124: Chapter 124 Pre-battle Preparations, Farewell?

How could such a desperate situation be resolved?

Chen Xing didn't know; at least, not for now. He temporarily set those considerations aside.

In any case, he had to overcome the current hurdle first and then advance to the Immortal Realm.

"Thirty days, with one Rank opening every five days—first C-class, then B-class... and on the twentieth day, they release the Aces? Isn't that just a one-sided slaughter?" Chen Xing's brow furrowed.

The Esper Alliance would have to face three opposing factions. They were already crushed in terms of numbers alone; they could only hope to compete in quality.

This was likely why the Alliance had always emphasized strength within the same Realm, as only then would it be possible to survive on the battlefield.

"There's no other way; those are the rules," someone sighed.

"You mean I have to wait another ten days? What am I supposed to do, just stand by and watch my comrades die during these days?" Qin Feng clenched his fists.

"Are you only realizing this now? This is their tactic," a Heavenly Position Realm Venerable spoke up.

"What they want to do is thin out our numbers. Without S-class experts present, the casualties will be higher because they can win through sheer quantity."

"And having you witness the deaths of your comrades here during these days is a psychological blow. They want to systematically erode your Battle Intent so that the fighting ten or so days from now can be concluded easily."

"In other words, if you truly waver because of this, that will be the real defeat!" the Venerable emphasized.

Hearing these words, everyone's hearts couldn't help but sink.

Previously, various Venerables and teachers had always emphasized the dangers of the battlefield, but they had rarely taken it seriously, thinking that as long as their strength was sufficient, they would be fine.

Now, the impact of this reality was too great.

"Why agree to this kind of combat format?" someone who didn't know the underlying reasons roared in anger.

"Exactly! If this continues, how many C-class and B-class Espers will even be left?"

"How is this any different from sending us to our deaths?"

"..."

"Our Alliance is beset by enemies on all sides; the three opponents before us are not the only ones." The Venerable's single sentence plunged the crowd into silence once more.

More than just the three factions before them?

At this moment, a chilling sense of despair enveloped their hearts, a Concept that permeated the surroundings and refused to dissipate for a long time.

"Do not fear. You should ask yourselves: why are you standing here today?" At this point, a middle-aged man in blue spoke up.

"It is precisely because we gods emerged victorious in the Great War of the past that they are unwilling to accept it. They want a showdown between the younger generations; otherwise, why would they let you onto the field so early?"

"Hmph, you won once, that's all. Look at how arrogant you are," a god of the Demon Alliance snorted coldly.

"If you're truly unconvinced, why start this conflict? If you have the courage, we can release Hua Zizai," the Blue-clad middle-aged man mocked.

As soon as these words were spoken, the opposite side fell silent for a moment.

"There are still ten hours of preparation time," a powerhouse of the Evil Path reminded.

"Get ready," a god of the Demon Race spoke.

"..."

Subsequently, the experts from each side stepped down to offer reassurances. Everyone also left the starships and gathered on a large landmass within the Universe.

"You need not be afraid after you go down. That place is a Secret Realm, jointly created by multiple parties," the True God Fa Kong spoke.

"We shall exert our Divine Power to cleanse your marrow, sublimate your Origin, and further stabilize your strength." The middle-aged man in blue walked over.

"Commander!" The crowd was overwhelmed by the favor. They hadn't expected such a high-and-mighty figure to personally intervene.

"My Lord, you..." True God Fa Kong hesitated.

"The battlefield is no joke. We cannot let these promising young people die for nothing." The Blue-clad middle-aged man waved his hand.

"The Secret Realm has strict screening; it is not permitted to bring high-level Magical Artifacts or Divine Artifacts inside. The limit is the Fourth Realm, so just prepare Fourth Realm Magical Artifacts."

With that, the Blue-clad middle-aged man gave a large wave of his hand, and multicolored spots of light flew out in a dense swarm.

These spots of light flew into the hands of different people. Upon closer inspection, they were actually pieces of fully-kitted Magical Artifacts!

"This... these are all matching sets?" Looking at the golden battle armor in his hands, Chen Xing was slightly surprised.

It wasn't just him; everyone had received a matching set.

The jade pendants, gloves, belts, weapons, and other items on these battle robes were not decorations, but Fourth Realm Magical Artifacts.

All set-type Magical Artifacts were behemoths assembled from many individual artifacts of the same level, and their cost was extremely high.

The Alliance was willing to spend so much; they were truly putting in the effort.

"This set... it actually perfectly adapts to my wind attribute?" someone exclaimed in surprise. How could it be such a coincidence?

"It is no coincidence. We have long since memorized the names of all hundreds of thousands of you," the True God Ling Xi, whose abilities were comparable to mind-reading, spoke at this moment.

"Your ability attributes and combat styles have been committed to memory by Divine-Grade craftsmen over the past year. These sets are all custom-made for you on a one-to-one basis. So, use them with confidence."

The people were stunned, finding it hard to believe.

The names of hundreds of thousands of people—the lords had memorized them all?

Even for their sake, Immortal Gods had maintained the world's operation over the past year, and Divine-Grade craftsmen had forged set weapons for them.

Some of those who were usually unremarkable, especially the C-class and B-class Espers, couldn't help but feel their eyes redden.

"After this battle, regardless of whether you are victorious, your families, lovers, and friends will be taken care of by the Alliance. For the rest of their lives, they will want for nothing. You may go to battle without restraint!" the Blue-clad middle-aged man said loudly and forcefully.

"I know that standing here talking to you might seem like I'm not feeling your pain, but this is all I can do. If there is anything else you want to say or anyone you want to see, enter the Virtual World now and see your families one last time!"

Upon hearing this, many people immediately set off for the starships.

Watching their departing backs, the True God smiled.

"Perhaps the utility of the Virtual World is reflected here. It isn't just for combat; it's also for living."

"Developing this thing back then was thanks to the technology from outside the domain that we used as a reference."

"If I remember correctly, you were on the opposing side at the time, saying the Virtual World would make people addicted and lose their true selves."

"Sigh... things are hard to predict. I didn't expect it to be so useful."

"Hahaha, tell me, if the world we live in were also a Virtual World, but we actually didn't know it, what would happen?"

"How could that be possible?"

"..."

Qin Feng, Su He, Lin Qingyao, and the others all went to see their parents. Chu Li communicated with the True God and went to see Chu Zhen in the Domain of God.

Chen Xing found a random corner, sat down cross-legged, and admired the beautiful starry sky.

"Don't you want to see your teacher?" At this moment, True God Ling Xi slowly appeared by his side.

"Aren't I seeing her now?" Chen Xing turned back with a smile.

"I meant Ye Jianxing," True God Ling Xi glared at him.

"Eh, between men, there's really no special need for farewells. If I don't come back, then he'll visit my grave. If he doesn't come back, I'll pour wine for him. If neither of us comes back, then our tombstones can just be placed together," Chen Xing chuckled.

*Smack!*

True God Ling Xi slapped the back of his head and scolded, "Stop saying such unlucky things!"