Chapter 252 : The Ultimate Showdown! The Lord Takes Action!

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Calamity Army hurried to clean up the battlefield.

【You ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍picked up loot. Abyssal Essence Points +41,500, Abyssal Magic Crystals +350, Skeleton Giant Sword (Dead Bones) +1, Skeleton Giant Bone Hammer (Dead Bones) +1, Skeleton Giant Battle Armor (Dead Bones) +1!】

Top ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Wind Pee Stream said, "Holy crap! The Essence output and Magic Crystal drops are ridiculously generous!"

Warrior ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Like the Wind said, "Monsters from the Starsea faction are famous for dropping lots of Magic Crystals! Skeleton Giants are Tier-Three elites, so this drop rate is completely normal!"

"Forget ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the Magic Crystal drops."

"Every ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍single giant gives 41,500 Essence!"

"This time, the vast majority of the Skeleton Giants were killed by our Calamity Army. Even if we only count one thousand of them, that's over forty million Essence from the giants alone."

"This feels incredible!"

"We're rich!"

"..."

The players were overjoyed.

Even putting aside the strategic value and Abyssal influence of this campaign, the loot alone had made them a fortune!

Salted Fish Thrust reminded everyone, "Don't celebrate yet. Hurry up. A lot of the Essence is already dissipating. Every second we waste is a loss!"

That was true.

In theory, one thousand Skeleton Giants could yield over forty million Essence.

However, taking natural loss into account, the amount they actually obtained would be somewhat lower.

Even so, the harvest remained astonishing.

The players quickly collected every piece of loot.

Since everyone had signed the contract, every item was automatically sealed before distribution, while all relevant information was displayed on the public loot page.

As line after line of loot notifications flooded the chat, every player experienced an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

Among all the drops, those from Hero Units like Gui Lu and Yan Hai attracted the most attention.

【You picked up loot. Essence +1,900,000, Magic Crystals +18,000, Undead Ritual Staff (Corpse Fiend) +1, Evil Spirit Summoning Ring (Corpse Fiend) +1, Corpse King Summoning Ring (Corpse Fiend) +1!】

【You picked up loot. Essence +1,950,000, Magic Crystals +18,000, Burning Yan Hai Greatsword (Corpse Fiend) +1, Yan Hai Armor Set (4 pieces) +1!】

【...】

The players were completely blown away.

Gui Lu and Yan Hai both dropped Blue-quality loot.

The remaining Hero Units dropped Green-quality equipment.

Although Gui Lu and Yan Hai were somewhat weaker than true Overlord Units, the equipment they wore was clearly Blue-quality, which was why their loot was so valuable.

Gui Lu dropped one staff and two accessories.

【Undead Ritual Staff +6】, Tier-Three Equipment, Blue Mid-Grade.

Spell Attack +355.

Necromancy Spell Power +102.

Spirit +100.

Will +100.

Comes with Skill: Undead Ritual.

Durability: 70/70.

Not only did this staff provide excellent attribute bonuses, it had already been enhanced to +6, saving a tremendous amount of enhancement cost.

The attached skill Undead Ritual increased the power of Necromancy Summoning skills while reducing their cooldowns.

The other two pieces of equipment dropped by Gui Lu were the Evil Spirit Summoning Ring and the Corpse King Summoning Ring.

Both were Tier-Three Low-Grade equipment.

Although their attribute bonuses were fairly ordinary, they came with the skills Cursed Evil Spirit Summoning and Devouring Corpse King Summoning, respectively.

The names alone made their functions obvious.

Both were summoning skills.

The former summoned an Evil Spirit specializing in spell attacks, while the latter summoned a physically powerful Corpse King.

Their strength depended upon the summoner's own attributes.

At maximum potential,

they could reach the strength of a top-tier Commander.

If used together with the Undead Ritual Staff, then theoretically, they could even summon a beginner-level Overlord.

Naturally, that required extremely high attributes from the equipment user.

"Amazing!"

"These are definitely god-tier items!"

"I wonder which big shot will end up getting them!"

"If someone owns all three pieces together, wouldn't they be able to build a full Necromancy Summoner playstyle?"

"..."

Gui Lu alone had dropped three incredibly valuable items.

Yan Hai was even more outrageous, dropping five pieces of top-tier equipment in one go.

【Burning Yan Hai Greatsword +7】, Tier-Three Equipment, Blue Mid-Grade.

Attack +402.

Strength +100.

Agility +100.

Fire Damage +100.

Critical Damage +65%.

Comes with Skill: Undying Flame Curse.

Durability: 70/70.

This was an outstanding weapon that had already been enhanced to +7.

Its attached skill, Undying Flame Curse, inflicted an incredibly stubborn burning curse upon the target, dealing massive continuous damage.

"What an incredible weapon!"

Arthur King had recently been worrying about finding a powerful enough weapon.

"Our Ragnarok Legion intends to purchase this weapon. I hope everyone here will do me, Arthur King, this favor."

Ragnarok was, after all, one of the Five Great Legions.

Since Arthur King himself had publicly claimed interest, ordinary players had no chance of competing for it, while the other top players would not offend such a powerful Legion over a single weapon unless absolutely necessary.

Since Arthur King had spoken personally, the weapon would most likely end up in his hands.

Besides the greatsword, Yan Hai also dropped four Blue Low-Grade equipment pieces.

Although their quality and attributes were slightly inferior, they possessed one enormous advantage.

They formed a complete equipment set.

The pieces consisted of: Yan Hai Breastplate, Yan Hai Legguards, Yan Hai Armguards, and Yan Hai Battle Boots.

Once all four pieces were equipped together, their set effect would activate.

【Yan Hai Armor Set Effect】

Health +500.

Attack +100.

Comes with Skill:

Blazing Berserker.

【Blazing Berserker】

After activation, consumes 1% of maximum Health per second, restores 5% Mana per second, increases Attack by 1% every second, removes all negative status effects, reduces the cooldown of Martial Technique skills of no higher than Blue quality by 70%,

lasting up to 100 seconds.

"Awesome!"

"A Blue-quality equipment set!"

"That's an incredibly powerful buff skill!"

"I'm guessing every top player who focuses on burst damage will be interested in this set!"

"Yeah, I wonder who'll end up obtaining it."

"..."

The loot dropped by the two Corpse Fiend Hero Units was extraordinarily valuable.

Although the remaining Hero Units dropped equipment of slightly lower quality, they each possessed their own unique highlights.

Not long afterward, the Calamity Army finished collecting all the loot.

This battle had successfully annihilated the main force of the Corpse Lich Territory.

Among the 300 Acolyte Secret Guards, 1,500 Skeleton Giants, 2,000 Devouring Armored Corpses, and 4,000 Cursed Corpse Arcanists, the Skeleton Giants had mostly been killed by the Calamity Army.

Nearly half of both the Armored Corpses and the Cursed Corpse Arcanists had also been eliminated by the players.

The Acolyte Secret Guards, however, were rather unfortunate.

Although there were only three hundred of them, they had been carefully cultivated by the Corpse Lich Territory as elite super soldiers.

Every one of them was a first-rate Tier-Three elite, while over twenty had even reached Commander-level strength.

Precisely because these super soldiers were so dangerous,

Jia Xu and the Azure Dragon Guards had prioritized killing them.

Fewer than one-fifth had actually died at the hands of the players.

The players sighed regretfully.

Although a considerable number of weaker enemies had been killed by the NPC army, the Calamity Army's overall performance and military achievements were still exceptionally impressive.

From this battle alone, the Calamity Army obtained approximately 1.05 million Abyssal Magic Crystals, along with over 60 million Abyssal Essence Points.

The scale of this income was unprecedented.

The Calamity Army dispatched several small squads to escort the Magic Crystals back first, preventing them from being dropped during the coming battles.

The Abyssal Essence Points, meanwhile, were distributed immediately.

Although Ye Li Meng, Black-Eyed Rui Ge, and seven others had not participated directly in combat, their sabotage mission behind enemy lines had played a decisive role in the battle, so they naturally received a share.

This enormous amount of Essence more than compensated for the losses caused by multiple deaths, allowed countless Level 10 players to advance to Tier Two, and enabled numerous Level 20 players to break through into Tier Three.

………………

Luoshui Main City.

Inside the Core Hall.

Xiao Ba reported,

"This war produced ten Fate Spirit Pearl Fragments and twenty Aptitude Spirit Pearl Fragments. Following your instructions, Master, I recovered all of them immediately."

"Well done."

Hang Yu asked,

"Report the overall Essence income from this campaign."

Xiao Ba replied, "During this campaign, the Calamity Army suffered 14,531 total deaths. Including the scattered Essence recovered from the battlefield, the total income was approximately 155 million."

Xiao Ba continued, "In addition, a total of 1.15 million Magic Crystals were generated, along with 20,532 pieces of Tier-Two equipment and 4,943 pieces of Tier-Three equipment."

Hang Yu nodded in satisfaction.

"The Corpse Lich Territory hasn't even been conquered yet, and we've already earned such abundant resources. The only problem is that the Magic Crystals are still in the players' hands. Hopefully they'll hand them over soon."

Xiao Ba suggested, "The players have already organized two escort squads specifically to transport the Magic Crystals. If Master arranged for them to be ambushed halfway, then according to the rules, all the Magic Crystals would drop and return directly to the territory."

Hang Yu was speechless.

Xiao Ba really was a living King of Hell.

She was actually encouraging him to assassinate the players escorting the Magic Crystals.

That way, he could recover over a million Magic Crystals from the players immediately, without paying any cost whatsoever.

Of course, Hang Yu had no intention of accepting Xiao Ba's suggestion.

First, although Hang Yu was the one who established the rules, he generally followed the rules he himself created.

Otherwise, if he truly wanted to steal the players' loot, he could simply use the Treasure Gathering Spirit Pearl without anyone ever noticing.

There was no need to resort to such underhanded tactics.

It would severely damage the players' gaming experience.

Secondly, the territory currently suffered from an extreme shortage of Contribution Point circulation.

Too many game functions, items, services, and commodities required Contribution Points, while the players had nearly exhausted all of theirs.

Hang Yu believed that given how poor the players currently were, this batch of Magic Crystals would soon be exchanged for Contribution Points anyway.

He could take advantage of this opportunity, together with the rewards from the third round of quests, to inject a massive amount of Contribution Points into circulation, revitalizing the territory's nearly dried-up economy, while supporting the players' daily spending and cultivation.

As for the Essence income, Hang Yu had no intention of hoarding it either.

He had already established minimum and maximum Essence reserves for the territory.

The minimum reserve was

80 million Essence.

The maximum reserve was 150 million Essence.

As long as the territory maintained reserves within that range, it would have more than enough for daily quest distribution and operational expenses.

Too little would naturally be unacceptable.

Too much was equally unnecessary.

The territory's current Essence reserves were already sufficient.

The operation against the Corpse Lich Territory had not yet ended, and even more income would certainly follow.

Any surplus Essence would immediately be invested back into territorial development,

including his own cultivation, greater investment into the Azure Dragon Guards, the growth of other territory personnel, or issuing additional Calamity Army missions.

At that moment, Xiao Ba reminded him,

"Master, the territory army is about to arrive at Shaxian City. The next battle is about to begin."

Hang Yu nodded slightly.

"They're moving quite efficiently."

Using the Lord's Vision, he observed the Calamity Army marching north together with the main force.

The Xian Mountain region was several times larger than the Wo Niu Mountain region, with far more complicated terrain and geography.

Traveling from south to north on foot would require several days.

However, unlike Wo Niu Mountain, which contained only one city, the Xian Mountain region possessed four cities, distributed in the four cardinal directions.

They were: Xiling City, Shaxian City, Zhu City, and E City.

Xiling City lay to the north, closest to the Corpse Fiend main city.

Shaxian City lay to the south, closest to the Human Territory at Wo Niu Mountain.

Departing from Tianshan Hamlet, the Human army needed to travel less than two hundred li to reach Shaxian.

Since nearly every soldier was equipped with a Spirit Horse, they could arrive after just over an hour of forced marching.

Hang Yu observed the Human army passing several town-level Blessing Points along the way.

They encountered almost no meaningful resistance.

This proved that the Corpse Lich Territory had nearly exhausted all of its main forces at Tianshan Hamlet.

At the very least, the Xian Mountain region had already been completely emptied of military strength,

leaving nothing capable of threatening the Human army.

Hang Yu speculated that after Xie Ming had summoned the Skeleton Giant Altar and created the powerful Skeleton Giant army, the Corpse Lich Territory's resources had essentially been depleted.

It would be extremely difficult to summon another army within such a short period.

Even if resources still remained, and even if several thousand more troops could still be summoned, those newly recruited soldiers would never possess much combat power without training or development.

Furthermore, the Corpse Lich Territory's main city could not directly teleport reinforcements into the Xian Mountain region.

Now was the perfect opportunity to capture Shaxian.

Once the Corpse Lich Territory lost this city, they would never again be able to drive humanity out of the Xian Mountain region.

Strategically, their defeat would become irreversible, placing them in an extremely passive position forever after.

"The time has come."

"It's time to bring this war to an end."

Hang Yu left one hundred Azure Dragon Guards behind in the Core Hall as a precaution, while simultaneously placing the main city under full alert.

Although, given the Corpse Lich Territory's current situation, they almost certainly lacked the ability to project forces into the Luoshui region, even the slightest possibility could not be ignored.

Once all preparations were complete, he activated the teleportation array and departed from the main city.

………………

Meanwhile, the Human army arrived outside Shaxian City.

The first probing assault had already begun.

Salted Fish Thrust and the other players did not participate immediately, instead watching the situation unfold.

"So this is Shaxian?"

"It looks incredibly desolate."

"Those damned undead really never do anything remotely human."

"..."

Cities governed by Undead Lords were always bleak, ruined, and filled with deathly silence.

Shaxian was shrouded in a freezing cold that ordinary people could never endure, to the point that the city walls, buildings, and even the surrounding wilderness had all frozen solid.

Under normal circumstances, residents could still be seen both inside and outside the city.

However, these "residents" were not living people, but rather countless Dead Bones race servants.

Unlike the Dead Bones warriors sleeping within Buried Bones City, these Dead Bones were generally no higher than Level 5.

Their combat power was virtually insignificant within the Corpse Lich Territory.

As a result, they did not participate in combat.

They served purely as cheap labor.

Having had their personalities and self-awareness completely erased, they worked tirelessly without complaint, handling tasks such as cultivating undead materials and mining ores, creating value for the territory day after day.

Hua Mulan sighed, "The Xian Mountain region originally had a huge population! Those damned Corpse Fiends ruined every last one of them!"

Green-Eyed Fox replied,

"What a waste. Even if we capture the Corpse Lich Territory, we probably won't have enough population left to rebuild it."

"Those Corpse Fiends deserve to die!"

As a devoted plot enthusiast who loved studying the game's lore and uncovering its hidden stories, Chimera Wraith felt heartbroken when she thought about the hundreds of thousands of lives lost throughout the Corpse Lich Territory.

The other players were equally furious.

So many NPCs had simply disappeared.

How much game content had been lost because of this?

At present, the territory's total population was only a little over four hundred thousand.

Yet once they conquered the Corpse Lich Territory, the territory would be large enough to accommodate at least five to ten million people.

The population shortage was simply enormous.

In this world, population was a precious resource.

It was also a reflection of a territory's true foundation.

Of course, if the players felt heartbroken only because of the loss of benefits and game content, then for the people who had been born and raised in this world, the pain cut directly into their flesh.

At this moment, Wen Pin and the officers under his command were filled with righteous fury, while many silently mourned the unfortunate compatriots who had perished upon this land.

This tragedy was by no means unique.

Across the world engulfed by the Abyssal Dream, there were likely tens of billions of people still living in unimaginable misery.

Wen Pin, Zhou Cang, Zhang Zhongjing, and the others firmly believed that the Lord they followed and served was the world's only savior.

"Commander Ye and Commander Brother Rui have arrived!"

A commotion spread through the Calamity Army.

Ye Li Meng,

Black-Eyed Rui Ge, Little Bell, Toasting the Moon, and the other eight players, together with a group of elite players mounted on fast horses, had caught up with the main force.

"We finally made it!"

"At least we didn't miss this crucial battle!"

Black-Eyed Rui Ge let out a sigh of relief.

"Good thing we managed to obtain Black Dragon Spirit Horses. Otherwise, we might not have caught up with the main army."

Ye Li Meng laughed heartily.

"Hahaha! Shaxian City is right in front of us, and there are still four and a half days left out of the seven-day limit. Our efficiency has exceeded all expectations!"

"Exactly!"

"I never expected we'd reach Shaxian so quickly!"

"The forums and every major media outlet are completely stunned. This time our Calamity Army has stolen all the spotlight!"

"Whether we can finish all three stages of the mission within seven days is still uncertain, but at least the second stage shouldn't be a problem!"

"According to our reconnaissance!"

"Shaxian City's defenses are practically empty!"

"Although the Corpse Lich Territory has gathered every remaining force from across the Xian Mountain region, the Corpse Fiends only have around one thousand troops left. There's no way they can withstand our full assault!"

"..."

The players of the Calamity Army were brimming with confidence.

Even a fool could see the situation now.

The Corpse Lich Territory had almost no soldiers left.

The Xian Mountain region, in particular, had become almost completely defenseless.

With the Human army's current strength, capturing Shaxian would be as easy as turning over one's hand.

Black-Eyed Rui Ge, however, warned, "Don't let your guard down! Corpse Lich Lord Xie Ming is not someone to underestimate! He'll never stand by and watch us take this city!"

Midnight Pig Slayer said,

"They've practically been reduced to a commander without an army. Can he really pull off anything crazy now?"

Ye Li Meng replied, "We fought him personally in Buried Bones City. That guy is far more terrifying than any of you imagine."

Little Bell nodded in agreement.

"Even if the Corpse Lich Territory has no troops left, the Lord alone possesses combat power nearly equal to an entire army."

"What?"

"That exaggerated?"

"So this battle still has variables?"

"..."

Ye Li Meng, Black-Eyed Rui Ge, and the others had encountered Xie Ming's true body earlier in the Buried Bones Grounds.

Although nobody knew exactly what had happened during that confrontation, their solemn expressions alone made one thing perfectly clear.

As the Lord, Xie Ming was the Corpse Lich Territory's final trump card.

Both his strength and his methods were far more terrifying than anyone imagined.

Even the Eight Greatest Experts of the Calamity Army, who had experienced his power firsthand, remained this war despite their side holding an overwhelming advantage.

Jia Xu suddenly opened his eyes.

"General Wen, General Zhou—the time has come. Our opportunity to act has finally arrived."

So...

it was finally beginning?

Wen Pin and Zhou Cang immediately felt their spirits rise.

At this point, the probing attack had already concluded.

Jia Xu did not issue the order for a full-scale siege.

Instead, he smiled faintly and called toward the city,

"Lord Xie Ming, since this one has personally arrived, why not show yourself and meet us?"

The moment his words fell, an overwhelming pressure erupted from within Shaxian City.

It instantly swept across every Human present.

The players of the Calamity Army immediately received system notifications.

【You have been affected by "Corpse King's Might." All Attributes -10%, Skill Cooldown +10%, Duration: 60 seconds!】

【You have been affected by "Corpse King's Might." All Attributes -10%, Skill Cooldown +10%, Duration: 60 seconds!】

"Holy crap!"

"What terrifying pressure!"

"It actually affects every single one of our attributes!"

"..."

Toasting the Moon said, "It's the Corpse Lich Lord. He really did come to Shaxian personally. This battle definitely won't be as easy as everyone imagined!"

Everyone watched as the space above Shaxian City suddenly twisted.

A Corpse Fiend wearing a royal crown and holding a staff appeared before everyone.

【Corpse Fiend Lord: Xie Ming】

Level 30 Overlord Unit...

Although this was not the first time the players had seen Xie Ming, there was no doubt that the figure before them was his true body.

This time, Xie Ming made no attempt to conceal either his aura or his overwhelming presence.

For the first time, the Calamity Army truly experienced just how terrifying the strength of a Starsea Lord could be.

Back then, during the battle at Huangmei Hamlet, merely a mirror projection had already been capable of suppressing Jia Xu.

Now, his true body had personally arrived.

Its terrifying power hardly needed further explanation.

"So this... is the true strength of a Starsea Lord?"

Even Jia Xu narrowed his eyes slightly as he faced the Corpse Lich Lord.

"Impressive. Pressure like this... I've only ever felt it from Dian Wei."

Wen Pin's expression changed slightly.

Could the Corpse Lich Lord truly be comparable to Dian Wei?

Even after being weakened by the Sixfold Fate Formation,

Dian Wei had still been capable of suppressing every top expert in the Wancheng region—including Jia Xu—all by himself.

He had even possessed the strength to confront an entire army alone.

Although Shaxian's garrison was severely depleted, its defensive facilities remained perfectly intact.

There were as many as six Tier-Three Barrier Towers.

Countless Tier-Three Spell Towers, Tier-Three Arrow Towers, as well as numerous Undead-exclusive buildings, machines, and formations, filled the city.

If Xie Ming personally defended the city, then with his terrifying strength combined with Shaxian's impregnable defenses, he might genuinely be able to block the Human army for a considerable period of time.

Meanwhile, reinforcements from the Corpse Lich Territory would continue pouring into the Xian Mountain region, arriving at Shaxian through Xiling City or the various teleportation points.

Even if the Humans ultimately captured the city, they would undoubtedly pay an enormous price.

Sure enough, this battle would not be as easy as everyone had imagined.

All five of Xie Ming's eyes opened simultaneously.

His terrifying aura and oppressive presence made the air within tens of thousands of meters seem to freeze solid.

The Starsea Lord had become furious beyond measure.

He simply could not accept being driven into such a desperate situation by a mere group of Humans.

This was not only the greatest crisis of his life, but also the greatest humiliation he had ever suffered.

He would personally wash away this disgrace.

Although the Human army stood outside his gates, and although their momentum was overwhelming,

the Corpse Lich Territory

had not yet truly lost.

It wasn't over!

I haven't lost yet!

I can still seek help from the organization!

Even if it means surrendering the territory's sovereignty!

Even newly recruited members of the Eerie Corpse Fiend race possessed Level 11 Tier-Two combat strength.

As long as sufficient Magic Crystals and resources were available, he could immediately rebuild a massive army and throw it back onto the front lines.

Even if those troops were somewhat weaker, they would still be more than sufficient for defensive warfare.

Although the territory no longer possessed any Essence reserves, he could still use the barracks and various facilities to rapidly summon special military units.

These special troops, although incapable of being cultivated, could quickly form tremendous combat power, just like the Skeleton Giant army had done.

As long as he survived this crisis, there would still be a chance to turn everything around.

All he needed to do now was hold out for half a day.

At this moment, Xie Ming had already reached the end of the road.

Yet, like a gambler who had nearly lost everything, he absolutely refused to accept defeat, still clinging to the fantasy of making a miraculous comeback.

A cornered beast was always at its most dangerous.

If Xie Ming stubbornly resisted, then even if the Human army eventually captured the city, they would pay a tremendous price in blood.

However, just as both sides stood with drawn swords, and the decisive battle was about to erupt, a teleportation gate suddenly appeared upon the battlefield.

A figure clad in dark-golden armor, holding a dual-edged spear, slowly rode out atop a magnificent black dragon horse.

His aura was perfectly restrained, so understated that no one could determine the depth of his strength.

Xie Ming's expression changed dramatically.

"You are..."

"I've come to end this war."

The man swept his gaze across the battlefield before finally stopping on the Corpse Lich Lord.

"Xie Ming, you should understand very well that in your current situation, whether I personally take action or not... you've already lost."

The moment he appeared, the morale of the Human camp instantly soared.

The players of the Calamity Army erupted with excitement.

"Lord!"