Ember Dragon Chapter 484: Guild Tournament

Chapter 484: Guild Tournant

Compared to the individual matches, the major guilds and clubs were far more focused on the guild tournant.

Unlike the individual matches, which were more about honor, the guild battles had much more tangible rewards.

The victorious guild would not only earn the prestigious title of [Champion Guild] but also gain priority access to special missions—and even receive direct imperial benefits.

Due to the participation requirents, smaller guilds didn’t even qualify for the competition.

As a result, the guild tournant had been brutal from the preliminaries onward, with only ten teams advancing to the final showdown.

Among all the participants, the most eye-catching contenders were undoubtedly the powerhouse guilds—Royal Authority, chanist Cult, Magic Coin, and Sword Pavilion.

Players on the forums referred to them collectively as the "Four Great Guilds."

The first three had already been established during the closed beta, each backed by real-world financial and organizational power.

anwhile, Sword Pavilion had risen to prominence after the open beta, attracting a massive following of Chinese players with its distinct "Wuxia style," making a significant impact during the Northern Wars.

Its guild leader, [Tian Xingjian], had even been knighted as an earl due to his battlefield exploits.

Any guild unfortunate enough to face these giants was bound to suffer.

By this point in the tournant, the Four Great Guilds maintained a flawless 100% win rate, crushing every opponent in their path.

The earlier a guild was established, the more advantages it had in resource acquisition, securing a lead in the competition—an undeniable reality. However, dark horse guilds still erged in the tournant.

One such example was [Roman Era], a newly ford guild led by the player [Augustus]. Boasting a thousand mbers, the guild consisted almost entirely of hardcore Roman history enthusiasts.

Initially, they had nad their guild "Roman Empire," but after an official warning from the in-ga empire, they had to change it to its current na.

The ongoing guild battle featured [Roman Era] as the red team.

The comntator’s voice rang out:

"On the red team, we have the well-known guild—Roman Era! As you can see, they have perfectly recreated the image of a Roman legion..."

On the battlefield, [Roman Era] players donned steel helts adorned with red horsehair crests, red or white tunics, and segnted chest armor.

They wielded short swords, spears, and rectangular shields emblazoned with eagle insignias, while their feet were clad in military sandals.

A golden laurel-wreathed eagle banner fluttered over the battlefield.

"Long live Ro! Long live Caesar!"

"Liberty, Equality, Law! Glory to Ro!"

At the forefront of the formation, [Augustus], acting as centurion, raised the eagle standard and shouted his battle cry.

Behind him, the legionnaires held their shields in tight formation, gripping heavy javelins, short swords, and spears, standing in disciplined three-line ranks.

They had flawlessly replicated the Roman phalanx, applying it to real combat—perhaps the highest level of cosplay.

After introducing [Roman Era], the comntator moved on to the opposing team:

"And on the blue team, we have Shu Mountain Immortal Sect! Their motto: ’A hall filled with flowers, three thousand guests; a single sword of frost, spanning fourteen states.’

"They are equally determined to seize victory."

Just from the na, it was clear what kind of guild [Shu Mountain Immortal Sect] was.

Much like [Roman Era], it was a cosplay-focused guild emphasizing an Eastern cultivation the.

It was another dark horse that had risen after the open beta.

However, an interesting twist was that since "Erezaghe" didn’t have a cultivation class, most of its mbers were sorcerers or mages.

They used spells like Tansen Floating Disc, Greater Magic Weapon, and Light Magic on their "immortal swords" to simulate the appearance of cultivators.

Their guild leader, [Taiqing Zhenren], stood in his white daoist robes and flowing white hair, smirking at the Roman phalanx. He pinched his fingers together and sneered, "Hmph, re western barbarians, not worth fearing."

"We shall vanquish them with our immortal swords!"

"Guild Leader is mighty!"

"What guild leader? Taiqing Zhenren is our sect master! Say it properly—Sect Master is mighty!"

"Sect Master is mighty!"

"Shu Mountain Immortal Sect will surely claim victory and seize the championship!"

"A hall filled with flowers, three thousand guests; a single sword of frost, spanning fourteen states!"

[Shu Mountain Immortal Sect] mbers stood atop their "flying swords," hovering in midair, gazing down at the Roman phalanx below.

[Roman Era] players were equally defiant, gripping their shields and spears, glaring up at their airborne foes with intense battle spirit.

Tension filled the air, though this "sword immortal vs. Roman legion" matchup looked utterly bizarre.

It felt like a crossover episode of "Guan Yu vs. Aliens."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"Begin!"

At the referee’s call, the battle comnced.

"For Ro!"

"Pierce these glass cannons!"

[Roman Era]’s front ranks surged forward, shields raised, launching volleys of heavy javelins.

[Shu Mountain Immortal Sect] players swiftly cast defensive spells, summoning shimring barriers of spiritual energy to intercept the barrage.

No, not spells—according to their terminology, it was "Daoist magic."

"Petty tricks!"

[Taiqing Zhenren] scoffed, dramatically chanting incantations as he cast Tansen Floating Disc, Haste, and Greater Magic Weapon.

No, in their terms, it was "Sword Control Technique."

Gleaming swords shot forth from the sky, transforming into streaks of light that slashed toward the Roman players.

"Shing—"

Shields were cleaved apart, and heads rolled.

"Shing! Shing! Shing!"

Swords danced through the air, weaving a deadly web that reaped nurous Roman players.

But the second and third ranks retaliated with javelins, striking several unseasoned "sword immortals."

Those struck fell from the sky, only to be executed by Roman short sword infantry.

The fierce battle raged on.

However, [Shu Mountain Immortal Sect] was ultimately not a true cultivator sect—they were just cosplaying sorcerers and mages.

Many couldn’t maintain their floating spells for long and tumbled from the sky.

anwhile, [Roman Era] executed a disciplined rotation strategy, alternating charges and retreats to maintain montum.

With a steady battle rhythm, they began overwhelming their opponents.

One by one, the "sword immortals" fell, and [Shu Mountain Immortal Sect] crumbled.

"The heavens forsake us—not our fault!"

As [Taiqing Zhenren] let out a final wail, the Roman victory cry rang out.

"The winner is—[Roman Era]!"

"Long live Ro!"

"Glory to Ro!"

"Ohhhhhhh!"

In the stands, Mantou watched the fierce battle below and couldn’t help but sigh, "Weird, this is seriously weird!"

"These two guilds have the strangest styles. Watching them fight gives the feeling that I’ve stepped into so kind of hybrid monster ga."

Born Battle Maniac, just returning from the contestant area, wiped his bald head and chuckled, "This is "Erezaghe", the ga with the highest degree of freedom. Nothing these guys do should be surprising."

"True."

Mantou nodded in agreent.

These madn even managed to create a loli fire dwarf—what couldn’t they do?

But the ones most devoted to their craft had to be the chanist Cult. They took cosplay to a spiritual level, truly embodying the doctrine of "Pursuit of Omniscience."

Even their guild leader [Iron Frenzy] had no idea how deep the internal guild tech tree had grown.

Rumors circulated that blueprints for tanks, fighter jets, and even intercontinental missiles had been spotted in their armory. It was beyond absurd.

Thinking of this, Mantou curiously asked, "Who do you think will win the championship?"

"The chanist Cult."

Singo and Born Battle Maniac answered in unison.

Mantou was surprised, "You’re that certain? Not even Royal Authority, one of the old giants, has a shot?"

"Not a chance."

Singo waved his hand, speaking decisively.

"Why? Royal Authority doesn’t seem weak. Their rich guild leader offers real-world cash rewards."

Singo smirked mysteriously, "Do you know who backs the chanist Cult?"

Before Mantou could answer, Singo continued, "It’s the Empire. Or rather, the Emperor himself."

"From what I know, the chanist Cult has access to the Empire’s highest-level technology and secrets. They hold vast privileges, and many of their top mbers have official positions in the Empire’s technology and military divisions."

"With such resources, they naturally attract the best talent. Many top real-world figures have already joined them."

Singo spoke in a calm tone, "Put it this way—this guild tournant doesn’t even require the chanist Cult to go all out."

"They can just pull random items from their arsenal and still crush every so-called ’top guild’ with ease."

"Damn, that’s insane."

Mantou was shocked. On the forums, the "Four Great Guilds" were always depicted as evenly matched.

He never expected such a huge disparity in Singo’s eyes. Professional players really did have different insights from the average player.

"And among the major guilds, Royal Authority is already on the decline—it’s unlikely to maintain its current position much longer."

Born Battle Maniac chuckled, adding his own insight.

"How so?"

Mantou was even more puzzled. On the forums, Royal Authority was considered a strong contender for the title, with a huge following.

Born Battle Maniac explained, "In the early ga, when there weren’t many players, their pay-to-win model—where the whole guild served the rich—still worked."

"But now that "Erezaghe" has over 400,000 players and top guilds each have thousands of mbers..."

"At this scale, Royal Authority’s inefficient, individualistic, and unevenly distributed system is starting to show its flaws."

"No matter how much their wealthy guild leader spends, by the ti the funds are spread across thousands of mbers, the impact is negligible. Royal Authority is just a paper tiger propped up by money, and its downfall is inevitable."

"I see."

"Damn, so this is the world of pro players?"

Mantou nodded thoughtfully.

Singo suddenly turned his head and grinned, "The preliminaries are almost over, with only a few guilds remaining—including the chanist Cult. Looks like we’re in for a good show."

"Huh? The next match is starting already?"

"Red Team: Ro Era."

As they spoke, the next match was about to begin, with [Ro Era] once again as the Red Team.

Fresh from their previous victory, they were brimming with confidence and enthusiasm.

Their guild leader, [Augustus], had even applied to skip the intermission.

He wanted to ride the montum of their victory straight into the next battle, securing a place in the elimination rounds.

Additionally, the mbers of [Ro Era] had consud special potions that heightened their combat fervor, and they didn’t want to waste the effect.

"Long live Ro!"

"Glory to Ro!"

Augustus waved the eagle banner, standing proudly at the front of the formation.

"Blue Team: chanist Cult."

The referee’s calm announcent echoed across the battlefield.

chanist Cult?

Augustus’s confident smile faltered, but he forced himself to remain composed, rallying his troops:

"Roman warriors! Do not fear these seemingly powerful foes. Rember your oath before : ’Victory or death—we do not leave the battlefield otherwise!’"

As devoted Roman enthusiasts, even in death, their cosplay must continue!

"Boom!"

"Boom! Boom!"

Several towering chs erged, advancing like an ironclad fortress.

Behind them, players pushed massive cannons, their dark muzzles sending chills down the spine.

Further back were the light infantry—chanist Cult players clad in heavy protective gear, wielding machine guns and flathrowers. Their faces, obscured behind glass visors, bore relaxed expressions.

The contrast between the two sides was like a thousand-year technological gap.

"Holy..."

"Guild leader, maybe we should surrender? Losing to the chanist Cult doesn’t seem too shaful."

Augustus clenched his teeth, planting the eagle standard firmly into the ground.

"No! Romans never surrender! If we must lose, we shall die in battle!"

"Match start!"

The referee’s words had barely left his mouth before the chanist Cult players loaded their cannons and fired.

"Boom!"

The deafening explosion shook the battlefield.

A massive blast erupted over the Roman formation, sending shrapnel and flas cascading through their ranks, instantly killing over a dozen [Ro Era] players.

Their reinforced shields could block arrows but were useless against bullets.

At the sa ti, the front line of chanized armor surged forward, a tide of steel crashing down upon them.

"Boom!"

"Flesh is weak, machinery ascends!"

"Ring the great bell once! Move the levers, start the pistons and pumps... Ring it twice! Press the buttons, ignite the engines, fuel the turbines... Ring it thrice! Sing together, praise the God of Machines!"

The battle had barely begun, and under the relentless firepower of the chanist Cult, [Ro Era] was already half wiped out.

There was no fighting back.

It was a complete technological stomp—like modern soldiers vs. caven, or Trisolarans vs. Earthlings.

"Referee!"

"I—I surrender!"

Amidst the roar of artillery fire, Augustus suddenly shouted.

Soone in the audience deliberately asked, "Aren’t Romans supposed to never surrender?"

"Yeah, why did they give in so quickly?"

Augustus retorted, "This is rely a strategic retreat."

"mbers of the Roman Era, do not be discouraged! We shall return like lightning!"

He then muttered under his breath, "Isn’t Italy also Ro? Surrendering is perfectly normal..."

It seems that this [Augustus] was not a staunch fundantalist after all.