Chapter 209 – A Gathering of Big Shots

Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, the wind howled fiercely.

Seventeen, clad in armor but without a helmet, had her hair swaying and fluttering in the wind.

Behind her, space resembled a cascading water curtain painting, already spreading over ten meters. Within this area, like raindrops falling, small ripples emerged one after another.

From these ripples, arrowheads shimmering with a faint blue starlight slowly extended outward, one after another.

This was the Myriad Arrows Artifact!

「Description: An excellent archer cannot do without arrows honed to perfection, yet arrows are not always convenient. In history, the first Polar Star Arrow created the unique ability ‘Myriad Arrows Artifact,’ which harnesses and utilizes the power of starlight to craft the most suitable arrows for oneself.」

「The ability holder can continuously input their own energy to shape and strengthen arrows, while also incorporating external ‘arrow’ artifacts into the Myriad Arrows Artifact, consuming energy to enhance or replicate them.」

「The Myriad Arrows Artifact can hold up to ten thousand arrows.」

Hadn’t she been troubled by the insufficient lethality of her arrows? Now, with the Myriad Arrows Artifact, her worries were over. She only needed to input her energy during leisure time, continuously honing and strengthening her arrows.

This Epic Skill suited her perfectly.

And it saved money.

Of course, like Deadbone’s ‘Undead Holy Mountain,’ this Epic Skill required her to manage and continuously develop it to truly fill the artifact space of the Myriad Arrows Artifact.

Even now, with only the most basic starlight arrows, Seventeen’s combat power had significantly improved.

This didn’t even account for the increases in her strength, Mental Energy, and spiritual power during her evolution.

“Though I’m still far from strong enough, I will never disgrace the name of Epic.”

Seventeen thought to herself.

Two days later,

“Great God, are you ready? I’ve already cleaned my neck, prepared to be utterly defeated.”

“Mm, see you in the Secret Realm.”

After closing the communication device with Jiang Luoxing and Liu Miumiu, Mu Yuan once again checked his troops, straightened his attire, and headed to the Land of Trials Secret Realm.

Hum—

Passing through the spatial curtain, a prompt appeared before him.

「Please select the entry point: Crimson Giant Tower / Orange Giant Tower?」

“Crimson!”

Mu Yuan stepped into the initial landing point.

Not far away, the towering Crimson Giant Tower stood majestically in sight. Looking past this giant tower, he could also glimpse the equally grand Orange Giant Tower at the edge of his vision.

Unlike the blurry appearance when he first saw it, the Orange Giant Tower now appeared quite clear to him.

He could proceed directly into the depths until he reached the Orange Giant Tower area.

However, the gathering point was in the Crimson Zone.

When he arrived, many Lords were already present, all turning their gazes toward him.

“It’s Tianyuan!”

“Big Boss Tianyuan!”

“The Primordial Spirit is here!”

Lord Wang Ba looked at him, his eyes burning with Battle Intent.

Divine Thunder Lord stared directly at him as well.

The rising star Frost Sky raised his chin slightly, a provocative expression on his face.

Only Great Sun Lord clenched his fists, unable to muster the will to challenge.

After all, this was Tianyuan.

A person’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow!

Even though the top new Lords had yet to engage in a true head-on confrontation, the majority still affirmed that Tianyuan was the strongest.

After all, Tianyuan had demonstrated a dominant influence in the Festival Grounds.Even if that place wasn’t determined by strength alone, one could still glean some insights.

“However, today is different from the Festival Grounds—Tianyuan is no longer the main focus.”

“Indeed, I’d really like to witness Tianyuan’s power, but unfortunately, the simulation drills aren’t open to the public.”

“That’s normal, as it’s necessary to prevent intelligence leaks.”

“Oh, today’s main characters have arrived!”

The Limitless Lord, clad in white robes, his entire being like an unsheathed sharp sword.

Followed by the Kongming City Lord, Shen Mao, Tyrant Dragon, and other powerful figures arriving one after another.

Jiang Luoxing, Wang Ba, and others all felt their pressure mounting.

Tianyuan was indeed a name that commanded respect, but the battle achievements of these powerful figures were even more awe-inspiring!

Jiang Luoxing murmured, “Tyrant Dragon once assisted the Pioneer Group in breaching a Monster City. In that battle, the Crimson Dragonkin hero under his command shattered the city gates with a single strike, displaying unparalleled might.”

“And that ‘Secluded Mountain Lord’—he wasn’t very famous before, but later he seemed to recruit an extremely fearsome hero. Now, it’s said that this Secluded Mountain Lord has even reached the second or third level of the Orange Giant Tower—definitely a formidable opponent!”

At this point, he patted his own forehead.

“But this doesn’t have much to do with me anyway—I’m just here to make up the numbers.”

There were over a dozen newly advanced Lords like Mu Yuan present.

More experienced Lords numbered over twenty.

These were all the participants in the military drills and selection process.

Soon, an official Senior arrived, gesturing to open a spatial portal. “Follow me—I’ll take you to the simulation site.”

…

The simulation site was a special space temporarily created by top-tier Taixuan Lords using their authority.

It served as a transit point.

Several big shots were already seated here.

Truly influential figures.

Even if Mu Yuan wasn’t a second-generation heir with limited exposure, he could confirm this. Many of these faces frequently appeared in news on the Taixuan Forum.

“Wu Qingyun, President of the White Cloud Province Association!”

“Yellow Dragon Lord, Vice President of the Chaoyang Province Association!”

“Microstar, Vice President of the Taixuan Star Gazing Association!”

“Xixiang City Lord, one of the Four Symbols from the Taixuan Liangyi Department!”

“Cold Moon City Lord, Pioneering General of the Taixuan Exploration Group!”

“Heartfelt City Lord, Pioneering General of the Taixuan Exploration Group!”

“Mount Luofu Master, Vice President of the Taixuan Player Association, Guardian of Dragon Spine City, one of the Taixuan Liangyi!”

“…”

Each of these individuals was undeniably a heavyweight.

Many second-generation Lords from top backgrounds held their breath. Seeing so many big shots gathered together was a first for them too.

Even though many of these big shots weren’t present in their true forms.

In this gathering of giants, even the Cold Moon City Lord—the leading figure among the younger generation and Taixuan’s brightest moon—seemed less prominent. Many here held higher status than her.

The presence of so many big shots collectively demonstrated Taixuan’s emphasis on the Dragon Court Competition.

“The selection battle for the Dragon Court Competition slots will be presided over by me, Luofu.”

The Mount Luofu Master was a spirited elder.

His hair and beard were completely white, his shoulders broad, and his physique robust and burly. Standing there, he resembled a towering mountain.

Mu Yuan seemed to see a peak shrouded in mist, supporting the heavens.

He knew this wasn’t an illusion.

It was because this Mount Luofu Master’s Realm had reached such profound heights that it influenced the world around him.

The Mount Luofu Master waved his hand grandly.Mu Yuan, Jiang Luoxing, Wuji, and other Lords saw a luminous screen materialize before them, with lines of text appearing one by one.

Mount Luofu Master spoke:

“The rules for this simulated battle are simple: it is a fully realistic military exercise. There are no restrictions on the number of troops each Lord can deploy.”

“By eliminating monster tribes, monster cities, and powerful roaming monsters within the simulated battlefield, you can earn battle points. However, if you lose the territory you are defending, a large number of battle points will be deducted.”

“If your battle points drop to zero, or if the Lord themselves falls in battle, you will be eliminated.”

“When the simulated battle concludes, the six individuals with the highest points will represent Taixuan in the actual battle.”

“Additionally, eliminating monsters is not the only way to earn battle points in the battlefield. We have stationed some Lords within the battlefield to serve as examiners…”

In reality, this was because Taixuan’s authority was not high enough to freely set various assessment rules, so they had to retain some Lords within the simulated battlefield for manual intervention.

Mount Luofu Master continued, “In short, the simulated battle tests your legion strength, reconnaissance capabilities, and command abilities. Combat power is not everything.”

It was like a game of chess.

Losing two chariots, two cannons, and two horses did not necessarily mean defeat.

Anything was possible.

“Young ones, strive hard, fight hard, and compete for the highest position.”

“This old man will be waiting for you in the Land of Glory.”

“Now then…”

Mount Luofu Master waved his hand.

Whoosh—all forty-plus participants vanished instantly.

At the same time, a vast simulated battlefield appeared like a chessboard, dotted with towns that glowed with shimmering light.

Many influential figures leaned forward, casting their gazes downward.

The reason so many heavyweight figures attended this selection event was twofold: first, the higher-ups placed great importance on it, requiring multiple parties to oversee and ensure absolute fairness. Second, and most importantly, these big shots were representatives of their respective “factions.”

Taixuan Liangyi, the Pioneer Group, the Player Association, the Star Gazing Association, and others all sought to recruit promising new talents to their side.

After all, talent was scarce everywhere! Especially skilled and exceptional talent!

Even within the Pioneer Group, they hoped their branch of the Pioneer Legion could gain more strength.

Although many rookie Lords and rising star Lords had already been scouted…

“Walls are meant to be broken,” a woman with a lazy demeanor, idly playing with a cat in her hands, said languidly. “Don’t you think so, Little Han Yue?”

Han Yue’s willow-like eyebrows furrowed.

“What are you doing!”

…

Cold! Weightlessness!

It felt like falling from a great height, his heart skipping a beat, but the next moment, Mu Yuan landed firmly on solid ground. He was greeted by warm sunlight and a gentle breeze.

He stood atop a towering, majestic city wall.

“Where is this…?”

He looked down. The city wall was gray and about twenty meters high. He tried tapping it and testing it with energy penetration, concluding, “It’s just an ordinary-level city wall, but its twenty-meter height gives the defenders a significant terrain advantage.”

Moreover, the entire city was not large.

Or rather, this was merely a fortress suitable for military garrisoning.

The area ahead was a vast plain with few obstacles or cover, while behind and to the sides stood towering, steep cliffs.”This terrain advantage is far too great? In real siege warfare, enemies typically attack from all sides. This simulation isn’t very realistic.”

“Or perhaps this is preferential treatment given to us new lords?”

Mu Yuan pondered, slowly raising his right hand.

He snapped his fingers.

His legion descended upon this place.

Second update…

(End of chapter)