Game time from You Shi to Xu Shi, roughly around 6:30 PM modern time, the three guilds—Chuangshi, Yunqi, and Baihuagong—had gathered all their members and were assembled before the NPC responsible for the alliance raid war teleportation.
"Attention everyone, those who haven't changed into the alliance uniform yet, please do so quickly!"
In the alliance channel, Hanjiang City's leader, Hamster Pudding, repeatedly refreshed the announcement, reminding first-time alliance war newcomers to switch to the exclusive Hanjiang City alliance uniform.
After the alliance gameplay update, players from different alliances had to wear their own alliance's exclusive uniform to participate in the raid war; otherwise, they couldn't teleport into the corresponding dungeon map.
Hanjiang City's alliance uniform was considered the best-looking among the four alliances, with white and blue as the main colors. Its style resembled Hanfu deep robes, with no slits at the hem but instead extended lapels. Once players of the Hanjiang City alliance put it on, they all looked exceptionally elegant!
As mentioned earlier, before the alliance raid war began, each side had to secure their own main and branch headquarters. So at 6:45, the NPC would activate the teleportation function, opening access to the dungeon maps.
"Attention everyone, 30 seconds until dungeon entry. All Chuangshi guild members enter the 'Blackwater City' map, all Yunqi guild members enter the 'Jiaolong Ridge' map, and Baihuagong members enter the 'White Mountain' map! Make sure you don't go to the wrong one!"
With 30 seconds left on the countdown, Hamster Pudding informed the three guilds of their respective entry points through the alliance channel. Jiang Yuan was currently in the Yunqi guild team. After helping Yunqi secure the Jiaolong Ridge branch, he would then travel on foot to the White Mountain branch that Baihuagong was attacking.
"Three! Two! One! Everyone, teleport!"
In the final three seconds, Hamster Pudding counted down and immediately led the Chuangshi guild members into the Blackwater City map!
The moment the countdown ended, Jiang Yuan selected the "Jiaolong Ridge" map. The scene before him began to warp, and after a hazy shimmer of light, Jiang Yuan and all the Yunqi guild members appeared on a desolate wilderness!
"Boss, what should we do next?"
Yunqi's guild leader, "Zhang Ergou," scurried over to Jiang Yuan, bowing and scraping as he asked.
At first, Zhang Ergou wasn't clear about Jiang Yuan's strength, but when Jiang Yuan joined his team and he saw Jiang Yuan's top-tier level 102 and full set of mythical gear, he realized this unassuming summoner was the number one player on the level leaderboard!
Just a few hours ago, Jiang Yuan had led the Yunqi and Baihuagong players to clear all the week's unfinished dungeons and sect quests, then scoured the wilderness for field bosses and river bandits. This not only boosted the levels of players from both sects significantly but also allowed Jiang Yuan himself to gain two levels!
"Look, that should be the Jiaolong Ridge branch over there. Once we go in, all of you stay back. Leave the boss to me alone."
Jiang Yuan raised his hand, pointing at a cluster of buildings to the southeast, and said to Zhang Ergou.
"Got it, boss!"
Zhang Ergou nodded. When it came to slacking off, the Yunqi guild players were all experts!
"Attention everyone, after following Boss Jiang Yuan into the branch, all of you stand aside!"
Zhang Ergou announced in the alliance channel to all Yunqi members, then took the lead behind Jiang Yuan.
"Whoosh!"
Jiang Yuan summoned a Dragon Beard Tiger, swung himself onto its back, and headed straight for the Jiaolong Ridge branch.
"Wow! Look, is that a mount? So cool!"
The Yunqi players behind Zhang Ergou saw the majestic and strikingly handsome Dragon Beard Tiger beneath Jiang Yuan, and their eyes went wide!
Many female Yunqi players gathered together, pointing at Jiang Yuan and his mount, whispering among themselves, their gazes toward Jiang Yuan growing increasingly intense.
"Giddy up!"
Jiang Yuan squeezed his legs, and the Dragon Beard Tiger spread its four limbs, charging like the wind toward the Jiaolong Ridge branch ahead. Behind him, Yunqi's guild leader Zhang Ergou ran frantically, shouting, "Boss, wait for me!"
As a casual guild, Yunqi's members usually just toured the scenery and leveled up as they pleased, with no way to accumulate wealth, so none of them could afford a mount costing tens of thousands of gold.
Thus, a peculiar scene unfolded: Jiang Yuan on his tiger leading the way, with hundreds of people sprinting on foot behind him.
"Pant, pant! Boss, is, pant! Is this the Jiaolong Ridge branch?"
Zhang Ergou, having led the guild's several hundred members in a frantic run, was gasping for breath as he finally reached Jiang Yuan, bending over with hands on his knees to ask.
"Let's go, head inside!"
Jiang Yuan dismounted from the Dragon Beard Tiger, pointed at it, and activated the "Soul Sacrifice" skill, stacking its attributes onto himself. Then he turned to look at Zhang Ergou, who still hadn't caught his breath, and said.
The layout of the Jiaolong Ridge branch was somewhat similar to Anyang Town, but it only had one main entrance.
After entering the main gate, a red-lacquered screen wall blocked Jiang Yuan and the others' view, preventing them from seeing the scene inside.
"Swish! Swish!"
Two sounds of arrows cutting through the air rang out. Two Yunqi players who had just stepped through the gate behind Jiang Yuan fell instantly, their health bars above their heads vanishing!
"Fall back!"
Seeing the two Yunqi players struck by arrows, Jiang Yuan shouted immediately, then quickly circled around the screen wall to see the scene inside.
Behind the screen wall was a small courtyard. A humanoid boss holding a curved bow, with a circular quiver on his back, appeared before Jiang Yuan.
[Elite Monster: Branch Leader Chen Yongnan] Level: 90 Health: 5,000,000 Defense: 4,500 Attack: 8,000 Skill: [Nine Stars in a Row], Chen Yongnan fires nine arrows in succession, dealing massive damage to players in a long rectangular area in front of him. Bio: Branch leader of Jiaolong Ridge, capable of drawing a forty-stone hard bow with both hands, unmatched in archery, known in the martial world as "Little Hua Rong"!
"Who dares to invade Jiaolong Ridge? Retreat at once! Or don't blame me for my merciless arrows!"
Chen Yongnan, known as "Little Hua Rong," immediately drew his bow and aimed at Jiang Yuan, shouting loudly.
"Ah!"
A scream rang out. In just twenty seconds, this branch leader was torn apart alive by over a thousand Dragon Beard Tigers.
"Ding! Congratulations on defeating the Jiaolong Ridge branch leader, gaining 10 million experience points!"
At that moment, Zhang Ergou and the other Yunqi players outside the gate simultaneously heard the system notification and rushed in.
Seeing the boss's corpse still on the ground and checking its stats, Zhang Ergou's eyes widened. A level 90 big boss, just instantly killed like that?