The Monster is Coming

Chapter 446 The Summit of Stars Tournament
The Primordial Altar.

Qi Sheng turned his gaze away from the forum.

The emergence of the power leveling service was naturally approved by him.

During this period, he also considered issues related to player progression.

Whether the launch of the power leveling mode will affect the player development system is a question he needs to assess.

After all, accumulating experience through actual combat is an important part of the player faction's growth system.

If the power leveling model becomes widespread, it could create a group of "bloated" players who have high levels but lack actual combat skills.

This will seriously affect players' performance when facing peak battlefields in the future.

Therefore, he had the guidelines assess the pros and cons.

Ultimately, it was found that the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.

The guide predicts the future trend of the power leveling model, and for the vast majority of players, power leveling is more about novelty.

Players who have truly experienced the growth of hunting and the enjoyment of combat will be obsessed with the physical feedback they receive from each successful hunt.

This means that players absorb monster energy refined from the superdimensional.

This is also the core reason why the hunting gameplay has consistently ranked first on the popularity charts.

Players who have experienced it find it difficult to tolerate relinquishing control of their bodies to others for extended periods.

Secondly, the sense of accomplishment from personally defeating monsters and enemies, and even the thrill of breaking through the line between life and death, is something that cannot be replaced by simply winning without effort.

In essence, power leveling is somewhat similar to the "cloud player" model that many players had before they had obtained player status.

The difference is that one involves watching other players' progress, while the other involves watching your own account's progress.

Therefore, after experiencing the power leveling service, most players will return to playing as themselves and will not use the power leveling service as their core growth mode.

However, for many players responsible for logistics, the power leveling mode will bring double the growth benefits.

For example, forum users mentioned players who occasionally need to spend time and effort creating guides, or meticulous players who act as think tanks on the forum.

They are a perfect fit for the boosting/leveling service.

This allows them to focus more on areas they are interested in, which in turn promotes the diversification of the player ecosystem.

He can also take a share of the profits generated by their power leveling service by taking a tax.

Secondly, the future prediction model provided by the guide also offers players a "high-level combat tutorial" perspective on the Soul Clan's power leveling gameplay.

Players who are boosted can learn a lot of practical combat skills by observing the Soul Clan's combat style, the use of Soul characteristics, and even the grasp of timing.

This is far more efficient than figuring it out on your own.

Many players have created their own Star Pulse systems, and Soul Clan members can indirectly optimize these systems for players through their performance in actual combat.

Overall assessment suggests that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

This is also why he tacitly approved the launch of the "Soul Contract" plugin.

This model is now officially in operation, and he will pay close attention to its future development.

His next plan is to organize the first guild championship for the player faction.

Large-scale events will inevitably consume players' time and energy, which will affect the overall sacrificial power tax revenue to some extent.

Therefore, he decisively abandoned the lengthy round-robin format and prepared to adopt a more brutal and efficient "single-elimination system".

In other words, there is no chance of a revival match; there are only randomly matched BO1 duels where the winner advances and the loser is eliminated.

The rules of the tournament are similar to those of the Ancient Gods Arena.

His decision to hold this event was certainly not for entertainment purposes.

The core significance lies in forcing all participating teams to confront different schools of tactics and strategies through high-intensity and random competition.

Gaining a direct understanding of the tactical characteristics of both one's own group and the opposing group lays the foundation for future "peak wars" where all contenders vie for supremacy.

Secondly, it also takes into account the need to use "honor" as a driving force to encourage players to optimize and innovate the combat system.

It's like the leaderboards in many games.

What ordinary players don't care about is the focus of competition among top players.

What he needs is an all-around player army, and the player team's composition and tactics must also keep up with the times. Any rigid tactical thinking should be eliminated.

Only those teams that constantly innovate and evolve can prevail in the end.

This is essentially a test of war, which can drive a leap in the overall combat level of the player faction.

This competition will be open to guilds, with guild teams competing for the final championship.

He prepared generous ranking rewards for this purpose.

Those best war legions deserve to be rewarded.

Having clearly defined his ideas and already prepared the event features, he released an update announcement to all players:
[Challenger's Notice (All Channels): The game is about to be updated. After this update, a special event will be launched: Summit of Stars (First Edition)]:
Summit of Stars (First Edition):

Event Introduction: As the stars flow and power whispers, the true strong will eventually hear the call of the stars.

The Summit of Stars Tournament is about to begin; it is a long stairway to godhood paved for heroes.

Here, you will clash with the world's strongest player teams and glimpse the true meaning of power in extreme battles.

Does your guild possess the sharpness to tear apart all obstacles?

Does your team have the tacit understanding to be trusted with your back?

Can your will ignite in the face of adversity and illuminate the thorny path to victory?
Ascend to the pinnacle of stars and prove with undisputed strength who is worthy of being crowned king among the heroes of the game, making the name of their warband the most dazzling star in the night sky, and etched in history.

At the pinnacle, a position awaits.

It's time to make everyone remember your names.

Competition Mechanism: Registration is by guild, with no limit on the number of participants per guild warband. There are no power balance restrictions. In the real battlefield, there is no fairness, only strength. Whether you are a massive, all-out war effort or a highly refined elite force, bring your full strength and bare your fangs on the battlefield.

The tournament format is a single-elimination BO1 format, with no room for luck and no second chances.

The winners advance, the losers retreat.

Battleground: The battlefield will take place in the newly added building "Star Arena (Independent Space)" in Emperor's Tomb Village.

The battlefield environment changes randomly, simulating complex battle situations and testing the combat group's comprehensive adaptability and real-time decision-making capabilities.

Supreme Honor and Rewards: The guild that ultimately stands at the pinnacle will have its name engraved on the monument in Emperor's Tomb Village. Players from that guild will receive the exclusive title: Lord of the Stars (which can be placed above the head with a dazzling starlight effect, visible only to players on the same side), as well as a massive amount of Sacrifice Power rewards.

All players who participate and achieve a certain number of wins will receive corresponding "tournament rewards" based on their performance.

Event slogan: It's time to test whether your blades are sharp enough, whether your will is strong enough, and to use your strength to carve your battle scars among the stars.

Registration closed. First round of competition begins in 23:59:59.

……

A notification sounded across all channels.

In the northern part of Dizhong Village, the earth groaned deeply.

Under the astonished gazes of nearby players, the ground slowly cracked open, and a colossal black pedestal burst forth, soaring into the sky with immense force.

Above the base is a circular arena constructed of dark metal and crystals.

It floats silently in the air, its surface shimmering with a mercury-like luster, and its edges are engraved with countless mysterious runes.

Around the arena, as the star rings rotated, countless dazzling stars were born, casting a cool glow that enveloped the entire arena in a dreamlike starlight.

The sudden update caused an uproar on the forum.

"It's been over three years since the server opened, and the internal tournament is finally here! It's time for our guild's name to resound throughout the player community. Our goal is to be in the top 100!"

"When a fight breaks out, I want to see rivers of blood. I've recently seen several new battle groups that are incredibly powerful, and I want to see them challenge the veteran battle groups."

"There's no doubt that the Divine Hall Guild will take first place. When it comes to war experience, which guild is stronger than the Divine Hall Guild?"

"Don't be so sure. Don't forget this is a guild-based competition. The joint battle group formed by the God King is composed of several top guilds, including the Drunken Guild, the Divine Wing Guild, and so on. These guilds are all top battle groups that have honed their skills together with the Divine Hall in the village. Especially the Drunken Guild, which has the Veteran Guild in charge. Their strength may have already surpassed that of the Divine Hall. I think the peak competition should be an internal war among these guilds."

"If there's no limit on the number of guild members, then the Divine Hall Guild doesn't have much of an advantage anymore. Recently, several joint guilds have simply merged into one guild, which has a larger number of members than the Divine Hall, but there is definitely a gap in strength. I'm really looking forward to a wave of new waves surpassing the old ones."

"The BO1 single-elimination format is quite exciting. The probability of traditional powerhouses being upset has increased significantly. New teams have many new tactics, and these veteran teams may actually fall into their traps."

"Holy crap, the 'Lord of the Stars' title effect in the update demo is so cool! I beg the God Hall guild to add me, I just want to get that title."

"The betting market has opened. Bet on Shentang, Xingchen, Fanzui, Shenyi, Buxiu... other dark horses have odds of 1:50."

"The first World War Cup has begun! I'm selling melon seeds, cola, and beer in the front row... Finally, I strongly support my strongest team: Shentang." "My lord, times have changed. No strong team can stay strong forever. It's time for us newcomers to lead an era."

……

The Imperial Tomb Mountain Range.

When the server-wide announcement rang out, the allied battle groups, who were preparing to find a place to have a friendly exchange with the bully, suddenly fell silent.

The guild leader, the God King, slowly raised his right hand, and immediately a symbol appeared in the minds of all the members of the allied battle group, and the battle group's advance stopped instantly.

A slight smile curved the corners of the God-King's lips:
"It's finally here. After three years of hard work, we are recognized as the strongest guild on the forum, but the word 'recognized' lacks the real sense of honor."

After speaking, the God-King's senses swept over the faces that had endured countless bloody battles, and his voice clearly entered the minds of each member:

"Now, the opportunity to prove our strength is before us, to etch our names at the pinnacle of players..." He paused slightly, then his tone suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable resolve:
"Tell me, brothers, bring this undisputed number one back to me, is there no problem with that?!"

"No!!!"

The thunderous response, filled with fervent fighting spirit, instantly resounded across the battlefield.

"God King, why are you inciting your own brothers in the battle channel? We heard it all. Are you so sure your Temple can get first place? Do you think our Drunken Faction is just a pushover? Are we only fit for second place?" Worsney said, somewhat speechless.

"Bullshit! My Divine Wing Guild is number one, Divine Hall is number two, and Drunken Feast is number three..." the guild leader of the Divine Wing Guild immediately retorted.

"The competition hasn't even started yet, and you guys are already making rankings, huh? There are quite a few strong new guilds now, like the Gold Coin Guild from Sunburst Land, which is very strong. Don't mess up, we'll just make it into the top three, we won't compete with you for first place."

"Haha, brothers, let's rely on our own abilities. We've all been trained by the local bully for three years. This time, we've gone from being comrades to rivals. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you perform."

Amidst laughter, the advancing coalition disbanded on the spot.

The Earthly Tyrant, who was already prepared for war, decisively waved his hand to disperse the natural disaster wall that had formed in front of the tower and retracted the surging black tide energy.

As for why the player legion suddenly disbanded and left, he didn't want to know the answer.

Stupid player, do whatever you want, it's best if you don't come.

Smack your mother!

……

The Forest Realm.

boom!
With a deafening wail, the massive rift beast collapsed like a mountain, its head slamming into the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently.

At this moment, the guild master of the Frost Whisper Temple, "Qingguang," slowly descended from the rain of blood and stood steadily on the giant beast's still twitching head.

She flicked away the scalding beast blood from her longsword, her crimson cloak fluttering in the wind. Looking down at the guild members standing solemnly below, her cool voice echoed through the guild channel, reaching the minds of every player:

"You all heard the event notification, right? Our chance to prove our abilities has arrived. Everyone says that the Divine Hall Guild is invincible in this world, but I don't believe it. Back in the Land of Sin, our Frostwhisper Guild was ranked above the Divine Hall, and it will be the same in the Monster World. They just had the advantage of being there first. Now our chance has come."

She raised her longsword high, its blade reflecting a blinding light amidst the interplay of starlight and crimson:

"This battle is not for empty fame, but to declare that the legend of Frostwhisper Guild will continue in the Monster World. We will use the defeat of our opponents to forge our dynasty in the Monster World and crush them!"

"Crush them!"

Below, countless sharp blades and staffs were raised simultaneously, their burning fighting spirit intertwining into a tangible sonic wave that soared into the sky.

Misty coastline, azure starry sea.

The leader of the Thunder Dance Guild, "Thunder Emperor," stood on a flying vehicle, with violent lightning leaping across his thick arms, followed by tens of thousands of players riding surfboards.

Listening to the clamor from different guilds in the world chat, Lei Di spat disdainfully, his voice booming in the guild chat:

"Rankings? Rankings earned through empty words? I can smash them with one punch."

His massive, hammer-like fists collided, producing a deafening sound, and then he said in a deep voice in the guild channel:

"Listen up, all of you! Get ready. Use any sacrificial power you have to strengthen and clear it out as soon as possible, convert it all into strength. See you on the arena tomorrow. We are currently the strongest guild of the Night Demon Clan, but our goal is to become the strongest guild of the player faction. Do you have the confidence?"

"Roar!"

Amidst the rough and violent shouts, the members of the Thunder Guild followed their guild leader and disintegrated on the spot, preparing to head to Emperor's Tomb Village to register for the competition.

The sea of ​​fallen stars, above the sea of ​​clouds.

Countless players with pure white wings floated in the clouds, their wings gleaming with energy in the sunlight.

Guild leader "Azure Sky" spread his enormous white wings of light, and his booming voice echoed in the guild channel:

"Brothers, since the day we, Skywing, were formed, we have only one goal: to conquer all heights and stand at the pinnacle of the player ranks. The Summit of Stars event is an opportunity to let all players remember that the strongest blade comes from the sky."

"For Tianyu!" A deafening roar, accompanied by the booming of wings, echoed through the clouds.

A halberd piercing the sand, the scorching sun over the Gobi Desert.

Hot winds whipped up sand and gravel, which pounded against the walls of the fortress built by players who relied on damage absorption, making a crackling sound.

Amidst the swirling sandstorm, tens of thousands of giant sand scorpions and rock elementals surged towards the players' battle formation, the sounds of their carapaces scraping against each other and the rumble of rolling boulders growing ever clearer in the players' ears.

The president, "Giant Rock," stood atop the wall, his imposing figure silhouetted against the blazing sun like a mountain.

He didn't say anything, but silently raised his right fist.

Immediately, the "push" command appeared in the minds of all players through the plugin.

Roar!
A series of amplifying beams shot out from behind.

The members of the Colossus Guild marched in unison and began their advance.

The moment the horde of monsters collided with the player ranks.

"Push forward, push through!"

The guild leader's roar echoed in the minds of every player.

All the players who took damage roared simultaneously.

The lead giant rock slammed a punch into the head of a Sand Fury Giant Scorpion. The energy burst forth from his body, and the moment it hit its target, his right arm instantly turned pitch black. The scorpion's carapace shattered, and its massive insect body was sent flying by the force, knocking down three or four monsters behind it.

The attack ended, and in less than a second, the Gargoyle's special ability instantly reverted, and its arm returned to its original color.

The members behind him also activated their petrification at this moment, turning into solid rocks and withstanding the monster's attack.

The Colossus Guild's combat style is full of rhythm.

Petrochemical, cancel, petrified, cancel... a cycle.

This combat mode, seemingly simple and unadorned, carries a suffocating and oppressive feeling.

Each step forward was as steady as a rock, crushing and crushing the raging monster horde bit by bit.

The battle ended quickly.

Above the yellow sand, only the monster's broken remains remained, turning into wisps of mist.

The members of the Colossus Guild were covered in sand and dust, but their formation remained solid and their eyes were resolute.

Their gazes then turned to the chairman: Giant Rock.

At this moment, Giant Rock stood in the center of the battlefield, with the melting corpse of the Sand Fury Giant Scorpion Lord beneath his feet.

He glanced around at his blood-soaked comrades and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Everyone has heard the event notification. Now, everyone return to the village and convert your stored sacrificial power into combat power. The challenges ahead are much harder than fighting in a monster horde. The opportunity to make a name for ourselves has arrived. Whether we can seize it depends on whether we have the strength to match it."

After speaking, Juyan clenched his fist and slammed it heavily into his chest.

There was no thunderous response; all the members silently gripped their weapons and pounded their chests with their fists.

The dull thud echoed across the Gobi Desert like the beating of drums, more awe-inspiring than any shout.

……

The launch of the guild war "Summit of Stars" instantly ignited the player community.

In addition to the player forums being flooded with a massive number of discussion posts, the internal channels of various guilds were also overwhelmed with intense fighting spirit.

The world chat was filled with recruitment announcements and shout-outs from various guilds, and the prices of control-type pets and enhancement materials in the trading market soared accordingly.

Even offline social media was quickly dominated by related topics.

The hashtags #Summit of Stars# and #First Guild Championship# quickly became trending topics.

In an instant, from the sky to the deep sea, from the forest to the Gobi Desert, from the monster world to real news... all the guilds in the player camp that aspired to the top were mobilized.

The village of Emperor's Tomb is about to witness an earth-shattering clash that will engulf players of all races.

　This chapter has been updated ahead of schedule.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)