Chapter 63: Domain Node

Chapter 63: Domain Node

The lottery event concluded after running for 24 hours.

For most players, the event resulted in more losses than gains, with only a rare few reaping significant rewards.

Yet no one questioned the fairness of the odds. In their minds, the game developers would never resort to profiting from such activities. If someone failed to win big, they simply blamed their own bad luck.

This was precisely why Qi Sheng had chosen the lottery system to extract Sacrificial Power from players. He understood, however, that such events couldn’t be run frequently—it was a tactic best reserved for moments of urgent need. Overuse would severely hinder player progression.

Already, he’d seen forum posts from players lamenting their inability to resist the urge to spend their hard-earned Sacrificial Power on the Lucky Spin event, regretting that they’d drained resources originally meant for developing their Stellar Veins.

After tallying his gains, Qi Sheng found the event had yielded 830,000 units of Sacrificial Power—roughly one-third of the players’ total reserves. He was certain that if the event had lasted longer, even more players would have participated, swayed by the illusion of probability. Only a small minority remained indifferent to such odds.

Back at the Primordial Altar, Qi Sheng ended the holographic transmission with Hyperdimension once confirming the collected Sacrificial Power was sufficient to fund the development of their "Armed Vehicle System."

He raised his head, his gaze settling on the Primordial Containment Wall ahead. The massive structure, a blue crystalline barrier divided into countless compartments, housed Primordial Monsters within its lowest slots—numbers 1 through 15. Each creature was tethered by a semi-transparent tube siphoning energy from their bodies.

With a thought, Qi Sheng shifted into his Imperial Omen Form. His head erupted into roaring flames, while a galaxy-like energy circuit flickered into existence around him, orbiting with 15 differently colored spheres. Each orb represented a Primordial Ability he had sealed.

Raising his right hand, he slowly unfurled his flame-wreathed palm. The 15 spheres detached from the energy circuit, swirling above his hand before injecting radiant streams of power into his body. The fusion of energies intensified the brilliance of his Imperial Omen flames.

Every time he sealed a Primordial Monster, it felt like reclaiming a lost fragment of his strength. Qi Sheng could already sense his power growing. He believed that with the players’ unwitting aid, he would eventually leave Dizhong Village, confronting the terrifying Black Tide head-on in his true Imperial Omen form.

[Boss, detected a new Domain Node.]

The Guide hovering beside him abruptly broke his concentration. Qi Sheng immediately switched to the Guide’s visual feed.

——

Fifteen minutes earlier, in the southeastern expanse of Dizhong Village’s Gray Mist Forest.

As the fog blanketing the map cleared, an exploration reward notification chimed.

The two-player squad responsible didn’t pause to celebrate. They pressed deeper into the forest, emerging from towering bone-bamboo groves into a breathtaking scene.

A tranquil paradise unfolded before them. A narrow path of crushed stones wound into the depths, flanked by glowing grass that shimmered softly. A faint mist hung in the air, carrying a faintly sweet aroma with every breath.

As they ventured further, the diversity of flora astounded them. Eventually, they halted before an ancient tree.

The Seven-Color Tree stood several meters tall, its dense foliage adorned with slender vines bearing crystalline flowers. Each petal refracted light like gemstones, exuding a delicate fragrance.

Their analytical scans revealed:

Seven-Color Tree

Grade 4 Spirit Plant

A relatively rare mid-tier Spirit Plant in Monster World. Its symbiotic vines bloom flowers that shift through seven hues with the seasons. Each color offers unique effects. During winter’s cold, its blossoms turn golden and crimson, entering their mature harvest phase. (Note: Due to Black Tide Energy corrosion, the plant’s seasonal adaptation is disrupted, resulting in perpetual multicolored blooms.)

Effects: Consuming the flowers grants body-refining experience points or can be crafted into specialized enhancement potions.

——

The duo’s breath quickened as they realized the rarity of their find. Fortune had unexpectedly smiled upon them.

"Monkey, do you think we’re about to strike it rich?" the short-haired player asked, eyes gleaming.

Monkey, hearing this, nodded enthusiastically, his earlier frustration from the lottery event dissipating.

"Let’s dig it up. We’ll check the regional channel for buyers first. If no one bites, we’ll go for the Imperial Omen offering."

After extracting the plant with their Picks and storing it, they didn’t immediately list it for sale. Instead, they ventured deeper, convinced more treasures lay ahead.

But soon, the forest turned ominous. The flora around them began displaying black speckles that grew denser the further they tread. Many plants hung lifelessly, their leaves yellowed and decayed from Black Tide corrosion.

"Monkey, could there be a Corrosion Core ahead?"

Fresh from their recent Gloomspire Caverns battle, the sight of the corruption immediately triggered their memories. Corrosion Cores were Black Tide entities born under the Evil Moon (Xie Yue), gradually infecting entire regions. The Gloomspire node crystal had been entangled in one.

"Dunno. Let’s check it out", Monkey replied.

Five minutes later, they pushed through a patch of withered glowing grass, revealing a vast, cultivated field. The land, once divided into neat squares, now hosted only withered plants. A thick, acrid stench filled the air, and at the field’s center floated a pulsating Corrosion Core, tumor-like in appearance.

Viscous, vein-like tendrils spread across the soil like a spiderweb, leeching vitality from the earth.

A Challenger Prompt flashed simultaneously:

[Challenger Prompt: Domain Node "Yun Tian" discovered.]

As the prompt rang, the fog over Gray Mist Forest’s central region dissipated, marking the Corrosion Core’s location with a black tumor icon on the map.

Two players fixed their gaze on the spiritual farmland ahead, their minds flashing with detailed information:

[Yuntian]

Territory Type: Resource

Territory Trait: Accelerated Growth

Trait Description: Significantly boosts the maturation rate of spirit plants within the node’s coverage area. Level 1 spirit plants can mature in 3-5 days.

Domain Status: Corrosion Core Entanglement

...

Their initial suspicions about the environment changes indicating a possible Corrosion Core presence had proven correct.

Yet they hadn’t expected their guess to be right.

Here, hidden in plain sight, lay an uncontained Domain Node.

“Monkey, if we shatter that Corrosion Core, we’ll get the purification reward all to ourselves. We’re about to get rich!” One player exclaimed excitedly.

“Don’t be reckless. There’s definitely danger near the Core. Don’t throw your life away,” Monkey replied cautiously.

“There’s no Cursed Soldier here. Fortune favors the bold, not the timid. You’re too chicken to play properly,” the first player shot back, striding determinedly toward the farmland.

Monkey sighed but followed.

While he doubted the Core could be destroyed so easily, he chose to trust his comrade.

They advanced slowly, nearing the Corrosion Core.

At less than a hundred meters away, the lead player whispered through voice chat:

“Monkey, shift to monster form.”

The two players transformed simultaneously, their bodies twisting into Gargoyle Form and Bonefire Form.

The leader’s hands ignited with inky black flames, channeling Mental Energy to conjure a meter-wide fireball.

But he held his strike:

“You tank first. I’ll follow up with damage.”

Monkey obeyed, sprinting toward the Core as the leader launched his fireball.

This simple tactic—tank and spank—had served them well in previous hunts.

But as the black fireball neared impact, the Core’s blackened flesh suddenly recoiled, erupting with thick clouds of Obsidian Mists that formed a defensive barrier.

The fireball struck, sending the mists into violent turbulence—but the shield held.

Then a massive tendril erupted from the Core, lashing out to strike the charging player, sending him flying sideways in a burst of pain.

The dormant Corrosion Core had awakened.

The scene shifted dramatically.

The once-silent earth cracked open like a gateway to hell itself. Countless blackened, corrupted plants surged upward like ravenous demons, their sinewy stems twisting like serpents, leaves as dark as ink, dripping with viscous corruption. They writhed in a nightmarish dance, entwining into dense, suffocating networks that devoured the area’s scarce light.

The air thickened with a nauseating stench of decay, accompanied by the eerie rustling of rapid growth—a chorus of demonic whispers.

The two players, stunned by the apocalyptic spectacle, found themselves ensnared before they could flee, the plants’ crushing grip dragging them into suffocating darkness.

...

Primordial Altar

Qi Sheng wasn’t surprised when the two players perished.

Every Corrosion Core possessed fierce territorial instincts, attacking any life outside the Black Tide system.

With their limited strength, these two had no hope of purifying this node.

Still, the discovery of the Domain Node prompted Qi Sheng to issue a new purification task to all players.

He adjusted the reward based on the farmland’s unique trait.

Unlike Gloomspire Caverns, Yuntian’s resource node required cultivating spirit plants. If left unregulated, unrestricted access would spark endless disputes over land rights and crop ownership.

Thus, Qi Sheng set the reward as land usage rights, announcing:

[Challenger Prompt (Global Channel): Domain Node “Yuntian” discovered. Seizing this node grants lucrative rewards.]

Objective: Capture Yuntian Domain Node

Reward: Farmland usage rights

Details: Rewards will be distributed based on Contribution rankings. The top 1000 players will receive individual plots for growing spirit plants (seeds available in the Shop Function Panel).

Yuntian Trait: Dramatically accelerates spirit plant growth.

Duration: Infinite (until node is seized)

...

The announcement sparked immediate player frenzy.

Forums and regional voice channels exploded with chatter:

“Yup, only the top 1000 Contribution players get rewards? Guess I’m out—weakling tier here (Wealth God Enraged.jpg).”

“Early-game players know better than to waste Sacrificial Power. Time to grind hard—this is the payoff!”

“Holy crap, owning a plot means passive spirit plant farming! Simulation gamers unite! College student here claiming mine!”

“Dream on, newbie. Without power, you’re not even worth a shrub (Mirage Butterfly side-eye.jpg).”

“Pass. I’ve only played a few days. Can’t even beat Bloodfiends yet. Gonna grind and find a strong guild.”

...

The player base split sharply—power gamers salivated over the long-term gains, while weaker players resigned themselves to spectator status.

Major guilds mobilized for the new “Gray Forest” zone, only to freeze upon witnessing Yuntian’s corrupted plants—monsters ranging from levels 30-45.

Psi-Blast Charges proved ineffective against their rapid regeneration. Without overwhelming force, victory remained impossible.

Most guilds withdrew—temporarily.

But Yuntian’s potential reward ignited a fierce drive among the strong to grow stronger.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end