The perception wasn't just held by outsiders; the trial challengers of Beginner Village #996 were steeped in panic.
Beginner Village #10733's might was overwhelming, driving everyone to the brink of hopelessness.
"With our already limited resources, can we even survive if we lose another 20%?"
"Losing 200 attribute points if we're defeated? I don't even have 200 to begin with... With that kind of deduction, I'd be too weak to even crawl."
"Why has Beginner Village #10733 declared war on us? What's our move? Should we go into hiding?"
Despair hung heavy over Beginner Village #996, with no one from the top down believing they could overcome their adversary.
To confront the looming crisis, Wang Shaoyun, the leader of the Bellowtalons, and Zhou Tao, the head of the Four Seas Gang, were forced to come together for a strategy session.
The Bellowtalons used to be the dominant gang in Beginner Village #996, but they never recovered from their disastrous defeat at the hands of the Ghost King, Sun Chengzong.
Many trial challengers defected from the Bellowtalons to the Four Seas Gang, including Zhou Tao, the former deputy leader of the Bellowtalons, who not only joined the Four Seas Gang but also rose to become its leader due to his exceptional leadership skills.
Thus, two rival factions emerged within Beginner Village #996: the increasingly powerful Four Seas Gang and the now-dwindling Bellowtalons.
The two factions usually couldn't stand each other, with Wang Shaoyun even secretly referring to Zhou Tao and his followers as traitors. Despite the animosity, both sides managed to keep their conflicts from escalating.
Now, faced with the formidable threat from Beginner Village #10733, the two factions had no choice but to join forces.
Even united, they struggled to find a glimmer of hope for victory; divided, they would surely face an even more dire fate.
It was time to set aside past grievances.
In a fit of rage, Wang Shaoyun declared, "This disaster has to be Guangcheng's fault. He must have tangled with the Tiger Claw Gang and brought this unwarranted misfortune upon us. That man is a curse!"
Zhou Tao challenged Wang Shaoyun, "You're making claims without any proof—"
Wang Shaoyun cut him off, raising his voice, "Just look at the Sector Channel. Lee Fala, head of the Tiger Claw Gang, is calling out Guangcheng by name, saying he's going to target him. If Guangcheng isn't the one who stirred up trouble, then who did? The guy's an absolute jerk!"
Zhou Tao turned his attention to the Sector Channel.
On the channel, Lee Fala was making his battle cry known:
"The Tiger Claw Gang is mighty, attracting a host of talents. We extended an invitation to Guangcheng from Beginner Village 996 to join us, but not only did he refuse, he insulted our gang and even blocked me!"
"He thinks he's safe because the Beginner Villages are isolated from each other and doesn't take my threats seriously. But I hold the Nether River Token, which gives me the power to declare war on other Beginner Villages directly!"
"The showdown between Beginner Village 10733 and Beginner Village 996 is imminent. The Tiger Claw Gang will unleash havoc and crush you all without mercy!"
"However, if you choose to ally with us against Guangcheng, we'll spare you and might even let you join the Tiger Claw Gang!"
"Guangcheng, I warned you that you'd pay the price! We will capture Guangcheng alive and raze Beginner Village 996 to the ground!"
Across the Sector Channel, members of the Tiger Claw Gang echoed the sentiment fervently:
"Capture Guangcheng alive and raze Beginner Village 996!"
With that, it became clear to the entire East Asia sector that Beginner Village 996's calamity was all due to Guangcheng crossing the Tiger Claw Gang.
"Guangcheng may be unrivaled in combat strength, but his arrogance has led him to offend the Tiger Claw Gang. Now, he's doomed, and he's dragged Beginner Village 996 down with him."
"Such formidable combat strength Guangcheng has..."
"It's futile. The Tiger Claw Gang is teeming with masters. Right now, we can only muster a force of two thousand, but with a siege, flattening Beginner Village 996 and capturing Guangcheng alive will be no challenge."
"It seems that even the mightiest lone wolf can't stand against the overwhelming might of a vast power."
Everyone doubted Chen Guo's chances. His combat prowess was indeed formidable, but the Tiger Claw Gang's ranks were filled with too many masters and elite members, boasting substantial strength.
Even with the mythical abilities of three heads and six arms, Chen Guo would be overwhelmed by a siege of two thousand.
In Beginner Village, Wang Shaoyun was buzzing with excitement, "See? I told you it was Guangcheng who brought this enemy upon us! That Guangcheng is nothing but trouble. He's not only snatched our resources, slowing our progress, but he's also drawn such a formidable foe, putting our entire village at risk!"
"Guangcheng is truly a curse!"
"Guangcheng is worthless, hogging all the resources and now attracting such a powerful enemy. We're all going to be collateral damage because of him!"
Many who were scared began to agree with Wang Shaoyun. It's human nature to look for someone to blame when faced with danger.
Zhou Tao countered, "Even if Boss Guangcheng did bring this enemy upon us, what good does it do to talk about it now? We've been declared war upon. We need to figure out how to respond!"
"They're too strong for us. If we can't beat them, why not join them and help them take down Guangcheng?" Wang Shaoyun suggested viciously. "I bet Guangcheng will definitely be too late to save himself this time!"
Zhou Tao replied, "Surrendering means losing half our strength, and it's no different from fighting—it might even be worse. They've rallied so many against us; they won't just let us off the hook. Moreover, I believe Boss Guangcheng has a strategy to counter them. We should engage in guerrilla tactics for now and try to reach out to Boss Guangcheng for a solution."
"You still trust that guy?"
"Better him than the Tiger Claw Gang!"
Their disagreement led to another heated debate, but before they could settle it, the countdown commenced.
"Countdown: 5."
"4."
"3."
"2."
"1."
"The Spacetime Fusion of Beginner Village No. 10733 and Beginner Village No. 996 has begun—let the war commence!"
The space around them quivered, signaling an anomaly between heaven and earth. Onlookers were stunned to see a second Beginner Village materialize outside the original one, the two merging into an overlapping existence.
Within this newly formed Beginner Village, two thousand trial challengers split into several squads, each led by formidable Level 10 leaders. Without a moment's hesitation, they launched an assault on Beginner Village No. 996.
"Leave none alive, burn everything, take all they have!"
"Victory to the Tiger Claw Gang!"
Lee Fala charged ahead, commanding his followers in a bold offensive against Beginner Village No. 996.
Zhou Tao had planned to engage in guerrilla tactics, but he quickly realized his strategy was too ambitious. With preparation time cut short, there was no chance to set up such tactics; he was forced into a hasty defense.
"Four Seas Gang, to arms!" Zhou Tao rallied his closest allies, urging the Four Seas Gang to mount a defensive counterattack.
Wang Shaoyun, however, wavered, ultimately deciding to withdraw the Bellowtalons, opting to first assess the combat strength of the adversaries.
When the forces met, the battle swiftly turned lopsided.