Chapter 268

A hint of doubt appeared in the bald orc's eyes, and he looked at Shen Xing again.

After receiving the lord's permission, he readily nodded and said, "No problem, ask away, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Fordring also wore a gentle smile.

Then, the knight and the orc walked side by side toward the outer city.

Shen Xing watched their figures disappear, then looked at the mage beside him. "Leina, let's go prepare too."

"Yes, my lord!"

She skillfully walked behind and pushed the wheelchair toward the center of the territory.

Shortly after they left, the charred boulder suddenly cracked with a crisp sound.

"Snap!"

A crack suddenly appeared on the stone, but it wasn't a split; it was more like the outer layer was peeling off.

As more cracks appear, it's like a hatched egg revealing its inner contents.

When the charred stone skin completely peeled away, the boulder emitted a faint halo, revealing faint dark golden patterns inside.

A moment later, the halo slowly faded, and the boulder returned to its original Common appearance.

Time passed slowly.

Soon, it was 11:55 PM, with only 5 minutes left before the secret realm opened.

The forum was flooded with all sorts of posts and comments.

Pork Stewed with Watermelon Rind: "It's about to start, it's about to start! Brothers, get ready to charge!"

Zhoufengchuan Xiangzi: "By the way, did you guys leave any 'Rain and Dew Pearl'? I ate them all right away, and now I can't get in. What should I do?"

Sea Otter Sea Otter: "So what? The system already warned us that we need 'Rain and Dew Pearl' to enter this Lotus Pond Secret Realm, and yet there are still idiots who didn't leave a single one behind."

I Bite Lü Dongbin, "Indeed, there's a guaranteed bead inside; you can't lose out."

"..."

With the opening of the secret realm approaching, all the major territories and forces are making preparations in full swing.

At this moment, in the Petrel Nation, at a secret base built on the coast.

A group of energetic and youthful-looking Western men and women gathered together.

They looked toward the center of the hall, where a blue-haired young man was leaning back on a sofa, seemingly waiting for his instructions.

Is everything ready?

Lachlan's gaze swept over the crowd, and he ordered in a deep voice, "If you encounter any of our own people once we're inside, team up and cooperate. Make sure at least one person's score is in the top ten."

"If necessary, we can target other lords."

He paused, then added, "By the way, if you encounter Shen Xing from the Heavenly Star Nation in the secret realm, find a way to eliminate him and prevent him from advancing to the next level."

Chapter 180: Entering the Lotus Pond Secret Realm, Masters Abound

Lachlan looked at everyone in the hall and said in a deep voice, "By the way, if we encounter Shen Xing from the Heavenly Star Nation in the secret realm, find a way to kick him out of the game and not give him the chance to enter the next level."

If you're unsure, contact me immediately.

"Yes!"

Everyone nodded solemnly.

Then they all returned to their seats and closed their eyes.

"Pride, why did the higher-ups issue the order to get as many people as possible into the fourth level?" the woman with wheat-colored skin asked curiously.

Lachlan glanced at her and casually explained, "What else could it be? Of course, the things on the fourth floor are useful to them."

The woman paused slightly, then asked, "You mean 'the Rain and Dew Essence'?"

"Hmm." Lachlan nodded slightly. "This essence can increase lifespan and even allow Master Rank experts to advance their ranks."

"Many old guys are just waiting for this essence to prolong their lives."

The woman nodded in realization, understanding the importance of this mission.

Then, she tentatively asked, "So... are you confident this time?"

"Grasp?"

Lachlan's lips curled into a confident smile, "I command five Tier Three Boss units, which are among the top tier of Tier Two lords."

"As long as they aren't targeted by monster lords who possess Overlord Rank troops, even the likes of Dolores and Shen Xing are only fit to shine my shoes."

"Moreover... with his help, even Overlord Rank monster wouldn't be a match for me."

He turned his gaze to the side and asked, "Sloth, are you ready?"

At that moment, the disheveled, unkempt man kept his head down, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Lachlan called out several times without getting a response, then realized something and a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.

"Sloth, wake up!"

"Ah..." The disheveled man woke up instantly, shook his head, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lachlan struggled to suppress his anger and said, enunciating each word clearly, "I don't care what you're like normally, but this mission is very important."

"Don't let me down once we enter the secret realm. Try to rejoin me as soon as possible, understand?"

The disheveled man blinked his sleepy eyes and said weakly, "I know, I'll try my best..."

"Ugh... this is so troublesome... I just want to drag the whole world down with me and go to sleep..."

Meanwhile, in a private conference room on the top floor of the Jiangcheng Player Association.

Elder Wang sat on the sofa, looking at the burly man by the window. "Director, the secret realm will open soon, we should prepare to enter."

"Alright." Zhang Yu nodded slightly, then turned to Wang and said, "Elder Wang, this time I will try my best to break into the fourth or even the fifth level and get you a few more 'Rain and Dew Essence' to see if it can make up for your lost lifespan."

"Deputy Director Liu and Captain Zhou will also do their best, so please hang in there for a while longer."

A touch of emotion appeared on Elder Wang's weathered face, but he still shook his head and said, "Director, there's no need to go to so much trouble for an old man like me."

"You've invested enough resources in me over the years."

"No." Zhang Yu shook his head decisively, "You became like this because of Jiangcheng."

"Back then, when that S-class fog disaster struck, if you hadn't sacrificed your entire lifespan to prevent that terrifying creature from descending, the entire Jiangcheng would have ceased to exist."

"So, this is what we should do."

Elder Wang remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed and said nothing more.

After a moment, he changed the subject, saying, "Director, Jiangcheng has recently produced quite a few promising talents."

"Besides Shen Xing and Yu Feifei, who have already broken through to the Transcendent, there are also some novice lords who have just entered the game and have already shown remarkable talent."

Do you think anyone will be able to get to the fourth floor this time?

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I don't know. The first three levels depend on luck; if you're matched with weaker opponents, you might have a chance."

"Upon reaching the fourth level, you'll find top-tier individuals from various ranks, where only raw strength matters."

"Especially the Tier Two arena where Shen Xing and his team are located, which contains monsters such as Royce the Orca, Yuan Qizhao the Five-Animal Fist, Anna the Vengeful Spirit."

"These are all veteran powerhouses who have been famous for a long time, and have even been in the top ten or top three of the rankings."

"After all these years, they're still stuck in the Transcendent stage. Who knows how much wealth they've accumulated in their territory?"

Elder Wang nodded in deep agreement.

Zhang Yu sat back down on the sofa. "Alright, let's log into the Land of Mist. It's about time."

"Good."

Elder Wang responded and then closed his eyes.

Strangely, as the mist swirled around them, their bodies began to become ethereal, as if they were about to disappear from the real world.

Meanwhile, in Shen Xing's territory.

He leaned back in the 'Flame Dragon' wheelchair, watching the countdown of the vortex portal in front of him.

Behind him stood five figures, each with a profound aura and a distinct style.

A moment later, Shen Xing turned around and scanned the five generals one by one.

Wearing a red feathered robe and holding a staff, Leina stood on the left, emanating an invisible power of fire that even distorted the surrounding air.

Standing quietly to the side was a voluptuous dragon girl with a horn-shaped forehead, her aura faint and elusive, as if she might vanish at any moment.

The old knight Fordring, holding Black Dragon Scale shield in one hand and a mace in the other, stood quietly on the right, a calm smile on his face.

Hellscream had switched back to his [Steel-Slaying Double-Bladed Axe], the blue patterns on his upper body rising and falling with his breath.

The last one was Xiao Hei, riding a skeletal warhorse, shrouded in jet-black armor, and wielding a giant scythe.

It's worth mentioning that Xiao Hei has completely transformed his warhorse into a skeleton unit, merging it with himself.

Therefore, he and his warhorse are counted as only one spot.

However, if it is Gorehowl dire wolf, it will occupy an extra slot because it has independent combat skills.

This is another reason why Shen Xing chose Xiao Hei instead of Gorehowl.

"It's almost time, let me briefly explain the rules."

Shen Xing clapped his hands and said, "Just like last time, we'll go through this portal to enter a completely new map."

"We will encounter many powerful enemies inside. Everyone, follow my instructions."

He paused, then gave the red-haired mage beside him a special look. "If you die inside, you won't truly die; you'll be teleported back to your territory, so there's no need to worry."

"Did you all understand?"

"Clear!"

The five generals responded in unison, their eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit.

Time ticked by as we waited.

Soon, it was exactly 00:00 AM.

A grand system notification appeared before all lords.