Xu Fu himself was not particularly powerful. His mechanics were simply infuriating.
With his preparations already in place, Roy cleared the Fusang Labyrinth without a hitch.
Xu Fu looked despondent:
"If you want it so badly, then take these elixirs."
"In the end, I could not complete my final research."
Xu Fu collapsed with a crash, handing over a gourd.
[World Item: Immortality Gourd] [A wondrous gourd refined by Xu Fu. It seems to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, automatically producing elixirs.] [Effect: Produces 10 elixirs with varying effects every day, including restoring HP, restoring MP, temporarily increasing attack power, purging all poisons, and more.]
The Immortality Gourd was an automatic elixir furnace. It did not even need ingredients, randomly producing ten elixirs every day.
In Yggdrasil, the elixir system was bottom of the barrel.
The costs were enormous, and the effects were poor.
For example, an elixir that cost you a million gold coins to refine was less effective than a single buff from a Magic Caster.
Its only advantage was that, in top-tier battles, even a small increase in stats was useful.
But the price was steep. Unless ordinary players were fighting a PvP battle over some bitter grudge, they rarely used elixirs.
What was more, elixirs had special compatibility rules.
They were intended to strengthen and balance weaker classes like immortals, so immortals received twice the effects of other classes when taking elixirs.
Only then did the lackluster immortal class reach a normal level of strength.
That was how the game company operated. Even terrible classes received a minimum safety net.
Still, considering the time and expense involved in refining elixirs, their cost-effectiveness remained poor.
But now Roy had obtained the World Item [Immortality Gourd].
As long as he stockpiled elixirs over time and took the appropriate ones before combat, he could perform at a normal level of strength too.
The Immortality Gourd could also produce top-grade elixirs.
The immortal class truly shone when consuming large quantities of top-grade elixirs and unleashing Senjutsu.
The reason big spenders avoided this class, however, was its terrible cost-effectiveness.
If they were going to spend money anyway, would it not be better to use a class like World Disaster?
Now the Immortality Gourd made up for that shortcoming.
Although it was an ordinary World Item, it could still play a genuinely crucial role.
But that was not the main point.
The moment a player picked up the Immortality Gourd, the Fusang Labyrinth collapsed.
That was because the Immortality Gourd was the core of the formation sustaining the Fusang Labyrinth.
Now!
The instant Xu Fu handed over the Immortality Gourd, he became a blur and lunged toward the largest tree on the island-the Fusang Ancient Tree!
For hidden within the Fusang Ancient Tree was the most important World Item in existence.
The World Tree Sapling.
Xu Fu had discovered a leaf that had yet to grow, and he had used the Fusang Ancient Tree as nourishment to continually cultivate the World Tree Sapling.
Only when the world stood on the brink of destruction did the sapling truly begin to sprout.
There was no time to worry about anything else now. After his defeat, Xu Fu decided to merge his soul with the World Tree Sapling and travel to the New World.
"Unhand what belongs to me!"
Tai'e Sword-Sweep Across All Creation!
Just as Xu Fu was about to merge with the Fusang Ancient Tree, a wave of sword energy descended from the sky.
Qin Shi Huang had arrived.
"First Emperor!!!"
Xu Fu let out a despairing wail as Qin Shi Huang cut down the last remnant of his soul.
At the same time, Qin Shi Huang's terrifying sword energy severed the Fusang Ancient Tree on the spot.
The enormous ancient tree split open, revealing a sapling at the center of its trunk.
That was right. This was the World Tree Sapling.
This sapling would only come into being when the entire world approached its end.
Even on the test server, Roy had not experienced this entire storyline. He had only read its background information.
That was because it involved the game shutting down.
Qin Shi Huang was delighted to see the World Tree Sapling:
"To live as long as Heaven and Earth Perish Together, to shine alongside the sun and moon—this is true immortality."
"You have rendered unparalleled service. Become my subordinates, and I will take you with me when I leave this world."
Roy, however, stood before the World Tree Sapling.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I cannot give this to you."
Handing over the World Tree Sapling would indeed earn them many rewards.
They could take whatever they wanted from the Great Qin Treasury.
But none of those things could compare to the World Tree Sapling.
"Oh, it seems you wish to seize this treasure as well."
"What a pity."
"Those who oppose me shall be destroyed."
After the battle against Xu Fu, everything would be for nothing if they could not defeat Qin Shi Huang.
Roy spoke without either servility or arrogance:
"Your Majesty, the World Tree Sapling is only a game item."
"It cannot help Your Majesty reach another world."
Even the attempt to seize the World Tree Sapling was merely a storyline fabricated by the developers.
Qin Shi Huang laughed:
"I do not need you to remind me."
"I know this is a fabricated storyline. I know the World Tree Sapling is ultimately only a sapling, and may not survive the collapse at the end of the world."
"But I will not give up. I must obtain it."
"A king must have a king's final curtain."
"If you still insist on stopping me, the Great Qin Cavalry will crush you utterly!"
"And you will lose everything you have gained."
"Give up. Only a king is worthy of fighting me."
Qin Shi Huang's aura grew immeasurably profound, and Roy and the NPCs accompanying him entered a unique ancient battlefield.
If he refused to give up, he would have to stake all his World Items.
If he lost, he would be left with nothing.
Roy called out in a clear, ringing voice:
"I am the King of the World, and I too shall claim the World Tree Sapling."
"If Your Majesty wins, I will willingly surrender this crown."
Roy understood that to begin the final dungeon of the eastern world, he needed to show the mettle of a king.
Unless you staked World Items, this encounter with Qin Shi Huang was absolutely impossible to beat.
"Good!"
"Very good. This is a battle worthy of a king's final curtain."
"Come, then. Let us fight."
At least one World Item had to be wagered on the outcome of this battle.
But with only one item at stake, defeating the final boss was almost impossible.
That was because Qin Shi Huang possessed an utterly overpowered mechanic-the First Emperor's Domain.
During this battle, as long as even one member of the Great Qin Cavalry remained, Qin Shi Huang could not be destroyed.
You had to clear out every last mob.
At the same time, Qin Shi Huang had a skill that summoned the Great Qin Cavalry.
If you did not stake enough World Items, Qin Shi Huang would summon them so quickly that even a hundred World Champions could not wipe them out fast enough.
Even with Silver Bullets of Allure, Roy might not be able to clear them all.
Roy staked every World Item he had, greatly surprising Qin Shi Huang:
"You truly possess the bearing of a king. You have my recognition."
No, I just learned about the quest through backend access.
Roy knew he was still a long way from being a king. He merely possessed sufficient greed and restraint.
He had only entered this battle because he knew he was certain to win.
Come forth, Valkyries!
World Items could still be used even after being staked.
Originally, even with ninety-nine NPCs at his side, Roy would have struggled somewhat in this battle.
The key was to clear the mobs quickly. Otherwise, Qin Shi Huang's special mechanics would overwhelm them.
That was because Qin Shi Huang had another special mechanic.
King's Pressure.
In this battle, no player could resurrect.
Once someone was killed, a corresponding soldier would be created and added to the Great Qin army.
So if they could not win against the first wave, winning later would become extremely difficult.
That was why Roy opened with his ultimate move.
Valkyries' Bloom!
The thirteen Valkyries unleashed their boss-template power, then worked alongside Roy's Silver Bullets of Allure to annihilate the Great Qin Cavalry.
Qin Shi Huang was a mechanics-driven boss.
If players did not understand the relevant mechanics, almost all of them would die on their first encounter.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent did not play by the usual rules. Roy was the only person who knew the entire quest storyline.
Silver Bullets of Allure poured relentlessly across the battlefield. Thanks to the correct strategy, even Qin Shi Huang could not hold out until the end.
Boom!
Qin Shi Huang never fell. His body merely turned translucent.
"I acknowledge your strength."
"The King of the World, was it?"
"Let us compete once more when we reach the New World."
"I entrust Great Qin's most important treasure to you."
If they wagered enough World Items and earned Qin Shi Huang's recognition, then after defeating him, they would receive another World Item.
[World Item: Imperial Jade Seal] [Effect 1: On a battlefield where the emperor is present, as long as even one soldier remains, the emperor will not fall. Soldiers can take damage on the king's behalf.] [Effect 2: Those loyal to the emperor can arrive at his side at any time.] [Effect 3: The larger the territory ruled by the emperor, the higher the upper limit on the number of people who can pledge loyalty through the seal.]
Roy was delighted.
What a powerful World Item. In team battles within the game, it would be virtually unstoppable.
As long as your teammates did not die, neither would you.
With this skill combined with Roy's more than ten thousand NPCs, his HP would practically reach the heavens.
World Items really were officially sanctioned cheats.
Now it was time to examine the most precious of the two hundred World Items.
The World Tree Sapling.
Before you continue