Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 183
The desolate land, the cold air, and the nauseating stench.
The moment Ye Tian Xie came into contact with the surrounding atmosphere, he almost wanted to turn and flee.
When his vision cleared, he saw as expected—a dense crowd of people. His heart filled with a torrent of admiration:
“In such an environment, with such a smell… these people have been standing here for an entire day just to fight for entry into the Wasteland of Ten Thousand Bones! Incredible!”
As Ye Tian Xie looked at them, his presence instantly attracted the attention of those around him. The casual glances of many turned serious when they noticed his outfit. Their expressions changed dramatically, and a ripple of commotion quickly spread from where he stood. More and more eyes focused on him.
Ye Tian Xie’s gaze quickly shifted to the massive gorge in the north, where a giant rift was marked by four large, dark-red characters: Wasteland of Ten Thousand Bones. At the gorge’s entrance stood a gray magic formation, barring everyone from proceeding further. The crowd pressed closely around the magic formation, waiting for the moment it disappeared so they could be the first to rush inside.
Today, there was only one final chance to enter. As long as one member of a team entered, the entire team would be transported inside. However, only one team could pass through per opening.
This was why every player was so desperate. Yesterday, when the attributes of the 『Badge of Honor of the Mercenary King』 obtained by Xie Tian during the Mercenary System task were revealed, their fervor was ignited like wildfire, fueled by greed.
As Master Pimp had mentioned, more than 300 teams were still waiting at the entrance to the Wasteland of Ten Thousand Bones, unwilling to leave. Beyond the chaotic crowd at the forefront fighting for access, each team stood together in smaller clusters. Ye Tian Xie made no effort to conceal his identity, and after yesterday’s video, few in the world didn’t recognize him.
Gradually, more eyes locked onto him, each gaze filled with varied emotions: surprise, fear, curiosity, vigilance, hostility…
His arrival brought an eerie calm over the previously noisy crowd.
Ye Tian Xie paid no attention to their stares; he had long grown used to such scrutiny. Glancing ahead, he suddenly summoned Destiny’s Hour into his hand. Dragging the weapon with him, he walked toward the magic formation blocking the entrance to the Wasteland of Ten Thousand Bones.
Perhaps it was his presence, or perhaps it was the intimidating aura of Destiny’s Hour in his hands, but as Ye Tian Xie approached, the players near him instinctively stepped back, maintaining a cautious distance.
“You’re here for this mission?”
A man stood in his path, his sharp eyes like an eagle’s—Yi Jian Ling Yun. He frowned at Ye Tian Xie, his tone brief and direct.
Ye Tian Xie’s arrival made everyone uneasy. After all, yesterday, he had single-handedly completed the Mercenary System task 《The Mercenary King’s Relic》. With his strength, there was a high chance he could complete the faction system task here in the Wasteland of Ten Thousand Bones. If he succeeded, the rewards, reputation, and honor would have nothing to do with the others.
This was something many here could not tolerate. The thought of a Huaxia team completing a system mission, and having their names displayed prominently on the globally visible Battle Zone Honor Rankings, was a nightmare for the opposing alliances. Such an achievement would be the ultimate advertisement for any faction, and no one wanted to let that opportunity slip away.
“Yes,” Ye Tian Xie replied simply, stopping in place as he looked at the young man with interest. He appeared no older than eighteen or nineteen, but his resolute features and sharp gaze were far beyond his years.
Yi Jian Ling Yun stared at him for three seconds before turning silently. He barked, “Let’s go!”
With that, he cast a final, knife-sharp glance at Ye Tian Xie, pulled out a teleportation scroll, and vanished from sight. The eleven people standing beside him also took out their scrolls without hesitation, returning to their city one after another. Their unwavering composure and fluid movements revealed their exceptional discipline and training.
Yi Jian Ling Yun’s decisive withdrawal left many people silent. Ye Tian Xiesmiled faintly and walked toward the magic formation. Ahead of him, a dense crowd of players jostled and refused to yield, blocking his path. In a voice that was neither loud nor soft, but clear enough for everyone to hear, he declared:
“You can all leave now. This mission—I’ll handle it.”
This simple statement plunged the land, which housed thousands of players, into a dead silence. Countless faces immediately changed.
Who in Huaxia, or even the world, could utter such words with this calm demeanor, this posture, and this tone?
Such arrogance, such self-confidence—it was as if the thousands of elites present were nothing in his eyes. However, if there were anyone in Huaxia with the qualifications to be this audacious, it could only be Xie Tian.
Ye Tian Xie rarely interacted with others and had no interest in building rapport. As a result, he had no concern for offending anyone. His short, almost commanding remark had undoubtedly offended everyone present. Yet, after a brief silence, no one left, nor did anyone speak.
If Ye Tian Xie hadn’t said those words, anyone leaving quietly like Yi Jian Ling Yun might have saved face and even inadvertently done him a small favor. But after his statement, any team that left would be perceived as weak, afraid, or intimidated—an act deserving only of scorn. However, given Ye Tian Xie’s formidable strength and reputation, no one dared to provoke him unnecessarily. So, they all waited—for someone to make the first move.
They didn’t have to wait long.
“Xie Tian, you’re too arrogant!”
Not far to his right, a man dressed as an assassin, about thirty years old, frowned at him. A faint, mocking smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“That’s because I have the right to be arrogant. You, on the other hand, don’t. That’s why you can only hide there and wait, lacking both the qualifications and courage to say what I just said,” Ye Tian Xie responded, his cold smile matching the man’s. His gaze quickly shifted to the back of the man’s group, where the partially hidden figure of Lei Bao revealed the team’s identity. As for the man speaking, his name stood out clearly: Lei Ting.
Lei Ting, the eldest of the three Lei brothers, was the leader of Battle Soul Hall, a renowned guild in the virtual gaming world.
Anyone familiar with the virtual gaming community would recognize the name Battle Soul Hall. Ye Tian Xie wasn’t unfamiliar with them either. In a previous game, Qingtian, he had once stumbled upon a territory dispute between the Red Leaf Alliance and Battle Soul Hall. At the time, Red Leaf Alliance, as the defending side, was on the verge of defeat. Out of boredom, Ye Tian Xie intervened, charging in with his shield. With his sword and shield, combined with his terrifying agility, he scattered Battle Soul Hall’s team, enabling Red Leaf Alliance to counterattack and drive them off.
At that time, he had been known as Tian Mo Xie. Afterward, Battle Soul Hall had never sought trouble with him again. Lei Ting, unlike the reckless second son Lei Bao, was a sharp and strategic leader. He knew whom to provoke and whom to avoid.
Yet today, in front of such a crowd, Lei Ting willingly stepped forward. The reason was simple—yesterday, Ye Tian Xie had uttered a statement:
“… I don’t mind wiping out the entire Battle Soul Hall!”
It was a bold and imposing claim. But when such words reached Lei Ting’s ears—or any guild leader’s ears—rage was inevitable. The video of Ye Tian Xie wiping out more than thirty of their members had already spread worldwide, including his statement. Those three words, Battle Soul Hall, had been heard clearly by everyone.
If they didn’t retaliate, their massive guild would become nothing more than a stepping stone to Ye Tian Xie’s fame.
The most direct way to restore their dignity was to kill Xie Tian—preferably by knocking him from the top of the leaderboard all the way back to level zero!
Today, Battle Soul Hall had only brought twelve members to this location, all of them elite among elites, aiming to complete this highly coveted system mission. Twelve people… Yet, compared to Ye Tian Xie, who had effortlessly annihilated more than thirty members yesterday, Lei Ting knew their odds of victory were slim. Ye Tian Xie’s attack power and agility were so monstrous that they defied the limits of what ordinary players could achieve at this stage. Lei Ting couldn’t deny it.
But with Xie Tian making such an audacious declaration today, Lei Ting had no choice but to step forward.
In the face of Ye Tian Xie’s direct and cutting words, Lei Ting didn’t appear angered. Instead, he responded with a faint, cold smile:
“Indeed, I don’t have the courage to say what you just said. It’s well-known that Xie Tian possesses exceptional abilities and immense strength. Seeing you today, I realize that your arrogance surpasses even your strength by tenfold. You’ve merely obtained a slightly better class and equipment than us through some dishonorable means, yet you’ve grown so conceited that you’ve forgotten the virtue of humility, a value our Huaxia nation has upheld for thousands of years. Don’t you feel ashamed?”
What a sharp tongue… Everyone present couldn’t help but secretly marvel. They then turned to observe Ye Tian Xie’s reaction with cold, expectant eyes.
In truth, many among the crowd shared Lei Ting’s sentiments. Ye Tian Xie’s arrogance was indeed excessive. His dismissive tone and complete disregard for the thousands of players here had, without a doubt, ignited a fire of anger in everyone’s hearts. All people have their pride, and the pride of strong players is greater than that of ordinary people. Anyone would feel insulted by such a condescending remark. Even ancient emperors, standing high above the masses, understood the importance of treating talented individuals with respect to win their loyalty. Yet, Xie Tian displayed none of that—no humility, no courtesy.
Different life experiences shape different perspectives and ways of interacting with the world. Ye Tian Xie had fought his way through life, struggling to survive and often seeing the cold and ugly sides of humanity. Betrayed by many in the past, he had sworn never to let anyone wrong him again once his life finally stabilized.
Thus, while he did not intend to appear arrogant, he had no inclination to show humility or subservience to anyone. When he chose to do something, he never cared how it would affect others. He acted for himself, following his own desires.
Because of this, his behavior had become, in the eyes of others, sheer arrogance and conceit—an utter disregard for everyone else.