Gao Linzhi's Attention, Top Players' Expedition

At this very moment.

Gao Linzhi was inspecting his farmland.

His gaze naturally fell upon those top figures.

The top ten on the leaderboard are naturally his primary targets.

That being said, he also knew that ordinary players were the foundation and support of the game.

In any game, including real-life games, if ordinary players can't keep playing, there's only one outcome: logging off or dragging on in a half-dead state.

Therefore, he established many Safe Zone.

These Safe Zone are already in effect.

It just hasn't spread yet; it's only circulating among a very small number of people.

After all, most areas have not yet been invaded by the game Warcraft, which means that most Safe Zone are not clearly visible.

It's just like any other place where no Warcraft disaster has ever occurred.

Furthermore, the presence of defensive formations led the higher-ups to believe that the very few exposed Safe Zone were protected by defensive formations set up by some underground organization.

In Gao Linzhi's eyes, these top-ranked players all have their own unique advantages.

Some were given a cheat code by him, some were born into good circumstances, and a few were rare exceptions who climbed their way up through their own talent and personality.

I won't go into the earlier ones, but these last few are really impressive.

Even if they were placed in other environments, as long as they weren't killed outright, and given enough time to develop, they could still develop quite well.

Of course, things might not go as smoothly as they do now.

Gao Linzhi remembered the names of these people.

"Qin Xiao Youhui" is one such example.

The other party entered the system and developed their career based on their personality and talent. It is already quite remarkable that they have reached a high position without any background.

Gao Linzhi thought for a moment and added the other party to the new list of players in the Skyfall Game.

He needs to utilize these people to obtain Source Energy.

Whether the other party can weather the storm depends on their abilities.

And at this time...

The top players in the God's Domain Game were completely unaware of this.

They are observing the entrance to the underwater cave.

From three directions and three locations, you can see the same cave entrance.

The entrance was hidden by dense seaweed, and if it weren't for the faint light floating around, it would be almost impossible to notice this narrow underwater passage.

With limited time available for underwater activities, the group entered the cave one by one.

The underwater passages are all very narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

This makes the journey seem long.

The effect of the Breath-Holding Conch only lasts for one hour.

If we turn back now, we can still return to the city safely; but if we continue deeper, we will be surrounded by danger.

Upon seeing the current situation, two opinions immediately arose within the team: one side advocated turning back immediately and seeking another opportunity to return.

The other side argued that since they were already there...

Since we've come this far and there's no way to prolong the underwater operation, we might as well risk it and explore further.

Since this isn't the real world, resurrection is very difficult, whereas in the game, resurrection is easy. Therefore, most people ultimately choose to continue.

"Qin Xiao Youhui" and "Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven" are of relatively high level, and if they were to unfortunately perish, the consequences would be too great, and they might even fall off the ranking list. Therefore, the two of them returned to the surface of the water first.

They are mainly the management team.

Led by "Yes Yes Yes??", the team continued their descent.

"Yes Yes Yes??" he said in the team chat, directing everyone to explore downwards.

After swimming for about twenty more minutes, in the tunnel, just when everyone was about to give up, one of the teams noticed that the light ahead was getting brighter.

It's clear that exports are imminent.

Soon after, the other two teams also discovered the same signs. Upon learning the news, "Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven" and "Qin Xiao Youhui" who remained on the shore felt somewhat relieved.

The three teams arrived at the glowing spot almost simultaneously.

It was a vertically upward passage, shaped like a well wall, requiring one to rise from the bottom.

Finally, with the effects of the Breath-Holding Conch only a few moments remaining, everyone surfaced and reached the shore.

Three groups of people entered a palace at the same time.

The system map shows this place as "Fish Dragon Palace".

"Fish Dragon Palace... Could this be the dwelling place of Fish-Dragon? Could the Warcraft we're looking for be Fish-Dragon?" a member asked.

"Exactly."

"Looks like we've come to the right place."

"Yes Yes Yes??" Overjoyed, he immediately informed Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven of the situation.

Now that the Safe Zone has been confirmed, we can notify them to come and meet us.

Once out of the water and ashore, the Breath-Holding Conch's timer will reset, ensuring a safe return journey.

This is similar to an oxygen tank; once you get ashore, it's filled with fresh oxygen.

"We operate in groups of five underwater, scouting the area before the team leader arrives."

"Understood!" Dozens of people then dispersed throughout the Fish Dragon Palace to begin the search.

Within three minutes, they discovered piles of bones in various corners of the palace.

They lie there as if asleep, seemingly long gone.

The group paid little attention and continued searching for traces of the Fish-Dragon.

Unexpectedly, the light in the entire palace suddenly dimmed, plunging it into darkness in an instant.

Just as everyone was feeling confused, one of the members suddenly made a discovery.

"Quick, check the system time! It's already night here, but according to the system time, it's still clearly daytime!"

"That's true."

"The day and night cycle here so quickly; could it be that time flows differently here than outside?"

And at this time...

The team roster suddenly showed a number of deaths—several members had been listed as dead without anyone noticing.

"Yes Yes Yes??" he urgently ordered, urging the team to regroup. "Everyone, move towards the center!"

"Don't get separated, assemble quickly!"

Fortunately, the palace area was limited, and everyone quickly gathered together. Upon counting, they found that five people were missing, which was exactly the size of a small team.

The location of the death is shown in the north corner.

When they arrived at the location, the players had already passed the soul retention period and returned to the city.

The team chat reported, "We've been attacked by random skeletons!"

"That's right! I remember there used to be a few skeletons lying here. We passed through this area when we were exploring before!" A veteran player from the exploration team said, his voice trembling.

"Prepare for battle! Stay calm and maintain formation! Shield Guard on the outer perimeter! We're on our way!" Qin Xiao Youhui immediately shouted commands over the channel.

One after another, human-shaped skeletons slowly emerged from the shadows, their outlines vaguely recognizable as they had been in life.

There were well over a hundred of them.

The skeletons, brandishing their weapons, pressed forward relentlessly, some of their skeletons even flickering with eerie blue flames—a symbol of mastery over spiritual arts.

The player team was quickly cornered and had no choice but to turn around and fight back.

The Priest chanted "Resurrection," their halos rising and falling, with flashes of white light constantly appearing—those were players who hadn't been revived in time and were forced to return to the resurrection point.

Qin Xiao Youhui joining Imperial City Yu Tian, and is still on his way. At this moment, he can only watch helplessly as his team's lines gradually collapse.

Just as the front line of defense was about to completely collapse and all the skeletons were about to be wiped out, all the skeletons suddenly froze in motion.

Their bones seemed to detach instantly, scattering across the ground with a clatter, turning back into still, withered skeletons.

One player exclaimed with delight, "The sky has brightened! These skeletons can only move around at night!"

The day/night indicator on the map interface has indeed switched to daytime.

The survivors were panting heavily, but dared not let their guard down—day and night alternated unusually quickly here, and darkness could descend again at any moment.

"The time interval just recorded was five minutes."

"How about we throw these bones into the sea now?" someone suggested.

"What if they can regenerate in water? It would be best to find a way to completely destroy them."

"How do we destroy them? They don't even have health bars anymore, they're just pure bones."

"Did you burn it?" someone suggested.

"Then let's give it a try."

Soon, some people began trying to use fireballs to deal with them.

As it turned out, these bones were incredibly resilient and couldn't be burned off.

"Damn it, we're doomed when they revive next time—the team has less than fifty people left."

"President, how much longer?"

The Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven's voice came through the channel. "We are currently swimming at full speed, and it is estimated that it will take another thirty minutes."

"Hurry up and explore; the clues may very well be in this palace."

"This place is called the Fish Dragon Palace, but why has there been no sign of the Fish-Dragon yet? And who are these skeletons? Solving these mysteries might be the key to survival. Forget about the corpses for now, let's hurry up and explore."

Upon hearing this, the group ignored the skeletons and immediately dispersed.

With the number of people reduced sharply, the risks of daytime exploration have been greatly reduced.

Shortly after, the assassin "Zhi Zhi Fu Zhi Zhi" issued a warning in the team chat.

The crowd quickly gathered at his location, where they saw that the four walls were covered with ancient murals.

The simple lines depict scenes of human sacrifice: some people bow down in worship to fish totems, some fight against Warcraft, and there is a grand scene of people working together to build a palace.

Gazing at these murals, "Zhi Zhi Fu Zhi Zhi" suddenly had a flash of inspiration—he was the player from the Legion Guild who had previously discovered the Breath-Holding Conch through a reputation quest.

"While I was doing reputation quests on Sea God Island, I heard the locals talk about the past."

"They say they are a branch that migrated to the island later, and that the true original inhabitants of Sea God Island were wiped out in the Warcraft tide, leaving no trace of their remains."

"The indigenous people have worshipped a mythical beast called the Fish-Dragon for generations, believing it to bring good fortune, and even built palaces specifically to enshrine it."

"But these have all become legends, and no one has ever seen the true face of the Fish-Dragon again."

A chorus of complaints immediately rose from the group. "You're only revealing such important information now?"

"Wouldn't it be more fitting to talk about this after we've all turned into white light and returned to the city?" someone said sarcastically.

"Exactly! Why didn't you do this sooner?"

"You only remember this much after doing reputation quests for three days?"

"Zhi Zhi Fu Zhi Zhi" said aggrievedly, "How was I supposed to know it would be related to hidden plot points? Those NPCs kept nagging, I would have skipped them long ago if there was no way to skip the dialogue."

"If I had known this would happen, I would have definitely written it down word for word!"

"Besides, when you play games, who doesn't skip the storyline?"

The Captain interrupted the accusations with "Yes Yes Yes??": "Quickly think if there are any details we've overlooked? This is a matter of life and death, so think carefully again!"

"Zhi Zhi Fu Zhi Zhi," he could only desperately try to recall.

Night was about to fall again, and time was running out.

"Those people seem to have said... that the indigenous people valued Fish-Dragon more than their own lives."

"Legend has it that the Fish-Dragon can exist eternally across generations, possessing an immortal life, and will forever Protection Sea God Island."

"That's all?" everyone asked eagerly.

"That's all I have!" Zizi almost cried. "I'm afraid of dying too, but I've told you everything I know!"

The voice of "Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven" rang out again. "Our defenses will definitely crumble when the skeletons revive next time."

We must find another way to survive.

"According to legend, since the Fish-Dragon possesses the characteristic of being eternal and indestructible, the palace built for it must contain the Fish-Dragon itself."

"Finding it might be the key to breaking the deadlock."

"Guild members have previously witnessed the Fish-Dragon infiltrating this area, which is enough to prove that it is hiding somewhere in the palace, but we just failed to detect it."

"If we can find traces of the Fish-Dragon, perhaps we can find a glimmer of hope!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately scattered to search, carefully examining for any hidden mechanisms or secret doors.

Such a large group of Fish-Dragon could not possibly have disappeared into thin air; they must exist in another space—where one could find temporary safety.

Night fell once again, and everyone's hearts tightened suddenly.

Sure enough, the skeletons came back to life.

A rustling sound came from afar and grew closer, and finally someone in the group noticed something was wrong.

"Look at the water plants overhead!"

"Quickly grab the water plants and climb up, there's a hole up there!"

Everyone looked up and saw straight, dark green water plants hanging down from the sky, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Clearly, this is where the path to survival lies.

One player leaped up, grabbed a blade of grass, and climbed upwards, eventually discovering a hidden cave at the top.

Everyone hurriedly followed, grabbing onto the water plants and climbing upwards.

The skeletons below are no longer accessible with weapons; only a few capable of casting far-range spells pose a threat.

Fortunately, the accompanying Priest provided timely treatment, and the situation was still under control.

The group entered the upper cave and continued deeper, where a breathtaking view suddenly appeared before them—this Fish Dragon Palace was actually a two-tiered structure!

In contrast to the spacious and simple layout of the lower level, the upper palace was decorated in a magnificent and dazzling manner.

The natural gemstones embedded in the walls shimmered with a soft glow, somehow illuminating the entire space.

Clearly, this gemstone has a strong radiation level.

Fish-Dragon swam leisurely in the air, their bodies graceful and possessing both gills and scales.

The scales shimmered with golden light under the Sunshine that seemed to come from nowhere.

They show no fear of people, nor any intention to attack; they even move gracefully among the crowds.

Gazing at them brings peace of mind and evokes a deep sense of tenderness.

"Fish-Dragon (Spirit Race, Adult, Tamable)"

"Constitution: 769"

Agility: 899

The players were overjoyed.

"My God... I can't find any other words but to exclaim in amazement!"

"They're so well-behaved, not afraid of strangers at all. I even gently petted one just now!"

"Don't just be happy, check the stats!"

"While it cannot assist in combat, it can serve as a mount, carrying three people at a time—me, my partner, and one more companion—just right!"

"Your words seem a bit ambiguous... but it doesn't matter, it's just fine for me to ride with my parents!"

"Wait, look, isn't there an old man sitting up ahead? He looks like an elder!"

The group walked forward and saw that it was the body of an elderly man with the ID "Ming Yihai".

But an aged voice rang directly in everyone's ears:

"A destined person from an unknown place, I am the thirty-fourth Protection of Sea God Island."

"The island has been attacked by Warcraft this time, and it is likely doomed."

"However, we swear to protect the Fish-Dragon to the death, for they will lead the descendants of Sea God Island to prosperity for generations to come."

"Our people have been corrupted by demonic energy, and their souls will forever guard this palace."

"If you can avoid their pursuit, please do not harm the Fish-Dragon —they are symbols of peace."

May the Fish-Dragon protect you...

The voice faded away, clearly indicating that the old man had already passed away.

"It seems that he and the skeletons below were the early inhabitants of Sea God Island."

Even though they were separated by life and death, they still Protection the Fish-Dragon and stayed by its side.

A soft sigh Zhi Zhi Fu Zhi Zhi.

"We would never harm Fish-Dragon; we would cherish it more than anything."

"Let's discuss the allocation after the president and the others arrive."

Everyone agreed to the proposal and waited quietly for Qin Xiao Youhui and join the Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven.

The team members who had previously died and been resurrected were also rushing over, fearing that if they missed the event, they would lose their chance to obtain the mount.