The Great Battle Looms

Could defeating the Monkey King make you the Monkey King? Jiang Ming genuinely wanted to ask the players on the discussion board.

But the silly players replied by turning it into a whole Journey to the West.

Jiang Ming gaped in disbelief, unable to keep his anger in check.

Especially with all those replies going on about "the original poster" this and "the original poster" that, as if he really had turned into a monkey and gone to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures.

By the time the post had received a thousand replies,

the Monkey King (the original poster) in the silly players' story had already become the Victorious Fighting Buddha. Finally at his limit, Jiang Ming posted a screenshot of the "White Ape Soul" and explained what had happened to him.

At that moment, the players who had been teasing the original poster about turning into a monkey all turned green with envy.

The replies were full of "Holy crap!" and made no attempt to hide their envy and jealousy.

Some players even offered a hefty price on the spot, saying they were willing to buy it with cash.

Jiang Ming's explanation also answered questions that had puzzled many players for a long time.

So, training troops required Soul Power, and killing creatures in the game could provide Soul Power resources.

What excited the players most was this:

Killing creatures in the game could provide not only Soul Power resources but also their original souls. After spending Divine Power, players could train those souls into their own special troops.

The players went completely wild.

Many immediately announced on the discussion board that they were forming teams and heading out to look for White Apes.

Others set their sights on the giant wolves on the second level of the Abandoned Mine, hoping to kill one and obtain its original soul.

Creatures that had once seemed as terrifying and invincible as a raging flood had now become prized targets.

Of course, given the players' current strength, fighting these powerful creatures would almost certainly end in death.

But the temptation was too great, and plenty of players were still willing to take the risk.

Just as Lu Xun once said:

With a decent profit to be made, players would become incredibly bold. With a fifty percent profit, they would risk their lives. With a hundred percent profit, they might even turn against their own families and attack their allies. But with a three-hundred-percent profit... even if Buddha himself showed up, players would dare to take him on.

Of course, all of this only applied while the players were in the game.

Players had never been able to resist temptation. If there was a chance to obtain special troops, they were willing to take risks.

And so, while mining and exploring the map, players added a new activity to the list:

Fighting the creatures on Dragon Scale Island!

The battles reminded many veteran players of the old game "Pokémon."

The similarity was that they had to find monsters, defeat them, and then capture them.

Jiang Ming's description on the discussion board had given many players a new goal and a new way to play.

Some even made a post on the discussion board, swearing to capture every creature on Dragon Scale Island and create a bestiary of the island's wildlife.

Full of motivation, the players began making life miserable for the creatures on Dragon Scale Island.

Creatures they had once gone out of their way to avoid had now become targets for the players to torment.

The first to suffer, naturally, was the White Ape Tribe in the south of Dragon Scale Island.

The newly appointed White Ape King had not even begun enjoying the former king's beautiful wives and concubines before the ferocious players showed up.

The players were weak, but they never tired.

Every day, large groups of players entered the White Ape Tribe's territory, hoping to ambush White Apes who had wandered off alone.

The White Ape King naturally responded. In its fury, it led its people in pursuit and brutally killed every player who had sneaked into their territory, thinking that would put an end to the invasion.

But before they could catch their breath, another large group of players would arrive.

After several days of this back-and-forth, the White Ape King was at its wit's end.

What it found most unbearable was that the invaders had even started setting traps in their territory.

Ambushing lone members of the tribe was one thing, but what was the point of setting such poorly made traps, the kind anyone could see through at a glance?

As an intelligent creature, the White Ape King felt that it and its people had been insulted.

The players obviously had no idea.

To catch White Apes who had wandered off alone, the players tried every trick in the book.

They resorted to every kind of deception, even trying to lure lone White Apes into an ambush with fruit.

Naturally, the enraged White Apes smashed their heads in.

The players' methods were full of holes and posed no threat to the intelligent, powerful members of the White Ape Tribe. But their clumsy antics were remarkably effective at getting under their skin.

It felt as if a group of idiots surrounded you every day, trying to mess with you using methods they thought would work. You could see through them at a glance, but you couldn't get rid of them or drive them away. Being pestered like that day after day was enough to drive the members of the White Ape Tribe over the edge.

At last, the White Ape King could take no more and decided to wipe them out completely.

That day, the White Ape King first led its people in killing every player within their territory. Then it took the tribe and headed east across Dragon Scale Island, toward the revival point.

Every player they encountered along the way was on the receiving end of the White Ape Tribe's furious fists.

Even many casual players were caught up in it. They had never intended to provoke the White Ape Tribe, but they were still dragged into the mess.

News that the White Ape Tribe was on the move quickly reached the game's discussion board.

It caught the attention of a huge number of players.

Players shared all kinds of ideas about how to deal with the incoming White Ape Tribe.

Some suggested a direct assault, others proposed guerrilla warfare... The discussion board was buzzing.

Since this was a game about conquest, the players had long been prepared to go to war with the native factions.

So they weren't afraid of the White Ape Tribe's arrival at all. Instead, they urged everyone to fight back.

The fired-up players began gathering near the revival point. The various factions set aside their grudges for the time being and agreed to unite against the common enemy, driving back the approaching White Ape Tribe.

A few hours later, the area around the revival point was packed with people as players flocked there in droves.

As they waited, the enemy appeared in the distance.

Hundreds of agile White Apes leaped through the forest. When they reached the revival point, they dropped down like dumplings into a pot.

When the White Ape King saw the dense mass of invaders ahead, it froze for a moment.

There were far more invaders than it had imagined.

But the White Ape King had no intention of retreating.

It had fought the players many times and knew just how weak they were—so weak they were hardly worth mentioning.

"Roar!"

After a brief pause, the White Ape King let out a furious battle cry. Then it rose onto its hind legs and began pounding its chest with all its might.

The other White Apes followed suit.

"Roar your ass! Charge, you bastards!"

"Everyone, attack! Charge!"

"My minions, it's time to prove your loyalty! Fight for me! Charge! (Some edgy teenager)"

At the players' command, all their troops raised their weapons and charged at the White Ape horde.

The first clash between the Fourth Calamity and the native forces of the Boundless Realm had begun.