Do you want to become a hero who dominates the world?
Do you want your name to be carved into the Chronicles of Spirit of Grief?
Do you want your enemies to tremble before your sword?
Do you want to pick up a girl?
If you're willing, then join the expedition to Dawn City. We need everyone. Even if you're a noob who can't even pick up a sword, you can at least attract the enemy's firepower!
— Excerpt from the Chronicles of Spirit of Grief, "The Expedition to Dawn City, Volume One — The Words of Solitary Grave"
… …
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During these three days, I took the girls of the workshop on a sightseeing tour, and I brought Dream of Snow Moon and the experts of the Snow Moon Alliance to grind Sky City. I had to grind it twice a day, or it would be too wasteful.
My leveling speed was slow, and I only leveled up once. Right now, I was at Level 233. Bing Cha, Ling Xue, and Ling Yue had leveled up twice each, and they were all Level 223.
The leveling speed of White Cloud City's players was also impressive —
Frivolous Scholar L233 Dragon Speaker
Bing Cha L223 Thunder Swordsman
Windy Snow L223 Ice Swordsman
Breeze Seizes the Moon L223 Ice Mage
Solitary Grave L221 Dragon Knight
Little Butterfly L219 Star Moon Priest
Chrysanthemum Daohana L218 Soul Wizard
Hellfire L218 Tempest Warrior
Shadow Follower L218 Swordsman
Zi Yun 'er L216 Holy Priest
June Snowfall L216 Sword Spirit Wizard
Guardian of the Rye L215 Radiant Knight
Seven-star Lamp L214 Dark Swordsman
Bing Zhiyi L214 Dragon Knight
Fleeting Time L214 Dragon Knight
… …
Snow Moon made up the majority of the top players in China. Xue Yue Studio took up six of the Top 15 spots on the Heavenly Ranking. Besides them, Bing Zhiyi and Fleeting Time were the two core experts of Dream of Snow Moon. The Level 218 Shadow Follower had also become a member of Snow Moon.
Solitary Grave, Hellfire, June Snowfall, and Guardian of the Rye were all players who had lived for a long time. In comparison, the super experts of Temple of the Moon were all alone. Seven-star Lamp had dropped out of the Top 50 after paying the price of 25 levels to summon the Sunset Scythe, Feather Moon. However, after a few days of crazy grinding, he had returned to the Top 15. He was a leveling maniac. This also meant that Seven-star Lamp might have learned a new skill, or he wouldn't have been able to level up so quickly.
Soul Battle Robes was still an empty shell. The number one expert was Blood Drinker the World's younger sister, Little Butterfly. Little Butterfly was a genius, but her brother was useless. Naturally, Soul Battle Robes had no future to speak of.
After equipping the new high-grade immortal artifact, the Ghost Blade, the Dragon Soul happily grinded Sky City for two days. For a time, it was incomparably flashy. When the Ghost Blade shone in the city, it would always cause the girls to exclaim in surprise. This made the Dragon Soul's withered heart of a man rejuvenated.
Beep!
I received a message from Ling Xue, "Scholar, Uncle Solitary Grave has ordered all guild leaders to gather at the plains outside the Scarlet Fortress. We're setting off at noon sharp!"
"Okay, we'll be there soon!"
… …
I teleported to King's City. The city walls were even thicker than before, and they glowed with a silvery-white luster. It was a testament to the charm of a Silver-rank castle. Two Magic Crystal Turrets stood at the center of the castle, and they had a firing range of over a kilometer. They were definitely lethal weapons in a siege battle.
There was no doubt that King's City would become an iron fortress to the east of White Cloud City if a large-scale national war or a monster siege broke out. If anyone wanted to lay their hands on White Cloud City, they would have to flatten King's City first. However, how could King's City be so easily flattened?
I bought a bag full of potions, took out a return scroll, and repaired my equipment. This expedition to Dawnlight City would take at least a few days and nights, so I had to take care of these items.
In a long-range battle, resupply was a very troublesome problem. I had talked with Uncle Lone Grave. The spatial mages in his guild could set up a temporary teleportation formation, but this formation couldn't pass through the World Boundary Monument. So, it was impossible to solve the problem of resupply through teleportation formations. We could only rely on the players themselves.
After everything was settled, I used the Scarlet Fortress's return scroll. With a flash of light, I teleported to the Scarlet Fortress. The plaza outside the fortress was already packed with players. The name list of White Cloud City's allies had already been signed by more than ten million people. The number of players heading to Dawnlight City was probably enough to start a national war.
"Scholar, over here!" Hellfire waved his longsword from afar.
I squeezed through the crowd and found that Ling Xue, Ling Yue, and the other beauties were already here. The main person in charge of Snow Moon, Dragon Soul and Ghost Blaze were also here.
Solitary Grave gripped his longsword and stood under the setting sun. He smiled and said, "Snow Moon, Like Water, Rain Listening Pavilion, Wishing Pond, Stewed Green Plum Wine, Sword and Rose, Xuanyuan Sword, Invincible, War God Art, Pride, Gale Current, and all the main guilds of White Cloud City are here. Let's prepare to depart!"
"Wait!"
A female voice rang out from the crowd. It was the guild leader of Xuanyuan Sword, Xuanyuan Wan 'er. She walked out of the camp and asked, "Excuse me, is Temple of the Moon really not going to participate in the war?
Shouldn't we wait for them … "
Solitary Grave curled his lips and said, "We don't have a choice. Wang Junjie gave me an ultimatum a long time ago. Temple of the Moon will not participate in this' brainless' expedition. They're looking for a shortcut to serve the country …"
"Tsk …" Xuanyuan Wan 'er smiled disdainfully and said, "Then let them be. Bastards are not worth their time ~"
Solitary Grave smiled and said, "In that case, guild leaders, please order our guild members to prepare to depart!
It will take us 12 hours or so to cross the Plains of Ice and Fire. We will officially launch our attack on Dawn City at around midnight tonight. "
Right at this moment, a group of people suddenly galloped over from the west. The one leading them was a group of elite cavalry. Among them, there was a warrior in black armor leading the group. In his hand was a long saber that shone with a bright light, and his aura was imposing!
Solitary Grave frowned and waved his hand. He shouted, "Hellfire, gather our brothers and prepare to meet the enemy!"
Hellfire immediately rushed forward with his sword in hand. Both sides were at daggers drawn!
The newcomer was none other than Seven-star Lamp, one of the current army commanders of the Temple of the Moon and one of the core experts of the Temple of the Moon.
Seven-star Lamp raised his sword and shouted, "Get out of the way! I'm not here to cause trouble!"
Lonely Grave urged his horse forward and said, "Then why did you bring so many people here? Didn't the Moon God Temple decide not to participate in the expedition to the City of Dawn?"
Seven-star Lamp sneered and said, "Just because the Temple of the Moon doesn't want to participate in the expedition doesn't mean that I, Seven-star Lamp, won't join."
After saying that, he swung his longsword behind him and shouted, "As you can see, none of the people I brought are original players of the Temple of the Moon. They are all originally members of Soul Battle Robes."
Solitary Grave frowned and said, "You dare disobey Wang Junjie's orders?"
"Disobey?"
Seven-star Lamp smiled faintly. "Why would I say that? I joined the Temple of the Moon, but that doesn't mean that I, Seven-star Lamp, am a dog of the Temple of the Moon. If I miss the Nation War, how will the players of the China server view me, Seven-star Lamp?
I value this more than anyone else! "
Solitary Grave hesitated for a moment before turning around and asking, "Scholar, what do you think?"
I urged my horse forward and stared directly at Seven-star Lamp. Seven-star Lamp didn't dare look me in the eye and looked away dejectedly.
Finally, I pulled out the Moonlight Ice Blade. With a "clang", the light of the divine weapon surpassed the afterglow of the setting sun. It shone brilliantly!
Behind Seven-star Lamp, the Nine-star Lamp, the Brave Cavalry General, and the others pulled out their weapons in unison.
"Haha, welcome back to Soul Battle Robes. What else could it be?" I laughed loudly.
Seven-star Lamp shuddered and shot me a grateful look, but he gritted his teeth and fell silent.
Solitary Grave smiled and said, "Seven-star Lamp, why don't you join our main party? It'll make it easier for me to command the overall situation."
"Mn, okay."
Seven-star Lamp soon joined the main party. There were almost a hundred people here, and all of them were the top players of their respective guilds. Listening To The Rain From The Window saw Seven-star Lamp's addition, and God's Wish didn't look happy either. Last time, when the Temple of the Moon attacked Snow Moon, it was this punk who sacrificed his Level 25 and put a lot of pressure on the Snow Moon Alliance.
At this time, Seven-star Lamp urged his horse over and looked at a player in the Snow Moon Guild. It was the Shadow Follower!
Right now, the emblem of the Snow Moon Guild was floating above the Shadow Follower's shoulder. It was very eye-catching.
Seven-star Lamp looked a bit lonely. He said indifferently, "Wind, have you finally surrendered to Snow Moon?"
The Shadow Follower said disdainfully, "The heavens are watching what we do. The Nation War is imminent, and the Temple of the Moon is stirring up trouble in our country. I will no longer associate myself with a despicable person like Wang Junjie. You too, Seven-star Lamp. Don't think that Shen Luoyan is completely loyal to you. It's just a facade, and you're not an idiot. Can't you see through it?"
"That's enough!"
Seven Star Lamp cried out involuntarily. Wielding his long blade, he glanced at Dark Shadow Drifter and said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, but I don't need anyone to point out the path for me. I can see everything about me better than anyone else."
"Hmph!"
The Shadow Follower snorted and ignored Seven-star Lamp.
It was at this moment Uncle Solitary Grave waved his longsword and ordered, "Warriors of the China server, move out!
For the glory of war, for the dignity of White Cloud City, we will fight to the death together! Even if we can't return in Triumph, we will die in battle! "
The people of the White Cloud City were in high spirits as they started to move. A dark mass of people rolled through the forest as they advanced towards the Ice Fire Plain.
Ling Xue was riding Chrysanthemum Daohana, and Bing Cha was riding Qin Yun. Ling Yue was riding with me.
The beautiful shop owner frowned a little and said, "Scholar, the Korean server is making a move."
"Oh?
What move? "
Ling Yue said, "Three of our main guilds are waiting at Flame Mountain Range. They're preparing to intercept White Cloud City's troops at the Plains of Ice and Fire."
I laughed softly. "Just three main guilds. Can they stop us?"
Ling Yue smiled. "Of course not. Who do they think they are?"
"Hahaha!"
Dragon's Soul urged his horse forward and laughed. "Since that bastard Seven-star Lamp is here to help, our chances of taking down Dawn City have increased."
I nodded. "It's a pity. It would be even better if Temple of the Moon joined the battle. Geomancer Han Xin's Mud Feet Sink and Twisting Heaven and Earth are two of his trump cards. If he can use them well, taking down Dawn City won't be a problem!"
"Those who walk different paths cannot work together.
Scholar, don't even think about being a geomancer. He's Hong Lingwu's man, and Hong Lingwu is Wang Junjie's man. Han Xin is different from Seven-star Lamp. He's Hong Lingwu's retainer, so there's no way he'll betray her. "
Dragon's Soul sighed. "It's a pity that I can't use such a powerful hidden class."
I smiled. "Don't even think about it. Even without Han Xin, we can still destroy Dawn City with our swords. I'm confident I can do it."
"Hahaha, yeah!"
… …
It wasn't long before the expeditionary army crossed over the Snow Mountain Range and arrived at the Plains of Ice and Fire. This time, unlike the past, we were charging over with great fanfare. Our entire party spanned an extremely large area, so we had to clear out the mobs on the Plains of Ice and Fire. Otherwise, half of the players in the middle would probably be killed by the mobs.
Solitary Grave smiled. "Scholar, lead a group of high-level players and prepare to open a path.
Try not to cause any casualties. We need to learn how to protect the mid-tier players. "
"Yes, I understand."
I galloped to the front of the formation, raised my sword and shouted, "Fifth-promotion warriors over Level 200, move to the front at full speed. We will open a path and kill all the creatures in our way. High-tier priests above Level 190, focus on healing. Try not to cause any casualties."
And so, Hellfire, Seven-star Lamp, Solitary Grave, Ling Xue, Bing Cha, Dragon's Soul, Xing Tian, Flying Fire, and a large group of high-level warriors stepped forward. We formed a sharp blade and swept through the mobs!
After almost a month of hard work, everyone's levels and equipment had greatly increased. Sweeping through the mobs on the Plains of Ice and Fire was no longer a problem.
Swhoosh swhoosh swhoosh!
I swung my sword three times in a row and sent a biting cold wind flying. A bloody skeleton fled in panic. The Shadow Follower's attack power was still as sharp as ever.
Ling Xue smiled and said, "Cold wind?
I can also... "
As she said that, Ling Xue used a Water Moon Slash to send a blood-colored skeleton flying. Her snow-white fingers spread out, and countless wind and water elements gathered together. With a loud bang, three icy tornadoes appeared, wrapping around the blood-colored skeleton. The skeleton's HP dropped by three notches!
Cold Current Whirlwind, the strengthened version of Cold Wind!
The Shadow Follower was slightly surprised but smiled. "Leader Snow, you are amazing!"
Ling Xue smiled humbly. "I was just messing around..."
Seven-star Lamp was speechless and snorted softly.
Bing Cha immediately scolded, "Kid, what are you snorting at?"
Seven-star Lamp said, "I'm not snorting."
"Then you mean there's something wrong with my ears?"
Seven-star Lamp turned to look at me. "Scholar, control your people."