Heroes' Prison

Chapter 467 - 457

The estate was so vast it was comparable to a miniature imperial palace, with one building after another. To set aside such a large piece of ground in the center of the Dragon Palace as Huang Yi’s residence showed just how highly the Sea Dragon Emperor regarded him.

"Then let’s go in and have a look!" Huang Yi exclaimed happily, leading Jin Jiao through the estate’s crystal gates like an emperor or high-ranking official from ancient times entering his exclusive residence.

"Greetings, Third Prince, greetings, Godslayer Councilor! I am Qing Ke, the steward of this estate." As soon as they walked in, an old man with wrinkles all over his face and a turtle shell on his back introduced himself to Huang Yi and Jin Jiao. Huang Yi had a dragon-shaped tattoo on the back of his hand, an insignia of his status, which the old man could easily sense.

Huang Yi turned to look at the old man and realized he was actually a Holy Domain Warrior. In the Hero’s Continent, such a being would be revered by thousands, yet here he was simply Huang Yi’s steward.

Huang Yi couldn’t help but be moved. His status had greatly increased; now in the Dragon Palace, even a Holy Domain Warrior served under him. However, he was soon to reach Level 100 himself, becoming a Holy Domain Warrior in his own right.

...

Gradually, a day went by.

The next day, Huang Yi got up early because today’s team match faced the strongest team ever to exist—Heavenly Group!

The Heavenly Group was last year’s best team at the annual grand festival, achieving a world-first double boss kill on the fiftieth-floor of the Tower of Pantheons. Its team leader, Heavenly Dao, was a world-renowned veteran player, far more experienced than top players like Huang Yi and Thunder God.

With its current strength, the Heroes’ Guild stood no chance against Heavenly Group, even with Huang Yi present. That’s because Heavenly Dao, the team leader of Heavenly Group, ranked at the same level as Huang Yi and had been bestowed the title of Heavenly Emperor. It was uncertain who would win or lose if the two of them fought.

However, the Heavenly Group was no longer as formidable as before. Since the Giant General’s invasion of the Land of Dongying, Heavenly Dao had led the Dongying Guild as the figurehead, uniting numerous Japanese experts to resist the invasion, resulting in great loss of life, including Heavenly Dao himself.

Many members of the Heavenly Group had fallen in rank, exploded their equipment, and some even suffered the unfortunate fate of Reincarnation. Today’s battle presented some hope for the Heroes’ Guild.

After breakfast, Huang Yi went online early and checked the forum.

"Following Japan and the United States, Egypt, Russia, India, and Brazil have also suffered the Giant General’s invasion! Including the Chinese Mainland—saved by a mysterious figure—seven continents have become targets of the Giant General! Stock prices of guilds from the six affected countries have plummeted, except for China’s Hero Guild and Sun Guild. The Japanese Martial Arts Guild took the hardest hit, with its stock price dropping over 40% in two days!"

"In the face of the Giant General’s invasion, the two leading American figures, the Pope and Kid; Guardian Pharaoh of Egypt; Russia’s top fighter, Giant Bear; Brazil’s pride, Ronald; and Ganges, the ruler of India, have all joined the battlefield to fight the invasion!"

"Another disappointing moment in the individual competition, the leader of regular players, Yang Yuheng, valiantly resisted for ten minutes but ultimately fell to the Thunder God. Despite the defeat, Yang Yuheng, the sole regular player, held a glorious stand. How much further can he go?"

"The Oskan Royal Academy has reached the Land of Dongying and successfully held back the Giant General’s invading forces. They are currently engaged in fierce battle! Heavenly Dao and Miyamoto Musashi, the two Japanese leaders, continue to lead a host of experts against an array of Little Demons. At twelve noon, the Heavenly Group will face the Heroes’ Guild under the command of God of Slaughter, with a grim outlook!"

...

The fourth-ranked post was about the Heavenly Way Guild, clearly indicating their situation was quite bleak. The Giant General’s invasion was like a bolt from the blue, unpredictable, throwing the Heavenly Group’s match against the Heroes’ Guild today into uncertainty.

The invasion by the Giant General wasn’t just a lone Giant General—that would be too simple. It also resulted in a slew of lesser minions. For instance, a few months ago, when the Giant General first appeared on the Australian Continent, countless distances away, Demonic Creatures like the Eyeless Demon also emerged on the Chinese Mainland, which Huang Yi then used for his Race Evolution.

This time, the Japanese Mainland had its share of Little Demons too. Heavenly Dao and Miyamoto Musashi might have been no match for the Giant General, but they could still fight off these Little Demons. After the arrival of experts from the Oskan Royal Academy, Heavenly Dao and Miyamoto Musashi did not slacken but continued battling the Little Demons, instilling their nation with endless fighting spirit and hope.

Having read some posts, Huang Yi returned to The Second World and went to the square in front of City Hall. The place was already packed with people, all of whom knew that today the Heroes’ Guild was facing the strongest opponent it had ever encountered!

"With Big Brother God of Slaughter here, if we use a series of Major Skills, we should have a chance to defeat the weakened Heavenly Group, right?"

"There should be hope. After all, Big Brother God of Slaughter always manages to come up with some surprises that no one can predict. Plus, the leader of Heavenly Group, Heavenly Emperor, died yesterday."

At this moment, the crowd was buzzing with discussions, feeling tense about the upcoming match, with no one feeling absolute certainty.

After Huang Yi arrived, many set their eyes on him—he was like a flag; as long as he stood firm, the Heroes’ Guild still had hope.

"Big Brother, we’re going up against Heavenly Group today, what strategies shall we use? Should we release any Major Skills?" Sunset and Knight approached Huang Yi and eagerly asked as soon as they saw him.

"Do you really want to win?" Huang Yi stared into Sunset and Knight’s eyes as he spoke, as though he was questioning the entire Heroes’ Guild.

Sunset nodded matter-of-factly and looked at Huang Yi expectantly: "Very much so! All of us want to win this match. Defeating Heavenly Group signifies strength for us! We desperately need this battle to prove our skills! Previously, we couldn’t defeat Heavenly Group, but now, a rare opportunity has arisen. Heavenly Group’s strength has declined, and many of their Major Skills have been exhausted on Demonic Creatures. They definitely have fewer Major Skills than us, and we can take advantage of their weakened state!"

Huang Yi saw the look in his eyes, then turned to gaze at all the members of the Heroes’ Guild around him. Their eyes were just like Sunset’s, filled with a fervent anticipation, brimming with a longing for victory!

At this time, the term "taking advantage of others’ difficulties," which usually carried a negative connotation, somehow became positive. However, there was no anticipation on Huang Yi’s face, as he viewed the phrase negatively.

He understood the Seven Archdemons better than others, had more intelligence than the rest, and knew just how grave the dangers facing The Second World truly were.

The invasion of Giant Generals is not merely the affair of a single continent but concerns the entire The Second World. Using all our Major Skills to fight at such a critical juncture is akin to infighting at the cost of our future! What’s most important now is to defeat all Giant Generals first and reduce the power of the Seven Archdemons’ side.

Huang Yi shook his head, his tone unusually hesitant, "Let’s talk about it after the match starts, let me think it over."

Afterward, he fell silent, quietly waiting for noon to arrive, his heart constantly wavering.

The current situation was troublesome, with the blatant expectations of the Heroes’ Guild on one side and their desire for victory on the other. Choosing either option would disappoint someone.

"What are you thinking about?" Just then, a gentle and pleasant voice reached his ears.

Turning his head, Huang Yi saw none other than Qin Shiyu and Xiao Chunzi approaching.

"Yes, Brother, you seem to be troubled. Tell Xiao Chunzi about it, and I’ll help you come up with strategies!" Xiao Chunzi immediately grasped Huang Yi’s hand, looking up at him with her cute face, swinging her twin ponytails, and asked in a sweet voice.

"I’m thinking whether I should stubbornly stick to my own ideas or yield to the majority’s opinions," Huang Yi hesitated.

"That’s easy, just explain your reasoning and let everybody vote! That’s how we choose our class monitor!" Xiao Chunzi naively suggested.

"Indeed! If you’re undecided, why not let everyone make the choice? If you can persuade them with your reasoning, they will support you," Qin Shiyu chimed in.

After pondering for a moment, Huang Yi found that this was indeed the simplest and most reasonable approach; now that he could not make a choice, it was up to everyone to decide together.

Next, he pursed his lips and suddenly raised his voice to address everyone in the Hero Guild, "Brothers! I know we all want to win today’s match. Our team indeed needs to fight against top-tier groups like Heavenly Group and win to prove our strength!"

All members of the Hero Guild in the plaza, hearing Huang Yi speak out suddenly, quieted down and focused their expectant gaze on him.

However, Huang Yi then changed the direction of his speech, "But today’s opponent is very special. Their country is facing a massive threat; they are fighting bloody battles for freedom and hope. In a sense, this is a battle shared by the whole world. At such a crucial moment, it wouldn’t be honorable to use all our Major Skills and fight desperately to win this match. We are called the Heroes’ Guild, we should be righteous and heroic. The glory that comes from taking advantage of others’ distress is not what we want. Even if we lose this match, we can still hope to make it to the semifinals. The outcome of this one match won’t be fatal."

Upon hearing this, everyone was slightly taken aback, having not expected such words from Huang Yi.

Looking around at the crowd, Huang Yi shared his plans, "So, I’ve decided that during the match, I’ll negotiate with Heavenly Group. Let’s agree not to use any Major Skills and to rely instead on ordinary skills to compete. This way there’s no significant impact on either side’s capabilities. They can save their Major Skills for those Demonic Creatures instead of wasting them on us, and we can save our Major Skills for the later battles."

(To be continued. If you like this work, please head over to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your Recommendation Tickets and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)