Chapter 122 – Yuan's Battle Record is Not Impressive

The battle was now intense.

The duels between Lords and Lords were already in full swing.

The two treasures, the Hero’s Token and the Secret Realm Key, were likely too precious, so no strong contenders had yet appeared. However, around the few rare Three-Star Remnant Souls, the generals from various factions were fighting fiercely, almost beating the life out of each other.

Even so, the battle between the Great Sun Lord and the Tianyuan Lord, two top-tier newcomers, still attracted some attention.

The Great Sun Lord had already displayed formidable strength, suppressing and killing a general of an old Lord.

Then, what about the Tianyuan Lord, who ranked even higher? The mysterious Tianyuan Lord?

Surely, he couldn’t be far behind, right?

…

Arrows shot like streaks of light, whistling through the air.

From the very start, it was a full-force assault.

Over a dozen arrows pierced the sky, explosions ringing out one after another, roaring incessantly.

In the previous battle, the Halberdier had been staggered by the successive explosive impacts, ultimately failing to defend and being struck by several arrows in the face, leading to his death.

But Lu Liu was steady.

He channeled energy into the Earth Rock Shield, tilting the shield slightly upward as it glowed with a faint luminescence, firmly withstanding the roaring explosive arrows without so much as a tremor.

“The Imperial Guard stands his ground in defense; his consumption is relatively low, giving him a higher chance of victory.”

“No, the Sharpshooter’s consumption isn’t high either. The arrows he uses are all enchanted arrows, their power derived from monetary investment. It’s hard to say who will last until the end.”

Moreover…

The Sharpshooter was already sprinting swiftly, enveloped in a cyan wind, his speed increasing as he left a trail of afterimages across the battlefield.

It was his war boots!

His war boots possessed the Wind Speed skill!

He continuously circled around, firing arrows from all directions, enveloping the area like a net.

In such a situation, Lu Liu had no choice but to use the skill ‘Guardian’ to block the explosive arrows coming from all sides.

Again and again.

The Sharpshooter had seized control of the offensive rhythm, with nearly a dozen afterimages of fully drawn bows and arrows ready to fire appearing almost simultaneously on the field, as if an army had surrounded the Imperial Guard, who was fighting a desperate battle in the center.

The black figure was already engulfed in the roaring, continuously exploding orange-red flames.

In such circumstances, the slow-moving Imperial Guard had no chance to counterattack. Even with the ‘Charge’ skill, he couldn’t catch the incredibly agile Sharpshooter, who left deceptive afterimages in his wake.

For the Imperial Guard to win, he had to hold out until the Sharpshooter exhausted himself.

But in the process, if the Imperial Guard made even the slightest mistake, he would be instantly taken out by these highly destructive explosive arrows.

“Who will hold out until the end?”

Hold out?

Amid the scorching flames, beneath the black visor, Lu Liu’s eyes were as calm as water.

Reflecting the flickering, indistinct figures.

An unknown soldier, dying on the battlefield, as insignificant as a grain of sand, remembered by no one.

An ordinary sentinel, yet nurtured by the Lord, bestowed with a miraculous baptism, opening a new chapter in his life.

His name was Lu Liu.

Tianyuan’s Lu Liu.

He would exert all his strength to repay the Lord’s cultivation.

“In the name of fearlessness.”

He shouted low, his voice drowned out by the explosive roars, but his figure shot forth like a cannonball, enveloped in a faint golden radiance.

Fearless! Unafraid! And…

Invincible!A black figure burst forth from the flames, immediately met by several flaming arrows shooting toward him.

Lu Liu neither dodged nor evaded, continuing his forward charge. The powerful explosions failed to make him stagger in the slightest, and wherever he passed, the flames abruptly extinguished as if being swallowed.

The sharpshooter swiftly changed direction, dashing toward another position.

Yet the black-armored warrior possessed an agility that defied his bulky frame. With a forceful stomp and a sharp turn, his speed surged dramatically, allowing him to catch up to the sharpshooter in the brief gap after his Wind Speed skill ended.

Before the sharpshooter—and the astonished eyes of the Great Sun Lord behind him—a black spear swept horizontally, striking out like a dragon!

Boom—

The sharpshooter’s armor faintly cracked and caved inward. He was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing violently against the barrier’s light screen, causing ripples to spread across it. Blood seeped from his wounds, and his arms, hastily raised in defense, were twisted at unnatural angles, revealing stark white bone.

He wasn’t dead yet, barely managing to open his eyes, only to see a massive black shield enlarging before him.

Boom—

KO!

…

The flames vanished, and the scorched, cracked earth returned to its smooth state, leaving only the burly warrior clad in black armor, holding a large shield, standing tall within the arena, scanning his surroundings.

But what had just happened?

Some lords had blinked, while others had taken advantage of the stalemate to glance at other battles. By the time they refocused, they saw the sharpshooter had been utterly crushed.

Had he lost so completely?

The Great Sun Lord was utterly stunned, frozen in place.

“Shocking! The Great Sun Lord was actually defeated by Tianyuan…”

One lord mentally drafted a post of thousands of words, planning to publish it on the forum as soon as he returned.

It was bound to garner countless likes.

After all, this was the freshest, hottest news related to the Tianyuan Lord!

“As expected of Tianyuan, effortlessly crushing the Great Sun Lord! Hooray!”

Later, Lu Liu faced two more challengers.

The process was much the same.

Endure some attacks, seize an opportunity, and crush the enemy.

His explosive power was ferocious, like a legendary general of the era, finally intimidating the remaining competitors and securing the treasure, the ‘Miracle Blueprint: Training Ground.’

This was also due to the limited number of lords competing for it.

Afterward, Mu Yuan set his sights on another treasure—also a Miracle Blueprint, named ‘Cultivation Chamber (Rare).’

This structure provided a comfortable cultivation environment and slightly increased the user’s Soul Sand absorption rate.

For veteran lords, leveling speed wasn’t as crucial as raising their cap (Rare 3-star), but the number of lords competing for this blueprint was higher than for the Training Ground blueprint.

The arena battle had reached its third round.

The final victor was a Peak Professional Tier wolf rider.

Mu Yuan’s gaze fell upon Red Robe.

“I choose you.”

“Giggle giggle giggle”

Laughter echoed through the battlefield as Red Robe, clad in a crimson dress, made her dramatic entrance.

Her dress seemed to drip with blood, and an aura of eeriness and ill omen surrounded her. Her appearance alone was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

She also displayed a dominance far surpassing Lu Liu’s—at least visually more imposing.

She conjured a blood-colored claw several meters long, slashing at the wolf rider again and again, occasionally letting out sharp, piercing shrieks that reverberated throughout the arena.

After dozens of exchanges, Red Robe struck the rider down from his wolf.

“She’s stronger than the previous Imperial Guard.”

“Perhaps this is the Tianyuan Lord’s true ace.””But what kind of troop type is this? Its abilities are quite bizarre!”

Several Lords murmured, then hesitated. It wasn’t that they lacked stronger commanders, but they could still choose to compete for other Treasures—no need to gamble on a single opportunity here.

For esteemed veteran Lords, losing to a newcomer who’d only arrived just over a month ago would be rather embarrassing.

Even if it was the Lord of Tianyuan Territory.

Better to wait and observe.

But one warrior stepped forward.

It was Great Sun… Did Great Sun Lord still have a stronger trump card? This batch of newcomers was truly terrifying—

Before the thought could fully form, Great Sun Lord himself stepped onto the Arena.

Veteran Lords: “???”

To be fair, this did comply with the rules; external champion duels occasionally had Lords personally taking the field.

However, most Lords valued their status, and more importantly… the vast majority of Lords’ combat power paled in comparison to their own ace commanders.

But Great Sun Lord was clearly not among the weak Lords.

Streams of light shimmered and intertwined around him, and in the blink of an eye, he assumed the stance of the Sharpshooter template. This was far from the end. With a low shout from Great Sun Lord, his black short hair transformed into a brilliant gold, like flowing golden flames, radiating dazzling golden light. Surging golden flames also rose from his body, merging and intertwining with his Treasure Armor, making him appear like a Divine Being.

He spread his arms, and arrows flew leisurely from his quiver, enveloped in flowing golden flames, resembling one golden flame Flying Sword after another, all pointing distantly at the red figure ahead.

He, Great Sun Lord, in his complete form!

A single glance would make onlookers feel that this individual was terrifyingly formidable.

No wonder he was so confident and arrogant as to personally step onto the Arena grounds. Some veteran Lords secretly marveled: My own commanders would likely be no match for him.

Lord Mu also felt a secret shock. If those golden flame-wreathed arrows were to strike down, even if Red Robe had the protection of her ‘Blood Robe’ skill, she wouldn’t withstand more than a few hits.

It somewhat countered Red Robe!

Well then,

Start with the ultimate move.

While Great Sun Lord was still showing off his perfect form, Red Robe closed and then opened her eyes. Her crimson pupils seemed to contain a prison, locking anyone who met her gaze within.

“This is…”

In the blink of an eye, the once flat Arena transformed into a scene of great horror: grim and cold, with crows cawing, bones piled high, and a blood moon hanging in the sky.

The only constant was the figure in red standing in the distance.

Only now, her long dress was even more crimson, flowing like blood, dripping drop by drop onto the ground.

She stood before a red pavilion streaked with bloodstains. The bells on the pavilion chimed in the wind, their tinkling sounds seemingly carrying soul-stealing demonic notes.

This was an Illusion!

A complete illusory world constructed through highly advanced Illusion techniques and skills!

Great Sun Lord, after all, had considerable experience and recognized it at a glance. But recognition was all he could manage. No matter how he reversed his energy or blocked its flow, he couldn’t break free from this grim and terrifying illusory scene.

He commanded his golden flame-wreathed arrows to blast that red figure, along with the eerie pavilion behind her, into utter ruin.

Yet, the next moment, the red figure and the eerie pavilion reappeared unscathed in another location not far away.

Then came a second, third, and fourth Red Robe.

Eerie pavilions stood tall on all sides.

Giggling laughter echoed continuously within the enclosed space surrounded by the pavilions.The Great Sun Lord’s face gradually turned pale.

“You… what exactly are you?”

A figure in red robes appeared not far away, tilting her head as if in thought.

After a long moment, she spoke with solemn seriousness, “This humble servant is but an ordinary, unremarkable member under my master’s command, keke keke keke”

The Great Sun Lord’s heart trembled.

His already barely maintained mental defenses completely collapsed at that moment.

He was submerged in terrifying waves of illusion.

…

In the outside world, only two seconds had passed.

The Great Sun Lord was still displaying his invincible posture, making people marvel at his terrifying golden flame talent. Given time, this young man was sure to earn a place among Taixuan powerhouses.

The next second,

Pat-a-tat~!

The hovering arrows surrounding him lost their power support one by one, clattering to the ground in a heap.

The golden flowing flames on them, along with the golden flames rising from the Great Sun Lord’s body, suddenly extinguished and disappeared.

At this moment, the Great Sun Lord clad in treasure armor had a pale complexion, his forehead covered with cold sweat, his entire body unsteady as he knelt down, supporting himself with his hands on the ground.

Cold sweat dripped down drop by drop.

After holding on for several seconds, the Great Sun Lord still couldn’t maintain his position. His hands went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The next moment, he was kicked out of the arena by the rules’ power and restored to his normal state, but his face still showed traces of pallor, and his hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves trembled slightly.

These details were hard for others to notice. All they saw was:

The Great Sun Lord stepped forward.

The Great Sun Lord displayed an invincible posture.

The Great Sun Lord was instantly defeated.

“Is he really this weak?”

An old lord scratched his head, “All show and no substance, this guy.”

“Indeed, no wonder he can only rank fifth. This ranking might even be too high for him. I suspect all his capabilities are focused on special effects.”

You understand nothing!

You understand nothing at all!

That red phantom holds great terror, you simply don’t understand ahhh!

The Great Sun Lord roared inwardly. Even though his physical condition had been restored, lingering fear remained in his heart. Where did the Tianyuan Territory Lord find such a powerful being?

No wonder he managed to seize the top spot on the golden rankings.

Losing to Tianyuan wasn’t unjustified in the slightest.

As for Red Robe’s claim of being “an ordinary, unremarkable member under my master’s command,” the Great Sun Lord didn’t believe a single word of it. This was merely rhetoric designed to break his mental defenses.

And indeed, his defenses were broken!

Shattered by fear and envy!

Then pierced through once more by the murmurs of surrounding lords, breaking his defenses again.

“You understand nothing at all!” he cursed under his breath, angry at these ignorant and foolish lords.

Not bothering to watch the treasure competition anymore, the Great Sun Lord turned and left, disappearing from the secret realm three seconds later.

…

Perhaps because the Great Sun Lord was too “weak,” or maybe because the “cultivation chamber” was particularly enticing – regardless, after that lord departed, Red Robe successively welcomed three more challengers.

All of them were torn apart by her blood claws with sharp, tearing sounds.

Even Professional Tier peak experts clad in treasure armor couldn’t force her to use Sin Eye Prison.

And the current Red Robe was merely at first tier, level 3, without wearing any rare equipment.

However,

her Wraith Drain talent and Outstanding One-Star profession class gave her basic capabilities far surpassing her level. She also received enhancements from the Undead Emperor’s ‘Hero Aura’ and ‘Undead Domination’ strategic talents, along with the advanced skill ‘Blood Robe.’

Even when choosing to confront enemies head-on, she could often suppress and even crush her opponents.”As expected, the Great Sun Lord is truly formidable.”

An old lord remarked thus.

…

The competition for treasures in the Pillar of Light area grew increasingly intense.

Apart from Lu Liu and Red Robe, Mu Yuan also dispatched Bone Two, Seventeen, and other territorial generals to compete for other treasures.

However, they lost far more battles than they won in other matchups.

Bone Two, Bone Four, Seventeen, Rakshasa, and Asun were all defeated by powerful experts from various territories.

Only Bone Three emerged victorious.

「Prompt: You have obtained ‘Miracle Blueprint: Training Ground (Rare)’.」

「Prompt: You have obtained ‘Miracle Blueprint: Cultivation Chamber (Rare)’.」

「Prompt: You have obtained ‘Nun Remnant Soul ×3 (Rare)’.」

The three Nun Remnant Souls were the treasures Bone Three won.

Nuns inevitably awaken healing-type skills. While they cannot heal the undead, they can significantly boost Tianyuan Territory’s medical capabilities—after all, it was previously nonexistent.

He also competed for Spring Spirit Remnant Souls, Witch Remnant Souls, Scorching Turret Blueprints, Tranquil Tea Trees, and others, but lost every one of those matches.

There was no helping it.

Old lords were still old lords; the advantage of time wasn’t so easily overcome.

Moreover, the competition for these treasure pools wasn’t as fierce. On the arenas for the first few rare Three-Star Remnant Souls, several Elite-level experts had already joined the fray.

The old lords’ attention was mostly focused there, or they were contemplating whether they could secure one more treasure.

Who had the mind to pay attention to the so-called Tianyuan Lord?

Only a few novice lords, aware of their inability to compete for treasures, exclaimed repeatedly like spectators enjoying the show. Some even followed the movements of the esteemed Tianyuan.

“The mysterious Tianyuan has fought eight matches, with three wins and five losses. This record doesn’t seem particularly impressive, does it?”

Another novice lord nodded in agreement, then suddenly froze after a moment.

“Wait a minute! Tianyuan is a novice lord just like us!”

Two chapters totaling seven thousand words, seeking monthly votes QAQ

(End of chapter)