88: Chapter 88 All-in Yangyan, the Ultimate Pay-to-Win Kill Build

At the base of the Fortress, within a specially opened small emergency side passage, the atmosphere was heavy and eerie.

A thick mix of blood and rot hung in the air, almost suffocating. Zhang Hao, like a pile of completely ruined flesh, was carefully placed on a rapidly deployed portable medical bed. His body was enveloped in a faint green life-sustaining aura, with various probes and IV lines swiftly connected to his mangled form. Medical runic instruments hummed faintly, straining to keep this last breath in his body.

Around his medical bed, the four low-level ghosts he had enslaved—the Skinless Blood Corpse, the Wailing Ghost, and the Drowned Ones—were firmly surrounded by several Yin Soldier Centurions wielding specially-made runic shackles. They stood there dully, filthy fluids dripping from their bodies, occasionally letting out meaningless growls. Under the powerful oppressive aura of the Yin Soldiers and Zhang Hao's control, which had become extremely weak after his coma, they did not attack.

"Vital signs are stable at the minimum threshold. Soul damage is severe, but the anomalous energy activity is stable, even showing signs of slow self-repair," a medical team leader in a white coat that shimmered with runic light reported quickly. "Deep repair and soul stabilization surgery is needed immediately, or there may be permanent damage or... consciousness collapse."

"Use the best 'Soul Crystal Gel' and 'Life Source Fluid'," Lin Chen's voice came from the observation platform above the passage, devoid of any emotion, as if deciding on a tool's maintenance plan. "Save his life, and that little ability he just awakened. nether talismans are not an issue."

"Yes!"

The medical team immediately sprang into action, pushing the medical bed towards the highest-spec medical room deep within the Fortress. The four low-level ghosts were also taken away by the Yin Soldiers in special restraint cages, sent to the runic research lab for 'live sample' analysis.

Su Qingyu stood beside Lin Chen, watching the passage below being swiftly cleaned and smelling the blood still lingering in the air. She took a deep breath and presented a contract scroll shimmering with a ghostly light.

"Master, the 'vicious dog contract' is ready. Terms include absolute loyalty, consciousness shackles, shared ability usage rights, and... soul annihilation punishment for breach."

Lin Chen didn't even glance at the scroll, speaking faintly, "Have him sign it when he wakes up."

His gaze had already shifted to the massive holographic tactical sand table in the center of the command room. On it, representing the 'Lord of the Ultimate End' was a huge, blurry, constantly writhing dark red silhouette. Inside it, three glowing points, shifting position and pulsing like hearts, were marked: Intracranial, Heart Chamber, and Spinal Base!

Floating beside it was the critical intelligence Zhang Hao had desperately brought back, confirmed by scout Yin Soldiers: 【Weakness: Pure Yang Flame-class light source. Kill Condition: Simultaneous annihilation of the three cores.】

"Pure Yang Flame-class light source..." Lin Chen's fingers tapped lightly on the console. "That's not easy to find. Conventional holy light or Buddhist flame levels aren't enough. It must be the ultimate positive and rigid light energy, capable of instantly incinerating all yin-evil essence."

Items in the Fortress's existing arsenal and nether talisman exchange list that reached this level were exceedingly rare, and their prices were astronomical.

"Our stock of 'Great Sun Sky-Burning Talismans' might reach the critical point, but the quantity is too low, only enough to target one core at most," Su Qingyu called up the data, her brow furrowed. "And the 'simultaneous annihilation' requires precision and timing nearly perfect, with an error margin of less than 0.1 seconds, otherwise..."

Otherwise, it would alert the enemy, inviting an even more frenzied counterattack from the Lord of the Ultimate End.

A brief silence fell over the command room. This intelligence was crucial, but the challenge it brought was immense.

At that moment, Lin Chen suddenly smiled.

That smile held no worry, no gravity, only a kind of... excitement? As if he had seen a favorite toy.

"Not easy to find? Expensive? High requirements?" He fired off consecutive questions, his tone light. "Those aren't problems."

He turned to face Su Qingyu and all the core personnel in the command room, his voice resolute and filled with unrivaled confidence:

"Pass on my orders!"

"First, immediately empty ninety percent of the Fortress's current Nether Talsiman reserves! Use it all to build three 'Yang Flame Special Assault Teams'!"

"Second, exchange list: Three sets of 【Pseudo-Sun God Battle Armor】 (Core Drive: Micro Yang Flame Matrix)! Three 【Spear of Longinus Replicas】 (Enchantment: Pure Yang Flame Penetration)! Nine 【Great Sun Sky-Burning Talismans - Array Engraved Edition】 for energy amplification and backup! All equipment must complete runic adaptation and personnel arming within 12 hours!"

As the orders were given, even Su Qingyu gasped in shock!

Empty ninety percent of the Nether Talsiman reserves?! That was almost the vast majority of the nearly one billion nether talismans shown to those traitors earlier! It was the foundation for the Fortress's operation, expansion, and maintenance of absolute military power!

Moreover, 【Pseudo-Sun God Battle Armor】, 【Spear of Longinus Replicas】... these items were all top-tier, sky-high priced items in the system exchange list. The price of each one was enough to bankrupt a medium-sized survivor base! Lin Chen actually wanted to make three sets at once?! Just for this one decapitation mission?!

This was no longer just whaling; this was the madness of betting the entire treasury!

"Master, this... isn't this consumption a bit too..." Su Qingyu couldn't help but speak up; the risk of this decision was too great.

"Too much what?" Lin Chen interrupted her, his gaze sharp. "If we win, everything of the Lord of the Ultimate End is our spoils of war. This investment will be repaid with interest. If we lose, keeping more nether talismans would just be burial goods for the Lord of the Ultimate End."

He looked around at everyone, his voice carrying undeniable force: "In my rules of the game, you either go ALL IN and win everything, or don't even sit at the table! Now, does anyone want to back out?"

In the command room, no one dared to respond. Everyone was stunned by Lin Chen's all-or-nothing audacity.

"Good." Lin Chen nodded with satisfaction. "Third, Special Assault Team personnel configuration: Each team: one Ghost General commander, ten elite Yin Soldier Centurions, one main attacker equipped with Yang Flame gear!"

As soon as his words fell.

"Hum—!"

An overwhelmingly thick, bloody aura of slaughter suddenly filled the entire command room! The temperature plummeted instantly, and a thin layer of black frost even condensed on the walls!

A tall, ethereal figure clad in tattered black armor, with an ancient bronze sword at his waist, silently appeared behind Lin Chen. His face was blurred, but his eyes seemed to contain mountains of corpses and seas of blood. It was the God of Slaughter, Bai Qi!

Bai Qi's ethereal gaze went straight to the dark red silhouette representing the Lord of the Ultimate End on the holographic sand table. A hoarse, icy voice, with the texture of clashing metal, sounded:

"This beast, I, shall personally behead it."

He volunteered! To personally lead a team and strike straight at the Ghost Lord's core!

Lin Chen looked at Bai Qi, showing no surprise, as if he had expected it. "Approved. You lead the team, attack the 'Intracranial' core."

He quickly appointed others: "The other two teams, led by 'Xing Tian' and 'Ying Bu', will target the 'Heart Chamber' and 'Spinal Base' cores respectively!"

Xing Tian, Ying Bu! Two more Ghost Generals whose names were renowned throughout history for slaughter! Their ethereal forms also slowly solidified nearby, radiating overwhelming fighting spirit and slaughterous aura!

Three special assault teams, led by three top-tier Ghost Generals, equipped with sky-high priced Yang Flame divine artifacts, their targets fixed on the Ghost Lord's three vital points!

This lineup was luxurious to the extreme! And extravagant to the extreme!

"Equipment exchange, personnel deployment, tactical coordination simulation, execute immediately!" Lin Chen waved his hand, making the final decision. "Within 24 hours, I want to see three sharp enough 'scalpels', precisely inserted into the heart of the Lord of the Ultimate End!"

"Yes!!"

The entire Fortress, like the most precise war machine, began operating at an unprecedented, frenzied efficiency. A massive flood of nether talismans was consumed, Yang Flame equipment radiating terrifying energy fluctuations was exchanged from the system space one after another, and the three Ghost Generals began personally selecting and training elite Yin Soldiers...

The air was thick with the oppressive tension before a great battle, and the... fanaticism ignited by Lin Chen's immense wealth and absolute will!

Everyone understood that this would be the battle deciding life and death.

And Lin Chen had already staked almost all his chips.

He stood before the observation window, watching the busy scene below, his eyes profound.

"Lord of the Ultimate End... I hope your 'legacy' is worthy of my investment."