Chapter 43: King’s Domain
The two men walked away, one following the other. Watching their backs, Lin Huai frowned. Her instincts told her that something was not quite right about these three people.
Especially Chen Feng. When her greatsword was falling toward him, he had not looked up at the blade. Instead, he had turned his head to look behind her, his eyes filled with eager anticipation.
Thinking about it now, he had definitely been watching for Master Cloud Cliff at that moment. He had seemed completely certain that Master Cloud Cliff would step in to save him.
Could these people have crossed paths because of some special opportunity during the Newbie Protection Period? she wondered.
Lin Huai did not ask, nor did she try to stop them. She remained where she was, watching Master Cloud Cliff walk straight into Arena No. 2.
The gloomy, hunched man entered Arena No. 3.
Right after they entered, bright visual effects suddenly burst across the main leaderboard screen in the central plaza. An intricate golden formation slowly unfurled, bathing the open ground in a brilliant, warm glow.
[The King’s Domain of the Mount Duoshu Trial Grounds has been activated. Players may now challenge the King. If the challenger wins, they will receive 100 arena points along with exclusive King’s Challenge rewards. If the challenger loses, they will receive 10 points, and all challenge rewards will be canceled.]
[Attention all players: The King’s Domain has been established in Arena No. 2. King: Master Cloud Cliff.]
[Attention all players: The King’s Domain has been established in Arena No. 3. King: Old Demon of Xiangxi.]
The flashing effects and global voice announcements echoed three times across the trial grounds. Surprised murmurs broke out as everyone turned their eyes toward Arenas No. 2 and No. 3.
There were thirty separate dueling arenas beneath the giant peach tree, all sealed off by dark blue light barriers that kept each ring isolated.
Now, because two top-tier powerhouses were defending them, the King’s Domain had activated in both chambers. The translucent blue walls turned into shimmering, radiant gold, clearly setting them apart from the ordinary arenas.
Chen Feng slowly pushed himself up from the ground. His hands were still nervously touching his neck, as if repeatedly checking to make sure his head was still attached to his shoulders.
He stopped about half a meter behind Lin Huai, keeping a guarded stance. The lingering fear in his eyes had not faded; he seemed terrified that she might suddenly turn around and strike him down again. His voice came out raspy and strained. “Top players wouldn’t be foolish enough to brawl against each other right now. That’s why it’s an unwritten rule among the server’s elite to defend platforms instead, avoiding early clashes that would drain everyone’s strength.”
He paused, clearing his throat. “It started as a rule made by the players themselves, but the system’s King’s Domain proves the game developers actively support it.”
“Even though nobody truly dies inside the arena, the agony and despair of dying are completely real. I took your life once in the past, and you just took mine here. We’re even now.”
As he spoke, he took a few cautious steps backward, his tone softening to sound reasonable. “Lin Huai, if you give me the coffin, I will tell you everything. In our past life, you survived for more than nine months, but you never became rank one. The secrets accessible to the top player are far beyond anything ordinary survivors could ever imagine.”
“If I share everything I know with you, I can help you survive for a very long time. Giving up the coffin won’t mean your death.”
Lin Huai let out a cold sneer. She did not even spare him a backward glance as she turned and strode toward Arena No. 1. “You had better pray you aren’t matched into my domain later. If you are, I’ll kill you all over again.”
Her voice dropped, sharp and chilling. “Next time, I promise your death will be far more agonizing.”
Genuinely terrified that she might drag him back into a ring to butcher him once more, Chen Feng chose to leave the dungeon immediately. He pulled up his menu to log out and exit the trial grounds.
After all, enduring the horrific sensation of decapitation once was more than enough.
The second Lin Huai stepped through the barrier into Arena No. 1, the system chime rang out across the entire plaza:
[Attention all players: The King’s Domain has been established in Arena No. 1. King: Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice.]
[Attention all players: The King’s Domain has been established in Arena No. 1. King: Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice.]
[Attention all players: The King’s Domain has been established in Arena No. 1. King: Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice.]
The announcement echoed three times, giving full honor to the server’s top-ranked player. Instantly, the crowd gathered beneath the peach tree broke into excited chatter.
“Damn! So that woman swinging the giant greatsword earlier is the server’s number one?!”
“The server champion is a woman?”
“She’s a woman? Should we take a gamble and go challenge her?”
“Are you crazy? I’m on an eight-game win streak right now! I need to secure my ten-streak reward and get out before the other monsters set up their domains.”
“Yeah, if you lose a challenge, your win streak bonuses go straight to the expert. I’ve got five wins in a row—I’m not risking that.”
“Cowards, all of you. If none of you have the guts, I’ll go! Let me test the waters against this female expert.”
Listening to the chatter around him, Chen Feng stood inside the glowing exit teleportation circle and cast a dark, lingering glance back toward Arena No. 1.
Hearing the system repeatedly broadcast the title “King: Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice,” he clenched his fists tightly. A bitter, jealous thought consumed his mind: Lin Huai had only reached the top spot because she possessed that extraordinary green jade coffin.
If he could just get his hands on that coffin again, he was certain he could reclaim his place at the very peak!
That coffin… I will take it back, no matter what!
The teleportation array flared with bright light. In a flash of white, Chen Feng vanished from the trial grounds.
Inside Arena No. 1, a system prompt popped up before Lin Huai the moment she stepped inside:
[Player Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice, do you wish to activate the King’s Domain, assume the role of King, and defend this throne?]
Lin Huai selected “Yes” without hesitation.
Immediately, a luxurious, cushioned throne appeared at the far end of the room, clearly prepared for the chamber’s reigning King.
Lin Huai walked over, sat down comfortably, and began reviewing the rules regarding platform defenders.
From start to finish, the Mount Duoshu Trial Grounds remained open for ten hours. During this window, a King could maintain their domain and accept incoming challenges from other players.
If a challenger managed to defeat a King, they would earn a massive bounty of materials and points, easily propelling their server ranking upward by dozens of places.
If the challenger lost, they would still receive a consolation prize of ten points without facing any harsh material penalties. For them, the only real downside was enduring the painful sensation of death.
Because the potential rewards far outweighed the risks, there would surely be a steady stream of ambitious players eager to test their luck.
For the King, however, there was no room for error. They had to win every single match.
Standard players had to complete at least ten matches to finish their trial quota, but a King could fight at most ten matches. That meant they could only accept ten challenges in total.
Each time the King won, besides gaining standard trial points and loot drops, they were awarded exclusive “King Points.” These points were kept private; only the King could see their own score.
If a King lost a match, a massive chunk of points would be deducted immediately. They would lose their King status and their domain on the spot, unable to reopen it until the trial grounds opened again next month—and only if they reclaimed the number-one spot beforehand.
Furthermore, once the server merges reached a certain stage, the “Kings Hegemony Tournament” would officially begin. At that point, the top ten Kings on the secret point leaderboard would be pulled into a grand tournament.
The Kings Hegemony Tournament would be broadcast live across the entire server, allowing every survivor to watch the duels unfold in real time. Remembering the scale of the tournament she had witnessed in her past life, Lin Huai couldn’t help but click her tongue. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. That thing is an absolute slaughterhouse.”
She was still browsing through the rules and perks when an alert chimed through the chamber:
[Player ‘Young Master Is Jungler’ has entered the King’s Domain. King, please prepare to accept the challenge.]
Lin Huai dismissed the screen and looked up. A short distance away, a teenager dressed in flashy, brightly colored gear was being materialized onto the floor.
He looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. Tilting his chin up arrogantly, he stared down at Lin Huai, who was still lounging comfortably on the throne. His voice was bright and crisp: “Hey, woman! Are you really the server’s number one, Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice?”
As Lin Huai stood up, the cushioned throne behind her dissolved into faint light. She drew her war scythe from her inventory, its dark-purple energy humming softly in her grip. Looking at the cocky youth standing before her, she frowned slightly. “Kid, how old are you? Are you even an adult?”
Even in a brutal survival game like this, Lin Huai held firmly to her own moral lines: she would never slaughter innocent bystanders, and she refused to kill children.
