Along the coast of Liuli District, near the Underworld Sea.
A massive figure sat upon a Skeletal Throne built from the bones of countless creatures.
Before him, innumerable creatures knelt and worshipped.
"How did the Underworld Sea respond?"
A deep voice emerged from the massive figure, making the creatures below tremble.
"Lord Shana, the Sea King said that as long as you are willing to offer one hundred thousand yin spirits as sacrifices every year, the Underworld Sea will acknowledge your status as the ruler of Liuli District!"
Boom!
Blazing flames erupted from the throne, and endless fury filled those burning eyes.
"When the King of Beiqi was still around, how would he have dared to be so arrogant? Does he really think I, Shana, am easy to bully?"
The Soul Ferrying Envoy in a black robe shuddered. "Then what does Lord Shana intend?"
Shana fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"For now, endure it and agree to his demands. Once I break through to the Ghost King Realm, I will collect this debt!"
The Soul Ferrying Envoy nodded upon hearing this, then seemed to recall something.
"Lord Shana, Third Ghost's Soul Fire has gone out."
"Third Ghost? Wasn't he stationed at the border between Liuli District and the Underworld? Why would he die in such a safe area?"
The Soul Ferrying Envoy shook his head. "Not only did he die, but it seems all his subordinates died as well. Otherwise, someone would have returned to report it!"
"Was it the Rock Ghost King of the Northern Region?"
Shana immediately shook his head. "It couldn't have been him. He wouldn't be foolish enough to make an enemy of me right after taking the Northern Region. It must have been another force."
"Investigate it personally. I want to know exactly who is targeting me in secret."
The Soul Ferrying Envoy respectfully bowed to Shana, then melted into the shadows and swiftly departed.
Because the Battle Online forum had frequently been overloaded these past few days, Lu Wu and Wu Guoyi discussed the matter and opened a new official homepage specifically for Battle Online.
They completely overhauled their little game website.
At the same time, several new feature sections awaiting implementation appeared on the site, including a livestreaming section.
Meanwhile, Players uploaded videos of their battles against the Ghost Overseer Commander to major video platforms such as A and B Site. Battle Online's Player count surged once more, reaching two hundred thousand.
These past few days, even when Lu Wu did nothing, his Soul Coin count kept climbing.
After deducting the costs of various quests, Lu Wu's Soul Coins finally surpassed fifty thousand. The long-planned Underworld construction project officially began.
Under Bei Li's control, vast amounts of soul qi poured from the Battle Artifact, forming a Soul Qi Sea that enveloped the abandoned Underworld.
With the Battle Artifact's assistance, the Underworld's buildings began to repair themselves, creating a marvelous sight that was half-real and half-illusory, drawing countless Players to stop and watch.
Unlike yin energy, the restoration using soul qi took more than ten minutes before fully taking shape.
When a towering black building rose from the ruins, the Players watching below erupted in excitement.
All-Region Announcement: Professional skill learning is now officially available. Any Player who reaches level 20 may select and comprehend combat skills corresponding to their profession within the Cultivation Pavilion.
After the announcement appeared, huge numbers of Players grinding in the wilderness began rushing toward the Underworld, all wanting to see what this Cultivation Pavilion was.
By then, Lu Wu had already entered the pavilion hand in hand with Bei Li.
Back when the King of Beiqi was still around, this Cultivation Pavilion had been called the Library Pavilion. It housed every cultivation technique and combat skill collected by the King of Beiqi.
As the Library Pavilion was renamed, the Battle Artifact collected and organized all the books within it. Under Bei Li's modifications, it became a place that possessed both classical charm and fantastical color.
All the books inside were transformed into figures. Players could click on a figure to view a detailed explanation and demonstration of the skill.
Of course, learning skills here also required Soul Coins. Moreover, having enough Soul Coins alone was not enough; there were level requirements as well.
This was mainly because although some Players' bodies had been upgraded and strengthened by soul points, they still could not withstand certain overbearing cultivation techniques. Therefore, Lu Wu added many learning restrictions.
At the same time, to better differentiate the skills, Lu Wu had Bei Li renovate the Cultivation Pavilion a second time, dividing it into five areas: the Beginner Cultivation Zone, Intermediate Cultivation Zone, Advanced Cultivation Zone, Spirit-Rank Cultivation Zone, and King-Rank Cultivation Zone.
Because there were so many Players, the Cultivation Pavilion was set up like countless parallel spaces, with each space accommodating a maximum of one thousand Players.
In other words, the actual Cultivation Pavilion existed within the Battle Artifact, where countless spaces had been opened up to prevent overcrowding and Players being unable to enter.
After walking through the Cultivation Pavilion and confirming that there were no problems, the two returned to the human world together.
At the same time, huge numbers of Players poured into the Cultivation Pavilion and began examining the cultivation techniques.
Warrior skill zone, Mage skill zone, Assassin skill zone.
All three major skill zones were packed with Players.
Many Players had long complained about skills, especially those in the Mage profession. Even after reaching level 20, they still only had Yin Energy Bomb. This made many Players wonder whether Mages had been born to a stepmother, completely neglected.
However, with the appearance of several powerful beginner skills this time, Mage Players finally welcomed spring.
Yin Soldier Summoning (Mage) Skill Description: Manipulate yin energy to condense yin soldiers to serve you. Each yin soldier possesses strength equivalent to a level 1 Player. A maximum of ten yin soldiers may exist at the same time. Skill Requirement: Learning this skill requires 10 Soul Coins and level 20. Skill Upgrades: Yin Soldier Summoning Level 2 (available at level 25), Yin Soldier Summoning Level 3 (available at level 30). Note: Each level increases the number of summoned yin soldiers by x2. Yin Turbidity Erosion (Mage): A malice-type skill. Releases corrosive yin-energy mist carrying negative effects, dealing continuous damage over a large area. Skill Requirement: Learning this skill requires 10 Soul Coins and level 20. Skill Upgrades: Yin Turbidity Erosion Level 2 (available at level 25), Yin Turbidity Erosion Level 3 (available at level 30). Note: Each upgrade increases the damage area and damage intensity. Malice Entanglement (Mage): A malice-type skill. Summons wandering evil ghosts to possess the caster, granting the caster the protection of an evil ghost. Skill Requirement: Learning this skill requires 40 Soul Coins and level 30. Skill Upgrades: Ferocious Ghost Possession (level 40), Hundred Ghosts Night Parade (level 80). Note: This skill contains an element of uncertainty. The strength of the summoned evil ghost is affected by environmental factors. The higher the level, the stronger the summoned evil ghost.
Seeing such a large selection of Mage skills, the Mage Players, who had always considered themselves sewer-dwellers, collectively burst into tears.
They knew it. Spring had truly arrived!
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