Chapter 1676: Successive losses

Leading the pack was Gyanendra's team.

They hadn't occupied many Bright Stars, clearly opting for a strategy of reaching the central zone as quickly as possible, likely striking the Soaring Crystal with full force each time.

Yet Ye Zhongming couldn't comprehend why Gyanendra would rush when the space explicitly stated there was no time limit.

Didn't he realize all factions would get ten more strikes after reaching the Mountain King Disk?

Or did Gyanendra suspect some hidden trap behind the "no time limit" rule?

Unable to decipher this, Ye Zhongming dismissed it and stuck to his own plan.

Trailing Gyanendra was Mechanical Genius—not only fast but also holding the second-highest number of occupied stars, even surpassing Cloud Peak by one.

Their progress impressed the Cloud Peak King.

Ye Zhongming had thought Cloud Peak's speed—self-sustaining through conquest, minimizing time spent per star—was optimal. Yet they still lagged behind Mechanical Genius. Were these guys that powerful, or was there another reason?

Though this trial phase lacked the direct bloodshed of other spaces, offering multiple choices instead, Ye Zhongming found himself disliking it precisely for that unpredictability.

It drastically reduced Cloud Peak's odds of securing the Mountain King Crown compared to initial estimates. Even allies like Cannibal Chain now seemed marginally useful at best.

Simply put, control had slipped away.

For someone accustomed to absolute dominance, this uncertainty unsettled Ye Zhongming.

Further back were other factions, with Great America dead last, still stuck on their first central-zone Bright Star. What were they doing?

Considering their alliance's nature, Ye Zhongming guessed: perhaps members, tempted by resource point rewards, refused to advance?

This made sense—the crown would undoubtedly go to Governor Spade. What would others get? His promised rewards?

Could those be compared to the value of the resource points?

With dissent brewing, prolonged exploration might be their compromise—something even Governor Spade couldn't override.

Besides them, Ye Zhongming closely monitored Cannibal Chain, but their progress was sluggish—only three central-zone stars claimed, meaning just two after obtaining the reward card.

Had they too, been lured by resource points?

Though their occupying more stars wouldn't significantly aid Cloud Peak later, Ye Zhongming stopped overanalyzing.

Cloud Peak advanced steadily, overtaking Mechanical Genius after claiming thirteen stars.

Gyanendra led by a wide margin, nearing the destination.

With limited central-zone stars, each occupation reduced available options. Landing on an occupied star meant either paying tolls or challenging for ownership.

Ye Zhongming noticed trailing factions accelerating—none wanted to exhaust resources now when the final ten strikes mattered most.

Except Cannibal Chain, all were hastening their conquests, though the Soaring Crystal's unpredictability prevented precise navigation.

Thus began the first "toll war"—between Great America and Cloud Peak.

Cloud Peak currently held the most stars; Great America, the fewest. Starting from the same point, they found most paths forward already claimed.

Forced to proceed, they landed on a Cloud Peak-occupied star.

To their credit, they chose challenge over payment.

The actual battle remained unseen—Cloud Peak only received a challenge notification.

Recalling his guardian beast selection for that star—a robust fourth-row specimen—Ye Zhongming awaited results.

Fifteen minutes later, the prompt came: Great America had succeeded. Cloud Peak lost a star.

Many wore grim expressions.

Ye Zhongming remained unfazed—this was inevitable. It also clarified Cannibal Chain's approach.

Seeing Cloud Peak's lead, Wu Xiu and Ruan Xiao had adopted a leisurely pace. They'd likely route through Cloud Peak's stars whenever possible, paying tolls to continue.

Unclaimed stars meant occupation and exploration; encountering others, they'd prefer Cloud Peak's—keeping benefits "in the family." If forced onto rival territory, they'd conquer it, indirectly aiding Cloud Peak.

Whether by misfortune or not, after Great America's takeover, Motley Crusaders also landed on a Cloud Peak star—again choosing challenge over tolls.

Another star lost minutes later.

For the unimpeded Cloud Peak, this double blow stung.

Losing two of their dozen-plus stars wasn't just about wasted resources—it weakened their position for the final phase.

"We buy and challenge our way forward, while they snatch our stars from behind—this..."

Some Youth Army members grew anxious, their composure shaken by the back-to-back losses.

Yet Ye Zhongming appeared unconcerned—a puzzling calm no one dared question.

Cloud Peak pressed on, their luck improving as both Cannibal Chain and Women Guard reached their stars. As expected, Cannibal Chain paid tolls; surprisingly, Women Guard also opted against challenging, choosing to pay passage fees.

Facing this, Ye Zhongming merely muttered "wise"—another cryptic remark.

During their advance, Cloud Peak too encountered others' territories—their Soaring Crystal landing on one of Gyanendra's stars.