Chapter 44: Fierce Battle (Seventh Update)

“Reform the formation—maze pattern!”

The Yin commander Yin Xun had not yet released his hidden ghost soldiers when the Sunlit Stone Array before him abruptly shifted. More and more stone pillars surged up from the ground, swiftly turning into a vast maze that severed him from the ghost soldiers he had summoned.

At the same time, those pillars carried an intensely pure and righteous power. Yin Xun had already appeared at noon, when his strength was naturally weakened; now he felt that only about thirty percent of his power remained.

The sensation was deeply unbearable. With a trace of anger, he swung the longsword in his hand, trying to summon a spring of earth energy to burst through the stone pillars.

But at that moment, Wang Liang’s side had already moved. Some players dragged the trapped ghost soldiers away to fight them, while the rest stood atop the pillars and unleashed their strongest attacks, all striking down upon Yin Xun.

For players, level twenty was a true first threshold. Once they reached the Core Formation stage at level twenty, they could use magical treasures.

At that point, even the poorest players would find a way to obtain or craft one or two treasures for use.

Though most magical treasures had little raw power and were mainly valued for their various effects, sheer numbers could still kill even if each blow was weak.

Especially now, with the opening strike at hand, nearly every player wanted to seize the very first hit. They had prepared their treasures in advance and now struck together.

Wang Liang happened to leap onto one of the stone pillars atop his bronze warhorse. He saw dozens of magical treasures blazing with different colored lights crashing down upon Yin Xun.

From the sights and sounds alone, one could tell they were using their full strength. Yin Xun had no time to react at all; those treasures slammed into his head and face.

Seeing this, Wang Liang could not help asking, “Why are all your treasures used for throwing at people?”

Because the battle was urgent, Wang Liang had not expected any answer. Unexpectedly, one player actually replied, “You must be second-generation rich, huh? You don’t know? These days there are only two kinds of free treasure blueprints on the market.

“One is the flying sword, which has fairly strict material requirements. Players can start refining it from level ten, but gathering the materials and nurturing it properly—don’t even think about seeing results without ten years.

“The other is what we’re using now. Though what everyone takes out looks different, in essence they’re all the most basic gold bricks. You know the kind, right? Big or small as needed, and when you throw it, you aim straight for the enemy’s forehead. After it’s done smashing, it can fly back on its own.

“As for what attributes it gains when it lands, that depends on what rune arrays, magical patterns, and the like were added to it.”

The more Wang Liang listened, the more he felt this sounded like... “The Heaven-Toppling Seal?”

“Exactly. It’s the same thing. You really are second-generation rich. Only second-generation rich start with the Heaven-Toppling Seal. Unlike us, who can only begin with gold bricks.”

As he spoke, the player’s magical treasure had already flown back into his hand. Wang Liang noticed it was a brick flickering with a chill of frost. Once it returned to his grasp, the player injected more power into the treasure and hurled it out again with all his strength.

By then, Yin Xun below had already been battered until his face was swollen and bruised. Together with the suppression of the array, his vitality had dropped to roughly half of normal.

At this point, all the players grew tense. Even Wang Liang had begun to understand that whenever a boss’s health was reduced to a certain level, it would enter a berserk state and unleash devastating special attacks.

Right now, his vitality had fallen to half. It was about time for a big move.

Sure enough, Yin Xun’s horse-like face suddenly drooped, and he spat out a cloud of white mist.

Within that mist, everyone seemed to hear the thunderous charge of vast ranks of soldiers and horses.

“This is a technique not listed in the intelligence. Everyone, scatter!”

No player volunteered to throw themselves in the way. They sprang lightly from pillar to pillar, moving frantically so the white mist would not overtake them.

The mist rapidly spread across the entire Sunlit Stone Array, and then came a series of booming crashes as the painstakingly arranged formation failed.

Just as the white mist was about to disperse, Wang Liang turned to his comrade in charge of the array. “Can it be repaired?”

“Not possible,” the other replied at a glance, knowing immediately that the formation was ruined.

Wang Liang tightened his grip on the Severing Life Blade. “If it can’t be repaired, then don’t repair it. Use the second plan. Close-combat squads one, two, and three, advance. Move together, retreat together. Keep the ranged attacks going. Logistics, keep up.”

With that, he raised the Severing Life Blade and unleashed the strike of Shocking the Hundred Li, shattering the white mist before him and cutting straight toward Yin Xun.

Yin Xun was in the weakened state after unleashing his ultimate move. As Wang Liang’s slash came down, he was a fraction too slow, and the blade split open the horse-like head on his chest.

That enraged Yin Xun as well. Disregarding everything else, he thrust his hind legs forward and rammed toward Wang Liang.

At the same time, his forelegs—jammed awkwardly at his waist—swung wildly, as though determined to stamp down on Wang Liang’s face.

Wang Liang had no intention of retreating. He knew well that on the battlefield, one step back meant ten steps back, and ten steps back meant surrendering one’s life.

Facing the hooves of Yin Xun, Wang Liang gripped the Severing Life Blade with both hands. Then, twisting his body sharply, he drew the blade upward from below, catching Yin Xun precisely in the lower abdomen.

The strike only further enraged Yin Xun. He crashed into Wang Liang, and his forelegs slammed into Wang Liang’s face.

Wang Liang only felt a loud ringing in his head and nearly flew from the bronze warhorse.

Fortunately, he was no longer the level-ten cannon fodder he had once been, and his opponent was not one of those bosses above level forty from the beginning. This blow was not enough to kill him outright.

At that moment, the physical assault squad had also arrived.

There were about thirty players and NPCs participating in melee combat. They were divided into groups of eight, each with its own role.

The first group came in specifically to pin the enemy down.

So among them were several of the strongest players in terms of raw strength.

Some carried ropes, others iron chains. They charged in, hurling the ropes and chains toward Yin Xun.

Then, each took a stance in a different direction, bracing hard as they pulled on the ropes and chains, forcibly restraining Yin Xun, who had been trying to pursue Wang Liang.

The remaining four players all carried long weapons, and they thrust forward with all their might toward Yin Xun.

Each strike carried away a portion of his life.

By then, Wang Liang had also leaped down from the bronze warhorse. One hand held his throbbing head where the hoof had struck him, while his right hand raised the Severing Life Blade level before him as he began looking for an opening.