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Chapter 2081 – Stormy Winds
Star-Moon Kingdom, White River City:
Although White River City was not the kingdom's capital, its popularity overshadowed Star-Moon City as the main headquarters of the kingdom's number one Guild and home to the Candlelight Trading Firm, which continued to introduce one new product after another. At this point, White River City had become the kingdom's capital in the hearts of Star-Moon Kingdom's players.
Since White River City was the only city in the kingdom to be promoted, it's fame had reached new heights. Tons of players from foreign cities and countries visited the city every day, and it had become almost as prosperous as an ordinary empire's imperial capital.
Over a dozen Level 64 players in gorgeous equipment had gathered on the second floor of White River City's Auction House. They all wore the same Guild Emblem as they watched the fight in the Auction Arena. Contempt filled their eyes as they looked down on the combatants.
"As expected of a small kingdom. Although the local players' equipment standards are quite good, their combat standards are terrible. They're not even a match for some second-rate Guilds in our Dark Night Empire. It's no wonder why Zero Wing lords over Star-Moon Kingdom," a Level 64 Berserker said as he watched several Guild players from Star-Moon Kingdom fight in the Auction Arena in ridicule.
The Berserker had not held back his opinion. With the physique of Tier 2 players, the combatants had heard him clearly even from 50 yards away. However, none of those players dared to comment against the Berserker. They all simply lowered their heads and remained silent.
This Berserker had earned the right to such arrogance.
This Level 64 Berserker had won 20 matches in the Auction Arena in a row. Quite a few of the Berserker's opponents had been peak experts from Star-Moon Kingdom, but none of them had dropped the Berserker's HP below 80%. This Berserker had even fought two opponents at once and still maintained his HP above 80%, winning the match.
Moreover, the Berserker's identity was extraordinary. This Berserker was Dust Blood, one of the ten great experts from the Dark Night Empire's Bloodbath Family.
The Bloodbath Family was a veteran first-rate Guild, and at this point, it was the strongest Guild in the Dark Night Empire, excluding the three resident superpowers. The Bloodbath Family also occupied a medium-sized kingdom and a small-sized kingdom. No ordinary first-rate Guild could hope to compare to its strength.
"Although these Guilds are very weak, Zero Wing's title as Star-Moon Kingdom's overlord proves that it has some ability.
Furthermore, Zero Wing has four experts that rank on the God's Domain Experts List. Black Flame, in particular, has killed many superpowers' peak experts thus far," a young man in dark-gray robes said.
Zero Wing's name had already become commonplace in the Dark Night Empire. After all, the Guild had successfully helped the Hundred Flowers Palace stop Starlink's invasion in Moon Creek Town. The incident had surprised the empire's various Guilds, all of which had immediately investigated Zero Wing.
However, the more they looked into Zero Wing, the more the Guild surprised them.
These Guilds hadn't been surprised by Zero Wing's rapid development in God's Domain, but by the number of frightening powers Zero Wing had provoked.
The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's Nine Dragons Emperor, the Evil God's Temple, Pantheon, Blackwater, Miracle, and the Dark Night Empire's Starlink.
All of these Guilds were powerful enough to make even a first-rate Guild like Bloodbath Family shudder in fear, yet Zero Wing had provoked every one of them. The fact that Zero Wing had survived this long was unbelievable. Calling it a miracle wasn't an exaggeration.
"Zero Wing's success will soon reach its end. The various superpowers have been busy with their own matters, so none of them have bothered to retaliate. I've also heard that Zero Wing has a tentative alliance with the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's Phoenix Rain. But things have changed. The various superpowers have set their sights on White River City, and even if Phoenix Rain makes a personal appearance, she can't change Zero Wing's fate," Dust Blood said, sneering.
The fact that Zero Wing had four experts that ranked on the God's Domain Experts List was impressive to other Guilds, but the achievement meant nothing to the various superpowers. The God's Domain Experts List focused on players' battle records, not their overall strength.
God's Domain had many experts that hadn't accumulated eye-catching battle records, yet wielded peerless strength. Take the Bloodbath Family, for example. Bloodbath Family's expert members were even stronger than the Refinement Realm experts on the God's Domain Experts List, but none of them had actually made it on the list.
To put it simply, only small Guilds and independent players took the God's Domain Experts List seriously. It was merely an information source for true major powers, not an indicator of a Guild's strength.
Moreover, the competition for an NPC city's Auction House didn't rely on war weapons or tools. Instead, it relied on a Guild's resources and experts. The competition prohibited artificial strength, so the war weapons Zero Wing had been lucky enough to acquire would be useless. With how few experts Zero Wing possessed, it wouldn't even be able to defeat veteran first- rate Guilds like Bloodbath Family, much less the various superpowers.
"I guess you're right. The various superpowers will not give up on White River City's Auction House. Some of the old monsters that usually hide in the shadows are even revealing themselves to ensure their Guild's success in the competition. Even experts on the God's Domain Experts List will be of limited use," the young man nodded in agreement. When he spoke of the various superpowers' old monsters, fear and yearning flashed in his eyes.
Thus far, the fights between God's Domain's superpowers had been nothing more than skirmishes. Large-scale battles between these major powers were rare. Moreover, to nurture the younger generation, the various superpowers' true experts typically avoided their Guild's affairs. They kept to themselves, quietly increasing their strength. If these old monsters took action, how would the younger generation acquire any fame? Even the younger generation's greatest prodigy was a joke before these old monsters!
"Zero Wing is certainly unlucky. It could've remained the king of its mountain for some time. Unfortunately, White River City was promoted too quickly. Now, even its dream of standing atop its mountain as king would shatter. I've heard that even King's Return, Blackwater, and Pantheon have arrived to compete for White River City. I can't wait to see these superpowers tear Zero Wing apart," Dust Blood said, smiling.
"Oh? Look over there. Even the Glory Empire's Holy Reincarnation has come. It seems that they're here to watch the fight between these superpowers, as well," the young man said suddenly as he pointed to a group often or so players that had just arrived in the second-floor hall with a smirk.
Holy Reincarnation was also a veteran first-rate Guild, strong enough to rival the Bloodbath Family. It was also the second strongest Guild, after King's Return, in the Glory Empire.
While the various kingdoms and empire's powers gathered in White River City in anticipation of the Auction House's struggle, Shi Feng worked on crafting the Crystal Light Set in the nearby Candlelight Trading Firm.
Although up to ten players could learn the Crystal Light Set's production method from the Ancient Forging Book, it was an eight-piece Dark-Gold Set Equipment. Not even Basic Master Forgers like Melancholic Smile and Cream Cocoa would have much success with forging the set. Furthermore, Melancholic Smile and the others had their own work to focus on.
Hence, Shi Feng decided to craft the set equipment himself. Fortunately, acquiring the required materials was no trouble for Shi Feng.
Zero Wing had been growing stronger as time passed, and as a result, it had compiled a ton of materials in the Guild Warehouse. In addition, the Candlelight Trading Firm had joined the Secret Chamber of Commerce. So, obtaining the necessary materials to forge the Crystal Light Set Equipment was quite easy for the Guild.
In fact, Shi Feng had gathered more than a dozen sets of materials in less than an hour.
He then refined the materials with the Soul Fire. Using the Philosopher's Hand's ability, Shi Feng continued to shape one set piece after another. Before he put the finishing touches on the eight-piece set, Shi Feng retrieved 40 grains of Temporal Sand.
Temporal Sand was incredibly valuable, with each gain selling for more than 20 Gold on the market. Not only could it increase one's production success rate, but it could also strengthen the crafted item. Shi Feng allocated five grains of Temporal Sand for each set piece, the maximum amount Dark-Gold Equipment could handle.
If he hadn't had the Bracelet of Time, he wouldn't have dared to use the Temporal Sand so extravagantly.
The Crystal Light Set Equipment then radiated a dazzling glow, illuminating the entire room. As the light faded, it revealed eight pieces of equipment, glowing with a sparkling light and radiating an ancient, violent aura.
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Chapter 2082 – Timeless Equipment
Did it succeed? Shi Feng could not help but grow a little excited as he gazed at the eight-piece set equipment on the table before him.
Although he had more than ten sets of materials on hand, the Crystal Light Set was top-tier Dark-Gold Set Equipment, its production difficulty only second to Epic Equipment. Although he had already become an Intermediate Master Forger and with the help of the Philosopher's Hand, performed as an Advanced Master Forger, successfully forging the Crystal Light Set was incredibly difficult
Theoretical success rate, after all, had nothing to do with the actual forging process.
In the game's early stages, the Main God System had simplified the various production processes to their base limits to allow players to familiarize themselves with God's Domain's subclasses. However, as players reached higher levels and adapted, the Main God System would gradually withdraw its assistance, and the various production processes would become more complex and detailed.
Meanwhile, successfully forging a Dark-Gold Set Equipment was a massive threshold for Lifestyle players.
During God's Domain's ancient times, weapons and equipment had only fallen into two categories: ordinary and extraordinary.
More categories had only been added after the Ancient Gods had fallen. Ordinary equipment split into Bronze, Mysterious- Iron, Secret-Silver, Fine-Gold, and Dark-Gold ranks. Extraordinary equipment had been broken down into Epic and Legendary.
Dark-Gold Weapons and Equipment were considered the peak of ordinary equipment Hence, they were extremely difficult to obtain and produce.
Without a larger power's support, an ordinary expert player would be limited to Dark-Gold Weapons and Equipment at best
Meanwhile, Dark-Gold Set Equipment was at the very apex of ordinary equipment, the best available without any flaws. No matter how high one raised their theoretical production success rate, a single mistake would result in failure. There was no room for error when crafting Dark-Gold Set Equipment. One could argue that crafting Dark-Gold Set Equipment was even more difficult than producing Epic items since the latter allowed for some mistakes. Only, the theoretical production success rate was much lower compared to Dark-Gold Set Equipment
As Shi Feng began to inspect the Crystal Light Set before him, the sound of a system notification reached his ears.
System: Crystal Light Set has been successfully forged. Forging Proficiency increased by 200 points. Obtained 10,000,000 EXP.
As expected of an eight-piece, Dark-Gold Set Equipment. It provided so much Proficiency. Shi Feng was elated when he saw the system notification.
Even forging ordinary Dark-Gold Weapons and Equipment awarded very little Proficiency after reaching Intermediate Master Rank. Normally, he'd be lucky to get 3 points for each success. This was why a player needed so much time to rise to Advanced Master rank after becoming an Intermediate Master.
Now, forging a single Crystal Light Set awarded 200 Proficiency Points, the equivalent of crafting nearly 70 pieces of Dark- Gold Equipment.
However, the Crystal Light Set's Attributes were the true reason for Shi Feng's joy, not the system's reward.
The Crystal Light Set was a top-tier Dark-Gold Set Equipment, and due to the enhancement the Temporal Sand provided, the eight pieces' Basic Attributes had risen by 10%. Purely comparing Basic Attributes, ordinary Epic Equipment had around 20% to 30% higher Attributes than the normal Crystal Light Set, but the Temporal Sand had reduced that by 10%. There was no doubt that the set equipment before him was currently the best ordinary equipment available in the game.
If he hadn't been wearing several pieces of Epic Equipment with beneficial effects, Shi Feng would've immediately replaced his items with the Crystal Light Set.
Of course, Shi Feng didn't stop after this success. He immediately began to forge the next set.
As time continued to flow, the day of the Auction House's struggle had finally arrived.
White River City was particularly lively. Today, the various powers would battle to determine their future territories. As a result, countless players from Star-Moon Kingdom and its neighbors had gathered in White River City. At this point, the city's player population exceeded 50,000,000!
If not for White River City's traffic restriction, there would've been several times more players in the city.
Today, even the various large Guilds' elusive upper echelons gathered in the city's Auction House. Representatives from more than 2,000 different Guilds had come to participate in the competition. Moreover, a large number of adventurer teams and dark powers had arrived to participate in the day's events. With so many powers, ordinary players didn't even qualify to walk into the Auction House and were barred from entering the building.
The city's independent players watched the various major powers' members enter the Auction House in envy.
For today only, players needed to carry at least one Epic material to enter White River City's Auction House. Otherwise, regardless of how powerful or wealthy one was, they wouldn't get past the doors and were forced to wait outside.
Even so, a large crowd had gathered outside the building to watch the competition.
These players hadn't gathered because they had nothing better to do, but because the system had set up several colossal Magic Mirrors to broadcast the events along the business district. Anyone on the streets or resting in one of the city's establishments would be able to watch the spectacular competition for dominance over the Auction House.
Meanwhile, two players, one old and the other young, sat in one of the Auction House's top-floor VIP rooms. From this spectator's room, these two would have a full view of the Auction Arena below, which easily accommodated more than 100,000 players.
If the various large Guild's upper echelons saw that only two people occupied this spacious VIP room, they'd curse them for being wasteful.
Renting the Auction House's top-floor VIP rooms cost five Epic materials. Although Epic materials were not as valuable as Epic Weapons or Equipment, they were still extremely difficult to obtain. First-rate Guilds would be fortunate to collect several dozen Epic materials, and none of them would dare to spend five Epic items just for a better view of the Auction Arena.
"Amazing! A city like White River City has actually attracted so many superpowers!" Mu Lingsha, the VIP room's younger occupant, exclaimed as she watched the various participating superpowers enter the arena.
Starlink, Blackwater, Pantheon, and King's Return weren't the only superpowers present. Members of the Secret Pavilion, Sacred Temple, and Crimson Emperor had also come to participate.
"It's only natural. Although Star-Moon Kingdom is only a medium-sized kingdom, an NPC city's Auction House is incredibly important. If they can claim this city's Auction House, they can earn a stable income. Moreover, Star-Moon Kingdom has a goldmine like the Witch's Hill. With so many benefits up for grabs, it is only natural that many superpowers have been tempted into action," the elderly man beside Mu Lingsha explained, smiling.
If Crimson Emperor or Starlink's upper echelons saw this elder, they'd likely be astonished. This elderly man was Unknown King, Unyielding Soul's previous Guild Leader. When he had run the Guild, it had risen to glory, but due to his age and his body's deterioration, he had retired from the frontlines more than two decades ago.
"Grandpa, does Zero Wing really have no hope of holding White River City?" Mu Lingsha could not help but ask.
She was grateful to Zero Wing for all the help it had provided thus far. Moreover, her good friend, Aqua Rose, was a member of the Guild. If another power stole White River City, which served as Zero Wing's main headquarters, Zero Wing would suffer for it.
"None. Even if our Guild lends Zero Wing a hand, I'm afraid that holding White River City would still be impossible," Unknown King said, shaking his head.
"Not even our help could change the situation?" Mu Lingsha was surprised.
Although Unyielding Soul had been declining, it was still a veteran first-rate Guild. Ordinary first-rate Guilds still were no match for its strength.
"You're severely underestimating the participating superpowers. Although we are a superpower as well, their backgrounds and foundations are many times stronger than Unyielding Soul's. Any other time, they might have backed off out of respect for our Guild, but this competition will determine their future in God's Domain. None of them will show respect for the others. Furthermore, Zero Wing has provoked too many superpowers, pushing them to the limits of their tempers. Now, nobody can save Zero Wing," Unknown King said, sighing.
Mu Lingsha lowered her head in disappointment.
While the various major powers entered the Auction House and eagerly awaited the competitions start, a group of players wearing six-winged emblems entered the arena. The leader of this group was none other than Shi Feng.
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Chapter 2083 – Grand Gathering
When Zero Wing's members arrived, the atmosphere in the Auction Arena changed immediately. The various major powers' representatives couldn't help but shift their gazes to Zero Wing's players.
Not only was Zero Wing Star-Moon Kingdom's overlord, but its main headquarters was also located in White River City. Moreover, it had amazing growth potential and a very high chance of becoming a super-first-rate Guild in the future. To put it simply, the Guild was in its heyday.
If Zero Wing secured the management rights to White River City's Auction House, not only would it solidify its position as the kingdom's overlord, but it would also have a stable source of income, further increasing its chances of becoming a superpower.
However, rather than envying Zero Wing's players, the various major powers' members only watched them with pity or delight.
"They actually dared to show up." Dust Blood, who stood outside of the arena, sneered when he saw Zero Wing's members. "Do they really think that they can secure this Auction House just because their headquarters is located here?"
Zero Wing had only dispatched a little over 100 players to the Auction Arena. It was a significant number compared to the various large Guilds, who had only sent around 30 players each. In fact, the size of its group was only second to the various participating superpowers.
However, most of the large Guilds attending the competition were only there to spectate. They didn't actually plan to compete, so they hadn't needed to send a lot of members. The fact that Zero Wing had sent so many players proved its intentions; the Guild would be participating in the competition.
Although Zero Wing was Star-Moon Kingdom's overlord, the Bloodbath Family simply considered the Guild a mere mountain king.
It wasn't an issue if Zero Wing strutted around its kingdom normally. However, even the Bloodbath Family had only sent around 40 players to such a grand event to gain experience, yet Zero Wing had dispatched more than 100 players to try to win this competition. Zero Wing simply overestimated itself!
"Maybe Zero Wing is putting up a final fight for its survival," the gray-robed young man said, sighing.
After all was said and done, White River City was Zero Wing's main headquarters. If another power claimed the city's Auction House, Zero Wing would lose the foundation it had spent so much time to build. The loss would be unimaginably dire for the Guild.
The competition for dominance in God's Domain grew more intense as time passed. If a Guild failed to keep up with the changing times, the gap between it and others would only grow. Losing one's main headquarters during these rapidly changing times would be fatal, especially for a new Guild like Zero Wing. Its members had yet to acquire a sense of belonging and cohesiveness with how recently the Guild had been established, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Zero Wing disband shortly after losing White River City.
Unfortunately, everything weaker than the various superpowers was nothing more than an ant!
This was the case true for a top-ranked first-rate Guild like the Bloodbath Family. At one time, the Bloodbath Family had been recognized as a pseudo-super-first-rate Guild, but it was still no match for Starlink, Unyielding Soul, and Crimson Emperor in the Dark Night Empire. The Bloodbath Family was also wise enough not to harbor thoughts of antagonizing these three superpowers.
In the virtual gaming world, unless one was on the brink of becoming a superpower, they couldn't truly understand what a superpower was.
To the various Guilds and players in God's Domain, superpowers were, at most, Guilds with greater financial strength and more experts than their weaker companions. Most didn't understand that the difference between a superpower and an ordinary power didn't lay in quantity, but in quality. Otherwise, the Bloodbath Family would've become a super-first-rate Guild long ago, rather than the pseudo-super-first-rate Guild it was after so many years of development.
Several dozen players in Level 60 Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold Equipment stood some distance away from the Bloodbath Family group. These several dozen players radiated such intense killing intent as they watched Zero Wing's members that other Guild experts around them kept their distance.
However, the other experts weren't afraid of these layers because of the dense killing intent they radiated. Instead, they were wary because those players wore Sin Realm's Guild Emblem.
Sin Realm was the Purple Thorns Kingdom's absolute overlord. Unlike Zero Wing, which only controlled a little more than a dozen major NPC cities in Star-Moon Kingdom, Sin Realm controlled every NPC city in the Purple Thorns Kingdom. Ordinary Guilds couldn't afford to provoke it
"To think that even you would have such a day, Zero Wing!" Sky View, Warring Empire's former Guild Leader, said gleefully, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes as he watched Shi Feng's group.
After Zero Wing had destroyed Golden Flow Town, the Warring Empire had perished in Star-Moon Kingdom. In the end, he had no choice but to migrate to the Purple Thorns Kingdom and join Sin Realm with some of his trusted subordinates. He had instantly fallen from a Guild's leader to an ordinary Elder.
He hated Zero Wing deeply for this.
Unfortunately, he hadn't had any opportunities for revenge against the Guild since Zero Wing was so powerful, especially with its war weapons. Even the various superpowers likely had headaches when dealing with Zero Wing's arsenal, much less a former Guild Leader.
Fortunately, the heavens would not forsake the faithful. After such a long wait, he finally had the chance to watch the moment Zero Wing fell from its throne.
"Zero Wing has gotten too full of itself after acquiring its powerful war weapons and blatantly proving superpowers left and right The Guild is too young. Now that the situation in God's Domain has changed, Zero Wing can only blame itself for its downfall," Lone Beacon, who sat beside Sky View, calmly commented.
One should never casually provoke a superpower.
Take Sin Realm, for example. Despite so many experts and support from powerful corporations, Sin Realm only dared to call itself overlord in its own kingdom. It actively avoided superpowers' territories. However, Zero Wing repeated provoked superpowers even with no backing. Even Lone Beacon admired the Guild's courage.
However, regardless of Zero Wing's powerful war weapons, White River City would have a new owner today!
While the various major powers discussed Zero Wing, a group of players entered the Auction Arena, causing a massive uproar.
"What?! Even Nature Hall's members have come!"
Everyone was surprised to see Nature Hall's members in the arena.
Nature Hall was one of the fastest-growing superpowers in God's Domain. Not only did it control the Storm Empire, but it also had close relations with several powerful top adventurer teams in the game. Although these top adventurer teams weren't as large as superpowers, they had extraordinarily strong experts. It was rumored that some of these experts could even rival super-first-rate Guilds and Super Guilds' peak experts, with some even rivaling superpowers' old monsters.
Hence, even the various superpowers avoided provoking Nature Hall right now.
"The Storm Empire is so far away from Star-Moon Kingdom. Logically, there's no reason for Nature Hall to contest for White River City. Could it be here because of the issue with Twilight Echo?"
"That's most likely the case. Otherwise, Nature Hall wouldn't have sent Deep Thunder, its First Vice Guild Leader. Furthermore, no one knows what Zero Wing did to convince Nature Hall to give up on Twilight Echo, and because of this, Nature Hall has been humiliated in the Storm Empire."
"Zero Wing is definitely dead now. It had already provoked Blackwater and Starlink, and now, even Nature Hall has shown up. After today, Zero Wing will have no place in White River City."
As everyone discussed Nature Hall's presence, they agreed that Zero Wing was truly doomed. Even other superpowers would suffer if they had to face three rising superpowers like Blackwater, Starlink, and Nature Hall, not to mention Zero Wing.
Meanwhile, when Mu Lingsha saw Nature Hall's members from her top-floor VIP room, her expression turned grim. "It's over! It's really over!"
Blackwater, Starlink, and Nature Hall. Every one of these Guilds was stronger than Unyielding Soul. Not even her Guild would casually provoke any of these three superpowers, yet Zero Wing had angered all of them…
All of Zero Wing's enemies smiled joyfully, especially Sky View and Shadowlight Axe, the former Guild Leaders of Warring Empire and Knight's Judgment
Meanwhile, after arriving, Deep Thunder and his team headed toward Zero Wing's members.
But as everyone expected a fight to break out…
"Guild Leader Black Flame, after such a short time apart, it seems that you've grown stronger yet again," Deep Thunder said amicably as he approached Shi Feng. "Our Guild Leader has sent me with a specific order to help Zero Wing in this competition. If you encounter any trouble, please feel free to use my team and me as you see fit."
"Please send my gratitude to Guild Leader Nature. Zero Wing will remember this kindness," Shi Feng said, nodding. He realized that Nature Hall was trying to befriend his Guild.
"Not at all. It's a small matter." When Deep Thunder heard Shi Feng's reply, he grinned with greater delight, recognizing that Shi Feng had accepted Nature Hall's attempt to form a friendship with Zero Wing.
When the various major powers' representatives saw this, their jaws dropped in shock.
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Chapter 2084 – There's More Than One Backer?
"What's going on?"
"Isn't Nature Hall here to cause trouble for Zero Wing?"
Deep Thunder's behavior stupefied the various major powers. They could not understand what Nature Hall was trying to pull.
"Are those people using disguises?" The Bloodbath Family's Dust Blood muttered in confusion.
Nature Hall had already grown stronger than super-first-rate Guilds like the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion and Unyielding Soul. Such a powerful Guild should disdain ordinary super-first-rate Guilds, let alone Zero Wing.
However, after watching the exchange between Shi Feng and Deep Thunder, one would think that Zero Wing was the true superpower, not Nature Hall.
No matter how Dust Blood considered the situation, he couldn't understand what was happening.
"I've met Deep Thunder personally. Although God's Domain has many tools that can disguise a player, they can't replicate a target's strength and aura," the gray-robed young man said, shaking his head. "That Deep Thunder looks and feels exactly like the one I've met Moreover, Deep Thunder wields the Magic Warrior hidden class. You can feel a special kind of Mana around him at all times. No tool can duplicate that feeling."
"Then, why is that Deep Thunder treating Black Flame so graciously?" Dust Blood asked, clearly confused.
"This… I don't know. Maybe Nature Hall has some secret deal with Black Flame," the young man said. He was just as confused and didn't know how to answer his companion's question.
With Nature Hall's strength and development speed, not even the Secret Pavilion would be able to stop it from targeting Zero Wing without tremendous compensation. The gray-robed young man had no idea what ability Zero Wing possessed to warrant Nature Hall's goodwill. Moreover, Nature Hall seemed to be desperate for Zero Wing's approval.
The only explanation he could think of involved some private deal between Black Flame and Nature Hall's core upper echelons, convincing the larger Guild to give up on Twilight Echo and support Zero wing.
"No wonder why Zero Wing's members seem so fearless. It turns out they actually have Nature Hall's support," Dust Blood said, sneering. However, a trace of envy and admiration could be seen in his gaze.
Although the Bloodbath Family was a top-ranked first-rate Guild and only a short distance from becoming an actual superpower, it could not afford to provoke some of the small Guilds in its territory. Most of those small Guilds were backed by superpowers.
Even if Zero Wing lost White River City today, it could slowly recuperate its strength. It still wasn't an existence that ordinary powers could afford to provoke.
As for Black Flame's private deal with Nature Hall, this was likely the case.
After all, Black Flame possessed extraordinary individual strength. It wasn't surprising to find someone so powerful connected to certain influential individuals. In fact, the more Dust Blood thought about it, the more it seemed plausible.
It certainly explained why Zero Wing dared to provoke Blackwater and Starlink openly.
Dust Blood wasn't the only one with such thoughts. The various major powers' upper echelons had reached the same conclusion.
One should not underestimate Nature Hall just because its territory was smaller than Blackwater and Starlink's. Nature Hall's Storm Empire was an ore country, far more valuable than the Steel Empire or Dark Night Empire. Nature Hall had no reason to fear Blackwater or Starlink.
Meanwhile, in another corner, Sin Realm's members were silent. The killing intent they radiated had also lessened.
None of them had thought that Zero Wing had any backers, but in truth, it seemed that a titan stood behind the smaller Guild…
With Nature Hall's assistance, Zero Wing might actually hold White River City and solidify its position as Star-Moon Kingdom's overlord.
"Zero Wing has an alliance with Nature Hall?" Glaring hatefully at Shi Feng, Sky View hissed, "So what if you have Nature Hall's support? Nature Hall might not fear Blackwater and Starlink, but it is only one superpower. There are more than two superpowers for White River City. I refuse to believe Nature Hall can defeat them all!"
Sin Realm's members nodded in agreement This competition for the Auction House was unique, and even if Nature Hall helped Zero Wing defeat the participating superpowers, there were others in God's Domain. Zero Wing would not change its fate of losing White River City.
However, while the crowd discussed the relationship between Nature Hall and Zero Wing, two players, one young and one old, approached Shi Feng. These two were none other than Mu Lingsha and Unknown King.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, I am Mu Cheng. My granddaughter, Lingsha, has recently been in your care. If Zero Wing encounters any trouble, please feel free to request my help. Although I have withdrawn from the frontlines, I dare say that I am still a capable fighter," Unknown King said, chuckling as he glanced at the various major powers in the Auction Arena.
Sin Realm and the other superpowers that were so eager to watch Zero Wing's downfall were stupefied after watching Mu Cheng and Mu Lingsha speak with Shi Feng.
"What?! Why is Thousand Hands doing here?!"
"What relationship does Zero Wing have with Unyielding Soul to warrant a personal visit from its former Guild Leader?"
The Auction Arena stirred at Mu Cheng's appearance.
The various major powers weren't the only ones surprised by this old man's arrival. Many independent players were just as shocked to see Mu Cheng.
Mu Cheng was one of the older generation's experts. He had been a bigshot in the virtual gaming world when Unyielding Soul had been at its peak, and when he had still been active, everyone had known his nickname, 'Thousand Hands.' He had been known as one of the top three Assassins in the virtual gaming world. If his physical deterioration hadn't forced him away from the frontlines, Unyielding Soul wouldn't have fallen to its current state.
Why wouldn't everyone be shocked to see such a bigshot greet Zero Wing and offer its help?
Deep Thunder, who stood a short distance away, was also surprised to see this old man. He hadn't considered that Zero Wing would have such deep ties to Unyielding Soul, so much so that Unyielding Soul's former Guild Leader would make a personal appearance. Deep Thunder immediately raised his evaluation of Zero Wing.
"Who is this Black Flame? Two superpowers have actually shown up to support him?" Dust Blood's eyes nearly fell from their sockets when he saw Mu Cheng talk to Shi Feng.
Although Mu Cheng had retired and was no longer at his peak strength, he could display a significant portion of his abilities with the latest virtual reality technology in God's Domain. He definitely shouldn't be underestimated. If Mu Cheng really lent Zero Wing a helping hand, the outcome of this competition would be uncertain.
"Damn it! Why!?"
"This has to be a trick!"
Sky View was utterly flabbergasted. First, Nature Hall had offered its support, and now, so did Unyielding Soul. He simply couldn't keep up.
Unlike the players in the Auction Arena, the spectating crowd outside grew excited with the sudden development.
No one had believed that Zero Wing had any backers, and despite its hopes of becoming a super-first-rate Guild, its chances were actually quite slim. However, they now realized that they had been mistaken. Not only did Zero Wing have two backers, but both were also true superpowers. Factoring in Zero Wing's development speed, the likelihood of it becoming a super-first-rate Guild was extremely high.
"Nature Hall and Unyielding Soul?" Galaxy Past, who sat in one of the spectator rooms on the second floor, couldn't help his bitter smile as he watched Deep Thunder and Mu Cheng.
He had thought that Star Alliance had significantly shortened the gap between it and Zero Wing. He hadn't expected that Zero Wing had hidden so much power.
He had watched Zero Wing grow from nothing, and he had assumed that he had seen everything the Guild had to offer. Unfortunately, it seemed that he still underestimated Zero Wing's strength.
Meanwhile, Purple Eye watched Aqua Rose and Gentle Snow, who stood beside their Guild Leader, in envy. She had thought of the two women as rivals, but now, they were utterly out of her reach.
Now that Zero Wing had the support of two superpowers, it could definitely ascent to the upper levels of God's Domain in the future.
While everyone talked about Zero Wing, a commotion erupted outside of the arena. Shortly after, a group of 400-plus players entered. Even the lowest-leveled player among this group was Level 64, with their weakest piece of equipment being Level 60 Fine-Gold rank. They all wore Starlink's Guild Emblem, and the dozen or so players in the lead possessed several Epic Weapons and Equipment, wearing no less than Level 60 Dark-Gold items. A faint glow enveloped these dozen or so players as if they were the incarnations of Gods.
Mu Lingsha was stunned. Not even Unyielding Soul's main force was likely a match for these players.
"Sure enough, they've come."
Mu Cheng's expression gradually became serious as he watched the leaders of Starlink's force.
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Chapter 2085 – Glory?
There were many experts in the magnificent Auction Arena. Some among them even served as pillars in their large Guilds, and there were quite a few peak experts from the various superpowers.
However, when Starlink's members entered the arena, everyone gasped as they felt the intense pressure emitting from these players. Starlink's members didn't feel like players, but Great Lords. The crowd subconsciously submitted as those players' aura washed over them.
Even peak experts felt the threat of death from the dozen or so Starlink members in the lead.
"Why are they here?" Deep Thunder's expression similarly changed when he saw Starlink's members, surprise and fear flashing in his eyes.
"Grandpa, who are those people? Why do even superpowers' peak experts seem afraid of them?" Mu Lingsha could not help but ask as she watched the various spectating superpowers' peak experts in confusion.
While it was true that Starlink's members were strong, the watching peak experts were as well.
Even if there were a difference between superpowers' strength, there should be no reason for the spectating peak experts to fear Starlink's experts, but every one of their faces twisted with anxiety.
Her grandfather, Mu Cheng, was a true Domain Realm expert, and his nickname of Thousand Hands was no trivial matter. Although he had grown weaker with age, he could still easily handle peak experts. However, when her grandfather saw the dozen or so players leading Starlink's team, he seemed to share the spectating experts' trepidation.
She found this situation truly baffling.
"Zero Wing really has no chance in the struggle for White River City now," Mu Cheng could not help his bitter smile as he watched Starlink's leading members.
He had thought that they could help Zero wing hold White River City with the combination of Nature Hall's assistance and his fame. After all, the various participating superpowers had their own NPC cities to prioritize. They would only be able to dispatch a limited portion of their strength to secure White River City's Auction House. However, it seemed he had underestimated Starlink's feelings toward Zero Wing.
"Are they really that strong?" Mu Lingsha was even more surprised by her grandfather's comment.
"They're not just strong! Against these people, even veteran Super Guilds like the Battle Wolves and Sacred Temple would have to take their opponents seriously! Otherwise, their defeat would be almost guaranteed!" Mu Cheng explained as he watched the four white-haired men among Starlink's team. "To think that Starlink would recruit the Four Shadow Demons…
I've known that Starlink has been gathering an extraordinary amount of strength in secret, but I hadn't thought that it was so capable. Even Unyielding Soul is likely in danger."
"The Four Shadow Demons?" After giving the name some thought, Mu Lingsha asked in surprise, "Are they the four lunatics that shook up the various superpowers years ago?"
The Four Shadow Demons had been very well-known more than a decade ago, but unlike the name suggested, these four didn't operate as a group. They hadn't even known each other, acting independently.
These four people had earned the nickname 'Four Shadow Demons' because of how much trouble they had caused the various superpowers, killing countless experts and peak experts. Not even Unyielding Soul had been spared from the Four Shadow Demons' mischief.
All four of these players were madmen. Moreover, they were independent players, and as a result, the various superpowers had a very difficult time tracking them down and dealing with them.
During the height of their troublemaking, these four had been a hot topic among the general populace, so the Secret Pavilion had named them the Four Shadow Demons, a nickname that had spread across the virtual gaming world.
The various superpowers had the greatest headache trying to deal with players like the Four Shadow Demons. Not only were they extremely powerful, but they were also insufferable lunatics.
With all four of these madmen here, it was easy to imagine how frightening this competition would be…
Meanwhile, hundreds of players wearing Blackwater's Guild Emblem sat quietly in one of the top-floor VIP rooms. The inflexible, middle-aged man who led the group looked down at Shi Feng, watching the Swordsman with a smug grin.
If Shi Feng were there, he would've recognized the middle-aged man as Jing Yang, the Blackwater representative that had visited Zero Wing's main headquarters not long ago.
"Sure enough, Vice Guild Leader was right Starlink has secretly recruited those four old ghosts," Jing Yang said, smiling. "I doubt even Zero Wing would've thought this could happen."
"Then, should we take action now?" Snow Scar asked as he glanced at Shi Feng.
"No. It is too soon. Let's wait until the competition officially begins before we teach Zero Wing the meaning of despair. Even if we say nothing, Zero Wing will beg us to take their Combat Puppets," Jing Yang said, laughing.
The arena's atmosphere had drastically changed when the Four Shadow Demons had appeared.
Everyone had been optimistic about Zero Wing's success in the competition. The Guild had support from two superpowers, potential was limitless.
However, such thoughts had been abandoned.
"It seems Zero Wing has reached the end of the line. Melody, you better give up now. Zero Wing can no longer back Ninth Heaven. Only Setting Sun can ensure Ninth Heaven's glory in Forest City, now," a young, handsome male Half-elf said. "Zero Wing might have been able to deal with the Death God Workshop, but now that it's on the brink of destruction, how could it possibly afford to help your Guild?
"Don't think that Starlink only has the Four Shadow Demons. The dozen or so experts around them aren't ordinary, either. Take that blue-armored Swordsman, for example. He has earned the nickname 'Illusion Swordsman,' and his combat standards are on par with Miracle Dragon's. There's also that tall Shield Warrior. He's called Mountain Horn and can rival Cuttlefish, the Iron Wall from Crimson Emperor.
"Every one of those people is an absolute peak expert. Moreover, Starlink has given all of them Epic Weapons and Equipment. Just these people's strength is more than enough to make a super-first-rate Guild like Unyielding Soul suffer in a bitter battle, not to mention a Guild like Zero Wing."
Could Zero Wing really be doomed? Melody wondered as she looked at Shi Feng. She had no rebuttal for the Half-elf man. He had only spoken the truth.
Even with two supporting superpowers, Zero Wing wasn't a match for the full force of another superpower.
Unlike Melody's despair, Sky View was overjoyed.
"So what if you have two superpowers to support you, Black Flame? It can't change the fact that you will watch as someone takes White River City from you!" Sky View threw his head back and laughed.
When he had watched one bigshot after another stand up for Zero Wing, he had sighed at his own weakness.
But who would've thought that the situation would change so drastically in the blink of an eye?
Zero Wing had enjoyed endless glory in the Auction Arena since it arrived, but in the end, it was still an ant on the chessboard of God's Domain. The Guild was still easy prey for superpowers.
As everyone chatted amongst themselves, a bell abruptly rang, echoing throughout White River City as it signaled the start of the Auction Arena's competition…
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Chapter 2086 – Expert Foundations?
White River City fell silent as the sound of the starting bell echoed throughout its streets. Almost everyone's breathing quickened in anticipation as they stared intently at the Magic Mirrors lining the business district, afraid to miss a single moment of the upcoming struggle.
Many players outside of White River City had pulled up Star-Moon Kingdom's official forums to watch the livestreams.
For a moment, this competition had rendered the entire kingdom silent.
The spectators in the Auction Arena itself tensed as they quietly watched the massive globe of water that had appeared above the arena.
The gigantic globe displayed the qualifying round's rules, which were unlike those of any competition previously held in the Auction Arena.
The previous competitions had been fighting tournaments or betting matches between players. The rewards had been subpar, and very few players had been interested in taking part, although any player could join these competitions. However, since this competition involved the management rights to White River City's Auction House, the system had set up a qualifying round before the official matches.
Only those who passed the qualifiers could join the official struggle. If one failed to meet the requirements, all of the resources in the world couldn't help them.
"It's just a qualifying round, yet the participation fee is so high?"
The spectating players gasped when they saw the participation cost of one Epic material.
Epic materials were still incredibly rare among the various large Guilds. An ordinary large Guild would be fortunate to accumulate around 30 Epic materials. Such items even had an extremely low drop-rate in 100-man, Hard Mode Team Dungeons.
Moreover, the Main God System had reduced the drop-rate to zero for players that exceeded the Dungeon's level limit to prevent players from abusing low-level Team Dungeons.
Sending low-level members to grind these Team Dungeons was also useless for a Guild. These players wouldn't be able to raid the Dungeons even if their Guilds gave them top-tier equipment. Team Dungeons tested players' combat standards as well as their equipment standards, and it would be extremely foolish for a Guild to have its members with high combat standards maintain low levels. As players reached higher levels in God's Domain, they'd encounter more fortuitous opportunities. Instructing experts to remain at a lower level would ruin the Guild and the players' development.
Because of this, the various major powers had stockpiled very few Epic materials.
Yet, the Auction Arena charged one Epic material per participant, and every participating power had brought at least several dozen members…
However, despite the crowd's sentiments, more than a hundred powers paid the participation fee.
Starlink, in particular, paid for more than 400 participants. When they saw this, the spectators couldn't help but shudder.
Even the independent players watching from outside of the Auction House couldn't help but gape in shock.
Everyone had known before this that the various superpowers shouldn't be provoked and possessed wealth that far surpassed first-rate Guilds, but they were still blown away when they saw how many members the various superpowers had dispatched for this competition.
Moreover, this was only for one city. Many of these superpowers were contesting for multiple cities.
Superpowers could truly kill people with wealth alone!
So, this is a superpower? Melody was even more distraught when she saw how many Starlink members would take part in this struggle.
Setting aside its members' combat standards, the fact that Starlink had the financial strength to dispatch more than 400 players was enough to devastate second-rate Guilds like Ninth Heaven.
The competition for the Auction House didn't operate like a fighting tournament. In the official competition, players would be evenly distributed onto five separate, spacious battlefields. Players would then have to slaughter each other and claim the energy crystals that would randomly fall from above. Whichever power had the most energy crystals at the end of the competition would secure the Auction House's management rights.
However, not only were players prohibited from using tools on the battlefield, but they were also banned from using large- scale Spells. The Main God System truly was intent on testing the participating powers' comprehensive strength. It didn't allow any trickery whatsoever.
Although Zero Wing had dispatched 112 players to this competition, even more than top-ranked first-rate Guilds like the Bloodbath Family and Holy Reincarnation, it paled in comparison to Starlink's 400-plus members.
Moreover, King's Return had sent 300-plus members, Blackwater had dispatched 200-plus, and Pantheon had arrived with 200-plus members. None of these superpowers should be underestimated. The other superpowers were mostly here to watch, not planning to compete for White River City. So, they had only paid for a few members to participate for the experience.
Although the various superpowers' foundations had shocked the crowd, what happened next utterly stupefied everyone watching.
Each of the qualifying round's participating players was teleported to an independent room, all of which had over a dozen Trolls. The weakest of these Trolls was a Lord, while the strongest was a Great Lord, and each room had a total of three Great Lords. All of the Trolls were Level 65, slightly higher than the participating players' average level.
Players had to defeat three Level 65 Great Lords and more than ten Level 65 Lords in the qualifying round. Even ordinary experts would flee from such a monster group, yet the system wanted them to survive against these monsters for one minute. To make matters worse, players couldn't use tools. Many of the expert players in the arena despaired when they saw how difficult this qualifying round would be.
"Is the system joking?"
"The system must be crazy! I can't even last 30 seconds against one Level 65 Great Lord, much less against three of them!"
At first, many of the watching experts had hated themselves for not having any Epic materials and losing out on the perfect opportunity to make a name for themselves, but after seeing the qualifying round's challenge, they were relieved. If they had paid to participate, they would've wasted an Epic material for nothing.
"As expected of the Auction House's struggle! This is amazing! The qualifying round already has such high standards! This trip here was definitely worth it!"
"The standards are indeed quite high. I'm afraid that most of the participants will be disqualified during this round. Only those superpowers will have a significant number of experts make it to the true competition."
"The small Guilds that are trying to make a name for themselves will likely be disappointed. Although, aside from those superpowers, I'm fairly certain that the Dark Night Empire's Bloodbath Family, the Glory Empire's Holy Reincarnation, and the Purple Thorns Kingdom's Sin Realm will have quite a few members pass the qualifying round."
"That's probably true. Not only are those Guilds supported by powerful corporations, but they also have plenty of expert members."
"Zero Wing really is unlucky. It should've had a fighting chance since it dispatched 40 or so more players than the participating first-rate Guilds, but after this round, Zero Wing will likely have far fewer members in the official competition than the first-rate Guilds."
"That's right. Although Zero Wing has been developing wonderfully recently, it hasn't had enough time to develop to a sufficient level. Its foundations simply cannot compare to veteran first-rate Guilds'. If Zero Wing had accepted some major company or corporation's investments, it would've likely been a match for Guilds like the Bloodbath Family and Sin Realm."
Everyone talked about the competition's qualifying round. They all had guesses about how many players from the participating Guilds would make it to the competition after this round. However, nobody questioned the various superpowers' performances, comparing the first-rate Guilds' abilities instead.
One minute passed quickly, and excited, everyone shifted their attention to the massive water globe hovering over the Auction Arena. They couldn't wait to see how the participating powers would perform.
Thousand Light Family, 9 people passed.
Blast adventurer team, 5 people passed.
Bloodbath Family, 32 people passed.
Star Alliance, 17 people passed.
Sin Realm, 26 people passed.
Holy Reincarnation, 35 people passed.
King's Return, 237 people passed.
Pantheon, 175 people passed.
Black Water, 204 people passed.
Starlink, 339 people passed.
Zero Wing, 107 people passed.
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Chapter 2087 – Passing Rate?
"What's going on?"
"I thought Zero Wing only sent 112 members. How did so many of them pass?"
The players in the Auction Arena stared with wide eyes when they saw how many Zero Wing members had made it through the qualifiers, unable to believe their eyes.
The various major powers waiting for the official competition's start were just as baffled.
"Impossible! The system must have made a mistake!" Sky View practically shouted when he saw the numbers on the water globe.
Zero Wing had only paid for 112 participating members in the qualifying round, yet 107 of them had made it through. This passing rate was absolutely horrifying.
Only about 55% of the teams from top-ranked first-rate Guilds like Bloodbath Family, Sin Realm, and Holy Reincarnation had passed the trial. Even then, it was impressive. Ordinary first-rate Guilds like the Star Alliance only had a 40% passing rate.
As for the various participating superpowers, even the best-performing Guild, Blackwater, had only managed 88% of its team, yet 95.5% of Zero Wing's members had cleared the qualifying round, surpassing Blackwater. No matter how Sky View thought about the situation, he couldn't believe it.
Superpowers had plenty of experts and detailed training programs that were particularly efficient when nurturing players. Ordinary powers simply couldn't compare. Moreover, the players that were powerful enough to be considered for this competition were the various powers' experts among experts.
Yet, Zero Wing had surpassed all of them.
Sky View wasn't the only confused player. Not even the various major powers' members could fathom how Zero Wing had built such a powerful foundation.
"Zero Wing is amazing! Its passing rate is even higher than those superpowers'!"
"Didn't they say that Zero Wing hasn't had enough time to develop, and its foundation regarding expert players is weak? Why do I feel like Zero Wing's expert foundation is even stronger than those top-ranked first-rate Guilds?"
When the independent players watching from outside of the Auction House saw Zero Wing's passing rate, they reevaluated their opinions of the Guild, especially the expert players from other kingdoms and empires.
Based on the passing rates, it was, more or less, clear that Zero Wing's expert foundation was no weaker than top-ranked first-rate Guilds. In fact, it might even be slightly stronger than its competition.
"The difference is actually so great?" Galaxy Past was at a loss for words as he stared at the magic water globe.
He had thought that the Star Alliance had a chance against Zero Wing's expert foundation. After developing for so long, the Star Alliance had grown considerably.
Nowadays, God's Domain's popularity continued to increase, and more people joined the game every day. As a result, more experts continued to rise. Not only had the Star Alliance successfully nurtured a lot of experts, but it had also recruited experts from elsewhere. The Guild was many times stronger than when it had joined God's Domain.
However, only 40% of the Star Alliance's players had made it through the qualifying round, while 95.5% of Zero Wing's players had succeeded. No matter how Galaxy Past looked at it, the Star Alliance wasn't on the same playing field as Zero Wing.
Meanwhile, when Melody, who watched from a private spectator room, saw the passing rates, the darkness in her eyes vanished. She couldn't help her growing excitement as if she had just seen a ray of hope illuminate a dark sky.
However, despite Melody's elation, the Half-elf man beside her remained unperturbed.
"I'm assuming that you think Zero Wing now has some hope of holding White River City, right?" the Half-elf man said as he glanced at Shi Feng, who stood in the Auction Arena. "Unfortunately, that is still impossible.
"Zero Wing's passing rate is amazing, but no matter how many players made it through the last round, Zero Wing still only has 107 members participating in the official competition. Compared to the four participating superpowers, that is nothing. Even Pantheon, the superpower with the fewest members in the competition, has 68 more players than Zero Wing.
"At the end of the day, this competition is a test of a Guild's comprehensive strength. Zero Wing might be able to deal with top-ranking first-rate Guilds like the Bloodbath Family and Holy Reincarnation, but it doesn't have the power to contend with superpowers."
"But…" Although Melody wanted to argue, she knew his words were true when she saw how calmly the various superpowers' members had reacted to Zero Wing's results.
Even the various top-ranked first-rate Guilds, whose members had been surprised to see Zero Wing's success a moment ago, regained their composure as they realized that the strength Zero Wing had displayed did nothing to change its circumstances.
Meanwhile, an old man in black armor with a slightly hunched back stood at the lead of King's Return's team in the Auction Arena. After taking a look at the water globe, this old man smiled and turned to Mu Cheng, who stood a short distance away.
"Brother Mu, long time no see. I hadn't expected to see you in action again. I certainly didn't expect to find you here," the hunchbacked man said, smiling.
"You're here as well, so what's so strange about my presence?" Mu Cheng asked the old man. Although his tone was disdainful, vigilance filled his gaze as he addressed the hunchbacked, old man.
He was vigilant because this man was one of King's Return's old monsters. He had risen to fame more than three decades ago, earning the nickname 'Blindman.' While his nickname sounded demeaning, the older generation's expert players knew it was by no means an insult. In fact, it was the highest form of praise.
This old man was truly blind in the real world, but since virtual reality games connected to the brain directly, they allowed people with disabilities to function as if they had none in the game world. Naturally, those with sight disabilities could see normally in the game world. However, not only did Blindman recover his sight in virtual reality games, but his sight was also far sharper than the ordinary person's. By relying on his superior sight, he had carved a place for himself in the virtual gaming world. The Secret Pavilion had even called him the All-seeing Sword Saint.
Even when Mu Cheng had been at his peak, he had only been able to win four out of ten fights with Blindman.
"I've heard that you have a close relationship with Zero Wing; is that true? Unfortunately, our King's Return has a little enmity with one of that Guild's little fellows. How about this? If you don't help Zero Wing, we won't target the Guild," Blindman asked, chuckling.
Blindman's suggestion rendered Mu Cheng speechless. It seemed that Zero Wing wasn't satisfied with provoking superpowers like Starlink and Blackwater, but it had provoked King's Return as well…
However, when Mu Cheng saw that more than 200 people standing behind Blindman and compared them to the dozen or so subordinates behind himself, he could not help but nod helplessly, replying, "Fine, it's a deal."
Mu Cheng then turned to look at the distant Shi Feng and muttered to himself, "This is the most I can do to help you.'
When the various major powers' members overheard the old men's conversation, they couldn't help but send Zero Wing sneers and looks of pity.
"Zero Wing is always so arrogant, provoking so many superpowers. Now, these superpowers want retribution."
"Hahaha! So what if more than 100 players from Zero Wing made it through the qualifiers? In the end, its efforts mean nothing!"
Now that Zero Wing had lost one of its capable supporters, its chances of holding White River City had fallen even further.
Time passed quickly. After another two minutes, the qualifying players were distributed across five different battlefields. Each battlefield was the size of a small leveling map, easily accommodating tens of thousands of players.
The rules for this competition were quite simple. The competition had a three-hour time limit, and throughout its duration, energy crystals would randomly fall into the battlefield. The power that secured the most energy crystals after three hours would be crowned as the victor.
When the bell rang throughout the five battlefields, the official competition began as every player in Star-Moon Kingdom watched.
"Everyone, listen up! Prioritize Zero Wing's members above all others!"
When the competition began, the various major powers issued commands to target Zero Wing to curry favor with the various superpowers.
"I found some of Zero Wing's members here!"
"Good! Get rid of them first! We'll fight for the energy crystals later!"
As soon as the major powers' members discovered Zero Wing's, they charged toward them.
"Zero Wing? Die!"
Sky View sneered when he saw the beauty observing her surroundings. He immediately charged at the woman from Zero Wing alongside a dozen or so of his subordinates.
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Chapter 2088 – Suppressing Enemies with One Move
As the official competition began, Zero Wing's spectating members paled.
The Auction Arena's competition should've been a free-for-all between the various participating superpowers, but now, almost every player targeted Zero Wing.
These superpowers moved as if they had already made an agreement.
"How can this be?" Melody, who watched the competition through a Magic Mirror, was utterly devastated as she watched the various powers' experts work together against Zero Wing's members.
Dealing with several superpowers in this competition was one thing. After all, the Auction Arena had five independent battlefields, and players would be randomly distributed across them. Combined, these hostile superpowers only had around 1,000 members in total, and after being split between five battlefields, their numbers thinned. Locating Zero Wing's members across such a large map wouldn't be easy with so few players.
Moreover, victory in the Auction Arena didn't depend on the number of kills one had. Players simply needed to contest for the energy crystals that would appear.
As long as Zero Wing avoided confrontation with these several superpowers and focused on securing energy crystals, it definitely had hope of securing White River City's Auction House.
However, that hope was dashed if those superpowers worked together…
While the various powers might not have as many participating members as the various superpowers, when combined, they easily outnumbered the more powerful guilds by three or four times. Even if the battlefields were quite large, locating Zero Wing's members wouldn't be a challenge if all of these powers cooperated.
"I told you long ago that the various superpowers in God's Domain are not as simple as you. Zero Wing has severely underestimated its enemies since the very beginning, as well. Zero Wing doesn't have the slightest chance of winning this competition," the Half-elf man said calmly. "This competition is simply Zero Wing's execution."
Rather than military strength, the various superpowers' influence over lesser Guilds was truly frightening.
The various participating powers understood that they would reach greater heights instantly if they could curry favor with a superpower. This was also why the various powers had become jealous when they had learned that two superpowers backed Zero Wing. Normally, trying to gain a superpower's support wasn't easy, but Zero Wing had presented the perfect opportunity to do just that.
While the Half-elf man expressed his opinion, Sky View and the dozen or so experts from other powers on Battlefield No. 4 closed in on the beautiful woman wearing a six-winged emblem.
The Magic Mirrors along the city's business district displayed the scene clearly.
"Huh? Isn't that beauty Graceful Moon, the former Firecloud Fox adventurer team's vice commander?" an expert from the Black Dragon Empire asked, recognizing the woman on the Magic Mirror immediately.
"She's Graceful Moon? I had heard that she used to be quite strong, only slightly off from becoming one of the top 100 Summoners in the Black Dragon Empire. Many first-rate Guilds had tried to recruit her. I had never thought that she would join Zero Wing."
"But she's not very lucky. A group of enemies spotted her right off the bat She'll likely be the first person to disqualify from the competition," a Level 63 male Ranger said, sighing as he gazed at Graceful Moon's beauty.
"She's not just unlucky; she's extremely unlucky. Setting aside Sky View, one of Sin Realm's newly-minted ten great experts, the man and woman beside him are exceptional experts," a Level 64 Guardian Knight commented. "That glamorous woman is Elegant Insanity, one of Holy Reincarnation's rising geniuses. I've heard that she's the second-ranked Assassin in her Guild. If not for her lack of achievements, she would've ranked on the God's Domain Experts List long ago.
"As for that stalwart, silver-armored man, he's Howling Earth, one of the Bloodbath Family's top four Berserkers. He also has the hidden class, Bloodrage Warrior. The lower his HP gets, the greater his combat power becomes. He previously defeated two experts from the God's Domain Experts List.
"Those two working together would be enough to trouble a peak expert. Include the other powers' experts, even a peak expert would have to flee."
Everyone around the Level 64 Guardian Knight gasped in shock.
Even a superpower's peak experts would have to flee if they encountered such a force without support, not to mention Graceful Moon, who hadn't even ranked among the top 100 of her class in the Black Dragon Empire.
When the spectating crowd discussed Graceful Moon's opponents, Sky View and his companions surrounded her.
"Die!" Sky View shouted as the surrounding Mana surged to him, increasing the intensity of his aura. He felt like a humanoid Great Lord. He then launched the Tier 2 Curse, Violent Flame Spears at Graceful Moon, sending 28 fiery spears toward the woman from multiple directions.
Howling Earth also shouted, and his muscles bulged as he leaped up with his giant war hammer raised. He swung his weapon down toward Graceful Moon like a mountain descending on the female Summoner.
In contrast, Elegant Insanity vanished, waiting patiently for an opportunity to land a fatal blow.
The three experts cooperated as if they had fought together for many years. Their attacks' timing was perfect, leaving Graceful Moon no room to dodge.
As the war hammer and flame spears flew toward the Level 65 Summoner…
Graceful Moon, who had stood motionless, finally made her move. She raised Fallen Language, her Epic staff, and summoned a Level 70, Great Lord ranked Steel-armed Ape. At the same time, three Level 70 Lord ranked Rock Guardians appeared around her.
The Rock Guardians were Elemental Creatures, so their innate Magic Resistance was quite high. The three Rock Guardians served as an impenetrable wall, stopping every incoming flame spear.
The Sted-armed Ape stood three meters tall and was covered in golden magic circuits, which had been tattooed across its body. With arms thicker than its legs, the Steel-armed Ape swung at the descending war hammer.
Boom!
With the sound of an explosion, Howling Earth was thrown back. When he landed, he discovered that both of his arms had numbed. The Steel-armed Ape's Strength definitely surpassed that of ordinary Great Lords.
However, while Howling Earth had flown through the air, a black figure had appeared beside Graceful Moon. This figure was none other than Elegant Insanity. The snow-white dagger in her right hand silently slid toward Graceful Moon's throat like a cunning snake.
Since Graceful Moon had just finished casting a Spell and her physique as a Summoner wasn't formidable, she had no defensive options to protect herself from Elegant Insanity's swift, silent attack.
Just as everyone expected to see the Assassin's attack land…
A gigantic, stone palm appeared above Elegant Insanity's head, descending on the female Assassin like a falling mountain. She had no choice but to abandon her attack and evade.
However, as Elegant Insanity tried to dodge the Rock Guardian's attack, the remaining two Rock Guardians attacked the Assassin's blind spots as if they had prepared for this moment. Caught off guard, Elegant Insanity couldn't dodge or block any of the incoming attacks.
"Damn it!" Elegant Insanity frowned. She immediately activated Wind Steps, using the brief moment of invulnerability to survive the attacks.
Peng! Peng!
With two muffled sounds, Elegant Insanity was thrown like a cannonball, only stopping after she crashed into a large tree. Although she didn't take any damage, a trace of fear flashed in her eyes when she looked at Graceful Moon.
Against a coordinated attack from three powerful experts like herself, Sky View, and Howling Earth, even a peak expert would have to use a Lifesaving Skill or face impending death. However, these three were actually at a disadvantage against Graceful Moon…
The spectating players outside of the arena gaped in shock as they watched the events unfold. The Black Dragon Empire's experts, who were familiar with the female Summoner, were particularly stunned.
Was this female Summoner the same Graceful Moon they knew?
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Chapter 2089 – Shocking the Whole Arena "So strong!"
"Zero Wing has hidden such a powerful expert?"
The first fight in Battlefield No. 4 astonished the crowd outside of the Auction House. Seeing as how Graceful Moon smoothly stopped the incoming attacks from three experts, all of which ranked among the top in their top-ranked, first-rate Guilds, it was clear that her combat standards could definitely rival those of superpowers' peak experts.
Within a superpower, every peak expert served as a vital support pillar, and the various first-rate Guilds feared them all. A peak expert could single-handedly wipe out a 100-man team of ordinary experts. Smaller Guilds had no hope of suppressing a peak expert without constricting their players to operate in teams of several hundred at the very least Some peak experts who had chosen classes with high survivability could come and go as they pleased.
"She only recently joined Zero Wing, yet she's already grown so strong?" Yi Luofei, who watched from a second-floor spectator room, blinked in surprise as she stared at Graceful Moon incredulously.
As the vice commander of FFF, a top adventurer team in the Black Dragon Empire, Yi Luofei had a certain familiarity with the empire's well-known adventurer teams. Due to Graceful Moon's performance in the last ranking battle in the empire, Yi Luofei had made sure to pay extra close attention to her.
However, Yi Luofei remembered Graceful Moon displaying combat standards that hadn't even rivaled those of first-rate Guilds' peak experts, much less Refinement Realm experts like Sky View, Elegant Insanity, and Howling Earth.
Yet, this female Summoner suppressed all three Refinement Realm experts by herself. Graceful Moon's new-found strength shocked Yi Luofei.
Moreover, this situation wasn't like Yi Luofei's defeat against Zhao Yueru during the ranking battles. Zhao Yueru had relied on superior Basic Attributes and Spells to win, but as a true Void Realm expert, Yi Luofei recognized that the same couldn't be said for Graceful Moon. Graceful Moon's success was simply a result of her impeccable ability to control her summoned creatures.
"Not only have her Basic Attributes risen, but her combat standards have skyrocketed as well. It seems Zero Wing still has some secrets," Yan Tianxing, FFF's commander, commented as he watched Graceful Moon with squinted eyes, a hit of surprise flashing in his gaze.
After the FFF adventurer team had secretly joined the Flower of Seven Sins, the adventurer team's upper echelons had gained a lot of detailed information on the various superpowers. Hence, Yan Tianxing understood how frightening they truly were. Their ability to nurture experts, in particular, was truly amazing. Other powers simply couldn't compete.
As a peak expert that had risen to fame in the virtual gaming world many years ago and was only a short distance away from reaching the Domain Realm, Yan Tianxing recognized that Graceful Moon's current combat standards were quite powerful. Only, her strength was atypical. Normally, players tried to gain more control of their own bodies and their familiarity with the world around them to increase their combat standards, but Graceful Moon felt as if she were actively using the world itself to her benefit.
While everyone was shocked over her performance, the female Summoner in question began to chant another Spell. As she did, her staff started to glow with a dazzling, purple light
Tier 2 Curse, Life Link!
This Curse linked the player with their summoned creatures, sharing their senses. Although the Curse lowered the player's Basic Attributes by 50%, it increased the linked summoned creatures' Basic Attributes by 20% of the player's normal Attributes.
Suddenly, golden magic circuits flashed on the Steel-armed Ape and Rock Guardians as their auras became even more intense. Before anyone could react, the four summoned creatures exploded into action and charged at Graceful Moon's enemies.
Two of the Lord ranked Rock Guardians effortlessly dispersed the dozen or so attacking experts. The third Rock Guardian remained by its Summoner's side, repelling all incoming attacks.
Meanwhile, the Steel-armed Ape charged toward Howling Earth, pummeling the hammer-wielding Bloodrage Warrior.
After the Steel-armed Ape's first hit landed, Howling Earth's arms were numb, and the ground beneath him had cracked.
The second hit numbed the Bloodrage Warrior's entire body, substantially decreasing his reaction speed.
Howling earth had no power to respond to the Stee卜armed Ape's third attack, taking the strike with his shoulders and sinking into the ground past his knees.
With the fourth hit, the summoned creature hammered Howling Earth completely into the ground.
On the fifth hit, Howling Earth died, becoming the first disqualified player from Battlefield No. 4.
Sky View and his comrades were dumbfounded. Their group's healers didn't even have time to finish casting their Spells before the Steel-armed Ape killed Howling Earth. The summoned creature's Strength was simply horrific.
As one of Bloodbath Family's top-ranked Berserkers, Howling Earth had unbound his weapons and equipment to Level 60 Dark Gold rank before entering the battlefield. Only, he hadn't unbound his Epic Weapon completely. To unbind an Epic item to its normal rank on the battlefield, one had to pay 3 Epic materials. On the other hand, restoring all of one's weapons and equipment to Dark-Gold rank only cost 5 Epic materials.
Meanwhile, a full set of Level 60 Dark-Gold Equipment was more than enough to grant Howling Earth the Strength of a High Lord of the same level. Even without a healer, he should be able to contend with a Great Lord of the same level for quite sometime.
Yet, a Level 70, Great Lord ranked Steel-armed Ape had killed Howling Earth in just five moves. Moreover, the Steel-armed Ape hadn't used any techniques or Skills. It had relied on brute force to kill its enemy…
"Damn it! How many Epic items does she have on her?!" Elegant Insanity stared at the female Summoner in astonishment.
At first, the Steel-armed Ape had only displayed enough Strength to make Howling Earth stumble, but after receiving 20% of Graceful Moon's Basic Attributes, its Strength had increased so drastically. Since the Steel-armed Ape hadn't used any Skills thus far, Graceful Moon's Basic Attributes must be so incredibly high that a mere 20% was enough to give a Level 70 Steel-armed Ape the Strength of a Level 65 Grand Lord!
Before its enemies recovered from their shock, the Steel-armed Ape charged toward the nearby group. With the exception of Sky View and Elegant Insanity, the summoned creature killed every expert with two hits. However, the two peak experts didn't fare much better; Sky View died after four punches, and Elegant Insanity only survived until the seventh.
In less than 30 seconds, the various major powers' experts, who had tried to gang up on Graceful Moon, fell under the female Summoner's retaliation. None of them had been able to fight back.
This outcome stunned the watching crowd, but they also considered it reasonable. Players weren't allowed to use Berserk Skills in the arena, and without those Skills, how were they supposed to fight a Grand Lord under another player's control?
"Zero Wing is insane! It dumped so many resources onto Graceful Moon!"
"In my opinion, I think Zero Wing's decision was a wise one. At the very least, with a Grand Lord on its side, no ordinary power can eliminate Zero Wing."
The crowd fell into a heated debate over Graceful Moon's strength. They had never expected Zero Wing to pull such a move. With this, Zero Wing should acquire plenty of energy crystals in Battlefield No. 4.
"Zero Wing certainly has a lot of clever tricks," the Half-elf man beside Melody said, sneering at Graceful Moon through a Magic Mirror. "However, while pouring its resources into a few select experts will allow them to perform well, what could a small number of players hope to accomplish on such large battlefields?"
Each battlefield would spawn three to six energy crystals at set intervals. As long as players held the crystals for ten minutes, their ownership would become permanent, not even dropping if the player died.
As the Half-elf man finished speaking, easily more than 300 players were teleported back to the Auction Arena, in one group after another…
An uproar tore through the Auction Arena's crowd.
"What's wrong with those people?" the Half-elf man turned to the ruckus in the stands in confusion. While most of the participating powers worked together against Zero Wing's members, there were bound to be exceptions. Seeing a large number of players return at the same time shouldn't be surprising.
But when the Half-elf man raised his eyes to the Magic Mirrors displaying the fights in other battlefields, his expression froze.
"Impossible!"
The several dozen Magic Mirrors in the center of the Auction Arena all displayed battles involving Zero Wing's members. Some of these Zero Wing players fought two or three opponents at the same time, while others faced more than ten. Every one of Zero Wing's members displayed combat standards that could rival Refinement Realm experts. Moreover, they all showed off their extraordinarily high Basic Attributes.
The expert players that had returned from the battlefields were Zero Wing's victims…
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Chapter 2090 – Ant
Blood, dust, and smoke filled the gigantic Magic Mirrors' screens as they hovered above the arena. Corpses, what remained of the various major powers' experts, littered the battlefield, while Zero Wing's members remained standing. However, despite their success, Zero Wing's members seemed incredibly calm as if they had only slain mobs along the roadside.
This scene shocked the upper echelons and expert players from the several hundred spectating major powers.
Zero Wing's members had killed over 300 of the various major powers top experts without breaking a sweat, and contrary to expectations, the responsible party didn't just include a dozen or so players. Rather, several dozen players were responsible for this slaughter.
"This is interesting." Mu Cheng, who was assigned to Battlefield No.l, could not help but smile at the Magic Mirror above the battlefield.
Even he had assumed that Zero Wing was doomed to part with White River City's Auction House. He had never imagined that Zero Wing had such a sturdy foundation.
On an ordinary battlefield, having a small number of powerful players that could defeat multiple players at once would be wonderful, but this was the Auction Arena. Players' goal here was to obtain energy crystals, so it was best to have as many capable experts as possible.
At most, the various major powers would admire Zero Wing's battle strategy after watching Graceful Moon kill over a dozen experts by herself. It had merely been a clever trick to these Guilds, proving nothing.
However, now that several dozen Zero Wing members had performed similarly, the various major powers were beginning to feel afraid. The fact that Zero Wing could dispatch several dozen extremely powerful experts was proof of the Guild's solid foundations.
If Zero Wing had so many powerful experts, annihilating any of their Guilds would likely be a piece of cake.
Furthermore, so many experts meant that Zero Wing had the strength to fight the various superpowers for White River City's Auction House. If Zero Wing held this Auction House and eventually grew into a superpower, the powers that had opposed the Guild today would suffer.
"How can a Guild that only established after God's Domain's launch have so many powerful experts and Epic resources?" Dust Blood, who had been assigned to Battlefield No.3, glowered as he watched eight of his Guildmates return to the Auction Arena.
Outsiders might not know these eight players, but he, as the leader of Bloodbath Family's team for this competition, did.
To prepare for this Auction House competition, the Guild had invested over half of its Epic material stock to allow 32 participants to restore their weapons and equipment to Dark-Gold rank.
However, not only had Zero Wing dispatched more than twice as many players to the official competition, but every participant had unbound their weapons and equipment to Dark-Gold rank at the very least. Based on what Dust Blood could see, quite a few Zero Wing members had even restored their equipment to Epic rank. Not even the Bloodbath Family and Holy Reincarnation could afford such an expenditure.
Among the eight slain Bloodbath Family members, two were even bona fide Refinement Realm experts. Even in a superpower, these players would be treated as core members.
But despite working with other powers in this competition, Zero Wing's players had defeated them. Moreover, the Zero Wing members responsible weren't even the Guild's famous experts. Rather, they were just some of Zero Wing's main force members.
Dust Blood couldn't believe it.
Meanwhile, after watching more than 300 of their experts die, the various major powers dismissed the notion of targeting Zero Wing.
They had only gone after the Guild's members to curry favor with the various superpowers watching, but not only hadn't they defeated Zero Wing, but their actions might have also provoked a future superpower. Continuing to single out Zero Wing's members would be foolish. They had only spent so many resources to participate in the Auction Arena to prepare for the competitions in their own territories once their Auction Houses were promoted.
Order quickly returned to the five battlefields as players began to clash with each other, competing for the descending energy crystals. Unless an energy crystal was at stake, the various major powers' experts avoided Zero Wing's members as much as possible. For a time, Zero Wing's members moved across their battlefields with ease.
The spectating crowd fell silent as they recognized this turn of events. Meanwhile, the Zero Wing members watching the competition grew excited. They all wished they were on those battlefields, as well.
The various major powers that had visited Star-Moon Kingdom had treated Zero Wing like dirt in the past. None of them had seen anything special about the kingdom's ruling Guild.
However, these foreign powers now bowed their heads, doing the best they could to avoid Zero Wing's attention.
Wonderful! Without the other powers interference, Zero Wing can safely compete for the energy crystals!" Melody exclaimed as she watched Zero Wing's members traverse the five battlefields unhindered.
Although Zero Wing didn't have as many members in the competition as the various superpowers, the energy crystals appeared randomly across all five battlefields. Without the various major powers' interference, Zero Wing would have an easier time fighting the participating superpowers for energy crystals.
"Compete for the energy crystals?" Evil Judgment, the Half-elf man beside Melody, laughed suddenly.
"What are you trying to say?" Melody frowned as his reaction. She didn't think that Evil Judgment laughed at her out of envy, but due to her ignorance.
"With how important an Auction House is to a Guild, do you think the various superpowers will let anyone lesser compete?" Evil Judgment asked as he gestured to the energy crystals falling into the five battlefields. "The answer is a definite 'No.' No tiger would allow an ant to contest for its territory. Naturally, the various superpowers won't allow insignificant players to take advantage of their fights between each other."
Melody turned back to the Magic Mirrors displaying the battlefields, and what she saw darkened her expression.
The four participating superpowers, which despised Zero Wing, had surrounded the first five energy crystals on each of the five battlefields. Each superpower had reserved three to five players to guard the energy crystals, working together to prevent other powers from approaching.
"How can this be?" Melody was stunned.
If only one superpower stood in their way, the various major powers wouldn't likely consider it much of a threat. When combined, they had an overwhelming numerical advantage. If they worked together, a lone superpower couldn't stop them.
However, four superpowers were working together. Although each had only dispatched a small number of players to protect the energy crystals, these experts were extraordinarily powerful. Even working together, the various major powers had little hope of breaking past that blockade.
The various major powers only outnumbered the four superpowers by three or four times. Such a small advantage wasn't enough to defeat the four cooperating superpowers. Moreover, if they annoyed these superpowers, they might set aside their competition and focus on the interfering players. If the four superpowers got serious, they could end these major powers. Knowing that such an outcome was possible, the various major powers wouldn't dare attack the superpowers.
However, if the major powers did not act, Zero Wing wouldn't have any opportunities to take advantage of.
"I want to see just how you intend to hold White River City now, Zero Wing!" Sky View roared with laughter when he saw the four superpowers cooperate.
With them working together, one of these superpowers was guaranteed to win this Auction Arena competition. The other powers could only watch from the sidelines or declare themselves these superpowers' enemy.
But who would dare attracted four superpowers' wrath?
Yet, when everyone thought that no one would dare attack these four superpowers' blockade, several figures on Battlefield No. 1 dashed past the various major powers' players and straight toward one of the energy crystals.
"So fast!"
"Who are those people? Have they lost their minds?"
"I thought I saw them wearing a six-winged emblem."
"A six-winged emblem? Isn't that Zero Wing's emblem?"
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Chapter 2091 – What If I Refuse?
The crowd the various major powers' experts had formed some distance away from the energy crystal shuddered when they realized that the five new arrivals were from Zero Wing.
The players watching from outside of the arena gaped in shock. Unlike the experts on the battlefield, they had a clear view of Zero Wing's five members rapidly approaching the fallen energy crystal.
"Isn't that Black Flame?"
"That can't be, can it? Four superpowers are working together to guard that crystal. How could Black Flame dare to attack them?"
"Has Black Flame lost his mind? He's charging in with only four companions. That's not enough to face a single superpower, much less four."
"Does Black Flame really treat superpowers' experts like ordinary experts from other Guilds?"
"Maybe this is his final stand. White River City is Zero Wing's main headquarters, and without it, at least half of Zero Wing's operations will be crippled."
Zero Wing's behavior baffled everyone watching. No one had ever thought that Zero Would would make such a bold move.
However, before Shi Feng's group could get within 100 yards of the crystal, 17 figures appeared in their path.
These 17 players gave off a soul-shuddering aura, and every one of them felt like a humanoid Great Lord. Even the major powers' experts who stood some distance away felt stifled as these players' intense killing intent washed over them.
These 17 players wore a mix of Level 60 and Level 65 Dark-Gold Equipment. Some among them even bore Level 60 Dark- Gold Set Equipment and Weapons. Moreover, they had fully restored these items' ranks.
"Am I dreaming? Isn't that the Level 60 Eternal Night Set for Assassins?"
"Amazing! That Berserker is wearing the Passionate Set! I've heard that even Holy Reincarnation has only collected three pieces of that set!"
"So, this is a superpower's foundation?"
The watching independent and Guild players watching gasped when they saw the four superpowers' members that hadn't bothered to hide their weapons and equipment's glow effect.
Most of the game's large Guilds hadn't even collected a complete Level 60 Fine-Gold Set Equipment thus far. Only top-ranked first-rate Guilds would have a few sets. As for a complete Level 60 Dark-Gold Set Equipment, that was utterly beyond the various large Guilds' reach.
Level 60 Dark-Gold Set Equipment could only be obtained by raiding 100-man Hell Mode Team Dungeons or super-large- scale Hard Mode Team Dungeons. Moreover, the drop-rate in these Dungeons was only around 3%. Super-large-scale Hell Mode Team Dungeons had a slightly higher drop-rate, but it still wasn't higher than 7%.
Most first-rate Guilds at this stage of their game hit their limit with Level 60, 100-man Hell Mode Team Dungeons; they simply didn't have the power to raid super-large-scale Hell Mode Team Dungeons.
To the various large Guilds, Level 60 Dark-Gold Set Equipment was godly right now.
Yet, these four superpowers had more than one such set equipment. Why wouldn't this revelation be shocking?
"Anyone who takes another step forward dies!" the Level 65 male Berserker in the Passionate Set slowly stated, word by word, as he watched Shi Feng's group without joy or despair. This Berserker sounded like an emotionless robot.
As soon this Berserker spoke, the surrounding temperature dropped as an intense killing intent suppressed the space around him. It felt as if the gates to hell had just opened, and if any of these players took another step, they'd descend into hell itself. The distant experts shuddered as they felt the abrupt change.
"Is he really human? His killing intent is so powerful." Melody's expression darkened as she stared at the imposing Berserker.
Unlike the spectating players in the stands or outside of the Auction House, those in spectator rooms could alter their room's environment to match that of the battlefields, allowing them to experience the battlefields to a certain extent
Melody had encountered plenty of experts in the Fairy Country, including quite a few that made her feel utterly powerless. However, none of these experts exuded as much killing intent as that Berserker.
"Human? You can't consider him human anymore," Evil Judgment answered from beside Melody, shaking his head. Chuckling, he continued, "I had never imagined that Starlink would successfully recruit that cold-blooded monster. With him, Zero Wing doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of securing the energy crystal."
"Is he really that strong? Black Flame earned his title as the Sword King from the Secret Pavilion," Melody countered.
"Sword King?" Evil Judgment laughed. "Only first-rate and weaker Guilds give that title any importance. The Secret Pavilion has recorded a lot of experts on the God's Domain Experts List, but there are many more players that have slipped through the cracks. That cold-blooded monster is one of them. He's called Tengu, the Warring Ghost.
"Although Tengu hasn't reached the Domain Realm yet, his brain doesn't work like everyone else's. You could say that his brain is particularly well-developed, granting him a similar sixth sense to wild beasts. He can easily predict his opponents' movements. There's also his beast-like combat method to contend with. He is no weaker than Domain Realm monsters. He's already killed more than ten thousand experts in God's Domain, including many peak experts from superpowers. However, due to his strange and violent nature, none of the superpowers have tried to recruit him."
"He's killed more than 10,000 experts?" Melody was slightly stunned.
She had only defeated several hundred experts since joining God's Domain. Even so, those fights had earned her plenty of combat experience, but the Warring Ghost had slain more than 10,000, and many of them had been superpowers' peak experts. He was truly a monster. To make matters worse, this monster wore the Passionate Set, one of the best sets available in the game right now…
When the various superpowers' members saw Warring Ghost intercept Shi Feng's small group, they began to chat about the upcoming fight
"Brother Mu, it seems Zero Wing has no hope of success in Battlefield No. 1," Blindman commented as he glanced at Mu Cheng, who stood a short distance away.
He had heard much about the Warring Ghost, Tengu. If that man continued to grow stronger, he would undoubtedly reach the Four Shadow Demons' level.
Although Black Flame was quite strong as well, the Swordsman's strength should, at most, rival Tengu's. However, there were four other Zero Wing members present, while Tengu had a total of 17 allies. Zero Wing had no chance of reaching the energy crystal, much less claiming it.
"Starlink has truly invested a lot of its resources in this competition." Mu Cheng shook his head and sighed when he saw these players.
Even Mu Cheng would struggle in a fight with Tengu. The weakest piece Tengu wore was Level 65 Dark-Gold rank, and he carried two pieces of Epic Equipment and an Epic Weapon. The Berserker's equipment was likely some of the very best God's Domain had to offer right now.
"Zero Wing's Black Flame?" a beautiful woman in dark-purple robes and wearing King's Return's Guild Emblem muttered as she observed Shi Feng. Smiling, she continued, "Although it is impressive that you've ranked so highly on the God's Domain Experts List, this isn't a realm Zero Wing can reach. It'd be best if you left. Even if Nature Hall or Unyielding Soul step in to help you, Tengu will act without hesitation."
The major powers' experts watching from nearby nodded in agreement with this woman's warning.
Although Zero Wing had surprised everyone with its strength, proving that it was even more powerful than a top-ranked first-rate Guild, it couldn't compare to a superpower.
If Zero Wing hadn't had Nature Hall and Unyielding Soul's support, the four allied superpowers would've likely attacked by now.
"You Zero Wing players should know what's good for you. Do you think you could've survived this long if we had moved against you early in this competition?" a Level 65 Ranger from Starlink said, sneering at Shi Feng.
"What if I refuse?" Shi Feng asked with a calm smile. He then took a step forward.
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Chapter 2092 – Slain in One Hit
As Shi Feng stepped forward and his calm voice reached the players around him, the experts watching from a distance and the spectating crowd stared with dropped jaws. Even Starlink's sneering Ranger froze in shock as Shi Feng incredulously approached.
"Is Black Flame tired of living?"
"The four superpowers have only avoided Zero Wing thus far out of respect for Nature Hall and Unyielding Soul. Why would he dare take the initiative to attack them?"
"Has he just given up?"
None of the major powers' experts or upper echelons could understand why Shi Feng was being so stubborn. The Auction Arena had just begun, so there would be plenty of opportunities to secure energy crystals later. Even if the four superpowers wanted to monopolize the crystals, they didn't have the manpower to cover every corner of the five battlefields.
Furthermore, Zero Wing's strength was only second to the four superpowers in this Auction Arena. It definitely had a chance of claiming the energy crystals that the four superpowers couldn't secure. Zero Wing didn't actually need to fight these superpowers.
While the crowd chatted about the situation among themselves, the purple-clad woman's expression darkened.
"Black Flame! Do you really think that we are too afraid to attack just because you have Nature Hall and Unyielding Soul's support?" the woman from King's Return demanded frostily.
With her wrath, the surrounding space froze; her aura was no less intense than Tengu's. The ambient Mana rampaged in tandem with the woman's anger. The players within this violent Mana storm began to lose their temper as well.
The various major powers' experts gasped as they felt the sudden change. Even Melody, who experienced the altered environment from her spectator room, paled.
"How is she so powerful? A simple mood change has affected the surrounding Mana so drastically." Melody watched the purple-clad beauty with a grim expression.
As a Half-elf, she had a very high affinity with Elemental Mana. Even so, she couldn't easily trigger mana without casting a Spell, yet this purple-clad woman could.
While this feat might not seem impressive, Melody recognized how frightening it truly was and what it represented as a magical class expert.
When casting a Spell, a player uses incantations and runes to trigger the ambient Mana and gather it to a single point Only then could a caster use the gathered mana to form the necessary magic arrays. If one could command the Mana around them without incantations or runes, they could cast a Spell in a fraction of the normally required time.
In God's Domain, magical class players' glaring weaknesses were their casting times and Mana capacity. If a magical class player could reduce their casting time, they could substantially increase their combat power, especially against other players. This was especially true when it came to combat against players.
"This is only natural. She is, after all, King's Return's favored prodigy, Wilting Netherworld. She has also earned the nickname 'Lightning Witch.' Purely comparing battle records, she's even more impressive than the Warring Ghost If not for King's Return hadn't come to an agreement with the Secret Pavilion, Wilting Netherworld would've long since ranked among the top 50 players on the God's Domain Experts List," Evil Judgment said as he watched the purple-clad woman in fascination. "Now that Black Flame has angered Wilting Netherworld, she and Tengu are more than enough to disqualify every Zero Wing member on Battlefield No. 1."
Very few people knew of Wilting Netherworld's battle records. Most likely, only the various superpowers knew about her. Furthermore, Wilting Netherworld's activities were usually only related to the various superpowers. First-rate Guilds' experts had no chance of encountering her.
Evil Judgment had witnessed Wilting Netherworld's fearsome power personally.
A total of eight superpowers had gathered to contest for a mysterious Legacy. Setting Sun had been one of them. To win the mysterious Legacy, the various superpowers had dispatched quite a few old monsters, but during the battle, an unknown woman had pinned down one of Setting Sun's old monsters by herself, which had ultimately enabled King's Return to claim the Legacy.
Superpowers' old monsters had risen to fame at least a decade ago, with some maintaining their fame for several decades. They were all experts with rich combat experience, and their combat standards far exceeded human limits.
However, Wilting Netherworld, a girl even younger than Evil Judgment, had successfully pinned one of these old monsters down without any help. Moreover, she had stopped Evil Judgment, who had fought alongside his Guild's old monsters for some time, while doing so. Her strength was absurd.
Evil Judgment was sure that she would've killed him in three or four attacks if that old monster from his Guild hadn't demanded most of Wilting Netherworld's attention during that fight.
Meanwhile, the four superpowers' experts around the energy crystal turned to watch Shi Feng.
Everyone knew of Black Flame's reputation for being stubborn. Otherwise, the man wouldn't have provoked so many superpowers. But they had never thought that he'd dare to show such arrogance before four cooperating superpowers.
"Brother Mu, Vice Guild Leader Thunder, you cannot blame us for our lack of respect toward you. This kid simply doesn't know what's good for him. If we don't teach him a lesson, I'm afraid that he'll cause even more trouble for your two Guilds in the future," Blindman said as he turned to Mu Cheng and Deep Thunder.
"Hah… Do whatever you want." Mu Cheng watched Shi Feng with disappointment, thinking the boy was too stubborn and beyond salvation.
Only he and Deep Thunder were in this location, but against the combined might of four superpowers, they wouldn't accomplish anything even if they had their Guilds' main force members. None of the four superpowers were any weaker than Unyielding Soul or Nature Hall. Hence, neither he nor Deep Thunder had the strength to break these four superpowers' rules.
"Wait!" Deep Thunder shouted suddenly. "This is Zero Wing's home turf. Isn't it a little much to shove the Guild out of this contest? Furthermore, Zero Wing is one of Nature Hall's firm allies. Nature Hall can't just sit by and watch you bully Zero Wing."
Deep Thunder's abrupt attitude change stunned the various superpowers' members. They couldn't fathom what trick he was trying to pull.
Since when were Zero Wing and Nature Hall firm allies?
To add to their confusion, Deep Thunder seemed intent on fighting alongside Zero Wing. The situation even confused Mu Cheng. He hadn't expected Deep Thunder to be so committed to helping Zero Wing.
"Vice Guild Leader Thunder is so affectionate. Unfortunately, Zero Wing has already enraged Starlink's members. I'm afraid that it's too late to stop them," an old man from Starlink wearing silvery-gray leather armor said as he glanced at Tengu, who had already begun to move. With a smile, he continued, "Moreover, rules are rules. If we superpowers don't show off our power, no one will fear or respect us."
Everyone nodded in agreement with this old man's sentiments. They all felt that Deep Thunder was being too foolish. Even in such a desperate situation, he still insisted on protecting Zero Wing. Did he really think that their superpowers feared Nature Hall?
While the superpowers' members expressed their agreement, Tengu arrived before Shi Feng, his greatsword blazing with fire. With a swing, his 20-meter-long flaming blade descended on Shi Feng.
"Die!"
The surrounding temperature rose due to the raging flames, and everyone within range felt the increasing gravitational force pulling them toward the ground, making movement difficult.
Tier 2 Taboo Skill, Inferno Blade!
Even the various superpowers' experts wore grim expressions as they watched Tengu's display of power. They hadn't expected the Warring Ghost to wield such Strength after restoring his equipment's ranks. This attack definitely had the Strength to rival a Grand Lord's of the same level.
Even a peak Tier 2 MT would likely struggle to block this attack, much less a Tier 2 Swordsman. Without a Berserk Skill, Shi Feng's HP would likely drop to a critical level after a single hit.
Just before the flaming blade devoured Shi Feng, he unsheathed Killing Ray and swung to intercept the attack.
Lightning Slash!
An arch of blue lightning flashed, and Tengu's flaming blade dissipated the moment it met the lightning arch. Before Tengu could pull back to defend himself, the lightning had bisected his body, leaving behind a faint, glowing scar around his abdomen.
Tengu's HP instantly drained, and the Berserker fell, lifeless…
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Chapter 2093 – Imposing Might
This… Impossible! Tengu spun toward Shi Feng in shock when he saw his plummeting HP.
Inferno Blade was his most powerful Skill. Even without a Berserker Skill, he could use this Taboo Skill to counter a Grand Lord's attack. With his ability to predict his opponent's movements, even old monsters would have to flee from this attack.
However, Shi Feng had shattered his Inferno Blade and killed him with the same move.
But that wasn't the worst part. Tengu's failure to predict Shi Feng's movements truly surprised him. He could even foresee Domain Realm monsters' movements, yet this ability was useless against Shi Feng…
Although Tengu wanted to warn his companions, his HP had already hit zero, and he lost control of his body.
As Tengu collapsed to the ground, the killing intent that had filled the battlefield froze as the four superpowers' experts stared at Shi Feng, silently panicking.
It was one thing if Shi Feng had killed an ordinary peak expert, but Tengu wasn't an ordinary anything. He was even capable of threatening old monsters.
Yet, Shi Feng had instant-killed such an expert No matter how they looked at it, this felt like a dream.
God's Domain certainly had powerful offensive Skills that could instant-kill players, and knowing this, every peak expert had equally powerful Lifesaving Skills to avoid such an outcome. Needless to say, an expert like Tengu had amassed a few of these Lifesaving Skills.
However, Tengu hadn't had time to activate his Lifesaving Skills before dying. Shi Feng's attack had even nullified Tengu's prided Inferno Blade before the Warring Ghost had taken the hit.
Silence reigned over the crowd outside of the battlefield, their jaws dropping as the implications of Shi Feng's attack sunk in. "Amazing! He killed a superpower's peak expert in one hit!"
"So, that is the Sword King, Black Flame?"
Everyone watching knew the nickname 'Sword King,' but they had only heard about him through rumors. Moreover, God's Domain had been developing rapidly, and players' combat standards continued to improve. Black Flame's previous battle records no longer meant much to current players.
The players that had come from other kingdoms and empires, in particular, didn't think much of Black Flame's title. At least, it was far less imposing than the position of Zero Wing's Guild Leader.
However, this scene reminded them of how fearsome the Sword King truly was. The Sword King had certainly grown stronger since receiving the title, not weaker.
While the spectators discussed the fight, Shi Feng sheathed Killing Ray. He then glanced at Wilting Netherworld and her companions, asking, "Do you still want to stop me?"
Shi Feng's voice sounded calm and gentle, yet Wilting Netherworld and the other experts felt an immense pressure weigh them down. These experts unconsciously moved out fo the way.
Seeing that his opponents had lost the will to fight, Shi Feng and his teammates continued toward the energy crystal. Wilting Netherworld and her comrades didn't attempt any sneak attacks, merely watching, frustrated, from the sidelines. They merely looked on with frustration from the sidelines.
Wilting Netherworld felt particularly bitter. Although she considered stopping Shi Feng, the moment she harbored the thought, she felt an indifferent gaze directed toward her, informing her that he was prepared for such an attack.
When she met Shi Feng's cold gaze, she felt as if the man were telling her, "You can try it, but you'll only fall next to Tengu."
With this realization, Wilting Netherworld abandoned any thoughts of resisting.
Her strength was, at best, a match for Tengu's. Even though Shi Feng had already used his Sure-kill Skill, killing her wouldn't be difficult for someone with even higher Attributes than Tengu and Domain Realm combat standards.
Is this why he was so confident? When Wilting Netherworld thought back to Shi Feng's relaxed attitude, she understood that he hadn't acted that way due to Nature Hall and Unyielding Soul's support. He simply had the strength to back up his confidence.
"What? They got through, just like that?"
As the various major powers' experts watched Wilting Netherworld and her comrades let Shi Feng's party pass, they were flabbergasted.
By killing just one player, Shi Feng had silenced the four superpowers' peak experts, convincing them that it would be wise to let him pass. This was even more shocking than watching someone kill a Great Lord with one attack.
When Melody saw this from her spectator room, however, she was incomparably excited. She had never dreamed that Shi Feng would be so powerful. Not only had he killed a monster like Tengu, but Wilting Netherworld and her party were also afraid enough that they stepped aside.
How?! How is this possible?! Evil Judgment, on the other hand, was stupefied, confusion and madness flashing in his eyes.
Wilting Netherworld, a goddess in his eyes, had retreated from Shi Feng. She hadn't even budged during the fight with his Guild's old monster, yet a single sentence form Shi Feng had been enough to force her aside. Evil Judgment even wondered if the world was playing some cruel joke on him.
Back on the battlefield, the four superpowers' members that were waiting for the descending energy crystal to reach the ground tensed at this unexpected result.
"How surprising. Even Black Flame has reached this standard. It's no wonder why he dared to participate," Blindman said as he began to watch Shi Feng more seriously. Glancing at Mu Cheng and Deep Thunder, he realized why their Guilds wanted to befriend Zero Wing.
Based on the information King's Return had collected, Shi Feng's combat standards were only at the Void Realm, yet he could display combat power that rivaled Domain Realm experts. He mainly relied on his powerful Basic Attributes and Skills to face Domain Realm experts.
However, things had changed.
Although Shi Feng had only executed one attack, his control assured Blindman that Shi Feng had reached the Domain Realm.
Every Domain Realm expert warranted the various superpowers' attention, let alone a Domain Realm expert with the support of a large Guild. As time passed, this Domain Realm expert would only become more powerful.
Any Domain Realm expert intent on causing trouble could give the various superpowers a massive headache. This situation reminded Blindman of the Four Shadow Demons from the past.
However, Mu Cheng didn't know that Shi Feng had reached the Domain Realm. He was actually surprised to see Shi Feng display such power. This revelation would certainly affect the competition.
Meanwhile, Jing Yang, one of Blackwater's upper echelons, currently wore a dark expression.
"Brother Jing, Zero Wing is stronger than we expected. We'll likely find it difficult to execute our original plan," Snow Scar whispered to Jing Yang.
A Domain Realm expert wasn't an easy opponent. At the very least, it meant that Zero Wing qualified to compete for the energy crystals in Battlefield No. 1.
"It's true that Black Flame is stronger than we suspected, but slaying Tengu will cause Zero Wing some trouble," Jing Yang said as he watched Starlink's members approach Shi Feng. Smiling, he continued, "It seems Starlink can no longer sit still."
Of the five battlefields in this competition, Battlefield No. 1 was a gathering of monsters. Two of Starlink's most powerful combatants had been assigned to the battlefield: Wind Demon and Sword Demon of the Four Shadow Demons.
As Jing Yang finished his comment, both Wind Demon and Shadow Demon had reached Shi Feng. The two elderly men smiled at their opponent as if they were just two friendly old men from the neighborhood instead of the combat veterans they truly were.
These old men's auras were nothing like Tengu's. Their auras felt like the vast ocean, and everyone felt like small boats waiting to be devoured by the waves as these auras washed over them.
Even Wilting Netherworld was afraid as she looked at these two men.
Not only did Wind Demon and Sword Demon carry four pieces of Epic Equipment, but they also wielded Epic Weapons. The rest of their equipment was Level 65 Dark-Gold Rank. Not even Wilting Netherworld's equipment was as impressive as theirs.
"Little brother, you're quite skilled. You're already so strong despite your age. Your future is boundless. Our Guild Leader wants to annihilate Zero Wing, but after discussing the situation with Old Wind here, we've decided that if Zero Wing agrees to become one of Starlink's subordinate Guilds, we'll talk the Guild Leader into giving you White River City," the white-haired old man with a slightly bent back addressed Shi Feng. Smiling, he asked, "May I know what you think of this proposal?"
Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard the old man's words, especially the various major powers' upper echelons. They all stared at Shi Feng in envy.
No one had considered that not only would Starlink willingly abandon its vengeance against Zero Wing, but it would also offer to protect the Guild. If the smaller Guild accepted the offer, Zero Wing's development in God's Domain would skyrocket.
"There's nothing to think about! Scram!" Shi Feng's response was cold as he eyed Wind Demon and Sword Demon.
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Chapter 2094 – With Just You?
Sword Demon's expression sunk when he heard Shi Feng's reply, his smile vanishing as he gave Zero Wing's Swordsman a chilling look. Even space around them frozen due to the bone-piercing killing intent Sword Demon. Wilting Netherworld, who stood nearby, couldn't help but shudder as she felt the change.
The experts from the various major powers just stared at Shi Feng, gaping in shock.
"Has Black Flame really lost his mind?"
"Doomed! Zero Wing is doomed for sure!"
The various major powers didn't know what to say to Shi Feng's overbearing behavior.
Starlink already suppressed two super-first-rate Guilds in the Dark Night Empire. It had endless strength and wasn't a force that super-first-rate Guilds like Unyielding Soul or Nature Hall could compare to. Only top-ranked super-first-rate Guilds had any hope of standing against it.
If Starlink gave the word, countless powers would do what they could to curry its favor and celebrate becoming Starlink's subordinate Guild.
As one of Starlink's subordinate Guilds, not only would the Guild receive financial support from the superpower, but it would also receive support in in-game resources. Most importantly, the Guild could develop without worrying about enemies. It would have nothing to fear even when clashing with other superpowers.
If Zero Wing submitted to Starlink, it could reach an entirely new level of development very quickly.
Zero Wing wouldn't be limited to lording over Star-Moon Kingdom. It could easily become the overlord in the several neighboring kingdoms as well.
Yet, Shi Feng had actually rejected such an opportunity, and he had done so without hesitation…
Even the various superpowers' players were stunned by his answer.
"丫oung people nowadays really are ignorant of their limitations,"Blindman said as he shook his head and chuckled. He then turned to Deep Thunder and said, "Vice Guild Leader Thunder, although you have a good relationship with Zero Wing, I'd advise you not to interfere. If you attract the Four Shadow Demons' ire, you'll likely have a hard time explaining yourself to Guild Leader Nature."
Not even he would dare to show such arrogance before Sword Demon and Wind Demon.
First of all, they had Starlink's support.
Secondly, both experts were incredibly powerful, far stronger than the younger generation's Domain Realm experts.
Ignoring Starlink, provoking these two was not wise.
"Thank you for your concern, but King's Return doesn't need to worry about that," Deep Thunder replied. Calmly, he continued, "I've said this already, but Nature Hall and Zero Wing are firm allies. If someone wants to move against Zero Wing, Nature Hall won't sit back and watch."
Blindman gave the younger expert an odd look, but he didn't comment further. The various superpowers' members standing nearby were stunned by Deep Thunder's reply.
Even now, Nature Hall insisted on shielding Zero Wing. The Guild's choices were completely out of the norm. Deep Thunder's response even surprised Mu Cheng, and he took a moment to consider Shi Feng more carefully. He had never thought that Zero Wing was capable of inspiring Nature Hall to go to such great lengths, even willing to provoke Starlink, on its behalf.
However, despite the strange looks he received from the various superpowers' members, Deep Thunder smiled contentedly. None of these superpowers, excluding Nature Hall, knew what strength Zero Wing hid.
These players didn't know that Shi Feng wasn't the only powerhouse in Zero Wing. The Guild also had Fire Dance, who had the combat power to rival Domain Realm experts.
But that wasn't the end of it Zero Wing also had Cola and the several other peak experts Shi Feng had brought with him during his visit to Nature Hall's reception room. According to Nature Hall's initial estimations, Zero Wing should have at least 10 peak experts. Even though Starlink had dispatched a considerable amount of strength to White River City's Auction House, its chances of winning this competition weren't overwhelmingly high. Rather, it only had a fifty-fifty chance.
Zero Wing had invested every resource it had in White River City, and every participating Zero Wing player had likely fully restored all of their weapons and equipment, allowing them to fight in peak condition. However, the same couldn't be said for Starlink's members. Only a fraction of Starlink's force had unbound all of their equipment. Even though Starlink had the numerical advantage, Zero Wing's overall combat power was on par with the superpower's.
Rather than side with the four superpowers and standing to gain insignificant benefits, gambling on Zero Wing and potentially winning the lottery was a wiser move for Nature Hall.
"Old Sword, it seems this brat doesn't appreciate your goodwill!" Wind Demon could not help but chuckle at Sword Demon.
"There's no need to waste words on them, Elder Sword! Let's just follow the Guild Leader's orders and eliminate them!" a middle-aged man wielding an ancient, crystal bow said as he glared at Shi Feng.
Sword Demon was the strongest of the Four Shadow Demons in melee combat. Even Lu Xingluo, Starlink's Guild Leader, had to treat him with respect. Sword Demon also had a great appreciation for talented individuals, especially those that used the sword.
Of course, the main reason for his appreciation was his desire for strong opponents in the future. To grow stronger, one needed to face stronger combatants, after all.
This was also why Sword Demon had suggested recruiting Zero Wing.
Otherwise, Sword Demon would've killed Shi Feng after watching the Swordsman kill Tengu.
"Little brat, it seems that you think you can ignore us old fellows now that you've reached the Domain Realm. Unfortunately, you are still naive. Since you aren't backed by a superpower, you've failed to understand that reaching the Domain Realm is only the first step toward the apex," Sword Demon said as he heaved a deep sigh. His gaze then sharpened as he said, "I will teach you that even among Domain Realm experts, there can be a massive difference in strength!"
Sword Demon's aura abruptly shifted, releasing a tremendous amount of pressure to bear down on Shi Feng.
Although Sword Demon's aura targeted Shi Feng, Wilting Netherworld couldn't help but tremble, struggling to breathe, even though she stood some distance behind Shi Feng.
"How is he so strong?"
Fire Dance, Alluring Summer, Flying Shadow, and Shadow Sword prepared for battle from behind Shi Feng. They had never expected this player's aura to be so strong.
Before anyone could react, Sword Demon's crimson greatsword transformed into a rotating sword light. He then vanished, reappearing before Shi Feng in an instant. Like nimble snakes, twelve crimson sword lights spread out and converged on Shi Feng, altering their attack trajectories and becoming nearly impossible to predict. Moreover, the attacks were so fast that the naked eye couldn't keep up.
Tier 2 Skill, Twelve Heavenly Rotations!
"Sure enough, he's reached this level after so long•"Blindman's expression tensed when he saw the twelve sword lights. Wilting Netherworld, on the other hand, was utterly dumbfounded.
Despite her keen perception, she couldn't follow the twelve sword lights' speed and transformations. It looked as if twelve different people commanded the sword lights, like each attack had a will of its own. The twelve sword lights didn't even interfere with each other's trajectories.
Although each attack only carried a Great Lord's Strength of the same level, she doubted that she'd be able to dodge or block this assault An ordinary Skill like Twelve Heavenly Rotations had gained a life of its own in Sword Demon's hands. His combat standards were unlike anything she had seen from the Domain Realm experts she had fought before.
"Alone? I'm afraid you're not qualified!"
With a snort, Shi Feng unsheathed Killing Ray and Twilight Blade, greeting the twelve sword lights in battle. Sword's Transmigration.
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Chapter 2095 – So Confident with So Many Fighters?
As the twelve crimson sword lights were about to bite into Shi Feng, Killing Ray and Twilight Blade cut six of them down. The counterattack forcibly altered these sword lights' trajectories, and rather than threatening Shi Feng's life, they became shields that protected him as they clashed with the remaining six sword lights.
Dang… Dang… Dang…
As the twelve sword lights collided, they disintegrated into particles of light Meanwhile, Shi Feng remained unharmed.
He blocked all of those attacks? Wilting Netherworld stared at the fading light particles with wide eyes.
Sword Demon's use of this Skill had reached the peak of God's Domain. She was sure that even King's Return's old monsters would be forced to use a Lifesaving Skill or powerful offensive Skill to nullify the attack, yet Shi Feng had done so with a few, simple slashes. Moreover, Shi Feng had neutralized the attack so effortlessly. Wilting Netherworld couldn't believe her eyes.
Similarly, the various major powers' watching experts gaped at the scene.
"Amazing! This is simply amazing!"
"So, this is an apex expert's strength?"
Shock and excitement overwhelmed everyone after witnessing the brief clash between Shi Feng and Sword Demon. Although they all knew that the various superpowers' old monsters were extraordinarily power, they had never seen one in action before. At most, they had watched a few of those old monsters' battle videos.
However, they now watched one of these old monsters fight an equally strong opponent. Moreover, they only stood 200 yards away from the fight. For Tier 2 players, watching from this distance was like watching a fight from 50 yards away for Tier 1 players.
"Black Flame really can't be underestimated. No wonder why he dismissed Sword Demon's offer so quickly." Blindman was also slightly surprised to see Shi Feng unharmed.
At Sword Demon's skill level, one could command their Skills or Spells as if they were subordinates, using them in such a way that they were beyond 100% effective. Ordinary Domain Realm experts had no hope against Sword Demon. After all, experts that had just reached the Domain Realm could only use their Skills and Spells at 100% efficiency. There was a qualitative difference between the two.
While everyone discussed Sword Demon and Shi Feng's initial exchange, Shi Feng moved, appearing before Sword Demon instantly. Killing Ray and Twilight Blade then transformed into countless sword lights as they assaulted the older man.
Sword's Orbit!
Before Shi Feng had reached the Domain Realm, he had mainly used Sword's Orbit for defense since using the technique offensively had dealt so little damage. He had only been able to execute six simultaneous attacks with the technique, but after reaching the Domain Realm, he could perform Sword's Orbit perfectly. Not only was the technique powerful when used defensively, but it was also quite strong offensively.
Sword Demon's expression darkened as the sword lights flew toward him. He couldn't actually perceive the attack trajectories, and he felt as if the entire world pressed down on him. He could also sense that each sword light had enough power to slice apart space itself. Shi Feng's attacks were even stronger than a Great Lord's of the same level.
In the blink of an eye, overl4 sword lights sliced at him from different directions.
"Break!" Sword Demon shouted, and the flames along his greatsword transformed into a streak of light as they countered more than half of the incoming attacks. He then left behind multiple afterimages as he dodged the remaining attacks. He elusively thrust his greatsword at Shi Feng, his attack carrying as much Strength as a Grand Lord of the same level.
However, Shi Feng's Sword Orbit was normally a defensive combat technique. Although Sword Demon's attacks were stronger this time and stronger than Shi Feng's, the galaxy of stars that surrounded the younger Swordsman deflected every strike. None of Sword Demon's attacks touched Shi Feng.
For a time, Sword Demon and Shi Feng continued to trade attacks, their HPs falling bit by bit Nether Swordsman was able to secure an advantage over the other.
Very few of the watching experts nearby could keep up with Sword Demon's elusive attacks and movement techniques. When these experts tried to put themselves in Shi Feng's position, they realized that Sword Demon would easily slaughter them. As for Shi Feng's combat technique, he was so fast that they couldn't register his movements. They had only realized that he had swung his sword after the fact. When they imagined being on the receiving end of his attacks, they recognized that they wouldn't block a single swing and would be slaughtered helplessly.
"Amazing!" Melody could not believe her eyes as she watched the exchange between Shi Feng and Sword Demon, excitement welling within her heart.
Even the various superpowers feared Sword Demon, and he currently carried 6 Epic Weapons and Equipment pieces. His equipment standards undoubtedly ranked among the very top in God's Domain right now.
Yet, Shi Feng fought Sword Demon to a standstill.
So, this is his true strength? Mu Cheng, who watched the battle from the battlefield, was just as shocked as Shi Feng held this play out from the side,"Blindman said calmly.
Damned Blindman! Mu Cheng inwardly cursed.
Watching from the sidelines and staying its hand was the best option for King's Return. It wasn't from the Dark Night Empire, and it had no reason to clash with Starlink. However, King's Return would prefer to watch Starlink grow stronger, rather than Zero Wing, which would indirectly help Unyielding Soul. If Starlink succeeded, it could keep both Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor in check, after all.
As for Zero Wing's other members and Deep Thunder, they were no threat to Starlink's two old monsters.
While Sword Demon and Shi Feng fought, a black figure appeared behind the younger Swordsman. It was none other than Wind Demon.
The Assassin expert split into nine shadows that attacked Shi Feng in silence. Meanwhile, Sword Demon created four copies of his greatsword, sending innumerable sword lights to devour Shi Feng.
Facing simultaneous attacks from the two old monsters, not even Shi Feng could defend himself. He immediately activated Void Shield to block the incoming attacks.
A single round of attacks was enough to deplete one-sixth of the Void Shield's energy reserves. These attacks' power could easily rival that of Grand Lords of the same level.
"What a powerful Lifesaving Skill." Wind Demon was slightly surprised to see the magic barrier that had appeared around Shi Feng. "Unfortunately, that won't save you. With Old Sword and I working together, you have no chance of winning this fight."
"You're not wrong, but that would require that you two can cooperate," Shi Feng calmly replied, glancing at Wind Demon.
"You still have such confidence even in the face of death?" Wind Demon could not help but laugh at Shi Feng.
However, Wind Demon's laughter stopped abruptly as his expression changed, and he activated his Lifesaving Skill, Wind Steps.
Without warning, a crimson figure had appeared beside the old Assassin, thrusting a short sword toward Wind Demon's heart. However, Wind Demon reacted quickly enough that he could use the brief invulnerability Wind Steps provided to protect himself.
But the moment Wind Demon lost his invulnerability status, the crimson figure stabbed at him again.
This time, the old monster met the attack with one of his own daggers.
Boom!
Wind Demon's arm went numb as he was thrown several yards back, crashing to the ground. His dagger hummed as it vibrated from the impact.
"Who are you?" Wind Demon demanded, addressing the crimson figure with a serious expression. "Do you the outcome that awaits any who attack me?"
An Assassin's Strength had proven greater than his, and his assailant's Attack Speed was superior, as well.
Once he got a better look at his newest opponent, Wind Demon was stunned.
"What the…?!"
Wind Demon wasn't the only player surprised to see this crimson figure. Everyone on the battlefield was stupefied. This crimson figure, which had surprised a superpower's old monster, was none other than Zero Wing's Fire Dance.
Everyone on the battlefield erupted in an uproar. Nobody had expected Zero Wing to reveal another such trump card. This turn of events even surprised Mu Cheng.
Black Flame! I hadn't thought that your Guild had hidden such an expert! However, do you think that you can defeat Starlink just because you have someone to pin down Old Wind?" Sword Demon asked as he glanced at Fire Dance.
Suddenly, 12 Starlink members moved to surround Shi Feng. Although Fire Dance's combat power was unexpected, Zero Wing's party was still outnumbered. Moreover, four of Starlink's 12 members were peak experts.
"Do you think you're powerful just because you have more people?" Shi Feng countered, eyeing Starlink's players around him. He then activated Twilight's Shadow and Twilight of the Gods.
Suddenly, eight copies of Shi Feng joined the battlefield, every one of these doppelgangers radiating an intensely frightening aura that was no weaker than Shi Feng's.
"Alright, let the second round begin!"
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Chapter 2096: Vicious Black Flame
Translator:Exodus Tales
Editor:Exodus Tales
The confidence Starlink's members had displayed vanished as Shi Feng's eight doppelgangers joined the fray. At the same time, fear surfaced in their eyes as Starlink's members looked at Shi Feng's doppelgangers.
The nearby spectators' eyes nearly fell from their sockets when they saw this.
"Crap! Is this real?!"
"Cheating! He is definitely cheating!"
Many experts watching from a distance couldn't help but shout in indignation.
The Zero Wing members watching from outside of the battlefield, however, began to cheer.
"All hail the Guild Leader!"
"Zero Wing for the win!"
No one had held a favorable view of Zero Wing when this competition had begun. Some had even been certain that Zero Wing would perish after this, and everyone had mocked the Guild. Now, however, would anyone dare question Zero Wing's superiority?
A special Doppelganger Skill? Sword Demon's expression twisted as he observed Shi Feng's doppelgangers.
He had already struggled against Shi Feng alone. After all, the younger Swordsman's Basic Attributes were higher than his. If not for the significant Strength and speed boost his special weapon provided, Shi Feng would've already defeated him.
Yet, now, he had to face nine identical copies of this troublesome Swordsman...
He might not have been worried if these copes had been ordinary doppelgangers. If that were the case, their Basic Attributes would be far lower than the original's. At most, these doppelgangers might have slowed him down a little, which would be annoying, but from what Sword Demon could sense, these doppelganger's Attributes rivaled his own. Sword Demon felt an intense pressure from each clone, which meant that Shi Feng had just gained eight more monster-level experts.
Of course, this was the best-case scenario for Shi Feng. If Sword Demon actually continued this fight, it would be a different story. After all, everyone's attention span was limited. Even if Shi Feng were a Domain Realm expert, he couldn't perfectly control all eight doppelgangers and fight. Controlling a doppelganger was far more complex than controlling one's body. Controlling a single doppelganger perfectly was the limit for a Domain Realm expert. Controlling more would affect the doppelganger's performance.
However, even if Shi Feng couldn't control all eight doppelgangers perfectly, he shouldn't have a problem exhibiting Flowing Water Realm combat standards with them. With his ridiculously high Basic Attributes, each of his doppelgangers could face a peak expert of the same level.
In other words, Zero Wing's party had suddenly gained another eight peak experts. Unfortunately, Starlink only had a total of five peak experts on Battlefield No. 1, and the strongest of them, Tengu, had already been killed. This left Starlink with only four peak experts, and the remaining members were only Refinement Realm and Flowing Water Realm experts. Overall, Starlink was now at a massive disadvantage.
Even Wind Demon gulped nervously as he watched Shi Feng.
Who is this kid?Wind Demon wondered as he stared at the young Swordsman in confusion.
Not only had Shi Feng successfully reached the Domain Realm at such a young age, but he had also amassed absurdly high Basic Attributes. Now, he had revealed a Doppelganger Skill that defied common sense. No matter how Wind Demon considered the situation, he couldn't believe it.
No individual player could easily obtain Shi Feng's weapons, equipment, or Skills. Acquiring any of these required an astronomical amount of resources and manpower. The Four Shadow Demons had only even secured their current weapons, equipment, and Skills thanks to Starlink's help. However, Shi Feng had collected such items by relying on a Guild that only controlled one kingdom'…
Amazing! With this, Starlink is finished in Battlefield No. 1!Mu Cheng balled his fists in delight as he glanced at Blindman.
He had been worried for Zero Wing, and if not for Blindman's interference, he would've jumped into this battle to help the Guild. However, Blindman's efforts had gone to waste with this new development.
Just as Shi Feng was about to attack Starlink's members, a low voice reached his ears.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, don't be so quick to act!" Blackwater's Jing Yang called out. "You've already proven Zero Wing's strength. I doubt anyone will continue to oppose Zero Wing's participation in this competition for energy crystals, so do you need to exterminate them all?"
"What are you trying to say?" Shi Feng asked as he eyed Jing Yang, who wore aqua-blue robes and carried a glowing, golden staff.
Jing Yang had made no effort to hide his equipment's glowing effects, so Shi Feng knew that the man carried four pieces of Epic Equipment in total. Although Shi Feng couldn't discern what rank Jing Yang's staff was, he guessed that it was at least Epic rank based on its aura. Moreover, Jing Yang wore a complete Level 65 Fine-Gold Set Equipment, which even the various superpowers struggled to collect.
Level 65 Fine-Gold Set Equipment was far more difficult to acquire than Level 60 Dark-Gold Set Equipment at this stage of the game. Not even Starlink had a complete set. Naturally, a Level 65 Fine-Gold set had even higher Basic Attribute bonuses than Level 60 Dark-Gold Set Equipment.
The Mana fluctuations around Jing Yang were even stronger than those around Wilting Netherworld, and his combat standards were likely stronger than hers. He had reached the Void Realm more than a decade ago, and although Wilting Netherworld was a prodigy, she would need more time before she could catch up to Jing Yang.
"Starlink only acted in compliance with the rules our superpowers agreed to. If Guild Leader Black Flame is earnest in moving against Starlink, the rest of us won't just sit back and watch. I hope you can understand this," Jing Yang said, smiling.
Jing Yang's words left everyone stunned. They had never expected this battle to take such a drastic turn.
"Blackwater is too shameless! It didn't step forward when Starlink was about to annihilate Zero Wing, but now that Zero Wing has the upper hand, it wants to interfere. Since when have Blackwater and Starlink had such a good relationship?"
"Zero Wing is in trouble now. Such a powerful Doppelganger Skill definitely has a very long Cooldown. If Zero Wing misses this opportunity to take out Starlink, it isn't likely that the Guild will find another chance."
"Zero Wing is so unlucky. If it hadn't provoked Blackwater, the Guild likely wouldn't have interfered today."
For a time, the various major powers either pitied or mocked Zero Wing's situation.
"Melody, I advise that you give up any hope for Zero Wing. Zero Wing might have the strength to resist a superpower, but it has provoked too many. Zero Wing can't survive in God's Domain for long. This situation is the best proof. Just before Zero Wing emerges victorious in this fight, Blackwater steps in. Zero Wing has no chance of winning White River City's Auction House," Evil Judgment said, chuckling when he saw Melody's enraged expression.
Blackwater was no weaker than Starlink, and although it hadn't sent as many experts to this competition, it had nearly as many experts fighting for the Auction House as Starlink. Including Jing Yang, Blackwater had four peak experts and seven Refinement Realm and Flowing Water Realm experts on Battlefield No. 1. In addition, the Guild had the Domain Realm expert, South Time, the man standing behind Jing Yang.
Although South Time had only recently reached the Domain Realm, he was still a monster-level expert. His participation would be more than enough to turn the tides of the battle between Starlink and Zero Wing.
If Zero Wing missed this opportunity to eliminate Starlink's members, it wouldn't encounter another. Regardless of what Shi Feng decided, Zero Wing was guaranteed to lose White River City.
"Understand?" Shi Feng could not help but laugh. "You think you qualify to stop me?"
Suddenly, Shi Feng vanished. Before anyone could react, he reappeared before Jing Yang, his Killing Ray releasing a brilliant blue glow.
Tier 2 Taboo Skill, Instant Strike!
A streak of blue light flew toward Jing Yang's throat, and the man panicked at the sudden attack. Shi Feng's attack was so fast that he didn't even have time to activate Blink. Just before the blue light bit into the man, his golden staff released a golden light, instantly creating a barrier of light around Jing Yang.
Seeing this barrier, Jing Yang could not help but breathe out a sigh of relief.
The Passive Skill, Three Pillars Barrier, had created this light barrier. The ability triggered automatically when its wielder faced a lethal attack. When activated, the Skill created a magic barrier that negated 90% of all attacks' damage for three seconds. It also increased his Defense by 300%, raising his Defense to rival an MT's of the same level. It was an amazing Lifesaving Skill that had a one-hour Cooldown, and with it, even Grand Lords would struggle to kill him.
However, the moment after Jing Yang sighed, Shi Feng's attack struck.
The light barrier cracked, and Jing Yang instantly lost one-third of his HP.
The man paled with fright. Although he immediately tried to escape by using Blink, Shi Feng's Twilight Blade had already begun its descent.
When the second slash landed, Jing Yang's HP dropped to zero in an instant without the protection of the Three Pillars Barrier. His body only teleported 20 yards away after Jing Yang's vision began to darken. He then collapsed and disintegrated into countless particles of light…
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Chapter 2097 – Suppressing a Guild Alone
Shi Feng had slain Jing Yang so quickly that no one had time to react He had simply disappeared and reappeared before Jing Yang, and in the next moment, the Blackwater member's corpse had appeared 20 yards away.
The entire process had happened in the blink of an eye. Even Snow Scar, who had stood beside Jing Yang, hadn't had time to react Snow Scar had only been able to watch as Shi Feng killed Jing Yang before his eyes and casually sheathed his Killing Ray and Twilight Blade.
The various major powers' experts watching from the sidelines gasped when they saw Jing Yang's dead body.
Horrifying!
Vicious!
These words no longer had the impact to describe Shi Feng.
Blackwater was a superpower with the strength to rival Starlink, yet Shi Feng had so effortlessly killed Jing Yang,the leader of Blackwater's team in this competition, without hesitation.
They couldn't fathom how Shi Feng found the courage to provoke two superpowers simultaneously.
"Has Black Flame lost his mind? Why did he attack Blackwater?"
"He probably has. With Blackwater's interference, Zero Wing is dead either way. Rather than sit back and wait for his execution,Black Flame might have decided to make a last stand. Only, his attack against that Blackwater representative had been vicious. It didn't look like something a human would be capable of."
"That wasn't wise. Does Black Flame think that he can turn things around by retaliating against Blackwater? With Blackwater in the fight, Zero Wing's performance will suffer on all of the battlefields, not just Battlefield No. 1."
Everyone was more surprised by Shi Feng's decisiveness than they were over Jing Yang's instant death.
Although Shi Feng's Doppelganger Skill had significantly increased his team's overall strength, Starlink and Blackwater would have more peak experts than Zero Wing if they worked together. Blackwater even had its own apex expert
"Black Flame!" Snow Scar, who served as Blackwater's vice team leader, bellowed.
Blackwater might not suffer any major losses to its combat power due to Jing Yang's death, but he was the Guild's representative. Killing him was a slap in the face to Blackwater. Moreover, Xuanwu Chisa was fully responsible for this operation. How was Snow Scar supposed to explain this to her?
With South Time at the lead, Blackwater's experts pounced on Shi Feng.
Tier 2 Taboo Skill, Ghost Dance!
Suddenly, South Time split into five clones and attacked Shi Feng from different directions, each doppelganger sending more than a dozen slashes at its target, surrounding Shi Feng with sword images. Like hungry wolves, the sword images flew toward Shi Feng's vitals and blind spots.
Meanwhile, Snow Scar leaped into the air and activated his strongest Taboo Skill, Lightning Madness. Not only was this Skill an AOE attack, but it also had enough power to force a Grand Lord of the same level stumbling back. The Skill even ignored invulnerability effects, and although the Skill required half a second to activate, which was more than enough time for a peak expert to evade, he used the Skill in conjunction with South Time's Ghost Dance. Against this joint attack, even a Domain Realm expert would fall.
What an amazing two-part attack! Sword Demon couldn't help but admire South Time and Snow Scar's coordinated assault
Even he would be concerned if he were on that attack's receiving end. South Time's Ghost Dance, in particular, perfectly eliminated the target's chances to evade. The target would be forced to face these Skills head-on. However, not even Sword Demon was confident of surviving 60-plus simultaneous attacks. He would have no choice but to activate a Lifesaving Skill before dealing with Snow Scar's final blow.
However, Shi Feng didn't activate a Lifesaving Skill despite so many incoming attacks. Instead, he simply brandished Killing Ray, countering South Time's strikes.
Shadow Blade!
Ten Shadow Blades flew away from Shi Feng in all directions, crashing into the incoming sword images. He then executed Sword's Orbit, manifesting a galaxy of stars around himself.
Like dominos, the sword images the Shadow Blades struck crashed into each other. Shi Feng's counterattack threw off nearly 50 sword images' trajectories, while he used Sword's Orbit to neutralize the remaining 20 or so sword images.
South Time was stunned to see Shi Feng so easily nullify his Ghost Dance, but Snow Scar had already swung his hammer of lightning, slamming the gigantic weapon down on Shi Feng with astonishing speed.
Unfortunately, Shi Feng no longer had the energy to block this lightning-fast attack.
But just as the lightning hammer was about to smash into Shi Feng, the Swordsman spun around and shouted, "Scram!"
As Shi Feng spoke, a powerful shockwave crashed into Snow Scar's lightning hammer. Dragon Breath!
The instant the two attacks collided, space tore apart, and the resulting shockwave reached 100 yards away. The sound of the impact echoed across the battlefield.
The immensely powerful lightning hammer vanished as if it had never existed as Snow Scar stumbled back more than a dozen yards, losing nearly 10% of his HP.
How is this possible? Shock colored Snow Scar's face as he stared at Shi Feng.
Shi Feng had neutralized his full-powered attack with a single roar. Moreover, the Swordsman hadn't used a single Lifesaving Skill to counter their joint attack.
"Is he a monster?" The major powers' experts were flabbergasted when they saw Shi Feng unharmed after the exchange.
Both South Time and Snow Scar's attacks had enough Strength to rival a Grand Lord of the same level, yet Shi Feng had blocked them without breaking a sweat
"Friends from Blackwater, Black Flame won't be easy to deal with. Starlink will pin him down while you get rid of Zero Wing's other members," Sword Demon said suddenly.
"Okay! We'll leave that to you, then!" South Time nodded. After a final glance at Shi Feng, he and the other Blackwater members charged toward Zero Wing's party.
"Don't think you can get away from me so easily!" Shi Feng frowned as he manipulated his eight doppelgangers to attack South Time's group.
"We'll have to see if you have the ability to stop them!" Wind Demon and his Starlink companions immediately intercepted Shi Feng's doppelgangers.
Each doppelganger only had the combat power of a peak expert, and although Wind Demon and his team would have a very difficult time trying to kill them, pinning these doppelgangers down for a few moments wouldn't be an issue. With the strength of Blackwater's members, they should be able to slay Zero Wing's members before the doppelgangers slipped past Wind Demon's team.
"i'lI pin Fire Dance down! The rest of you need to end the fight as quickly as possible!" South Time hurriedly commanded.
"Understood!"
Blackwater's dozen or so members immediately split into three groups, each under the lead of a peak expert These three groups would be more than enough to deal with Zero Wing's three remaining members.
For a time, chaos ruled over the battlefield. South Time kept Fire Dance busy while Alluring Summer, Shadow Sword, and Flying Shadow had their hands full with Blackwater's peak experts. With the help of Blackwater's other players, this battle was particularly bitter.
Due to interference from two Refinement Realm magical class experts, Shi Feng wasn't able to shake off Sword Demon. Likewise, Wind Demon and his Assassin team kept Shi Feng's doppelgangers occupied.
As they watched, the experts from the various major powers couldn't help but admire Shi Feng. The Swordsman managed to suppress all of Starlink's experts by himself, and even if Zero Wing lost today, it would be a glorious defeat!
"What a pity, Black Flame. I admit that your strength is superb. Even among the various superpowers, you cannot be ignored. However, you're still just one person, and God's Domain is not a single-player game!" Sword Demon commented as he watched Zero Wing's enemies force its members into a comer.
"You're right, God's Domain isn't a single-player game," Shi Feng said, nodding. His lips then curled as he asked, "However, when have I ever said that Zero Wing only relies on me?
Summer! Shadow! You don't need to hold back anymore! Activate the Secret Law and show
these people what the consequences are for provoking Zero Wing!"
Hearing Shi Feng's command, Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword's eyes began to glow as they waged a bitter battle.
"We can finally make a move?" Excitement brightened Alluring Summer's features as she used Blink to put some distance between her and her opponents.
"I've been waiting to hear those words for so long, Guild Leader!" Shadow Sword said, laughing.
Like beasts waking from their slumber, the intensity of Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword's auras skyrocketed, becoming even more frightening than those monster-level experts like Wind Demon and South Time.
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Chapter 2098 – Peerless Aura
Before anyone could react to Shi Feng's command, Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword's auras washed over the battlefield. Everyone fell silent as they unconsciously turned toward the two players, dumbfounded.
"What powerful auras!"
"How is this possible? Aren't Berserk Skills prohibited in the Auction Arena?"
The feeling of the two Zero Wing members' auras had changed completely. For a moment, everyone felt like they stood before two Grand Lord ranked monsters.
In God's Domain, players would determine their opponent's strength based on their auras in situations where they couldn't inspect the opponent's information. A player's aura couldn't be faked. Expert players, in particular, relied on this method to avoid unnecessary deaths.
The fact that Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword's auras had abruptly grown stronger meant that their combat power had just increased.
However, players weren't allowed to use tools or Berserk Skills in the Auction Arena. No one on the battlefield could figure out how these two had suddenly become so powerful.
Blackwater's members paused their assault, shuddering, as they felt the sudden transformation. These experts stared at Zero Wing's players in fear, too wary to attack.
Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword now displayed the auras of Domain Realm experts. If they attacked and exposed a weakness, this fight might end in an instant
"Don't be fooled!" Snow Scar shouted when he realized that his allied had stopped their assault. "No one in this arena can use a Berserk Skill to increase their strength! They must be using some special Skill that increases the mental pressure other players feel Their combat power shouldn't have actually increased! They are merely putting up a front!"
Although weapons and equipment that increased the mental pressure one's enemies experienced were excruciatingly rare in God's Domain, they existed nevertheless.
"Damn! That really spooked me! I almost thought that Zero Wing had two more monsters!"
"Black Flame nearly fooled me, too. It really would be heaven-defying if Zero Wing had another two monster-level experts."
"I will admit, though, that Zero Wing is pretty impressive to get its hands on such weapons and equipment"
"That's right! I've only heard of such items before today. I've never actually seen one. Although such items won't improve one's combat power, a stronger aura can affect an opponent's mental state and slow their reactions. Such items would be incredibly useful in PvP."
When they heard Snow Scar's comment, realization dawned on the various major powers' experts watching from a distance. They all agreed with his reasoning. It would simply be too horrific if Zero Wing had truly revealed more monster-level experts.
"Weapons and equipment that strengthen auras?" Sword Demon muttered to himself as he glanced at Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword. He then shook his head and smiled at Shi Feng, "And here I thought you were going to reveal another powerful trump card. It seems you're at your wit's end. Although such weapons and equipment would be awesomely effective in PvP, I'm afraid mere gimmicks are useless against experts who have experienced countless battles. At best, they might delay your players' fate."
"Is that so?" Shi Feng replied with a calm smile.
Suddenly, the atmosphere around Shi Feng changed. Like Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword's transformations, Shi Feng's aura became considerably more powerful. Space around him even began to blur.
Sensing this change, Sword Demon's expression darkened.
If Shi Feng's aura had resembled a great ocean that could even stifle peak experts, those who bathed in it now felt as if they had been submerged in mercury. Shi Feng's aura felt incomparably heavy, and even Sword Demon struggled to breathe.
"You…" Fear flashed in Sword Demon's eyes as he stared at Shi Feng.
He was an expert that stood at the apex of God's Domain, a player that every superpower feared, yet he felt the threat of death loom over him as he stood before Shi Feng.
He felt as if he were standing before a humanoid Tyrannosaurus rex, rather than another player!
Moreover, Shi Feng's control of his aura was exceptional. Sword Demon could tell that Shi Feng had restrained his aura to his immediate surroundings, so no one but him sensed how horrifying it truly was.
"Do you still think that I'm just trying to buy time?" Shi Feng smiled at Sword Demon.
Secret Laws weren't categorized as Skills or Spells, resembling combat techniques instead. They didn't improve players' Basic Attributes, only allowing players to exhibit more of their bodies' potential. Hence, players could freely use Secret Laws within the Auction Arena, and they didn't need to worry about their Secret Laws dropping if they died. The system didn't actually consider the deaths players suffered in the Auction Arena as official.
This was why Secret Laws were so valuable. The various superpowers had even offered to trade Epic Set Equipment for a Basic Secret Law during Shi Feng's previous life since the Secret Laws would be far more effective in the Auction Arenas than Epic Set Equipment
The physique improvement Secret Laws provided was secondary, however. More importantly,
Secret Laws allowed players to enter a super-sensory state. In this state, players' senses became so sharp that they could perceive things they couldn't normally detect. Of course, how useful this was would depend on the player.
As soon as Shi Feng finished speaking, Sword Demon had an extremely bad premonition.
Sword Demon felt that the younger Swordsman's smile looked like the expression one would use when mocking an ignorant fool. Moreover, Shi Feng looked down at him as if he were watching an ant Sword Demon had seen that expression on many powerhouses before.
"Quick! Everyone retreat!" Sword Demon instinctively shouted.
He hadn't been able to determine whether or not the change to Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword's auras was truly related to a combat power increase, but after experiencing Shi Feng's enhanced aura, he was absolutely certain that this transformation wasn't due to a weapon or equipment effect Rather, it was a by-product of their combat power increasing.
"Retreat?"
"Why are we retreating?"
The players from Starlink and Blackwater were confused when they heard the command.
Victory was already within reach. As long as they kept fighting for another minute or so, they'd win, yet Sword Demon wanted them to flee?
"Sword Demon has gone too far with his affection for talented individuals." Blindman frowned at Sword Demon's warning.
"Is that really the case?" Mu Cheng, who stood beside Blindman, wondered as he watched the old monster's tense expression. No matter how he looked at it, that expression didn't look like affection. It looked like Sword Demon was terrified.
When Sword Demon saw his allies' confusion, his anxiety grew, but as he was about to explain, he heard the sound of laughter.
"It's too late to escape now!"
The moment this voice reached his ears, Sword Demon instinctively brandished his greatsword, swinging the weapon at Shi Feng, who had suddenly appeared before him. The older Swordsman instantly split into three clones, each launching multiple attacks with the Strength to suppress Grand Lords of the same level.
This was Sword Demon's final trump card and his weapon's strongest Additional Skill, Phantom Assault
In his hands, this Skill could even kill Domain Realm experts in an instant if they didn't activate an Invulnerability Skill.
However, Shi Feng easily deflected the dozen or so attacks with his Killing Ray, displaying far faster reaction speed than before.
Shadow Blade!
Ten sword lights flew toward Sword Demon simultaneously, each aiming for his weak points, but not to be outdone, Sword Demon executed an Advanced Defensive Combat Technique to evade the incoming attacks.
One attack… Two attacks… Three attacks…
After blocking the seventh sword light, Sword Demon hit his limit, and the three remaining attacks tore through his body. The last two-thirds of his HP vanished instantly.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword had made their move, slaying the two Blackwater peak experts they faced within two or three moves. With this turn of events, the battlefield fell deathly silent
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Chapter 2099 – Horrifying
Predicament "They're dead?"
"Didn't they say that Zero Wing's members were only using items that increased their auras?"
When the various experts on the battlefield saw the corpses of Sword Demon and two Blackwater peak experts disintegrate into particles of light, their eyes nearly fell from their sockets in shock.
Both sides had been evenly matched and fought each other to a standstill earlier, yet something like this had happened within seconds…
No one had expected this outcome. Even Mu Cheng was speechless for a long moment
Even among Super Guilds, experts like Sword Demon were exceedingly rare. Trying to kill an expert with such high combat standards was nearly impossible without launching a large-scale operation and multiple Domain Realm experts.
This was also why the various superpowers had such huge headaches when dealing with the Four Shadow Demons.
Yet, Shi Feng had relied on his own strength to kill Shadow Demon. His combat power was truly horrific. Logically, no player should be capable of the feat
Moreover, Zero Wing had Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword, who had suddenly revealed their monster-level abilities. The fact that a Guild like Zero Wing had two monster-level experts surprising enough, yet two more had appeared from the Guild. With this strength, Zero Wing could rival ordinary superpowers.
To think Zero Wing has hidden so much power all this time! It's no wonder why it dared to ignore Starlink and Blackwater's threats. As Blindman looked at Shi Feng now, he felt as if he were meeting this Swordsman for the first time.
One monster-level expert in Zero Wing was enough to warrant the various superpowers' attention, but with four, not even King's Return could afford to underestimate the Guild.
Blindman finally realized why Deep Thunder had shown such strong support for Zero Wing, even willing to provoke Starlink and Blackwater.
Zero Wing was only as powerful as a first-rate Guild, lacking the resources and territory to nurture experts, yet despite that, it had successfully produced four monster-level experts. It was easy to imagine what strength the Guild would wield if it became a true super-first-rate Guild. Zero Wing would likely rise to the upper ranks the moment it became a superpower. It would become as powerful as Guilds like Miracle, and even the various Super Guilds would fear its wrath.
Miracle currently occupied two empires, and both were on different continents, the east and west continents. In other words, Miracle fought on two frontlines. Not even King's Return had such power.
In contrast, Deep Thunder watched Zero Wing's outstanding performance with elation.
We really made the right bet this time! Deep Thunder's eyes glowed as he watched Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword fight in the distance.
He had thought Zero Wing only had two monster-level experts. Neither he nor Nature Hall as a whole had expected to find four of them in the Guild.
As far as ordinary major powers were concerned, monster-level experts simply had inhuman combat power. Even if these powers got lucky and produced one of their own, they'd only treat that expert like a weapon against their enemies. However, that would be an ignorant use of such a powerful player.
In reality, not only did monster-level experts pose a great threat to the various superpowers, but they also played a crucial role in obtaining powerful items. Based on the various superpowers' research, one needed strength, as well as luck, to secure certain powerful tools.
As Guilds procured more powerful items, they'd grow stronger overall.
One could say that monster-level experts were responsible for finding 70% of the powerful items the various superpowers had collected.
Since Nature Hall had only recently become a superpower, it had far fewer monster-level experts in its midst than other super-first-rate Guilds. The fact had troubled the Guild for some time now.
Yet, as luck would have it, many of God's Domain's super-high-ranked quests required more than one person to complete; they needed the strength of a team. But how rare were monster- level experts?
Even in veteran superpowers, one could count the number of monster-level experts present on one hand. If Nature Hall wanted to complete super-high-ranked quests, it would need to work with other superpowers, but if it chose that option, it would gain far less.
However, it would be a different story if Nature Hall worked with Zero Wing. Zero Wing was still only a first-rate Guild. To develop further, it would need an astronomical amount of resources, not powerful items. As it so happened, Nature Hall had plenty of resources.
Nature Hall would benefit more by partnering with Zero Wing than it would if it worked with other superpowers. Both Guilds would be able to complement each other's deficiencies.
This was why Nature Manifestation had sent Deep Thunder to befriend Zero Wing.
While everyone was shocked over the strength Zero Wing's members had displayed, Shi Feng, Alluring Summer, and Shadow Sword busied themselves by slaughtering Starlink and Blackwater's o什ler experts.
Although Deep Sea Meditation was only a Basic Secret Law, maintaining it placed an immense burden on players. Players couldn't even keep it active as long as a Berserk Skill.
Fortunately, the difference between both sides' strength was massive. Shi Feng and his companions only neede a few moves to dispatch each of their opponents.
In less than ten seconds, Blackwater's members had been annihilated. Even South Time, Blackwater's Domain Realm expert, hadn't survived the combined assault from Alluring Summer and Shadow Sword. As for Starlink, only Wind Demon remained alive. The battle was utterly one-sided.
As he faced Shi Feng's relentless pursuit, Wind Demon continued to lose HP.
80%… 50%… 20%…
However, despite his rapidly depleting HP, Wind Demon didn't panic. Instead, he turned his mocking gaze on Shi Feng and said, "I have really underestimated you people from Zero Wing. But so what if you defeat us? At the end of the day, this is only one of five battlefields. Starlink and Blackwater still have plenty of experts on the other four. On the other hand, all of Zero Wing's top fighters are stuck on this battlefield."
Zero Wing had certainly proven stronger than they had expected, but the results of one battlefield wouldn't decide this competition's victor. Although Zero Wing had indeed defeated their two Guilds here, with its peak combatants isolated to Battlefield No. 1, it would suffer on the other four battlefields. In the end, Zero Wing would still lose White River City.
Wind Demon had spoken loudly enough to ensure that the major powers' experts, who stood several hundred yards away, had heard him. Those experts couldn't help but watch Shi Feng with pitying looks.
"In the end, Zero Wing will lose," one of the spectating experts mumbled.
Although Zero Wing had won the battle, it had lost the competition.
"Black Flame! You asked for this! Since you rejected my offer, you'll pay for your foolishness for the rest of your life!" Jing Yang, who had resurrected in the arena, bellowed as he glared at Shi Feng through the Magic Mirror. He then commanded his people through the team chat, "Everyone, heed my command! Work with Starlink's members to eliminate Zero Wing!"
He had planned to give Zero Wing one more chance to hand over the Guardian Puppets. If Zero Wing agreed and behaved itself, Blackwater would give up its aggression against the Guild. However, he abandoned the thought His desire to see Shi Feng despair was far stronger than his desire to complete the task Xuanwu Chisa had given him.
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Chapter 2100 – Divine Appearance
As soon as Jing Yang issued the command, Blackwater's members on the other four battlegrounds began to cooperate with Starlink's members against Zero Wing.
Although Battlefield No. 1 had a collection of monsters, the other battlefields had barely any. For example, Blackwater didn't have a single monster-level expert among the four other battlefields, and Starlink only had the two remaining Shadow Demons. However, while the four remaining battlefields did not have many monster-level experts, more players had been assigned to these battlefields than those on Battlefield No. 1.
Every one of the four remaining battlefields had at least 100 Blackwater and Starlink members in total, and even the weakest of these players was a Refinement Realm expert. In contrast,even when added together,Blackwater and Starlink had fewer than 40 members on Battlefield No. 1. There was simply no comparison between Battlefield No. 1 and the others.
Blackwater and Starlink's forces on Battlefields No. 2 and 3, were led by Mad Demon and Heart Demon. Even the other superpowers were afraid of facing those forces.
Zero Wing is in trouble now," Yi Luofei from the FFF adventurer ream commented as she watched Blackwater and Starlink's joint forces.
Although Zero Wing had emerged victorious on Battlefield No. 1, despite the monsters there, it was at an overwhelming disadvantage on the other battlefields,especially Battlefields No. 2 and 3. A 100-man team of Refinement Realm experts, led by a Domain Realm expert, could even hunt down lone Domain Realm experts.
On the other hand,Zero Wing only had around 20 players on each of these battlefields, and they didn't have any monster-level experts to lead them. They stood no chance against Blackwater and Starlink's forces.
The Auction House competition was about securing energy crystals, and as time passed, more crystals would descend onto the battlefields. At that time, the advantage of having more players would become obvious, and Zero Wing would suffer an even greater disadvantage.
"Black Flame's decision was really unwise. If he hadn't provoked Blackwater into cooperating with Starlink, Zero Wing might've had a chance of victory. At the very least, Zero Wing could have taken advantage of the chaos as the various superpowers would eventually fight over the energy crystals. Now, however, the participating superpowers want to avoid a battle with the two Guilds. There won't be any chaos for Zero Wing to take advantage of," Yan Tianxing said, sighing as he watched Shi Feng through a Magic Mirror.
This was the problem all developing Guilds faced. Even if a developing Guild had the strength to fight a superpower, other superpowers wouldn't sit idle and allow a new superpower to rise. They would usually cooperate to apply pressure on the developing Guild and prevent the growth of a new rival.
Yan Tianxing had faced the same when he had established his own Guild some years ago. In the end, he had been forced to abandon the Guild and establish an adventurer team instead. Now, it was Zero Wing's turn.
The situation somewhat saddened the various major powers, as well. They had thought that they'd get to witness a Guild with no background become a new superpower, but it seemed that opportunity was gone.
First- and second-rate Guilds dreamed of becoming superpowers, titans in the virtual gaming world, but the road to becoming a superpower was an arduous one. Without a powerful background and the support of major corporations,reaching such heights was nearly impossible.
The fact that Zero Wing had become so powerful despite its lack of support or a background had shown these major powers a ray of hope.
Now, however, that hope was about to be extinguished.
Despite such a powerful monster like Shi Feng in its midst, Zero Wing would suffer in the end. Needless to say, ordinary first- and second-rate Guilds wouldn't fare any better.
Hahaha! Black Flame, I'll finally have my retribution!" Singular Burial, who currently wore Blackwater's Guild Emblem, laughed maniacally as he watched the Magic Mirror hovering above Battlefield No. 3.
He had waited for this day for a long time now. He should've been Star-Moon Kingdom's overlord, becoming a titan in the virtual gaming world, but Zero Wing had foiled his plans,and in the end,he was nothing more than a commander in Blackwater.
His hatred for Zero Wing was endless due to this.
He had thought he had lost his chance to see Zero Wing perish, so he was overwhelmingly delighted at the moment.
Without White River City's Auction House, Zero Wing would lose the city. Without the headquarters it had painstakingly developed, Zero Wing's development would suffer. In this era of fierce competition, even a small setback could destroy a Guild's positions, not to mention something as major as losing one's main headquarters.
While Singular Burial celebrated Zero Wing's downfall, Blackwater's team in Battlefield No. 3 had met up with Starlink's team near a descended energy crystal. Starlink's Heart Demon then took command of the joint team.
The other superpowers, who had been waiting for the energy crystal to drop, promptly moved aside. The nearby major powers' experts gasped when they saw this.
"So, this is Blackwater and Starlink's joint force?" Dust Blood from Bloodbath Family felt his scalp tingle when he saw the gathered expert players below the descending crystal.
The team consisted of more than 120 Starlink and Blackwater members, and every one of these players felt incredibly dangerous to Dust Blood. There were also six specific players that Dust Blood couldn't even bring himself to look at. Each of these six wore at least two or three Epic Weapons or Equipment pieces.
However, these six players paled in comparison to Heart Demon, the hunchbacked old man that led the team and truly instilled fear in Dust Blood's heart. Even though Dust Blood was not a magical class player, he could see the Mana circling Heart Demon's body. Meanwhile, Heart Demon wore a total of five pieces of Epic Equipment. Although Dust Blood could not tell what rank the old man's staff was, the weapon radiated a soul-shuddering pressure.
As far as Dust Blood was concerned, these 120-plus experts from Starlink and Blackwater could even destroy a top-ranked first-rate Guild like Bloodbath Family if given enough time.
"Sure enough, Guilds like ours cannot afford to provoke superpowers." Morning Sun, the female Elementalist leading Holy Reincarnation's team in Battlefield No. 3, sighed when she saw the gathered force.
This was superpowers' strength!
Non-superpowers like the Bloodbath Family and Holy Reincarnation simply couldn't compete.
Setting aside monster-level experts, Blackwater and Starlink had even more combat power on Battlefield No. 3 than on Battlefield No. 1.
Despite the great lengths Zero Wing had gone to defeat the two Guilds on Battlefield No. 1,these superpowers had immediately formed another formidable team on another battlefield. Moreover, they had three more teams on the other battlefields…
While the various major powers were awestruck over Blackwater and Starlink's strength, a team of 20-plus players made its presence known. Everyone made a ruckus when they saw this team.
"Why are Zero Wing's members here?"
"Don't they know that Blackwater and Starlink will attack them the moment they show themselves?"
The various major powers' experts shot the team incredulous looks. They couldn't believe that Zero Wing's members would be so daring.
Unlike the team on Battlefield No. 1, this team didn't have any monster-level experts like Shi Feng, Fire Dance, Alluring Summer, and Shadow Sword.
"Very good! And here I thought you would only act after a significant number of energy crystals had dropped. This will save me the trouble of looking for you." Heart Demon watched Zero Wing's team approach through narrowed eyes. With a wave of his hand, he said, "I'm not like Old Wind and Old Sword.
I prefer to settle troublesome matters as soon as possible. Everyone, attack! Do not let any of them get away!"
Blackwater and Starlink's experts swarmed toward Zero Wing's team under Heart Demon's command.
However, once these experts got within 20 yards of Zero Wing's ream, a silver-armored woman wielding a golden greatsword emerged from the group.
This woman brandished her greatsword at Blackwater and Starlink's many experts.
One slash… Two slashes… Three slashes…
The silver-armored woman executed five consecutive attacks,sending five sword lights flying at her opponents. Wherever the sword lights passed, they left behind a pitch-black spatial tear.
Following which,the five golden lights enveloped the advancing players. When the light finally faded, Blackwater and Starlink had less than 20 players on their team. The rest had transformed into countless particles of light and vanished.
Suddenly, the battlefield was eerily silent…
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Chapter 2101 – Monster Galore
The dissipating particles of light looked like fading fireworks on Battlefield No. 3. Gentle Snow, who stood among the fading particles, looked like a war goddess that had just descended onto the battlefield, her silver armor and golden greatsword only adding to her sacred, majestic beauty.
However, the only thing the watching players felt when they looked at her was panic.
"How?" Dust Blood could not believe his eyes.
Gentle Snow had just slain more than 100 experts from Starlink and Blackwater!
Every one of those experts had even posed a threat to him, yet they had been nothing more than pests before Gentle Snow. With five slashes, She had wiped out 80% of the two superpower's joint team, and those that had survived had less than 50% of their HP remaining…
"Is she really a player?"
"Spatial tears? Can current players even be this strong?"
The various major powers' exerts nearby couldn't help but watch Gentle Snow in fear.
If she had used some sort of dazzling technique or powerful Skill to defeat those experts, they'd, at most, be amazed. After all, that strength would've been on par with monster-level experts. However, that was clearly not the case here.
Gentle Snow hadn't used a superb combat technique or Skill at all. She had simply relied on brute force. With her extraordinary speed and Strength, she had stomped on more than 100 Refinement Realm experts as if she were stomping on an anthill. This was ten times more shocking than if she had defeated her opponents with a combat technique or Skill.
The system prohibited players from using tools or Berserk Skills in the Auction Arena.
Yet, Gentle Snow had displayed Strength that defied common sense. Only Tier 4 attacks and above could cause spatial tears.
Even God's Domain's current monster-level experts could, at most, exhibit the Strength of upper-rank Tier 3. Although the difference between Tier 4 and upper-rank Tier 3 didn't seem major, it was actually massive. It was like the difference between a Grand Lord and a Mythic ranked monster.
Even Shi Feng was astonished. He had to admit that Fragmented Legendary items were truly amazing.
Gentle Snow currently carried two top-tier Fragmented Legendary items, and both were Strength-based and quite compatible with the Berserker Class. Furthermore, one of the items was a two-handed weapon. As Gentle Snow reached higher levels, her Strength would only rise to frightening levels. Purely comparing their Strengths, Gentle Snow's was even higher than Shi Feng's, and her physique rivaled his.
When Gentle Snow had been questing, she had miraculously discovered a Bloodline called the Great Earth Bloodline. Although it was a Basic Bloodline, it focused on improving a player's Strength. Although this new-found Strength didn't help Gentle Snow become as powerful as a Mythic monster, she wasn't far from it.
She was truly a humanoid Tyrannosaurus rex!
She has Tier 4 Strength? After watching Gentle Snow's display, Heart Demon couldn't help but tense with fear.
He'd rather fight old experts like Sword Demon than face a player with Tier 4 Strength. With such an overwhelming advantage, Gentle Snow could easily outmaneuver any of his offensive or defensive moves. Fighting this female Berserker head-on would be suicidal.
While everyone was shocked over Gentle Snow's terrifying Strength, the crimson-clad Zhao Yueru, who stood some distance behind her Berserker friend, had finally finished casting her Spell.
"Go!" Zhao Yueru shouted as she waved her staff.
Tier 2 Curse,Scorching Thorns!
Suddenly, hundreds of burning flowers appeared above Starlink and Blackwater's remaining experts. Under Zhao Yueru's control, these fire flowers shed thorns that rained down on her targets.
Every one of these fire thorns had the Strength to rival a Grand Lord of the same level. Moreover, her attacks were precise and numerous, making them impossible to dodge.
Boom… Boom… Boom…
A series of explosions shook the battlefield, followed by towering pillars of fire that rose into the air, one after another.
When the flames subsided, only three peak experts from the two Guilds remained alive. Everyone else had burned to death.
This turn of events broke the spectators' minds.
"Isn't she a little too powerful!?"
"Another monster?!"
"Just how much power has Zero Wing hidden?!"
Everyone was in shock as they stared at Gentle Snow and Zhao Yueru. Although none of them wanted to believe it, they had no choice after witnessing such a dazzling display.
"She's even stronger than before?" Yi Luofei, who sat in the spectator stands, was dumbfounded by Zhao Yueru's performance.
She had a far better understanding of how powerful the woman was than the other spectators around her. If not for the Auction Arena's restrictions, Yi Luofei guessed that Zhao Yueru could even solo Heart Demon.
However, Yi Luofei was even more surprised by the woman's improved combat standards.
When Yi Luofei had fought Zhao Yueru in the Black Dragon Empire, the latter had only been at the Refinement Realm, but now, she had moved beyond that, and Yi Luofei could see hints of Black Flame's abilities in Zhao Yueru's performance. Although she wasn't as powerful as Black Flame, Zhao Yueru had displayed incredible control over her Spell. Yi Luofei doubted that she could control hundreds of fire thorns as well as Zhao Yueru.
How much time had actually passed since the ranking competition in the Black Dragon Empire?
Improving one's combat standards wasn't as easy as upgrading one's equipment. It took a lot of time and effort to improve combat standards. A few months shouldn't be long enough, yet Zhao Yueru had managed it…
Could it be because of Zero Wing? Yi Luofei could not help but wonder. What did Zero Wing do?
There was the same situation with Graceful Moon. Before joining Zero Wing, Graceful Moon had only been a relatively talented expert, but nothing compared to true geniuses. And yet, she had actually defeated three Refinement Realm experts from top-ranked first-rate Guilds by herself. Now, Zhao Yueru displayed similarly frightening improvements.
The various superpowers' members that watched from the sidelines had fallen silent. They no longer looked down at Zero Wing in ridicule. Rather, they looked on in fear.
Everyone had thought that Blackwater and Starlink had Battlefield No. 3 in the bag, but now, only Heart Demon remained of the 120-plus experts on the team. On the other hand, none of Zero Wing's members had taken damage. This didn't look good for Heart Demon.
Gentle Snow and Zhao Yueru might not be Domain Realm experts, but they had the combat power to rival Domain Experts. These two women might actually be even more difficult to deal with than actual Domain Realm experts.
Moreover, these women's classes complemented each other perfectly.
The only option Heart Demon had left was a retreat. The old monster didn't have a second option.
"Damn it! How does Zero Wing have so many players with such monstrous Attributes?!" Jing Yang, who watched via one of the gigantic, hovering Magic Mirrors, paled when he saw the one-sided battle.
The fact that Zero Wing had monsters like Fire Dance, Alluring Summer, and Shadow Sword was already unbelievable, but now, two more monsters stepped out of the shadows.
For a moment,Jing Yang even wondered if Zero Wing had found a way to cheat.
However,he very quickly recovered his composure.
Although Zero Wing now held an overwhelming advantage in two of the five battlefields, there were still three other battlefields. As long as Blackwater and Starlink dealt with the smaller Guild on these battlefields, Zero Wing might still lose this competition.
Only, the hope didn't last long as the other Magic Mirrors displayed more scenes that shattered Jing Yang's fantasies.
In Battlefield No. 2, Zero Wing's Violet Cloud fought Mad Demon to a standstill. Moreover, Cola and Blackie trampled over Starlink and Blackwater's experts alongside her. In the end, Zero Wing's secured an overwhelming victory in this battlefield, as well.
In Battlefield No. 4, Aqua Rose and Turtledove worked together, displaying absurdly high combat power and holding their advantage over Blackwater and Starlink's experts. Wearing the Crystal Light Set, Silent Blade, Remnant Cloud, and Seven Light easily overwhelmed the two superpowers' peak experts in Battlefield No. 5 with their superior Basic Attributes.
For a time, an uproar shook the Auction Arena. Nobody had dreamed that Zero Wing was actually so powerful. The Guild had an absolute advantage in all five battlefields, increasing its collection of energy crystals.
The first three battlefields were practically Zero Wing's home turf. The Guild claimed over 70% of the energy crystals in these maps.
The watching crowd only snapped out of its daze after the competition's ending bell had rung.
In the end, Zero Wing secured first place in the Auction Arena with an overwhelming number of energy crystals. The system then repeated the results throughout Star-Moon Kingdom five times.
Not only had Zero Wing won White River City's Auction House, but it had become one of the few Guilds that owned one throughout God's Domain!
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Chapter 2102 – New Era
Once the competition reached its official end, the surviving participants were teleported out of their respective battlefields. Zero Wing's participants were transported to the Auction Arena's podium.
When Zero Wing's 107 participants appeared on the gorgeous platform hovering in the center of the Auction Arena, they instantly became the center of everyone's attention. The Magic Mirrors across the city displayed this scene, so almost everyone in White River City had their eyes on Zero Wing's representatives.
"We won!"
"Our Guild won!"
The innumerable Zero Wing members throughout the city cheered excitedly when they saw their Guildmates on the platform.
White River City's citizens were not the only ones amazed by this outcome. Practically every player and power in Star-Moon Kingdom was stunned.
With just 107 players, Zero Wing had held White River City against four superpowers. Moreover, it had won the competition by a landslide!
This was practically a dream.
When the system had announced the Auction Arena's activation, even players who had just joined God's Domain knew that the Auction Arenas would become a playground for the various superpowers. Lesser powers had no place in the competitions. Even if they wanted to fight for an NPC city's Auction House, they'd have to wait for the second round of promoted NPC cities.
Ordinary powers couldn't hope to understand the superpowers' level of strength. This fact had been proven true multiple times in God's Domain already. Even before the Auction Arena System, countless powers had fallen, caught in the crossfire between competing superpowers. Even first-rate Guilds had fallen,which ordinary players already considered unreachable.
Hence, nobody had expected for White River City's Auction Arena to end like this.
By the time Shi Feng, Zero Wing's Guild Leader,held up the crystalline certificate that granted the Guild the management rights over White River City's Auction House, the arena's atmosphere had reached its peak.
I finally have it. Shi Feng burned with excitement as he gazed at the crystalline certificate that glowed with a multi-colored light.
In his previous life, he had been forced to watch the various major powers obtain control of the Auction Houses in NPC cities from the spectator stands. In this life, however, not only had his Guild secured an NPC city's Auction House, but Zero Wing was also one of the first Guilds to do so.
Countless Zero Wing members shouted their elation throughout White River City, their voices echoing down every street. It seemed like these players were trying to tell the world that from today, Zero Wing was White River City's true overlord.
Now that Zero Wing had control of White River City's Auction House, it had control over the city's economic lifeline. Even if multiple superpowers moved against Zero Wing, they couldn't touch the Guild in this city.
Moreover, Zero Wing now had an additional income source, which would guarantee a certain level of the Guild's development. Zero Wing's position in Star-Moon Kingdom was also unshakeable now. Surpassing the Guild within its kingdom was nearly impossible after this victory.
In addition, as one of the first Guilds to win the management rights to an NPC city's Auction House, Zero Wing qualified to contest with the various superpowers for neutral maps. With a nigh-impenetrable mean headquarters, Zero Wing could afford to send more manpower to neutral maps. Now, Zero Wing truly had the potential to become a superpower in the future.
A superpower!
Countless powers and players in the virtual gaming world dreamed of commanding such power.
When Gentle Snow and Aqua Rose saw the crystalline certificate in Shi Feng's hand, they were just as emotional and excited.
Neither of them ever thought that Zero Wing would reach this point.
As the Guild's core upper echelons, no one understood Zero Wing better than they did. The fact that Zero Wing had started as a Guild with nothing, yet developed into something so powerful so rapidly was a miracle!
Although some assumed otherwise, Zero Wing truly lacked a background. It didn't even have any financial support from major companies. Zero Wing had reached this point by relying on its own abilities. It wasn't anything like the various large Guilds that didn't have to worry about needing funds.
"Black Flame has really tricked me. It's no wonder why Zero Wing has always been uninterested in the various superpowers' olive branches, going so far as to provoke multiple superpowers." Galaxy Past, who sat in the spectator stands, couldn't help his rueful sigh as he watched Shi Feng and the other Zero Wing members bask in their glory.
When he thought back to his plan of surpassing Zero Wing with the Star Alliance, he found the idea laughable.
Surpass?
How was the Star Alliance going to do that?
The 107 players on the levitating platform were enough to make the best first-rate Guilds tremble in fear, not to mention Zero Wing's potential for growth.
He more or less understood why Gentle Snow, Ouroboros's former Guild Leader, had joined Zero Wing. Many first-rate and pseudo-super-first-rate Guilds had reached out to Gentle Snow when Blackwater had annexed Ouroboros' but in the end,she had chosen to join Zero Wing,becoming a laughingstock.
"This is strange,Guild Leader. Why do I feel like the various major powers here are actually excited about this?" Purple Eye asked strangely as she looked around her.
Zero Wing had won this competition. The various major powers present shouldn't have anything to do with this victory, yet they acted as if Zero Wing had won this Auction Arena for them all.
"It's only natural," Galaxy Past said,chuckling. "Zero Wing broke the superpowers' undefeatable curse and birthed a new era, so of course, the various major powers are excited."
"A new era?" Realization dawned on Purple Jade.
Superpowers had always been undefeatable in God's Domain. Only other superpowers could contend with a superpower. In fact, this was common sense in the virtual gaming world.
Although there had been instances of a non-superpower defeating some of God's Domain's superpowers, these fights had been mere squabbles. They proved nothing. Moreover, these victors had relied on super-powerful items with limited effective periods. These items only allowed non-superpowers to shine for a limited time, and there was no relation between these items and a power's true strength. At most, these powers had attracted others' attention and envy.
However, the Auction Arena tested the participating powers' comprehensive strength. No external items were allowed in the competition. Moreover, the various participating superpowers took this competition very seriously.
Thus, Zero Wing was the first non-superpower to achieve true victory over multiple superpowers.
This victory also proved that superpowers could be defeated.
"Interesting. The superpowers actually lost."
"It seems the era of superpowers' rule over God's Domain has finally come to an end! After today, this is the era of new powers like us!"
In one of White River City's crowded Advanced Bars, upper echelons from powers that had been operated in secret began to grow restless after witnessing the Auction House competition's outcome.
Meanwhile, like the plague, news of Zero Wing's victory in White River City's Auction Arena spread throughout God's Domain, reaching every major power and superpower on the continent.
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Chapter 2103 – Uproar in Star-Moon Kingdom
After Zero Wing won White River City's Auction House, the various superpowers received the surprising news in less than ten minutes.
Although White River City was not an important NPC city, it was one of the first cities to have an active Auction Arena System. Naturally, the various superpowers wouldn't let it slip through their grasp.
Yet, despite four superpowers fighting to secure the Auction House, a non-superpower, Zero Wing, had won the competition. No matter how the various superpowers considered the news, it was unbelievable.
The unexpected development made the superpowers suspicious. They all suspected that Zero Wing had support from a Super Guild or a major corporation.
However, regardless of their assumptions, Zero Wing's name had made it onto their lists, becoming a target to pay close attention to. After all, now that Zero Wing had secured an NPC city's Auction House, it had gained a tremendous amount of financial strength. Moreover, this new income source was stable and beyond other powers' influence. With this, Zero Wing was one step closer to becoming a true superpower.
"Zero Wing succeeded?" Phoenix Rain could not help but be surprised when she read the report from her subordinate.
Before the Auction Arena competition, she had expressed her willingness to dispatch a portion of her strength to assist Zero Wing with Shi Feng, but he had rejected her offer. She had later learned that four superpowers had intended to fight for White River City. Even she would struggle to win White River City's Auction House with so many powerful opponents, yet the latest report stated that Zero Wing had emerged victorious. Moreover, its victory had been overwhelming.
No matter how she looked at it, the situation didn't seem realistic.
She had watched Zero Wing rise from the ground up personally, but she didn't understand how Zero Wing had become so powerful. For a moment, she even wondered if her subordinate had mistyped the victor's name to Zero Wing.
"Big Sis Rain, we've just received a message from the Great Pavilion Master. He wants to hold an Elder Meeting and requests your attendance. He says that it's related to Zero Wing," Blue Phoenix excitedly announced as she rushed into the room.
"I got it." Phoenix Rain could not help her bitter smile when she heard the message.
She had wanted to help Zero Wing. She hadn't thought that it would help her instead.
Ore Empire, Crimson Flame Fortress:
After a long period of development, the Crimson Flame Fortress's operations could rival that of a small NPC city. Including the NPC soldiers that guarded the fortress, it had become one of the safest rest areas in the Ore Empire, and it was very close to the Ore Capital City. By using the fortress's teleportation function, players could reach the Regional Dungeon very quickly. As a result, the fortress had become exceptionally popular among players.
However, tension dominated Blackwater's Residence in the Crimson Flame Fortress. Jing Yang, who stood in the Vice Guild Leader's office, was drenched in sweat.
"Zero Wing sure has a lot of experts." Xuanwu Chisa wore a faint smile as she finished reading Jing Yang's report.
Neither joy nor sadness filled Xuanwu Chisa's voice, yet those who heard it would feel an extraordinarily frightening pressure. Even South Time, who stood behind Jing Yang, felt his legs wobble for a moment.
"Vice Guild Leader, Zero Wing's strength has truly exceeded our expectations. Do we still intend to put pressure on the Guild after this?" a blue-clad, elderly man, who radiated a much stronger aura than South Time's, asked.
Zero Wing had enough apex experts to rival an ordinary superpower. Superpowers would have a very difficult time harassing the Guild with their own apex experts.
Zero Wing now had the strength to surround and defeat apex experts. On the off chance that its experts killed Blackwater's, the consequences would be severe. Apex experts were incredibly important assets to a superpower, and a single death could be dire for a superpower's development.
Moreover, with the strength Shi Feng had displayed thus far, Zero Wing wouldn't likely need to launch a large-scale offensive to deal with hostile apex experts. Shi Feng alone would be more than enough to get the job done.
The only option Blackwater had left involved mobilizing all of its apex combatants to wage a war of attrition against Zero Wing. However, doing so would not benefit either side. Blackwater's development would stagnate, and it would fall behind other superpowers. They had to avoid that method unless absolutely necessary.
This was why the various superpowers rarely mobilized their apex experts to resolve conflicts with other superpowers, dispatching peak exerts, at most, to fight. Apex experts played a crucial role in acquiring powerful items, and superpowers couldn't afford any hindrances to their development.
Normally, superpowers also had the option of an economic war, but now that Zero Wing had White River City's Auction House, it's financial prowess was likely unshakable.
"Of course, we are continuing," Xuanwu Chisa said as she eyed the blue-clad elder beside her. "This is merely the start of Zero Wing's tragedy. Starlink has won Auction Houses in three NPC cities, including Dark Night City's. This has substantially increased the Guild's overall strength. With the Starline Corporation's support, Starlink will only grow stronger. Although it failed to take White River City from Zero Wing, it won't let the smaller Guild off the hook so easily."
"Understood. I'll make the necessary arrangements." The blue-clad elder bowed and left the room.
After the blue-clad elder, Jing Yang, and the others left, Xuanwu Chisa restarted the battle video of the competition for White River City's Auction Arena. At one point, she began to smile.
"Black Flame, huh?" Xuanwu Chisa's eyes narrowed as she focused on the moment Shi Feng had killed Sword Demon. Laughing, she said, "How interesting. The fact that you have grown your Guild from nothing is truly amazing. It seems you have quite a few secrets, but turning a Guild into a titan in God's Domain isn't such an easy task. Show me how much you can grow."
Meanwhile, joy dominated White River City's streets. Zero Wing's members celebrated throughout the city like it was New Year's Eve.
Now that Zero Wing had control of the city's Auction House, it's position as Star-Moon Kingdom's overlord was stable. Any power that picked a fight with the Guild in Star-Moon Kingdom would simply be asking for an early death.
Although Zero Wing had only secured the management rights to White River City's Auction House, White River City had the highest player population of any city in the kingdom. Merchant and Lifestyle players frequently gathered here, and various products flowed through the city every day. Any power that wanted to develop in Star-Moon Kingdom couldn't avoid visiting White River City's Auction House.
It was easy to imagine the consequences if a power were barred from the city's Auction House.
Because of this, Star-Moon Kingdom's various powers forbade their members from provoking Zero Wing under any circumstances once Zero Wing had secured White River City's Auction House. Any player that ignored the order would be instantly banished from the organization, and no power in Star-Moon Kingdom would accept the banished player.
Even the kingdom's Dark Players were a little intimidated by Zero Wing.
Before this turn of events, they had been able to move about the kingdom without fear, but as time passed, the merchandise in White River City began to have greater influence on their daily lives in God's Domain. Furthermore, if they wanted to fetch a good price for the items they sold, White River City's Auction House was the best place to go. If they made it onto Zero Wing's blacklist, their relationship with the Auction House would be severed.
At the same time, Zero Wing's new position and influence in the kingdom attracted an unprecedented number of players who wanted to join the Guild.
In the past, Zero Wing's position as Star-Moon Kingdom's overlord hadn't been infallible, but now, it was truly unshakable. Taking into account the Guild's incredible performance in the Auction Arena, players who wanted to leech off of others' success and those who wanted to improve their own strength swarmed to join Zero Wing.
In less than an hour after the Auction Arena's conclusion, Zero Wing had received more than 200,000 applications. Many among them were experts that could reach the Trial Tower's fifth floor, and some were even Half-step Refinement Realm experts. It astonished Gentle Snow and Aqua Rose.
First-rate Guilds offered high prices and instant promotions to core member to recruit Half-step Refinement Realm experts, yet many of these experts approached Zero Wing, wanting to join even if they had to start out as normal members.
However, the situation didn't surprise Shi Feng. Zero Wing was only a step away from becoming a superpower now, and it was normal to receive membership applications from Half-step Refinement Realm experts. Moreover, the threshold Zero Wing needed to cross to become a superpower wasn't like what other first-rate Guilds faced.
Other Guilds typically lacked sufficient peak and apex experts when trying to become a superpower, but Zero Wing only lacked certain developmental aspects.
Growing the Guild was much easier to accomplish than nurturing peak and apex experts.
Of course, Zero Wing didn't actually have any real peak or apex experts. The players the Guild had shown off in the Auction Arena had been forcibly created through powerful weapons, equipment, and Skills. However, with the Lost Town and Zero Wing's many combat techniques, the Guild wasn't far behind the various superpowers in its ability to nurture experts. Moreover, as the Workshop perfected the facilities in Zero Wing's main headquarters, it would only be a matter of time before Zero Wing's methods were even more effective than the various superpowers'.
While Gentle Snow and Aqua Rose organized the Guild's new members, Shi Feng made his way to White River City's City Hall.
Even after securing the management rights to NPC cities' Auction Houses in the past, the various powers had only treated these Auction Houses as important income sources. They had failed to recognize the management rights' true value.
Someone had only discovered the true value of NPC Auction Houses after more than a year had passed since the Auction Arena System had been introduced. When this discovery had gone public, many powers had hated themselves for not investigating NPC Auction Houses thoroughly. If they had paid more attention, they would've been able to elevate their development to a whole new level.
What the various powers had failed to discover was the fact that NPC Auction Houses could be linked with player- constructed Auction Houses. The process of doing so was troublesome, but compared to the potential harvest, it wasn't worth mentioning.
After waiting in the City Hall for some time, a Level 150, Tier 3 senior administrator approached Shi Feng.
"Lord Count, I apologize for the long wait. The Magistrate is in his study. Please follow me," the senior administrator respectfully addressed Shi Feng.
"Alright." Shi Feng nodded. He then followed the senior administrator to the staircase that led to the top floor.
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Chapter 2104 – Proper Use of the Auction House
Under the senior administrator's lead, Shi Feng arrived at a quiet and elegant study.
The study was not particularly large. It had only two bookshelves, which were filled with dilapidated books. Some of the books didn't even have a cover. At a glance, one could tell that these books were considerably old. Some of them even exuded a faint trace of Divine Might.
In God's Domain, every item capable of exuding Divine Might was extraordinarily valuable as past possessions of Gods and having been bathed in the aura of Gods for long periods.
Among items that exuded Divine Might, books were especially valuable, since they recorded either a topic that interested Gods or knowledge left behind by Gods. Some even recorded hints and instructions on how to become a Tier 6 God.
Hence, even a useless book that exuded Divine Might could sell for thousands of Gold on the market. Their value easily rivaled an ordinary piece of Epic Equipment.
Meanwhile, more than 50 of such books were sitting on the two bookshelves.
So, this is the study of White River City's City Hall? Shi Feng was astonished as he gazed at the two bookshelves.
From an ordinary player's perspective, there was nothing special about a Magistrate meeting a player in his study.
After all, the Magistrate would not always remain in one location inside the City Hall.
However, what most people didn't know was that Magistrates normally wouldn't ever meet with players in their studies.
Only the manager of an NPC city's Auction House would be allowed to visit the study of the respective city's City Hall. One could say that this was a special privilege of Auction House managers. Any other player would most likely never set foot in a City Hall's study; Tier 6 God-ranked players were no exception. One could also say that a City Hall's study was the most fortified location inside an NPC city.
This wasn't because the study was protected by amazing magic arrays, but because it was located in a special space. Like an Otherworld, unless one gained permission to access it, even Tier 6 Gods wouldn't be able to enter the study.
At this time, Magistrate Weissman was sitting behind an office desk and reading a book made of pure gold under the sunlight shining through the window behind him.
Compared to the previous time Shi Feng met Weissman, the current Weissman was already a Level 200, Tier 5 Grand Wizard.
This could be considered one of the benefits of White River City being one of the first NPC cities to get promoted in God's Domain. With a Tier 5 NPC guarding White River City, even Tier 4 players would not dare act rampantly inside the city. The security level of the city was on an entirely different level compared to that of ordinary NPC cities.
Players could develop themselves here without worrying about small incidents ruining all their investments in the city.
You're here. Do you have some business with me?" Weissman asked as he looked at Shi Feng with a friendly smile.
Due to his promotion in tiers, Weissman's intellect had received further improvement. The NPC was now capable of acting much more like an ordinary human being. He even perfectly suppressed his aura. If one did not use an Identification Skill on Weissman, they would most likely treat him as an ordinary old man.
"Lord Magistrate, I wish to make the city more prosperous, so I want to link White River City's Auction House with the Auction House of another city. I hope I can gain your permission to do so," Shi Feng answered.
An Auction House was an important economic pillar for a city. An Auction House's development was a city's development, and the prosperity of an Auction House was a city's prosperity.
In the past, the powers merely treated the NPC Auction Houses they acquired as an ATM and the key to controlling an NPC city. They failed to understand that NPC Auction Houses were actually a tool for hastening the development of Guild Towns.
This function had only been discovered more than a year after the Auction Arena System's introduction into the game. A year!
With the popularity and income that an NPC Auction House brought, one year was more than enough to elevate a Guild Town into an Advanced City. However, as the various powers failed to discover this function, even more than two years after God's Domain's launch in the past, there hadn't been a single Advanced Guild City in the game. Even the existing Intermediate Cities back then had still been far from becoming Advanced Cities. Without the help of an NPC Auction House, even three to five years of development wouldn't be enough to elevate an Intermediate City to an Advanced City.
Guild Towns and Cities were a Guild's foundation for development in God's Domain. Meanwhile, there was an enormous difference between Guild Towns and Cities of different ranks—especially when an Intermediate City was promoted into an Advanced City. Although the change was mostly quantitative, the difference was massive. Moreover, some special constructions that assisted players in their development could be constructed only in Advanced Cities.
Hence, when the various powers received news about this function, they had all been filled with regret.
Had they known about this function early on, they would have been able to elevate their Guilds' development speed and the standard of players in their territory to a whole new level. This was particularly true for the standard of players.
As players reached higher levels, the maps inside kingdoms and empires would become inadequate for players seeking to improve themselves.
This improvement wasn't limited to Levels; it referred to clearing the Tier 3 Promotion Quest as well. Level 100 was a massive turning point for players in God's Domain. Not only were Level 100 monsters much more difficult to handle than Level 99 monsters, but it was also the minimum level at which players could get promoted to Tier 3.
Meanwhile, the precondition for promotion to Tier 3 was development in neutral maps. However, as luck would have it, Level 100-plus neutral maps were extremely dangerous, so dangerous that even Tier 2 experts would struggle to survive in them. Most importantly, the environment in these neutral maps was extremely severe. Low ambient Mana, like in the Witch's Hill, was only the least of the environmental challenges in these Level 100-plus neutral maps.
If players wanted to have an easier time developing in these Level 100-plus neutral maps, they needed to rely on the support of a Guild City. Developing in a Level 100-plus neutral map was akin to walking through a barren desert with a Guild City serving as an oasis.
However, proper player development in Level 100-plus neutral maps depended largely on the rank of the Guild City. In Level 100-plus neutral maps, a Basic City was only the baseline for survival for Tier 2 players.
That was right: survival. Basic Cities merely protected players from dying from unexpected events.
Only after reaching the Intermediate standard would a Guild City be able to provide players with a better life in neutral maps. Guild Cities that had reached the Advanced standard could provide players with comfortable lives even in Level 100-plus neutral maps. Tier 3 promotion would also become considerably easier—which was the reason why the various powers of God's Domain had been so desperate to obtain an Advanced City of their own in the past.
If a power could upgrade its Guild City to the Advanced standard early on, the speed of conversion to Tier 3 and the number of players converted would increase significantly. Said power could then widen the gap between itself and other powers.
This was also the reason why Shi Feng was so desperate to secure White River City's Auction House.
After all was said and done, superpowers were still superpowers. Zero Wing could not hope to match the resources and manpower they had on hand. Although everyone believed that Zero Wing was only one small step away from becoming a superpower, they failed to realize that a gigantic gap remained between Zero Wing and an actual superpower.
Moreover, as more time passed, this gap would only become increasingly obvious—the so-called snowball effect. Currently, even the best players in God's Domain had just started their journey in Tier 2, so the difference might not be so obvious. However, after players reached Tier 3, the gap would be glaring.
If he did not set up a sturdy foundation for Zero Wing now, then once the various superpowers of God's Domain started obtaining Tier 3 players, he might be able to protect himself, but Zero Wing might not be able to defend itself against superpowers.
"Link with the Auction House of another city?" Weissman put down the book in his hands and enter deep thought when he heard Shi Feng's words. Before long, he said, "It's not exactly impossible, but this matter will be very difficult to accomplish. If you fail, you'll have to pay a considerable price. Are you truly willing to accept this task?"
Yes." Shi Feng nodded seriously. He had long since known about this point, as he wouldn't have visited Weissman without preparation.
"Which town or city would you choose?" Weissman asked.
"Stone Forest Town!" Shi Feng replied.
The Witch's Hill Zero Wing City was built in was a precious leveling ground. He couldn't possibly move Zero Wing City to a neutral map. Stone Forest Town, however, was a different story. The Stoneclaw Mountains the town was built in was already starting to lose popularity among players. Moreover, Stone Forest Town was already an Advanced Town and only a step away from becoming a Basic City; he naturally had to prioritize its development.
Although linking an NPC Auction House with a Guild Town's Auction House was slightly more difficult than doing so for a Guild City's Auction House, the difficulty was only on the standard of an Epic Team Quest. To Shi Feng's current self, completing such a quest would be no problem at all.
"Alright, as White River City's Magistrate, I will grant you this authority. Here are the tasks you need to complete. I hope you can succeed!" Weissman said as he took out a parchment and handed it to Shi Feng.
Meanwhile, the moment Shi Feng accepted the parchment, a system notification entered his ears.
System: You have accepted the Inferior Legendary Quest "Road of Prosperity."
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Chapter 2105 – Road to Tier 3
An Inferior Legendary Quest? Shi Feng was stunned when he saw the system notification.
As far as he could remember, the quest to link an NPC Auction House to a Guild City's had only neared Epic rank. Even if it were slightly more difficult to accomplish, the quest shouldn't be more difficult than an Epic Team Quest. He had never heard of an Inferior Legendary ranked version.
Although there was only one rank between Inferior Legendary Quests and Epic Quests, the actual difficulty difference was massive. This was like the difference between peak and apex experts. Even apex experts would face extreme risks when completing an Inferior Legendary Quest, and that was with the support of a superpower.
Without a superpower behind them, completing an Inferior Legendary Quest would require heaven-defying luck.
During Shi Feng's brief moment of shock, he received another system notification.
System: Congratulations! You are the first player to activate the Road to Prosperity in God's Domain. There will be no penalties for failing the quest. Upon quest completion, you will be awarded an additional Peak Construction Design or Gold Town Promotion Order.
A Peak Construction Design or Gold Town Promotion Order? Shi Feng began to grow excited as he read this second notification.
Both the Peak Construction Design and the Gold Town Promotion Order were painfully difficult to acquire in God's Domain. Either of these items was easily as valuable as a Fragmented Legendary item.
Any Peak Construction could easily attract a flood of players, increasing a city's popularity. Peak Constructions were also required to promote an Advanced City to a Main City.
A Guild City could only truly become a Guild's main headquarters after becoming a Main City, which even individual Tier 5 players would find difficult to take down. To destroy a Main City, one would need a group of Tier 5 players or a Tier 6 God-ranked player.
This was also why only Guilds with a Main City were considered true first-rate Guilds. First-rate Guilds generally had quite a few Tier 5 players under their command, and with the home-ground advantage, these Tier 5 players could exhibit far greater combat power than ordinary Tier 5 players. Hence, even the various superpowers had invested a lot of time and effort to destroy a first-rate Guild's Main City in the past.
Some superpowers had even spent two or three months trying to destroy a first-rate Guild's Main City.
As for the Gold Town Promotion Order, it allowed players to promote an Advanced Town to a Basic City unconditionally.
Every superpower dreamed of commanding a Basic City at this stage of the game. Not only would a Basic City provide a stable source of income, but it would also allow its ruling superpower to control more territory. At the same time, a Basic City was the basis for survival in Level 100-plus neutral maps.
God's Domain had plenty of Level 100-plus neutral maps, and every one of them had its own characteristics and resources. Occupying one of these neutral maps would certainly benefit a Guild's members as they grew stronger.
God's Domain's current powers desperately needed both the Peak Construction Design and the Gold Town Promotion Order. Even though it would still be some time before players reached Level 100, much would need to be done before they could explore Level 100 neutral maps. Many powers in the past had only begun to prepare after players had reached Level 90, and by then, it had been too late.
Ideally, powers should prepare to explore Level 100 neutral maps once players reached Level 80. Players would need potions and items that would help counter the harsh environments players would encounter in neutral maps, for example. To amass these potions and items, the various powers would need to improve their Lifestyle players' standards. They would also need to grind for recipes and designs.
If a power only began to prepare for this expansion after players reached Level 90, it wouldn't be ready in time, and superpowers were no exception. Its development in Level 100 neutral maps would stagnate, and the process of elevating its expert players to Tier 3 would be affected.
Zero Wing's foundations were still flimsy. Hence, Shi Feng needed to prepare for exploring Level 100 neutral maps as soon as possible. After all, after reaching Tier 2, players would need about the same amount of time for each level-up before Level 100. It only seemed like players' leveling speed decreased as they reached higher levels due to increased PvP encounters, which, in turn, resulted in more deaths than necessary. In addition, top-tier weapons and equipment became more difficult to acquire.
Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng promptly unfurled the parchment Weissman had given him.
The parchment listed all the conditions that he would need to fulfill. Once he met these conditions, White River City's Auction House would link with the Auction House in Stone Forest Town.
As expected of an Inferior Legendary Quest. These conditions are absurd. Shi Feng frowned as he read the parchment.
To put it simply, he needed to obtain 100 units of Seven Luminaries Crystal and complete one Hero ranked Crusade Quest.
Although the quest only had two conditions, fulfilling both would even be a challenge for the various superpowers. The various superpowers likely didn't even know what a Hero Crusade Quest was.
A Hero Crusade Quest was also known as a Kingdom Crusade Quest. Even an entire kingdom would struggle to complete such a quest, so they were usually commissioned through the Adventurer's Association. In the past, even the various superpowers had considered Hero Crusade Quests absolute nightmares.
In the past, first-rate Guilds had been powerless when it came to Hero Crusade Quests, and the various superpowers had sacrificed tens of thousands of expert players to complete them. Even apex experts had died multiple times during the quest.
Now, the system wanted him to complete one such quest just to connect two Auction Houses.
Obtaining 100 units of Seven Luminaries Crystal wasn't particularly difficult for Shi Feng. After all, Zero Wing had already begun to explore the Tower of Time. Thus far, the Guild had collected more than 50 units of Seven Luminaries Crystal. If he sent Cola and the other main force members to the Tower, acquiring the rest of the required Seven Luminaries Crystals wouldn't be overly difficult.
The Hero Crusade Quest was the real problem.
Ouroboros had once accepted a Hero Crusade quest when players had been around Level 70. Their target had been the Lord of Fire in an ancient secret land. I can probably give it a go. After giving the matter some thought, Shi Feng recalled the Hero Crusade Quests in Star-Moon Kingdom during his previous life. Of those he could remember, the only one he was confident of Zero Wing completing was the crusade against the Lord of Fire.
Although Ouroboros had failed to defeat the Lord of Fire, the main reason for its defeat had been insufficient Fire Resistance. Ouroboros's members hadn't been able to withstand the Lord of Fire's attacks at all. A foreign superpower had arrived to hunt down the Boss only after players had reached Level 100. The achievement had sparked a huge commotion in Star-Moon Kingdom at the time.
Players could only complete a Hero Crusade Quest once, and once it had been completed, it would vanish from God's Domain forever. As long as a Guild completed a Hero Crusade Quest, it would be awarded a significant amount of Guild Popularity, which would attract more NPC nobles and even royalty to commission quests. A Guild could even earn the appropriate deeds to become a Territory Lord, although trying to reach that rank was extremely difficult.
After considering the matter for a moment, Shi Feng decided to hunt down the Lord of Fire. Other powers might find it struggle to amass enough Fire Resistance to raid the Lord of Fire, but it wasn't an issue for Shi Feng and his Guild. He had already raided the Flame Demon King and obtained the Flame Demon's Crown, a piece of top-tier Fire Resistance Equipment, after all. Furthermore, Zero Wing was far stronger than Ouroboros had been. With the help of Master Fire Resistance Potions, raiding the Lord of Fire was definitely possible for the Guild.
As Shi Feng left the City Hall and was about to head to the Candlelight Trading Firm to prepare for the Crusade Quest, Aqua Rose contacted him.
"Guild Leader, something major has just happened! A moment ago, Starlink made a move and invited every core member in our Guild to join it. It is offering us three times what Zero Wing is paying, and it has poached a group of Advanced Lifestyle players from Candlelight Starlink has started selling weapons and equipment for Cred causing our sales to plummet," Aqua Rose hurriedly reported. "Everyone in the Guild is talking about it."
"I guess Starlink finally gave in and is trying to suppress us with its financial power?" Shi Feng could not help but laugh.
"How can you laugh at a time like this, Guild Leader? We are already tight on Credits. Now that Starlink is trying to sabotage us, many of the Guild's members are growing concerned. If our people start to leave the Guild, our development will likely stagnate," Aqua Rose said, exasperated at Shi Feng's reaction.
"I get it. Notify Melancholic and Youlan; tell them to reduce our prices in the Dark Night Empire and purchase the empire's specialty materials at a high price. Since Starlink wants to cause trouble in Star-Moon Kingdom, we'll do the same in the Dark Night Empire." Shi Feng calmly decided.
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Chapter 2106 – Advanced Authority
Aqua Rose was stunned when she heard Shi Feng's orders.
"Guild Leader, are we really doing this?" Aqua Rose hurriedly asked after snapping out of her daze. "We're short on Coins and Credits right now because of the Guild's development. I'm afraid that we won't last more than two days if we go through with this."
Zero Wing had secured White River City's Auction House, which significantly increased the Guild's income, but the battle had also tremendously elevated the Guild's fame, which had attracted more recruits and increased the Guild's member count. Overall, the Guild's funds were still stretched thin.
Meanwhile, a large-scale price war wouldn't yield results quickly. It could even backfire on Zero Wing. Starlink was its opponent this time, and the superpower had immense financial strength. Moreover, Zero Wing would be attacking Starlink's home turf. Even when Zero Wing's coffers had been overflowing, it still hadn't been a match for Starlink.
Not even superpowers like Unyielding Soul or Crimson Emperor dared to engage in a financial war against Starlink.
"How many Coins can we save each day after including the income from White River City's Auction House?" Shi Feng asked.
"After deducting the Guild's necessary expenditures and including the funds we have on hand, we should be able to save around 35,000 Gold per day," Aqua Rose said with a bitter smile.
Thirty-five thousand Gold was unquestionably a huge sum to current first-rate Guilds. Many of them dreamed of saving so much in a single day. As Guilds continued to develop, they encountered more necessary expenditures.
Trying to wage a price war against a superpower on its home turf with just 35,000 Gold per day was a joke. That money would be gone in two days, at most. Even if Zero Wing was generating more income each day, the Guild could only afford to maintain its financial attack for around five days. Any longer and the war would affect the Guild's development.
"That should be just barely enough." Shi Feng mimicked Aqua's faint smile after giving the matter some thought.
"That's enough?" For a moment, Aqua Rose wondered if she had misheard Shi Feng. Either that, or she had accidentally told him the wrong numbers, stating the Guild's net income as 350,000 rather than 35,000.
"Mhm, that's enough. Just inform Melancholic and Youlan and tell them to see to the necessary preparations in the Dark Night Empire," Shi Feng said, nodding. He then disconnected the call and continued toward the Candlelight Trading Firm to prepare for the Lord of Fire raid.
A few days ago, he wouldn't have been confident enough to start a price war with Starlink in the Dark Night Empire, but he had already purchased 500 Stamina Gemstones from the 4-star Wandering Merchant Zall.
The various major powers desperately needed Stamina Gemstones since they'd all started to explore neutral maps. Unfortunately, these neutral maps didn't have Guild Towns or Cities yet where players could rest. Moreover, the various large Guilds couldn't transfer their Guild Towns to these neutral maps yet, which meant that exploration relied entirely on players' strength and Stamina.
Meanwhile, the wealthier a neutral map was, the hasher its environment would be. As a result, players expended more Stamina than normal when exploring these maps. Players would even consume Stamina while standing still in some neutral maps, and even if they sat down to rest, their Stamina recovery would only be enough to nullify the passive consumption rate. Players simply couldn't survive in these maps for long. Although there were some potions that aided in Stamina recovery on the market, they were extremely rare. The various major powers usually saved these potions for their members, rarely selling them.
Take Zero Wing, for example. Although Zero Wing could brew the Exotic Stamina Potion, it only had ten players that were capable of producing it, yet the Guild had more than 500,000 members. After deducting the Guild's needs, very few Exotic Stamina Potions were left that could be sold on the market.
This predicament only increased the Stamina Gemstone's value. First, the Stamina Gemstone did not have a set duration; it would not disappear after a certain period of use. Second, it did not have a level limit. Hence, players could use the Stamina Gemstone throughout their careers in God's Domain.
If players equipped three Stamina Gemstones, they wouldn't have to worry about Stamina consumption when exploring neutral maps below Level 100. Because of this, the various major powers had gone crazy for Stamina Gemstones in the past, each easily selling for 300 Gold in an auction.
While Shi Feng prepared all sorts of Fire Resistance equipment and potions, players throughout Star-Moon Kingdom had discovered Starlink's assault on Zero Wing, and a commotion erupted across the kingdom.
"Starlink has finally made its move."
"I knew Starlink couldn't take the embarrassment of losing to Zero Wing lying down. Even though Zero Wing has many experts, the competition between the various powers is one of finances. How can Zero Wing possibly compete with Starlink without any backers?"
"Starlink is pretty impressive, though. It's actually poaching Zero Wing's members by offering to triple their salaries. I've heard that several hundred Zero Wing members have already left to join Starlink. Moreover, a large number of them are Advanced Lifestyle players. This will likely wound the Candlelight Trading Firm."
"I would be tempted, as well. After all, they get to join a superpower and earn three times their normal salary."
"That's not all Starlink is doing. I've heard that it's started to buy Star-Moon Kingdom's materials at a high price, too. It is also selling similar products to the Candlelight Trading Firm at a much lower price. As a result, Candlelight's player traffic has decreased."
"Zero Wing's in trouble now. It has just secured White River City's Auction House after fighting so hard, and just as it has gained the funds to start on the path toward becoming a superpower, Starlink had jumped in and made such a move. Zero Wing's development will likely stagnate."
"Sure enough, superpowers shouldn't be casually provoked."
By this point, Star-Moon Kingdom's players had gained a better understanding of superpowers' wealth. Although they had recently held an optimistic view of Zero Wing's future, hoping that Zero Wing could emerge victorious from a price war with Starlink was unrealistic.
Meanwhile, a gorgeous woman in dark-purple robes entered one of White River City's Advanced Bars. As soon as she spotted the middle-aged man wearing pitch-black leather armor at the bar, she hurried up to him.
"Commander, I've just received a message from the Seven Sins. Not only has Starlink successfully secured three Auction Houses, but it has also become an advanced member in the Secret Chamber of Commerce. As an advanced member, the first thing Starlink did was use its authority to hold an Advanced Union. It looks like Starlink is trying to kick Zero Wing out of Secret," Yi Luofei immediately reported.
"An Advanced Union?" Yan Tianxing could not help but shake his head and sigh as he said, "Sure enough, hoping that a Guild with no background can become a superpower is a fool's dream. Since that is the case, let's return to the Black Dragon Empire."
Within the Secret Chamber of Commerce, there were two levels of membership: basic and advanced. Not only did advanced members enjoy greater authority and have more access to the Chamber's resources, but they could also hold an Advanced Union to propose changes to the Chamber's other advanced members. As long as more than half of the advanced members agreed to the proposal, it would be enacted immediately. One of the potential proposals included expelling basic members from the Chamber.
However, becoming an advanced member in the Secret Chamber of Commerce was extremely difficult. Not even all Super Guilds qualified for that level of membership, and Starlink's success in doing so was certainly shocking.
Since Starlink was responsible for the proposal, Secret's advanced members would likely approve Zero Wing's removal to avoid provoking the superpower and prevent another from rising in God's Domain. Now, not even the Secret Pavilion's objection could save Zero Wing from its fate.
It was easy to imagine what end awaited Zero Wing if it lost access to the Secret Chamber of Commerce's sales channels.
Shi Feng, who busied himself in the Candlelight Trading Firm, received a frustrated notification from Yuan Tiexin, as well. After today, Zero Wing was no longer a member of the Secret Chamber of Commerce, and all dealings it had with the Chamber would be canceled immediately.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, this decision is a result of the Advanced Union's agreement. Although the Secret Pavilion voted against it, the five other advanced members voted for the proposal. There was nothing the Pavilion could do," Yuan Tiexin said apologetically.
"It's fine. It's the rules, after all. Although, I have to thank the Pavilion for voting in Zero Wing's favor," Shi Feng said, chuckling.
"Although Zero Wing is no longer part of the Secret Chamber of Commerce, if your Guild needs anything, the Secret Pavilion can help with small matters. Just contact me if you need anything in the future," Yuan Tiexin sincerely offered.
"Thanks." Shi Feng nodded appreciatively.
As Shi Feng learned of Zero Wing's banishment from the Secret Chamber of Commerce, news of the matter spread throughout Star-Moon Kingdom, causing an uproar.
Nobody would've imagined that Secret would annex Zero Wing without a second thought. With this, Zero Wing would find it even more difficult to survive Starlink's economic suppression.
"Zero Wing! Didn't you want to play? I'll give you my full attention this time!" Lu Xingluo, in the distant Dark Night Empire, laughed when he received the latest report on Zero Wing.
Previously, he hadn't had the time to deal with Zero Wing, but now that Starlink has secured its position as the Dark Night Empire's overlord, neither Unyielding Soul nor Crimson Empire was a match for its prowess in the empire. Now that he didn't have to worry about Starlink's position in the empire, he had the time to punish Zero Wing for angering Starlink.
Meanwhile, Melancholic Smile and Youlan had just arrived in one of the Hundred Flower Palace's Shops in Dark Night City that Zero Wing had taken over.
"Guild Leader, all of Candlelight's Shops in the empire have been stocked with Stamina Gemstones and Exotic Stamina Potions. We can start selling them at any time," Melancholic Smile reported after calling Shi Feng.
"Good! Begin the operation!" Shi Feng commanded. "It's about time we teach Starlink a lesson!"
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Chapter 2107 – Foolish to the Extreme?
Melancholic Smile and Youlan went to work the moment Shi Feng gave the command. In Zero Wing's name, they announced their intent to purchase the Dark Night Empire's specialty materials at a high price and sell common goods at a low price.
The post caused a commotion throughout the empire the moment it went public. The Dark Night Empire's players found the situation unbelievable.
"Insane! Zero Wing has gone insane!"
"What?! Is Zero Wing really starting a price war against Starlink!?"
Practically everyone in the Dark Night Empire knew of Zero Wing by this point. The Guild had, after all, helped the Hundred Flowers Palace resist Starlink's assault.
It was no secret that Starlink had begun to use its financial prowess to suppress Zero Wing shortly after the Auction Arena had ended.
However, no one had expected Zero Wing to pull a move like this in the Dark Night Empire so soon after Starlink's actions in Star-Moon Kingdom. Clearly, Zero Wing was retaliating.
The news reached the empire's various powers at lightspeed, and they all found Zero Wing's actions utterly astonishing.
"What are Zero Wing's people thinking? Are they unaware that Starlink has already secured Dark Night City's Auction House?" Crimson Heart, the Hundred Flowers Palace's First Vice Guild Leader, said, flabbergasted.
Starlink had already solidified its position as the empire's overlord, and not even Unyielding Soul or Crimson Emperor would dare engage the superpower in a financial war.
Moreover, Starlink had secured two other NPC Auction Houses. Its new financial strength was unimaginable.
"I've heard that Zero Wing's members have become jittery due to Starlink's suppression. Maybe Zero Wing is trying to raise morale and unite its members," Cleansed Rue commented.
In her opinion, this was Zero Wing's only option. A Guild's morale and unity were extremely important. If the Guild were fractured, it would only be a matter of time before it crumbled.
"Even so, this is just playing with fire. This has basically announced Zero Wing's intentions to fight Starlink. If Zero Wing loses this financial war, it will only suffer more," Crimson Heart said. "Moreover, economic warfare is very taxing on a Guild. This isn't a field battle; it is a pure competition of wealth and resources. War weapons are useless here."
Cleansed Rue fell silent after listening to Crimson Heart's reasoning.
As Crimson Heart had said, fighting a price war would hinder a Guild's operations, and the consequences of losing a war like this were far worse than losing a field war. While a Guild could endure multiple defeats in a field war, a single loss in a financial war could force a Guild to the brink of disbandment. Even worse, a Guild would still suffer severe losses even if it won. To put it simply, there were no winners in an economic war.
The Hundred Flowers Palace wasn't the only Guild in the Dark Night Empire that Zero Wing's actions had confused. Unyielding Soul also discussed the situation.
"Zero Wing has gone too far this time." Mu Cheng could not help but sigh as he read the discussions on the Dark Night Empire's official forums.
"Grandpa, Zero Wing has a goldmine like Zero Wing City, as well as White River City's Auction House. Overall, it still has frightening financial strength. Starlink won't come out unscathed from a financial war with Zero Wing, either," Mu Lingsha said.
Other Guilds might not recognize Zero Wing City's value, but as a superpower, Unyielding Soul was very aware of it.
Aside from the daily entry fees, the teleportation services the city offered to players who wanted to visit the Otherworld Gate generated astonishing profits. The Otherworld gate had many precious treasures to offer players, and the leveling speed in the area was incredible. Even players from Star-Moon Kingdom's neighbors had begun to head toward the Otherworld Gate to level, not to mention the kingdom's players.
The city's teleportation services likely earned Zero Wing as much money as White River City's Auction House.
_You_re severely underestimating Starlink. Don't forget that Starlink has taken control of Dark Nigh
House. In other words, it holds the city's economic lifeline in its palm," Mu Cheng said, shaking his head. "A single word from Starlink is enough to determine who can enter the Auction House and who cannot. Furthermore, Starlink controls three total NPC Auction Houses. Even if one of the Auction Houses stops generating income, Starlink won't suffer for it. Starlink's influence over the empire's players is leaps and bounds beyond Zero Wing's. Do you think that everyone would risk provoking Starlink for a little extra profit?"
After all was said and done, Zero Wing was not a superpower. Ignoring background, there was a massive difference between the two Guilds in terms of the number of Auction Houses under their control. The main reason that Starlink dared to provoke Zero Wing in Star-Moon Kingdom was the fact that Zero Wing only controlled one NPC Auction House. If Zero Wing prohibited Starlink's customers from using its Auction House, it would sever its own lifeline. However, the same couldn't be said for Starlink.
This was the difference between these Guilds' foundations!
It was extremely foolish for Zero Wing to think that it could use Starlink's tactics against it. Trying to mimic the superpower's suppression would only make Zero Wing's death even more miserable!
"I'll go and warn Zero Wing right away," Mu Lingsha said.
"It's too late," Mu Cheng said, sighing. "Zero Wing has already announced its intentions in this war using its own name. Every player in the Dark Night Empire and Star-Moon Kingdom knows what's happening. If Zero Wing gives up now, not only would the Guild appear weak, but its players' unity would also shatter."
Dark Night City, Starlink's Residence:
"Guild Leader, everyone's discussing Zero wing's declaration of war. Should we take further actions against the Guild?" Dawn Web asked Lu Xingluo.
"Of course! Inform the public that whoever dares to sell the empire's specialty materials to Zero Wing should give up any hope of setting foot in Dark Night City's Auction House every again!" Laughing, Lu Xingluo continued, "I want to see just how Zero Wing plans to play this out!"
"Understood!" Dawn Web promptly bowed and left the room.
Dark Night City's business district bustled with activity, and despite the late hour, players crowded the streets. As the Dark Night Empire's imperial capital, the various adventurer teams and Guilds' members gathered here. One could easily find Level 64 expert players with a casual glance, and there were quite a few experts in Level 60 Fine-Gold Equipment. The scene would be impossible to find in an ordinary NPC city.
However, the empire's various powers hadn't stationed their members in Dark Night City because it was the empire's capital, but because it was a hub for the Dark Night Empire's merchant players. This ensured that the city had more resources than anywhere else in the empire.
If the Dark Night Empire had something good to offer, it could be found in Dark Night City. Items that were nearly impossible to find in other NPC cities were commonplace here, and the majority of these items flowed through Dark Night City's Auction House.
Many players had become famous or wealthy overnight because they had chanced upon treasures selling for far less than they were worth in the city's Auction House.
Due to Starlink's ban on Zero Wing, no one was in a rush to visit the Candlelight Trading Firm's Shop in the business district. Very few players were willing to enter the Shop since everyone was afraid of being banned from the city's Auction House as well.
Meanwhile, Melancholic Smile and Youlan were dumbfounded as they stood in Candlelight's empty Shop.
They were purchasing materials at a 30% markup and selling commonly used goods for 30% less than market value, yet only a small number of players had visited Candlelight's Shops in the empire since they had made their announcement over an hour ago.
Anxious, Melancholic Smile contacted Shi Feng and asked, "Guild Leader, what should we do? Because of Starlink's ban, the players who visit Candlelight here only buy our low-priced goods. We're losing money and gaining nothing. We won't be able to affect Starlink's economy at this rate."
"Starlink has banned us?" Shi Feng laughed. "How quick of it!"
"Guild Leader, we're losing money here, yet you can still laugh?" Melancholic Smile asked, exasperated.
"Now that Starlink has banned us, we can take action," Shi Feng said. "Reveal the Exotic Stamina Potions and Stamina Gemstones. Any player that wants to buy the Exotic Stamina Potions can do so with the empire's specialty materials. Auction off the Stamina Gemstones but only to players who sell us 1 Gold of specialty materials. Hopefully, Starlink keeps its word and goes through with the ban."
"I'll get it done!" Melancholic Smile said, a joyful smile lighting up her face.
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Chapter 2108: Dark Night Empire Shaken
Translator:Exodus Tales
Editor:Exodus Tales
Although Melancholic Smile wasn't a combat player, she understood the Exotic Stamina Potions and Stamina Gemstone's value perfectly.
Zero Wing's exchange prices for the Exotic Stamina Potions rose each day, and now, not even the Guild's basic elite members qualified to purchase the potions. The Exotic Stamina Potions were only available to those who had been Guild members for a long time, significantly contributed to the Guild, and were advanced elite members. Moreover, advanced elite members were limited to one bottle every three days. Even so, the Guild's daily supply wasn't enough to maintain its stock.
It was clear how important the Exotic Stamina Potions were to combat players.
However, Melancholic Smile didn't find the situation unreasonable. Current players had moved beyond grinding within kingdoms and empires' borders. Most players ran toward neutral maps as soon as they were a high enough level. Not only did neutral maps offer more opportunities, but leveling in these maps also proved faster than the alternative.
This was a part of God's Domain's balance. Players wouldn't earn much if they developed in save areas, but if they took a risk, they could reap more rewards.
The Exotic Stamina Potions were a large part of the reason that Zero Wing's members had reached Level 50 so quickly.
The Stamina Gemstones were even more impressive. Although they weren't as powerful as the Exotic Stamina Potions, they were everlasting. Moreover, the Stamina Gemstone would only become more effective as players reached higher levels. Players could use the gemstones forever, and they were a treasure that could give the various major powers a significant advantage over their competitors.
Melancholic Smile immediately ordered a subordinate to set up a new counter for the Exotic Stamina Potions. She also set up a small cabinet beside the counter to display the Stamina Gemstones and the necessary qualifications to bid for them in the auction.
The moment these new features appeared in the Shop, they attracted the few visiting players' attention.
"Quick, look! There's a new counter!"
"A new product?"
The independent players browsing the Shop weren't from the Dark Night Empire. They were merely visiting Dark Night City to purchase and sell items. Hence, they didn't particularly care about Starlink's ban. Their base of operations wasn't in the empire, and if they couldn't purchase items from Dark Night City's Auction House, they could simply visit an Auction House in another empire.
Since the Candlelight Trading Firm was selling items below market price, they couldn't miss this opportunity to make a profit.
"Hmph, so what if Zero Wing is pushing out a new product? Zero Wing overestimates itself if it thinks it can defeat Starlink in the Dark Night Empire!" an Assassin from Starlink, disguised as an independent player, said disdainfully as he looked at the new counter.
As far as he was concerned, his superiors' orders to watch Candlelight was unnecessary.
Even if the Dark Night Empire's various major powers had ten times the courage they currently displayed, they wouldn't dare offend Starlink for a little profit.
Trying to counter Starlink's influence in the empire's market by relying on independent players was simply a dream. Many of the Dark Night Empire's precious materials could only be obtained with a certain degree of strength, and generally, only the various adventurer teams and Guilds were strong enough.
But as the Starlink Assassin entertained such thoughts, someone's exclamation reached his ears.
"Crap! The Exotic Stamina Potion! This Shop is actually selling Exotic Stamina Potions!"
With those few words, the first-floor hall fell silent. Almost every customer turned toward the counter at the same time, a hint of madness flashing in their eyes. They immediate dashed toward the counter.
In less than ten seconds, every customer inside the Shop had crowded around the Exotic Stamina Potions' counter.
"It really is the Exotic Stamina Potion!"
"For real!? Zero Wing is actually selling this here?!"
"Crap! You can only purchase it for the Dark Night Empire's specialty materials!"
The independent players panted a little when they saw the potions.
"Boss, give me ten bottles!"
"I want 20!"
"Boss, I want every Exotic Stamina Potion you have!"
After a brief moment of shock, the several hundred independent players in the shop frantically shouted their orders for the Exotic Stamina Potions. If the system's rules hadn't protected the counter, they likely would've tried to destroy it and steal the potions within.
Meanwhile, Melancholic Smile, who watched from the second floor, was stupefied.
When Candlelight sold the potion in Star-Moon Kingdom, the kingdom's players had merely been surprised. Nobody had ever reacted like these independent players. They all seemed as if they had found a priceless treasure that was worth killing over.
However, if Shi Feng saw this, he wouldn't be overly surprised.
Empires not only had more resources than kingdoms, but their competition was also far more intense. Kingdom's players couldn't even imagine how fierce the competition was in an empire.
Furthermore, items that could increase players' Stamina recovery were extremely rare in God's Domain. Normally, independent players had no access to such items.
While the players in the Shop made a fuss over the Exotic Stamina Potions, some noticed the cabinet next to the counter. Again, they expressed their shock.
"Stamina Gemstone?!"
"God's Domain actually has such an item?"
"If I equipped three or four of these gemstones, I wouldn't have to worry about surviving in God's Domain's maps in the future!"
"This won't do! Even if I go bankrupt, I have to get these Stamina Gemstones!"
Everyone stared at the crystal-clear Stamina Gemstones in the cabinet with bloodshot eyes. Naturally, these players paid no heed to the participation qualifications and the auction's minimum 100 Gold bid. They immediately contacted their friends to borrow the necessary funds.
The Exotic Stamina Potions might be very important, but compared to the Stamina Gemstone, the potions were insignificant. With the Stamina Gemstones, players could treat neutral maps like their own backyards, hunting for more opportunities than other players.
News of the Candlelight Trading Firm's Exotic Stamina Potions spread like wildfire. Not only did it reach every corner of Dark Night City almost instantly, but players also began to discuss the gemstones on the empire's official forums.
"Is Zero Wing insane?! It's actually selling such a treasure!?"
"It seems Zero Wing really wants to go to war with Starlink. Fortunately for us, we can profit from this war. As long as we have enough Stamina Gemstones, exploring neutral maps won't be a problem."
For a moment, the Stamina Gemstones' appearance caused an uproar in the Dark Night Empire. The various adventurer teams, in particular, sent their members to Candlelight's Shop in Dark Night City to purchase a stock of the gemstones for their members. Other players might be afraid of being barred from the city's Auction House, but adventurer teams like theirs weren't. After all, they could simply visit other Auction Houses. At most, they might have to visit another empire to shop.
However, once they had the Stamina Gemstones, they would have an advantage over other powers when exploring neutral maps. They simply couldn't miss such a rare opportunity.
The Dark Night Empire's various large Guilds secretly sent members to the Candlelight Trading Firm as well. This was just as much of an opportunity for them as it was for the various adventurer teams. Not even Starlink could dissuade them from purchasing Stamina Gemstones. If they disguised their members as independent players, Starlink would have a difficult time discovering their actions.
Less than an hour after the public discovered the Stamina Gemstones, players crowded Candlelight's previous deserted Shop in Dark Night City. It was even more crowded than the city's Auction House right now.
Moreover, the prices for the empire's specialty materials in Dark Night City had doubled within the past hour due to Candlelight's auction requirements. Even so, none of the various large Guilds or adventurer teams harbored any thought of taking advantage of this opportunity to sell their materials for a quick profit. For a time, chaos reigned over Dark Night City's market.
Eventually, the various superpowers' upper echelons, who were preoccupied with exploring neutral maps, received news of Zero Wing's Stamina Gemstones.
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Chapter 2109 – Changes in the Dark Night Empire
Star-Moon Kingdom, an Advanced Bar in White River City's business district:
All three floors of the bar had been rented out, but aside from NPCs, the first two floors were void of people. Players only occupied the top-floor VIP room. The several players in the room were all Level 65 or above and wore top-tier Level 60 equipment. The leader was an elderly man in blue, who stared through a window, admiring the prosperous view.
Suddenly, a Level 64, black-clad Assassin entered the room, looked at the elder, and said, "Elder Yi, we've just received news stating that Candlelight has started selling a large quantity of Exotic Stamina Potions in the Dark Night Empire. The trading firm has also begun to sell something called the Stamina Gemstone. Each Stamina Gemstone can increase players' Stamina recovery rate by 7%. Candlelight is only accepting the Dark Night Empire's specialty materials as payment, which has not only doubled the prices for these materials, but the various powers have also stopped selling any they have in stock."
"Stamina Gemstone?" The blue-clad elder was astonished when he heard this. "How many are they selling?"
"Based our investigations, Candlelight has prepared 60 Stamina Gemstones to sell in Dark Night City," the Assassin answered.
"Sixty? How generous!" The elder expressed his surprise at the Assassin's answer. "Has Zero Wing gone insane?"
Players who frequented neutral maps understood how valuable items like the Stamina Gemstones were. Moreover, the more Stamina Gemstones one had equipped, the more valuable they would become.
With 60 Stamina Gemstones, one could outfit a 20-man team that would then be able to operate in a neutral map without having to return to a city to recover Stamina. The profits one could gain from such a team would be frightening, especially when exploring a new neutral map. If Zero Wing organized such a team, it would gain a tremendous advantage over its competition.
Yet, Zero Wing willing sold the Stamina Gemstones, sacrificing such a wondrous opportunity. Only a lunatic would pull a stunt like this.
"It seems we still underestimate Zero Wing. Starlink will have a hard time preventing the Guild from affecting its economy. Prepare the necessary materials immediately. We're heading to Dark Night City," the blue-clad elder commanded as he stood from his seat.
He, like everyone else in God's Domain, had thought Zero Wing was simply making a fool of itself by challenging
Starlink in the Dark Night Empire, but now, it seemed that everyone had underestimated the Guild's determination and strength. Likely no one had thought that Zero Wing was willing and able to make such a move.
The Dark Night Empire's various major powers had taken a step back in respect of Starlink, but now that their future was on the line, no one would heed Starlink's warnings.
With how tempting the Stamina Gemstones were, the prices of the empire's specialty materials would rise astronomically.
Unlike the usual rare materials, specialty materials were unique to a specific country. Starlink used the Dark Night Empire's specialty materials as the Starlink Trading Finn's foundation in the competition with other kingdoms and empires' trading firms. If the prices of the Dark Night Empire's specialty materials reached absurd heights or supply were severed, Starlink's profits would plummet. After all, the various superpowers relied on their trading firms and wide connections as their main sources of income, and for Starlink, these relied on the empire's specialty materials as a foundation.
Without this foundation, Starlink would struggle to make money through its trading firm.
Meanwhile, a deathly silence reigned in the Guild Leader's office, which Lu Xingluo occupied, in Starlink's Dark Night City Residence. None of the Guild upper echelons present in the room dared to utter a single word.
In a short hour, Starlink had gone from able to purchase more than 10,000 specialty materials to only several hundred. Moreover, this number continued to fall as time passed. Not only had this situation severely impacted Starlink's ability to produce specialty merchandise, but it had also drastically increased production costs.
Ultimately, Starlink had three main income sources for Coins.
The first source was the Guild's trading firm.
The second was its money-farming teams and the Guild members completing Guild Quests.
The third source came from the Guild's Towns.
Although Starlink now had NPC Auction Houses as a fourth source of income, it had just taken these Auction Houses over,抓d it would still be some time before the Guild earned a significant amount of profits from this source.
A minor income decrease due to Zero Wing's interference would've been tolerable, but its impact wasn't minor at all. At this point, the Starlink Trading Firm generated 20% less profit than usual, and that percentage continued to increase. This predicament would severely impact the Guild's development. To make matters worse, this was happening as Starlink needed to migrate its Guild Towns to new locations. Relocating a Guild Town required a lot of funding, and a profit loss meant Starlink would have to delay the move…
"Zero! Wing!" Lu Xingluo's expression twisted into something gloomy as he read the report in his hands. He then turned toward Dawn Web and growled, "Notify our subordinates to increase the purchase price for Star-Moon Kingdom's specialty materials immediately!"
"How much shall we raise it by, Guild Leader?" Dawn Web asked.
"Raise it by 50%! I want to see which of us will last the longest!" Lu Xingluo said.
"What about the Stamina Gemstones?" Dawn Web asked. "If the other powers get their hands on them, they'll have a much easier time exploring the neutral maps around the Dark Night Empire."
"We don't have many materials left. Let those powers have them. In any case, the Candlelight Trading Firm only has 60 Stamina Gemstones for sale. Even if a power purchases all 60, it'll only have enough to equip a 20-man team. That won't be enough to upset the empire's power structure," Lu Xingluo said disdainfully. "Besides, how long can Zero Wing possibly afford to play around in Dark Night City? Turn your focus to Star-Moon Kingdom. Now that Zero Wing has lost the Secret Chamber of Commerce's connections, it can only strut about its own kingdom."
More than ten neutral maps neighbored the Dark Night Empire that were suitable for current players. No matter how powerful a 20-man team was, it could only explore one neutral map at most. The team wouldn't have the time to explore other neutral maps, let alone affect Starlink's exploration teams.
In contrast, as Starlink raised the prices for Star-Moon Kingdom's specialty products, Zero Wing's operation costs would rise, and its profit margins would suffer. Even if Zero Wing had White River City's Auction House, its development would stagnate.
As the various major powers continued to develop in neutral maps, stagnation would eventually eliminate Zero Wing from God's Domain altogether.
"Understood!" Dawn Web nodded.
Meanwhile, the Candlelight Trading Firm's Shop in Dark Night City was lively as practically every power in the empire gathered to view its products. Even representatives from other kingdoms and empires' powers had come to inspect the goods. Every player in the Shop had traded 1 Gold of specialty materials to qualify for the Stamina Gemstone's upcoming auction. None of them cared about Starlink's threat.
Unless Starlink wanted Dark Night City's Auction House to go out of business, it wouldn't dare follow through and ban everyone that did business with Candlelight.
"Everyone, the Stamina Gemstones will be sold in sets of three! The bids will start at 300 Gold of specialty materials! Each increment must no less than 10 Gold! If everyone is in agreement, let the auction begin!"
Everyone in the first-floor hall grew restless with Youlan's announcement.
Four hundred Gold!'
Four hundred and fifty Gold!"
"Six hundred Gold!"
One major power after another yelled out astronomical bids, but at the end of the day, none of them could outcompete the superpowers that secretly participated in the auction. The first set of Stamina Gemstones sold for 1,250 Gold, causing many of the participating Guilds and adventurer teams to sigh with disappointment.
With that kind of money, they could fully equip a player in top-tier equipment.
However, none of these players found the price unreasonable. Three Stamina Gemstones could enable an expert to roam neutral maps freely. If a superpower's peak experts had this freedom, they could easily earn back the cost of the Stamina Gemstones through the opportunities they found. It was definitely a worthwhile trade.
If the bidding currency hadn't been limited to specialty materials, the price would've likely gone higher.
The various superpowers continued to win Stamina Gemstones in the auction. In the end, the 20 sets had netted nearly 27,000 Gold in specialty materials for Zero Wing, which had even surpassed Shi Feng's expectations.
"Zero Wing has earned quite a stock of materials through this auction, but it's a pity that its success ends here." Mu Cheng, who wore a Black Cloak amidst the crowd, was a little disappointed to see the Stamina Gemstones out of stock.
While Zero Wing had indeed affected Starlink's operations by selling the Stamina Gemstones, the plan wasn't viable long-term. Once the auction ended, Dark Night City would return to normal, while Zero Wing had only gained specialty materials.
Naturally, Mu Cheng wasn't the only one with such thoughts. All of the various superpowers thought the same.
However, just as the crowd was about to leave, Melancholic Smile walked into the center of the hall. The Master Forger's Insignia she wore and her majestic aura attracted many of the players' attention. Even the various superpowers only had a handful of Lifestyle Masters, much less Master Forgers.
"Today's auction for the Stamina Gemstones has come to an end. The next auction will take place tomorrow at the same time! Customers who failed to win gemstones today may visit us then!" Melancholic Smile announced. "Any members of the Candlelight Trading Firm that spend more than 3 Gold in this city's Shop will be eligible for a lucky draw on the day of their transaction! We will select one winner every four hours who will be able to purchase one Stamina Gemstone for 200 Gold!"
As Melancholic Smile finished speaking, silence descended on the hall. After a brief moment, many players spoke up.
"Is this a joke?"
"Zero Wing has more Stamina Gemstones?"
Even the various superpowers stared at Melancholic Smile in shock, not to mention the many independent players. "How is this possible?" Elder Yi muttered, surprise coloring his tranquil features.
Selling 60 Stamina Gemstones was already amazing, yet by the looks of it, Zero Wing intended to continue selling the gemstones for a considerable period. Although he did not know how long Zero Wing could maintain this business, every additional day would affect Dark Night City.
Moreover, the impact the city felt would grow stronger with each day. Every auction was the equivalent of another 20- man team that could explore neutral maps without concern for their Stamina. If Zero Wing maintained these auctions for five or six days, it would likely change the power structure in the empire's neighboring neutral maps.
If that happened, the Dark Night Empire would likely find a new ruler!
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Chapter 2110 – Situation Changes
News that the Candlelight Trading Firm would sell Stamina Gemstones long-term spread throughout the Dark Night Empire like wildfire. Small Guilds and adventurer teams that hadn't expressed any hope of obtaining Stamina Gemstones began to grow restless.
"Candlelight is selling Stamina Gemstones long-term?"
"This is interesting!"
"Our chance to grow stronger has finally come!"
Although the 60 Stamina Gemstones had been tempting, it simply wasn't enough to go around.
There were already three superpowers in the Dark Night Empire, not to mention first-rate Guilds and top adventurer teams. There were also hidden dark forces. Small Guilds and low-ranked adventurer teams had no chance of securing Stamina Gemstones, and even if they won a bid, what could they possibly accomplish with only three gemstones?
However, Candlelight's recent revelation had changed the situation.
If the Candlelight Trading Firm truly sold Stamina Gemstones long-term, they'd have a chance to purchase a good number for themselves. Candlelight was only accepting the Dark Night Empire's specialty materials as currency, and even if the various superpowers had a large stock of these materials, there was a limit. As long as these minor powers saved their materials for some time, they could definitely win one or two bids every now and then. Once they had enough gemstones, they could make full use of them in neutral maps.
For a time, the Dark Night Empire's various powers ordered their members to collect as many specialty materials as possible, prohibiting the items' sales. They'd benefit more from spending the specialty materials on the Stamina Gemstones and exploring neutral maps than they would by selling them. Furthermore, other powers would overtake their progress if they didn't secure Stamina Gemstones early on.
Meanwhile, due to the Candlelight Trading Firm's removal from the Secret Chamber of Commerce, all previous agreements between the two had become null and void. As a result, the Chamber began to withdraw the manpower and items it had assigned to Zero Wing City in Star-Moon Kingdom.
While Yuan Tiexin arranged for his subordinates' move out of their office, a heroic woman in gorgeous sacred armor approached him. She drew everyone's gaze as she entered the office, mesmerizing many of the men.
"As expected of Goddess Purple Jade. She's already Level 66. She can likely rank among the top 20 on any empire's Ranking List."
"I've heard that two days ago, her team completed an Epic Team Quest and slew a Level 60 Mythic ranked Ironblood Dragon, obtaining the Dragonblood Sword. That sword is so awesome. It's even considered as one of the top-ten Epic Weapons in God's Domain. Because of that sword, Purple Jade is now stronger than other peak experts, earning the position as one of God's Domain's Ten Great Swordsmen from the Secret Pavilion."
As players spoke about the Ten Great Swordsmen, their admiration overwhelmed them.
The Ten Great Swordsmen was a list the Secret Pavilion had introduced to promote each class's experts. All classes in God's Domain were unique, and some were even the polar opposite of others, so battles between different classes couldn't accurately determine the stronger expert. Hence, the Secret Pavilion had introduced new ranking lists for each of the twelve main classes. Each of the lists had only ten players, and they were judged solely based on their strength. Combat standards and battle records didn't matter.
In addition, the aim of these twelve class list was to give the younger generation an opportunity to shine, so only players 30-years-old or younger could qualify for the ranking lists. Of course, this age limit also allowed the Secret Pavilion to avoid touching upon the various superpowers' foundations. The various superpowers treated their old monsters as core secrets, and if the Secret Pavilion revealed these secrets to the public, the superpowers would band together against the organization.
When Purple Jade had obtained the Dragonblood Sword, not only had it earned her a position on the Swordsmen's list, but she had also secured the eighth rank.
"Uncle Yuan, we've just received a message from the higher-ups. They'd like us to buy some Stamina Gemstones from Zero Wing; the more, the better," Purple Jade said, smiling as she walked up to Yuan Tiexin.
"They're so shameless. We just banished Zero Wing from the Secret Chamber of Commerce, yet they want me to negotiate with the Guild? Why don't they speak with Zero Wing themselves?" Yuan Tiexin could not help his growing anger when he heard the relayed message.
The so-called "higher-ups" Purple Jade referred to were the Secret Chamber of Commerce's advanced members. The Secret Pavilion had warned them not to casually annex the Chamber's members, particularly Zero Wing due to the immense potential it had shown lately. However, the other five advanced members had ignored the Secret Pavilion's warning and abandoned Zero Wing. Now that they had, they wanted him to place peacemaker.
"But Zero Wing is pretty amazing. It has revealed something as valuable as the Stamina Gemstones, and the five powers regret their actions. I've heard that they are busy exploring the recently-discovered Brute God's Land and urgently need items that can increase players' maximum Stamina or recover rate," Purple Jade said, giggling. "They're panicking now. They threw away their chance to purchase Stamina Gemstones just to show respect to Starlink and suppress Zero Wing. Now, they are all upset with Starlink."
"However, Starlink has gotten serious this time. Not only has it increased the prices of Star-Moon Kingdom's specialty materials, but it has also begun to sell similar merchandise to Candlelight's at lower prices. Many players have already started shopping at the Starlink Trading Firm. No one is buying the Candlelight's common products. I'm afraid Candlelight has lost two-thirds of its usual profits," Yuan Tiexin said. "To make matters worse, the Ore Empire's powers have been eyeing Zero Wing's territory. In comparison, Starlink only has to worry about Zero Wing's Stamina Gemstones.
"Although the Stamina Gemstones are valuable, Starlink isn't a superpower for no reason. With three NPC Auction Houses and the Starline Corporation's support, its financial prowess isn't so easy to shake. Moreover, Starlink has control of a fortress in the Ancient Undead Country, the Dark Night Empire's most important neutral map. It is simply too difficult for Zero Wing to impact Starlink's finances negatively."
The Ancient Undead Country was a new expansion pack that had triggered in the Dark Night Empire, and Starlink was responsible for triggering it. The Ancient Undead Country had once been a massive empire, but due to an ancient war, it had fallen into ruin. It was no exaggeration to say that the Ancient Undead Country was even richer than the Ore Empire in resources. Moreover, it housed the only known God Mode Regional Dungeon among the dozen or so neighboring kingdoms and empires.
Because of the power Starlink held in the Ancient Undead Country, even the various Super Guilds feared the superpower and had to pay it proper respect. God's Domain's Super Guilds didn't just fear Starlink due to the Starline Corporation's backing, and if that were the only strength the Guild had, the Secret Chamber of Commerce's advanced members wouldn't have allowed Starlink to join their ranks.
"Zero Wing is fully capable of returning to the Secret Chamber of Commerce with its Stamina Gemstones. The five other powers wouldn't object. If Zero Wing regains access to our sales channels, it could certainly afford to continue its fight with Starlink while growing even stronger," Purple Jade said, nodding. She, too, understood how powerful Starlink was, and the fact that Zero Wing had made the superpower suffer as much as it had already was impressive.
"Indeed." Yuan Tiexin agreed with the young woman. Starlink would struggle to suppress Zero Wing financially if the smaller Guild returned to the Secret Chamber of Commerce. Following which, Yuan Tiexin contacted Shi Feng to report the good news.
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Chapter 2111 – Condition
White River City, Candlelight Trading Firm:
Due to Starlink's all-out economic suppression, the previously crowded Shop had calmed. Its current customers were only here to purchase Candlelight's specialty products. None of them showed any interest in the trading firm's common items.
The Candlelight Trading Firm even saw a drop in the number of Lifestyle applicants. Now, only a dozen or so players lined up to take the application test.
The players that passed the Shop sighed at its decline.
The Candlelight Trading Firm's Shop was the most eye-catching building in the business district, aside from NPC- owned buildings. The Shop loomed like a giant, overlooking White River City. Why wouldn't they be surprised to see the Shop practically deserted?
In comparison, a three-story Shop not far from Candlelight boomed with business. Practically every player in the business district rushed toward the Shop.
"Starlink really is ruthless. Not only has it set up Shop in every NPC city that the Candlelight Trading Firm occupies, but it's also selling common goods at half the normal rate. It is basically selling items at cost," Purple Jade was astonished when she saw how popular the Starlink Trading Firm had become.
Starlink was throwing away enough money to give an ordinary superpower a heart attack. Not even the Secret Pavilion would casually sacrifice so much income.
However, Purple Jade had to admit that Starlink's strategy was effective, practically stealing all of the Candlelight Trading Firm's customers.
Not only had Candlelight's sales plummeted, but its Lifestyle players' income had suffered as well. Including Starlink's mass-recruitment for skilled Lifestyle players, many of Candlelight's Intermediate and Advanced Lifestyle players had jumped ship.
If this persisted, it would destroy the Candlelight Trading Firm, and Zero Wing would stagnate due to the lost profits.
Zero Wing was no longer a small Guild; it had become a gigantic existence. Even if the Guild avoided massive operations, it still needed to spend an astronomical amount of money each day.
The Guild might maintain its lead over its competition for a while, but if Zero Wing's development ground to a halt, it would only be a matter of time before it was overtaken by the other powers. Furthermore, multiple hostile superpowers still searched for a chance to tear the Guild apart.
These factors were a large part of the reason that Starlink had invested so much into targeting the Candlelight Trading Firm's business. Otherwise, it never would've paid such a painfully high price.
"This situation is why we are here. If this weren't happening, we wouldn't have any leverage to negotiate with Zero Wing," Yuan Tiexin said seriously. "Alright, let's hurry inside."
Yuan Tiexin then entered the Candlelight Trading Firm, while Purple Jade followed behind him after taking one last look at Starlink's Shop.
The moment these two players entered the Shop, the various reconnaissance players from Star-Moon Kingdom's various powers focused on the pair.
"Why are the Secret Pavilion's Yuan Tiexin and Purple Jade visiting the Candlelight Trading Firm?"
"Didn't the Secret Chamber of Commerce already expel Candlelight? Why are these two here?"
"Does Secret intend to re-invite Candlelight?"
The various powers' players quietly discussed their guesses as they watched Liang Jing lead the pair to the second floor.
News of the Candlelight Trading Firm's exile from the Secret Chamber of Commerce had spread throughout Star- Moon Kingdom. It was precisely the reason that Starlink's suppression against Zero Wing was so effective.
Meanwhile, Yuan Tiexin and Purple Jade were some of the Secret Pavilion's VIPs. These two shouldn't have any reason to visit Candlelight now that it wasn't a member of the Secret Chamber of Commerce.
The only plausible explanation involved the Stamina Gemstones Zero Wing sold in the Dark Night Empire.
The Stamina Gemstone's importance to the various powers went without saying, especially to superpowers. However, only Zero Wing currently had access to their source. The Secret Chamber of Commerce would find it difficult to convince Zero Wing to share these gemstones unless it offered a token of its sincerity. The best expression it could offer required reinstating the Candlelight Trading Firm's membership in the Secret Chamber of Commerce and offering additional remunerations.
Tese reconnaissance members immediate reported the situation to their superiors, and very quickly, news of Yuan Tiexin and Purple Jade_s visit reached the kingdom's various powers.
"Things are going to get interesting, Commander. Starlink has gone through great lengths to kick Zero Wing out of Secret, yet Zero Wing's Stamina Gemstones are about to ruin its plans," Yi Luofei, who read her subordinate's latest report in FFF adventurer team's Residence in the distant Black Dragon Empire, said. Smiling, she continued, "When Starlink's upper echelons learn of this, they'll die from anger."
That depends on whether or not Zero Wing wants to rejoin the Secret Chamber of Commerce," Yan Tianxing responded absently as he polished his short sword.
"Why wouldn't it?" Yi Luofei asked strangely. "Zero Wing can resolve the issues it faces in Star-Moon Kingdom immediately by rejoining Secret. Although Starlink's efforts will still affect its business to a certain extent in Star-Moon Kingdom, it'll be tolerable. Why wouldn't Zero Wing want to rejoin Secret? Will Black Flame really abandon his Guild's development because of the minor humiliation?"
"Any other Guild would definitely accept Secret's attempts to reconcile, but Zero Wing has always been overbearing. There's a high chance that the Guild will refuse the offer," Yan Tianxing said. "This is also Zero Wing's flaw. If Zero Wing can fix that, it has a high chance of becoming a superpower in the future."
That can't be possible, can it, Commander? Would Zero Wing really sacrifice such a vibrant future?" Yi Luofei asked, surprised.
"It's highly possible. After all, Zero Wing has always operated in such a way," Yan Tianxin said, sighing. "I used to be like that, too, and as a result, I missed that final step. Hopefully, Zero Wing will make the right decision."
Star-Moon Kingdom's various superpowers were eager to hear Zero Wing's final decision, but unlike Yan Tianxing, most of them assumed that Zero Wing would jump at the chance to rejoin the Secret Chamber of Commerce. It was, after all, the only way that Zero Wing could recover from its current predicament.
While the various powers secretly discussed the matter, Yuan Tiexin and Purple Jade waited in Candlelight Trading Firm's VIP reception room in silence, watching Shi Feng.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, the Secret Pavilion will reinforce Zero Wing's permanent membership in the Secret Chamber of Commerce. From now on, not even advanced members will have the authority to expel your Guild. In addition, if Zero Wing agrees to sell a large number of Stamina Gemstones, several of the Chamber's advanced members will offer 10 additional sales channels in their own headquarters. With this, not even Starlink will achieve much by targeting Zero Wing financially," Yuan Tiexin said. "May I know your thoughts on this offer, Guild Leader?"
Even Yuan Tiexin found the higher-ups' conditions surprising.
The ten additional sales channels were an extraordinary offer, all of which came through the Shops in empires' imperial capitals. These sales channels were far more valuable than those the Chamber's basic members had access too. With them, the Candlelight Trading Firm's profits would rise to a whole new level.
"Your conditions are quite tempting," Shi Feng said, nodding slightly as he read the contract Yuan Tiexin had handed him. "However, they're not enough!"
Yuan Tiexin found Shi Feng's reply understandable. After all, the man should be enraged over Candlelight's removal from the Secret Chamber of Commerce. Softly, Yuan Tiexin asked, "What conditions do you have in mind, then?"
"I only have one condition." Looking straight at Yuan Tiexin, Shi Feng chuckled and said, "I want advanced membership in the Secret Chamber of Commerce!"
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Chapter 2112 – God Mode Regional Dungeon
When Shi Feng stated his condition, everything in the VIP reception room seemed to freeze. Both Yuan Tiexin and Liang Jing, who stood behind Shi Feng, stared at the Swordsman incredulously.
Most of the Guilds in God's Domain recognized the Secret Chamber of Commerce for the extraordinary existence it was, and those who could become members were either superpowers or powers with immensely powerful backgrounds.
However, only those that had truly joined the Secret Chamber of Commerce would understand how frightening the Chamber was. Only a few of God's Domain's powers could match the reach of Secret's influence.
The Secret Chamber of Commerce ranked at the very top in the game in both its ability to sell merchandise and its ability to collect materials.
This was why the majority of God's Domain's superpowers dreamed of joining Secret.
When Liang Jing had taken over the Candlelight Trading Firm's business, she had learned how frightening Secret Was. She was not a pure gamer like Shi Feng, but she had managed a company before, so she knew business and economics far better than most of God's Domain's players.
She already found it astonishing that Zero Wing had become a member of the Secret Chamber of Commerce. She hadn't expected such exceptional results from Shi Feng.
But now, the man demanded status as one of Secret's advanced members!
She had no idea what to say about this. His demand was beyond daylight robbery.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, this condition is simply impossible. Do you know what price the Secret Chamber of Commerce's advanced members had to pay to get to their position?" Contrary to expectations, Yuan Tiexin wasn't angry about Shi Feng's condition. Instead, he calmly said, "I can tell you now that even with over tens of thousands of Stamina Gemstones and all of Zero Wing City, you still wouldn't qualify to become an advanced member."
Even Super Guilds coveted the Secret Chamber of Commerce's advanced membership, but the number of Super Guilds that actually became advanced members could be counted on one hand.
If Starlink hadn't handed over an astronomical amount of resources and.
Advanced members' status in the Secret Chamber of Commerce was extraordinary. Not only did they have access to more sales channels, but they also had some control of the Chamber itself and received 5% of the Chamber's profits.
While 5% might not seem like much, it was enough to rival 50% of an ordinary superpower's income with the scale of Secret's operations. In other words, by becoming an advanced member in the Secret Chamber of Commerce, one would gain half of an ordinary superpower's resources. Claiming that one could become a titan in God's Domain by becoming an advanced member was no exaggeration.
How could a few Stamina Gemstones possibly rival such benefits?
Stamina Gemstones might be a significant boon to players in neutral maps right now, but as players leveled up, they'd acquire better items. Naturally, players would find more items that increased maximum Stamina and Stamina recovery. They wouldn't have to worry about lacking Stamina items in the future. Furthermore, Stamina Gemstones were very scarce right now. Zero Wing didn't have enough to affect the big picture. At most, it had enough for the various powers to gain a slight advantage when exploring neutral maps.
"Elder Yuan, I know the value of advanced membership," Shi Feng said, smiling. "Naturally, I have my reasons for stating this condition; I'm not just spouting empty words."
"Oh? What is Guild Leader Black Flame willing to offer, then?" Yuan Tiexin could not help his growing curiosity.
Yuan Tiexin, more or less, understood Shi Feng's personality. The man wasn't some ignorant fool. He was a Domain Realm expert, and if he dared to say such a thing, he had the confidence to back it up.
However, Yuan Tiexin also found it very difficult to imagine what Zero Wing could possibly offer to convince the Secret Pavilion that Zero Wing should become an advanced member.
"I'll hand over 40% of Stone Forest Town's shares!" Shi Feng declared.
"S-Stone Forest Town?" Yuan Tiexin was stupefied by Shi Feng's answer. For a moment, he even wondered if he had heard wrong. "Guild Leader Black Flame, are you talking about the Stone Forest Town in the Stoneclaw Mountains?"
"That's right. I'm talking about that Stone Forest Town." Shi Feng nodded.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, if you are not interested in this transaction, I won't force you to agree to it. If there is nothing else to discuss, we'll be taking our leave," Yuan Tiexin said as he inwardly rolled his eyes at Shi Feng. He was sure that Shi Feng was toying with him.
Not even two Zero Wing Cities would be enough to buy an advanced membership in the Secret Chamber of Commerce, let alone an Advanced Town like Stone Forest Town. Moreover, Shi Feng only offered 40% of the town's shares.
Even Liang Jing felt that Shi Feng had gone overboard with his latest joke.
Stone Forest Town was indeed an excellent Advanced Town, but the map it occupied was no longer suitable for players to level up. Stone Forest Town wasn't even worth as much as Silverwing Town, much less Zero Wing City.
What if I tell you that I can move Stone Forest Town to the Ancient Undead Country's Bottomless Abyss?" Shi Feng unhurriedly mentioned as he watched Yuan Tiexin stand from his seat and turn to leave.
"What?" Yuan Tiexin was stunned. He spun around and demanded, "Are you telling the truth?"
As far as the Secret Pavilion knew, the Ancient Undead Country's Bottomless Abyss was the only God Mode Regional Dungeon in God's Domain. The Bottomless Abyss was a Level 60 to Level 100 super-large-scale Regional Dungeon, and not only did it have far more resources than Asura Mode Regional Dungeons, but the Dungeon's monsters also dropped Seven Luminaries Crystals.
Unfortunately, the Ancient Undead Country's environment was exceptionally harsh. Players would have an extremely difficult time surviving inside the Dungeon. In fact, entering and leaving the Dungeon was immensely troublesome, not to mention exploring it.
A large part of the reason that the Secret Chamber of Commerce had agreed to promote Starlink to advanced membership was the Guild's willingness to hand over the fortress it had obtained in the Ancient Undead Country. Otherwise, Starlink would've needed to offer a lot more to elevate its membership.
Yan Tiexin could not fathom how Shi Feng could move Stone Forest Town to the Bottomless Abyss. Setting up a Guild Town in a neutral map was already incredibly difficult, not to mention setting one up in a God Mode Regional Dungeon.
However, if what Shi Feng said were true, the Bottomless Abyss would become one of Zero Wing's backyards. Exploring the Regional Dungeon would become at least half as difficult, and players wouldn't need to worry about their survival in the Bottomless Abyss.
"Of course." Shi Feng nodded.
The idea would be delusional at best for others, but for Shi Feng, the task was only somewhat difficult, not entirely out of the question. To complete the task, Zero Wing would need a large stock of resources, enough that not even top- ranked first-rate Guilds would be able to afford it.
Originally, Shi Feng had planned on setting up Stone Forest Town in a neutral map outside of Star-Moon Kingdom, but now that the Ancient Undead Country had been discovered, he dismissed his initial plans.
God Mode Regional Dungeons were treasure troves, and even the various superpowers would fight for control of the areas. Since someone had discovered the Ancient Undead Country now, and the Secret Pavilion had come knocking on his door, Shi Feng wouldn't ignore this opportunity.
"Even so, that's not enough. It's only a town in a Regional Dungeon," Yuan Tiexin said, but looking at Shi Feng's confident expression, he couldn't help but return to his seat.
"This is the most sincere offer I can make. If it isn't possible, then I can only apologize for the inconvenience," Shi Feng said, chuckling at the interest flashing in Yuan Tiexin's eyes.
"I am absolutely certain that the higher-ups will not agree. You'd be better off requesting another condition," Yuan Tiexin responded with conviction.
After giving the matter some thought, Shi Feng said, "Since that is the case, then I want Starlink's advanced membership revoked!"
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