Absolute Death Game

"Everyone seeks profit, after all. If you ask me, it might be better to throw in our lot with the Ancestral Dragon. I've heard that some of the players who joined from the small guilds that were previously absorbed have made significant improvements in both equipment and skills," the Guild Leader said, raising his voice a bit as he saw the crowd turning to look at him.

The crowd looked over to see that it was the Guild Leader of the Iron Blood Brotherhood speaking, and Xuan Zhenzi couldn't believe there was such a fool among them. He was already thinking about the benefits of surrendering before the fight had even begun, and Xuan Zhenzi couldn't come up with good words to counter him.

It was at this moment that a voice suddenly echoed in the hall: "Because the Ancestral Dragon's purpose is not so simple." The voice sounded distant and prolonged, as if whispering in everyone's ear, creating confusion about its source while they were looking around.

Suddenly, a bright white light appeared, flashing brilliantly like the sun within the hall. As the light gradually faded, a figure was revealed, clad in Dark Gold equipment radiating a subdued divine luster, holding a golden scepter, presenting the image of a mysterious figure.

After Xiao Buli appeared, he glanced at the stunned crowd out of the corner of his eye, noting that his flashy entrance had indeed had a remarkable effect.

Lei Zhengang was the first to react, looking at Xiao Buli with suspicion, then at Xuan Zhenzi, and exclaimed, "What the hell, where did this guy come from? Didn't they say teleportation arrays couldn't be used?" His last question, however, was directed at Xuan Zhenzi.

Xuan Zhenzi shrugged his shoulders; he was just as perplexed about the situation.

"It's not important where I came from," Xiao Buli immediately said loudly, seeing the topic veering off course. "What matters is the purpose of my visit here today. The Ancestral Dragon's objective is not to dominate the game world. On the contrary, they aim to stop anyone from unifying the game world."

The crowd was even more bewildered by this revelation. What? The Ancestral Dragon, which had been incessantly attacking smaller nations and expanding its power, didn't want to unify the game world but to prevent others from doing so? This implied that their own small, peaceful nations might actually be the ones sought by those wishing to unify the world, but they had never entertained the thought of unifying the world themselves.

"So what you're saying is that the Ancestral Dragon is now some sort of peacekeeping police? Then what are we worried about?"

Xiao Buli shook his head again, "Indeed, they do not wish to unify the game world because their goal is not within the game, but they are no peacekeepers either. The Ancestral Dragon will continue to expand its forces, destroying all nations or guild organizations that might pose a threat. However, they won't drive them to extinction. Those countries that pose no threat will be spared. So if you just want to survive in the game, you simply need to disband all NPC armies in your cities and vow never to wage war, changing your nation's Attributes to that of a city-state. Then, the Ancestral Dragon should not target you."

Upon hearing Xiao Buli's words, the leaders of the small guilds began discussing the matter among themselves, some seemingly pleased with the outcome yet still doubtful. Luo Sen, however, frowned and said, "What do you mean their goal is not in the game?" Being more experienced in life, Luo Sen immediately focused on the crux of Xiao Buli's statement.

"It's simple. Their target is unifying the real world," Xiao Buli said with a serious expression.

At these words, the discussion stopped abruptly, and everyone looked at Xiao Buli with disbelief. Xiao Buli knew it was time to lay all his cards on the table and continued, "I suppose many of you are somewhat familiar with the concept of a Heart Demon. Moreover, quite a few of you might have already grasped its terrifying nature. What if I told you I have a way to remove the Heart Demon. What would you think of that?"

"Who exactly are you? Why should we believe you?" the Guild Leader of the Iron Blood Brotherhood demanded loudly. Xiao Buli's entrance and claims were so explosive that they had temporarily made everyone forget to question his identity.

Xuan Zhenzi immediately stood up and announced, "Gentlemen, this is the rapidly rising Guild Leader of the Qingyang Empire, Xiao Buli."

The terms "Xiao Buli" and "Qingyang Empire" were undoubtedly like dropping another bomb among the crowd. Coupled with the legend of Xiao Buli owning a dragon pet and his array of Dark Gold God Level equipment, though many were filled with contrary opinions, no one wanted to be the first to challenge him.

Seeing the crowd's reaction, Xuan Zhenzi understood why. They had just briefly discussed the issue concerning the Qingyang Empire, so he hastened to explain, "The action against the Ancestral Dragon was also communicated to the Qingyang Empire. They might have been delayed due to some matters, so I haven't had the chance to introduce this to everyone yet. I know some of you have had conflicts with Qingyang, but among us, who hasn't had their share of disputes? Such are the inevitable circumstances in the game. However, the difficulty we face today far outweighs all that, so I hope you can set aside personal grudges for now and focus on the threat of the Ancestral Dragon. We can address our internal conflicts later." Xuan Zhenzi cleverly shifted the narrative, suggesting they had reached a consensus on an alliance, which in fact had not been fully established. Seizing the moment before others could think of a rebuttal, Xuan Zhenzi turned to ask Xiao Buli, "Is what you just said about the Heart Demon true? Do you have a way for us to rid ourselves of the Heart Demon?"