Heroes' Prison

Chapter 764 - 728: Going Back on One’s Word

At this moment, Yun Sihai and Lin Yiqin were personally commanding the battle at Xuanyuan Guild’s most critical main territory. Standing on a mountain ridge at the edge of the territory far from the city, they gazed out at the two armies slaughtering each other below!

Endless skill radiance filled the sky, blotting out the sun. Magic, battle qi, sword qi, summoned beasts, mounts—everything imaginable filled their field of vision, densely packed. The entire world shimmered with color, and every spot capable of hosting a battle was packed with players. Even in the skies, some flying players were locked in combat—waves of people, an endless spectacle too overwhelming to take in at a glance.

This was the most crucial battleground of the entire war. The destruction of the other territories would only wound Xuanyuan Guild, but if this main territory fell, Xuanyuan Guild would be finished! Both sides had poured their most critical forces into this location!

At the moment, Xuanyuan Guild was barely holding the line with the help of defensive fortifications, but the enemy forces far outnumbered them. With reinforcements from numerous allied armies continually flooding in, sheer numbers alone would eventually flatten this battlefield. If this went on, Xuanyuan Guild would inevitably retreat step by step, withdrawing into the city.

"Report! Yellow Emperor City is under critical threat and requesting reinforcements!" Suddenly, Yun Sihai heard a voice from an intelligence officer behind him.

"Deploy Dragon Dominates the World to lead the 8th Division as reinforcements!" Yun Sihai immediately issued the command, his brows furrowing as he sternly asked, "Why hasn’t Desire Arises from the Heart’s reinforcements arrived yet?"

The intelligence officer replied hastily, "We’ve already sent people to urge them, but no response has come back yet!"

"Report! Yunshan Territory is under critical threat and requesting reinforcements!"

"Report! The enemy at Sunset Canyon Territory is overwhelming, requesting support!"

"Report! Our brothers at Golden Road Territory can’t hold on any longer!"

One after another, urgent pleas for aid came flooding in. Every territory was under attack. But with seventy or more guilds rallying together to attack just this one guild, Xuanyuan Guild holding out for this long was already the limit!

"Why are the reinforcements still not here?!" Yun Sihai anxiously turned to stare at the direction of Xuanyuan City’s teleportation circle and sent a message to Desire Arises from the Heart. They had received a promise of reinforcements from Desire Arises from the Heart just days ago, yet despite numerous requests—even sending people personally to the City of Desire—they still hadn’t received any help!

"We’re in the middle of a meeting to discuss the matter. Don’t worry," Desire Arises from the Heart finally responded, his tone measured and leisurely.

Just as Yun Sihai was about to reply, a "boom" of extraordinary ferocity suddenly erupted from the battlefield below!

Quickly turning his head, Yun Sihai immediately spotted an enormous warhorse as large as a small mountain! It towered tens of meters high, rampaging across the battlefield, unstoppable in its charge. In the face of this massive warhorse, Xuanyuan Guild’s players were like tiny ants, many of them crushed to death underfoot!

On the gigantic warhorse’s back rode a player who was equally massive in stature. Draped in a mage robe, his cloak billowed out to obscure even the moonlight, casting a shadow like a dark cloud over the battlefield below, as though a giant from the remote ancient past had arrived.

Sitting firmly on the warhorse, he cradled a giant magic book in his hands. Though the warhorse galloped powerfully beneath him, it didn’t affect his concentration on the book. As he read, he chanted epic spells one after another, with a rhythm akin to a symphony. His booming voice echoed across the battlefield, reaching the ears of countless players, like a resounding divine comedy.

With his chanting, magic elements transformed into raindrops descending from the sky, exploding and evolving around him into elemental soldiers and elemental warhorses who charged across the battlefield. Each incantation wiped out dozens of players at once, making him seem utterly invincible!

"Super-first-class master! Dante!" Lin Yiqin, standing by, uttered a name in a heavy voice, his expression exceedingly tense upon seeing this giant.

Dante was a newly ascended super-first-class master from the American Continent, whose status was equivalent to a Gentleman from China. In the last annual gala, he had even been nominated for the Best Individual Award and was recognized as the third leading player on the American Continent.

Lin Yiqin glanced at Yun Sihai and said, "I’ll handle him. You push Desire Arises from the Heart to send reinforcements immediately! Our Heavenly Domain Guardian is stationed to guard Xuanyuan City and can’t be deployed unless absolutely necessary!"

With that, Lin Yiqin unsheathed his longsword and dashed down the mountainside, his entire body transforming into an unstoppable sharp blade. Anyone and anything in his way was sent flying as he tore through the battlefield, opening a straight path directly toward the colossal Dante!

Since Dao Feng’s retirement, Xuanyuan Guild no longer had a super-first-class master, but its foundation remained incredibly strong. Their second-tier masters far outnumbered those of other guilds. Figures like Lin Yiqin, Yun Sihai, Dong Huan, and Dragon Dominates the World were all just a step away from being super-first-class. Whether in terms of equipment, strength, or fortuitous encounters, they were not far from the standard of super-first-class players. At any moment, they could rise to that pinnacle and were considered candidates for that tier. While Lin Yiqin might not defeat Dante, he was entirely capable of sparring with him.

"Dong Huan, go to the City of Desire in person! Find out what the hell Desire Arises from the Heart is doing!" At this point, Yun Sihai couldn’t hold back and messaged Dong Huan, assigning him to directly negotiate with Desire Arises from the Heart.

Dong Huan was currently stationed at a sub-territory far away and had been fighting in frustration. Upon receiving Yun Sihai’s message, he immediately activated the mage’s long-distance teleportation skill and transported himself to the distant City of Desire.

Furious, Dong Huan stormed through the crowded streets, making his way to the City Hall of the City of Desire. He quickly found Desire Arises from the Heart, who was in the middle of a meeting with the leaders of other major guilds.

"Why haven’t you sent troops to reinforce us?" Dong Huan burst through the door of the meeting hall, stomping over to Desire Arises from the Heart, and questioned him sharply, his eyes blazing with fury.

He was young, barely a teenager, brimming with fervor and completely without restraint. Having just fought fiercely on the battlefield, he carried all that frustration into the conference room, instantly heightening the tension in the atmosphere.

"Calm down, take it slow!" Desire Arises from the Heart stood up, patted Dong Huan on the shoulder, and walked leisurely to the door, shutting it gently.

"Our brothers at every territory are on the verge of being wiped out, and you want me to keep calm?" Dong Huan seethed, glaring at Desire Arises from the Heart’s back.

"The enemy’s super-first-class masters haven’t made their full move yet! We still can’t determine whether their true target is Xuanyuan Guild or whether they might be planning to attack the City of Desire. This is the headquarters of our Desire Legion—if we lose this, our entire legion will be finished! And if we fall, it’ll spell doom for the entire Hero’s Continent! Just wait a bit longer; don’t rush." Desire Arises from the Heart spoke soothingly, his tone unhurried and relaxed.

"Whether they have some scheme is pure speculation—but what’s real is that several of our sub-territories are about to be lost!" Dong Huan’s eyes reddened, glaring at Desire Arises from the Heart.

"Losing sub-territories is trivial; we can recapture them eventually! Young man, there’s no need to panic. If we, the grown-ups, aren’t worried, why are you, a youngster, so anxious?" Desire Arises from the Heart shook his head, slowly returning to his seat, looking calm and composed.

"Desire Arises from the Heart, send reinforcements to help Dong Huan!"

"Xuanyuan Guild is the pillar guild in our legion. If they’re defeated, our legion’s strength will take a massive hit!"

"It’s obvious the enemy is focusing their forces on attacking Xuanyuan Town—there’s no way this is a feint. It’s impossible for them to spare the resources to also target the City of Desire. Desire Arises from the Heart, you’re overthinking this!"

At this point, many guild leaders present could no longer endure the stalemate and urged him to act.

Seeing the mounting pressure, Desire Arises from the Heart pondered for a while before finally nodding. He glanced at the guild leader sitting at the far end of the conference room and said, "Despair Scholar, send your guild members to help Xuanyuan Guild. The rest of you, stay here and await further orders."

"What?" Dong Huan cried out in astonishment. He turned to look at the player named Despair Scholar and exclaimed, "Despair Scholar’s guild only has 800,000 members! Sending them is a death sentence! What good will such reinforcements do?!"

Desire Arises from the Heart’s face instantly darkened, and he replied sternly, "I am the supreme commander of Chinese players. Everything I do is for the greater good of all Chinese players, considering the overall situation. I cannot play favorites! I can’t risk the entire nation for the sake of one guild. If you think my commands are inadequate, you’re free to leave our legion."

Those words struck Dong Huan like a thunderbolt. His face became ashen, and he staggered back a few steps. He stared at Desire Arises from the Heart, as if seeing him for the first time.

Dong Huan’s trembling hand pointed at Desire Arises from the Heart. His voice shook as he cried, "After Xuanyuan Guild joined the Desire Legion, we’ve followed every one of your orders. We’ve done everything in our power to fight this national war—we have a clear conscience! And yet, you promised reinforcements days ago, so why are you breaking your word now?"

"I did send reinforcements, didn’t I? Didn’t I just tell Despair Scholar to support your guild?" Desire Arises from the Heart responded with an innocent expression, as if he himself felt wronged. "Sitting where I am, I have to consider all angles—I can’t just focus on your guild alone! The enemy still has several super-first-class masters in hiding. Where are they? What are their plans? These are all factors I need to account for. What if they have an even bigger scheme in store? What if the Hero’s Continent faces an even greater crisis? We can’t afford to lose the forest for the trees!"

Dong Huan, eyes bloodshot, glared at Desire Arises from the Heart. Finally, he erupted in fury: "I get it now—you’ve been playing us this entire time! I must have been blind to ever believe you! You’re out here pretending to be all concerned about the nation, and I thought your incompetence was the problem. Turns out you don’t even have a conscience! No matter how bad or incompetent a commander is, they wouldn’t betray their allies! You’ve finally revealed your true face! Was this your plan all along, to let us fend for ourselves while you fatten up your own faction? Or are you just a goddamn traitor?!" (To be continued. If you like this series, please visit Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)