slip had cracks and was emitting urgent red light—this was the highest-level emergency transmission from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

'The six major Forbidden Lands... are all acting up at the same time!' Qin Ruoxue's voice trembled. 'Just half an hour ago, the Primal Ancient Mine, Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, Undying Mountain, God Ruins, Immortal Mausoleum, and Sea of Reincarnation—the six major life Forbidden Lands all erupted with abnormal energy fluctuations simultaneously!'

Lin Ye stood up abruptly: 'What's the situation? Explain in detail!'

Qin Ruoxue handed the Jade Slip to Lin Ye while reporting quickly: 'According to information sent back from monitoring points distributed by the Heavenly Secret Pavilion on the periphery of the six major Forbidden Lands, half an hour ago, terrifying pressure erupted simultaneously from the core areas of the six Forbidden Lands. From the depths of the Ancient Mine came the roar of ten thousand beasts stampeding, the fog of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land surged, flames soared into the sky from the Undying Mountain, the God Ruins revealed the phantom of an ancient palace, immortal music drifted from the Immortal Mausoleum, and the Sea of Reincarnation stirred up towering waves!'

'What's more terrifying,' she paused, her voice becoming even more grave, 'is that the Yao Beasts in the six major Forbidden Lands have started to riot! A large number of high-Rank Yao Beasts are pouring out of the Forbidden Lands and spreading to the surrounding areas. According to estimates from the monitoring points, the scale of the beast tide is larger than any previous one, and... the time has been brought forward by three months!'

Lin Ye took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

Inside the Jade Slip were six real-time videos, each recording the scenes of the anomalies in the six major Forbidden Lands.

On the periphery of the Primal Ancient Mine, the gray Chaos Qi fog churned violently, like boiling water. In the fog, countless scarlet eyes lit up; those were the eyes of Yao Beasts. The ground shook, as if thousands of troops and horses were stampeding.

On the edge of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, the white fog that had shrouded the area year-round suddenly expanded, swallowing the surrounding hundred-mile area. Sharp screeches came from the fog; those were the sounds of flying Yao Beasts.

In the direction of the Undying Mountain, the sky was dyed crimson, and flames poured down from the mountaintop like a waterfall, burning everything in their path. Countless fire-type Yao Beasts were born in the flames and rushed down the mountain.

Above the God Ruins, the phantom of an ancient palace flickered in and out of existence, and bell sounds came from the palace, each sound causing the space to tremble. The ground cracked open, and various strange-looking Puppets and stone statues crawled out.

In the direction of the Immortal Mausoleum, immortal music was ethereal but carried a deadly allure. Creatures that heard the music, whether players or NPCs, all began to look dazed and walked toward the Immortal Mausoleum.

The Sea of Reincarnation stirred up terrifying waves, and the seawater surged backward, submerging the coastline. A huge shadow emerged in the sea; it was an ancient creature that had been sleeping on the seabed awakening.

The six major Forbidden Lands, rioting simultaneously!

Lin Ye withdrew his Divine Sense, his expression extremely grave.

In his past life's memories, the first large-scale Yao Beast tide indeed broke out about six months after the game launched, which was the first server-wide event arranged by the System. But now, it had only been three months!

It was three whole months early!

And in his past life, the Yao Beast tide only involved two Forbidden Lands; this time, it was the six major Forbidden Lands acting up simultaneously!

'What is the System's reaction?' Lin Ye asked.

As soon as he finished speaking, as if responding to his question, a System notification sound rang in everyone's ears—

[Server-wide Announcement: Abnormal energy fluctuations detected, the six major life Forbidden Lands are rioting simultaneously! The Yao Beast tide has broken out ahead of schedule!]

[Server-wide Event 'Dark Omen' officially triggered!]

[Event Background: The ancient Seal is loosening, and the existences sleeping deep in the Forbidden Lands are beginning to awaken. The Yao Beast riot is just the beginning; a greater crisis is brewing.]

[Event Requirements: All player factions must establish defensive lines on the periphery of the Forbidden Lands within thirty days to block the spread of the Yao Beast tide.]

[Event Rewards: Based on the contribution ranking of defensive line construction, the top 100 factions can receive the following rewards:

1st-10th place: Epic-grade equipment × 1, Rare-grade resource box × 5, Contribution + 100,000

11th-30th place: Rare-grade equipment × 1, Superior-grade resource box × 5, Contribution + 50,000

31st-100th place: Superior-grade equipment × 1, Common resource box × 5, Contribution + 20,000

Special Reward: Factions in the top 100 for contribution will obtain the qualification to join the 'Ten Thousand Races Covenant'.]

[Event Penalty: Areas where an effective defensive line is not established will be submerged by the Yao Beast tide, all player levels -3, faction level drops by one.]

[Countdown: 29 days 23 hours 59 minutes...]

The announcement played three times consecutively. Throughout the entire 'covering the heavens era' world, all online players received this message. After a brief silence, there was an uproar of boiling excitement.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

The World Channel was instantly flooded with messages:

"What's going on? The Yao Beast tide is ahead of schedule?"

"The six major Forbidden Lands are rioting at the same time? How are we supposed to block this?"

"What is the Ten Thousand Races Covenant? I've never heard of it before!"

"Epic-grade equipment! Rare resources! Let's go all out!"

"Only the top hundred in contribution points can join the Ten Thousand Races Covenant; this is meant to filter for top-tier forces!"

"Look at the map quickly! The red dots around the Forbidden Lands are spreading—those are Yao Beast swarms!"

Inside Chaos Valley, alarms blared loudly.

All Heavenly Court members active outside returned rapidly, and the four great legions assembled urgently. Wang Iron Pillar, Shadow Blade, Fire Dance, and Iron Wall rushed into the faction's main hall, their faces filled with anxiety.

"Leader, the situation is bad!" Wang Iron Pillar panted. "I just received a report from the patrol team. A large number of Yao Beasts have appeared in the direction of the Black Forest, with levels between 45 and 55, and they are moving toward Chaos Valley!"

Shadow Blade also reported, "News has come from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's monitoring points. The Yao Beast swarms surging out of the Primal Ancient Mine have split into three groups: one toward the Black Forest, one toward the northern border of the Yan State, and another... is coming for our Chaos Valley!"

Fire Dance's face turned pale. "According to energy fluctuation calculations, the Yao Beast swarm coming our way exceeds five thousand in number, with an average level of 50. The leader is at least a Level 55 Elite!"

Iron Wall added, "The defensive works in the valley are only seventy percent complete. The Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation is still missing three types of core Materials and cannot be activated. Our current defensive power cannot withstand the impact of five thousand Yao Beasts!"

Bad news arrived one after another.

Lin Ye walked to the window and looked toward the Primal Ancient Mine. Even from a hundred miles away, the anomalies in the sky there were visible—gray mist churned like a living thing, and the dark mass of the moving beast swarm could be faintly seen.

"Pavilion Master Qin, pull up the detailed intelligence," Lin Ye said in a heavy voice.

Qin Ruoxue operated quickly, projecting all the information collected by the Heavenly Secret Pavilion onto the wall.

It was a map of the Eastern Desolation, with the six major Forbidden Lands marked with red skulls. Around each Forbidden Land, countless red arrows spread outward, representing the movement directions of the Yao Beast swarms.

Among them, the three arrows from the direction of the Primal Ancient Mine were the most conspicuous. One pointed to the Black Forest, one to the northern border of the Yan State, and the last one... pointed directly at Chaos Valley!

"Based on the movement speed of the Yao Beast swarm, they will arrive at the outskirts of Chaos Valley in twelve watches at most," Qin Ruoxue's voice was dry. "The number is around five thousand two hundred, including four thousand eight hundred ordinary Yao Beasts, three hundred Elites, and at least three leader-class Yao Beasts."

"What are the leader-class ones?" Su Qingyue asked.

"It's impossible to be certain for now, but energy fluctuations show they are at least Level 58 existences. They might be... that kind of Stone Race we encountered in the Ancient Mine."

The Stone Race!

Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.

A single Level 60 Stone Race juvenile had sent them fleeing in embarrassment. If three came, or even more...

"We can't block them," Lu Ming said bluntly. "Even if all seven thousand people in the valley take the field, we can't stop the impact of five thousand Yao Beasts plus leader-class ones. Unless... the Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation can be activated."

"Which three core Materials are still missing?" Lin Ye asked.

"The Metal-type core 'White Tiger Refined Gold', the Water-type core 'Xuanwu True Water', and the Wood-type core 'Azure Dragon Divine Wood'," Lu Ming listed the names. "These three are all Rare-grade Materials and simply cannot be bought on the market. I originally planned to collect them slowly after the Chamber of Commerce channels were opened, but now..."

Time was not enough.

Lin Ye's brain worked rapidly.

There was no such situation in his past life's memories. The Yao Beast tide was three months early and on such a large scale; this had already exceeded the scope of his foresight. But one thing was certain: since the System had issued the mission, there must be a way to complete it.

"The defensive line construction mission..." Lin Ye murmured. "The System requires establishing a defensive line to block the Yao Beast expansion. This means we don't necessarily have to make a final stand at Chaos Valley; we can establish defensive lines along the Yao Beasts' path of advancement and intercept them layer by layer."

He looked at the map, his finger pointing to a location between Chaos Valley and the Ancient Mine: "Here, 'Black Wind Gorge', is the path the Yao Beast swarm must pass through. The canyon is narrow, easy to defend, and hard to attack. If we establish a defensive line here and utilize the terrain, we can greatly weaken the Yao Beasts' numerical advantage."

"But there's not enough time," Wang Iron Pillar frowned. "Black Wind Gorge is thirty miles from Chaos Valley. If we rush over now to set up a defensive line, it will take at least six watches. And the Yao Beast swarm will arrive at Chaos Valley in twelve watches; there's only a six-watch window in between."

"Then every second counts," Lin Ye ordered decisively. "Wang Iron Pillar, take eight hundred men from the Azure Dragon Army and set out immediately for Black Wind Gorge to seize the advantageous terrain and establish temporary defensive works."

"Shadow Blade, the entire White Tiger Army is to move out. Scout the movements of the Yao Beast swarm in advance, mark the positions of the Elites and leaders, and provide a basis for us to formulate tactics."

"Fire Dance, draw five hundred people from the Vermilion Bird Army and take all Fire-type Formation Materials to Black Wind Gorge to assist in the defense. The remaining personnel will stay to guard Chaos Valley against threats from other directions."

"Iron Wall, all members of the Black Tortoise Army will participate in the defensive line construction, responsible for transporting supplies, setting traps, and building fortifications."

Orders were issued rapidly one after another.

"Lu Ming, you come with me to Black Wind Gorge. I want to set up a Formation capable of withstanding the Yao Beast swarm within six watches."

"Pavilion Master Qin, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion is to operate at full capacity to monitor the movements of the entire Eastern Desolation. Especially how other forces respond and the subsequent changes in the six major Forbidden Lands—this must be grasped at the first possible moment."

"Su Qingyue, you stay to guard Chaos Valley, oversee the overall situation, and coordinate resource allocation."

Everyone took their orders and quickly dispersed.

The entire Chaos Valley started up like a war machine.

The Azure Dragon Army set out first, eight hundred heavy-armored warriors marching south with steady steps. They carried simple defensive supplies like abatis, caltrops, rolling logs, and stones; though crude, they were better than nothing.

The White Tiger Army split into dozens of small squads, infiltrating the Black Forest like ghosts and penetrating toward the direction the Yao Beast swarm was coming from.

The Vermilion Bird Army and Black Tortoise Army followed closely behind, with large quantities of supplies being loaded onto carts and transported to Black Wind Gorge.

Lin Ye and Lu Ming, taking twenty Formation Masters from the Formation Hall, also set out quickly.

On the way, Lin Ye asked Lu Ming, "If the Materials were complete, what level of defensive Formation could you set up at Black Wind Gorge?"

Lu Ming calculated quickly: "The terrain of Black Wind Gorge is special, with hundred-zhang cliffs on both sides and the narrowest part of the passage being only five zhang wide—it's a natural pass. If there are enough Materials, I can set up three sets of Formations: one 'Vajra Barrier Formation' (enhanced defense), one 'Blazing Heaven Burning Formation' (area-of-effect attack), and one 'Ice Imprisonment Formation' (control and slow)."

"But the problem is still the Materials," he smiled bitterly. "These three Formations all require Rare-grade core Materials. The Vajra Barrier Formation needs an 'earth vein stone heart', the Blazing Heaven Burning Formation needs a 'Solar Crystal Core', and the Ice Imprisonment Formation needs 'Mystic Ice Essence'. We have none of these."

Lin Ye pondered for a moment. "What if we use substitutes? How much would the effect be discounted?"

"If we use Excellent-grade Materials as substitutes, the Formation's effect will drop by more than 60%, and the duration will be significantly shortened. Taking the Blazing Heaven Burning Formation as an example, if we use an Excellent-grade 'Fire Spirit Crystal' instead of a Solar Crystal Core, the power might only be thirty percent of the original, and it would only last for fifteen minutes."

Thirty percent power, fifteen minutes...

Lin Ye shook his head. "Not enough. Against five thousand Yao Beasts, we wouldn't even kill a tenth of them in fifteen minutes."

He had to find a way.

Suddenly, Lin Ye thought of something and took an item out of his Storage Pouch—it was the earth vein core obtained from the Earth Dragon Scorpion King.

"Can this earth vein core substitute for the earth vein stone heart?"

Lu Ming's eyes lit up. "The earth vein core is of even higher quality than the earth vein stone heart! If we use it as the core of the Vajra Barrier Formation, the Formation's defensive power can increase by 150%, and it can connect to the earth vein to achieve self-repair!"

"Good, the Vajra Barrier Formation is solved." Lin Ye then took out the Scorpion King Poison Stinger. "What about this? An Epic-grade poison stinger—can it be used in the Formation?"

Lu Ming observed the poison stinger carefully and said excitedly, "Yes! If the poison stinger is used as the Formation eye, combined with a Fire-type Formation, it can form a 'Poison-Fire Dual Grand Formation'! The lethal poison in the stinger will spread with the flames, forming a continuous Poison-Fire Domain that will deal a devastating blow to the Yao Beast swarm!"

"Then use it," Lin Ye said without hesitation.

"But..." Lu Ming hesitated. "Using an Epic-grade material as a Formation eye... if the Formation is broken, the material might be destroyed..."

"If the material is gone, we can find it again; if Chaos Valley is gone, everything is gone," Lin Ye said resolutely. "Use it."

Lu Ming nodded heavily.

"We're still missing the core for the Ice Imprisonment Formation." Lin Ye looked at the transmission talisman Su Qingyue had given him earlier. "Qingyue, do you have any Advanced Ice-type Materials there?"

A moment later, Su Qingyue replied, "There is a piece of 'Thousand-Year Mystic Ice' in the warehouse obtained from a previous mission; it's Excellent-grade. I'll have someone send it over immediately."

"Good, the three Formation cores are ready." Lin Ye looked at Lu Ming. "Is six watches enough?"

Lu Ming gritted his teeth. "Enough! I'll stake my life to set it up!"

When the team arrived at Black Wind Gorge, the Azure Dragon Army had already begun building defensive works.

Black Wind Gorge was indeed a natural barrier. The cliffs on both sides were like they had been carved by knives and axes, towering into the clouds. The passage at the bottom of the valley wound along, with the narrowest point being only five zhang wide, allowing ten people to march abreast at most. Wang Iron Pillar chose to establish the defensive line at the narrowest point, using giant stones and logs to pile up a three-zhang-high barrier, leaving only a two-zhang-wide gap as a channel to lure the enemy.

"Leader, the defensive works are expected to be completed in three watches," Wang Iron Pillar reported. "But with limited Materials, this wall can withstand three rounds of Yao Beast impact at most."

"That's enough." Lin Ye nodded. "Lu Ming will set up Formations; the Formations are the true defensive line."

Lu Ming and the Formation Masters immediately began their work.

The earth vein core was buried three zhang deep in the center of the defensive line as the Formation eye for the Vajra Barrier Formation. Eighteen Formation Flags were inserted into the ground according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams positions, and the flags were connected with specially made spirit lines to form a complex Formation network.

The Scorpion King Poison Stinger was placed ten zhang in front of the defensive line, half-embedded into the ground. Lu Ming carved seventy-two fire runes around the stinger; these runes would guide the flames of the Blazing Heaven Burning Formation to fuse with the lethal poison in the stinger.

The Thousand-Year Mystic Ice was placed behind the defensive line as the core of the Ice Imprisonment Formation. Ice-type runes were arranged around the mystic ice; once activated, cold air would surge from the ground, freezing all targets within range.

The three Formations were layered and coordinated with each other.

Time passed minute by minute.

Two watches later, the scouting squad sent by Shadow Blade brought back news.

"The Yao Beast swarm is forty miles from Black Wind Gorge. The number is corrected to five thousand three hundred, including three hundred and fifty Elites and... five leader-class ones!"

"Five?!" Wang Iron Pillar's face changed drastically. "What kinds?"

"Three Stone Race juveniles (Level 60), one Crypt Spider Queen (Level 58), and one... flying type, species unknown, but energy fluctuations show it's at least Level 62!"

A Level 62 flying leader!

This had already exceeded the range they could handle.

"What do we do?" Everyone looked at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye looked toward the direction the Yao Beast swarm was coming from, a flash of resolution in his eyes.

"The plan remains unchanged. We'll handle the Stone Race and the Spider Queen. As for the flying leader..." He paused. "I'll deal with it."

"But Leader, a Level 62 flying leader has overwhelming attributes. You alone..." Wang Iron Pillar said worriedly.

"I am not alone." Lin Ye gripped the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo tightly. "I have the entire Heavenly Court as my backing."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

He looked at the crowd: "This battle concerns the survival of Chaos Valley and the future of the Heavenly Court. We have no way out; we must win, we cannot lose."

"Now, take your positions. The Yao Beast herd will arrive in one hour; make your final preparations."

The crowd dispersed and returned to their respective posts.

Lin Ye walked alone to the front of the defense line and sat down cross-legged.

He circulated the "Chaos Scripture" to adjust his state. The earth vein core in his bosom grew slightly warm, resonating with the earth. The myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo hovered before him, Chaos light flowing across the cauldron's body.

More importantly, he began to mobilize the Origin power of his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body.

This time, he would not only hold the defense line but also... test his own limits.

An hour later, the ground began to tremble.

In the distance, the black, dense herd of beasts surged forward like a tide.

The roars of the Yao Beasts, the sound of thundering hooves, and the flapping of wings mingled together, forming a terrifying wave of sound that caused loose stones on both sides of the canyon to rain down.

At the very front were three Stone Clan juveniles; their bodies, standing two zhang tall, were like moving hills, and every step caused the ground to crack. In the middle was the Earth-Burrowing Spider Queen, her eight long legs like steel spears, her abdomen swollen, ready to spray venom and spiderwebs at any moment.

And above the herd, a giant black bird with a wingspan of over five zhang circled. It was covered in metallic feathers, its eyes were blood-red, and its claws were like hooks—it was the Level 62 flying leader, the [Dark Feather Thunder Eagle]!

The herd entered the canyon and surged toward the defense line.

Five hundred zhang, four hundred zhang, three hundred zhang...

When the herd entered the two hundred zhang range, Lin Ye opened his eyes.

"Lu Ming, activate the Ice Imprisonment Formation!"

"Yes!"

Behind the defense line, the light of the Millennium Profound Ice shone brightly, and cold air gushed out!

With the Profound Ice as the center, a thick layer of ice instantly condensed on the ground within a hundred zhang radius. The hundreds of Yao Beasts charging at the front slipped and fell to the ground, and the beasts behind crashed into them, immediately descending into Chaos.

The effect of the Ice Imprisonment Formation lasted for ten breaths, causing at least a thousand Yao Beasts to lose their balance, greatly slowing the impact speed of the herd.

"Diamond Barrier Formation, rise!"

The second Formation was activated.

The earth vein core connected with the earth, and an earth-yellow light curtain rose from the ground, forming an energy barrier three feet thick in front of the defense line. The surface of the barrier flowed with mountain and river patterns, making it extremely sturdy.

The herd crashed into the barrier, emitting dull impact sounds. The Yao Beasts at the very front had their bones shattered, but the beasts behind came in an endless stream, and cracks began to appear on the barrier.

"Blazing Heaven Burning Formation, release!"

The third Formation, and also the final trump card.

The Scorpion King's stinger shone brightly, and crimson flames gushed out from the stinger, instantly sweeping across the fifty-zhang area in front!

This was not ordinary fire, but poison fire mixed with the Scorpion King's potent venom! The flames appeared an eerie ghostly green; once a Yao Beast was tainted, it would not only be burned but also poisoned, causing its vitality to plummet.

The poison fire Domain burned continuously, and hundreds of Yao Beasts struggled, roared, and fell in the sea of fire.

Three sets of Formations, three layers of strikes, caused heavy losses to the vanguard of the herd.

But there were simply too many Yao Beasts.

Furthermore, the leader-level entities had not yet made a move.

The three Stone Clan juveniles roared, the light-gold crystals on their chests lit up, and earth-yellow light enveloped their entire bodies. The poison fire did much less damage to them, and they took strides, starting their charge!

The Earth-Burrowing Spider Queen's abdomen swelled, and she sprayed sticky spiderwebs, attempting to cover the defense line.

The Dark Feather Thunder Eagle circled in the air, then suddenly swooped down, its claws grasping toward the Diamond Barrier in the center of the defense line!

"Now!" Lin Ye shouted, shooting into the sky!

The Chaos Domain was fully activated!

Gray mist spread from him as the center, covering a radius of thirty-five zhang. Within the Domain, the attributes of the three Stone Clan juveniles and the Earth-Burrowing Spider Queen were suppressed by 35%, and their movements were visibly sluggish.

The Dark Feather Thunder Eagle was also affected by the Domain, its swooping speed slowed by a beat.

In that one beat of time, Lin Ye had already rushed in front of it.

He raised the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo high, Chaos Divine Power pouring in frantically.

"Chaos Soul Suppressing Seal, second layer!"

A Chaos-colored halo spread out; this was an attack targeting the Divine Soul. Although the Dark Feather Thunder Eagle was a Yao Beast, it still possessed a faint Soul. Hit by the Soul Suppressing Seal, it let out a painful shriek, its movements lagging once more.

Lin Ye seized the opportunity and smashed the cauldron embryo fiercely onto the Thunder Eagle's head!

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing rang out; a patch of feathers on the Thunder Eagle's head was smashed, but its defense was too high, and this strike only caused a minor injury.

The Thunder Eagle was enraged, its wings vibrated, and countless black feathers shot toward Lin Ye like sharp arrows.

"Chaos Earth!"

An earth-yellow shield formed instantly, providing 360-degree protection without blind spots. The black feathers hit the shield, making a dense sound like rain hitting banana leaves, but all were blocked.

Lin Ye and the Dark Feather Thunder Eagle engaged in a fierce battle in the air.

On the ground, at the front of the defense line, the battle also entered a white-hot stage.

The three Stone Clan juveniles broke through the poison fire Domain and crashed into the Diamond Barrier. The barrier vibrated violently, and the cracks expanded.

"Azure Dragon Army, hold the line!" Wang Iron Pillar roared, leading the heavy-armored warriors to stand behind the barrier, supporting it with their bodies.

"Vermilion Bird Army, focus fire on the Stone Clan's joints!" Fire Dance commanded, and hundreds of Spells poured down like a rainstorm.

"White Tiger Army, assassinate the Spider Queen!" Shadow Blade led his people into the shadows, attempting to flank and attack the Earth-Burrowing Spider Queen's vitals.

"Black Tortoise Army, healing support!" Iron Wall commanded the healing classes, and healing Spells fell one after another onto the injured warriors.

The battlefield fell into a stalemate.

But everyone knew this was just the beginning.

The main force of the herd was still behind, and the defense line had already begun to waver.

Worse still, although the Dark Feather Thunder Eagle was held back by Lin Ye, it still had the energy to attack the defense line. It swooped down from time to time, its claws tearing at the barrier, each attack making the defense line more precarious.

"This won't do..." Lu Ming watched the Formation energy depleting rapidly, his face pale, "The Diamond Barrier Formation can only last for another quarter of an hour at most, and the poison fire of the Blazing Heaven Burning Formation is also running out..."

At the critical moment, an ice-blue figure shot into the sky.

Su Qingyue had arrived!

She had stayed in Chaos Valley to coordinate the overall situation, but seeing the defense line in danger, she came to support in person.

"Vast Cold Spirit Body, Moon Brilliance Descend!"

Su Qingyue raised her ice jade staff, and moonlight poured down like a waterfall. Wherever the moonlight passed, the temperature plummeted, and frost condensed on the ground again. The injured Yao Beasts were invaded by the cold air, and their movements became even more sluggish.

What was even more astonishing was that the moonlight had a special restraining effect on the Dark Feather Thunder Eagle. The Thunder Eagle was of the dark attribute, and the Moon Brilliance was of the light attribute; light and dark mutually restrain each other. Enveloped by the Moon Brilliance, the Thunder Eagle let out a painful hiss, and the black feathers on its body began to smoke.

"Good chance!" Lin Ye seized the moment the Thunder Eagle was distracted, pushing his Chaos Divine Power to the limit.

"Chaos Heaven Opening!"

This was the second Divine Ability he had created himself; it consumed 50% of his Divine Power, increased attack power by 500%, and carried a law-breaking effect!

The myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo shone brightly, and Chaos Qi condensed into a gray beam of light at the cauldron's mouth, blasting fiercely toward the Thunder Eagle's chest!

The Thunder Eagle sensed the fatal threat and wanted to dodge, but it was slowed by the Moon Brilliance and was half a beat too slow.

Boom!

The beam of light pierced through the Thunder Eagle's chest, passing through from the back!

The Thunder Eagle let out a shrill scream, and blood spilled like rain. It struggled, wanting to fly away, but the injury was too severe; its wings flapped powerlessly a few times, and it fell from the sky.

Bang!

Its huge body slammed into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

The Level 62 flying leader, the Dark Feather Thunder Eagle, was killed!

[System Prompt: Successfully killed 'Dark Feather Thunder Eagle' (Level 62 Leader), gained EXP +15,000,000, Reputation +20,000.]

[Obtained Items: Dark Feather Wings (Epic) x1, Thunder Eagle Eye (Rare) x2, Wind Spirit Crystal Core (Excellent) x5, High-Grade Spirit Stone x150.]

With the leader fallen, the herd immediately fell into disarray.

Lin Ye landed, gasping for breath. That strike just now consumed too much; he only had 30% of his Divine Power left.

But he did not rest, turning and rushing to the front of the defense line.

The three Stone Clan juveniles and the Earth-Burrowing Spider Queen were still attacking frantically.

"Shi Potian, Iron Wall, follow me!" Lin Ye shouted.

Shi Potian and Iron Wall rushed out from behind the defense line, and the three of them faced the four leaders.

The battle became even more brutal.

Shi Potian activated his Tyrant Body, taking the attack of one Stone Clan juvenile head-on, his giant axe hacking crazily. Iron Wall raised his shield to block another Stone Clan juvenile; although he was forced back repeatedly, he fought to the death and did not retreat. Lin Ye faced the third Stone Clan juvenile and the Spider Queen alone.

The Chaos Domain was activated again, and Chaos Wood was unleashed; the green power of vitality enveloped Shi Potian and Iron Wall, quickly restoring their injuries.

The battle lasted for half an hour.

When the last Stone Clan juvenile fell, the front of the defense line was already piled high with the corpses of Yao Beasts.

Of the five thousand three hundred Yao Beasts, over four thousand had been killed, and the rest finally began to scatter after all their leaders had fallen.

The defense line had held.

Everyone collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Lin Ye was also almost drained; continuously using Divine Abilities and Formations had consumed too much.

But just then, Qin Ruoxue's urgent message arrived again.

"Leader, things are bad! We just received the latest intelligence from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion: the riots in the six Forbidden Lands were just the beginning! According to energy monitoring, more terrifying existences are awakening in the depths of the Forbidden Lands! And... the System has updated the mission information!"

Lin Ye gathered his strength and checked the new System prompt.

[Server-wide announcement update: Detected deeper energy fluctuations; 'Dark Omen' event upgraded to 'Darkness Descends'!]

[New Information: Ancient existences in the depths of the Forbidden Lands have partially awakened; in thirty days, they will launch the first wave of a full-scale attack.]

[New Requirement: All factions must establish a 'Permanent Defense Line' within thirty days; the strength of the defense line will determine the difficulty of subsequent events.]

[New Reward: The top ten factions in contribution will directly obtain formal membership status in the Ten Thousand Races Covenant and unlock special permissions.]

[New Countdown: 29 days 23 hours 58 minutes...]

The mission had been upgraded!

It had changed from resisting a Yao Beast tide to confronting ancient existences in the depths of the Forbidden Lands!

Moreover, only the top ten in contribution could directly obtain formal membership in the Ten Thousand Races Covenant—this threshold was ten times higher than the previous top one hundred!

What was even more terrifying was that the System explicitly prompted: the strength of the defense line would determine the difficulty of subsequent events. This meant that if the defense line was not built strong enough, what they would have to face in thirty days might be an irresistible disaster.

Lin Ye looked at the exhausted crowd, looked at the crumbling defense line, and looked at the six Forbidden Lands still churning in the distance.

The real challenge had just begun.

And he had to lead the Heavenly Court to carve out a path of survival in this storm sweeping across the entire game world.

"Pass the order down." Lin Ye's voice was hoarse but extremely firm, "Everyone, rest immediately. Six hours later, we will hold a general meeting."

"We must build the strongest defense line in the Eastern Wasteland within thirty days."

"This battle, the Heavenly Court must win."