Chapter 36: Heavenly God Temple Materials Stuck in Hands, Guild Infighting Erupts

The entrance to the Abyss Dungeon was a black vortex emitting an unsettling aura.

Lin Ye stepped inside and felt as if he were being sucked into a bottomless pit, his ears filled with low roars and eerie whispers.

A white flash passed, and the four of them appeared in a massive underground cavern.

The cave walls were covered in black crystals emitting a faint purple light.

The air was thick with the smell of rot, and the ground was covered in slimy black mucus; every step made a "squelch" sound.

Low roars echoed from afar, shaking the cave walls.

Fatty Wang shrank behind Lin Ye, his voice trembling: "Brother, this place is so scary..."

Lin Ye laughed: "What are you afraid of? I'm here."

He opened his Talent panel to confirm the newly unlocked effect—Abyss Decay: Deals an additional 200% damage to Abyss Monsters and can absorb Abyss energy to convert into his own attributes.

"Let's go."

The four of them walked into the cave.

After only a few steps, they encountered the first wave of monsters—three lizards covered in black scales, their eyes glowing with purple light, drool dripping from their mouths.

[Abyss Monster: Abyss Lizard]

Level: 42

HP: 20,000

Skills: Corrosive Bite, Abyss Breath, Poison Splash

Fatty Wang saw the monster's panel, and his legs went weak again: "Twenty thousand HP? And three skills? This is fiercer than the bosses outside!"

Lin Ye didn't waste words; he raised his hand and applied 100 layers of Decay Debuff to each of the three lizards.

[System Prompt: Target [Abyss Lizard] has been inflicted with Decay Debuff, current stacks: 100. Abyss Decay effect triggered, dealing an additional 200% damage.]

The three lizards' HP bars instantly dropped to zero, and they fell to the ground with a shriek, their bodies turning into black ash and dissipating.

Three black crystals and a purple piece of equipment remained on the ground.

"Ding! Killed [Abyss Lizard] × 3, gained 30,000 EXP. Gained [Abyss Crystal] × 3, gained [Abyss Gauntlets] (Purple)."

Fatty Wang's eyes lit up, and he rushed over to pick up the loot: "Brother! A purple item dropped! And this black stone, what is it?"

Lin Ye took it and glanced at it—[Abyss Crystal]: Can be used to craft Abyss resistance gear or exchanged for high-level materials. Market price: at least five thousand gold coins each.

"Good stuff. Keep it."

The four continued deeper.

The Abyss Monsters along the way became increasingly numerous, from lizards to spiders, spiders to giant insects, and insects to demons.

But regardless of the monster, none could last more than three seconds in front of Lin Ye's debuff.

If 100 layers weren't enough, he used 200; if 200 weren't enough, he used 500.

With 500 layers of debuff, they lost 500% of their max HP per second—what monster could withstand that?

Su Qinghan followed behind, hardly needing to lift a finger.

She hadn't used her shield even once because the monsters couldn't even reach Lin Ye.

Fatty Wang was busy picking up equipment, his bag nearly overflowing.

Qin Wentian followed at the very back, watching Lin Ye's operations, his expression growing increasingly complex.

"Your Talent, it works on Abyss Monsters too?" He couldn't help but ask.

Lin Ye shrugged: "Of course. And there's an extra bonus. Abyss Decay deals an additional 200% damage to Abyss Monsters."

Qin Wentian gasped.

He used to think Lin Ye's Talent was just for bullying ordinary players and bosses; he never expected it to easily crush even Abyss Monsters.

This Talent was simply an all-purpose cheat.

"Don't just stand there, keep up." Lin Ye beckoned him.

The four walked to the depths of the cave, where a massive altar appeared before them.

Lying in the center of the altar was a behemoth the size of a small hill, covered in black scales, with three horns on its head and purple flames venting from its mouth.

[Abyssal Lord · Corruptor]

Level: 50

HP: 200,000

Skills: Corrosive Breath, Abyss Shock, Shadow Blast, Summon Minions, Berserk Burst.

Qin Wentian looked at the boss's panel, his expression changing: "Two hundred thousand HP? Five skills? This is World Boss level!"

Fatty Wang collapsed to the ground: "Brother, can we beat this?"

Lin Ye laughed: "Can't beat it? That's impossible."

He raised his hand and applied 200 layers of Decay Debuff to the Abyssal Lord.

[System Prompt: Target [Abyssal Lord · Corruptor] has been inflicted with Decay Debuff, current stacks: 200. Abyss Decay effect triggered, dealing an additional 200% damage.]

The Abyssal Lord's HP bar instantly dropped by one-tenth.

It roared, sprang up from the altar, and opened its maw to spit a stream of purple flame—Corrosive Breath.

"Holy Shield!" Su Qinghan hurriedly cast a shield on Lin Ye.

The breath hit the shield, shattering it, but Lin Ye's HP only dropped by one-third.

He seized the opportunity to stack another 200 layers of debuff.

400 layers.

The Abyssal Lord's HP dropped by one-fifth, and all its attributes were reduced by 20%.

It panicked and activated "Summon Minions"—dozens of Abyss Lizards instantly swarmed out from around the altar, screeching as they charged at the four.

"Fatty, get back!" Lin Ye shouted, raising his hand to apply the debuff to all those lizards.

100 layers, instant kill.

Dozens of lizards died before they could even reach them, loot covering the ground.

Fatty Wang crouched in a corner, looking at the loot all over the floor, wanting to pick it up but too afraid to move.

"Fatty, pick up the loot!" Lin Ye shouted again.

Fatty Wang gritted his teeth and rushed up.

Strangely, the Abyssal Lord's skills all missed; even though they were aimed at Fatty Wang, they all smashed into the stone pillars nearby.

Qin Wentian was dumbfounded: "This... what is going on?"

Su Qinghan laughed: "Luck of the European Emperor. The boss's skills can't hit him."

Qin Wentian was speechless.

He used to think he was strong enough, but now he realized that compared to Lin Ye and his group, he was lacking by more than just a little.

600 layers. 800 layers. 1000 layers.

The Abyssal Lord's HP bar dropped by more than half, and all its attributes were reduced by 80%.

It lay on the ground panting, unable to even stand.

It struggled to activate its final skill—"Berserk Burst"—its body glowing with purple light, its attack power and attack speed doubled, and it charged at Lin Ye.

But its attack speed had been reduced by 80%, so even after doubling, it was as slow as a turtle.

Lin Ye even had time to stretch before stepping aside.

"Too slow." He shook his head and stacked another 200 layers of debuff.

1200 layers.

The Abyssal Lord's HP was down to 5%, all its attributes reduced by 90%, and it lay on the ground wailing.

[System Prompt: Target [Abyssal Lord · Corruptor] has entered the "Submission" state. Do you accept the submission?]

Lin Ye clicked "Yes".

The debuffs on the Abyssal Lord instantly cleared.

It lay on the ground, wagging its tail like a dog.

Qin Wentian watched this scene, completely convinced.

He used to think Lin Ye only had a good Talent, but now he knew that this person's operations and tactics were also top-tier.

Being able to beat a boss into submission wasn't something one could do with just Talent.

"Let's go, keep moving." Lin Ye beckoned the three.

"Still moving?" Fatty Wang's legs were soft, "Brother, my bag is already full."

Lin Ye threw him an expansion bag: "I prepared it for you a long time ago. Keep moving."

The four continued deeper into the cave.

The monsters along the way grew stronger, from level 50 to 60, from elites to lords.

But Lin Ye's debuffs upgraded accordingly, from 1000 layers to 2000, from 2000 to 5000.

Regardless of the monster, none could withstand more than a few seconds.

Su Qinghan followed behind, hardly lifting a finger.

Qin Wentian couldn't get a hand in either and could only watch from the side.

Fatty Wang, on the other hand, was very busy, picking up equipment until his hands went numb.

"Brother, another Epic piece!"

"Brother, this Abyss Crystal is huge! How much is it worth?"

"Brother, there's a treasure chest ahead!"

The three walked to the deepest part of the cave, where a huge black gate appeared before them.

Complex runes were carved on the gate, emitting a suffocating pressure.

[Gate of the Abyss]

Required Level: 50

Required Items: Abyss Key × 3

Current Progress: 0/3

"Abyss Key?" Lin Ye frowned, "Where do we get this?"

Qin Wentian thought for a moment: "The Abyss Key is a hidden item in the Abyss Dungeon, only dropped with a certain probability when killing an Abyssal Lord. That Corruptor we killed just now should have dropped one."

Fatty Wang rummaged through his bag and sure enough, found a black key.

[Abyss Key · Corruptor]

Quality: Epic

Effect: Can open the Gate of the Abyss

"Still need two more." Lin Ye said, "Let's go, find the other two lords."

The four exited the dungeon and returned to the main city.

Fatty Wang organized the day's haul—eight Epic pieces of equipment, over thirty purple pieces, over two hundred Abyss Crystals, and countless rare materials.

Based on market prices, it was worth at least tens of millions of gold coins.

"Brother, we're rich!" Fatty Wang was so excited his hands were shaking.

Lin Ye laughed: "This is just the beginning. Once we collect all three keys and open the Gate of the Abyss, the things inside will be the truly valuable ones."

Qin Wentian stood to the side, listening to these words, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He thought back to his days of monopolizing materials and suppressing solo players, feeling that he had been truly ridiculous back then.

Compared to Lin Ye, his methods were too low-level.

"Guild Master—" Peerless suddenly sent a private message, interrupting Qin Wentian's thoughts.

Qin Wentian clicked it open—

[Private Message] Heavenly Temple - Peerless: Guild Master, something happened. The materials the brothers hoarded are all stuck in our hands, several captains are causing trouble and saying they want to leave the guild. The guild channel is already in chaos.

Qin Wentian's expression changed slightly, and he opened the guild channel to take a look—

[Guild Channel]

[Temple of Gods - Berserker]: Where is the Guild Master? Where is our money? The materials won't sell, and wages can't be paid, is this guild still running?

[Heavenly Temple Mage]: I hoarded a million gold coins worth of materials, and now they're all stuck in my hands! Guild Master, you need to give us an explanation!

[Lingtian of Heavenly Temple]: What are you arguing about? Didn't the Guild Master say to wait until the hype dies down before selling? What are you rushing for?

[Temple of Gods - Berserker]: Wait? Wait until when? That Night's Commoner Supermarket is getting bigger and bigger, material prices are getting lower and lower, if we keep waiting, we'll lose everything!

[Heavenly Temple Priest]: I don't care, we need an explanation today. Otherwise, I'm quitting the guild.

Qin Wentian looked at these messages, his expression growing darker.

He hadn't expected the guild to be in such chaos after only being gone for two days.

"What's wrong?" Lin Ye walked over.

Qin Wentian showed him the messages from the guild channel.

Lin Ye glanced at them, the corner of his mouth curling into a wicked smile: "I told you, your material monopoly wouldn't last long."

Qin Wentian smiled bitterly: "I know. But what do we do now?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment: "Let them sell the materials to me."

"Sell to you?" Qin Wentian was stunned, "You're buying?"

"Buying. At 50% of the market price."

"50%? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?"

Lin Ye laughed: "Loss? You calculate, what is their cost for hoarding materials? At least ten times the market price. Selling at 50% now, although a loss, is better than having them stuck in their hands. Besides—" He paused, "Once I buy these materials, I can make the Commoner Supermarket business even bigger. Killing two birds with one stone."

Qin Wentian looked at him, silent for a few seconds, then sighed: "Fine. I'll go tell them."

He opened the guild channel and sent a message—

[Guild Channel] [Heavenly Temple Qin Wentian]: Everyone listen up. I will buy your materials at 50% of the market price. Those willing to sell, come to the Commoner Supermarket to find me.

The guild channel went instantly silent.

After a while, Berserker sent a message—

[Guild Channel] [Temple of Gods - Berserker]: Guild Master, 50%? We bought them at ten times the price...

[Guild Channel] [Heavenly Temple Qin Wentian]: I know. But the current market price is what it is. Selling at 50% means you can at least recoup some capital. If you don't sell, they'll all be stuck in your hands. You choose.

The guild channel went silent again.

After a while, Berserker replied—

[Guild Channel] [Temple of Gods - Berserker]: ...Fine. I'll sell.

Following that, Mage, Priest, Lingtian... one after another, they posted their agreement.

That afternoon, a long line formed in front of the Commoner Supermarket.

But this time, it wasn't solo players queuing, but members of the Heavenly Temple.

They carried large bags of materials, waiting to sell them to Lin Ye.

Fatty Wang stood behind the counter, busy enough that his feet barely touched the ground.

He was receiving goods and paying money at the same time, unable to keep his mouth closed from grinning.

"Brother, there are too many materials! The warehouse is almost full!"

Lin Ye laughed: "If it's full, expand. I bought the vacant lot next to the Commoner Supermarket a long time ago."

Qin Wentian stood to the side, watching this scene, unable to describe the feeling in his heart.

He used to think money was omnipotent, but now he knew there were some things money really couldn't buy.

Like the hearts of people, like trust, like—a leader who could make people willingly follow.

"Guild Master, the brothers are all asking, is the Heavenly Temple going to disband?" Peerless walked over and asked in a low voice.

Qin Wentian was silent for a few seconds, then looked at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye thought for a moment and said: "No need to disband. Just change the name."

"Change to what?"

Lin Ye's mouth curled into a wicked smile: "Commoner Guild."

Qin Wentian was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh: "You really... have thought of everything."

Lin Ye shrugged: "It's professional, after all."

That evening, the Heavenly Temple was officially renamed "Commoner Guild."

Qin Wentian served as the Guild Master, but the actual controller was Lin Ye.

The number of guild members surged from the original few hundred to several thousand—because solo players heard that the Commoner Guild was recruiting, and they all ran over to sign up.

Fatty Wang stood at the supermarket entrance, watching the queuing players, dancing with excitement: "Brother, are we considered the biggest guild on the server now?"

Lin Ye laughed: "Not the biggest, the best."

Su Qinghan walked over and handed him a report: "The locations of the other two lords of the Abyss Dungeon have been found. One is in the Corrupted Swamp to the east of the main city, and the other is in the Cursed Graveyard to the north. Both are level 50+ areas, and ordinary players can't get in at all."

Lin Ye took the report and glanced at it, the corner of his mouth curling into a wicked smile: "Perfect. Tomorrow we'll go fight the other two lords. Collect all three keys, and open the Gate of the Abyss."

"You really want to go fight the Gate of the Abyss?" Qin Wentian frowned, "That place is said to be something even the officials don't dare to touch. The monsters inside are all level 60+, and there are avatars of the Abyssal Lords. Since the server opened, no one has been able to clear it."

Lin Ye laughed: "No one has cleared it? Then let me be the first."

He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the lights of the main city in the distance, and the corner of his mouth curled into a wicked smile.

"Besides—I always feel that there is some big secret hidden inside the Gate of the Abyss."

Su Qinghan looked at him and couldn't help asking: "What secret?"

Lin Ye shook his head: "I don't know. But I have a premonition—this game is not just a game."

Qin Wentian was stunned: "What do you mean?"

Lin Ye didn't answer, just looked out the window with deep eyes.

"We'll know tomorrow."