29: Chapter 29 Annihilation

The silence lasted only 0.3 seconds.

The next moment, it was a collective awakening like a volcanic eruption!

"Holy shit! It dropped! It dropped!"

"Mine! It's all mine! Nobody fight me for it!"

"Charge! For our Ancestor's golden coffin!"

The string of reason snapped completely in the face of the magical words "golden light" and "raiding the house."

The survivors, those who had just respawned, and every player still able to move were like a school of sharks that had caught the scent of blood, launching a charge a hundred times faster than their initial assault toward the spot where Chen Xiao's body had shattered and the golden light was brightest.

The crowd surged, people trampling over each other, every face written with greed, fanaticism, and excitement; the scene was enough to make any sane creature shudder.

"Get the fuck out of my way!"

Demolition Office Director took the lead, swinging the captured ghost-head broadsword with such force that it whistled, not to kill enemies, but purely to clear a path.

Like a boorish bull, he forcibly squeezed a path through the crowd, reaching the source of the golden light first.

In mid-air, several items were quietly hovering, emitting an alluring luster.

The most dazzling was undoubtedly the long sword, jade-green from hilt to tip, with spiritual light that had almost solidified—the Qinghong Sword!

Even while stationary, the sharp sword intent still stung people's skin, as if proclaiming the illustrious reputation of its former master.

Beside it was an ancient-looking booklet made of some kind of beast hide, with four large, calligraphic characters written on the cover—"Qinghong Sword Manual."

Besides that, there was a bulging brocade pouch, and a cyan Daoist robe that shimmered with radiant light, clearly of extraordinary grade.

Demolition Office Director's breathing instantly became heavy, and with a wave of his large hand, he prepared to sweep everything into his arms.

"Director! Hold your hand!"

A delicate cry rang out from behind him; Gossip Reporter Little Trumpet slipped out from the gaps in the crowd like a ghost, holding a glowing jade slip in her hand, evidently "live streaming."

"Follow the rules! BOSS drops are for the whole party to ROLL for! This is the iron rule of our Filial Sons and Virtuous Grandchildren guild!"

Demolition Office Director's movement stalled, veins bulging on his thick red neck, but in the end, he gave an unwilling snort and lowered his hand.

He could be boorish, but he couldn't break the rules, especially at a moment when all eyes were on him.

"ROLL! ROLL right now!" he bellowed in a muffled voice, "Once we're done rolling, we'll go raid the Chen family's lair!"

A crazed ROLL competition centered around the top-tier loot unfolded in full swing right there on the chaotic battlefield, amidst countless severed limbs and blood pools that had yet to dry.

As a Profound-grade magic tool, the Qinghong Sword's equipment requirements were terrifyingly high; at the current stage, no one could equip it.

Ultimately, it was unanimously agreed to temporarily hand it over to the family warehouse as a "Town-Clan Treasure," and all players who participated in the final kill received an astronomical amount of contribution points as compensation.

As for the "Qinghong Sword Manual," it sparked a real bloodbath.

Almost every melee player participated in the ROLL, the sound effects of rolling dice echoing one after another in the communication channel, until it was finally won by Shield Mountain with an overpowered roll of 99 points.

This man, who had taken the most damage in the battle, was now flushed with excitement, his hands trembling slightly as he held the sword manual.

This meant that the player faction was about to have its first member capable of truly executing "Immortal sword techniques"!

As for the Daoist robe and the storage pouch, they were divided among other lucky players.

Among them, the massive amount of spirit stones and pills found in the storage pouch triggered waves of exclamation.

"We're rich! We're really rich this time!"

"Hahaha, brothers, what are we waiting for? If the BOSS is this fat, his home must be a mountain of gold and silver!"

Once the loot was divided, everyone's gaze, in unison, crossed the corpse-strewn battlefield and turned toward the brightly lit, magnificent Chen family estate in the distance.

Their eyes no longer held wariness or hatred.

Instead, it was hunger, greed—the look one gives to a massive treasure trove.

"Listen up, you Chen family members who are still alive!"

Demolition Office Director slammed his ghost-head broadsword into the ground, his true qi surging, and his voice echoed throughout the entire mountain valley.

"Your family head has been executed by the heavenly soldiers and generals sent by our Ancestor! Now, immediately, right now, get out of North Mountain! Otherwise, death without mercy!"

His voice became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

In the sky, those Chen Family Cultivators who had already exhausted their magic power and were emotionally shattered, finally completely collapsed upon hearing the words "death without mercy" and seeing that group of "maniacs" below who had just finished dividing the loot and were staring at them with beast-like eyes.

"Run!"

It was unknown who screamed first, but the remaining dozen or so Chen Family Cultivators, like startled birds, turned and fled, not even caring about the magic tools of their fellow disciples that had fallen to the ground.

They burned their essence blood, driving secret techniques, wishing only that their parents had given them two more legs; in their wretched flight, they had lost any trace of the demeanor of immortal practitioners.

"Want to run? Too late!"

Infrastructure Maniac sneered and waved the command flag in his hand.

"Crossbow squad! Fire! If you don't kill them, treat it as scouting for the new map!"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"

Hundreds of players, who had long been lying in ambush, simultaneously pulled the triggers of their reinforced heavy crossbows.

The poisoned arrows were like a dark cloud, instantly covering that airspace.

Screams rose and fell, and several slow-running Chen Family Cultivators fell from the sky like dumplings, instantly being hacked to pieces by the swarming players below, not even a hair left behind.

The rest disappeared into the end of the night without looking back.

"Do not pursue a desperate enemy! Our target is the Chen family estate!" Gossip Reporter Little Trumpet timely stopped the players who wanted to pursue, "There must be good stuff inside! Don't let the cooked duck fly away!"

"Charge!!!"

No more words were needed; the "Demolition Office" army, composed of hundreds of players, swept aggressively toward the mansion of the century-old cultivation family.

...

The Chen family estate.

In the past, this was an immortal mansion that all mortals within a hundred miles looked up to with unattainable longing; every blade of grass and tree exuded refinement and nobility.

The square paved with white marble, the corridors with carved beams and painted pillars, the herb garden misted with spiritual energy—all of it displayed the heritage and glory of this family.

But at this moment, this glory was meeting its end.

"Boom!"

The gilded plaque engraved with the four large characters "Qingxi Chen Manor" was ripped down by a player with brute force, who excitedly carried it on his shoulder, shouting about how many contribution points this thing could be exchanged for.

The exquisite spiritual wood gate was smashed into splinters in a few hits by dozens of people working together with a massive battering ram.

The players, like a breaching flood, surged into this courtyard that, to them, was filled with "treasure chests" everywhere.

"Holy shit! This rockery is made of spirit stones! Dig! Dig it all up for me!" Miner Boss's eyes lit up the moment he entered, and he led his "Mining Brigade" to knock and chip away at the ornamental strange stones in the courtyard.

"The fish in the pond are spirit fish! Scoop them up! Don't let a single one get away!"

"This pillar is hundred-year ironwood! Tear it down! It can make a hundred door-panel shields!"

"Don't move! This flower is Coagulation Grass! Holy crap, and this one, it's a high-age Heart-Clearing Orchid!" Skillful Hands Mending led her team of life-skill players, screaming as they rushed into the herb garden, like locusts passing through, not sparing even a blade of grass, and even bagging up several sacks of the soil used to cultivate the spiritual herbs.

Cries and pleas for mercy came from various residences.

Some of the Chen family servants who had stayed behind, along with women and children without cultivation, looked in terror at this group of invaders who were like evil ghosts.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm innocent!" A person who looked like a steward knelt on the ground, kowtowing like a pestle pounding garlic.

A player tilted his head and glanced at him; his ID was "Kill Npc Only."

He grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth: "The mission description said, cut weeds and eliminate roots. Do you count as a root?"

Before the steward could beg for mercy again, with one slash, the world became quiet.

Most players had no interest in these NPC without any loot; their goal was clear and pure—treasure!

Soon, under the leadership of I Love Exploiting Loopholes, the Chen family's treasury was found.

When the door, crafted from refined gold and engraved with defensive runes, was violently broken open, everyone couldn't help but gasp.

Golden light, spiritual light, treasure light!

Lights of various colors intertwined, almost blinding everyone.

Piles of spirit stones like mountains, rows of neatly arranged magic tools, chests of sealed pills, and countless rare refining materials in the corner...

"Am... am I dreaming?" a player muttered to himself, pinching himself hard.

"Damn it! Loot it!"

Someone shouted, breaking the silence, and everyone fell into madness again.

On the other side, Infrastructure Maniac led his people straight to the Chen family's library.

Unlike the simple and crude treasury, the atmosphere here was more solemn.

Rows of sandalwood bookshelves were filled with various jade slips and beast-hide scrolls.

"Basic Fire Control Manual," "Detailed Explanation of Water Manipulation," "Introduction to Earth Evasion"... A player in charge of scouting had a trembling voice, "We're rich... it's all cultivation techniques!"

This was the accumulation of a cultivation family over a hundred years!

For the players, this was more precious than a mountain of gold and silver!

"Pack it all up! Not a single sheet of paper is allowed to remain!" Infrastructure Maniac decided instantly, waving his large hand.

The players began to sweep through frantically; they didn't look like they were acquiring knowledge, but rather like they were moving cargo.

Jade slips, beast hides, and even the bookshelves themselves were dismantled and packed one by one, ready to be transported back to the ancestral hall.

This crazed looting lasted for an entire night.

When the sky turned white at dawn, the once magnificent and imposing Chen family estate had turned into a ruin.

Everything that could be dismantled was dismantled, everything that could be dug up was dug up, and everything that could be moved was moved.

The ground was dug three feet deep, the walls were knocked until they were riddled with holes, and the entire estate was bare, as if it had been gnawed on by a giant beast.

The players carried bags of loot, their faces showing fatigue, but more so, expressions of satisfaction.

In this battle, they not only crushed a major threat but also completed a transformative primitive accumulation.

Among the crowd returning fully loaded, Gossip Reporter Little Trumpet was excitedly making the final battle report summary in the guild channel.

"...Brothers and sisters! According to preliminary statistics, in this battle, we captured over 30,000 low-grade spirit stones, 172 various magic tools, countless pills, and over 300 cultivation technique jade slips! The Chen family's spirit stone veins and all spirit fields and herb gardens have all returned to our clan! From today on, we are no longer that poor family that needs to worry about a single piece of charcoal!"

In the channel, there was a roar of cheers like a mountain landslide.

However, at this moment, a player at the end of the line responsible for counting the loot suddenly let out an "Eh."

From a pile of miscellaneous items scavenged from Chen Xiao's study, he dug out a letter sealed with black wax.

The material of the envelope was extremely special, neither gold nor jade, and cold to the touch.

The most eye-catching thing was the emblem branded on the wax—it was a demonic black lotus that seemed to be burning.

"What is this thing? It looks pretty high-end." He muttered, curiously wanting to tear it open.

"Wait!"

A hand pressed down on him; I Love Exploiting Loopholes had appeared from somewhere, staring fixedly at the black lotus emblem, his brows furrowed, and a rare look of solemnity appearing in his eyes.

"This thing... I think I've seen it in the background information given by our Ancestor." He lowered his voice and said word by word: "The Demon Lord on the neighboring mountain, the one who put a bounty on our Ancestor's ashes... his emblem is a black lotus."