Shi Luo Ye

Chapter 769 Oath of the Peach Garden

The Ghost Realm.

Deep within the Great Desolation, a colossal figure crashed to the ground. This was an ancient deity of the Great Desolation, its head brutally severed, leading to its utter annihilation. Countless threads of destiny surged upwards, fueling the entire Ghost Realm. Standing proudly in the wind, a small figure held the ancient deity's head – it was Tan Xin.

After her pact with Lin Wanhua, Tan Xin had begun patching up the Ghost Realm. The Ghost Kings had all submitted and no longer required management, so her attention turned to these ancient deities of the Great Desolation. These deities were, in essence, remnants of the Primordial Gods era, with combat power between the eleventh and twelfth realms. For Tan Xin to fully command the Ghost Realm, she had to eliminate these natives and channel all their destiny back into the realm. By then, even if the Ghost Realm's destiny didn't rival that of the Human or Monster races, it would at least not be inferior to the Neon Heaven.

From a distance, a figure arrived swiftly on a flying sword. It was Ding Chunqiu.

"Master."

Ding Chunqiu clasped his hands respectfully. "The artisans we escorted have arrived at the Nine Nether Dragon Court. They are now quarrying stone and felling timber. The reconstruction of the Nine Nether Dragon Court should commence in about three days."

"Mm."

Tan Xin smiled and nodded. "Chunqiu, well done. Here… this is your reward."

She flicked her wrist, and a blood-red flying sword landed before Ding Chunqiu. The sword's quality was exceptionally high; it was a legendary Immortal-grade upper tier, named "Blood Soul." Tan Xin had acquired it by slaying an ancient spirit sword cultivator, tearing open its spiritual nexus, and extracting its natal flying sword. Now, the sword had been cleansed of its previous owner's soul imprint and could be refined anew.

"Thank you, Master!"

Ding Chunqiu was filled with gratitude. With this, his first flying sword could be replaced. Equipping this more potent Blood Soul would surely double his efficiency. The first flying sword could be kept; should he ever open a third Sword Lake in the future, it could serve as a backup. It was truly vexing that while sword heroes who reached level 150 were commonplace on the national server, only Lin Zhao had awakened a third Sword Lake. What did that mean? Were others just one step away?

However, there was no help for it; he had to concede.

Not long after, Ding Chunqiu returned to the Nine Nether Dragon Court, directing a group of players, all of them notorious villains, to assist with the tasks, as well as the tens of thousands of laborers rebuilding the Nine Nether Dragon Court. In Tan Xin's absence, Ding Chunqiu, as her chief disciple, could handle all affairs. Tan Xin's trust in him was immense.

"Sigh…"

Ding Chunqiu sat on a dragon-head stone tablet, frowning. Although he now held a position second only to the master, he felt a sense of incompleteness. He was, after all, just a player. No matter how powerful he became in the Ghost Realm, what was the point? Few players ventured into the Ghost Realm to level up. Even if Ding Chunqiu refined an Immortal-grade upper-tier flying sword like Blood Soul, what was its significance if it couldn't outshine other players? All the treasures would seem pale and powerless, akin to "showing off riches without returning home, like traveling at night in fine clothes."

"Beep!"

Just then, a message arrived from his good friend "Chang Ye Yu Huo" from the Monster race: "Brother Ding, how have you been faring in the Ghost Realm lately?"

"It's alright, just getting by!"

Ding Chunqiu narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Alliance Leader Chang Ye Yu Huo, I heard you recently took the twelve-realm great demon Long Zheng as your master? Remarkable, truly remarkable. You'll likely become a direct disciple of the Monster Ancestral Mountain soon."

"Just getting by."

Chang Ye Yu Huo chuckled. "Not long ago, Guo Ke Wu Ming paid me a visit."

"Oh?"

Ding Chunqiu raised an eyebrow. "What did he want with you?"

For a long time, Ding Chunqiu and Guo Ke Wu Ming had maintained a polite distance, though their territories never clashed. Although they were both players of the Northern Four Tribes faction, they actually disliked each other. Ding Chunqiu believed that while Guo Ke Wu Ming's combat power was formidable, his personality was too arrogant; such a person would surely meet a tragic end. Guo Ke Wu Ming, on the other hand, viewed Ding Chunqiu as a leech, constantly relying on his beautiful master, Tan Xin, and living off her scraps. Seeing Ding Chunqiu even made him feel disgusted – what a sissy!

"Heh heh."

Chang Ye Yu Huo chuckled. "After the Battle of Gu Xiao Pass, we players who joined the Northern Four Tribes faction have been suppressed. Guilds like Star River, Azure Dragon, Sheng Tian, Xun Xian, and the Scarlet Moon Knights have all joined forces to oppress us players of opposing factions. This is no way to continue, is it? So, Guo Ke Wu Ming's idea is that we also need to unite, especially the peak players of the Northern Four Tribes. Only by uniting can we crush those so-called righteous players of the Human race."

"Alright!"

Ding Chunqiu laughed heartily. "Honestly, I don't mind the Human players; I just hate their incessant talk of benevolence and righteousness. Since it's just a game, why not play as we please? Who are they lecturing? I'm here to play a game, not to listen to anyone preach. My principle, Ding Chunqiu's principle, is that whoever tries to teach me how to live, I'll teach them how to live on the spot."

"Excellent, excellent."

Chang Ye Yu Huo asked, "So, you agree?"

"Mm."

Ding Chunqiu replied, "How shall we unite?"

"Our intention is to form a brotherhood alliance," Chang Ye Yu Huo explained. "This alliance will be a compact guild, consisting of only ten people, but these ten must be the top players of the Northern faction. Guo Ke Wu Ming, you, myself, and Li Canghai of the Azure Knights have all agreed. Add in Lie Ren Fa Zhi and others. We'll create a small group chat and log in together punctually every day to do quests and PK. We'll make it so that everyone in the Huaxia server's national server has to give us a wide berth. What do you think?"

"Divided we are weak, united we are strong. I agree," Ding Chunqiu said, narrowing his eyes. "But… didn't the Azure Knights led by Li Canghai join the Qing Liang Sect a while back? Why are they joining the Northern Four Tribes faction now?"

"There's no help for it. The Qing Liang Sect is now a dog under Lin Zhao's paw, with no prospects. So, a few days ago, Li Canghai led the Azure Knights to join the Monster race. Li Canghai is now a direct disciple of the great demon Lu Hai."

"Understood. I'll await your news!"

"Alright!"

Ning City, central Ning City.

Huo Dao and the others, having eaten their fill, waited once more by the transport aircraft.

Soon, a man and a woman approached. It was Lin Zhao and Leng Yan.

"Huh?"

Huo Dao squinted and whispered to the younger brother beside him, "What's wrong with the boss? His face is so red, like a steamed sweet potato…"

"Shh, don't make a sound!"

The younger brother was quite cautious.

Lin Zhao's face was flushed because of Miss Leng's legs. Thinking back to the movie theater incident, his old face turned crimson. But he didn't dare to make a move, afraid Leng Yan would think him shallow. Leng Yan, too, felt a blush creep up her cheeks. It was the first time in her life she had actively created an opportunity for that fellow, only for him to leave his hand on her leg for two hours without daring to move…

Leng Yan also didn't dare to be too forward, fearing Lin Zhao might think, "Ah Yan is so forward," which would be a terrible misunderstanding. She absolutely did not want Lin Zhao to think that.

"We're leaving now!"

Lin Zhao turned, giving Leng Yan a hug. It seemed to have become a habit.

Leng Yan's pretty face flushed slightly, and she rubbed her face against Lin Zhao's neck.

Afterward, Lin Zhao boarded the aircraft. The engine of the Cloud Shadow-class vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft roared, and it slowly ascended. Lin Zhao stood at the cabin door, waving goodbye to Leng Yan. Leng Yan, holding down her skirt with one hand and waving with the other, smiled and bid him farewell.

Late at night.

Most players had already gone to sleep, but in the game "Heavenly World," which was closely tied to people's survival resources, many were still staying up late, busy with their tasks. In the desolate lands of the Northern Region, many player teams traversed the forests, and numerous production-type players searched for high-grade medicinal herbs. However, the Northern Region was perilous, forcing them to hire combat-type players as escorts. Consequently, battles erupted frequently in the mountains and forests, with players being ambushed by monsters, and player-versus-player combat occurring incessantly.

Mirror Lake, to the north.

The outer areas were already covered in a thin layer of snow, but the closer one got to Mirror Lake, the warmer the temperature became. The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and many players were already waiting in the peach groves.

"Rustle…"

Guo Ke Wu Ming, clad in high-grade armor, walked through the snow. At level 172, he was the top-ranked player on the national server. His kill count was also the highest. Guo Ke Wu Ming was a lone wolf with powerful individual combat ability. His equipment, skills, and treasures were all top-tier on the national server. Furthermore, his personality was bloodthirsty; he enjoyed PK-ing players the most, killing them without rhyme or reason.

Now, he was about to become a leader.

"Whoosh!"

From the west, several lights descended. Ding Chunqiu, along with Qiu Qianren and Jumou Zhi, arrived.

"Ding Chunqiu is here."

Everyone stood up. There was Chang Ye Yu Huo, Li Canghai, Lie Ren Fa Zhi, Xi He Da Guo Kui, and others – all renowned figures on the national server.

"Then… shall we begin?!" Guo Ke Wu Ming smiled.

"Mm."

Not long after, a total of ten people pledged brotherhood in the peach grove. Ranked according to their combat power, the first-ranked elder brother was Guo Ke Wu Ming. Ding Chunqiu ranked second, Chang Ye Yu Huo third. Li Canghai's strength was slightly weaker, placing him fourth. Following him were Xi He Da Guo Kui, Lie Ren Fa Zhi, Jumou Zhi, Qiu Qianren, and Jiu You Huang Quan, five individuals. The last-ranked was a swordsman named Ben Mo Ruo, with average strength but a fierce expression.

"Today, we shall emulate the ancient sages and pledge brotherhood in the peach garden. From this day forth, we ten shall be brothers. We shall fight together, prosper together. Should anyone violate this oath, may heaven and earth destroy them!"

Guo Ke Wu Ming fiercely smashed the wine bowl in his hand.

Ding Chunqiu, Chang Ye Yu Huo, and the others also smashed their bowls, their faces filled with defiance.

The real world.

In the early morning, Wang Ju prepared a sumptuous breakfast. After everyone finished eating, they went about their business.

"Whoosh!"

After Lin Zhao logged in, his character appeared inside Tian Ran Ju. He first wrote two Heavenly Thunder Talismans to expend his stamina and steady his nerves. As he finished writing the talismans, his gaze fell upon the orange gourd at his waist, and his heart began to pound. He noticed that the Ephemeral Flying Swords in the orange gourd had increased from 16 to 36, far more than doubling.