This is the first online update for the world of Heavenly Dao. Everyone is paying attention to the changes.
Ten minutes passed, and Chu Tian, along with Ma Deju, was flying from Black Soil City towards Shengjing City. The journey was still quite long, and although Chu Tian's flying speed was fast, he estimated it would take at least half an hour to reach their destination.
"Brother Ma, how long does your skill need to cool down?" Chu Tian asked, looking down at the ground where fortresses were emerging from the earth, turning previously empty spaces into castles. Many leveling areas now also had fortress walls.
A thought suddenly occurred to Chu Tian.
"That skill? It recovers. If there's enough blood energy absorbed, it has no cooldown," Ma Deju replied, slightly taken aback.
Chu Tian was even more surprised. What did "no cooldown" mean?
"What if there isn't enough blood energy?" Chu Tian also seized on the crucial point in Ma Deju's words.
"If no blood energy is absorbed, the attack power and damage are limited, and the cooldown is 30 days. If partial blood energy is absorbed, the damage and attack increase, and the cooldown time is shortened accordingly," Ma Deju explained truthfully.
"Then how many monsters do I need to kill to absorb it completely?" Chu Tian pressed further.
"Killing monsters is useless. You need to kill people..." Ma Deju's face fell.
"Just tell me how many people you need to kill!"
"Around three thousand people. Back when we were in the underground cave, it was about that number!" Ma Deju recalled.
"Three thousand people!" Chu Tian gasped after hearing this. But then, his eyes flickered.
"Sister Xixi, get me four thousand people from the guild, preferably not core members. Tell them to be prepared for death and level loss. As for compensation... I'll tell them when they arrive. See if anyone is willing to volunteer." Chu Tian spoke directly to Qi Xi, a plan forming in his mind.
Lei Qingcheng: "Four thousand people? Non-core elites? Then it can only be those with less favorable equipment, or those with poorer skills who can't get into the elite teams."
I am Not a Druid: "Yes, tell them to gather outside Four Seasons City at coordinates: 458945.694642. Be discreet."
Lei Qingcheng: "Okay..."
After his conversation with Qi Xi, Chu Tian's lips curved into a mischievous smile. He hung up the private chat, turned, and flew towards the coordinates he had sent to Qi Xi.
Chu Tian had already entered the vicinity of Four Seasons City. He saw the changes on the ground as he flew. Countless fortresses had sprung up. In truth, the changes weren't that extensive. Most of the places where fortresses had risen were former small towns, which had directly transformed into fortress structures with towering walls. Some active leveling areas also saw the appearance of fortresses.
Each fortress occupied its own area, chosen for its good scenery or convenience for players heading out to level. Chu Tian and Ma Deju arrived at the designated coordinates. It was a secluded mountain hollow, not a place anyone would typically stumble upon without the coordinates.
Before long, players from the Reverse God Alliance began arriving in small groups, not carrying any guild badges. The first five players who arrived surprised Chu Tian. He recognized them. Seeing them, his heart ached. Their presence here proved they weren't part of the Reverse God Alliance's elite group, but rather ordinary players who weren't qualified. Either they had joined the guild recently, or their skills were lacking.
Chu Tian discreetly glanced at their joining times in the guild interface. His heart ached a little more; they had been members for a long time, joining the Reverse God Alliance shortly after leaving the新手村 (Xinshou Cun - novice village).
"Brother Yan!" Chu Tian stepped forward.
"Huh?" The burly man opposite him was startled to see Chu Tian. They had received instructions that the guild leader was summoning them for a secret mission, with the risk of losing a level.
The person Chu Tian addressed as Brother Yan was Chu Tian's university classmate, the head of their dormitory, their "boss." It was Yan Pengkun, who had been injured by Tao Jiayu's ghost. He was also a neutral member of the Ninth Office and the son of Yan Mingshan.
At this moment, seeing the man before him, Yan Pengkun naturally knew he was the guild leader, the "Virtuous God" they had never met. Having been in the world of Heavenly Dao for so long, he had been a fan of the Virtuous God. Of course, the five people behind him felt the same.
Hearing that the Virtuous God had summoned them for a secret mission, the six of them had signed up immediately, nearly missing out on a spot as the guild leader had only requested four thousand people. With tens of thousands of members in the Reverse God Alliance, ordinary players made up the majority, with only a few classified into the elite group. As the six of them were already doing quests in Four Seasons City and the coordinates were close, they hurried over.
Now, the Virtuous God suddenly calling him "Brother Yan" completely bewildered him, as well as the five behind him.
"You... you're Third Brother?" Suddenly, a sharpshooter behind Yan Pengkun pointed at Chu Tian.
Chu Tian then applied to add them as friends. Instantly, his true identity was revealed. Chu Tian smiled and walked forward to hug them. The five were still in shock.
"Third Brother, it's really you..." Yan Pengkun said, his face filled with disbelief upon seeing Chu Tian's true face. Even Chu Tian's embrace, he accepted passively.
The six of them could never have imagined that the Virtuous God, whom they had admired for so long, who ranked first on the Heavenly Dao World rankings and first on the "Troublemaker" list, was Chu Tian... their quiet, often bullied dorm mate.
"Right, why didn't the three of you make it into the elite group?" Chu Tian suddenly remembered that in his previous life, his brother here was not weak. Although he had always been a solo player and hadn't joined a guild, the five of them had a reputation. Had the Reverse God Alliance's elite group become so powerful that these five couldn't even pass the initial selection?
At the same time, Chu Tian felt guilt. In his previous life, these five brothers had helped him a great deal, both in reality and in the game. Even with their limited strength, when he was being hunted, they would travel long distances to save him, regardless of how powerful the pursuer was, willing to die alongside him. Once, Chu Tian had been killed and sent back to the novice village, and it was these five who had stayed hidden in a mountain沟 (gōuzi - ditch/ravine) for over a month, patiently helping Chu Tian level up again.
In this life, Chu Tian had become busy and reached his peak, yet he had forgotten about them. He truly felt immense guilt!
"Alas, Third Brother... you don't know, we were originally in the elite group... but..."
"Little Fifth, don't say it!" Yan Pengkun suddenly interrupted one of them.
"Big Brother..." The person he interrupted was the fifth brother in their dorm. He seemed a little resentful at being stopped by Yan Pengkun.
Seeing this, Chu Tian frowned. He detected something fishy. Yan Pengkun's interruption suggested he didn't want Chu Tian to know something. It seemed the Reverse God Alliance wasn't as clean as he had imagined! As this thought crossed his mind, a gleam flashed in Chu Tian's eyes. The people before him naturally noticed it. Yan Pengkun immediately became a bit worried. The other four brothers, however, seemed a little excited.
"Alright, Brother Yan, stay with me for now. We'll resolve your troubles later; the current matters are more important!" Chu Tian motioned for the five of them to come closer.
Ma Deju, of course, had also understood the relationship between Chu Tian and these five. He immediately came up and slung an arm around Yan Pengkun. Ma Deju's build was similar to Yan Pengkun's, both being stout and broad-shouldered. He was always friendly and gregarious, while Yan Pengkun was much more reserved. Being held by the neck by Ma Deju made him a little awkward. He thought to himself, "Who is this guy? How did his name become so famous?"