Reincarnation of The Strongest Sword God

161-180

Chapter 161 - frightening damage

Seeing these item's Attributes, even Shi Feng himself was greatly shocked. It was the first time he had witnessed the Attributes of a Fragmented Legendary ranked item. In his previous life, the Attributes of Fragmented Legendary ranked items were all kept secret by their respective owners, so others could only guess the actual Attributes.

He truly did not think that the Heavenly Dragon's Breath would be so powerful. Instead of increasing a fixed amount of Attributes, it had a percentage-based increase of the user's Attributes.

It was no wonder the powerhouses who possessed Legendary ranked items claimed that only a powerhouse could use the full potential of such items. Even if a weakling obtained one, the bonuses would not be significant.

If Shi Feng could equip the Heavenly Dragon's Breath right now, with his current Attributes, he could easily kill a Level 20 elite player. Unfortunately, with the equipment requirements of 200 Strength, 200 Agility, and 120 Intelligence, Shi Feng could only helplessly stare at it. Right now, his Strength was only at 111 points, with only 123 points in Agility, and a measly 50 points in Intelligence. He was still far from possessing the required Attributes.

With the Magic Weapon he possessed, he would obtain two more Free Attribute Points than other players for each level up. Even so, if he wished to equip the Heavenly Dragon's Breath, he needed to be Level 20, at the very least, and own a full set of Level 20 Fine-Gold Equipment.

"Blackie, see if you can equip Mavis's Guard and the Ring of Glory," Shi Feng handed the two pieces of equipment to Blackie.

Shi Feng had made considerations when he chose these two pieces of equipment. He could not always carry everyone in the party, as he still had many things he needed to tend to. However, if he wanted his party to level up quickly, the party needed a powerhouse to lead it.

Meanwhile, the matter regarding an Epic Weapon was extremely important. The person he could trust the most was Blackie; so he could feel secure passing both the Mavis's Guard and Ring of Glory to Blackie. With the improvement brought about by these two pieces of equipment, Blackie's damage output might even surpass his own. After all, his Magic Weapon was currently only the equivalent of a Dark-Gold Weapon. It was still a distance away from rivaling an Epic Weapon. Moreover, Blackie was a mage class, and Blackie's grinding speed was originally faster than his. In addition, the skills Mavis's Guard granted were extremely powerful. Blackie would have a much easier time leveling up the party than he would.

"This... alright, then."

At first, Blackie hesitated. He felt that he did not possess the qualifications to wield this Epic Weapon in the least. However, looking at Shi Feng's serious attitude and trust, he nodded his head earnestly.

Although the requirement of 80 Intelligence was very high, Blackie was already Level 11. His character's Attributes massively increased. He also had a few pieces of Secret-Silver Equipment. After he added all his Attribute Points he received from leveling up into Intelligence, he just barely reached the staff's requirement, managing to equip Mavis's Guard. Right now, Mavis's Guard was a Level 11 Epic ranked staff. The staff increased numerous Attributes. There was also an additional critical Attribute that gave a 20% chance of magical attacks achieving a critical hit. It was much more powerful than Blackie's original goal.

Mavis's Guard also reduced the level requirement for equipment by 5 Levels. After Blackie equipped the Ring of Glory and the previously obtained Level 15 mage-class Mysterious-Iron Equipment and Bronze Equipment, he was completely born anew. He now gave others a faint oppressive feeling.

"This isn't real, right? My Intelligence has reached 186 points!" Blackie exclaimed, looking at his Attribute Panel.

Compared to before, the 186 Intelligence was more than double what he had before, not to mention the increase in his magic damage. His overall Attributes had exceeded even the currently most powerful mage-class by at least twofold. He could possibly one-shot a properly-geared Level 10 MT.

"Too powerful!" Lonely Snow gazed at Blackie's dazzling Attributes with admiration. Even so, he would not feel jealousy over Blackie. After all, this was a natural matter as he had only recently joined Zero Wing Workshop. Just the aid he received in leveling up and the amount of Secret-Silver Equipment were already unimaginable, not to mention receiving an extremely important item such as an Epic ranked item. On the other hand, it would be extremely strange if he received an Epic ranked item that he could use right now.

Moreover, when Lonely Snow looked at Shi Feng's carefree reaction as he gave Blackie the Epic ranked item, he knew that, as long as he performed well in Zero Wing Workshop, there was bound to be a day where he could obtain his very own Epic ranked item as well. Hence, he did not need to be jealous over Blackie.

"An Epic Weapon is as frightening as expected," Shi Feng said with a smile, looking at Blackie's Attributes.

Normally, an Epic ranked item's level would grow along with its user. Only when Blackie reached Level 60 could he display the true potential of Mavis's Protection. The potential displayed by the Level 11 Mavis's Guard was but the tip of the iceberg.

Moreover, Shi Feng knew of plenty of locations which hid Epic ranked items. However, he did not have the ability to retrieve them right now. He also did not have a powerful team, so he had no way of obtaining those Epic ranked items at the moment. He could only wait until his Workshop developed before setting out to claim them.

"Brother Feng, let's go kill some Elite monsters! I want to see the awe of an Epic Weapon!" Blackie looked at Shi Feng, restless with anticipation.

"Fine; let's go look for some, then," Shi Feng replied with a smile. During that year when he held his first Epic ranked item, he, too, was as excited as Blackie right now. He had been extremely eager to test out his strength on powerful monsters.

Very quickly, under Shi Feng's leadership, the trio located a Level 17 Rare Elite, the Swamp Lizard.

[Swamp Lizard] (Rare Elite)

Level 17

HP 200,000/200,000

"I'll lure it over. Lonely, try to restrict it as it attempts to spit out grey fog and use caution. Blackie, pay careful attention while you kite it. Make sure you maintain your distance from it," Shi Feng spoke in the party chat.

The Swamp Lizard was the most challenging Rare Elite in the Silent Swamp. If it was not for reaching Level 12, the Abyssal Blade having upgraded to Level 10, and Blackie's possession of Mavis's Guard now, he would not have chosen to fight this monster at all.

The Swamp Lizard was a physical melee-type monster. However, it could deal a lot of damage. With a single claw attack, it could take away more than half of a normal Level 15 MT's HP. Its attacks also carried an additional petrification effect that slowed the target. Moreover, the Swamp Lizard's Movement Speed ranked at the very top of all the monsters found in the Silent Swamp. If a normal Level 15 party met it, the usual result would be a party-wipe.

Soon after, Shi Feng circled the Swamp Lizard. Without holding back, he activated the Ice-Blue Devil Flame. He then used Wind Blade, his swords piercing towards the back of the Swamp Lizard.

Two damages of -288 and -224 points appeared above the Swamp Lizard's head.

Compared to when Shi Feng dealt with the Three-headed Snake Demon, his damage had greatly increased. However, to the Swamp Lizard, which possessed 200,000 HP, such damage was negligible. With an angry bellow, the Swamp Lizard slashed its claws at Shi Feng.

Shi Feng dodged to the side, sending a Level 7 Chop slashing towards the Swamp Lizard's waist. A damage of -1058 popped up above the Swamp Lizard's head.

The Swamp Lizard immediately released a pained wail; its steel-like tail turned into a black shadow as it swiped at Shi Feng.

Shi Feng quickly reacted; he leaped into the air and dodged the attack, distancing himself from the Swamp Lizard at the same time.

Lonely Snow took this chance to use Charge on the Swamp Lizard, interrupting the Swamp Lizard's follow-up attack. He then sent a Violent Strike at the Swamp Lizard's back, causing -28 damage.

Lonely Snow nearly spat out blood when he witnessed this damage. However, he was utterly helpless about it. Not mentioning the level suppression, the Swamp Lizard's physical defense was extremely high. Moreover, Lonely Snow could only deal this amount of damage due to reaching Level 11 and wielding a Secret-Silver Weapon. Otherwise, he wouldn't even deal over 10 damage.

"Let me see just how amazing you are, Mavis's Guard!"

Blackie had waited in frustration. He shot out a Level 7 Dark Arrow strengthened by the Mavis's Guard. When the skill blasted the Swamp Lizard's body, a damage of -712 points appeared above its head. Immediately after, Blackie's attack triggered the passive skill on Mavis's Guard, the Spear of Light. A silver-colored Spear of Light struck the Swamp Lizard once more, landing a critical hit of -1354 damage; the damage was far more powerful than Shi Feng's attacks.

Immediately after, Blackie used Evil Whip. Nine thick chains constricted the Swamp Lizard. When the Swamp Lizard broke free from one of the chains with much difficulty, a damage of -116 points appeared above its head. By the time it broke free from all the chains, Evil Whip had caused close to -1,000 damage.

Due to Blackie's Intelligence reaching over a hundred points, he activated the Intermediate Hidden Passive Skill for Intelligence, Quick Chant. The passive greatly reduced the time required for chanting spells, increasing Blackie's rate of attack. As a result, damages in the hundreds continuously appeared above the Swamp Lizard's head in quick succession, its HP decreasing like water flowing from an opened tap.

"This is too powerful!"

"This is an Epic Weapon?"

Lonely Snow was tongue-tied from watching this scene; Blackie was similarly dumbfounded.

In addition to Shi Feng controlling and damaging the Swamp Lizard, before even a minute had passed, the Swamp Lizard fell dead. It dropped four items in total: a Level 15 Mysterious-Iron Equipment and three rare materials.

"Come on; let's look for a place with plenty of monsters to release the Stars of Light," seeing that even normal spells were so powerful, Shi Feng highly anticipated witnessing the staff's additional AOE spell.

Chapter 162 - eye

Level 15 monster area, Silent Swamp.

"Leader, where are we headed?"

"Brother Feng, wasn't there a herd of Swamp Hippos just now?"

Blackie and Lonely Snow followed after Shi Feng all this time, moving deeper into the Silent Swamp. They could not figure out just what kind of monster Shi Feng intended to test the Stars of Light on.

"The Stars of Light has a Cooldown of half an hour. It would be a huge waste to use it on just a group of Level 15 common monsters. Right now, we're going to a place with monsters that are much stronger and more numerous," Shi Feng explained.

Even the Level 17 Rare Elite Swamp Lizard died with ease. It was obvious just how high Blackie's damage had become, not to mention a skill like the Stars of Light. The skill could possibly one-shot the Level 15 Swamp Hippos with only 2,000 HP each. That would not properly display the true might of the Stars of Light.

Only by seeing the skill's full potential could Shi Feng make an accurate judgment. He could then let Blackie lead the others to the most suitable high-level monster area to level up. That way, be it Martial Union or Underworld, neither could locate Blackie and the others, much less surround them.

Under Shi Feng's lead, after the trio reached the core area of the Silent Swamp, they discovered a large, naturally occurring, marsh. All around, there were a total of five groups of Level 20 Swamp Rhinos. Occasionally, they spotted a few Level 20 Elite Twin-horned Rhinos. There was also a small island situated in the middle of this large marsh, and a gigantic figure laid flat on this island. This gigantic figure was a two-story-tall rhino. From a distance, the trio could vaguely see the information of this large rhino. It was a monster named Rhino Chieftain One-eye.

"Brother Feng, isn't this a little... too dangerous?" witnessing so many Level 20 rhinos gathered together, Blackie felt his confidence waver.

[Swamp Rhino] (Common Monster)

Level 20

HP 3,200/3,200

[Twin-horned Rhino] (Elite Monster)

Level 20

HP 17,500/17,5000

[Rhino Chieftain One-eye] (Special Elite)

Level 20

HP 50,000/50,000

Common monsters were still fine. However, it would be extremely dangerous to tangle with Elite monsters, not to mention Special Elites. Even if Shi Feng were very powerful, and his movements extremely agile, when surrounded by so many monsters, he would still meet his end.

"Only here can the Stars of Light display its true might. I'll think of a way to lure even more monsters, so choose when you cast the spell carefully," Shi Feng surveyed his surroundings, his mind planning his route.

"Leader, this is too dangerous. On the off chance that we die, it would be a huge loss," Lonely Snow opposed.

The monsters here were not numbered in the twenties or thirties, but in the hundreds. Every one of them could trample a Level 15 player with ease, not to mention the Elite monsters or the Special Elite monster. Moreover, with their currently low levels, the monsters would have an easier time discovering them. They could easily be surrounded, and at that time, only death awaited them.

"If I activate a Speed Scroll, my speed will be faster than theirs. However, when I lure all of them over, Blackie, I need you to use Guardian of Light on me, then use Stars of Light. You don't need to panic. Just maintain a calm heart, and you will be fine," seeing Blackie's nervous expression, Shi Feng spoke with a smile.

"I get it," Blackie nodded, suppressing the panic in his heart.

Soon after, Shi Feng sent Blackie and Lonely Snow to a slightly elevated location. On his own, Shi Feng activated a Speed Scroll before rushing towards the rhinos.

The rhinos immersed in the marsh quickly discovered the intruder. After all, Shi Feng's level was simply too low. He was only Level 12, and there was a huge distance from Level 20. In addition, Shi Feng did not attempt to hide his movements in the least, making it even easier for the monsters to discover him.

Within moments, over twenty rhinos stood and rushed towards Shi Feng.

Although the marsh did not reduce Movement Speed by half, it still reduced it by 30%. Fortunately, this Movement Speed reduction was also effective against the rhinos. Now that Shi Feng had used a Speed Scroll, catching up to him was impossible.

Shi Feng followed along the route he had planned before and circled the central island. He intended to lure all the rhinos in the marsh, aside from the one atop the central island. The Rhino Chieftain One-eye on the central island was extremely difficult to deal with, and it would be a huge loss if he lost his life as a result of an accident. Hence, Shi Feng had no intentions of luring it.

"Brother Feng!"

"Leader's movement technique is truly powerful. If I were in his place, those rhinos would have already turned me into meat paste."

Standing on high ground, Blackie and Lonely Snow watched Shi Feng use various movements and methods to dodge the attacks from the group of rhinos. They could not help but wipe away the sweat permeating their foreheads. The number of rhinos Shi Feng lured grew larger and larger. He had only run half the distance, yet, he lured over a hundred rhinos. Every time he dodged an attack, the rhinos would dangerously scrap past his body.

However, after witnessing this scene repeat itself over and over, Blackie and Lonely Snow discovered that Shi Feng successfully dodged every single time. He would always dodge the attack at the very last millisecond. He relied purely on technique to do so, and there was not a hint of luck or coincidence at all.

Blackie and Lonely Snow both engraved this scene deeply into their minds, resolving themselves to learn from Shi Feng in the future. With an expert like Shi Feng demonstrating the moves, they would not have to spend time slowly exploring these techniques. After watching for only a moment, the two of them had benefitted greatly. They could not help but wish they could try out these dodging techniques right this instant.

Just when Shi Feng thought that all was within his control...

An Elite Twin-horned Rhino suddenly appeared in front of Shi Feng, charging at him.

Although Shi Feng used Parry to block this attack, his entire person was still sent flying. By rotten luck, he landed on the edges of the central island, alarming the Rhino Chieftain One-eye.

Discovering that a human had disturbed its rest, One-eye abruptly stood up. It glared at Shi Feng with its blood-red eye, its front hoofs gouging the solid ground as it released an angry roar. Suddenly, it charged at Shi Feng with its steel-like horn.

Compared to the other rhinos, this Rhino Chieftain One-eye possessed an extremely fast speed, and not even the marsh could impede its immense charging power.

This was the Rhino Chieftain One-eye's skill, Violent Charge.

Even a Level 20 MT would instantly die if One-eye's horn smashed into them.

"Come," knowing that he wouldn't be able to dodge, Shi Feng activated Defensive Blade. He then used Chop, the Abyssal Blade slashing at One-eye's horn.

Due to the Defensive Blade's absolute defense effect, Shi Feng did not retreat by even an inch. Instead, a damage of -367 points appeared above the Rhino Chieftain One-eye's head.

_Such a tough defense!_ Shi Feng was slightly shocked.

However, Shi Feng did not intend to continue entangling with the Rhino Chieftain One-eye. The moment One-eye used War Trample, Shi Feng used Silent Steps to appear behind a Swamp Rhino that was 30 yards away, successfully evading One-eye's attack.

"Aoo!" One-eye became further enraged when it saw that its target had evaded. It immediately charged at Shi Feng. However, it did not use Violent Charge this time, so its speed was only slightly faster than the other rhinos.

"Blackie, use the skill," after arriving at the appointed location, Shi Feng stopped and spoke into the party chat.

Although his plan did not include luring the Rhino Chieftain One-eye, the plan still had to proceed. He simply had to be more careful now.

"Leave it to me," Blackie had long since waited with anticipation.

Immediately, a golden brilliance descended upon Shi Feng's form. This was the effect of the first additional skill of Mavis's Guard, Guardian of Light. For 20 seconds, Shi Feng became immune to all magic damage. He also enjoyed 80% physical damage reduction and 5% HP recovery every second.

Following which, Shi Feng activated the Tier 2 Life Shield, his maximum HP soaring.

Over 200 rhinos surrounded Shi Feng. If it were a Level 20 MT standing in place of Shi Feng, that MT would have long since been trampled to death. However, Shi Feng could hold on. Through evading alone, Shi Feng managed to dodge over 60% of the attacks sent at him. In addition to Guardian of Light recovering 5% of his HP every second, he was able to hold onto his life.

"Almost! Shine out, Stars of Light!"

When Blackie saw all those monsters grouped together, he used Mavis's Guard's other skill, Stars of Light. After chanting the final verse of the incantation, Blackie lost half of his mana in an instant.

Immediately after, Blackie pointed his staff towards the sky. The dark clouds hovering above the large marsh were instantly pierced and disappeared. The sky trembled, and suddenly, a gigantic golden magic circle appeared in the sky, shining down on the core of the Silent Swamp.

Chapter 163 - mad levelling

"This is..."

Shi Feng looked towards the sky, discovering that this magic circle was much more powerful than he imagined it to be.

Even a Tier 2 spell wasn't as mighty as this. The magic circle actually shook the sky. This was definitely not something a Tier 2 spell was capable of.

Although Shi Feng did not know exactly how powerful the Stars of Light was, as long as its might surpassed that of a Tier 2 spell, it would be enough to deal with the rhinos chasing after him.

"Such a powerful magic power!" Blackie looked at the sky, towards the light element that madly gathered in the magic circle, with eyes filled with disbelief. This was the most powerful magic he had seen since he started playing God's Domain.

As the magic circle in the sky gathered an endless amount of magic, the rhinos on the ground panicked. They started sieging Shi Feng desperately from all corners in an attempt to dispel the fear in their hearts.

As a result, Shi Feng had to deal with the simultaneous attacks from over a dozen Swamp Rhinos; the space available for him to evade was extremely limited. Fortunately, he had a physical damage reduction of 80%, and he could generate 5% of his HP every second. Faced with no chances of dodging the incoming attacks, Shi Feng abruptly leaped into the sky and activated the Ice-Blue Devil Flame. The clear-blue flame instantly covered his body, while the power of thunder and fire gathered around the Abyssal Blade.

Thunder Flame Explosion!

The moment the Abyssal Blade struck down, thunder and fire engulfed and devoured all the monsters within a 5-yard radius. Damages of -626 points appeared above the heads of the monsters, and there were even some rhinos who received critical strikes, succumbing to over -1,000 damage. All the rhinos Shi Feng's attack struck fell into a fainted state, unable to move for 4 seconds.

The monsters surrounding Shi Feng in a fainted state formed a natural barrier, granting Shi Feng a short breather.

"Is it starting?" Shi Feng detected that the golden magic circle in the sky had finished gathering magic power. The magic circle then transformed into a shooting star, falling from the sky.

Before the shooting star collided with the ground, Shi Feng cast Thundering Flash at the Rhino Chieftain One-eye.

Unfortunately, the three streaks of thunder did not deal much damage to One-eye; all three attacks only caused around a total of -900 damage. However, Shi Feng's aim was not its damage, but the additional 20% damage amplification effect. It would allow the Stars of Light to inflict massive amounts of damage to One-eye.

Finally, the golden shooting star reached the ground, landing in the center of the rhinos. An explosion occurred, and a blinding light devoured every inch of the large marsh.

From a high position, Blackie and Lonely Snow saw damages of over -1,000 points appearing above all the rhinos in the marsh. There were also plenty that received critical strikes, receiving over -2,000 damage. Furthermore, the rhinos close to the epicenter received damages of over -3,000 points, and some even received frightening damages of over -6,000 points.

A Level 20 Swamp Rhino only had 3,200 HP, while the Elite Twin-horned Rhinos had 17,500 HP. Even the Rhino Chieftain One-eye only had 50,000 HP; -3,000 damage was not a light injury.

"Ao!" One-eye was enraged. It immediately directed its furious gaze at Blackie.

It was not just the Rhino Chieftain One-eye. All the other rhinos also redirected their rage to Blackie, as the damages Blackie caused were simply too high. There were many Swamp Rhinos that instantly died from this single attack.

However, during the time these rhino monsters directed their angry gazes towards Blackie, a second golden-colored shooting star appeared in the sky. It, too, descended.

This time, the impact of the shooting star caused 10% more damage than the previous one. This attack wiped out all of the Level 20 Swamp Rhinos, and only the high-HP Elites and Chieftain One-eye remained alive.

However, this was not the end. With every passing second, for a total of 15 seconds, a shooting star would appear and descend from the sky. Moreover, each shooting star would deal 10% more damage than the previous one. The Elite ranked Twin-horned Rhinos could only hold on until the fifth shooting star before dying out completely.

Meanwhile, Chieftain One-eye remained alive. Its angry gaze turned deadly as it glared at Blackie atop the high slope. Chieftain One-eye instantly went berserk, its Defense and Attack Power greatly increasing as it charged forth.

"I won't let you go!" Shi Feng used Wind Blade and arrived in front of the Rhino Chieftain One-eye. He then stabbed the Abyssal Blade at it.

Abyssal Bind!

Nine abyssal chains instantly coiled around One-eye, preventing it from moving even an inch.

Following which, streak after streak of Stars of Light crashed down into the marsh. From the initial -3,000 damage, the damage had now accumulated up to over -7,000 damage. Rhino Chieftain One-eye's 50,000 HP very quickly drained to 0. It then vanished within the blinding light, leaving behind a pile of items.

After the Stars of Light ended, the entire marsh fell deathly silent. All the monsters within had turned into ashes, leaving behind piles upon piles of items.

At the same time, golden lights surrounded the bodies of both Blackie and Lonely Snow. Within an instant, their levels jumped from Level 11 to a little beyond Level 13. Shi Feng had also risen to 92% of Level 13; only a thread away from Level 14.

"This..." Blackie looked at the staff in his hands, then looked at the marsh. He did not know how to express the emotions that filled his heart.

Not only had the Stars of Light kill the Level 20 Elite monsters, it even killed a Level 20 Special Elite. Its intense might far exceeded Blackie's imagination.

Previously, they had enjoyed an extremely envious leveling speed. Now, however, it was no longer envious, but shocking.

They rose by two levels in just slightly over ten seconds. Moreover, they had risen from Level 11 to Level 13 and not from Level 1 to Level 3. Even elite players would have to grind for five or six days to obtain such a frightening amount of EXP. However, they achieved it in the blink of an eye.

"This is simply too formidable. If this skill is used in a team battle, no matter how powerful the enemy team was, they would still have to surrender," Lonely Snow unconsciously shuddered as he spoke.

Only now did they truly understand why all those large Guilds were so desperate to obtain an Epic ranked item. Even if they had to sacrifice countless members, they would still willingly choose to overwhelm those powerful monsters with the lives of their people.

As long as they obtained an Epic ranked item, be it leveling up or securing high-level equipment, everything would become a lot easier. The current scene before Blackie and Lonely Snow was the perfect example.

Not to mention a Special Elite, the Stars of Light could inflict massive damage to even a Chieftain ranked field Boss.

This was definitely not a feat that a party, fully equipped with Secret-Silver Equipment, could achieve.

The aid rendered by an Epic ranked item to a Workshop's development was simply immense. It far outstripped the usefulness of more than a hundred Secret-Silver ranked items.

The massacre the Stars of Light caused yielded Shi Feng's group with plenty of Level 15 to Level 20 Bronze and Mysterious-Iron Equipment. There were also plenty of varying Gemstones. At the very least, the total value of all these items was 10 Gold Coins or more.

"It's finally over."

Shi Feng let loose a relieved breath. If it were not for the Stars of Light, he definitely could not contend with a Level 20 Special Elite that went berserk. However, he managed to verify the prowess of the Stars of Light personally. He could now send Blackie and the others to the Level 22 map, the Crystal Forest, to level up. The drop rate for Gemstones in the Crystal Forest was much higher than in the Moonlight Forest. Not only could they level up quickly, but they could also earn a lot of money and extremely precious Gemstones and Equipment. Moreover, it would be impossible for their enemies to locate Blackie and the others, killing three birds with one stone.

After the trio tidied up all the loot, Shi Feng intended to make a trip back to town to clear up his inventory.

"Leader, the situation you wanted me to investigate has already occurred. Several Guilds have started taking action. Should we start taking action now?" Cola, who was in Red Leaf Town, suddenly contacted Shi Feng, his face filled with excitement.

"Great! Just in time! I've waited a long time for this moment. Our Zero Wing Workshop should also start taking action now," Shi Feng smiled brightly. "It's about time we show off Zero Wing Workshop's strength."

Chapter 164 - the first crisis

Cola was at a loss when he heard Shi Feng's words.

Show the strength of Zero Wing Workshop?

Others had constantly targeted the three of them, so they had been hiding in Red Leaf Town all this time. They had no chances to leave town to grind and quest, and they were all only Level 7 right now; they were only slightly stronger than the average player. They had no chances of competing with the members of other Guilds at all. If this situation continued, their levels would, sooner or later, fall behind even the average players.

"Is leader telling us to go level up?" Cola grew excited at the thought of this possibility. 

"This is too great! We're being stifled to death by constantly staying in town. It would be fine even if we have to slaughter our way out."

"You three wait for me inside the Hotel in the Trade Area; I'll be there soon," Shi Feng did not further explain, only revealing a faint smile.

"Brother Feng, what happened to make you so happy?" Blackie curiously asked, seeing Shi Feng's joyous smile.

"Something good. You two, stay here and continue leveling up. I'll bring Cola and the others later on. After you carry them to Level 10, go to White River City to do some high-level quests," Shi Feng said.

"Brother Feng, rest assured; now that I'm fully geared in Level 15 Bronze and Mysterious-Iron Equipment and possess Mavis's Protection, carrying Cola and the others will be a breeze," Blackie assured his leader. He was Level 13 right now and even had an Epic ranked staff. If he could not carry Cola and the others to Level 10 quickly, he might as well revert to playing with mud rather than play God's Domain.

"When Cola and the others see our levels, they will be shocked. And when they see Blackie's Epic ranked staff, the Mavis's Protection, they will be stunned speechless. I am even eager to see their expressions," Lonely Snow joked.

"That's right! Cola and the others could not possibly imagine that, within just a short few hours, we went from hiding from Martial Union's pursuit to reaching to Level 13. We've taken the top three rankings within the Star-Moon Kingdom and even possess an Epic Weapon now. Compared to before, it is like the difference between heaven and earth. If I were in their shoes, even I wouldn't believe it," Blackie grew even more joyful at the thought of the shocked expressions of Cola and the others.

"You guys..." Shi Feng helplessly smiled at the sight of his two teammates. Soon after, he took out a Return Scroll, teleporting to Red Leaf Town.

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At this moment, there were a lot of changes occurring in Red Leaf Town as well. The number of players purchasing equipment in the Trade Area grew larger and larger, and an endless stream of shouts for purchase filled the air of the Trade Area. There were many new players walking around and looking at the stalls set up throughout the street, looking for required items and equipment.

-------------------------------

Meanwhile, inside the Hotel at the Trade Area...

"I've previously asked you guys to collect Hard Stones, so just how many have you actually collected? Why is the number of Whetstones still zero?" Unstable Devastation's expression turned grim as he asked; he abruptly stood up after taking a look at his subordinate's report.

"Boss Unstable, under your commands, we desperately tried to purchase all the Hard Stones available. However, we're not sure why, but Hard Stones are extremely scarce on the market right now. Moreover, they're very expensive. After much determination, we only managed to collect slightly more than four stacks. However, our Guild has only recently started nurturing Forgers, so their success rate of making Whetstones is extremely low. So..." that subordinate timidly said.

Peng!

Unstable Devastation slammed his fist onto the table, snarling, "You bunch of useless wastes! I clearly notified you all of this matter long ago, and three or four hours have passed already. Yet, you guys couldn't even produce a single Whetstone? How is the elite team supposed to level up this way? Why do I even need you guys here?"

"Boss Unstable, maybe the other Guilds have discovered the issue of their weapons deteriorating quickly? Maybe that's why we only managed to purchase a few stacks of Hard Stones?" the Berserker, Five Rats, said.

"That's a high possibility. After all, it isn't only our Guild leveling up in high-level monster areas. However, Hard Stones aren't exactly rare, and they can be obtained from Level 2 monster areas or above. Moreover, normally nobody touches those things, so there should be a huge stockpile available in Red Leaf Town right now. There should also be plenty of players selling them on the Auction House. We also discovered this matter fairly quickly, so even if the other Guilds have taken action, it is impossible for them to buy them all out immediately!" Unstable Devastation nodded, then shook his head again. He could not make any sense of the situation.

After they started hunting Ye Feng's party, they discovered that the durability of their weapons fell extraordinarily fast. In the beginning, they paid no attention to it, only focusing on leveling up and their search for Ye Feng's party. However, before they found Ye Feng, their equipment and weapons were already close to scrap. Without a choice, they had to give up their search for Ye Feng, returning to town to repair their equipment.

Although the journey back wasted a lot of time, the elite team's equipment was extremely precious. If they did not repair it all in time, resulting in their equipment turning into scrap, the Guild would suffer an irrecoverable loss. Moreover, without the equipment, they would also have no way to grind and level up. Thus, they needed to return and repair their equipment.

After repairing their equipment, Unstable Devastation began hearing complaints from his subordinates. The repair fees were too expensive, they said. The cost of repairs had nearly depleted all the money they had. As for classes that wore plate armor, they were even forced to borrow money from others for the repair fees.

This situation dumbfounded Unstable Devastation.

These players were all elites amongst elites. Normally, they carried a lot of money on their persons, and they were considered wealthy. However, their wealth was not enough to cover the fees.

Unstable Devastation quickly discovered the crux of the problem. The lower the remaining durability of a piece of equipment was, and the higher the level of the equipment was, the more expensive the resulting repair fee would be. Grinding high-level monster areas greatly depleted equipment's durability. Making a trip to-and-fro from town to these high-level areas also required them to waste at least two to three hours. Moreover, they could, at most, stay for three to four hours at these high-level monster areas before they needed to return to town to repair their equipment. This meant that they had to spend almost half their time in God's Domain just traveling.

As a result, the time needed for a single level-up almost doubled.

If they could negate the travel time, their leveling speed would surpass the other players.

When Unstable Devastation thought of this crucial matter, he immediately instructed his subordinates to look for a solution to this problem. The resulting solution was the Whetstones. Although this item could only repair a small amount of durability of a weapon, even that small amount was enough. Compared to equipment used for protection, a weapon's durability decreased at a much greater rate. If they used Whetstones to repair their weapons, the total cost would be much less than repairing it at the Smithy. Hence, Unstable Devastation quickly ordered his subordinates to purchase Whetstones. However, they quickly discovered that forgers did not normally create this item as its cost was simply too high. Moreover, Whetstones normally did not sell at all.

Unstable Devastation could only take a step back once again, and instead, choose to purchase Hard Stones, the materials required to make Whetstones. Hard Stones were also relatively cheap items. They were mainly used to create Whetstones and certain engineering components. Each stack was only around 30 Copper Coins, and there were 20 in a stack, which meant that they could make 20 Whetstones from a single stack of Hard Stones.

However, Unstable Devastation had received even more shocking news. If they could not purchase Whetstones directly, then so be it. However, how could Hard Stones be difficult to purchase as well?

In reality, it wasn't just Martial Union who had discovered this problem; the other Guilds had also discovered this issue. By the time they tried to purchase Hard Stones, they suddenly discovered that, be it the Auction House or the stalls in town, there were only scarce amounts of Hard Stones remaining. It was far from enough for the forgers in their own Guilds to create Whetstones with.

-------------------------

Elsewhere, Shi Feng had just set foot on the main street of the Trade Area. He watched as the various large Guilds tried to purchase Hard Stones at a high price; they purchased each stack for 80 Copper Coins. The price of Hard Stones had more than doubled. Immediately, Shi Feng felt an intense joy in his heart.

The moment he had long awaited had finally arrived.

However, this was only the beginning. He still wanted to add oil to the fire, causing the price to soar sky-high.

Chapter 165 - A foolish choice?

Shi Feng completely ignored the high prices these Guilds were willing to pay. He headed to the appointed Hotel directly.

He had stockpiled Hard Stones for so long, to the point where He had purchased 90% of the Hard Stones available in White River City. Thus, he would not reveal his hand just for this little bit of profit.

Right now, the danger of equipment durability was only beginning. Along with the constant increase of players' levels, they would head towards monster areas of a higher level. Very quickly, players would discover the problem regarding their equipment durability and the importance of Whetstones. If they did not possess Whetstones, it would greatly affect their leveling speed, and as a result, others would increase the gap between them. This result had caused the demand for Whetstones to soar; they were as popular as the commonly used Regeneration Potions and Mana Recovery Potions.

Meanwhile, Hard Stones were required to make Whetstones. Along with the growing demand for Whetstones, the prices of Hard Stones would still increase by several folds.

In Shi Feng's previous life, Hard Stones once sold for a maximum price of 3 Silver Coins per stack; its price had increased by tenfold from the original. Right now, due to God's Domain's evolution and the investment of major corporations, the available resources were more precious than in Shi Feng's previous life. Most likely, the prices of Hard Stones would increase to record highs. The current price of 80 Copper per stack was only the beginning.

---------------------------

Red Leaf town, Trade Area, Black Rose Bar.

At this moment, Fire Dance had gathered her entire team to discuss matters regarding the team's future development.

Fire Dance's team often frequented this Black Rose Bar, as it occupied a more secluded region; very few players came to this place. Thus, this place became the gathering spot for Fire Dance's team. Every time they completed a Dungeon raid or obtained some precious item, they would come to this bar to celebrate.

"Fire Dance, we understand what your intentions are. However, I will still tell you the same thing. We are only playing God's Domain to pass the time, and we don't have any great ambitions. We prefer to be free, and we aren't planning to earn any achievements through God's Domain. If you want me to join that person called Ye Feng's team, I can only tell you that I'm sorry."

"That's right, Fire Dance. If it were a normal situation, maybe joining would be fine. However, Ye Feng has a beef with Martial Union, and right now, Martial Union targets us too. Martial Union has already put out the word that, if we do not sever our relations with Ye Feng and apologize to them, we won't ever need to think about leaving town to level up and quest. If we leave town, they'll just kill us and send us back. If we join Ye Feng's team, won't we end up in an even worse situation?"

"That's right! Martial Union is just too powerful right now. There is no way Ye Feng can establish himself in Red Leaf Town. If you want us to join Ye Feng's team, I can only look for another way out of this."

"I, too, share this opinion. We have lost a lot of our levels, and our average right now is only Level 5. We can only apologize to Martial Union if we want to have the possibility to continue mingling in Red Leaf Town. If we join Ye Feng's team, we'll truly be finished."

"According to my investigations, the Martial Union branch in Red Leaf Town is completely under the control of that person called Unstable Devastation. He has gathered all the players from Martial Union in five different towns to Red Leaf Town, and he is prepared to go all-out developing in Red Leaf Town. There are many experts from Martial Union in Red Leaf Town right now. Their Guild's treatment is generous, and its development rate is impressively fast. I heard that their member count has already exceeded 1,000, and amongst them, there are over 200 elite members. They are much stronger than before."

"Martial Union has the ability to constantly target us and prevent us from leaving town to grind and level up. We can afford to provoke them any longer."

"Even if we reach Level 10 and go to White River City, Martial Union's member count would have exceeded 10,000 by then. It would only be a simple matter for them to deal with us. It was a mistake to provoke them right from the very beginning. Our only way out of this mess is to offer them an apology."

"Right, I agree as well. Our original goal in playing God's Domain was simply to mess around. We are completely different from that Ye Feng who has embroiled himself in a fight with Martial Union. If you, Fire Dance, wish to join him, please don't drag us in as well. We don't wish to be under surveillance 24 hours a day."

Fire Dance did not expect everyone to voice their opinions. They all expressed their refusal to join Shi Feng's team, and they even wanted her to apologize to Martial Union.

"Hah... I understand. I'll only ask this one last time, then.

"If there are any of you willing to join Ye Feng's team with me, please stand by my side."

Fire Dance understood their troubles. Previously, they were all veteran gamers of virtual reality games. However, the virtual reality games they played before only had a player base in the hundreds of thousands. Even until the later stages of the game, a top-tier Guild would only have several thousand members. On the other hand, God's Domain had made clear to them the true meaning of a large Guild and the true power of a game with over two billion players across the globe.

God's Domain was completely different from any other virtual reality games. It had utterly shattered their concept of virtual reality games, as it was practically a second reality.

Previously, they didn't think there was anything special about the various large Guilds. Only now did they truly understand how frightening a Guild could be in a virtual reality game. Just the members of Martial Union inside a single town reached the thousands, and it was still increasing. If they reached White River City, their member count would break into the tens of thousands. A team of independent players like themselves could not afford to provoke such a large Guild.

Moreover, such a large Guild like Martial Union was only an unrated Guild. As for third-rate, second-rate, and first-rate Guilds, they were tyrannical existences.

Although Martial Union was a very frightening existence in Red Leaf Town, Ye Feng's shocking performance had been deeply engraved onto Fire Dance's soul. She truly thought that she had wasted her time playing those other games before. Right now, only the thought of following Ye Feng filled her heart. She wanted to get to know and experience the world of apex experts.

"Fire Dance, wake up, alright? We will not follow you. Right now, our only way out of this mess is to apologize. Haven't you always dreamt of becoming an expert in God's Domain? If you continue fighting it out with Martial Union, you will head away from that goal. Stop being silly and acting foolish."

After Fire Dance finished speaking, aside from Water Buffalo, there was not a single person who walked towards Fire Dance's position. They all had their heads lowered, feeling that Fire Dance was simply too foolish. She had truly been bewitched by that Ye Feng for her to dig her own grave by joining him.

"Alright, since you guys have decided, Water Buffalo and I will join Big Brother Ye Feng by ourselves," Fire Dance's mood sank after hearing everyone's decision. They had joined each other after much difficulty, dreaming of reaching some achievements in God's Domain. Yet, the result was such in the end.

Soon after, Fire Dance opened her friends list, selected Ye Feng, and contacted him. Previously, she had told Ye Feng that she would contact him after speaking with her team. Now that everyone had finished their discussion, she had to notify him.

"Big Brother Ye Feng, I'm done on my side," Fire Dance said, disappointed. Although she had long since guessed such a result, she originally thought that three to five others would follow her. Now, however, there were only two of them. She was too embarrassed to even speak of this matter.

"That's great! How many people do you have? If we have enough, we can raid a team dungeon."

At this moment, Shi Feng had just finished meeting with Cola and the others. He was prepared to focus fully on establishing a core team for Zero Wing. Before that, he sent Cola and the other two to visit the Auction House to purchase some bags with larger capacities, a large amount of Mana Recovery Potions, and some refreshments. He also asked Violet Cloud to join Blackie to grind and level up. However, he did not think that Fire Dance would contact him just in time. Her timing was impeccable.

Chapter 166 - Initial formation of the team

"There are only two, Water Buffalo and myself. Everyone has their own opinions, so I can't demand this of them," Fire Dance nearly choked on her words after hearing Ye Feng's excited tone.

"Two people? That's not too bad," Shi Feng lightly laughed. "Do you guys have anything you need to do right now? If not, you can join me."

In reality, Shi Feng did not particularly mind the matter with Fire Dance's teammates. Previously, Fire Dance mentioned that her teammates were not ambitious and that they were only casual players in God's Domain. Hence, it was best for Shi Feng if all of these people did not join him; it would save him a lot of trouble. He also did not need to waste time on training them.

"I don't have anything else to do here; Water Buffalo and I will meet you." Previously, Fire Dance had worried that she would disappoint Ye Feng with the news. However, after listening to his relaxed tone, she could not help but sigh in relief.

After disconnecting the call, Fire Dance and Water Buffalo bade farewell to everyone else. They did not know when they would meet again.

"Hah... I truly can't understand her. Why is she so obsessed with that guy?" an Assassin in leather armor said after Fire Dance departed. He could not help but sigh.

"I'm also very curious about that Ye Feng. Just what is so good about him? If she becomes Martial Union's enemy like this, by the time we enter White River City, she might very well still be in hiding in this town, not daring to leave. Would there even be a meaning to such a gaming life?"

The team members that chose to stay behind voiced their confusion, one after another.

Meanwhile, at the fountain plaza of Red Leaf Town, although it was still daytime in God's Domain, the benches that decorated the plaza were currently overcrowded with players. All around, one could see couples flirting with each other; the scene was the complete opposite of a battlefield.

"Big Brother Feng, sorry for making you wait," upon her arrival to the fountain plaza, she discovered Ye Feng enjoying the breeze as he waited for someone.

"No worries. All our members are finally here now. In the future, we will all be members of the same team. Let me introduce you all, then," Shi Feng smiled as he started introducing each of the team members.

There were a total of six members present, excluding himself: the Guardian Knight, Cola, the Oracle, Drowsy Sloth, the Summoner, Gluttonous Mouse, the Cleric, Violet Cloud, the Assassin, Fire Dance, and the Berserker, Water Buffalo. With all six of them, they could be a standard Dungeon party. Fire Dance, being Level 9, was the highest leveled player amongst them. Following her was Violet Cloud and Water Buffalo, who were both at Level 8. The remaining were all Level 7.

Looking at how Violet Cloud had raised herself to Level 8 just through cooking, the effort and suffering she had gone through were obvious. If it were not for Shi Feng's stern command, Violet Cloud would not intend to go out to grind at all. She rather preferred continuously cooking and earning money.

When Cola and the others saw Fire Dance's level, admiration filled their hearts. Moreover, she was also a great beauty.

They only reached Level 8 with Shi Feng's guidance. Even if Martial Union had not killed them, sending them back to Level 7, they would only be Level 8. They were still far from Level 9. Moreover, Fire Dance's equipment was extremely high quality. She also possessed a few pieces of Secret-Silver Equipment, while the others were Mysterious-Iron. One could see that Fire Dance was definitely an expert, far more amazing than themselves.

As for the one who managed to recruit such an expert beauty into the team, Cola and the other two could not help but five Shi Feng a thumbs-up. This was as expected of their leader!

As for Shi Feng's level, nobody in the team could discern it, as Shi Feng had hidden his information with the Demon Mask. The others could only see 'Unknown.' However, nobody felt concerned about his actions. Shi Feng constantly felt like a mysterious expert to them; so it was only natural that they could see his identity.

"Big Brother Ye Feng is amazing as expected! We've only been apart for half a day, yet the pressure you give off has massively increased!"

After Fire Dance met Ye Feng again, she could clearly feel that he was different from before. He was like an unsheathed sword, and her six senses told her that Ye Feng had become much stronger.

"Since everyone is familiar with each other now, I'll tell you guys what you need to do next," Shi Feng said formally.

However, just as Shi Feng was about to reveal their goal, a group of players suddenly appeared and surrounded the fountain plaza.

"Martial Union is dealing with an issue; all those uninvolved, leave immediately!"

Martial Union's members chased away the other players, taking complete control of the fountain plaza.

"Ye Feng, you've made me look for you for a long time now," a scholarly youth said as he stepped out from the crowd. This was Unstable Devastation.

There were over 400 members of Martial Union crowding the fountain plaza. When Cola and the others saw all these players, they immediately panicked, their expressions turning solemn.

"What? You want to take action here?" Shi Feng swept a glance over the players from Martial Union. The majority of them were Level 5 or Level 6; only a minority were Level 8 or Level 9 elites.

"How could I possibly be such a brute? I'm only here today to give you all a final warning," Unstable Devastation said with a smile.

Last time, he had taken a huge loss because of Ye Feng. If he could, he really wished to kill Ye Feng now. However, they were right in the middle of town. If he killed Ye Feng here, he might implicate Martial Union as well. However, if he mobilized a dozen or so players against Ye Feng, they would only be helpless against him, disgracing Martial Union's reputation. This was not a result he wished to see.

"Warning? We've already reached the point of no return. Your warning holds zero meaning to me; it is only a bunch of nonsense," Shi Feng laughed.

"You are still so fearless, even when faced with so many of our members; I truly admire you for that. Unfortunately, your strength is limited; you are not an opponent for Martial Union at all. My warning isn't actually directed at you," Unstable Devastation clapped his hands, shifting his sights towards Cola and the others. He then coldly said, "This time, my warning is for the teammates standing behind you. You all better come to your senses. If you sever your relationship with Ye Feng immediately, I assure you that I will not pursue past matters and let you all go."

"Of course, if you resolve to stand with the powerless Ye Feng, prepare to suffer the rage of Martial Union. I admit that killing Ye Feng himself is extremely difficult; however, it is only a simple matter for Martial Union to exterminate you all."

Although Unstable Devastation smiled as he spoke, Cola and the others could only feel a deep chill from his words.

They could not help but admit that Unstable Devastation's words sounded logical. They were not top-tier experts, and they did not possess that many lifesaving skills that could help them escape. Although Martial Union could not kill Ye Feng, that did not mean they could not get rid of them. As proven, they had died once before already. There would definitely be a second time in the future. If such a situation continued, they would not have a future in God's Domain to speak of.

Looking at the panicked and hesitant expressions on Cola and the others, Shi Feng spoke not a single word; he remained silent as he stood there.

This move of Unstable Devastation's was extremely vicious. He wanted Shi Feng to taste the betrayal of his closest friends. Not only would it reduce his overall power, but it could also become a hit to his heart.

Unfortunately, Shi Feng was no longer the arrogant brat that he used to be. On the contrary, he wanted to use this plan of Unstable Devastation's to refine the members of his elite team.

In the future, the team he led would have to face off against many powerful foes. If they could not handle the challenge before them right now, how could they succeed in the future?

Shi Feng did not desire teammates who only enjoyed the good times, but could not suffer through the bad with him.

This could be Shi Feng's test for them. He wanted to see just what sort of choice they would make in such a situation.

After quite some time had passed, Cola and the others exchanged glances with each other, smiles on their faces. They had all made their decisions, and they all stood by Shi Feng's side without hesitation, having zero intentions of leaving.

Cola, Drowsy Sloth, Gluttonous Mouse, and Violet Cloud were originally players who others looked down on. They lived at the very bottom of God's Domain, and they only possessed the levels and equipment they had today because of Shi Feng's help. By becoming enemies with Martial Union, at worst, they would only revert to their original states. So, how could they possibly betray Shi Feng in this sort of situation?

As for Fire Dance and Water Buffalo, they had long since steeled their hearts to follow Ye Feng. They wished to experience the world of top-tier experts, and faced with such a threat, they paid no mind at all.

"Unstable Devastation, even in death, we would never betray our leader. If you have the ability, then come!" Cola laughed loudly as he looked at Unstable Devastation.

"Good! Very well said!" Unstable Devastation smiled with indignation, saying, "Don't say that I never gave you a chance. This is something you've all chosen for yourselves, so don't blame me for not lacking courtesy. Boys, get them!"

Originally, Unstable Devastation thought that he could take this chance to shame Ye Feng, turning him into a laughingstock. However, he truly did not think that these people would be so muddle-headed. They must've eaten something wrong to follow Ye Feng so steadfastly. Otherwise, Ye Feng must have shown a hopeful fantasy, letting them think that they still had a future.

Since he was already here, he would not let Ye Feng and the others escape unscathed.

Chapter 167 - the disparity between realms

Immediately, more than 400 players in the fountain plaza surrounded Shi Feng and the others. They all unsheathed their swords and armed their crossbows as they eyed their prey.

However, to Shi Feng's surprise, none of them showed any intentions of rushing forward.

Instead, they parted to the sides and opened a path, letting through twenty-odd players.

When these twenty-plus players arrived by Unstable Devastation's side, their complexions were as gloomy as water, and their expressions numbed. These players' levels were not high; only around Level 5 or Level 6. Their equipment was also nothing special. Compared to the elites of Martial Union, the difference was just too great. They did not seem like players from Martial Union at all.

"I'll be looking forward to your performances," Unstable Devastation spoke to these newcomers harshly. He then turned his sights towards Fire Dance, revealing a fierce sneer as he looked forward to the start of a good show.

These newcomers nodded their heads indifferently. They took out their weapons and walked towards Shi Feng.

In the distance, Fire Dance and Water Buffalo were immediately stunned when they saw these players.

"You guys... why are you all with Martial Union?" Fire Dance loudly questioned these players.

The twenty plus players that walked over were not strangers to Fire Dance. On the contrary, they were the ex-companions with whom Fire Dance shared both bitter and sweet times.

At this moment, Unstable Devastation looked at Ye Feng, laughter escaping his mouth as he said, "Hahaha! Ye Feng, I am an extremely generous person. Previously, these players aided you in killing many of Martial Union's members. I've promised them that, as long as they kill you and your companions, I will forgive all of their past transgressions, and Martial Union would no longer seek trouble with them."

"Ye Feng, don't you think that you should do something for them to compensate their losses?" Unstable Devastation jeered. Ye Feng had embarrassed him greatly last time, so he would not let him off the hook so easily.

He eagerly wished to see whether Ye Feng would dare take action or not. As long as Ye Feng took action, the headline on tomorrow's official forums would be: Publicly acknowledged Swordsman expert is an extremely treacherous person! He willingly killed his allies to save himself! At that time, only tatters would remain of Ye Feng's reputation. Unstable Devastation wanted to see just how Ye Feng intended to mingle in God's Domain in the future.

Unable to endure it any longer, Fire Dance abruptly burst out in rage. Her eyes sent a chill as she glared at Unstable Devastation, yelling loudly, "Unstable Devastation, you despicable little man! These people have all killed your Martial Union members under my commands! If you have the guts, then come at me!"

Originally, Fire Dance felt extremely joy for being able to join Ye Feng's team. She did not think that she would cause Ye Feng such a mess. If Ye Feng killed all of these people right now, others would gossip, and nasty rumors about him would spread. Ye Feng would be slandered as a merciless person, a person willing to kill even those who had helped him in the past.

Although this matter was not of her doing, these people were still her past companions. She was responsible for leading them to kill the members of Martial Union. Now that these people had betrayed her and sided with Martial Union, bringing trouble to Ye Feng, she felt extremely apologetic towards Ye Feng.

"Fire Dance, we have no choice in this matter. We have to do this if we wish to obtain Martial Union's forgiveness and continue playing in Red Leaf Town."

"Fire Dance, this is our only way out. We hope that you can understand."

"That's right! They forced us, left us no way out. Let us kill you just this once!"

Fire Dance's companions closed the distance as they spoke. Some of the mage classes even started chanting their spells, prepared to launch their attacks.

"You guys..." Fire Dance's complexion turned extremely ugly. She immediately turned towards Ye Feng, apologetically saying, "I'm sorry, Big Brother Ye Feng! I will definitely give you an account of this matter!"

"Unstable Devastation, you best listen up! I, Fire Dance, will immediately leave the team right now. I will no longer have any relations with Big Brother Ye Feng, so let me shoulder this debt between us!" Fire Dance immediately left the party. After her public declaration, she unsheathed her daggers as she walked forth, towards her companions. She intended to deal with these companions of hers personally. That way, Ye Feng would not experience in any sort of slander.

After seeing this, Unstable Devastation's complexion turned pale with anger. He did not think that this woman called Fire Dance would be so determined.

"Fire Dance, aren't you just making things harder for us? Regardless of the circumstances, we were once companions in the past. How could you treat us like this?"

"That's right! We've gone through life and death so many times together. Are you really going to treat us like this?"

Fire Dance's previous team voiced their accusations, one after another. These accusations deeply pierced Fire Dance's heart. The laughs and suffering they went through together, all the bonds had simply turned to smoke. The only thing she could do was hold back her tears and kill the emotions in her heart.

"Fire Dance, are you going to be so heartless as to kill us?" a middle-aged Assassin wearing grey-colored leather armor asked resentfully.

His words had immediately caused Fire Dance to pause.

However, immediately after, this middle-aged Assassin stabbed his dagger towards Fire Dance's heart.

Dang!

Before the gleaming dagger could reach its target, a pitch-black sword blocked the attack.

"Fire Dance, you're not taking me, the team leader, seriously, are you? Since you've already joined my team, you are still a member of our team until this leader decided to kick you out. I will not acknowledge your selfish retirement from the team."

"Now that you are a member of our team, this team leader has the responsibility of shouldering everything for you. So, in regards to your painful memories, I will help you purge them all."

Ever since Shi Feng re-entered God's Domain, he no longer cared about what others thought of him, because only weaklings would mind how others looked at them.

"Oh, right. I forgot to mention one more thing to you guys. Anyone who joins my team has to keep in mind one important thing; if you constantly mind how others look at you, you will never truly improve your own strength and techniques. You don't have to care how others look at you. It is enough as long as you advance on the path that you wish to take. Only with that can you become a true expert."

Shi Feng suddenly appeared in front of Fire Dance. To Fire Dance, he towered like a mountain before her, blocking any and all dangers from reaching her.

"Big Brother Ye Feng..." Tears inadvertently leaked out from Fire Dance's eyes; Ye Feng's actions and words truly touched her heart. After listening to his words, it was as if the door to the realm of experts slowly opened for her. Maybe her hesitation held her back from becoming a true expert.

So what if he killed them? Who cared about others' opinions? The strong would never pay attention to such small matters. The only things they needed to consider were the courage to forge ahead and constantly raising their own strength!

By the side, after Water Buffalo listened to Ye Feng's words, his heart was inexplicably moved. He would never have thought Ye Feng would be such a dependable person; a person others could admire.

Meanwhile, Cola and the other two merely exchanged glances with each other, smiles plastered on their faces.

That's right! This was the leader that they respected and admired!

Immediately, Cola and the others stepped forward, one after another, blocking Fire Dance.

"Well said! So? What are you guys still waiting for?" Unstable Devastation felt extreme joy. He had recorded all of Ye Feng's words. When the time came, he could deny his actions.

"Ye Feng, you despicable little man! We've already helped you so much, yet, in the end, you still wish to kill us? You are simply inhuman!"

Fire Dance's ex-companions cursed, enraged. They all rushed at Ye Feng, one after another, intending to slash and bash him to death.

Shi Feng smiled disdainfully at their actions. Looking at the twenty plus melee and mage class players launching their attacks at him, Shi Feng only lightly waved the Abyssal Blade.

Thundering Flash!

Three electric arcs instantly weaved across the bodies of the twenty plus players. Damages ranging from -500 to more than -1,000 appeared above everyone's heads, instantly killing everyone.

Meanwhile, the green prism marker above Shi Feng's head instantly turned bloody red, giving others a chilling feeling.

"Big Brother Ye Feng!"

"Leader!"

Fire Dance and the others immediately panicked. If a player actively killed other players within a town, the guards would hunt them until death. Moreover, after the offending player revived, the guards would toss them in jail. Judging by the intensity of Shi Feng's red name, he would lose at least three levels after death, maybe even four.

"Hahaha! Ye Feng's name is finally red! Without the town's protection, we can kill you here without any repercussions and make you lose all of your items!" Unstable Devastation laughed madly, saying, "Everyone else, get him! I will immediately promote whoever manages to kill Ye Feng into the leader of an elite team!"

However, immediately after Unstable Devastation finished his words, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.

"Has Ironsword Lion never told you how he died?" Shi Feng asked coldly, appeared behind Unstable Devastation after using Silent Steps.

Chapter 168 - ranked expert

Ye Feng had previously killed over twenty players in a single move. The frightening damage that he dealt that was over -1,000 points completely shocked all of the surrounding onlookers, and now, Ye Feng had appeared right behind Unstable Devastation.

Unstable Devastation was both shocked and angered.

Indeed, he did not know how Ironsword Lion had died. However, the current Ye Feng was far more powerful than he imagined; Ye Feng's strength exceeded his previous estimates. If he received an attack from Ye Feng right now, he would unquestioningly die. Unstable Devastation almost instinctively used one of his lifesaving skills. He dashed forth, unhindered, then leaped high into the air. He was currently immune to all restricting effects, and by the time he landed, he was already twenty yards from his original location.

Shi Feng merely smiled at Unstable Devastation's reaction. With his current reaction speed and powerful Attributes, it would be an extremely easy task to destroy Unstable Devastation. Or, speaking from another perspective, Unstable Devastation had zero chances of retaliation.

However, since Unstable Devastation dared to make enemies with him, the Martial Union player needed to prepare to enter hell.

It would be too good of an ending if he allowed Unstable Devastation to die, just like that.

He wanted Unstable Devastation to feel despair in front of absolute strength and then die.

"Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights, block him! Elementalists, use Ice Spheres! Focus all attacks and eliminate him!" before Unstable Devastation even landed on the ground, he calmly gave out commands.

Reacting quickly, the Shield Warriors and Berserkers immediately used Charge at Shi Feng.

Seeing that more than ten warriors charged at Shi Feng and were about to stun him...

Shi Feng abruptly leaped up, the Abyssal Blade carrying with it the power of thunder and lightning as he landed.

Boom!

A wave of thunder and fire devoured all of the warriors. Even the highest leveled Shield Warrior could not react in time and activate Shield Wall before Shi Feng's Thunder Flame Explosion devoured him. The Shield Warrior received a critical hit of over -1,700 damage, dying instantly. However, even a normal hit of more than -800 damage was enough to critically slash a Level 9 Shield Warrior's HP, not to mention the Berserkers with less HP and Defense. They all died in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a pile of equipment.

The remaining survivors were all Level 8 Shield Warriors. They were the fortunate ones, spared from a critical hit. However, even though they were alive, they suffered a Fainted state for 4 seconds.

When the players from Martial Union witnessed this scene, they all stared in shock.

Previously, it was no big deal when Shi Feng had instant-killed those crippled Level 5 to Level 6 players. However, the players he had just killed were no random Tom, Dick, or Harry. They were all Level 8 or Level 9 elites of Martial Union.

"Healers, quickly heal them! Ranged players, attack with everything you've got!" Only now was Unstable Devastation aware of how formidable Shi Feng was. His monster-like Attack Power could even instantly kill a Shield Warrior that boasted the highest Defense amongst all classes. No one present could defend against his attacks. Fortunately, they had the advantage of numbers. They could exhaust Shi Feng to death.

Immediately after several heals landed on a Shield Warrior, pulling his HP back up to half, another of Shi Feng's slashes landed on the Shield Warrior's HP. A huge damage of over -700 points appeared above the Shield Warrior's head, his HP plummeting to zero; his body fell to the ground.

Following which, with every slash of his sword, Shi Feng culled the lives of the surviving Shield Warriors. Even if the Shield Warriors possessed the Defense of heavy armor and passive skills that reduced the damage they received, every one of Shi Feng's casual attack caused around -300 damage. The healers could not maintain the Shield Warriors' HPs at all. As for the Berserkers without heavy armor, a single sword strike dealt them over -400 damage.

Very quickly, the remaining Shield Warriors lay flat on the ground. At this moment, the Guardian Knights all activated Protection Blessing as they rushed forward. Meanwhile, the mages behind them shot out streak after streak of magic.

Fireballs and Ice Spheres flew at Shi Feng, one after another. Shi Feng activated Wind Steps, avoiding more than half of the ranged attacks. Immediately after, he rushed after Unstable Devastation.

Although Shi Feng dodged more than half of the spells, there were still a few occasional spells that hit him. However, the damage these spells dealt nearly dazzled the backline mages.

Even when blasting a Level 9 MT, skills such as the Flame Explosion and Great Fireball could deal over a hundred damage. However, none of them had actually dealt more than 20 damage to Shi Feng. The highest damage was only -15 points, while a majority of the spells only dealt single digits. To Shi Feng, who possessed over 1,500 HP, these spells simply tickled. Shi Feng's automatic recovery alone regenerated 30 HP for him every five seconds. This indicated that, even if Shi Feng received the ice and flame magic attacks from a normal Level 7 or Level 8 Elementalist, Shi Feng would not die, even if he did nothing.

Shi Feng's was currently Level 13, and these mages had no idea. Shi Feng also had 20 points in both fire-type and ice-type resistance. Even without the level suppression of four or more Levels, their damage to Shi Feng would not exceed forty points.

There were many mages on Martial Union's side. However, their damages were too pitiful to watch. Standing behind Shi Feng, Drowsy Sloth and Violet Cloud merely used one heal each, and within an instant, Shi Feng's HP was already back to full.

Faced with another wave of melee classes charging at him, Shi Feng activated Dark Violet Dance, using the 12-yard cone attack. Taking a step forward, Shi Feng instantly circled the Guardian Knights, and like a ferocious lion, he pounced on the other melee classes.

Before one of the Swordsman could even use Parry, Shi Feng's sword sent him flying. The Swordsman died in mid-flight, dropping a piece of equipment as his body disappeared.

To Shi Feng, these Swordsmen and Assassins' attempts to block him were meaningless. With a single Earth Splitter, more than ten players lost their lives. Shi Feng's attacks were all one-hit kills. With over one hundred points in Strength, he could snap a Common Weapon in half with his bare hands. As for the current Shi Feng, who held the Abyssal Blade and Silver Lake in each hand, a simple slash from either weapon could easily send the Assassins and Swordsmen flying and greatly damage their weapons. For some who reacted slower and failed to block Shi Feng's attacks, they died under a single slash. Not only did their defensive equipment's durability greatly decrease, but they also dropped a level and lost a piece of equipment.

However, this was all; there was still the cleaving effect. Before the players behind could make sense of things, they lost close to half of their total HP, and in the next moment, even that remaining half vanished. As a result, a group of players lay dead on the ground after meeting their inexplicable demise.

Within a short five seconds, Martial Union lost over a dozen elite members and several dozen average members. Shi Feng was like the god of death that caused people's hearts to shudder. Meanwhile, Unstable Devastation stood only several meters away from that frightening god of death. Shi Feng's chilling gaze landed on Unstable Devastation, the intent he radiated sent a chill down the surrounding Martial Union players' backs. Just looking into Shi Feng's cold eyes caused them to retreat backward inadvertently.

"Everyone, block him for me!"

Even when bombarded with so many spells and sieged on all sides by so many players, Shi Feng still walked forth, step after step, leaving behind a massacre as he advanced. It was the first time Unstable Devastation felt such a deep-seated fear. To Unstable Devastation, Shi Feng was no longer a player, but a devil. There was also the tangible killing intent that surrounded Shi Feng. Although Unstable Devastation knew that this was only a game, the realistic effects of virtual reality caused Unstable Devastation to forget that this was just a virtual world completely. He had even forgotten how many elites of Martial Union had died and how grave losses were to Martial Union.

The only thing Unstable Devastation knew was that he was in an extremely dangerous situation. If he did not escape immediately, only death awaited him.

Immediately, Unstable Devastation activated a Speed Scroll. He then turned and ran.

Shi Feng simply smiled at Unstable Devastation attempt to escape. With a single Wind Blade, his sword pierced towards Unstable Devastation's back.

Unstable Devastation spun around, firing an arrow from his bow in an attempt to hold Shi Feng back. However, he immediately discovered that Shi Feng was truly too frightening. Shi Feng's pitch-black Abyssal Blade easily split the arrow, and in the blink of an eye, Shi Feng arrived in front of him. A silver glow pierced his heart, and immediately after, another black glow slashed across his neck. Unable to stop his HP from madly decreasing, his HP reached zero in an instant.

Even until death, Unstable Devastation wore a stupefied expression. The others from Martial Union were similarly shocked as they witnessed this sight. Unstable Devastation was one of the big bosses of Martial Union. He was also a Level 9 Ranger. Yet, when facing Ye Feng, he had no power to retaliate at all. Just how strong was this Ye Feng?

Shi Feng noticed a Secret-Silver ranked longbow dropping after Unstable Devastation's death. He casually picked up the longbow and placed it in his bag. He then turned to look at the other members of Martial Union.

Although Shi Feng did not take any action, only sending them a glance, his might had already deeply engraved into their minds.

The members of Martial Union all halted their actions, inadvertently backing off. They all revealed fearful expressions as they looked at Shi Feng.

Why hadn't the town guards arrived yet?

This thought suddenly appeared in their minds. They felt that only the guards could protect them from Shi Feng's attacks.

However, from the moment Shi Feng began his assault to the moment Unstable Devastation died, only a brief eight or nine seconds had passed. Even if the town guards hurried over, they would need at least ten minutes before they arrived.

Faced with the members of Martial Union who dared not move, Shi Feng only swept a glance at them; he did not rush up and kill them. The Cooldown for most of his skills had almost finished. Although he could kill a sizable chunk of Martial Union if he continued his spree, he would run the risk of paying with his and his teammate's lives, and this was not an ending that he wished to see.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng's actions had caused plenty of the surrounding onlookers to become tongue-tied.

A single glance from Shi Feng was enough to petrify the hundreds of players from Martial Union. This power was just too frightening.

"Just who is this guy?"

"Is he a god-ranked expert?

The onlooking players were with both curious and shocked as they watched Shi Feng. He had single-handedly faced off against several hundred players and even managed to kill tens of players without receiving any damage. Even a god-ranked expert was not capable of such a feat.

After some time, the town guards finally arrived.

"The guards are here! We're saved!"

Seeing dozens of guards in silver heavy-armor rushing over, the members of Martial Union sighed in relief.

Chapter 169 - the most awesome red name

At this moment, thousands of players surrounded the fountain plaza of Red Leaf Town.

Due to the increase of new players in God's Domain, Red Leaf Town had become the most prosperous town among the few surrounding towns. The player count in Red Leaf Town was already close to 20,000. Hence, the scene of Martial Union suddenly chasing away all the players from the town's fountain plaza would naturally attract the attention of other players; curiosity would grow over the disturbance.

This wasn't limited to independent players; even the other large Guilds had sent players over to investigate what Martial Union was up to.

When all these players arrived, they discovered that Martial Union currently attempted to carry out a vendetta against an independent player. Moreover, they did so right in the middle of Red Leaf Town. However, Red Leaf Town possessed a protective mechanism for players. If they started a battle here, the town guards would definitely appear. Not only would they kill red players on the spot, but they would also jail them upon revival. No matter how one looked at it, killing someone in town was unwise. Both sides would only suffer losses.

At this stage of the game, no matter how many players one had on their side, they still would not dare provoke the town guards.

Every player clearly understood how powerful these guards were.

As these guards would normally patrol around the town, players could easily find one and observe their statistics.

The normal guards alone were Level 60, while the guard captain was a Level 80 Elite. It would not matter how many players went up against them; any who resisted would only meet their demise. To put it another way, the current players in God's Domain had no abilities whatsoever to retaliate against the town guards.

However, nobody would have imagined that someone would actually take action. Moreover, the one who took action was that independent player.

Originally, everyone thought that the independent player was fated to die.

In spite of that, the results exceeded everyone's expectations. One man alone had massacred the players from Martial Union, instilling a paralyzing fear. This feat was too heaven-defying!

Unfortunately, even if that independent player were powerful, he would still die at the hands of the town guards. Who told them to start a fight right in the middle of town?

The town guards that hurried over had surrounded the fountain plaza, detaining all of the players involved in causing this ruckus.

"Big Brother Ye Feng, I'm sorry! It's my fault for dragging you into this mess!" Fire Dance apologized as she walked over.

Shi Feng's character name had begun to turn black due to the high intensity of the red color. Just looking at it caused one to shudder. Including her past companions, Shi Feng had killed more than a hundred players during this battle. With this Crime Value, if Shi Feng died, he would lose at least seven Levels. Meanwhile, the town guards had them surrounded. The guards would kill all Red Players, leaving Shi Feng no chance to escape.

This was still not the most important point. After the guards killed him, Shi Feng would immediately revive in jail, and his Crime Value would determine the duration of his imprisonment. With Shi Feng's Crime Value, he would be locked up for around a week before he could clear away his Crime Value.

The players of Martial Union watched Shi Feng with ridiculing expressions. Although they, too would receive punishment, compared to Shi Feng, theirs would significantly pale in comparison.

"Relax," Shi Feng laughed.

Cola and the others had smiles on their faces. It was especially true for Violet Cloud. This was not the first time she had experienced such a situation. Martial Union had also caused the previous incident she encountered. She would have never imagined that history would repeat itself.

The reactions of Shi Feng's teammates confused Fire Dance and Water Buffalo.

Why, as teammates, were Cola and the others not worried for Shi Feng one little bit?

"Big Sister Fire Dance, you should relax. Our leader isn't an ordinary person," Violet Cloud giggled as she spoke.

The moment Violet Cloud finished speaking, a guard, donned with silvery-grey-colored heavy armor, walked up.

"Esteemed Lord Demon Hunter, we meet again. How may I be of service to you this time?" the guard captain was all smiles as he greeted Shi Feng respectfully.

Compared to the last meeting, Shi Feng's current reputation was much higher. Hence, the guard captain spoke to Shi Feng with even more respect.

Although Shi Feng and his teammates felt that the guard captain's actions were only natural, this scene shocked the other onlookers. It was especially true for the members of Martial Union; their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock. Shi Feng was clearly a devil of massacre, yet, instead of quickly killing him, the guard captain spoke to him with such regard? What was going on in this world?

"Isn't that person Ye Feng?"

"I remember him. Last time, he killed the members of Martial Union right in front of the guards. In the end, he got away with simply paying a small sum of money. I was dumbfounded at that time, but later on, I found out that if a player became a noble, they gain special privileges. Even if he killed players right in front of the guards, he would not receive any sort of punishment. At worst, he would have to pay a small compensation fee."

"How could Martial Union be so forgetful this time? They still dare to take action against Ye Feng inside of Red Leaf Town. Don't they know that Ye Feng is a noble of Red Leaf Town? How foolish could they get?"

"You might not know this, but the Martial Union in Red Leaf Town has already changed. The previous members have long since left the Guild, and Unstable Devastation is the new leader. Right now, the members of Martial Union are all players called in from other towns. A large majority of them also consist of newcomers, so they have no idea about this matter at all."

Some of the players aware of the previous incident simply shook their heads while laughing. They felt that Martial Union, as a Guild, was truly beyond salvation. At the very least, before they tried to deal with Ye Feng, they should have investigated and tried to understand more about him. Regardless of what others said, Ye Feng was one of the few players who managed to clear the Hell Mode of Dark Moon Graveyard.

Hearing the explanation from these knowledgeable players, the faces of everyone from Martial Union turned grim. Only now did they know why Shi Feng behaved so calmly. However, now that matters had reached this point, they could only glare at him, their gazes full of reluctance.

"Esteemed Lord Guard Captain, this isn't the first time these people from Martial Union have provoked me in town. I wonder if there is any way to prevent such incidents from happening in the future?" Shi Feng asked with a smile.

"Esteemed Lord Demon Hunter, since this Guild called Martial Union has a record of past offense, with My Lord's high status, you can employ your rights to chase this Guild out of Red Leaf Town. However, you will have to pay a fixed amount of reputation to utilize this right. What will My Lord decide?" the Guard Captain stated.

Originally, Shi Feng simply inquired. After all, without a definite degree of status, he could not employ such a right. However, he never imagined that a Demon Hunter would have such a high social status. Hence, he asked, "How much do I have to pay?"

"Since Martial Union does not possess any members of nobility in Red Leaf Town, My Lord only needs to pay 100 Red Leaf Town Reputation Points," the guard captain said.

"I understand." Shi Feng only had 130 Red Leaf Town Reputation Points right now. However, spending 100 points as a precautionary measure was nothing of significance. He had the Demon Hunter title in any case; he would be a noble wherever he went, and he did not lack such a small amount of Reputation Points. "I wish to employ this right."

System: You have used your special privileges; Reputation in Red Leaf Town reduced by 100 points. Red Leaf Town will deport all members of Martial Union.

"As you wish, Esteemed Lord Demon Hunter!"

Immediately, the guard captain gave out the deportation order to his subordinates. However, all members of Martial Union currently in the fountain plaza would first sit in jail for three hours before their removal from Red Leaf Town. As for the other members of Martial Union, the guards would immediately exercise them from Town, and any who resist would be immediately killed.

Simultaneously, all members of Martial Union within Red Leaf Town received the deportation notice. The notice stunned every one of them, and even Unstable Devastation, who just revived with a stomach full of anger, was dumbfounded.

He had already given up on his plan to develop Martial Union in five different towns, and after much difficulty, he only just managed to solidify Martial Union's foundation in Red Leaf Town. Just as he was about to welcome a bright future, that future shattered.

"How could this be? Just what happened?" Unstable Devastation's mental state was a mess right now. Everything had happened far too quickly for him to react.

He had wasted so much manpower, resources and a great amount of time, yet it all had gone to waste.

Just who was this Ye Feng?

Why did he possess such great authority? How could a Red Player have the authority to deport an entire Guild from a town?

For a time, countless questions darted through Unstable Devastation's mind. However, regardless of how hard he racked his brain, he could not think of any way to deal with this matter. He also could not change the fact that they were being deported. He could only watch as guards walked up to him, intending to chase him out of Red Leaf Town.

Everyone had sentimental attachments for their homeland. If they suddenly moved, within a short time, they could not adapt to the new location.

It was even more so for average players. They would not suddenly accept having to leave the location with which they were most familiar. Thus, they all promptly chose to leave Martial Union instead.

For a time, the member count of Martial Union frantically decreased. Only a few moments had passed since the deportation started, and the member count had already dropped below 500. The majority of the members who stayed mostly consisted of the members that Unstable Devastation had originally brought over from other towns. Hence, they did not choose to leave the Guild immediately. However, leaving for another town now would greatly impact their leveling speed. As a result, the Guild's development would stagnate for a long period.

The loss they incurred was simply immeasurable.

Watching the town guards deport the members of Martial Union, the onlooking players were at a loss; they were shocked into speechlessness.

Just what was happening here?

Could that Red Player be the new mayor of Red Leaf Town?

However, compared to Martial Union's exorcism, the members of other Guilds concerned themselves with another matter.

"Boss, I've discovered big news here. Look at the recording I just sent to you."

"Vice-Leader, I discovered another god-ranked expert."

"Big Bro, something big happened in Red Leaf Town. Someone in the fountain plaza has flipped over Martial Union's several hundred players by himself, and even the guards could do nothing against him."

The members of various large Guilds started contacting the upper echelons of their Guilds. They intended to report this unbelievable incident, letting the upper echelons determining their next move.

Originally, these upper echelons refused to believe the reports. However, after watching the irrefutable evidence, they were all greatly shocked.

Could a single player be so strong?

Shi Feng had killed a Level 9 Shield Warrior in a single hit. Moreover, they were very familiar with this Shield Warrior. He was Cold Mountain Fighting Spirit, the core MT of Martial Union's elite team, and he was fully geared with Mysterious-Iron Equipment. Yet, he still died from a single hit.

"Xuanzi, listen up. You must keep an eye on him. I'll hurry over there now. For such a god-ranked expert to actually be an independent player, we must recruit him. Remember, you absolutely cannot provoke him. If any problems occur, it'll all be on your head," Undefeated Wolf, the Vice-Leader of the third-rate Guild, Heaven's Crown, said sternly.

"Boss, rest assured; I'll keep an eye on him. I will not let him out of my sight."

At this moment, the upper echelons of the various large Guilds had made a similar decision: to recruit Shi Feng into their Guilds, no matter what it took. One could no longer use the normal standard to judge a great expert like Shi Feng. He was a tactical-ranked expert that could single-handedly decide the results of a team battle. If they could recruit him, be it Team Dungeons or fighting field Bosses, he would have a decisive role.

Chapter 170 - famous

After the guard captain respectfully left, Fire Dance finally understood why her new teammates were not concerned one bit for Shi Feng.

However, more questions tumbled through her mind now.

Just who was Shi Feng?

Standing by the side, Water Buffalo finally managed to shut his hanging jaw. There was a saying commonly used in virtual reality games; a team's achievements depended on their leader. Right now, even the guard captain treated Shi Feng with such respect. With a team leader like Shi Feng, just to what heights would he lead them?

In God's Domain, gaming experts like Shi Feng were definitely highly sought after characters. With a simple word from Shi Feng, countless large Guilds would be willing to offer a high price to recruit him into their Guilds; even first-rate Guilds were no exception. Water Buffalo never imagined that Shi Feng would form his own team instead. Meanwhile, the players who joined such a team would become the envy of others.

Previously, the main reason Water Buffalo willingly joined Shi Feng's team was his trust in Fire Dance. Meanwhile, Fire Dance was, more or less, an expert herself. As for Water Buffalo, he had his own hero's dream, and he only joined Fire Dance's team to learn various techniques from her.

Since the beginning, this was the first time Water Buffalo truly felt fortunate for being able to join Shi Feng's team.

However, it was not due to Shi Feng's terrifying Attack Power. Instead, it was because of the techniques Shi Feng displayed during battle. Be it dodging, angles to attack, timing, or a confident grasp of the surrounding terrain, Shi Feng was extremely precise with all of these aspects. Otherwise, Shi Feng could not have made fools out of Martial Union.

Moreover, Shi Feng was a righteous person. Regarding potential, Shi Feng stood at the apex of the virtual gaming world. If Water Buffalo could learn even a little from this new team leader of his, he would have no troubles with becoming a normal expert. If he followed Shi Feng's guidance, he might even set foot in the unreachable world of top-tier experts.

"Ugh... there's too many people here. Let's go to a restaurant with fewer people before we continue our discussion." Shi Feng surveyed his surroundings, discovering that there were over three or four hundred players staring fervently at him. This was not a suitable place to speak about his future plans.

Cola and the others nodded; they could no longer endure the countless stares either.

These gazes all belonged to independent players that wished to join their team. Among them, there were plenty who were Level 7 or Level 8. There were even quite a few wealthy players who offered tens of thousands of Credits in exchange for power-leveling, or in some cases, assistance with their quests.

There were also plenty of good-looking female players running up, asking to become friends. That aroused the envy of many male players. However, they were helpless in the face of Shi Feng's ferocity. Shi Feng was like a hero from ancient times. In this day and age, men who possessed powerful techniques were very attractive to beautiful women, not to mention a god-ranked expert like Shi Feng.

However, something more amazing occurred simultaneously. The various large Guilds in Red Leaf Town flooded Shi Feng with communication requests, wishing to chat with him; he rejected them all.

"Sister Fire Dance, you have to strive harder! This is a great chance for you right now. In the future, as leader's popularity grows larger and larger, who knows, there might be even more powerful beauties joining the team!" Water Buffalo nudged Fire Dance, laughing quietly.

"Scram! Who said that I wanted to become Big Brother Ye Feng's girl-girlfriend!" Fire Dance stuttered, a light blush suddenly appearing on her cheeks.

--------------------------

Atop a hill, outside Red Leaf Town, hundreds of Martial Union's members gathered. They could only observe Red Leaf Town from the hilltop, not daring to go near the town.

"Despicable! Despicable! That damnable Ye Feng! All my plans have been ruined now because of him!" Unstable Devastation coldly glared at Red Leaf Town, his heart burning with anger.

Previously, he had looked down upon Shi Feng. He merely thought of Shi Feng as a vagabond expert; how powerful could he be?

Only now did he realize the crux of the problem; Shi Feng was no ordinary expert. As proven, he was even capable of deporting their entire Guild. If Unstable Devastation had known of this matter earlier, he would not have taken such a foolish action.

_Ye Feng, you will only enjoy this glory for the moment. Very quickly, the footage that will ruin you will dominate the official forums. When that time arrives, everyone will condemn you. Although I can't kill you, it will be enough if I can annoy you to death. We'll see if you can establish your own team with your reputation in tatters. Without a team, a person's strength is limited. When we enter White River City, I'll deal with you slowly. I don't believe that you can deport Martial Union from White River City as well!_ Unstable Devastation laughed contemptuously. He then uploaded the footage he recorded to the official forums, and while doing so, he instructed his subordinates to hype things up. To save his own life, Shi Feng slaughtered his own companions. Sooner or later, Shi Feng's name would fall into ruin. Who would dare team up with such a person then?

--------------------------

Inside a restaurant in Red Leaf Town, Shi Feng finally managed to break away from all the pestering that had overwhelmed him. Nobody could disturb him inside a private room.

After spending more than ten minutes discussing and arranging the necessary tasks for Cola and the others, just as they were about to take action...

"Leader, as expected, that Unstable Devastation has retaliated. Right now, a video has appeared on the official forums. The post also stated that, in order to save your own life, you willingly killed your own companions; extremely despicable. There are also plenty of people slandering you below the post," Cola said.

Fire Dance and the others took a look at the post as well.

"God-ranked expert is a despicable little man! Proof available!"

Immediately, the team's expressions turned livid. They did not imagine that their former companions would behave so shamelessly. They actually stood up to accuse Shi Feng. They had clearly received Shi Feng's reward, yet, they worded it as if they had only attacked Martial Union because of their friendship with Shi Feng. After they realized their wrongdoings, when they tried to denounce Shi Feng, he killed them all. Such a treacherous little man did not deserve to be called an expert. However, as Shi Feng was too strong, and they were only a group of weaklings, they were powerless to seek justice; they could denounce Shi Feng online.

The proof lay in their previous leader, Fire Dance, joining Shi Feng's current team; it was irrefutable, solid proof that Shi Feng could not challenge.

Shi Feng was originally very famous throughout White River City. Not only did he clear the Hell Mode of a Team Dungeon, but he also enjoyed an indistinct relationship with the Snow Goddess, becoming the envy of others. Now that a scandal about him surfaced, in addition to the post being extremely one-sided, Shi Feng became everyone's target. All kinds of curses were written in response to the post. Some of Shi Feng's previous supporters also voiced their shock at Shi Feng's hideous behavior, exclaiming their bad judgment from before.

Instantly, this post became the most viewed topic in White River City. Its view count soared, far surpassing the post made during the war between Black Flame and Hammer Trading.

"Leader, let's start a counterattack right now!" Cola could no longer endure this travesty. Unstable Devastation was simply too despicable. He had failed to defeat Shi Feng in an upright battle; so, he retaliated from the shadows, slandering Shi Feng's reputation. Although Shi Feng did not suffer any substantial losses, he still needed to establish his own Guild in the future. Those players blinded by this matter would certainly not join a Guild with such a leader. How were they supposed to develop their Guild? How could they compete with those large Guilds?

"Hahaha! It is truly well said, with both proof and logic! I'm so touched; I'm tearing up!" Shi Feng could not help but laugh after seeing the post.

Shi Feng had seen such tactics countless times in his past life. Among them, Unstable Devastation had used such tactics more than a dozen times to deal a hit to his enemies. Shi Feng could not help but admit that the tactic was indeed effective. However, so what?

Unstable Devastation was the same as in the past. In the end, he could still not become the Guild Leader of Martial Union, and his strength in the later stages of the game was even weaker than Ironsword Lion by several stages.

In front of absolute strength, all minor tricks were pointless.

"Alright, everyone's dismissed. Go to the Silent Swamp and meet up with Blackie and Lonely Snow. Also, take these two Group Isolation Scrolls. Find a place inside of town to use these, then leave town and head for the Silent Swamp," Shi Feng took out two Tier 1 Group Isolation Magic Scrolls, handing them to Fire Dance and Cola.

The Group Isolation Scroll allowed players to enter Stealth mode and increased Movement Speed by 10%. It could only be used in a non-combative state, and it had a duration of half an hour. The Stealth effect would break when players entered combat. With this item, Cola and the others could easily meet up with Blackie while avoiding surveillance.

The group departed from the restaurant. Meanwhile, Shi Feng headed towards Red Leaf Town's Town Hall by himself.

"Unstable Devastation, I'll teach you, right now, that, no matter what tricks you have up your sleeves, in front of absolute strength, it is all meaningless," Shi Feng smiled as he closed the official forums. He then entered the tightly guarded Town Hall.

Chapter 171 - underworld guard

Red Leaf Town, Slums, The Enchanted Bar.

It was currently daytime in God's Domain. A majority of the players were all out in the fields, leveling up, so there were very few players currently in the bar.

However, there were currently over ten men geared with high-level equipment sitting in the corner of the bar. A murderous air surrounded these ten-plus men, and each of them possessed a sharp gaze similar to that of a poisonous snake, causing the hairs of others to stand on end. The presence of these men kept other players a respectful distance from them, chasing them from the bar, one after another. Hence, aside from the NPCs present, only these ten plus men remained within.

There was a man with thick eyebrows who sat at the outermost edge of these players. He was a former captain of Martial Union, Ironsword Lion. At this moment, Ironsword Lion did not wear the Guild emblem of Martial Union, signifying that he was no longer one of Martial Union's men.

"Ironsword, you've done well this time. It is only thanks to you that Unstable Devastation has done as I wished. Once we return, I'll give you credit for your efforts. As long as you continue working hard, sooner or later, you can be the same as Absolute Heaven, an outer member of Underworld," seated at the head of the table, South Wolf praised Ironsword Lion.

"Thank you, Lord South Wolf, for your support! I will definitely give my utmost to complete all tasks given by the organization!" Ironsword Lion respectfully said, his face filled with extreme excitement.

Ever since Absolute Heaven had recommended him to South Wolf, Ironsword Lion discovered that his previous self was a frog in a well. His past self did not truly know how deep the waters of God's Domain were. The interests involved in God's Domain were simply too big for him to comprehend. If it were not for him coming into contact with a mysterious organization like Underworld, he would not know about this huge secret at all.

Ironsword Lion was immediately stunned when he found out about this secret. He even thought that he had heard wrong. It took him more than ten minutes before he could accept this chilling secret. He celebrated the fact that he could gain the favor of Underworld, leaving behind the worthless Martial Union.

God's Domain was not a place in which unrated Guilds like Martial Union could play around. Even third-rate Guilds could be annihilated at any time. Only those second-rate Guilds or above, which possessed a strong background, could qualify to compete for authority in God's Domain. If Ironsword Lion could become an outer member of Underworld, he could live a carefree life in the future. At that time, having an annual salary would only be a small matter. The more important part of becoming an outer member of Underworld was the status and authority that came with the position. He would be on equal standings with those big shots of corporations in the city; this was something that he had always dreamt of becoming.

"Let's continue by discussing how to deal with Ye Feng. With Unstable Devastation slandering him right now, Ye Feng will, sooner or later, fall from fame. The next step is destroying the relationship he has with Gentle Snow; then, finally giving Ye Feng a fatal blow, we will make him disappear from God's Domain completely."

When South Wolf recalled Shi Feng's arrogant words, he could not help but narrow his eyes, a cold glint shining in them. He wished he could get rid of Shi Feng right this instant. However, Young Master Feng had already given him a command and had even sent a party of Underworld Guards to assist him. Hence, South Wolf could only vent his anger by slowly toying with Shi Feng.

At this moment, Absolute Heaven, silent all this time, suddenly opened his mouth, saying, "It would be very simple to break apart the relationship between Ye Feng and Gentle Snow. The problem is, how are we going to deal with Ye Feng? From the footage transmitted to us just now, I think that everyone has clearly seen how powerful he is. Even several hundred players could do nothing to Ye Feng. Who could block that frightening Attack Power of his? The last time I exchanged moves with him, I could withstand a few his blows. If I met him now, however, I probably wouldn't even have the chance to escape. As for a direct confrontation, he could most likely kill me in two to three moves."

"Dealing with Ye Feng right now? We'd only have a chance if we had ten or more top-tier experts to surround him. However, where can we find so many experts?"

"Naturally, I realize this. This is also the reason why we need to deal with Ye Feng. He possesses an Epic ranked item, so his strength is intense. However, you shouldn't downplay our strengths just because of this. He merely got rid of a group of trash like Martial Union. Although the Underworld Guards are not as capable as Ye Feng, we can do the same thing. The only thing we lack is Attack Power. Regarding pure technique, Underworld Guard is much stronger than Ye Feng."

"Moreover, Young Master Feng has specifically sent us a full party of Underworld Guards as assistance. With a party of Underworld Guards, even if Ye Feng has an Epic ranked item, he will still be helpless against them. So, you don't have to worry about this," South Wolf said, smirking.

"He is simply a small character that got lucky. If it weren't for Young Master Feng's command, I would be enough to deal with him. There would be no need for our entire party to take action" a Level 9 Assassin named Flying Rat said disdainfully as he toyed with his dagger. Flying Rat wore the Level 8 Mysterious-Iron Set Equipment, the Blood Dawn.

"That's enough, Flying Rat. That Ye Feng has some ability. Otherwise, Young Master Feng would not have told all of us to come here. South Wolf, contact us if you have any matters that you need us to deal with; the Underworld Guards aren't free all day. The higher-ups have already given us a command to reach Level 10 by tomorrow. Otherwise, they'll expel us from the Underworld Guards. So, we're off to level for now," Ming Sha, the party leader of this group of Underworld Guards, said.

Ming Sha had a large body, and he was a stern-looking man over forty years old. Killing intent radiated from his entire body, and even Absolute Heaven feared this man.

"That is only natural. How could I possibly waste Big Bro Ming Sha's valuable time?" South Wolf said respectfully.

Within the Underworld organization, the position of the Underworld Guards was relatively high up as they were the core strength of all of Underworld. Normally, Underworld Guards would only listen to the commands of the Guild Leader or elders. As for Young Master Feng, however, he was not even an elder in the organization. He could only mobilize the Underworld Guards due to his position in Underworld being slightly special. If it were any other person, the Underworld Guards would not pay them any attention.

-------------------------------

Elsewhere, Shi Feng had already walked into the town hall.

"Sir, how may I be of service to you today?" an elegant female worker walked up and asked Shi Feng.

"I wish to activate the permission to utilize the teleportation circle," Shi Feng said.

In God's Domain, only when a player reached Level 10 would they have the qualifications to come to the town hall and utilize the teleportation gates. After all, teleportation gates were extremely precious, and their maintenance required a lot of resources. Not just anybody could use them.

"I understand. Please follow me."

Following which, Shi Feng arrived at the front desk of the town hall. After dealing with all the necessary procedures, he obtained a new identity card. With it, he could freely utilize the teleportation gate. However, he would have to pay a fee each time he used it. Normally, when one teleported from a town to a city, the fees were 1 Silver Coin. Meanwhile, teleportation between cities was slightly more expensive, and the fees would change depending on the distance. Teleporting to one of the closest cities from White River City cost at least 20 Silver Coins. Meanwhile, teleporting to the capital city, Star-Moon City, from White River City, cost around 1 Gold Coin.

As a result, average players had no way to utilize these teleportation gates to travel between cities. Thus, average players would normally stay within the surroundings of their own cities to level up; they would not go to other cities to grind or do quests. Of course, they could run to other cities by foot as well. Only, they would need to spend at least a few days running to cross such a distance.

When Shi Feng arrived at the teleportation hall of Red Leaf Town, the place was void of players. There were only a few Level 100 Elite guards wandering about.

In actuality, Shi Feng did not originally intend to go to White River City so early. However, after the ruckus Unstable Devastation caused, his troubles had grown larger and larger. In order to develop his Guild in the future, he could only hasten his plans and take action now.

"Adventurer, you have to pay 1 Silver Coin to use the teleportation gate," the magician guarding the teleportation gate informed Shi Feng.

Shi Feng paid the fees without hesitation, walking up to the teleportation gate.

"Shua!" Shi Feng disappeared from the teleportation hall of Red Leaf Town.

At the same time, a notification rang out throughout the Star-Moon Kingdom.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Ye Feng for becoming the first player in Star-Moon Kingdom to arrive at a city! Rewarding 20 Reputation Points in White River City and the title of Honorary Citizen of White River City.

The appearance of this notice immediately sent trembles through all the players in the Star-Moon Kingdom.

Chapter 172 - shocking all sides

Currently, the players of Martial Union hurried towards Clear Water Town.

Clear Water Town was the nearest town to Red Leaf Town, and the player base there was around five to six thousand.

"Hahaha! Although we will incur a huge loss moving our base of operations, we can just start all over again. However, Ye Feng, your reputation is ruined! Everyone is denouncing you right now! I really want to see just how you are going to mingling in God's Domain, and who else will dare join your team now!" Unstable Devastation could not help but laugh as he read the forum post.

Originally, the others from Martial Union felt depressed over having to move to another town. However, after watching Shi Feng's fame fall into complete ruin, their moods greatly improved.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Ye Feng for becoming the first player in Star-Moon Kingdom to arrive at a city! Rewarding 20 Reputation Points in White River City and the title of Honorary Citizen of White River City.

"What is this?" Unstable Devastation immediately froze, shocked, after listening to this system announcement. Five to six seconds passed before he sobered up, and questions instantly filled his mind.

How did Shi Feng reach Level 10 so quickly? The EXP required to go from Level 9 to Level 10 was several times that of the EXP needed to go from Level 8 to Level 9. Even for the upper echelons of first-rate Guilds, the most heaven-defying were only at 70% or so of Level 9 right now. Yet, Shi Feng had already reached Level 10.

This also meant that Shi Feng had reached Level 10 before they had surrounded him. In regards to an independent player, such a leveling speed was simply unimaginable.

"Boss Unstable, not good! A new post about Ye Feng has appeared on the forums, and it is filled with all sorts of reverence and support for Ye Feng!"

Unstable Devastation hurriedly opened the official forums.

At this moment, the post his subordinate mentioned already owned the top position on the forum, with the title: The number one player in White River City! Instantly, the popularity of the post surpassed the post Unstable Devastation had previously submitted.

In this post, aside from Shi Feng's achievement of becoming the number one player in White River City, there were also plenty of other accomplishments mentioned.

There was even uploaded footage of Shi Feng massacring the hundreds of players of Martial Union. In the footage, Shi Feng had killed close to a hundred players by himself, while he had frightened the hundreds of Martial Union's players present. Shi Feng's domineering actions had caused many players to start worshipping him.

Although the footage only lasted a few short seconds, even after viewing it over a hundred times, one would still not tire of it. Shi Feng's lightning-speed dodging techniques and battle techniques were especially worth watching and learning.

Previously, there had been quite a few people writing harsh words about Shi Feng, stating that he edited the footage and that it was impossible that he could be so powerful. They also argued that Shi Feng was only a back-stabbing, traitorous bastard, that there should be a limit to how far he could go, even when severing relationships. These people warned others not fall for such tricks, claiming that people like Shi Feng did not deserve praise.

However, very quickly, people started standing up and speaking for Shi Feng. These people had all personally witnessed the entire incident, and knew more information than others. Moreover, videos recorded in God's Domain could not be photoshopped, as these videos were under the supervision of the Main God System. Thus, the law acknowledged both the videos recorded and contracts signed in God's Domain.

Immediately, those who slandered Shi Feng fell abruptly silent, as they knew that they would only become a joke if they continued mindlessly causing trouble.

Simultaneously, plenty of people who explained the truth of the matter came out of the woodwork.

"These idiots only scandalize others because they can't stand others living a better life. I'm a player of Red Leaf Town, and I witnessed the incident very clearly. Even Martial Union was helpless against Ye Feng; do you think he'll need that trash's help? Those losers were people who took the bounty Ye Feng offered, and they slandered Ye Feng simply because they were afraid of Martial Union taking revenge on them."

"I've also heard about it. Those people are the scum of society! To avoid Martial Union's retaliation, they were even willing to kill their own team leader! Meanwhile, Ye Feng killed all of them because he simply could not sit back and watch. Now, not only have these people not repented for their actions, but they also took the initiative to blame Ye Feng! They are simply too despicable!"

"Hahaha! Those people received a big slap to their faces! Ye Feng can frighten hundreds of players from Martial Union into a pause. Do you people really think that you are fit to become a god-ranked expert's companions? You even have the gall to say that you helped Ye Feng? Is your second-grade syndrome incurable?"

"You guys don't know how awesome Ye Feng is. Just a word from him, and right now, all of Martial Union is being removed from Red Leaf Town. You can't find a single player from Martial Union standing on the streets now! Ye Feng is just too awesome!"

"As expected of a god-ranked expert! When god slaps faces, all of those haters will have to dismiss themselves."

Unstable Devastation was immediately dumbfounded as he read the replies to the post. He had only managed to slander Shi Feng after great difficulties. Yet, in the end, without even saying a word, Shi Feng had recovered using a single system announcement. Not only did he solved the problem, but he had also increased his fame to greater heights.

\---

As for Fire Dance's companions, when they saw the system announcement and the forum post, their expressions turned extremely ugly; even their intestines turned green with regret.

They did not imagine that Shi Feng was actually so powerful. How great would it have been if, at that time, they had joined Shi Feng's team with Fire Dance? Instead, they were now scorned and verbally abused by others. Furthermore, they had lost another level due to their deaths at Shi Feng's hands. They could not even compare to average players anymore.

At that time, they only acted in such a way to avoid the retaliation of Martial Union. In the end, however, Martial Union was deported from Red Leaf Town, so they wouldn't be able to retaliate against them in the first place. Such an end left them feeling empty and lost. Just why had they chosen such a path?

\---

Meanwhile, it wasn't just Unstable Devastation who was shocked by this development. On Underworld's side, both South Wolf and the Underworld Guards were similarly stunned by this news. Wasn't this Ye Feng's leveling speed a little too fast?

South Wolf nearly spat blood in anger. Now that Shi Feng had entered the city, his previous detailed plan was useless; he needed to start from the very beginning again.

\---

When Gentle Snow, who was currently in a Level 10 monster area, discovered this news, she fell into deep thought for quite some time.

"I truly underestimated him. Although my level is already quite high, I still have to grind for five to six hours before I can reach Level 10. During these five to six hours, Ye Feng might very well widen the gap in our levels even further after entering White River City," Gentle Snow laughed bitterly.

Everyone knew that all virtual reality games shared a common point; the resources available were limited.

There were only so many leveling resources available in every region. Unquestionably, the more resources a person possessed, the greater their leveling and development speed would be.

As for the resources available in the city, without a doubt, the earlier one entered the city, the more resources one could obtain. There were plenty of high-level quests in a city. The existence of teleportation gates also enabled fast travel to leveling areas. Hence, by entering the city ahead of others, one could quickly monopolize the best areas for leveling up. In the city, the tools and items sold were also limited. These items would be of great help to a team's speedy development.

This gap of five to six hours would allow Shi Feng to do plenty of things in the city.

"By the time we reach White River City, most likely, we would have to discuss matters of cooperation with him once again," Gentle Snow revealed a helpless smile.

\---

In actuality, Gentle Snow wasn't the only person who intended to discuss matters of cooperation with Shi Feng. The various large Guilds around White River City also tried desperately to contact Shi Feng. They all wished to recruit Shi Feng into their command.

As for the Guilds outside of White River City, they all developed a curiosity towards Shi Feng. An independent player was actually the first player to reach Level 10; it was an incredible feat. If Shi Feng were some great character from a large Guild, they might not have thought much about this matter. However, this was not the case.

The upper echelons of the various Guilds all had a group of elite players aiding them with grinding monsters. Thus, their leveling efficiency was much higher than other players. However, against all odds, the first person to enter a city was an independent player. How could this not shock them?

At the same time, Shi Feng's entrance into White River City had rung alarm bells to the many Guilds out there. Someone had already started their development in a city. If they continued dragging their feet, this would become a big threat to their futures.

To increase their leveling speed, they all focused on crafting Whetstones. They purchased Hard Stones in bulks, inflating the cost of Hard Stones once more.

However, all these large Guilds were unaware that their actions were precisely as Shi Feng had planned.

\---

White River City, one of the five major cities in Star Moon Kingdom.

From afar, one could see towering buildings erected throughout the city. It was a sight no town could ever hope to compare with. Just the number of NPCs residing within the city exceeded 100,000. Moreover, the city could hold over two million players within its walls. It was a sight that many Guilds would fight to possess.

At this time, Shi Feng walked down the main street of White River City. Before he had arrived in White River City, Shi Feng had wiped clean his name using the Demon Mask, so he was not afraid of the city guards. In any case, he was a globally recognized noble. Even if he entered White River City with a red name, he would not face any major challenges. Only, there were some NPCs unwilling to deal with red players, preventing Shi Feng from accepting any high-level quests. So, he chose to clear up his name.

"Let's have a look at the city hall for now." Shi Feng revealed a faint smile. He took out the recommendation letter that he received from Blackbeard, the mayor of Stonehammer Town. This letter was one of the items he would use as capital to rise in White River City.

Chapter 173 - magistrate Weissman

White River City was the fifth most populated city in Star-Moon Kingdom. Although it was incredibly small compared to Blackwing City, if one wanted to explore the entire city fully, one would need at least several days.

The teleportation hall of White River City was located on the south-west side of the city. It was relatively close to the city's entrance. Meanwhile, the city hall was situated right in the heart of the city, by the White River Plaza in the Trade Area.

White River City was considered a city because its administration was far more strict than a town's. At the same time, it was also much active. Being the focal point of several hundred towns, there were many more merchants here. On either side of the main street, one could easily find various item shops, bars, restaurants, fruit stores, clothing stores, leather clothing stores, armor stores, magic stores, alchemy workshops, smithies, and much more.

In the city, players were not allowed to set up their own stalls. If they wished to sell their items, they needed to purchase a shop. However, it was extremely expensive to purchase a personal shop in the city; ordinary players could not afford a shop by themselves. Not just any player could purchase a shop either. Players needed a set amount of reputation points before they were able to do so, and the locations of the shops they could buy depended on their status.

However, this didn't mean that players had no chances of selling their items at all.

The first method players could employ, other than purchasing their own shops, was the Auction House. The Auction House of White River City was extremely prosperous as it connected to the closest eight cities with lower populations. As long as players placed put their items up for auction, players from the other eight cities could access them. However, the Auction House charged an extraordinary fee for their services. The registration fees depended on an item's selling price and the duration the owner wished to auction for. There was also an 8% auction fee after the item sold.

If players sold an item in the Auction House, overall, they would have to pay 15% of the item's value in fees. It was not worthwhile in the least. Items sold in a city's Auction House were extremely expensive. Some of the minor items were not even worth auctioning.

As for the second method, there would be a large-scale market once every three days in the plaza of White River City. Players only need pay a small fee, and they could set up their own stalls to sell their items. This method suited independent players extremely well. The only unfortunate aspect was that the market only occurred once every three days. Moreover, the market began at night and only lasted for ten hours.

For players uninterested in grinding and adventure, yet still desiring development within God's Domain, opening their own shops in a city was of the utmost importance. Only with a shop could players conduct business 48 hours in a day. Moreover, along with the development of God's Domain, the money one could earn from opening a shop in White River City could rival the earnings of opening a shop in real life.

In Shi Feng's previous life, there were plenty of players who were unimpressed by grinding monsters and leveling. Instead, these players spent all their efforts to purchase a shop. Although the locations of their shops were very secluded, the amount of money they earned was enough to cover their living expenses in real life with a lot to spare as well.

Shi Feng rode a horse carriage towards the city hall.

Compared to the town hall in Red Leaf Town, the city hall in White River City was a much more spectacular sight. The building had a total of ten floors, and the area it covered was about the size of a football field. At the entrance of the building, there were more than twenty garrison knights standing guard. These guards were all Level 150 Elites. The garrison captain was a Level 160 Tier 2 Knight; with his strength, he could easily decimate an entire town.

Moreover, for a large city like White River City, there would be two to three Tier 4 class NPCs on guard. Powerful monsters and dark powers dared not come near it.

Immediately after Shi Feng stepped into the city hall, an elegant beauty walked towards him.

"Esteemed Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" the beautiful employee blinked her doll-like eyes as she asked.

"I wish to see the Magistrate, Lord Weissman. I have with me Blackbeard's letter of introduction," Shi Feng said, displaying his Demon Hunter title.

Commoners had no right to meet the Magistrate of White River City, Weissman, as one needed sufficient status to do so. After all, a magistrate was equivalent of a mayor, and Magistrate Weissman controlled all military and political power in White River City. If one wished to speak with him, at the barest minimum, one needed to be a noble of White River City. However, Shi Feng's reputation in White River City was far from a noble. He could only reveal his identity as a Demon Hunter.

"So it is Lord Demon Hunter. Magistrate Weissman is currently occupied with public affairs. My Lord will have to wait for some time before he becomes available. If you are not in a hurry, you can wait in the lounge, and I will notify Lord Weissman of your arrival," the beautiful employee showed respect upon seeing Shi Feng's title. A noble was not an existence commoners like her could afford to provoke, even if she worked for the kingdom.

"Yes, please notify him for me," Shi Feng nodded. He then wandered towards the city hall's lounge.

Sitting in the empty lounge with nothing better to do, Shi Feng switched his system communications back on.

Di! Di! Di!

Previously, to avoid interruption, Shi Feng had intentionally switched off the system communication function; nobody could contact him that way. However, the moment he switched it back on, he discovered hundreds of communication requests pending his approval. Shi Feng was familiar with many of these players. A majority of them were the upper echelons of large Guilds situated in White River City. Some were even the Vice-Leaders or elders of Guilds.

Of course, Stabbing Heart and Gentle Snow were no exception to this list. After all, the advantage of entering White River City ahead of others was far too impressive to ignore. Before entering White River City, information such as the best leveling grounds and the best locations to farm resources were a big mystery to everyone. Without entering the city, one could not obtain any information about the quests available in the city and the city laws imposed on players.

To a Guild, obtaining such information before others was a great boon. They could occupy the best leveling spots and obtain high-level quests a step ahead of others. They could purchase daily and weekly limited items and gather herbs, ores, and such resources ahead of others. Guilds were most eager for this information as it would enable them to rise ahead of their competitors.

Especially now as these Guilds neared level ten and the ability to enter White River City. If they could obtain this information beforehand, they could adapt to the new environment quickly and confidently go out to grind and gather resources. They would not need to waste time collecting this information. They could also use the time saved to pull ahead of the other Guilds developing in other cities.

With so many benefits, these Guilds would not Shi Feng slip through their grasps. They would find a way to contact him. Unfortunately, the results of their efforts simply dumbfounded all of them. They did not think that Shi Feng would shut down all forms of communications, leaving them with no way to contact him at all.

The only choice they had left was to leave Shi Feng messages. As a result, thousands of messages filled Shi Feng's mailbox. If he read all of them, he would need to spend at least four to five hours.

However, since Shi Feng had nothing better to do right now, he looked at the messages sent by Guilds worth contacting. After all, he was an independent player. If he did not sell even any information, he would only gain enemies. With his current strength and influence, he would only end up in tragedy by doing so. So, he would choose a few to do business with. Naturally, Stabbing Heart and Gentle Snow were on his list of business partners. Shi Feng was already friends with them no matter how he looked at it. He would sell them information at a reduced price. However, it was a different story for the other Guilds.

Shi Feng also had to consider what information he would sell. After all, he knew White River City like his own backyard. However, there was no way he could sell all the information he knew. He needed to consider what information he could sell. This information should greatly interest these Guilds. He could charge a high price while not giving these Guilds too much advantage and hindering to his own future.

Shi Feng was gaining a migraine over this decision.

Chapter 174 - Blacksteel's contract

Shortly after Shi Feng entered White River City, all the players within White River City region entered a crazed state. The various large Guilds behaved in the same way. They all began forming teams to grind and level up, intending to enter White River City as soon as possible.

However, the higher level the monster areas they grinded in were, the more problems they encountered. Not mentioning the fact that more players explored the high-level areas, nor the matter of the Guilds competing and battling with each other, just the simple matter of weapon and equipment durability was already a huge headache to these various large Guilds.

"Have they still not sent the Whetstones, yet? The entire team's weapon durability is almost at its limit," Stabbing Heart said in the team chat.

"They just informed me that the forgers have just finished a new batch and are sending it our way," a Ranger replied.

"How many are they sending?" Stabbing Heart asked.

"Five stacks, a total of 100 Whetstones," the Ranger said in a soft and troubled tone.

"Why are there only 100? Didn't we buy over 500 Hard Stones?" Stabbing Heart's expression sunk, turning extremely ugly to behold. There were over 60 players in their elite team, and they all were currently grinding in a Level 10 monster area. Each Whetstone could recover 3 to 7 durability points on a weapon, and 100 Whetstones would only last them around an hour or so.

"They've already used all 500. We are trying to purchase them in bulk, but we simply can't find any. Many players are just paying forgers to turn their Hard Stones into Whetstones. We've already sent out many of our newcomers to grind for Hard Stones in Dark Moon Valley. However, ever since God's Domain's upgrade, the drop-rate of Hard Stones has decreased."

"Moreover, the ten plus forgers we've nurtured are only Basic Forging Apprentices right now; they have a very low success rate for making Whetstones. The success rate would be higher if they were Intermediate Forging Apprentices; we wouldn't have to waste so many Hard Stones. However, the increase in proficiency in forging is just too slow. Right now, they don't have enough proficiency points to become an Intermediate Forging Apprentices at the moment."

The Ranger's face turned awkward as he explained. Nurturing forgers and potionmakers had been very important to their Guild for some time. However, where would they find enough money and resources to invest in them? Until now, these lifestyle players had not supplied any advantages to the Guild.

"Hah..." Stabbing Heart let out a deep sigh. He grew worried as he listened to his subordinate's report.

Only now did he truly realize the importance of forgers. Although their Guild had started nurturing forgers from an early period, collecting plenty of resources and investing a great amount of money into their development, they never thought that it would be so hard to raise a forger. If the Guild had an Intermediate Forging Apprentice right now, they wouldn't have been so desperate for Whetstones.

"I understand. Tell the elite team members to use them sparingly, then. Try to reduce the contact their weapons have with monsters; that way, they can slow down the damage to their weapons. Also, tell the outer members to put more effort into gathering Hard Stones," Stabbing Heart said helplessly.

The lack of Whetstones had left a second-rate apex Guild like the Assassin's Alliance in such a poor state. Of course, this wasn't due to them not having money, but simply because they could not buy any Hard Stones, not to mention Whetstones. Even if a stack of Whetstones sold for 10 Silver Coins at the moment, Stabbing Heart would not hesitate to purchase it. Unfortunately, there were none to be found on the market.

The Assassin's Alliance wasn't the only Guild faced with such a predicament. All the Guilds throughout the Star-Moon Kingdom currently held an intense desire for Whetstones. Only, they were not as tense as the Guilds situated within the White River City region. Speaking of which, the Guilds in the White River City region were currently in a desperate situation. The durability of their weapons fell too quickly, so they could not battle for long periods. However, without weapons, how could they battle at all? Even though they had such a large-sized Guild, there were only a scarce few forgers that could create Whetstones.

An average Guild based in a town would normally have an elite team of around 30 players grinding in high-level monster areas. As for the third-rate Guilds in the White River City region, they had elite teams of around 500 to 600 players, while second-rate Guilds had over 1,000, and first-rate Guilds had over 3,000 to 4,000 players. Of course, there were still the independent players. Right now, the demand for Whetstones throughout the White River City region was intimidating.

However, due to all of these Guilds desperately grinding towards Level 10, the price of Hard Stones soared once again. Each stack of Hard Stones sold of 1 Silver 20 Coppers right now. Yet, even with such a high price, the many Guilds in the White River City region still failed to purchase any...

\---

White River City, City Hall.

Unknowingly, more than half an hour had passed since Shi Feng began his wait.

During this half hour or so, Shi Feng managed to tidy up all the information regarding White River City. To the Guilds in the White River City region that did not know anything, this information was gold.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng had organized this information into two versions. One was the simplified version; the other was the luxury version. After players read the simplified version, they would only have a rough understanding of White River City. For example, they would know that White River City held a large-scale market once every three days. However, the simplified version would not touch on the topic of resource distribution. On the other hand, the luxury version would give a rough introduction to it. It would tell the owner which locations were suited to certain classes for leveling, and which locations would have the most of a particular resource and more such information. This was the information large Guilds needed the most.

Originally, Shi Feng intended to sell this information to these Guilds personally, converting it into Gold Coins. However, it was simply too troublesome to carry out these tasks. Moreover, Shi Feng did not lack Gold Coins right now, but Credits. After some careful consideration, Shi Feng finally decided to sell the information through the official forums. He would conduct the trade in Credits. The simplified version would target the independent players, while the luxury version would target the Guilds.

Shi Feng sold the simplified version for 300 Credits. If players possessed the simplified version, it would be the equivalent of purchasing a guidebook of the city. At the very least, players would not be at a complete loss after entering the city, not knowing a single thing.

As for the luxury version, Shi Feng sold it for 20,000 Credits. Although these Guilds would, sooner or later, discover the information themselves, they would need to waste a lot of time to do so. According to Shi Feng's estimates, at the very least, they would need to spend two to three days' time investigating. Moreover, the information they obtained by themselves would not be as accurate as Shi Feng's. Two to three days' time was incomparably precious to a Guild, so they would not pay any heed to wasting 20,000 Credits.

"Lord Demon Hunter, Magistrate Weissman waits for you in the parlor. Please, follow me," the beautiful employee suddenly returned to Shi Feng's side, softly saying.

"Alright, lead the way."

Shi Feng stood and nodded. He followed the female employee up to the parlor on the building's second floor.

When he stepped into the spacious and elegant-looking parlor, the person waiting for him wore a silvery-grey-colored robe. The well-dressed man was in his fifties, and he held a staff with a deep-blue-colored gemstone embedded in it. The man currently sat by the windowside, gazing at the scenery outside the window in silence.

This man was the Magistrate of White River City, Weissman. He was also a Tier 4 Wizard, and he was a Level 200 NPC. Without question, he was one of the strongest individuals currently in White River City. Even though Weissman stood there in silence, Shi Feng could clearly feel the elemental mana in the room frantically gathering around Weissman, forming a weak magical domain that pressured others.

However, this was merely an unconscious action of Weissman's. It went to show just how frightening a Tier 4 powerhouse was. If Weissman employed his magical domain, he could instantly turn Shi Feng into a pile of ash.

Although Weissman only appeared to be a man in his fifties, his true age was well over 100-years-old. He was, without a doubt, an old monster.

"Young man, I hear you have a recommendation letter from Blackbeard?" Weissman asked, smiling at Shi Feng.

Although the Demon Hunter title held sway over normal NPCs, to a powerhouse like Weissman, it was nothing worthy of mention. Weissman's identity as a Tier 4 class far exceeded the status of a Demon Hunter.

"That's right. Mayor Blackbeard wanted me to pass this to you," Shi Feng took out the recommendation letter, handing it over to Weissman.

After Weissman received the letter, he did not immediately open it. He simply let out a deep sigh as he looked at Shi Feng, saying, "That which should have come has finally arrived. I've waited for this letter for thirty years. Only, I never imagined a young man like you would bring it to me. I guess it is now time for me to fulfil the contract made so long ago."

Chapter 175 - demon heart

"Contract?" Shi Feng silently murmured, confused.

From the information he collected in his previous life, there was no mention of a contract. That fortunate player had not revealed this information, so naturally, Shi Feng had no idea. However, since that fortunate player managed to complete the quest, Shi Feng did not believe that he could not complete it himself. After all, he was much stronger than that fortunate player in his previous life, so there was no reason why he couldn't do it as well.

As long as he completed this quest, he would have the capital to establish himself in White River City.

As for what that capital was...?

Was there even a need to mention it?

To any players new to White River City, there was nothing better than to own their own real estate. Moreover, this real estate wasn't ordinary; it was one of the noble's mansions, located in the heart of the Trade Area. Only with a mansion could one establish a Guild Residence.

A Guild Residence was extremely important to a Guild. It was a Guild's most important benefit, second to none.

Every Guild Residence acted as private territory. The greatest benefits it provided were an increase in leveling speed and unique Resident Quests. As long as a Guild possessed a Residence, all members that rested within could gain a Double EXP buff. With this buff, whether grinding or questing, players could obtain double the original EXP.

However, players needed to rest in the Guild Residence for a certain amount of time to gain the Double EXP buff. Normally, resting for 48 hours would grant a player 20% Double EXP, and players could gain up to an entire level's worth of Double EXP. To Guild members tired from battle, this feature was fatally tempting.

There were also the special Resident Quests only available in the Guild Residence. The local NPCs commissioned these quests, and there would be some available every day. Moreover, the rewards for these quests were quite bountiful. There were even times that a quest would reward a Dark-Gold ranked item. When these Resident Quests were completed, the Guild would also receive Guild Reputation and Guild funds, as 20% of the remuneration for these Resident Quests would belong to the Guild. However, even though the Guild members only received 80% of the reward money, it was still a great deal more than the reward money of the majority of high-level quests.

Aside from all that, a Guild Residence had many more functions. Thus, a Guild Residence was the core of a Guild.

Unfortunately, it was extremely hard for Guilds to obtain their own Residence. First-rate Guilds could usually not obtain a Residence until more than a month had passed since God's Domain's release, not to mention the second-rate and third-rate Guilds. Even after four months, there would still be plenty of third-rate Guilds without Guild Residences.

In Shi Feng's previous life, Shadow only managed to obtain its first Guild Residence after seven months in God's Domain. By that time, a majority of the players were already around Level 50 or so. After much difficulty, Shadow only secured a Guild Residence in a relatively isolated city with only a population base of 200,000 to 300,000. From that moment onwards, Shadow had finally begun walking the path of a rated Guild.

In God's Domain, a Guild would only be officially recognized when they possessed a Guild Residence. Also, the speed at which they procured a Residence displayed the Guild's strength.

Shi Feng's goal was to attain his own Guild Residence fifteen days after he entered White River City, and Blackbeard's recommendation letter was the fastest way to achieve that goal.

"Right, however..." Weissman measured up Shi Feng in detail, shaking his head, saying, "Young man, you are still too weak right now. I'm afraid that you cannot fulfill this contract. Although I don't understand why Blackbeard places such trust in you, it is still too early for you right now."

"Lord Weissman, I believe that I am competent enough to complete this quest," Shi Feng spoke with determination.

Weissman couldn't help but smile. "Young people are so confident. However, they will realise  their ignorance when they meet true trouble." He immediately replied, "Young man, how about we make an accord?"

"If you can pass the test I give you, I'll agree to your request. I will even aid you in completing Blackbeard's contract. If you fail, however, then please, only return after you have officially become a Swordsman. How about it?"

Shi Feng lowered his head in silent contemplation. Based on what he could recall from his past life, that fortunate player also received his private territory when he was only around Level 10. Meanwhile, Weissman insisted that Shi Feng only return after officially becoming a Swordsman.

At the beginning of the game, players did not actually start out with official classes; they were merely class apprentices. If they wished to receive an official class, a Tier 1 class, they needed to reach Level 20. Players would then need to apply for a class examination at the Class Association. Only when players passed the test would they officially be a Tier 1 class. In Shi Feng's case, after he passed the class examination, he would officially become a Swordsman. At that time, not only would his Attributes greatly increase, but he could also learn skills that catered to Tier 1 Swordsmen. He would also receive an official Swordsman's emblem.

If even that Level 10 fortunate player could clear the quest, Shi Feng did not believe that he couldn't. After all, he was already Level 13; he hadn't just reached Level 10. Moreover, the equipment he wore was extremely good quality, so there was no reason for him to fail the quest.

"Lord Weissman, I accept your test," Shi Feng nodded his head in affirmation.

"My requirement is very simple. Bring me a Demon's Heart. In the Cursed Land, there is a demon's castle. Originally, it was the residence of a lord. However, after being tempted by a demon, that lord became a demon himself, reborn as the Dark Knight Gaia. He then cursed the land he ruled over, turning all of its people into demonkin. I need you to retrieve Gaia's heart to dispel this curse. I wonder if you would be willing to go to that cursed castle and kill Dark Knight Gaia, fetching his heart for me?" Weissman asked, his tone stern.

"The Demon's Castle in the Cursed Land?" Shi Feng could not help his shock.

That was where the apex 20-man Team Dungeon for levels 10 to 15 was. In the past, there had been countless Guilds who experienced team-wipe after team-wipe raiding the Demon's Castle. They had all died at the hands of Dark Knight Gaia.

"That's right. If you can't accomplish even this task, I can only advise you to give up on the contract," Weissman persuaded.

"Is there a time limit?" Shi Feng asked.

"None. It will be fine even if you complete the task after you've been promoted to an official Swordsman," Weissman smiled.

"Alright, then. I accept this agreement," Shi Feng released a breath. Most of the players in God's Domain had yet to reach Level 10. If there were a short time limit, he could not complete this quest at all. If there were no time limit, however, then there would not be any huge problems.

Shi Feng finally understood how that fortunate player completed this quest.

At that time, a large majority of the players had already reached Level 20 or so. The elite team of a third-rate Guild could easily raid and conquer the Demon's Castle, obtaining the Demon's Heart. However, to the current Guilds in God's Domain, it was an impossible task.

At the very least, a team of twenty players was necessary to raid the Demon's Castle. Moreover, their levels needed to be around Level 12 or Level 13, and they needed to possess adequate equipment. Otherwise, raiding the Demon's Castle was only a pipe dream.

"It seems that I need to hurry up and establish a team." Shi Feng now had an approximate goal in his heart. The Fellowship Party being held in a few days time was an especially a good place for Shi Feng to recruit new members. If he had sufficient capital, he might be able to establish a powerful team. At that time, conquering the Demon's Castle would be much easier.

Watching Shi Feng leave, Weissman suddenly thought of something. He called at Shi Feng, saying, "Young man, wait a moment! I still have something very important to tell you."

Chapter 176 - blazing meteor

Shi Feng could not help but wonder when he was suddenly called.

After all, Weissman was a Tier 4 Wizard and the tyrant of White River City. Any item he gave would have unlimited uses to Shi Feng.

"Regardless of the circumstances, my good friend still sent you. Take this item and this letter; hand them over to Master Seliora. It may be of some help to you," Weissman took out a flame-red-colored crystal and a letter, handing them to Shi Feng.

"Lord Weissman, thank you for your help. I will complete this agreement as soon as possible," Shi Feng said gratefully.

System: Unique Quest "Demon's Heart" accepted.

Quest details: Go to the Demon's Castle and obtain the Demon's Heart for Weissman.

Quest rewards: Unknown.

System: Hidden Quest "Search for Seliora" accepted.

Quest details: Look for Seliora in White River City and pass her the items that Weissman has given you.

Quest rewards: Unknown.

Instantly, Shi Feng received two precious quests. They were both more amazing than any high-level quests, especially the Unique Quest. As long as Shi Feng completed it, he could earn shocking rewards.

Since he had received the quests, Shi Feng would not continue to waste his time here. He departed from the city hall immediately, summoning a horse carriage and dashing towards the Free Zone of White River City.

The person Weissman wanted him to look for, Seliora, was a Master Forger. In White River City, very few players would know of Seliora's fame. However, that did not mean that Seliora was not amazing. On the contrary, Seliora was known as a genius in the forging world. Seliora had become a Master Forger at a very young age, and she was only a step away from becoming a Grandmaster Forger. However, Seliora preferred to maintain a low profile, so not many people were aware of her existence.

Shi Feng was one of the scant few players who knew about Seliora. Moreover, Shi Feng even knew where Seliora lived.

The Hidden Quest Weissman gave might have troubled other players, but it was no trouble to Shi Feng at all.

As for the Unique Quest 'Demon's Heart,' Shi Feng could only leave it alone for now. He also still had the Epic Quest 'Darkness Descends.' Although Sharlyn was also in White River City, Shi Feng was too poor right now; he could not afford the information fee of 10 Gold Coins. So, he could only leave it alone for now as well.

Moreover, when compared to the 'Demon's Heart' quest, an Epic Quest was most likely much harder to complete.

Even if Shi Feng had the clue to complete the Epic Quest, he would still be powerless to complete it. So, he might as well set it aside for now. In any case, he had 30 days to complete it, and the time limit was still far away. It would not be too late for him to accomplish the quest after he further raised his strength.

Twenty-something minutes later, Shi Feng finally arrived a very small smithy located within the Free Zone; the wooden door to this smithy was still closed. If outsiders saw this, they would think that the smithy was either closed to the public or no longer in operation. So, naturally, nobody would visit this place.

After paying the 60 Copper carriage fee, Shi Feng walked towards the humble-looking smithy, knocking on the door gently.

However, even after a long time, Shi Feng did not receive an answer.

"Hello, Master Seliora. I was sent here by Lord Weissman. I have with me a letter for you from the Magistrate."

If Shi Feng barged into the smithy, even after having knocked for a long while without an answer and possessing the status of a noble, the guards would apprehend him and lock him up in jail for a good while. Hence, Shi Feng could only use a big character like Weissman to lure Seliora out. That way, Seliora would not continue feigning ignorance.

After some time, there was finally some movement in the house.

"Kachik."  The thick wooden door opened, and a great beauty dressed in a black leather shirt stepped out. Below the large V-shaped collar, her ample bosom revealed itself. The beauty wore a pair of extremely short leather pants, revealing her long and slender legs. Her skin was a healthy wheat-color, and her dark hair cascaded down to her fine and delicate waist. Her entire body gave off a wild charm.

The woman before him was indeed the Master Forger, Seliora.

If Blackie could see this sight before Shi Feng right now, he would whistle his praise, his drool puddling on the ground. For Shi Feng, however, he had long since grown accustomed to such a sight.

Seliora was the black rose of the forging world, and she was one of the rare few beauties who worked as a forger. After all, most forgers were muscular barbarians, unlike Seliora who was a young beauty, both sexy and attractive.

"I'm very busy. Pass me the thing and leave," Seliora spoke impatiently, glancing at Shi Feng.

Hearing Seliora speaking in such a way, Shi Feng felt extremely familiar with these words. He felt as if he had heard of them before from somewhere.

After giving it some thought, Shi Feng suddenly recalled something. Wasn't he usually fond of using these words?

"This is the letter that Lord Weissman wanted me to give you," Shi Feng took out the letter, passing it to Seliora.

Seliora received the letter. Not sparing the letter a single glance, she arbitrarily said, "You can return now."

Seliora started shutting the wooden door.

Shi Feng was immediately left speechless, even though he had long since known of Seliora's personality. He couldn't help but admit that any sort of master would have their own strange personality; Seliora was no exception.

However, Shi Feng had made Seliora submit in his previous life, so there was no reason he could not do so now.

Moreover, he seemed to have learned his catchphrase, "I'm busy,' from Seliora.

"I'll leave, then," Shi Feng took out the flame-red colored crystal given to him by Weissman as he said so. He toyed with the crystal as he turned to leave.

The flame-red crystal gave off a dazzling red-colored glow. Just by taking it out, the fire-type mana in the surrounding area started crazily gathering around the crystal. The flame-red glow increased its brilliance, attracting the attention of all onlookers.

"Wait!" Seliora suddenly called out to Shi Feng.

"Master Seliora, do you still have some other matter?" Shi Feng turned, a faint smile on his face as he asked.

At this moment, Seliora's large eyes were already glued onto the flame-red crystal in Shi Feng's hand. She was like an enamored little kitten, and her eyes followed the flame-red crystal's movement in Shi Feng's hand, going up and down with great interest.

Although Seliora's personality was somewhat strange, she too faced a common problem that all forgers faced, the desire of rare forging materials.

There was not a single forger out there who did not wish to create an item, famed throughout the entire continent, in their lifetime.

Meanwhile, the prerequisite to create such an item was incomparably precious materials. Take the Abyssal Blade in Shi Feng's hands for example. In order for its fame to spread throughout the continent, the famous smith, Olysses, used the Black Dragon King's fang as its core forging material.

What was the Black Dragon King?

That was the king among dragons, which represented destruction. It was a frightening creature that was the closest being to a God. Just the breath it spat out could destroy a city with millions of inhabitants. It was a frightening existence that could single-handedly destroy an entire kingdom.

Meanwhile, to create the Abyssal Blade, the most precious fang of that frightening existence's body was necessary. In the end, after the Abyssal Blade's creation, it became one of the thirty-six famed swords in God's Domain. The Abyssal Blade's existence shook all of God's Domain, and even after thousands of years, its might was still boundless.

"Can you sell me that item?" Seliora asked, her face filled with desire, her tone making a complete transformation.

Shi Feng shook his head, saying, "I am truly sorry, Master Seliora, but Lord Weissman originally wanted me to bring this item to you to forge an item for me. However, seeing as you are busy, I would feel bad to continue disturbing you. So, I intend to look for Master Praust and see if he will make the item that I want."

"What? You are actually going to take this precious material to that old bastard, Praust? Do you know how wasteful you are being? If you want to forge an item, I can help you. Also, since you are a Swordsman, with this item, I would have no problems forging a Blazing Meteor of relatively high quality. If you give this material to that old bastard, he will definitely ruin it."

Chapter 177 - seniors shock

Seliora stared at Shi Feng with her almond-shaped eyes, her hands on her hips; she looked like an angry lioness. This scene dumbfounded Shi Feng; he did not know what to say in this situation.

Before, Seliora simply reacted with cold indifference towards him, yet, now, she was so obedient?

The Blazing Meteor was a weapon that only Seliora knew how to create, and it was also her most famous creation. It was a weapon that all Swordsman dreamt of having.

In Shi Feng's previous life, as long as one was a Swordsman, they would definitely have begged Seliora to create a Blazing Meteor for them. Many players were even willing to go bankrupt to obtain a Blazing Meteor. Shi Feng, who at, that time, had already become a Sword King, was no exception. He only managed to obtain one with much difficulty after a very long time.

Although Shi Feng had already met his goal, he still toyed with Seliora by pretending hesitation. Immediately, Seliora started panicking. If she truly allowed that old bastard Praust obtain such a large Starfire Crystal, that old rat would come over to her place to show off and very often, at that.

"You should know that I am the most amazing Master Forger in White River City. None of the items I forge are of ordinary quality. Moreover, I am in a very good mood right now, so I will even use a rare material from my exclusive collection to forge a Blazing Meteor suitable for you! If you don't believe me, then come in and have a look!" Seliora hurriedly pulled Shi Feng into her smithy, letting Shi Feng witness the masterpieces she had created.

After entering the house, one would immediately discover that the exterior and interior of the house were practically two entirely different worlds. Although the exterior of the house was broken-down and humble, the interior was both beautiful and magnificent. Fine weaponry and equipment were all showcased within crystal cabinets.

Not a single one of these weapons or equipment were of ordinary quality. They were all masterpieces of Fine-Gold rank or above. These were all masterpieces because, when compared to items of the same rank and level, the Attributes of the weapons and equipment made by Seliora were far superior.

"How is it? Do you see that dark-red-colored greatsword placed in the highest position? That's an Epic Weapon that I personally made," Seliora stuck out her chest, boasting.

Indeed, it was as Seliora had said. Among all these weapons and equipment, the most amazing item was the Level 120 Epic Weapon. In terms of strength, it exceeded the Mavis' Protection by leaps and bounds. It was Seliora's greatest creation to date, and it was also the only Epic ranked item that she had ever made.

The reason Seliora bore the title of genius of the forging world was due to her accidentally creating this Epic Weapon. After all, it was nearly impossible for a forger to forge an Epic Weapon intentionally, as the success rate for even a Master Forger was abysmally low. Normally, only Grandmaster Forgers could achieve this feat. Unfortunately, Seliora was stuck at a bottleneck, and she would constantly be a step away from becoming a Grandmaster Forger.

Hence, Seliora did not wish for anyone to disturb her as she stayed hidden in the Free Zone of White River City, continuously researching the art of forging.

"Now you know how amazing I am, right? Aside from those old hidden monsters, there has not been anybody else who can beat me regarding forging techniques," Seliora grinned; her gaze shifted back to the Starfire Crystal in Shi Feng's hand. "With my techniques and the Starfire Crystal, I guarantee that I can create an exceptional Blazing Meteor. Moreover, since Lord Weissman sent you to me, I will naturally give it my all to help you."

Shi Feng simply smiled at Seliora's words. He handed the Starfire Crystal over to Seliora, softly saying, "I'll be troubling you, then, Master Seliora."

Seliora revealed a wide smile as she received the Starfire Crystal. Immediately, she ran towards her forging room, intending to create the Blazing Meteor straight away.

"Master Seliora, please wait a moment," Shi Feng hurriedly said.

"What is it? Don't tell me that you're going back on your word?" Seliora's eyebrows slightly wrinkled. She was extremely reluctant to part with the Starfire Crystal in her hands.

"You misunderstand me, Master Seliora. I think that this item should be of some help to you?" Shi Feng took out a piece of Runic Steel that he received as a system reward. This item could increase the forging success rate, and at the same time, it had a chance to increase the forged item's Attributes.

Seliora could not help her shock when she saw the Runic Steel. She instantly snatched it out of Shi Feng's hands. She then started appraising Shi Feng with her charming eyes, her delicate tongue sliding across her pouty lips. Giggling, she said, "Why, I didn't think you would have so many precious treasures on you. What else do you have? Just pull them all out."

"Alright, then. I still have an item that I can temporarily lend to you," under Seliora's eager gaze, Shi Feng could not help but smile bitterly. He then took out the Book of Forging.

Suddenly, Seliora's eyes widened as they locked onto the Book of Forging in Shi Feng's hands. She was under immense shock, unable to speak a single word.

"This is the Book of Forging personally penned by the Forging God! You... Why do you have this item?!" Seliora was incomparably shocked, and her voice trembled with excitement as she spoke. She could not help but immediately snatch the Book of Forging, delving in.

"Master Seliora, I assume that you also know how precious this item is. I can loan it to you temporarily; so I hope you can use it properly and create a masterpiece," Shi Feng held high expectations of the Blazing Meteor. So, naturally, he would not hold anything back in its creation. Moreover, NPCs could not steal items owned by players.

"Really?" Seliora could not believe her own ears. She pounced Shi Feng in excitement, planting a kiss on him. She then took the Book of Forging, rushing into her personal forging room. "Wait here for awhile; I guarantee that you will not be disappointed."

Shi Feng was stunned. However, he recovered very quickly, revealing a bitter smile.

Seliora needed a long time to forge a piece of equipment. Since Shi Feng had nothing better to do, he continued enhancing the luxury version of the White River City Guidebook. After all, he had an expansive amount of information on White River City. Although he had already made plans for its revelation, he couldn't explain everything in a few sentences.

Time flowed by unnoticed, and two hours had passed since Shi Feng entered White River City.

\---

Meanwhile, the various Guilds in the White River City region were in full swing. They continuously purchased and exchanged Whetstones, and at the same time, desperately grinded in high-level monster areas.

"Snow, the number of players here grows larger and larger, and it is slowing our leveling speed by a lot. Why don't we go to the Gloomy Valley to level up?" With a single Triple Flame Barrage, Zhao Yueru finished off a low HP Level 10 Shadow Werewolf. She then turned to Gentle Snow and spoke.

Originally, there had not been that many players in this Level 10 area. However, due to Shi Feng's actions, Level 8 and Level 9 players began arriving, crowding the area. Every region had limited leveling resources, and every extra player in a region decreased the availability of those resources. With a decrease in resources, naturally, leveling speed would similarly fall. Thus, Zhao Yueru suggested going to the Gloomy Valley, which was a monster area of an even higher level.

The Gloomy Valley was a Level 11 to Level 14 monster area. With their current equipment, they could still deal with Level 11 and Level 12 monsters. Only, the danger would increase significantly. However, their leveling speed there would surpass that of this place by leaps. The Gloomy Valley was also only a short distance from their current location. If they hurried, they could reach it in just half an hour. If they used a Speed Scroll, they could arrive there in ten minutes or so.

Gentle Snow looked at her surroundings, discovering that the number of players had certainly increased. Moreover, these players were all elites of various large Guilds. Whether luring or snatching monsters, they were all extremely experienced. As a result, the number of monsters available decreased, and their current leveling speed was less than half of what they started with. The players gathered here were still increasing in number. If this situation continued, they might not even reach Level 10 within seven to eight hours grinding here.

"Alright, then. After we receive the new batch of Whetstones, we'll head for the Gloomy Valley," Gentle Snow looked at her weapon's durability as she spoke. Only 9 points remained. As her weapon was Secret-Silver rank, she could still wield it for over an hour before its durability reached a critical point.

At this moment, Gentle Snow's communicator rang out.

Originally, Gentle Snow intended to reject the call without giving it much thought. However, when she saw that the caller was Shi Feng, a faint smile appeared on her face.

Previously, after Shi Feng entered White River City, she had tried contacting Shi Feng as well. However, Shi Feng had immediately shut down all forms of communication, leaving her with no way of contacting him. She could only send him a message. Now that he was personally contacting her, it was possible that he had finally seen her message.

Chapter 178 - gold rank

Since Shi Feng attempted to contact her, Gentle Snow would not reject the call. In any case, there was still some time before the new batch of Whetstones would arrive.

"Busy man, you finally have the time to contact me?" Gentle Snow laughed softly after the call connected.

"You jest, Miss Snow. I am helpless about this as well. I was worried that my communicator would ring endlessly and distract me, so I simply turned it off. Didn't I immediately contact Miss Snow after I finished with my matters?" Shi Feng smiled.

From Gentle Snow's tone, Shi Feng could somewhat discern her aggrieved feelings. However, he was simply helpless with this.

He had spent quite a long time conquering White River City. Moreover, he needed to waste even more time. After all, if he published the White River City Guidebook shortly after he entered White River City, others would become highly suspicious. Without spending some time, how could he conduct an investigation? If he made the guidebook without any prior investigation, it would be strange if nobody suspected him.

Hence, Shi Feng intentionally took such a long time before he initiated contact, letting others think that he used this time to inspect White River City.

"Since you've come looking for me, it means that you've seen my message regarding the information about White River City. What are your thoughts? Name a price; I'll buy it all," Gentle Snow said seriously.

If she could obtain information about White River City, she could prepare ahead of time. This way, they could get a huge lead on the other Guilds. As for the matter of money, she rarely paid any mind. Moreover, she believed that Shi Feng would not just set a random price.

"I've already compiled a guidebook with information about White River City. The guidebooks are divided into two versions; a simplified version and a luxury version. I'm prepared to publish and sell them on the official forums after some time," Shi Feng nodded as he spoke.

Gentle Snow was at a loss when she heard Shi Feng. She couldn't help but admit that Shi Feng was too good at grasping business opportunities. If Shi Feng truly did such a thing, in addition to his identity as the first player to enter White River City, the legitimacy of the White River City Guidebooks were surely guaranteed. The various large Guilds would all compete for them.

She had to admit that even she admired Shi Feng's business acumen.

There were countless Guilds, both large and small, within the White River City region. A rough estimate would put the number at over a thousand. Even if Shi Feng earned only a thousand Credits from each of these Guilds, he could still earn well over a million Credits. When she heard of him mention a simplified version, it was clearly meant for average players. There would definitely be countless players purchasing it, so Shi Feng would earn quite a lot from them as well.

Just by collecting information for a few hours, in addition to his title as the Number One of White River City, Shi Feng had already made a net profit of several million in a single night. It was possible that only Shi Feng was capable of such a feat.

"I can't help but praise your idea. However, I wish to obtain this information in advance. Of course, I will pay a higher price. To put it another way, I hope that you can delay the information's release for three or four hours. Not only will I purchase the information at a high price, but I am also willing to pay a million Credits as a postponement fee. I wonder if that would be possible?" Gentle Snow inquired, smiling.

"A one million Credits postponement fee, is it?"

Shi Feng was truly shocked. Originally, by contacting Gentle Snow, he merely intended to sell the White River City Guidebook to her in advance. He didn't think that Gentle Snow would have a move like this. He could not help but appreciate her intelligence. In actuality, even if Gentle Snow did not pay any compensation, he would still delay the release of the guidebooks by two or three hours. That way, the credibility of the guidebooks would be even higher.

At the same time, it would increase those Guilds' urgency. After all, they were already close to reaching Level 10, so they were in dire need of information about White River City.

"Is it not enough? Then two million should be fine, right?" Gentle Snow wrinkled her eyebrows slightly, feeling that Shi Feng was somewhat too greedy for money.

"No, one million is enough. It's just... I wonder if you want the simplified version or the luxury version?" Shi Feng teased with a laugh.

"Do you even need to ask? The more detailed, the better," Gentle Snow rolled her eyes at Shi Feng.

She was even willing to spend a million Credits as an extension fee, so would she even lack that kind of money?

"That would be the luxury version then. I'm selling it for 20,000 Credits. As a matter of fact, I still have a super-luxury version of the guidebook in my possession. I wonder if Miss Snow would be interested in it?" Shi Feng smiled as he asked.

"A super-luxury version? How much do you want for it?" Gentle Snow responded, slightly contemptuous.

"One million!" Shi Feng said earnestly.

"The luxury version is selling for 20,000 Credits, but you're selling the super-luxury version for one million Credits? Are you taking me for a fool?" Gentle Snow accused.

"How could that be? I've poured my blood into making it. If you don't want it, so be it. It is similarly sufficient to purchase just the luxury version," Shi Feng was only filled with kind intentions.

He would add some of the truly important information to the super-luxury version. For example, information pertaining to the matter of how to quickly develop oneself and information about the various daily quests available in White River City that could quickly increase one's level and reputation. Although it was not a lot of information, the help it provided was still considerable. It was enough to allow Gentle Snow to pull ahead of the other Guilds by a great distance.

Originally, Shi Feng did not intend to sell this information. However, Gentle Snow was a slightly special case.

The main reason was that Ouroboros, the Guild Gentle Snow belonged to, did not have any conflicts with him. After all, Ouroboros' main power was based in the capital city, Star-Moon City. Gentle Snow would, sooner or later, have to head to the capital to continue her development. Right now, he simply offered Gentle Snow a favor. In the future, if he were to meet with trouble, he might even be able to get Gentle Snow to help him. After all, the competition in White River City was bound to be intense. If some large Guild intentionally targeted his own while his tasks swamped him, he could ask Gentle Snow for assistance. With Gentle Snow's personality, she would definitely lend him a hand.

Also, another reason Shi Feng did such a thing was to disperse the attention from himself. Destruction always pursued the great. If there were another, more outstanding, existence around, the various large Guilds would shift their line of sight from Shi Feng to that existence.

Shi Feng could kill two birds with one stone with his action, and only Gentle Snow's decision remained as the final hurdle.

After a few seconds of silence, Gentle Snow let out a deep sigh as she said, "Alright, then. I'll buy it. When can you give it to me?"

"In half an hour," Shi Feng affirmed.

"Good, then. I'll transfer the money to you at that time," Gentle Snow disconnected the call.

Standing beside Gentle Snow, Zhao Yueru had heard every word of the conversation. Puzzled, she asked, "Snow, I'm not trying to reprimand you, but although that Ye Feng is one of the rare top-tier experts, within only a short few hours, just how much information could he possibly have gathered? Not to mention, that information is even priced at one million Credits. He is clearly just trying to make a quick buck off of us. That Ye Feng is insincere. We have already helped him out so much and even dealt with the matter of Underworld targeting him."

"Let's have a look at it before we judge," Gentle Snow sighed. In reality, even she did not hold much hope about the information. If it truly contained some valuable information, she would not take too big of a loss, at the very least.

Following which, Shi Feng also made a similar deal with Stabbing Heart of the Assassin's Alliance. However, he did not offer the super-luxury version this time. After all, the Assassin's Alliance's main power was stationed in White River City. He only sold them the information in advance because of the friendship he had with Stabbing Heart.

Stabbing Heart naturally knew this, so he was greatly touched by Shi Feng's actions. He immediately paid 50,000 Credits as gratitude to Shi Feng. At the same time, with this information about White River City in hand, Stabbing Heart would also have the confidence to request the higher-ups to review the matter of suppressing Martial Union's development in White River City. That way, Martial Union would not even have the time to find trouble with Shi Feng.

Soon, another half hour passed by.

Shi Feng finally managed to compile and arrange the super-luxury version of the White River City Guidebook. He then sent it to Gentle Snow, Blackie, and the other members of his team. With Blackie's power-leveling speed, every member of the team would quickly rise to Level 10. They would be much faster than Gentle Snow, so Shi Feng had to provide Blackie and the others with a better understanding of White River City ahead of time. Otherwise, they would simply be lost after entering White River City.

At this moment, the metal door of the forging room opened, and Seliora walked out.

Compared to when she entered the forging room, Seliora clearly felt more fatigued now. Crystal clear sweat coated her healthy, wheat-colored skin, and she looked like she had just stepped out of a pool of water; her appearance was utterly seductive.

"Here, this item's for you," Seliora took out the Book of Forging, handing it to Shi Feng with great reluctance. She then took out a flame-red flying dart. This flying dart radiated a brilliant red that intoxicated a person's heart. "Aside from the Epic ranked greatsword, this item could be called my greatest masterpiece. Due to the quality of the materials being a limiting factor, this item could not achieve Epic rank. However, it has still surpassed Dark-Gold rank. You could call it a Super Dark-Gold ranked throwing weapon; so you have to cherish it properly."

"Super Dark-Gold Rank?"

"What's that?"

Doubt filled Shi Feng. If it was Dark-Gold, then it was Dark-Gold. If it was Epic, then it was Epic. Why would there be a Super Dark-Gold rank? Looking at the meaning that Seliora tried to express, this item seemed to possess a special quality between the two ranks.

Chapter 179 - extraordinary Attributes

Within Shi Feng's memories, there was no mention of a Super-Dark Gold rank.

However, if a Master Forger like Seliora called it such, that's what it was. Only, just what kind of Attributes would this Blazing Meteor possess?

"Are you unsure of what the Super Dark-Gold rank is?" Seliora was in a very good mood after forging such a masterpiece. Hence, she explained, "It is utterly understandable that you have not heard of it. Matters like these are only privy to those old monsters of the Grandmaster Forger rank. Even I discovered it by chance."

"Indeed, in God's Domain, the rank after Dark-Gold is Epic. However, between these two ranks, there is a humongous threshold. One could say that items undergo a massive leap in quality when upgraded from Dark-Gold rank to Epic rank. Don't you feel that it is strange?"

Shi Feng nodded, deeply expressing his agreement.

It was just like Seliora had said. Dark-Gold Equipment was only somewhat stronger than Fine-Gold Equipment. However, regarding Attributes, Epic Equipment was several tiers above Dark-Gold Equipment. Take the Mavis' Guard in Blackie's hands for example. It was far superior to the Silver Lake in Shi Feng's hands that possessed Attributes rivaling a Dark-Gold Weapon.

Simply equipping an Epic Weapon instantly gave Blackie a stronger damage output and Attack Power than Shi Feng's. The power of an Epic ranked item was obvious.

"It seems that you also understand the gap between these two ranks." Seliora revealed a smile, saying, "In actuality, Epic ranked items possess another name."

"Another name?" This was the first Shi Feng had heard of this.

"That's right; another name. This is also something I found out after researching the Book of Forging you lent me, coupled with the literature I've collected over the years," Seliora nodded. "During the ancient times, Epic ranked items were also called Extraordinary items. The owners of these items would possess an absolute strength that allowed them to surpass ordinary mortals; thus they were known as Extraordinary. Meanwhile, I did not utilize any extraordinary materials in forging the Blazing Meteor, so it could not become an extraordinary item. However, it can still be considered a Pseudo-extraordinary item."

"A Pseudo-extraordinary item?" Shi Feng started to understand a few points. He could not help but grow even more curious about the Attributes of the Blazing Meteor, which caused Seliora so much excitement.

"Have a look at it yourself, then." Seliora handed the Blazing Meteor over to Shi Feng, softly saying, "A Pseudo-extraordinary item is the maximum limit that mortals can achieve with their own power, while this Blazing Meteor can be considered a masterpiece, the closest thing to an extraordinary item."

Shi Feng's heart started beating quickly as he heard those words. It was an item that approached the quality of an Epic ranked item. Most likely, aside from his Magic Weapon, the Abyssal Blade, no other item in his possession could rival this Blazing Meteor. Furthermore, the Blazing Meteor he received in his previous life was only Dark-Gold rank. He did not expect to obtain a Pseudo-extraordinary item in this life.

Shi Feng immediately received the Blazing Meteor from Seliora, taking a look at its Attributes.

[Blazing Meteor] (Throwing Weapon, Dark-Gold Rank)

Equipment Requirement: Strength 120, Agility 140

Attack Power (Player's Strength*2)

Strength +50, Agility +65, Endurance +10

Attack Speed +5

Maximum throwing distance: 45 yards

Ignore Levels +8

Attack Speed increased by 15%

When attacking:

35% chance to ignore target's Defense.

30% chance to activate Quadruple Phantom effect, each phantom causing 50% flame damage.

10% chance to activate Knockback effect.

5% chance to activate Burning Flames effect, dealing 200 flame damage to the target every second for 10 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.

Additional Skill: Flame God's Fury. Deals physical and flame damage to enemies within a 40*3 yard area. Deals 900% damage to the initial target and damage reduces by 10% with each consecutive enemy hit to a minimum of 500% damage.

Cooldown: 3 minutes

The Blazing Meteor was forged by the Grandmaster Forger, Seliora. Due to the limit of its materials, it is only a Pseudo-extraordinary item possessing strength at the very limit of mortal men. The Blazing Meteor can be reforged into an Epic Ranked item after gathering Epic ranked fire-type materials.

User restriction: Ye Feng

Unable to be dropped.

Unable to be traded.

Shi Feng was instantly dumbfounded when he saw these Attributes. As expected of a Pseudo-extraordinary item, it was far superior to ordinary Dark-Gold ranked items. As long as Shi Feng's Attributes reached the prerequisite and he equipped the Blazing Meteor, his strength would instantly soar by several tiers.

After receiving the Blazing Meteor, Shi Feng finally felt that he was a true Swordsman.

There were two variations of the Swordsman class: duel-wielding Swordsmen and two-handed Swordsmen. At the same time, a Swordsman could also equip a long-range throwing weapon. However, a Swordsman was still a melee class at its heart, so their ranged attacks were not particularly powerful. A majority of the Swordsman players did not pay much attention to ranged throwing weapons.

However, Shi Feng heavily relied on his ranged attacks. After all, there were many instances when facing monsters with melee combat was troublesome. If he could switch to ranged attacks, he would have a much easier time. Moreover, there were plenty of shared skills in God's Domain. Among them, there were quite a few throwing skills. If Shi Feng could learn a few of them, he would not fall too far behind the other ranged classes.

Now that he had the Pseudo-extraordinary item, the Blazing Meteor, ranged attacks were no longer one of Shi Feng's weaknesses.

Moreover, throwing weapons were not consumable items. Due to the magical ingredients involved in its forging, the Blazing Meteor number of uses were limitless. Whenever a throwing weapon hit an enemy, it would instantly vanish and reappear in the player's hands. It was an extremely convenient function.

Unfortunately, Shi Feng's current Attributes prevented him from equipping the Blazing Meteor. Only by replacing and upgrading the equipment he currently wore could he achieve the requirements of the Blazing Meteor.

After Shi Feng finished reading the Blazing Meteor's introduction, he was suddenly shocked.

Seliora was originally a Master Forger, so why did the introduction describe her as a Grandmaster Forger?

"Master Seliora, could it be that you're... already a Grandmaster Forger?" Shi Feng looked at Seliora with doubtful eyes. The system introduction could not be faked. If the system displayed it, it must be true. However, that was inconceivable. Seliora, who was not even thirty years of age, had actually become a Grandmaster Forger.

There was not a single Grandmaster Forger throughout all of the Star-Moon Kingdom. Grandmaster Forgers were existences that stood at the pinnacle of forging in God's Domain, and even Tier 5 apex powerhouses had to suck up to a Grandmaster Forger. Their statuses were no lower than the ruler of a country. Normally, one could only meet a Grandmaster Forger with luck in the capital city of an empire or places like Blackwing City. Meanwhile, the Seliora before him was one such existence.

"Hmm! I didn't expect your eyesight to be so sharp! I have indeed become a Grandmaster Forger! However, this is all thanks to you. If you did not lend me the Book of Forging, allowing me to unravel the mysteries that have troubled me for the past several years, it would still be impossible for me to become a Grandmaster. As a thank you, here is my communication crystal. In the future, you can contact me at any time through this item," Seliora nodded, smiling as she spoke.

System: Hidden Quest "Search for Seliora" completed, exceeded by aiding Seliora in becoming a Grandmaster Forger. Rewarding player with the Pseudo-extraordinary item, the Blazing Meteor. Rewarding Seliora's Communication Crystal. Seliora's Favorability increased by 200 points. Reputation in Star-Moon Kingdom +50. Reputation in White River City +300. Obtained the title "Grandmaster's Friend." Forging Proficiency increased by 500 points. Rewarding 200,000 EXP.

Instantly, Shi Feng rose to Level 14.

Shi Feng was stunned for a long time when he saw this series of rewards. Ignoring the fact that, with Seliora's Communication Crystal, he could often request Seliora to handle certain affairs for him, just the 300 Reputation Points in White River City would make the purchase of a real estate in White River City much easier. As long as he became a Baron, he could purchase private territory in White River City, establishing a Guild Residence. However, a Baron could only purchase the outermost land of White River City.

As for Saliora, she had only recently become a Grandmaster Forger, so she intended to go on a journey. She wanted to commemorate her achievement by making her first Epic ranked item, so she needed to explore and search for materials.

Soon after, Shi Feng departed from the smithy.

Seeing that the time was just about right...

Shi Feng posted the White River City Guidebook on the official forums, setting the post to publish in three hours. He then used the pass to Blackwing City, teleporting there.

Shortly after Shi Feng departed, another batch of players set foot in White River City. Immediately, White River City Region System Announcements rang out.

Chapter 180 - anonymous sensation

"Hahaha! We've finally arrived in White River City!"

"This place looks spectacular!"

"Such amazing NPCs!"

The moment Blackie and the others arrived in White River City, the amazing sight stunned them all. Their feelings alternated between joy, excitement, and an indescribable sense of pride.

Everyone had suddenly arrived in White River City. Aside from Blackie and Lonely Snow, who both remained relatively calm, Cola and the others were in a daze. They thought that they were in a dream.

When Fire Dance and Cola regrouped with Blackie, they discovered that Blackie and Lonely Snow had actually brought them to deal with a group of Level 20 monsters. At that time, they nearly had heart attacks from the shock.

God's Domain was unlike any other virtual reality game, and killing monsters of a higher level in God's Domain was an extremely difficult task. Moreover, their average levels did not even reach Level 8. It was simply suicidal for them to challenge a Level 20 Swamp Rhino.

Yet, Blackie and Lonely Snow immediately dragged their group and charged towards the Swamp Rhinos. The two acted as if the Swamp Rhinos were not Level 20 monsters, but Level 0 Green Gnomes awaiting death.

However, Fire Dance and Cola could not have imagined what had actually occurred. Blackie instantly roasted the Level 20 Rhinos Lonely Snow had lured with a single Hell Flame. It was like the Rhinos suffered from some weakening aura. At that time, their experience bars instantly increased by a huge chunk.

Looking at this scene, Cola and the others' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in surprise.

There was a saying; after three days had passed, one could no longer use one's old perspective to judge others[1]. However, that involved the prerequisite of three days passing!

It had only been several hours since separated from each other, but the growth rate of Blackie and Lonely Snow had switched from ascending by climbing a ladder to ascending by using an elevator. It was as if their growth rates had received hormone injections, increasing by tens of times.

Within half an hour, they had all collectively gained a level. When they asked about Blackie and Lonely Snow's levels, Cola and Fire Dance were both utterly shocked; they were both already Level 13. This gap made a world of difference.

How did Blackie and Lonely Snow suddenly become so powerful? The only possibility they could think of was that their team leader, Shi Feng, had power-leveled the two. It was also the only logical explanation for Blackie and Lonely Snow's achievements.

Meanwhile, Fire Dance and Water Buffalo were both utterly shocked by Shi Feng. It would be fine if Shi Feng were the only one so powerful. However, their team even had two other Level 13 powerhouses. Just how powerful was this team?

If others' discovered this, they might be less shocked by the sky falling.

After several hours, Cola and the others reached Level 10, one after another. Meanwhile, Blackie and Lonely Snow had both risen to Level 14. They acted in accordance with Shi Feng's request, entering White River City and familiarizing themselves with the city. They would then receive some of the rare and daily quests, obtaining some rare items in exchange for the quests' completion.

However, shortly after they entered White River City, a system announcement entered their ears.

White River City Region System Announcement: 5 players have entered White River City. Activating White River City's Ranking List.

White River City Region System Announcement: 5 players have entered White River City. Activating White River City's Ranking List.

White River City Region System Announcement: 5 players have entered White River City. Activating White River City's Ranking List.

\---

After the announcement repeated thrice, all the players within the White River City region were sent into a daze.

What sort of situation was this? More than five players have already entered White River City? How long had it been since Shi Feng accomplished that feat?

"Crap! What did these people eat when they grew up? I've only reached Level 8, yet there is already a bunch of Level 10s! Can't they play normally?!"

"It can't be, right? None of these people are Guild players! How could they all be independent players?!"

"Hahaha! Too awesome! Didn't those Guilds think they were very amazing? This will teach them that independent players like us are still the strongest!"

"Why haven't I heard of these people before? Just who are these people? Moreover, they even entered White River City together. They can't be players of the same party, right...?"

Players throughout the White River City region discussed Blackie and the others' entrance to White River City and the activation of the regional Ranking List. The players on the Ranking List were, without a doubt, everyone's focus right now.

"Investigate! I want to know just who these people are immediately!"

"They are all independent players! Immediately contact them! Even if we have to give them official positions, we must recruit them into our Guild!"

The various large Guilds all felt a heavy pressure weighing down on them.

The Ranking List should have been a competition between the various large Guilds, yet, it now belonged to a group of independent players. Moreover, they had taken hold of the top six positions. This utterly embarrassed these large Guilds. Right now, these Guilds needed to recruit these independent players into their Guilds. That way, these Guilds' names would also appear on the Ranking List.

\---

Meanwhile, Blackie and Lonely Snow obeyed Shi Feng's previous request; the moment they entered White River City, the system asked if they wanted to place their names on the Ranking List. They both immediately rejected the offer. However, it was not a big deal for Cola and the other five members of the team. It was a good chance to cause panic in those large Guilds, and they could increase their fame while doing so.

After all, Cola and the others were still Level 10. It was an expected level. However, if Blackie and Lonely Snow add their names to the Ranking List...

It would be a double-edged sword; bringing them fame while also poisoning their lives.

Right now, these large Guilds could understand Cola and the others reaching Level 10. However, if two Level 14 players suddenly appeared on the Ranking List, no amount of brainpower could allow these Guilds to make sense of things. Just leveling up from Level 9 to Level 10 would require more than an entire day's grinding. It was understandable if Blackie and Lonely Snow had powerful techniques and found a good leveling spot.

However, a gap of 4 Levels would simply provoke these Guilds. They would create unscrupulous ways to obtain this leveling secret. Right now, if Blackie and Lonely Snow displayed their names on the Ranking List, they would gain the enmity of every single player in the White River City region.

"Why isn't Ye Feng's name there? Moreover, why do these names seem so familiar?" Gentle Snow opened the Ranking List, discovering that the top six players were all uniformly Level 10. However, the number one position did not belong to Shi Feng, but a player named Fire Dance. Moreover, Shi Feng's name was not among the top six Level 10 players at all. This situation confused Gentle Snow greatly.

"Snow, aren't Cola, Drowsy Sloth, and Gluttonous Mouse Ye Feng's teammates? They even left their names with ours at the Dark Moon Graveyard. I never thought that their leveling speed would be so fast." Zhao Yueru quickly recognized the names on the Ranking List. This scene had shocked her. After all, she had a clear understanding of the background of these players. They were definitely noobs of God's Domain, and they were not even close to being experts.

The first time they met was at the Deathly Forest, and at that time, they were simply noobs that Shi Feng had randomly chosen to party with. The second time they met, though their levels had not equaled hers, the gap between them had somewhat shrunk. Now, however, they had surpassed her. It was unbelievable.

After receiving Zhao Yueru's reminder, sudden realization struck Gentle Snow. As a result, the usually calm and confident Gentle Snow, at this moment, revealed a look of surprise and bewilderment.

"Ye Feng, just who are you?" Gentle Snow could not help but inwardly wonder.

Leading a group of noobs into becoming the focal point of the entire White River City just how did Shi Feng do it?

Also, Shi Feng, his good friend Blackie, and Lonely Snow had actually refrained from displaying their names on the Ranking List. Gentle Snow could not understand this action. After all, the noobs that Shi Feng had personally led had all risen to Level 10. She did not believe that his good friend, Blackie, and Lonely Snow had not become Level 10. The only possibility was that they hid their levels. But why would they want to hide their levels?

Wasn't this a good chance to increase their reputation?

Why would they hide them? What was there to gain?

Suddenly, Gentle Snow thought of a possibility, or better yet, the only possibility.

After she thought of this possibility...

Gentle Snow involuntarily shuddered.

* * *

TL Notes:

[1]after three days had passed, one could no longer use one's old foresight to judge others (士别三日，当刮目相待 ): This is a Chinese idiom that tells one not to view others with an old perspective, as after three days of not meeting, others would already have some improvements.