70: The Queen's Legacy and the Coward Who Retracted into His Shell

"Ding! You have successfully destroyed the fortress of the Lord, "Phoenix Empress"!"

"This Lord's qualification has been revoked and removed from this battle zone."

"Calculating rewards..."

The cold system prompt, like the final bell for the curtain call of a grand performance, rang out.

Lin Feng calmly looked at the loot list that popped up in front of him, his eyes showing no ripple of emotion.

"Gold obtained: 101,450"

"heavy oil obtained: 52,800"

"Special item obtained: Phoenix Egg (Legendary)"

"Is that all?"

Lin Feng's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Compared to the Little Devil's lavish inheritance, the Phoenix Empress's assets were truly meager.

Clearly, she had invested most of her resources into that endless "sea of corpses" system, transforming them into those seemingly infinite but in fact fragile cannon fodder.

This all-or-nothing tactic, once the defense line was breached, led to eternal damnation, with no chance of a comeback.

Foolish.

Lin Feng gave a two-word evaluation in his heart.

His gaze fell on the special item quietly lying in his inventory.

"Phoenix Egg (Legendary)"

"Description: A miraculous egg containing the bloodline of a Holy Phoenix, seemingly tainted with a hint of ominous aura due to its owner's degeneration. It can be hatched through special means to become a hero's exclusive pet companion."

"Hatching conditions: ???"

"Note: Phoenixes are born from fire and exist through death. Perhaps, ultimate destruction can give birth to ultimate rebirth."

"Hero pet?"

Lin Feng's eyes lit up slightly.

This was an unexpected pleasant surprise.

In this world, the power of hero units was undeniable, but their growth and functionality were relatively fixed.

If he could have an additional pet that could grow with him, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance the hero's tactical flexibility and overall strength.

Especially this Phoenix Egg, since it was dropped by the Phoenix Empress, an SSS-rank talent, its potential was absolutely immeasurable.

"Still not a loss."

Lin Feng casually put away the Phoenix Egg and turned his attention back to the [Demon-Slaying Expeditionary Force] channel.

It was dead silent there.

The fall of the Phoenix Empress, like an invisible heavy hammer, completely shattered the last shred of hope in the hearts of this motley crew.

Their proud SSS-rank leader, after a long and desperate struggle, was wiped from this world in a nearly humiliating manner, along with her fortress.

The remaining SS-ranks and A-ranks, in front of the insurmountable mountain that was Heaven's Choice, didn't even qualify to be called "challengers."

All they could do now was huddle in their fortresses, like lambs waiting for the butcher's knife, praying that the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads would fall a second later.

Everyone's gaze subconsciously converged on the ID that had remained silent all this time.

"Dragon Aotian."

The last SSS-rank talent holder in this battle zone.

What would he do?

Would he, like the Phoenix Empress, choose a path of resistance that seemed tragic but was actually foolish?

Or...

Lin Feng left no one in suspense.

His will, like an arrow released from a bowstring, precisely locked onto that glittering golden dragon head avatar.

"System prompt: Do you want to attack Lord "Dragon Aotian"?"

"Yes."

However, the moment he confirmed, an unexpected system prompt popped up.

"System prompt: Attack failed! The target Lord is under "Fortress Shield" protection and cannot be attacked."

"Shield remaining time: 23 hours 51 minutes."

"Hmm?"

Lin Feng's eyes, for the first time, showed a subtle change.

Not anger, nor surprise.

But a kind of playful amusement, similar to "discovering a new toy."

He calmly opened the [War Mall] panel, which unlocked only after reaching level nine, and quickly scanned the dazzling array of goods. Soon, he found the shield icon emitting a soft white light.

"Fortress Shield (1 day)"

"Effect: After purchase, your territory will gain an impenetrable energy shield, lasting 24 hours. During this period, you will be immune to any attacks from other players."

"Price: 10,000 Gold."

"Purchase cooldown: 7 days."

"Note: This is the coward's last shell, and the wise man's bargaining chip for time."

"So that's how it is."

Lin Feng's lips curved into a cold arc.

Ten thousand gold for twenty-four hours of lingering existence.

It had to be said that this Dragon Aotian was much more pragmatic than the hot-headed Phoenix Empress.

He knew very well that after witnessing Heaven's Choice's overwhelming strength, any form of resistance was futile.

Therefore, he decisively abandoned his dignity and chose the most practical, yet most humiliating, way to save his life.

In the [Demon-Slaying Expeditionary Force] channel, the dead silence was broken.

"Swift Wind Swordsman": "Sh-shield? Boss Dragon Aotian activated a shield?"

"Iron Wall": "Holy crap! There's such a move? When did the mall start selling this thing? How come I didn't know!"

Zhinang's voice carried a hint of relief after escaping danger, and a deeper layer of worry: "It's an item unlocked at level nine... It seems Dragon Aotian was well-prepared. Is he trying to... buy time?"

"Buy time?"

This phrase made everyone fall into contemplation.

What was the use of buying time? The shield only lasted one day, what then?

Heaven's Choice's strength would not diminish at all; instead, he might become stronger by plundering the Phoenix Empress's resources.

This was merely changing the death sentence from "immediate execution" to "a reprieve."

Just as everyone was at a loss, the ID that made their souls tremble lit up again.

"Heaven's Choice": "You like hiding in your shell, do you?"

A simple sentence, yet it instantly dropped the atmosphere of the entire channel to freezing point.

Everyone seemed to be able to see the man's cold, emotionless expression through the screen.

"Heaven's Choice": "Tomorrow morning will be your death day."

This was no longer a declaration of war.

It was a verdict.

A condescending, unquestionable, final judgment on the lives of ants.

Dragon Aotian still didn't speak.

But everyone could imagine how terrible the expression on the face of that man, adorned with the SSS-rank halo, must be as he hid in his shell.

"Heaven's Choice": "Since the main course is for tomorrow."

Lin Feng's gaze slowly swept over the trembling IDs in the channel.

"Heaven's Choice": "It seems I'll have to start with a few of you as appetizers today."