Matrix Survival: One random treasure chest per day

Chapter 498, 10,000-word update (making up for yesterday's update)
Li Zheng timed his entry into the rainforest perfectly. The first thing he saw was not towering trees or low shrubs, but thousands of people entangled with a huge group of countless small creatures with four limbs.

Occasionally, roots as thick as water tanks would sprout from the ground, entangle a player, and strangle them until they burst apart.

After observing for a few seconds, and using the information provided by Preers' Eye, Li Zheng roughly deduced the cause and effect. It turned out that this was the "tree son" created by the 100-meter-tall tree in the very center.
These "tree sons" are not strong individually, at most around the level of a beginner platinum. Compared to the average strength of the members of the legions that Liu Jiale has joined, they can easily crush the "tree sons" in a one-on-one fight.

Unfortunately, the enemy simply outnumbered them!
There were so many that they were countless and impossible to kill!

Some quick-thinking players used flamethrowers and other equipment to deal with the situation, which initially proved quite effective, repelling several of the "tree sons'" reckless attacks.

Unfortunately, the real boss was no pushover either. The roots buried underground appeared and disappeared unpredictably, precisely destroying a large number of flamethrowers and extinguishing this incredibly powerful weapon.

Then someone else tried to use fire-based abilities to ignite the entire rainforest and perish together with the Boss.

However, those tree sons, as plants, naturally contain a lot of water.

As soon as a fire is ignited in the rainforest, they rush forward one after another, using their own bodies to put it out.

This tug-of-war situation only changed when Liu Jiale and his men joined the battle.

Liu Jiale charged ahead of the Penglai Legion alone with a sword, frantically hacking and slashing at the "tree sons," killing them instantly upon contact.

Even when the Tree Spirit Boss attacked his root system, he risked his life to cut off three of them.

But his momentum was also waning at a visible rate, and it wouldn't be long before he would become a cripple due to exhaustion.

The Penglai members following behind him were indeed of much higher quality than the members of the other legions.

They fought with skillful maneuvering and proper handling, resulting in the lowest casualty rate of the entire operation.

It can be said that the reason why masters are masters is that they can still coordinate their attacks under such circumstances.

"Alright~, we can see that Boss Li Zheng has entered the arena!" Zhou Shufen's distinctive voice rang out, her enthusiasm running high. "As we all know, Boss Li Zheng slew two bosses in a row with instant kills, so how long can this boss last? Let's wait and see~"

"Although the combined forces of these legions failed to clear out the tree minions quickly, their fearless interception did create an open space behind them, barely providing Li Zheng with a relatively safe environment to deal damage. Now we'll see what Li Zheng does..."

"First of all, after entering the scene, Boss Li Zheng quickly observed the situation. It was clear that the situation was not optimistic. No one was taking care of the Tree Spirit Boss, and the people from those legions were dealing with the Tree Sons."

"But it doesn't matter. It seems that Boss Li Zheng has already made a judgment. He is sizing up the Tree Spirit Boss, probably thinking about where to strike first."

Surrounded by numerous players, Li Zheng finally drew out the demonic sword with its exaggerated design and eerie aura.

At this moment, everyone who had their eyes on him breathed much softer, as if afraid that if they breathed too loudly, it would affect him through the screen.

"Although the situation is somewhat different from what I expected, the environment is still relatively safe." Li Zheng stared at the ground, knowing that there were at least a hundred intertwined roots below, heading towards him.

The moment he entered the arena, the tree spirit sensed his danger and naturally took extra care of him.

"Give me the first cut!"

Li Zheng leaped high into the air, holding the knife in both hands, and pulled his whole body back into a reverse bow shape.

After a brief moment of charging up, his movements were as swift as lightning, and he forcefully swung the demonic blade in front of him.

boom!
A huge, pale red blade shadow appeared on the Bloodthirsty Demon Blade, slashing deeply into the ground. Withered branches and leaves flew up under this strike, forming a barrier.

The underground root system snapped inch by inch, and in the distance, the tree spirit boss cried out in pain, letting out a mournful roar, and the huge canopy trembled violently.

"Humph……"

After the stab, Li Zheng staggered, his face ashen and devoid of any color.

'Your appetite is growing bigger and bigger.' He sent a thought to Demon Blade Thirst for Blood. From the moment he noticed the change in Demon Blade Thirst for Blood to the moment he used 'Heaven and Earth One Slash' twice, Demon Blade Thirst for Blood seemed to think he had Li Zheng under control, and he became more and more unscrupulous in absorbing Li Zheng's blood essence.

"There's no other way, attacking in this way is extremely taxing." The Bloodthirsty Demon Blade seemed quite aggrieved.

'yes? '

Li Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, and suddenly he flicked his hand, releasing nearly a thousand different kinds of blood in front of him, then plunged his knife into them: 'Would this serve as a substitute?'

'...'

The Bloodthirsty Demon Blade trembled slightly, instinctively wanting to refuse, but quickly changed its words: 'It's possible, but the quality of this blood is too low, and the energy it can provide is relatively...'

"Enough with the nonsense!" Li Zheng interrupted coldly. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Even if most of this blood is low-grade blood like black iron, the sheer quantity will provide far more blood energy than I could ever have."

Sure enough, it was discovered!

The Demon Blade Thirsts for Blood sighed softly. This master was too cautious with it. It had already behaved so obediently, yet he still doubted it!

It did not send back its thoughts; to show its loyalty, it obediently absorbed these low-grade blood, accumulating energy for attack.

In fact, the Demon Blade Thirst for Blood is more suitable for those "bloodthirsty" individuals, because they are constantly engaged in battle and can provide it with sufficient blood energy.

Unfortunately, this guy has his own consciousness and is extremely evil.

Owners with average temperaments are often manipulated by it and unknowingly killed by it.

Most of the "bloodthirsty ones" are people whose temperaments are not stable enough.

Because they can't uphold the bottom line.

Li Zheng gripped the demonic blade, his gaze fixed on the distant tree spirit boss. Just then, the enormous eyes formed by the crisscrossing grooves on the tree spirit's body also looked over. The two gazes collided instantly, and sparks flew as if an electric current had struck the air.

Once the Demon Blade Thirst has absorbed enough blood energy, then cut it down!
Li Zhengxin said.

Although that sword strike only destroyed about a hundred roots, it caused tremendous damage to the Tree Spirit Boss.

You should know that the essence of a plant lies in its intricate root system.

Its importance is no less than that of the blood vessels throughout the human body.

If all the blood vessels in a person's body are destroyed, then that person is not far from death.

Similarly, if all of the tree spirit's roots are destroyed, it will also die soon.

Many people present, even those watching the live stream, did not realize that the Treant's weakness had always been right in front of them.

The main reason is that the tree spirit frequently uses its roots to attack players, turning its own weakness into its strongest weapon.

This unconventional approach is indeed unexpected.

No one could have imagined that a creature would not only expose its own weaknesses but also brazenly use them as weapons.

Unfortunately, it could fool others, but not Li Zheng, who possessed the Eye of Preys.

Old Pu analyzed all the weaknesses thoroughly.

The reason Li Zheng asked those legions to delay for a sufficient amount of time was mainly to give Lao Pu a chance to use his skills. Otherwise, he could have just entered the battlefield and started slashing.

"We see that, under such a tense situation, Boss Li Zheng did not choose to continue the attack, but instead used a lot of blood materials to nourish his sword."

Zhou Shufen discovered that her commentary style seemed to be particularly popular, and the popularity of the live broadcast room was getting higher and higher. This made her ecstatic, and she became even more energetic in her commentary. Her little mouth kept opening and closing, and she outputted words like a machine gun.

"I have a feeling that once this sword-raising period is over, it will be the day the Tree Spirit Boss dies."

"But will the Tree Spirit Boss just sit and wait to die? Its attack methods are varied, and I wonder if it has even more powerful attack methods."

"Wait! What is the Tree Spirit Boss trying to do? Is he going all in?"

In the scene, the ground around the towering tree spirit, which resembles a pillar of heaven, suddenly erupts, with thousands of roots, some thick and some thin, emerging from the ground and dancing wildly.

The "tree sons" seemed to have received instructions and suddenly became even more ferocious, charging at a player as soon as they were targeted.

Even if it means death, you must hold onto the player's limbs tightly and make their movements difficult.

The number of "tree sons" was outrageous, overwhelming the players' defenses like a tidal wave, and in the blink of an eye, a portion of them were brought under control.

Even the Penglai Legion led by Liu Jiale was not spared.

Just as the players were being subdued by the "tree sons'" suicide attack, the exposed roots precisely wrapped around them, dragging the immobilized players and forming wooden cocoons. Tiny thorns appeared on the roots, piercing the players' bodies and sucking their blood.

At this moment, Li Zheng and the tree spirit were doing the same thing at the same time.

They used their blood to gather energy and launch a final attack.

'Stop delaying, speed things up!'

Li Zheng frowned. In the past, when the Demon Blade sucked blood, it would gulp it down in large mouthfuls, as if it wanted to devour all the blood in an instant.

Now, given some low-grade blood, it's actually slacking off...

'Okay!'

Knowing that now was not the time to turn against Li Zheng, the Bloodthirsty Demon Blade immediately accelerated its blood-devouring speed. Under its control, thousands of bottles of blood transformed into dense blood lines that connected to the blade.

In just five seconds, all the blood was consumed, leaving the blade a deep crimson, like a drunkard.

"Are you full?" Li Zheng asked upon seeing this.

The Demon Blade replied, "So-so, enough for one cut."

A knife.

enough.

Despite the discomfort caused by excessive blood loss, Li Zhengqiang shook his sword and rose into the air, unfurling his Demon Thunder Wings.

At this moment, in the entire rainforest, apart from a few exceptionally strong players who were still struggling to withstand the Boss's attacks, only Li Zheng and the Tree Spirit Boss remained.

A humanoid bolt of lightning flew close.

Li Zheng gripped the sword with both hands, and a thin line of blood extended from the hilt of the Bloodthirsty Demon Blade, connecting to Li Zheng's wrist.

This wasn't something the Demon Blade Thirst did on his own; it was at Li Zheng's behest.

That's right.

This time, he is still prepared to use the 'mutual destruction' strategy.

A bloodthirsty blade flashed, gradually solidifying, exuding a terrifying aura. Those present who personally sensed it all showed expressions of disbelief.

Liu Jiale looked at Li Zheng with a complicated expression. Under the cover of the evil aura, even the light around Li Zheng's body flying in mid-air dimmed a bit, as if a demon god had descended to earth.

Unexpectedly, among the players who entered the matrix at the same time, Li Zheng has already surpassed them in strength by so much.

Liu Jiale was somewhat unconvinced.

When he first met Li Zheng, Li Zheng was just an ordinary person who hadn't even mastered martial arts.

However, he had already mastered the art of swordsmanship.

At that time, Liu Jiale was confident that he could crush Li Zheng in a one-on-one fight.

Looking at it now, their roles have completely reversed, and the gap between them has widened significantly.

In some ways, Liu Jiale's mindset was already unbalanced when facing Li Zheng.

He didn't know when it started, but after seeing Li Zheng, he felt inferior. Yet, the pride of a martial artist made him subconsciously want to catch up with Li Zheng.

Unconsciously, that inferiority complex of not admitting defeat was stripped of the prefix "not admitting defeat".

All that remained was inferiority.

Why does the world seem to be favoring Li Zheng?
How could his strength improve so rapidly, like riding a rocket?
Liu Jiale couldn't help but think that although he didn't know what Li Zheng's experiences were, he would definitely have done better than Li Zheng if he were in that position!

"Cut heaven and earth with one sword!"

A blood-red giant blade cleaved through the sky, and the world seemed to be filled only with the light of the blade, devoid of any other color.

Liu Jiale stared blankly at the crimson light, imprinting the blade's gleam deep in his mind.

This knife...

has a problem!
puff!
Clapping~
With a creaking sound, the wood was being split open. Liu Jiale turned his head blankly and looked at the tree spirit Boss.

But he saw countless vine-like roots crisscrossing, forming a large net that covered him, which Li Zheng had vertically cut in half from top to bottom, tree trunk and all.

The terrifying knife mark gave Liu Jiale the illusion that 'even heaven and earth could be cut open'.

"So...so strong!"

Liu Jiale swallowed hard. He was a master swordsman himself, and he could tell at a glance that the blood-red blade light was not Li Zheng's own skill, but was caused by that strange sword.

That knife actually grew on its own!
Liu Jiale recalled that he had seen Li Zheng use it not long ago, but at that time it obviously did not have such terrifying power.

"If I could understand the meaning of that last strike, perhaps my swordsmanship could be improved even further!"

Liu Jiale suddenly realized that he had memorized all the details of the sword light and that he would surely be able to figure out a similar sword technique in time.

At that time, he will be able to break free from the limitations of 'style' and become a true master of swordsmanship.

Thinking about this, Liu Jiale suddenly realized that his decision to invite Li Zheng to help him strategize against the boss was incredibly wise!

He has been stuck at the threshold of advancing in swordsmanship specialization for a long time, unable to find a way to continue improving.

He had consulted Zhan Zhouzhou about this matter, and Zhan Zhouzhou simply told him that if he wanted to break through, he had to make changes to traditional martial arts.

At the time, he didn't understand what the so-called "change" meant.

He's figured it out now.

It turns out they wanted him to practice traditional martial arts in a more "fantasy" direction...

In this boss battle, Liu Jiale may become the biggest winner.

Not only did he obtain a Boss item, but he also had the opportunity to observe the sword's gleam up close, laying the foundation for his future path.

My unbalanced mindset suddenly returned.

Liu Jiale's demeanor underwent a transformation at this moment; she was no longer the timid and submissive woman she had been not long ago, and her eyes and brows were full of spirit and confidence.

Looking at Li Zheng, who remained motionless in the air, still in a sword-drawing stance, completely devoid of life, Liu Jiale suddenly laughed.

He laughed very freely.

Li Zheng!

I won't lose to you!
At least in terms of swordsmanship, I'm definitely better than you!
A white light shot up, and Li Zheng's body disappeared.

"Deputy Commander Liu, the Boss has been defeated. Can we settle the agreed-upon reward now?"

Four figures entered through the entrance to the rainforest; they were the leaders of the four legions united by Liu Jiale.

There was also a deal between them: the four legions helped Liu Jiale buy time, and in return, Liu Jiale gave each of them two extraordinary blueprints.

In other words, including the payment to Li Zheng, the Penglai Legion will need to pay out a total of 28 extraordinary blueprints this time!

This is also a considerable burden for Penglai.

"Of course, Penglai will never break its promise to everyone." Liu Jiale laughed heartily, "I'll call my team leader over right now and have her settle the agreed-upon compensation with everyone."

"That would be perfect." The four team leaders breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. They had been on tenterhooks ever since they agreed to cooperate, fearing that Penglai might back out after the deal was done.

In retrospect, it seems they were the ones who were being petty.

A regimental commander walked up and carefully examined Liu Jiale for a moment before saying, "Deputy Regimental Commander Liu looks a little different than before."

After he said that, the other three also exclaimed in amazement: "Yes, is there some good news for Deputy Regiment Commander Liu? He looks radiant, that's a sign of great fortune!"

"Hey, how can you talk like that? Taking down a boss is a cause for celebration, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, we haven't congratulated Deputy Regiment Commander Liu on successfully defeating the Boss of the Tropical Rainforest yet!"

"Oh right, Vice Regiment Commander Liu, quickly tell the rest of you to guard the entrance. I heard that the boss that Kunlun just captured was stolen by someone else. We can't afford to be caught off guard!" A guild leader suddenly realized this and spoke up.

"It doesn't matter!"

Liu Jiale waved his hand and chuckled, "We're so close, why don't we just dismantle the Boss and grab the loot first?"

With that, he turned around to dissect the tree spirit.

Just then, a clear voice came from behind: "I think you shouldn't rush to break it down."

Liu Jiale turned around and laughed.

"Isn't this Xiaofeng? What brings you here..."

The visitor was Feng Shan, one of the vice commanders of the Qidian Legion.

Feng Shan, wearing boxing gloves, clasped them together a few times in front of him and said calmly, "I've come here on orders from our leader to collect the remaining half of the reward."

"Is that the reason?"

Liu Jiale was both amused and exasperated: "I was just about to finish dismantling the Boss and go to the Endless Ocean to settle my payment."

"No, no, no." Feng Shan tilted his head and revealed a wild smile: "My guild leader said that the deal was completed the moment the Boss died. In order to avoid some unnecessary disputes, he hopes that Penglai can settle the things that should be given before dismantling the Boss."

"After all, it's always better to have some things in hand. Do you gentlemen agree with what I'm saying?" Feng Shan's gaze swept across the faces of the four legion commanders one by one, and the moment their eyes met, all four commanders showed an embarrassed expression.

The four of them rushed over the moment the Boss was killed, weren't they worried that Penglai would renege on its debt after taking the Boss's decomposition?
These people were unaware that the holder of the 'High Energy Core' was restricted from leaving the current scene. They only thought that once something was in their pocket, it would be difficult to get it out again. So, when they learned that the Boss in Kunlun had been robbed, they simply reminded the people from Penglai to guard the entrance.

They remained silent about the approach of first dissecting the Boss.

“Look, it’s not just my leader who thinks this way; even these four people next to you have the same concerns.” Feng Shan’s ruthless exposure of the four leaders’ thoughts made them even more embarrassed.

How can this person have such low emotional intelligence?

Some things are best left unsaid; bringing them up in public just makes people lose face.

One of the short, stout regimental commanders felt that Fengshan's actions were a real humiliation to them, and couldn't help but show his anger.

Feng Shan instantly caught this, and a smirk appeared on his lips: "That fat guy, yes, you! You're so arrogant, aren't you defiant?"

Fat Commander: "..."

Who's being arrogant here?
I've never seen anyone more arrogant than you in my entire life!
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, Liu Jiale stepped in to smooth things over: "We're all on the same side, let's not make things unpleasant. Our leader is fishing in the Lava Mountains and is on his way here. He'll be here soon, so please be patient and wait a bit."

If he stands in the middle, even if someone on either side deliberately stirs up trouble, it will be difficult for a fight to break out in the end.

Feng Shan was somewhat disappointed. He had wanted to provoke a few people and then take advantage of the chaos to steal the Boss.

Although Li Zheng did not instruct him to do so, Feng Shan felt that as the deputy leader of the Qidian Regiment, he had a rare opportunity to go on a mission, so he might as well do it "outstandingly".

What could be better than securing a top-tier item for the legion?
It's a pity, with Liu Jiale on the other side, this can probably only be a dream.

Fengshan said sullenly, "Since Old Liu has spoken, let's just let this matter go."

Fat Commander: "..."

What do you mean by "just let it go like this"?

You make it sound like you're so magnanimous.

Who exactly is stirring up trouble?

Don't put yourself in the victim's shoes!

Soul pale!

Of course, he only dared to keep these complaints to himself and wouldn't dare to say them out loud.

He wasn't stupid; he could tell that this man surnamed Feng was single-mindedly trying to cause trouble.

Fortunately, not long after, Xu Ying appeared at the entrance with a few people, and the matter was averted from escalating.

Under Liu Jiale's instructions, Xu Ying took out more than ten blueprints and distributed them to everyone according to the pre-arranged quantity.

It's still some of the less valuable types of blueprints, arguably the rarest blueprints in the Matrix right now, and nobody would put them up for trade at this time.

Fengshan put away the ten USB drives and said with satisfaction, "Transaction complete, I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he left through the portal without any hesitation.

In contrast, the four legion commanders stood there, their faces full of worries.

"Go and dismantle the boss first," Liu Jiale said to Xu Ying, then stepped in front of the guild leaders: "Is there anything else you need?"

"This... isn't a big deal."

The group exchanged glances. The portly leader hesitated for a moment before speaking, "But now that the rainforest has been conquered, it's considered a safe zone. Players participating in the fishing activity can come in to fish, so..."

"Oh..." Liu Jiale looked enlightened upon hearing this: "You mean, you want people from your various legions to fish here, right?"

Liu Jiale generously replied, "No problem! The rainforest will be open to members of all the legions free of charge, so please rest assured!"

"No, no, no!" Upon hearing this, the chubby regimental commander waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Deputy Regimental Commander Liu has misunderstood."

"Oh? What's the misunderstanding? Do you want to pay points to enter?" Liu Jiale feigned confusion, as if she really didn't understand the other party's implied meaning.

The chubby leader glanced at the other three, none of whom seemed inclined to step forward, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue the story: "Actually, it's like this. Our four families have contributed to the conquest of this rainforest. If Penglai is going to sell tickets... we hope to participate in the ticket revenue sharing!"

After he finished speaking, the other three nodded repeatedly and echoed, "Yes, yes, we did our part too, didn't we?"

"If we're going to set up checkpoints and collect points, then all four of us can participate, right?"

“That’s right, that’s right. Deputy Regiment Commander Liu is a reasonable person and shouldn’t refuse this proposal.”

After listening quietly to the four people's statements, Liu Jiale finally spoke up, "Have the four team leaders made a mistake?"

"Penglai initially only invited four legions to assist in defeating the Boss. Our deal was finalized after you all received the blueprints."

"The things you're mentioning now shouldn't be included in the previous transactions, right?"

"Alright... let's keep things separate. It's not impossible for you to participate in the profit sharing, as long as you're willing to return the blueprints you just received. I'll consider the previous transaction as not yet over and give the legions a chance to add conditions, how about that?"

To be honest, Liu Jiale's suggestion was already very generous.

If it were anyone else, they would have immediately driven them away after the four legions said those words, let alone given them a chance to participate.

However, from the perspective of the four legion commanders, Liu Jiale's proposal was not so acceptable.

Do you expect them to take back what's already in your pocket?

How can it be?

"This... can't we discuss it further?" The fat regimental commander's expression turned serious.

Liu Jiale laughed and said, "Aren't we discussing this right now?"

"That means there's no need to discuss it?"

The four legion commanders exchanged glances, their expressions immediately turning cold. One of them looked at Liu Jiale with a sinister gaze and said, "Vice Commander Liu should know that Penglai is not ranked high on the legion leaderboard, and its overall strength is not particularly outstanding. There are no experts in the legion like Li Zheng who can take on a thousand or ten thousand men single-handedly."

"If the four of us unite, I'm afraid Penglai won't be able to withstand us, and we'll end up losing territory. I urge Deputy Commander Liu to reconsider?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiale's face also darkened: "Are you threatening me?"

Another person stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over: "No, no, we were just telling Deputy Regiment Commander Liu about the worst-case scenario. Actually, we don't want to fall out with Penglai and hurt our relationship."

While seemingly trying to smooth things over, the words subtly placed the Penglai Legion in a position of lower status than the four allied forces, which made Liu Jiale's expression even more unpleasant.

"Will the four of you walk on your own, or should I take you to the transit space?" Liu Jiale lost his patience, and his tone became harsh.

Upon hearing this, the four team leaders froze, seemingly not expecting Liu Jiale to turn against them so quickly.

"Is Deputy Regiment Commander Liu really not going to reconsider?" the chubby regimental commander asked in a deep voice.

"No need to consider it anymore." Liu Jiale said expressionlessly, "You should leave as soon as possible, lest you make a mistake."

"Ha, what a fine 'don't make a mistake'!" the fat regimental commander sneered. "I hope that in half an hour, Deputy Regimental Commander Liu will still hold the same opinion."

Half an hour later, when everyone's freeze period ends.

Liu Jiale responded with a sneer: "Commander Zhao is overthinking it. I believe that you will be the ones who regret it later."

"While I'm still thinking about our past collaboration, please, everyone!" Liu Jiale stepped aside, making room for the group leaders to leave.

"you……"

When the chubby regimental commander saw that Liu Jiale was serious, his eyes widened in disbelief.

But after stammering for a long time, he couldn't come up with anything convincing, so he angrily turned and led the way away.

The other three exchanged glances and silently followed the fat regimental commander.

At this moment, Xu Ying returned after dismantling the Boss. Looking at the departing group, she asked in confusion, "What's wrong with them? They look so angry?"

"It's nothing." Liu Jiale shook his head: "A few stray dogs came begging for bones, but they didn't get any. Just ignore them."

"Oh." Since Liu Jiale said that, Xu Ying didn't take it seriously. Instead, she looked Liu Jiale up and down for a moment with a strange look in her eyes. "Lele, I've noticed that you've changed back."

"It's back to normal? What does that mean?" Liu Jiale was both amused and exasperated.

“It’s just…” Xu Ying tilted her head, thought for a moment and said, “It’s just that I’ve become as confident as before.”

"..."

Liu Jiale was silent for a moment, then said, "Well, I had some mental issues a few days ago, but I've adjusted now."

"Is it because of Li Zheng?" Xu Ying was a smart woman; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to establish Penglai with Liu Jiale. "I know you're a proud person at heart. Li Zheng joined the Matrix at the same time as us, but his strength is far superior to everyone else's. Is it because of this that you've become unbalanced?"

"Ah."

Liu Jiale did not deny it, and said frankly, "Do you know what's most infuriating?"

"What is it?" Xu Ying's eyes grew brighter as she looked at Liu Jiale. The fact that Liu Jiale could tell her about this so openly now meant that he had truly let go of the past.

This is the Liu Jiale she liked back then!

"What's most infuriating is that Li Zheng's strength doesn't come from his own abilities, but from his superior equipment."

Liu Jiale sighed and said, "I've figured it out now. You can't compare people. Some people are lucky, some people are talented, and my advantage is that I'm friends with those people."

"Huh?" Xu Ying smiled slightly. "I thought you were going to say that your advantage was that you were hardworking enough."

"Hard work?" Liu Jiale laughed self-deprecatingly: "Who among those who have survived to this day and possess outstanding abilities hasn't worked hard in private?"

If the terminal hadn't imposed restrictions on everyone's exploration, who knows how much more chaotic the battles between players would have become.

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore, let's take a look at this first."

Xu Ying ended the conversation and handed Liu Jiale a prop that looked like a wooden heart.

"Is this the product of Boss's decomposition?" Liu Jiale took it and his expression changed immediately.

"Will the holder be restricted to the current scenario and unable to leave?"

Looking at some of the restrictions, Liu Jiale blurted out instinctively.

"Shhh!!!"

Xu Ying tried to stop Liu Jiale, but she couldn't stop him from saying the whole thing.

At this moment, Liu Jiale realized that during the event, countless streamers were broadcasting footage from all directions, and his words might have been broadcast live.

For a moment, Liu Jiale felt a little annoyed. How could she have made such a basic mistake?
Xu Ying asked in the Legion channel, "After reading about these limiting characteristics, did anything come to mind?"

What do you think?
Liu Jiale's eyes flickered slightly as he replied in the legion chat: "You mean... Li Chun?"

Yes!

Liu Jiale immediately thought of the young girl, Li Chun.

After everyone else went to the Endless Ocean, only Li Chun and a small group of people stayed in the Lava Mountains.

At first, he thought it was because Li Chun and the others liked that environment.

In retrospect, it was simply because Li Zheng gave her the loot from the boss he killed in the Lava Mountains that forced her to stay there.

Xu Ying nodded: "Look at those restrictions, one of them is that if the holder 'dies,' the item will definitely drop. That girl named Li Chun only brought a few dozen people with her, and the members of Qidian are generally not very strong. If they are targeted by someone with ulterior motives, the consequences will be unimaginable..."

Liu Jiale frowned in thought, then slowly said, "It should be fine. Li Chun is ultimately from Qidian; no fool would dare to attack her. Unless that legion has a death wish..."

Moreover, the Lava Mountains are the territory of Kunlun and Jiutian, so who would dare to make a move there?

"Of course no one is making a move openly, but what about behind the scenes?" Xu Ying reminded her, "Don't forget, the props in the Matrix are incredibly diverse, and it's possible that someone could get their hands on something to conceal their identity."

"Moreover, when I came here just now, I heard that someone dared to steal things from Kunlun and Jiutian. What can a little girl with low strength do, even if she is from Qidian?"

Liu Jiale was a little worried by what she said: "Although Li Chun's own strength is not high, the pet she raises is definitely among the top in the entire matrix. With it protecting her, she should be fine."

"Don't you, a martial artist, understand the principle that two fists can't beat four hands?" Xu Ying said angrily.

It's just a pet, how much of a problem can it cause?

Maybe someone could kill him instantly with a single concentrated attack.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Liu Jiale couldn't think of a solution. "We can't possibly send people from Penglai to protect her, can we? We might not even be able to protect our own things properly."

"That's why you're so stubborn!"

Xu Ying rolled her eyes at him and said, "We don't need to send a large number of people to protect us, but a hundred or two hundred should be enough, right?"

"What can a couple hundred people do?" Liu Jiale said dismissively.

"These few people are obviously useless on the front lines, but if we focus on delaying them for a while, it shouldn't be difficult to wait for Li Zheng to arrive," Xu Ying explained to him. "Besides, we don't necessarily send people there to actually play a role; it's more about making a statement."

"manner?"

"That's right! This shows that our friendly attitude towards Qidian is not for Qidian's benefit, but for outsiders."

"Oh, I see. You want to use this method to tell others that Penglai and Qidian can join forces at any time, so that those who have designs on our two families will think twice before taking action?" Liu Jiale had a sudden realization.

"You've finally figured it out," Xu Ying said helplessly.

"Um... leave this matter to me. I'll take some men to the Lava Mountains."

At this moment, someone in the legion volunteered to take on the task.

Liu Jiale & Xu Ying: "..."

Good grief, everything they were talking about in the Legion channel was seen by others.

The two looked at each other, and for some reason, both felt a little awkward.

Even though the two were standing face to face, they had to communicate in the legion channel. It felt a bit like two people who could talk just by looking up at each other, but instead chose to chat in a QQ group.

At once……

It feels like an unnecessary step.

In particular, the two of them said in front of all the legion members, "What business is it of a hundred or two people?!"
The experience of openly speaking ill of others is extremely bizarre.

"cough."

Liu Jiale coughed and instructed in the legion channel: "Then I'll leave this to you. If any of the brothers in the transfer space who haven't been frozen are interested, they can also participate."

This kind of thing is not as dangerous as fighting a boss, so the participants were very enthusiastic and quickly organized a group of a hundred people to head to the Lava Mountains.

You need to pay an entrance fee to get there.

Looking at the request message in the legion channel, Liu Jiale suddenly felt a toothache.

mua!
Forgot they used to have to pay money!

Isn't this just a publicly funded trip?
No wonder they're so enthusiastic!
Liu Jiale looked around at her surroundings and sighed dejectedly.

Ugh……

The territory occupied by their own legion was full of snakes, insects, rats, and ants, and was also filled with poisonous fog and miasma. Compared with the lava mountains, the environment was indeed not very pleasant.

That's fine, let's just leave it at that.

At least 70% of the players participating in the event are still stuck in the transit area with nowhere to go. Being able to carve out a piece of territory for themselves is already much better than others.

After pondering for a while, Liu Jiale composed himself and mobilized manpower in the legion channel, sending those idle members who were not frozen to the rainforest to set up checkpoints and prepare for some follow-up issues.

Whether it's the four legions eyeing the rainforest or the players who later learned through various channels that the area had been opened up, it's all a headache for Penglai.

On the other side, the endless ocean.

Yan Guang led a group of female soldiers, each using their own methods, to fly to the sea surface, form an orderly formation, and bombard the sea with a frenzy.

咻咻 咻 ~
咻咻 咻 ~
With the ammunition magazine wide open on his silver-white left arm, Yan Guang fired off black iron-quality shells as if they were free, creating towering waves on the sea.

Driven by the force of the water, these waves crashed onto the shore, soaking Xiao Siyuan and his group of quiet fishermen.

"Snapped!"

Slapped in the face by a wave, Xiao Siyuan wiped his face, suppressing his anger. Just as he was about to explode, a young man roared from the side.

"Enough! If you want to fry fish, can't you go somewhere further away?"

Wang Chaoran threw down his fishing rod, leaped up, took out his RPG, aimed it at the sea beneath the women soldiers, and shouted, "Brothers, let them see how powerful we are!"

"it is good!"

A unified roar erupted from the beach.

Li Zheng never imagined that the organized, probable legion war he had always thought would happen would actually occur within Qidian itself, led by the utterly bored Yan Guang…

(End of this chapter)