Seeing the two sides shake hands and make peace, burying the hatchet, and now having to decide who comes first, it's clear they already consider themselves a sure thing.
Could it be that the mighty vampire grand duke has become a bargaining chip at the gambling table between the two sides?
Moreover, it sounded like they didn't take him seriously at all, and had even started discussing the allocation of the next Grand Duke.
Since that's the case...
Although there are some discrepancies with the initial plan, it is still within an acceptable range overall.
"Leave them here."
Adelaide's voice was low and hoarse as she spoke from within the mausoleum. Although no one could hear her words, they could feel a chill sweep over them in an instant.
The next moment, the Blood Corpse that had been moving freely in the underground lake all stood still, like elite soldiers awaiting orders.
In the darkness, a cold, sinister voice echoed from the cave:
"How dare you vermin come and go as you please at your father's mausoleum?"
A figure appeared in the cave where Xilǐ'er's group had come from, blocking their retreat.
The man was wearing a faded white robe that looked quite old.
His hair was gray, his body was hunched, but his face was no different from that of a young man. However, every move he made revealed his old age. Even the wooden cane he was holding made him look like he was about to collapse at any moment.
"Clatter."
The Blood Corpse, both young and old, took a step forward. The moment his wooden staff touched the ground, a chilling current of Psionic Energy swept across the entire underground dark lake, and a powerful aura emanated from his body.
Xilǐ'er's body trembled violently. He stared in disbelief at the seemingly defenseless old man, uttering a single, clear word:
"The Duke."
"Orderly retreat!"
Tim saw that even Xilǐ'er tensed up instantly, and immediately realized just how terrifying the enemy was.
He immediately commanded the vanguard of the Eternal Domain to retreat in an orderly formation, but unexpectedly, it was the white-robed duke on the other side who spoke first:
" Margaret, didn't your father call you?"
"Hey Cuiske, you're clearly the junior, yet you have absolutely no manners!"
A voice rang out behind the players, and everyone's hearts tightened immediately.
They clearly conducted a thorough check when they arrived, how could this be...?
The next moment, several quick-thinking players had already considered that possibility and looked up at the same time.
At the top of the underground cave, dozens of meters high, stood another black figure standing upside down.
The figure leaped lightly, landing just a few meters behind the players, casually removing her hood to reveal a beautiful face...
And the eight eyes on its face.
Xilǐ'er glanced behind him and couldn't help but sigh softly:
"Two dukes."
two!
Duke!
Players of lower ranks could only tell that neither of them were easy to deal with; given their current level and number, ordinary earls were no longer a problem.
Therefore, the only possibilities are marquises and dukes.
Unfortunately, they, whose highest level was only twenty, encountered the Duke head-on today, and there were two of them at that.
At this moment, many players had the same meme they had seen in the real world. "[This is Jack's first time fighting two monsters]".
Despite knowing that this was just a game world, everyone still felt cold sweat breaking out on their hands and feet, and their hearts were pounding.
Even though none of the Low Tier Blood Corpse took any real action and merely watched like spectators, the mere presence of the two dukes was enough to make some of the weaker knight squires tremble.
"Yes, two dukes."
Margaret, with eight eyes on her face, slowly walked forward:
"Our father was very generous to us children, but he was completely different from that 'uncle' who has already been arrested."
As the enemy drew near, Xilǐ'er and several player captains quickly made the same choice:
"Contract into a tight formation Synergy your defense!"
Nearly a hundred people quickly formed a circle, their weapons pointing outwards.
Although it looks like a sea urchin with no weaknesses whatsoever, in front of the two dukes, a sea urchin is clearly just a sea urchin.
Realizing the seriousness of the problem, Xilǐ'er asked the players behind him:
"Are you still going to hide your fighting style now?"
[ Elderly and Children Fly First ] He exchanged a glance with the two and said:
"It can be activated at any time, but it will take time."
Xilǐ'er walked confidently to his mount, putting his javelin back in its strap and switching back to his lance as he asked:
"How long will it take? I'll try my best."
How long does it take to activate a temporary Teleportation Tree?
For the average player, they might only use words like "very fast" or "relatively slow" to describe it.
But for a group of highly skilled professional gamers, this is not a problem at all.
With suitable ground, Nutrient-Rich Resin, and player blood, all conditions are met, and the temporary Symbiotic Tree will grow for one minute.
However, this is an underground cave filled with sedimentary rock, not a suitable surface in the traditional sense, so the time will be extended to about two minutes.
Two minutes.
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] said:
"Our plants can fully unfold in just two minutes."
"Etc."
[ Howling Pothos ] suddenly interrupted [ The Retreat Drum Player ] and said seriously to Xilǐ'er:
"It will only take a minute."
[ Elderly and Children Fly First ] Sudden change in expression:
"Don't be ridiculous, how can you do it in just one minute? There's not even suitable soil for roots to grow here..."
"One minute, okay."
[ Howling Pothos ] said confidently:
"There's no soil, but there are plenty of corpses."
Amidst the shocked gazes of the other players, he spoke earnestly to Xilǐ'er:
"One minute, I can definitely do it."
"Okay, I'll buy you one minute."
Xilǐ'er agreed without hesitation, then mounted his horse, spear in hand, and said to Tim:
"Take precautions and protect their plants."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Buzz!"
Tim's answer was not in words, but in a soul-shaking surge of psychic Psionic Energy.
The moment Xilǐ'er gripped his knight's lance, all the Psionic Energy on his body lit up simultaneously, and the iron wings behind him began to blur.
Radish kept snorting, ready to charge at the old man in front of him at any moment. The pressure of his Psionic Energy made everyone in the dark lake feel uncomfortable.
"Hey, that plant of yours...?"
Tim turned around, intending to discuss the joint defense with the Soul Returner, but all he saw were corpses.
Those who were lively and energetic just a moment ago, eager to compete with him, have now become corpses.
The bodies of nearly fifty Soul Returner were piled together, forming a small cone shape.
At the very top of this cone, a sapling is sprouting and growing at an extremely rapid pace.