Chapter 95: Lord's Might and the Large Town!
When Hang Yu agreed.
Zhou Ji immediately went to draw his blade.
He had fought with the Lizardman chieftain before and knew very well that these extraterrestrial beings were by no means simple, so he felt it necessary to personally verify whether the person before him truly had the strength to contend against them.
However, Hang Yu stopped him and said, "Hold your hand!"
Zhou Ji showed a look of confusion: "Could it be that my lord regrets it?"
Hang Yu said, "Of course not, but you have consumed some of your strength in the earlier battle. It's not too late for you to fight me after you have adjusted your condition. This lord disdains taking advantage of others when they are weak."
The opportunities for the lord to take action were few and far between, so whenever he did, he naturally needed to maximize its value, such as further expanding his influence and consolidating his prestige.
"Good!"
Zhou Ji gained a bit of respect.
Although he still did not know what the strength of the person before him was like.
But just this open and aboveboard demeanor alone was enough to mark him as a true hero.
Hang Yu chose an open space near the main camp as the location for the sparring.
He gave Zhou Ji an hour to rest and recover, and during this process, the players spread the news among themselves, causing it to quickly spread far and wide.
Players from all sides rushed to the appointed place.
"What happened?"
"Someone is challenging our Lord?"
"Who is Zhou Ji? A newly appeared NPC?"
"He’s an NPC brought back by the top players from the Wo Niu Mountain map!"
"Latest news, Zhou Ji is the adopted son and apprentice of Zhou Cang, and his blade techniques are extremely fierce and powerful!"
"What? Zhou Cang? The one who carried the broadsword for Guan Yu? If this man is truly Zhou Cang’s disciple, then his strength must be extraordinary!"
"I heard Zhou Ji made a duel agreement with the lord, and if the lord wins, Zhou Ji is willing to join our territory and serve the lord. That means we’ll gain a powerful new NPC!"
"Really?"
"Can the lord win?"
"I think it shouldn’t be a problem."
"Although the lord defeated Tier-One Commander Ma Yuanyi, Zhou Ji is after all a Tier-Two Elite. I think there’s still some uncertainty in this battle."
"......"
Players chattered animatedly.
Chenxi, Little Bell (Xiao Lingdang), and Chimera Wraith (Chimei Wangliang) also arrived early at the scene.
They were all fans of the lord.
The lord seldom had opportunities to take action, and being able to witness it personally was something they could not miss, so they arrived early to grab a good spot.
"Look what I have here!"
Little Bell pulled out a crystal stone.
Chenxi said, "Photography Crystal? I prepared one too!"
Chimera Wraith said, "Lingdang, yours isn’t an ordinary Photography Crystal, right?"
Little Bell giggled: "Hehe, Wraith Sis guessed right. This is the high-grade Photography Crystal I just got my hands on!"
"What?"
"High-grade Photography Crystal!"
Several female players became interested.
Qingyi Fox said, "Is this the new item just recently updated, the one that can shoot high-definition videos?"
Level 4 Female Ranger Qingchen said, "I heard this thing is super expensive!"
Little Bell explained, "There are many specifications for high-grade Photography Crystals: thirty frames, sixty frames, and even hundreds or thousands of frames for high-speed photography. Mine is thirty frames, costing only 1000 Contribution Points."
"Although the crystal itself isn’t very expensive, it charges 500 Contribution Points per second. Even recording a short 10-second clip would cost 5000 Contribution Points."
So expensive!
All the players gasped in amazement.
Although players were better off now.
Few could casually afford to spend five hundred or a thousand Contribution Points at once.
Little Bell was one of the famous tycoons among the players, having spent a lot of real money to buy Contribution Points from other players.
Probably only a little rich lady like her could afford to use such a luxurious game item.
Currently, many screenshots of Twisted Three Kingdoms had already been circulating.
But no one had ever recorded a video yet.
Little Bell wanted to seize this opportunity to capture the first game video.
Not only would it allow her to show off online, but it also held enormous historical significance, enough for her name to be remembered by future generations.
Dozens of minutes passed quickly.
Hang Yu and Zhou Ji stood outside the territory.
This place had just witnessed the Battle of Ultimate Darkness a few days ago, and large patches of grassland had been burned away, leaving a vast and empty wasteland.
The wind blew and lifted scorched ashes like black snowflakes, while two figures stood facing each other in the desolation, the mysterious and magnificent Firmament as the backdrop, highlighting the dark and fantastic atmosphere of the game.
Zhou Ji said directly, "I have recovered. From now on, I will give my all. I hope my lord will not hold back."
Hang Yu wore the Yellow Heaven Commander set.
His dark gold armor was splendid and dazzling, yet exuded a sense of low-key steadiness.
A double-bladed spear in his hand, he looked like a divine general descended to the mortal world.
"In that case, you may attack."
"Then, pardon my offense!"
Although the two had not officially crossed swords yet, Zhou Ji already sensed that this human lord was not easy to deal with.
Since the other party allowed him to take the first move, he naturally would not stand on ceremony.
Swish!
The battle blade was drawn!
Zhou Ji’s muscles visibly swelled, like a taut bowstring ready to be unleashed.
With a roar, he soared into the air, transforming into a fierce tiger rising with the wind.
So fast!
So fierce!
All the players were stunned by Zhou Ji’s tiger-like descent attack.
Lone Boat, Ye Li Meng, Mad Blade Old Wang and other experts imagined standing in Zhou Ji’s path, and they realized they would not be able to withstand even the first move.
Hang Yu slightly shifted his body and easily dodged Zhou Ji’s ferocious leaping strike.
"Watch my blade!"
Zhou Ji’s first strike missed, but his momentum did not falter.
The blade aura on his sword flared up wildly.
Second strike, third strike, fourth strike—slashes came rapidly from all different directions toward Hang Yu.
Tiger’s Consecutive Slash!
This was a blade technique Zhou Ji had learned from Zhou Cang!
This skill was not particularly profound, but had extremely strong practical combat effect.
Its hallmark was continuous slashing, relying on momentum, speed, and power to collapse the enemy in one go.
The players were all shocked.
Zhou Ji’s swordplay was not only fast and fierce, but each strike was accompanied by the roaring sound of a tiger, making it feel as though one was facing not a man, but a ferocious tiger with vicious fangs and claws.
Facing the dense, airtight flurry of attacks, Hang Yu displayed an air of strolling leisurely in a courtyard, remaining calm and composed throughout.
With his extremely high Agility attributes and full-level Gale Steps, Zhou Ji could not even touch him, let alone hurt him.
Tiger claw-like blade lights continuously fell, cutting deep scars into the ground around them, but Hang Yu did not lose even a single strand of hair.
Bang!
At that moment!
A crisp collision sound rang out!
Hang Yu suddenly smashed the butt of his spear into the ground, pinning Zhou Ji’s warblade under it.
The tremendous force was like a small mountain, completely suppressing the blade.
Zhou Ji exerted strength several times but could not pull it out.
"I heard your martial skills were passed down from Zhou Cang. Judging from this, Zhou Cang’s blade techniques seem quite ordinary."
"Ah!"
Zhou Ji let out a sudden roar and finally yanked the blade free, retreating about ten meters, his eyes filled with wariness and shock.
Although he had expected this lord to be stronger than himself.
He had not imagined the gap would be this vast.
Strength and speed were not even on the same level.
He had never been serious from beginning to end!
The gap was too large!
"My foster father did teach me some blade techniques, but I have only grasped a superficial part, unable to bring out even one-tenth of their full might..." Zhou Ji once again held his blade horizontally before him.
Fiery blade aura coiled around it like flames, illuminating the surroundings.
"This move, 'Fierce Tiger's Roar', is the strongest move I have learned!"
After exchanging blows for more than a dozen rounds.
Zhou Ji had already recognized the gap in strength.
Now he could only use his strongest move to try his luck.
If he still could not shake the opponent, he would have to concede defeat obediently.
A high-pitched tiger’s roar rang out, the blade aura turned into flaming energy, transforming midair into a burning fierce tiger, rushing toward Hang Yu ten meters away like a predator pouncing.
"Good skill!"
Hang Yu’s eyes lit up.
This skill was not only powerful but also capable of attacking at a considerable distance, excellently compensating for the weakness of melee professions.
Of course, although Zhou Ji’s skill was strong, it was obviously impossible to shake Hang Yu.
He did not defend nor dodge, but simply raised his double-edged spear and casually unleashed a Qi Slash.
The spear blade tore through the air.
A white blade light descended like a river of stars.
This strike not only easily shattered the burning tiger but also, over a distance of more than ten meters, landed directly on Zhou Ji, blasting him ten zhang away with terrifying force.
Hang Yu had reined in his strength in time.
Otherwise, Zhou Ji would have died without question.
Although both were of Tier-Two cultivation.
Zhou Ji’s strength at most matched a same-tier elite, while Hang Yu could at least rival a commander-level existence.
Their level difference was not large.
But their strength gap was enormous.
The reason Hang Yu delayed for over a dozen rounds before striking was partly to give Zhou Ji some face, allowing him to submit willingly, and partly to perform for the others present, letting them witness once again the lord’s might.
The battle was over.
Zhou Ji was seriously injured.
But it was not life-threatening.
All the players at the scene were once again in an uproar.
Although everyone had great confidence in the lord’s strength, they generally believed it would be a back-and-forth battle.
Who would have thought that from start to finish, Zhou Ji was merely overestimating himself and striking an egg against a stone?
Even a fool could see.
The difference between the two was not just slight.
Even five or ten Zhou Jis together might not pose a threat!
"Invincible!"
"Feather God is mighty!"
"Our lord is too handsome!"
"Did you record it? That duel was amazing!"
"......"
Zhou Ji was completely convinced by Hang Yu’s strength.
This man’s power was no less than that of the Lizardman chieftain.
Moreover, under his command were several top Tier-Two experts and a rumored Fourth Calamity army that could resurrect indefinitely.
If he could serve such a lord.
Not only would the expulsion of the extraterrestrial race be within reach.
He himself would also gain a better future and development.
Hang Yu did not waste words and accepted Zhou Ji’s allegiance, immediately opening an NPC Template for him.
Hang Yu was very satisfied with Zhou Ji’s skills.
Thus, one of Zhou Ji’s main tasks would be to teach skills to the citizens.
He was most proficient in "Tiger’s Consecutive Slash" and "Fierce Tiger’s Roar," both of which had teachable capabilities.
The former was a white-quality skill, and the latter was a green-quality skill.
Players would have to pay to learn.
Not only paying a tuition fee but also covering the transmission cost.
Hang Yu would also collect an extra fee in Contribution Points, not for profit as a middleman, but to pay remuneration.
For each successful teaching of "Tiger’s Consecutive Slash," Zhou Ji would earn 1000 Contribution Points as reward, and 3000 Contribution Points for each "Fierce Tiger’s Roar."
Although learning skills through this method was inefficient and extremely expensive, given the current scarcity of skill stones in the Skill Tower, the wealthy players would definitely still learn them to boost their strength.
Once Zhou Ji earned Contribution Points.
He could exchange them for Essence.
He could also use them to issue tasks to players.
Additionally, Zhou Ji himself was a formidable combat power.
He could participate in various operations in the Wo Niu Mountain area.
Although NPCs did not have players' tenfold drop rate, as long as they worked hard, they could still earn large amounts of Essence to enhance their strength.
The territory had gained a powerful new NPC!
This immediately became a hot topic among players and on the forum.
Especially since Zhou Ji was different from ordinary villagers.
He had roamed Wo Niu Mountain for years and claimed to be Zhou Cang’s adopted son.
Not only were his personal story and plot worth exploring, but there was also surely no shortage of important main storyline intelligence.
Hang Yu dispatched Chimera Wraith, Little Bell, Chenxi, and others to gather information.
He asked them to compile and report all the intel they collected.
Hang Yu himself returned to the Lord’s Hall to continue handling internal affairs.
Xiao Ba reported, "Master, the refugees from Shangyang Village have been settled. It is estimated that in three days, the territory can be reactivated, generating about seventy Abyssal Magic Crystals per month, and the construction limit of your Abyss Barracks will increase by one!"
This was good news.
It meant new players could be recruited again.
The Abyss Barracks served as the resting and recovery place for the territory's citizens within the Abyss.
Currently, it was the only building that could increase the population recruitment limit, and its construction limit was directly tied to the number of effective territories.
Previously.
Hang Yu’s territory only had Heting Village.
As for Heting Village and Shangyang Village, since the towns had been destroyed and depopulated, even if the teleportation points were activated, they did not count as effective territories.
This time, after players moved a group of refugees back from Wo Niu Mountain, Shangyang Village was rebuilt and revitalized.
Naturally, it became an effective territory, and Hang Yu’s subsidiary citizen count surpassed a thousand people.
Within three days.
He could recruit another hundred players!
Hang Yu planned to release the news on the forum, while also revealing a little about the reason for the population increase.
As players gradually realized that expanding territory and recruiting population could influence the allocation of internal testing slots, they would be once again amazed by the game’s freedom and player participation.
At that moment.
"Greetings, Lord!"
Chimera Wraith came to request an audience, respectfully bowing.
Even though she knew this was an NPC.
She still instinctively felt a sense of respect.
Thus, observing proper etiquette was necessary, and it also increased player immersion.
Hang Yu asked calmly, "You already got important information so quickly?"
Chimera Wraith nodded and said, "Zhou Ji did not conceal anything. He told us everything he knew."
Hang Yu then asked, "What is the current situation in the Wo Niu Mountain area? Are all the towns under the control of the Lizardman Lord?"
Although he was very interested in Zhou Cang’s whereabouts.
The threat posed by the enemy lord was more immediate.
If all the population in the Wo Niu Mountain area was under the opponent’s control.
Then the Lizardman Lord’s forces could easily number in the thousands, making it much harder to deal with!
Chimera Wraith replied, "According to Zhou Ji, most villages are already under the Lizardmen’s control, but there is one county town in the Wo Niu Mountain area with a population close to ten thousand that has not yet fallen."
What?
A population close to ten thousand?
Hang Yu immediately paid close attention.
After all, for a lord, population was extremely important.
Until now, Hang Yu had only encountered villages with a few hundred people.
If there really was a town with nearly ten thousand people in the Wo Niu Mountain area, its value would be ten times higher than all the villages he had seen combined.
Of course, in such a place.
The protective Fortune would be particularly strong.
It would not be easy even for a Stars Lord to take it down.
Otherwise, the Lizardman Lord would not have failed to conquer it until now.