183: The Battle for Sky City
Deathly silence.
Inside the council hall, you could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were fixed on the War God Hall player whom Lin Mo had specifically challenged.
That player's ID was "Frenzied Sword," the chief Berserker of War God Hall. His equipment gleamed golden, and the greatsword in his hand shone with the unique aura of a legendary grade weapon. He was one of the top-ranked PVP experts in the entire China server.
At this moment, his face alternated between green and white, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.
Accept, or refuse?
If he accepted, he had no confidence whatsoever that he could last three minutes against "Poison God" when the latter was handicapped by using only one hand. He had watched the recording of the battle at Storm Fortress dozens of times, and the conclusion was singular—those weren't human maneuvers; that was a god!
If he refused, his own reputation, "Frenzied Sword," and the face of the entire War God Hall would be utterly lost in front of all the top experts in the China server today.
"What's wrong? Afraid?" Lin Mo's tone was flat, yet it struck Frenzied Sword's pride like a heavy hammer.
"Who says I'm afraid!" Cornered, Frenzied Sword roared and almost instinctively clicked "Accept."
The next second, both figures vanished simultaneously from the council hall, teleported into the central Arena of Sky City.
Meanwhile, a massive virtual screen appeared before everyone in the council hall, broadcasting the scene inside the Arena in real-time.
Everyone held their breath, knowing this battle would directly determine the future leadership of the Guardian Alliance.
Inside the Arena.
Frenzied Sword gripped his greatsword with both hands, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the man opposite him who casually held a dark green dagger only in his left hand.
Humiliation! This was naked humiliation!
"Poison God! You will pay the price for your arrogance!"
Frenzied Sword roared, activating all his Berserker burst skills, transforming into a red whirlwind as he Charged toward Lin Mo.
[Charge]! [Recklessness]! [Armor Break Slash]!
His opening move was the Berserker's strongest combination of dash and burst damage!
Facing this earth-shattering blow, Lin Mo's expression remained calm and composed.
He didn't even use [Ghost Shadow Step].
Just an instant before Frenzied Sword's greatsword was about to strike him, his body shifted slightly to the left with an extremely minimal movement.
This millisecond movement caused Frenzied Sword's sure-hit strike to whistle past, grazing his clothes.
MISS!
A bright red word floated up above Lin Mo's head.
The pupils of all the watching guild leaders suddenly contracted.
What terrifying reaction speed and calculation ability!
"Too slow."
Lin Mo's voice sounded in Frenzied Sword's ear like a ghost.
Frenzied Sword was horrified and hastily tried to turn and defend, but it was too late.
Lin Mo's left-hand dagger was already resting on his neck, the sharp, Deadly Poison-coated blade needing only a slight slice to drain all his Life points.
Instant kill!
If Lin Mo had wanted to, the battle would have ended in the first second.
But he did not.
He withdrew the dagger, stepped back two paces, and gave Frenzied Sword a chance to regroup.
"Three minutes," he said lightly.
Outside the Arena, the council hall was already filled with gasps of shock.
"This... is this Poison God's strength? It's terrifying!"
"Frenzied Sword looks like a noob who just left Novice Village in front of him!"
"I take back what I said earlier. For the Alliance's PVP Commander-in-Chief, no one but him is qualified!"
The face of War God Hall's Guild Leader, "Sword Points to the Firmament," was extremely grim. He knew that this time, he had lost completely.
The battle inside the Arena continued.
Or rather, it was a one-sided "tutorial."
No matter what skill Frenzied Sword used or what tactic he employed, Lin Mo could always predict it beforehand and resolve it in the simplest, most effective manner.
He was like an omniscient mentor, seeing through all of Frenzied Sword's attack patterns.
And every counterattack he made stopped just short of lethal, merely stacking layer after layer of poison on Frenzied Sword without detonating it.
Frenzied Sword's health was gradually Corroded by the continuous poison damage.
This made him feel even more humiliated and despairing than an instant kill would have.
Time passed, second by second.
When the timer jumped to "2 minutes and 59 seconds," Frenzied Sword's health was finally emptied by the last tick of poison damage.
His tall figure unwillingly dropped to his knees, dissolving into white light and vanishing.
As for Lin Mo, he never used his right hand from start to finish.
When the two figures reappeared in the council hall, Lin Mo was met with the sincerely admiring gazes of everyone present.
Not a single person questioned his qualifications again.
"I, War God Hall, agree to join the Alliance and support Poison God as the PVP front Commander-in-Chief!" Sword Points to the Firmament was the first to stand up, bowing deeply toward Lin Mo.
"I, Lingyun Pavilion, agree!"
"I, Fengyu Tower, agree!"
... For a time, voices of agreement rose one after another.
Just like that, under the absolute crushing power of Lin Mo, the Guardian Alliance was officially established!
This massive organization, which would later be able to stand against the Destroyer Faction and even influence the global structure of the entire *epoch* world, finally took shape at this moment.
The first order of business after the Alliance was founded was resource integration and war preparation.
Relying on his version-ahead understanding of the game, Lin Mo formulated a set of highly efficient resource allocation and tactical training plans for the Alliance.
The major guilds temporarily put aside their grievances and began cooperating wholeheartedly like never before.
Elite players were organized to clear higher-difficulty team dungeons and acquire top-tier PVE equipment.
PVP experts, under Lin Mo's personal guidance, underwent high-intensity tactical drills to refine team coordination.
The entire Guardian Faction began operating at high speed, like a precise war machine.
While the Guardian Alliance focused on development, the Destroyer Faction was not idle.
Under Luo Li's leadership and the covert support of the World Serpent, their strength was also rapidly expanding.
Both sides were accumulating power, waiting for the next decisive battle.
And the location of that decisive battle was known to all—Sky City.
Sky City, as the core map of the current version, was not only a transportation hub connecting all major cities but also contained a massive amount of rare resources. Among these, the most important were three strategic resource strongholds: the Crystal Vein, the Energy Core, and the Floating Temple.
The Crystal Vein produced "Sky Crystals," which were essential for forging top-tier equipment and constructing defensive works.
The Energy Core provided power for the entire Sky City's floating mechanisms. Once captured, it could activate powerful BUFFs or DEBUFFs covering the entire area.
The Floating Temple, on the other hand, was the sole entrance to the location of the version's final Boss and was the strategic core of the entire Sky City.
These three strongholds became fiercely contested ground for both sides.
One week later.
Just as both sides were wrapping up their preparations, an unexpected skirmish erupted around the Crystal Vein.
A thousand-person mining team from the Guardian Alliance collided head-on with the advance guard of the Destroyer Faction deep within the mining area.
The battle instantly began!
When the news reached both headquarters, Lin Mo and Luo Li issued the same command almost simultaneously—All forces attack!
A massive faction war, gripping the hearts of millions of players, officially kicked off!
Across the vast plains of Sky City, two dark masses of "human tide" surged from opposite ends of the map toward the central Crystal Vein.
Shouts of battle and the roar of magic shook the skies.
Lin Mo floated at the very front of the Guardian Alliance army, his gaze sharp as a knife.
He knew this battle was not just about resource ownership; it was a crucial fight that would determine the morale of both sides.
They must win; they cannot lose!
"All legions, deploy formations according to plan!"
Lin Mo's voice was clearly transmitted through the Alliance command channel to the ears of every team commander.
"Heavy armored legions take the front, forming a Shield Wall! Mage Corps and Archer Corps, prepare for the first round of fire coverage! Assassin legions, all enter Stealth, await my command, and flank from the rear!"
As he issued command after command, the hundreds of thousands of troops of the Guardian Alliance changed formations in an orderly manner, like a waking giant, radiating a suffocating sense of pressure.
On the opposite side, Luo Li also displayed top-tier command talent. The Destroyer Faction army deployed an extremely aggressive wedge formation, like a sharp sword about to be drawn, aimed directly at the Alliance's heartland.
The two steel torrents violently collided under the gaze of all players!