Summoning Players into My Game Chapter 717 - 371: This World Has Gone Mad

Blue Star, Huxin City.

The imposing Celestial Power Building, located right in the heart of the city, was supposed to be Huxin City's busiest landmark. Yet nowadays, it had sunk into obscurity. Only a handful of trainees remained, and even those submitting Pilgrimage game commissions had dwindled to less than ten percent of normal.

Up on the top-floor conference room, over a dozen key guild leaders sat quietly around the table, their faces etched with displeasure. It was only when Luo Wushang, Zhang Qingwei, Zhao Hu, and Yu Tian entered that all eyes shifted toward the quartet.

'With everyone assembled, I'll announce the board's ruling,' Chu Qingtian declared, casting a look at Luo Wushang and the rest seated there. He appeared a decade older, his hair streaked heavily with white, his tone laced with fatigue. 'Financial backers have pulled out, and board members have dumped shares en masse, putting the guild under severe cash pressure. We're slashing new trainee intake by fifty percent, trimming executive payouts across the board, and naming Luo Wushang as the incoming guild leader.'

No one among the roughly ten elders showed any shock at Chu Qingtian's announcement.

At nearly fifty, Chu Qingtian was long overdue for stepping back into a lesser position, paving the way for fresher, more vigorous leadership. But his stellar frontline exploits in Pilgrimage, coupled with being Celestial Might's founder, had secured his spot with board support.

That said, as Celestial Might's representative, his failure to reach the Eternal Immortal Path national finals had become a major humiliation, prompting widespread doubts about the guild's prowess.

Handing the reins to Luo Wushang clearly stands as Celestial Might's smartest move right now.

Luo Wushang, celebrated for both her power and looks, constantly catches the eye of Pilgrimage gamers and gets pitted against beauty top players from rival titles. Her renown reaches beyond Pilgrimage fans too, positioning her perfectly to tackle the guild's troubles and rebuild trust with players and backers alike.

'Guild Leader, could you share specifics on the Eternal Immortal Path tournament? Battle clips would be ideal.' Luo Wushang skipped any objection and straight-up asked Guild Leader Chu Qingtian.

Assuming Celestial Might's leadership meant nothing to her, since she'd committed wholly to Descent of High Martial; everything else paled in comparison.

On the flip side, Guild Leader Chu Qingtian's flop before the finals was truly stunning.

In the realm of virtual gaming, elite players abound, but holding a ranked Saint spot in a blockbuster like Pilgrimage—with its past peak of hundreds of millions online—might not crown you the absolute best, yet it surely marks elite level. Especially since Guild Leader Chu Qingtian ranked among the top Saints, or he wouldn't have boldly repped Celestial Might, nor gained silent nods from those financial heavyweights.

Chu Qingtian drew a heavy breath and tapped the table, instantly loading a fight video. 'No secrets here—this was my third prelim match. See for yourselves.'

With those words, he hit play, projecting the footage right onto the conference table for a crystal-clear shared view.

Across a desolate wasteland, Chu Qingtian faced off against a youth some thirty meters away. He gripped a lengthy spear, whereas the young opponent bore a longsword on his back yet made no move to unsheathe it, just cockily beckoning Chu Qingtian forward.

The youth's brazenness made the watching elders' eyelids flicker, fury bubbling up.

Chu Qingtian, a Pilgrimage legend, faced mockery from this nobody—a direct slap at all of Celestial Might.

Still, the on-screen Chu Qingtian stayed perfectly calm, unshaken, and simply thrust out with his spear.

Like a coiling dragon, the spear shot forth with gale force.

Upon closing in on the youth, Chu Qingtian's steps blurred, spawning three afterimages. From multiple angles, dozens of spear phantoms stabbed at the young man all at once, sealing off any escape.

The elders inwardly acclaimed the technique.

Illusory Step fused with Gale Spear—Chu Qingtian's Pilgrimage signature, which with Saint stats looked like a distant barrage. But pulling it off in Eternal Immortal Path, sans boosted physicals, struck even them as incredibly tough.

The youth, though, just stretched out one palm, parrying left and right, neutralizing every strike barehanded without a scratch.

'What a freakish powerhouse this kid is! Blocking the Guild Leader's assault like that!'

Watching the intact youth on display, the elders' prior ire faded into grim countenances.

Even they, the elders, couldn't shrug off Guild Leader Chu Qingtian's Illusory Step Gale Spear unscathed; it pushed beyond what one could manage. Spotting the true thrust amid fakes was key, or you'd end up perforated.

Evidently, the youth saw through every one, parrying with total ease.

The video's Chu Qingtian looked stunned, never dreaming his ace could be countered. But right then, the youth leaped high, swung his palm down at Chu Qingtian's skull in a blur of speed and grace that allowed scant reaction time.