Ginkgo Avenue.

The players had been gathering here for nearly two hours, yet Xu Lang still hadn't appeared.

Forget Xu Lang, not a single player from Dorm 200 had come either.

The players waited here, like the legendary "Gazing-at-Husband Stone."

About eighty to ninety percent of the Mad King Building players were here. Those who hadn't come were either unsociable or were guarding their homes.

"Why hasn't Lang Ge arrived yet? I've put all my money into pioneering resources!"

"Lang Ge, we miss you so much."

"Boss Zheng Kai, do you have any news from Lang Ge?"

"Boss Huihui, are you sure the time is correct, and it's right now?"

"Lang Ge isn't going to stand us up, is he?"

Player after player was anxious and uneasy, but they didn't dare speak too loudly.

Some players who had newly moved in during this rest cycle stood at the outermost edge of the group, clearly separated from the other players by a distance.

They were feeling a bit lost at the moment.

Was that Xu Lang really so trustworthy, worth everyone waiting this long?

Six-Time Champion... thinking about it was indeed terrifying.

They hoped this long wait would be worth it.

Xu Lang had never promised the other players anything, only agreeing to inform everyone when he went pioneering.

Then, through word of mouth, it had turned into Xu Lang leading everyone to feast!

Cao Yaxuan and the others had also explained that this was just a rumor, but it was of little use.

As soon as the topic of pioneering together was mentioned, the entire chat room would be filled with phrases like "Success depends on man, wealth depends on heaven," "Lang Ge willing to lead us is an immense kindness," and "We can never repay Lang Ge's kindness."

So what if you're not responsible for us!

That doesn't stop us from following you!

Faker leading us to play League is already a pie falling from the sky; you still want him to play support, to be a nanny? Dream on!

For an opportunity like this, people would be willing to pay to follow!

Even those who secretly complained about Xu Lang snatching resources before had all come!

When did Xu Lang ever snatch resources? I don't know about that!

As long as he's willing to lead me to feast, he's my daddy!

When daddy takes resources, is that called snatching? Clearly, he saw everyone being persecuted by monsters, couldn't bear it, and stepped in to help!

Many players had staked their entire fortunes on this pioneering venture. Whether they could strike it rich depended on this one time.

These players had agonized for two days and nights.

In the end, they all reached the same conclusion.

— Screw it, charge in and die if we must!

...

Amidst the eager anticipation of the masses, the eleven-person group from Dorm 200 appeared on the horizon.

Grandiose, bloody sunlight poured down, casting a layer of crimson backlight around the eleven figures.

"Wahhhh!!!"

The Mad King Building players went wild, each raising their hands and jumping up and down.

"If you come in winter, return my body covered in snow-white..."

Such a BGM automatically surfaced in Zhen Lu's mind. She then shook her head, dispelling this somewhat bewitching tune.

The players' joy was so overwhelming that it left the new Mad King Building players dumbfounded.

"Watch out for mental control!"

Some cautious players quietly reminded their companions.

Some were seeing the Dorm 200 superstar group for the first time and were momentarily dazzled. They really did look like they were under some mental control.

"Xu Lang, you're finally here!"

Li Shuwen and a group of Floor Leaders went forward to meet him.

"Sorry for the wait." Xu Lang offered a polite phrase, then swept his gaze over the players. Without further delay, he said directly, "My ultimate target is the church stronghold. Don't follow too closely. There's a great serpent there, very powerful. I'm not sure I can handle it."

"Understood!" Li Shuwen's heart tightened. He nodded, then hesitated slightly before taking out a walkie-talkie and handing it to Xu Lang. "This item can communicate within the Blood Mist World. The effective range is three kilometers. If you have any major decisions, could you inform us in advance?"

Xu Lang used Nightmare Eye to examine Li Shuwen and the walkie-talkie. He raised his hand, took the walkie-talkie, and nodded. "Fine."

Then, his gaze pierced straight ahead.

The players ahead automatically parted like the Red Sea before Moses.

Next, Xu Lang would spearhead the front like the tip of an arrow. How far the entire battle line could stretch was not his concern.

Cao Yaxuan and the others would also follow behind.

Although the girls were exceptionally strong in combat, their killing speed was still far slower than Xu Lang's.

This pioneering expedition was estimated to last one hour. The longer it went on, the greater the chance of attracting a disaster—something Xu Lang was unwilling to face.

Ayiguli had mentioned the Rakshasa military camp encountering the Blood Sea Giant. Xu Lang hadn't seen it personally but knew he was no match.

In the Blood Mist World, strong creatures weren't necessarily large, but large creatures were definitely strong.

A giant as big as a mountain couldn't dominate by size alone; its mystique must also be absurdly high.

...

Xu Lang's figure moved like lightning, darting through Ginkgo Avenue.

The monsters in the Blood Mist World seemed endless. Not long after his last sweep, this area had gathered many monsters again.

Behind him lay a trail of monster corpses; he had fought his way here.

He no longer cared for the materials on those monsters, using their souls to feed Purgatory March was enough.

Currently, Purgatory March contained 3,000 units of ghosts. If the blade was damaged, they repaired it. If the blade was intact, they tempered the quality of Purgatory March, like laborers working day and night without rest.

Compared to them, the overworked cattle working twelve-hour shifts with single days off and students with self-study sessions until nine p.m. seemed lazy.

Leaping into the air, Xu Lang entered the poisonous miasma.

Now, his Constitution was extremely high, and his resistance was frighteningly strong. The effects of this poisonous miasma on him were minimal.

Before long, other players arrived one after another, creating a noisy commotion.

The simple-minded ones started looting corpses at the front section.

The bold ones chased all the way over, employing various methods to plunge into the poisonous miasma.

...

Within the Blood Mist, dotted with faint green poisonous gas, a church stood tall in this bizarre world.

A white-scaled giant serpent coiled around the church. Its snake eyes were covered by thick keratinous growths, as if about to sprout dragon horns.

Its neck held high, when a black humanoid figure approached, its head suddenly shot forward, choosing to attack proactively!

"Extreme Path: Void-Sundering Slash!"

Xu Lang stood motionless, his body slightly crouched. The black blade was swiftly drawn out a section and then sheathed again. A wave of destructive aura spilled from the scabbard, instantly spreading out for hundreds of meters!

The White-Scaled Giant Serpent froze in mid-air, its maw only a step away from Xu Lang.

The world seemed to pause along with it. Then, a thunderous, rumbling explosion erupted from all directions. Wherever the Void-Sundering Slash reached, the Blood Mist was shaken apart, creating a vacuum!

The White-Scaled Giant Serpent's body fractured inch by inch, its terrifying shriek deafening!

That sound didn't come from its mouth. Its flesh and blood were screaming, trying to coalesce again; its bones were trembling, trying to regrow!

An ordinary person seeing this would be scared to death! 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Xu Lang retreated at extreme speed, avoiding being splattered by the serpent's blood. He narrowed his eyes and casually flicked out two Ghost Qi slashes, striking the White-Scaled Giant Serpent's head.

The next second!

Instant Death triggered. The White-Scaled Giant Serpent's entire body exploded, and its soul was annihilated.

Xu Lang didn't know yet which parts of this giant serpent were valuable. With a leap, he entered the church.

Instantly, the circular formation beneath the church began gathering milky-white energy.

Once it formed a complete circle, the power of the Mad King Building would be released, incorporating this place into the Safe Zone.

However, occupying a stronghold was not easy.

The moment the church stronghold's formation was activated, Blood Mist creatures within an unknown radius all raised their heads, then turned to look in the direction of the church!

Not long after, the earth began to tremble. Blood Mist creatures charged wildly, heading toward a single target!