The war rules under the Heavenly Reflection Order were clear-cut: the victor takes all. Triumph brought immense fortune, while defeat spelled utter ruin.
Everyone was taken aback.
What in the world was happening today?
Why were there declarations of war everywhere, especially targeted at the 996 Beginner Village?
The citizens of Plioya were buzzing with excitement as if celebrating the New Year, flooding the district channel with messages:
"Marvelous! The Shan Brothers have made their move. Guangcheng and the Beginner Village of 996 are doomed to obliteration!"
"Our mighty Plioya thrives in fortune, and Jutrela shall face utter disgrace! We'll slay Guangcheng first, then Lei Kun. Plioya alone shall reign supreme over all realms!"
"First Guangcheng, then Lei Kun, Plioya alone shall claim the throne of all worlds!"
The trial challengers of Plioya were frenzied, roaring their slogans as though the Shan Brothers had already clinched a resounding victory.
Such was the character of the Plioyains.
Historically, Plioya was confined to a small island, cursed with scarce resources and frequent disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
This instilled a deep-seated anxiety in the Plioyains about their homeland, alongside a longing for the fertile expanses of the mainland.
Jutrela, being the nearest and largest mainland nation, was naturally their object of envy.
For ages, Plioya had coveted Jutrela's lands, attempting invasions that ended in humiliation, as Jutrela's might dominated East Asia. Only in recent times, with Jutrela's power waning, did Plioya glimpse a chance for conquest.
Their repeated gambles paid off, bolstering their strength—a practice they dubbed 'Gambling the Nation's Fate.'
Yet, for all their victories, a single loss could cripple them.
Even the luckiest gambler can lose everything in one fell swoop.
Ultimately, Plioya was still vanquished by Jutrela, leaving a legacy of deep-seated resentment throughout the nation.
Now, as they entered the fray of the Whole Heaven Battlefield, the Plioyains clung to their risk-it-all mentality, eager to confront Jutrela once more and vie for resources.
The concept of mutual benefit was conspicuously absent from their vocabulary.
Initially, Plioya's rankings were sparse with experts, making them no match for Jutrela's lineup of seasoned fighters. Aware of their inferior strength and despite their resentment, they refrained from making any rash moves.
But now, with the Shan Brothers' fighting capacity boosted by Xuzuo's underhanded tactics, the trial challengers from Plioya were emboldened to take a gamble.
Their aspirations went beyond targeting Chen Guo; they aimed to annihilate all of Jutrela's experts and seize control of the Whole Heaven Battlefield.
Like a mountain wolf cub that grows bold with success, they were now unrestrained.
The Jutrelians sensed Plioya's wild ambitions, but beyond hurling insults at their shamelessness, they were at a loss for how to counter them.
The Jutrelians had scarcely any war tokens left to challenge the Shan Brothers.
Lei Kun, Jutrela's second-ranked expert, expressed his frustration, "The Shan Brothers are utterly shameless, ganging up on the weaker. They're setting two against Guangcheng. Even though Guangcheng is formidable, he's outnumbered. A hero can't hold out against a multitude. I'd love to back Guangcheng up, but I don't have a war token!"
"The Shan Brothers are despicably thick-skinned, two against one, with no regard for fair play. It's regrettable that I can't lend a hand!"
"Boss Guangcheng is in deep trouble now. We can only hope he comes out unscathed, but it looks bleak..."
Jutrela's experts were eager to assist Chen Guo, yet they were clueless about how to do so, resorting only to condemning the Plioyains' lack of honor.
And their confidence in Chen Guo was waning.
Chen Guo's battle strength stood at 99,999.
Shan Hongzhi's was 80,000.
Shan Tianming's, 77,000.
In a one-on-one fight, Chen Guo could easily best any one of them.
But against their combined forces, he was facing a serious threat.
The citizens of Jutrela were in a state of high anxiety, which only served to delight the Plioyains even more!
A Plioyain named Yu Duo Guangming brazenly declared, "I possess a shard of the Eight Profound Mirror, a gift from the Great God Tianzhao, which allows me to live-stream battles. I will use this mirror to broadcast the Shan Brothers' annihilation of the 996 Beginner Village. I want the entire East Asia region to witness how your Jutrela's mythic Boss Guangcheng falls to the legendary Shan Brothers!"
Following his proclamation, everyone in the East Asia region realized they could tune into the battle via the regional channel.
In that instant, nearly every trial challenger, unable to resist their curiosity, clicked into the live battle feed.
...
Within the 996 Beginner Village, Chen Guo was busy tallying his gains and replicating the Sovereign's Order, with no time to concern himself with the regional channel's squabbles.
It wasn't until Zhou Tao brought it to his attention that Chen Guo learned the Shan Brothers and all of Plioya were openly taunting him and Lei Kun on the regional channel, challenging the entirety of Jutrela!
"What do we do?" Zhou Tao fumed. "The Shan Brothers are insufferable in their arrogance, and these Plioyains are utterly shameless. I wish we could just wipe them all out!"
Chen Guo replied coolly, "They're nothing but noisy, attention-seeking clowns. They're not worth our concern."
No sooner had Chen Guo spoken than Shan Hongzhi declared war on the Beginner Village, triggering the fusion of two realms.
"We're being challenged again? Why do these deluded fools keep lining up for their demise?" Chen Guo shook his head, "Very well, I'll take you back to the village, and we'll deal with these intruders. I've always loathed the Plioyains. Every last one of them should perish, except for the beauties, who may only serve as slaves to us, the descendants of Yan and Huang!"
"Haha, Boss Guangcheng has it right. The Plioyains deserve nothing but death. Slay all the men, and the women shall become our slaves!"
Having witnessed Chen Guo's prowess in combat, they were filled with confidence in his abilities. Despite the menacing approach of the Shan Brothers, they were convinced that Shan Hongzhi was no match for Chen Guo.
Chen Guo's combat prowess was such that it could only be displayed as 99999, not merely limited to 99999!
With a mere thought, Chen Guo whisked everyone away, instantly returning to Beginner Village.
At that very moment, two realms had just merged. The Shan Brothers, leading a fierce band of ronin, made their way to Beginner Village 926.
The Shan Brothers had always been figures of the underworld, notorious for their lawlessness in Plioya Country. But fortune smiled upon them when they were assigned to Beginner Village 577 upon entering the Whole Heaven Battlefield.
There, the Shan Brothers founded the Black Dragon Society, rallying the ronin to overcome numerous challenges, and they excelled. Their impressive feats caught the eye of Xuzuo.
The Shan Brothers paid no mind to the others; to them, the rest were as insignificant as chickens and dogs. Their gaze was fixed solely on Chen Guo.