Inside the Cloud Mist Internet Café, the atmosphere had become extremely tense as the cultivators continued watching the giant screen showing the final moments of Xu Shen's battle inside the Abyssal Demon World. The endless darkness of the Abyssal Night Domain still filled the display, and the enormous Abyssal Demon Lord stood above the wounded cultivator like an executioner ready to strike.
Inside the café, no one spoke.
Even the usually loud Liu Kang had gone silent as he watched the screen carefully.
The demon lord slowly lifted its claw while dark energy gathered around the attack.
The creature's glowing red eyes stared down at Xu Shen.
"You fought well."
Its voice echoed through the abyssal darkness.
"But this is where your story ends."
Inside the café, several cultivators clenched their fists nervously.
"Is Xu Shen going to lose?"
"Can anyone defeat that demon lord?"
Standing behind the counter, Lin Tian calmly watched the screen.
But his attention was also focused on the system panel inside his mind.
The interface suddenly flashed.
REALM EVOLUTION COMPLETE
Lin Tian raised an eyebrow slightly.
"So it finally finished."
Before he could read the next message—
Inside the simulation, the demon lord's claw began descending toward Xu Shen.
But at the last moment—
Xu Shen activated a teleport talisman.
His body vanished in a flash of light.
The demon lord's attack slammed into the ground instead.
The abyssal battlefield exploded.
Inside the café, several cultivators gasped.
"He escaped!"
The giant screen flickered.
Xu Shen reappeared in the café moments later, his body collapsing slightly as the simulation ended.
His face looked pale, but he was still alive.
The crowd immediately rushed toward him.
"You survived!"
"That demon lord was insane!"
Xu Shen slowly sat down in a nearby chair.
"That realm…"
He exhaled slowly.
"…is far more dangerous than the previous ones."
Nearby, Chen Yu nodded.
"The Abyssal Demon Lord is stronger than the War Sovereign."
Yan Feng added quietly.
"And its domain ability makes the battle even harder."
On the third floor, Long Wei observed the scene calmly.
"The third Mythic Realm has only been partially explored."
Beside him, Mo Tian nodded.
"No one has defeated the demon lord yet."
Inside the café, the giant screen suddenly flickered again.
The system interface appeared across the display.
NEW SYSTEM UPDATE AVAILABLE
Several cultivators turned toward the screen.
"What now?"
Standing behind the counter, Lin Tian already knew what was coming.
The message expanded.
NEW GAME UNLOCKED
Then a single word appeared.
DOTA
Inside the café, the cultivators blinked in confusion.
"DOTA?"
"What kind of game is that?"
Liu Kang scratched his head.
"Hahaha… that's a strange name."
Chen Yu turned toward Lin Tian.
"Shopkeeper Lin…"
"What is DOTA?"
Lin Tian smiled faintly.
"It's a strategic battle game."
The screen continued displaying the system announcement.
DOTA — DEFENSE OF THE ANCIENTS
TEAM BATTLE MODE
5 VS 5
Inside the café, several cultivators looked surprised.
"Team battles?"
"You mean five people fight together?"
Yan Feng frowned slightly.
"All the previous realms were solo challenges."
Lin Tian nodded.
"This one is different."
The system interface expanded further.
SELECT HERO
DESTROY THE ENEMY ANCIENT
TEAMWORK REQUIRED
The cultivators inside the café exchanged curious looks.
"A hero?"
"What does that mean?"
The screen suddenly displayed a glowing selection panel.
Rows of characters appeared.
Each one had a unique design.
The names appeared clearly above them.
Invoker
Juggernaut
Axe
Crystal Maiden
Phantom Assassin
Pudge
Anti-Mage
Inside the café, the cultivators stared at the screen.
"These are the heroes?"
Liu Kang leaned closer.
"Hahaha…"
He pointed at one of the images.
"That one looks strong."
The hero Axe appeared on the screen holding a massive battle axe.
Another hero appeared beside him.
Invoker, surrounded by swirling elemental energy.
Chen Yu studied the display carefully.
"Each hero has different abilities."
Yan Feng nodded.
"This game is about strategy."
Lin Tian leaned slightly against the counter.
Inside his mind, the system panel continued updating.
NEW RANKING BOARD AVAILABLE
The giant board inside the café changed again.
A new ranking appeared.
DOTA PLAYER RANKINGS
Below it, several empty slots waited to be filled.
Inside the café, Liu Kang laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"So we fight in teams now?"
Lin Tian nodded.
"Five players per team."
Chen Yu frowned thoughtfully.
"That means…"
"…coordination will matter."
The system announcement continued.
FIRST MATCH BONUS AVAILABLE
The cultivators inside the café began murmuring excitedly.
"This game sounds interesting."
"But we need ten people to play."
Liu Kang grinned widely.
"Hahaha!"
He pointed toward Chen Yu and Yan Feng.
"Let's try it!"
Chen Yu crossed his arms.
"If we're going to test the game…"
"…we should pick strong heroes."
Yan Feng nodded.
"Then we need five players."
Across the café, several disciples raised their hands.
"I'll join!"
"Me too!"
The excitement inside the room quickly returned.
Standing behind the counter, Lin Tian watched the crowd calmly.
Because he already knew something the others did not.
The DOTA system inside the café was not just a simple game.
Each hero represented a unique combat path.
Invoker represented the Dao of Elements.
Phantom Assassin represented the Dao of Assassination.
Juggernaut represented the Dao of the Sword.
Pudge represented the Dao of Devouring.
Crystal Maiden represented the Dao of Ice.
And the cultivators who mastered these heroes…
Would gain insights into those powers.
Inside the Cloud Mist Internet Café, the cultivators continued forming teams while studying the hero selection screen.
Because the next stage of the café's evolution had begun.
And this time—
Victory would not depend on a single cultivator.
It would depend on teamwork.
The first battle of DOTA was about to begin.