Chapter 529 - 354: Battle Banner
Seeing the players looking to team up, Wang Yi felt like he was at a new game launch, packed with people!
’Sure enough, even after becoming a Starry Sky God and ascending, I’m still just a Player.’
Wang Yi mused to himself. He, of course, no longer needed a team. Following Mingyu Divine Lord and Emperor Tathagata, he quickly passed through a mountain passageway and onto the main path up the mountain.
"Ding! You have entered the Hundred Battle Mountain Secret Realm. Within this realm, levels and classes are ignored. You must win one hundred consecutive battles to leave. If you fail to achieve this winning streak, you will be trapped on the mountain."
"Ding! There are two types of battles on Hundred Battle Mountain: Challenge Trials and Encounter Battles. Completing Challenge Trials grants bountiful system rewards, while Encounter Battles are typically triggered between Players. Please explore on your own for more details."
Wang Yi heard the system prompts and turned to look behind him. Just as he’d expected, a rippling barrier had appeared. He could see the scenery outside through it, but he couldn’t hear any sound. He figured the barrier must also block anyone from passing through.
Ahead of him, countless Players were walking along the mountain path. They were so loud and rowdy, they might as well have been tourists at a scenic destination!
"This area is still considered Windless Cliff," Emperor Tathagata said. "If we press on a little further, we’ll be able to start our first battle. It won’t be any trouble for us. Let’s meet up at the relay station afterward."
"Alright!" Mingyu Divine Lord simply strode forward.
Unlike the other two, it was Wang Yi’s first time on Hundred Battle Mountain, and he was quite curious. He looked all around, observing the other Players and taking in the scenery.
After passing through a narrow, three-hundred-meter-long corridor of stone steps, Wang Yi arrived in a plaza.
The plaza was vast and bustling with Players. At the far end stood a mountain gate, and in the center were several tall banners.
"This is the site of the first battle. Battle Banners spawn randomly in the plaza, and selecting one will initiate the fight. Be aware that the Battle Banners have different quality tiers: White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, Red, Five-Colored, and Seven-Colored. The higher the quality, the greater the difficulty. Some banners even have a star marking, which indicates an added star of difficulty!"
Emperor Tathagata explained all this to Wang Yi like a tour guide, then pointed to a stone monument. "You can read the tablet for the specific rules. In short, know your limits!"
"Many thanks!"
Wang Yi cupped his fists in gratitude.
He had already noticed the different colored Battle Banners in the plaza—there were red, Five-Colored, Seven-Colored, and so on. High-grade banners were the most numerous. Meanwhile, droves of Players seemed to be waiting for new banners to spawn. The moment a low-grade banner appeared, it would be snatched up in a mad scramble, drawing a huge crowd.
In contrast, the average Player wouldn’t dare touch the high-grade Battle Banners.
Mingyu Divine Lord and Emperor Tathagata went off to choose their own Battle Banners. With their immense strength, the two walked into the center of the plaza, and each of them selected a Seven-Colored Battle Banner. Their bodies then transformed into beams of light and flew into the banners, presumably entering a Battle Realm.
"Did I just see things? Someone picked a Seven-Colored Battle Banner?"
"I saw it too!"
"It was two people! Each of them picked a Seven-Colored Battle Banner!"
"Looks like some big shots have shown up!"
"A Seven-Colored Battle Banner is no joke. You’d have a hard time clearing it without being level 400 or higher!"
"I haven’t seen anyone choose a Seven-Colored Battle Banner in ages. If those two big shots actually win, I have to find a way to get acquainted with them!"
"They might just be reckless fools. It’ll be hilarious if their banners are still standing after this!"
The actions of Mingyu Divine Lord and Emperor Tathagata attracted the attention of many Players, who began to murmur amongst themselves.
Wang Yi wasn’t in a hurry to start his first battle. He walked over to the stone monument Emperor Tathagata had mentioned.
The monument was inscribed with the rules for the first battle on Windless Cliff. Players had to complete a single preliminary battle here before they could pass through the mountain gate and continue their ascent.
Furthermore, different Battle Banners offered different challenges and rewards.
Additionally, only the very first battle was recorded. Challenging multiple times on Windless Cliff would not contribute to one’s winning streak, nor would it yield any extra rewards.
"A big shot! You’re level 450!"
"Holy shit, a true big shot!"
"Sir, would you mind carrying me?"
"Level 450! Sir, did you descend from the Fifth Dimension or something?"
"Sir, I’ve been trapped here for twelve years! Please, have a heart and carry me!"
"I’ve been stuck here for seven years! I wandered into Hundred Battle Mountain by mistake, and now I can’t get out!"
A few Players near the monument saw Wang Yi’s forged identity information. One after another, they came forward to suck up to him, hoping to form a team.
Wang Yi felt a crowd gathering around him. So many people were trying to strike up a conversation that it became difficult for him to move.
"Make way, please make way. Are you blocking my path because you want me to flip out...?"
Wang Yi squeezed his way out of the crowd and headed straight for a Seven-Colored Battle Banner.
[Seven-Colored Battle Banner: Touch this banner to challenge the Ace Sect Leader. Victory will reward you with one Hundred Battle Treasure Chest and one random item drop. Failure will result in your battle record being wiped, a penalty of losing one level, and the random loss of one equipped item.]
Wang Yi read the description on the Seven-Colored Battle Banner.
There were still about four or five Seven-Colored Battle Banners in the plaza, each with a different challenge. Wang Yi had no intention of being picky. He reached out, touched the nearest banner, and his body instantly dissolved into light and disappeared.
The next moment, Wang Yi found himself inside a Battle Realm.
He surveyed his surroundings. It felt like he’d been transported to an ice cavern. The ground was solid ice, and directly ahead was a high throne of ice crystals. A tall man in a white robe was seated upon it.
The man held a golden, crescent-shaped Magic Staff. He wore a tall hat and a silver robe. His features were handsome, making him look like a young man in his twenties, and he had a slightly scholarly air about him. This was the Ace Sect Leader.