Reincarnation of The Strongest Sword God

361-380

Chapter 361 - test

"Big Dipper certainly acted quickly. It's only been a few days now, and they've already recruited so many students." Zhao Ruoxi was not surprised by the sudden arrival of the hundreds of students. She then looked at Shi Feng, who had stared at those students curiously all this time, explaining, "These students are the elites that Big Dipper selected from the youths who will represent the city in the upcoming Provincial Youth Fighting Competition. They were brought here mainly to gain glory for our city in the upcoming provincial competition. To help them rank higher in the competition, Big Dipper had allowed these students to train here. After all, the environment and facilities here are valuable and would help these students improve."

A realization struck Shi Feng after hearing Zhao Ruoxi's explanation.

Indeed, it was just about time for the Provincial Youth Fighting Competition to begin. Only, he had never expected Big Dipper to be so generous.

"In reality, Big Dipper doesn't really have a choice in this. The sudden appearance of God's Domain has made a tremendous impact on various industries and professions. It is especially true for the fighting industry. Many people who have focused on fighting competitions have shifted their sights towards God's Domain, causing a downturn in the fighting industry. The number of people willing to exercise at Big Dipper has decreased. In order to recover from this decline, Big Dipper has no choice but to do something like this in the hopes of recovering the fighting competitions' popularity," Zhao Ruoxi explained.

"There are fewer people working out?" Shi Feng suddenly thought of a good method to increase the strength of the Zero Wing members.

In the past, due to many players shifting their focus towards God's Domain, the fitness industry had indeed declined for a certain period of time. Simply put, this decline had not happened as quickly in the past, only starting three to four months after God's Domain launched.

However, as more people became aware of the secret of God's Domain, physical training became popular again, even bypassing the previous peak in popularity. Business boomed for the fitness industry. At that time, many large Guilds would partner with training centers and gyms to allow the elite members of their Guilds to train and improve themselves at any time, which would, in turn, allow these elites to improve more quickly in God's Domain.

Many first-rate Guilds had even chosen to establish their own large-scale training centers specifically for their elite members.

Zero Wing was still a small guild at the moment. However, as the Guild continued to grow, sooner or later, a physical fitness center would be required. Although Zero Wing's Workshop was only a short distance away from the Big Dipper Training Center, it was not a long-term solution. Now that the fitness industry was going through a slump, it was the perfect time for him to take action.

Considering the situation, Shi Feng did not dislike the idea of working with Big Dipper.

If he established his own training center, he would need to spend an astronomical sum of money. He certainly did not possess that kind of money at the moment. By partnering with Big Dipper, not only could he encourage his Guild members to train ahead of everyone else, but he could also obtain the best training environment at a significantly lower cost.

While Shi Feng pondered about how he could gain Big Dippers' cooperation, a few more people had arrived at the testing hall.

As soon as these people arrived, the staff members rushed to greet these newcomers, displaying respect.

"Manager Xiao, the students chosen are all here. Following your instructions, we have already begun testing," one of the Big Dipper staff members said respectfully as he looked at a middle-aged man wearing black robes.

"Good. Have them continue. I've simply come to observe their conditions. This year's Provincial Youth Fighting Competition will affect Big Dipper's future development, so we must not be careless," the man surnamed Xiao instructed.

"Yes." The staff members promptly retreated and led the students to their tests.

Due to the arrival of this Manager Xiao, the students' fighting spirits soared. They were all eager to perform well and attract more of Manager Xiao's attention. That way, they could receive even more training resources in the future.

As the tests began, many Big Dipper members who had had also come to test stopped what they were doing, quietly observing the students' test instead. After all, they would not have an opportunity like this often. Most of the visitors of this testing hall were usually ordinary folk who only trained casually. Meanwhile, although these youths were only students, they possessed the ability to participate in the Provincial Youth Fighting Competition. They should be more powerful than the average person.

Even Zhao Ruoxi seemed excited, and she demanded to go over and have a look as well. Helpless, Shi Feng had no choice but follow her.

The first test the students went through was the punching power test. An ordinary person's punch usually carried around 100 to 150kg.

Meanwhile, every one of these students managed to achieve a result of over 200kg. Among them, a student named Wang Cheng had even achieved a force of 356kg. He was at least twice as strong as an ordinary person. Many of the spectators gasped in shock when they saw Wang Cheng's result.

Even Manager Xiao's eyes glowed with delight, and he praised Wang Cheng as a talented youth.

The punching power standard of the professional fighters in Jin Hai City was only 320kg. Meanwhile, Wang Cheng, a high school student, had effortlessly surpassed that standard. Wang Cheng obviously had a promising future ahead of him. After all, Wang Cheng was still a kid; he still had growth potential. He would have no issues achieving a force of 400kg in the future. Having a force of 400kg meant that he could reach the standard of the well-known fighters in Jin Hai City.

"These students are amazing. That Wang Cheng, in particular, has already surpassed Zhou Yuhu. Shi Feng, as our class's great hidden expert, do you think Wang Cheng can enter the top ten of the Provincial Youth Fighting Competition this year?" Zhao Ruoxi asked as she shifted her gaze towards Shi Feng curiously.

She had personally witnessed Shi Feng's strength. Even Chen Wu, the reigning champion of Jin Hai City's fighting competition, had praised Shi Feng's power. Moreover, Shi Feng had even defeated Zhang Luowei, someone reputed as a fighting genius. Hence, she knew that her judgment was definitely incomparable to Shi Feng's.

"It's not that easy to tell. Victory and defeat aren't solely decided by a person's punching force," Shi Feng laughed bitterly as he shook his head. He was not a god, so how could he make a judgment based solely on a person's punching power?

Zhao Ruoxi nodded, feeling that Shi Feng had a point.

Following the punching power test was the reaction test. Of the hundreds of students, they all achieved a result of Basic Perfection or above. Among them, there were a few who achieved Intermediate Excellent. A student named Wu Chuan even achieved Intermediate Perfection, shocking everyone.

Although the tests had yet to end, Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan had immediately captured the crowd's attention. Manager Xiao treated them both like treasures, doubling their training resources on the spot. Many students had cast envious gazes at the two.

After the tests ended, Manager Xiao of Big Dipper had originally intended to take both Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan to meet the best instructor in Jin Hai City, someone whom the Big Dipper Training Center had gone through a lot of trouble to invite. However, after he noticed Zhao Ruoxi among the spectators, he halted his steps.

"Ruoxi! You little girl! Why didn't you tell Uncle Xiao that you were visiting Big Dipper?" Manager Xiao said as he walked over to Zhao Ruoxi.

"I was afraid that Uncle Xiao would be busy," Zhao Ruoxi giggled sweetly.

Meanwhile, Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan who stood behind Manager Xiao were immediately stupefied when their eyes fell upon Zhao Ruoxi's sweet and beautiful smile. If not for Manager Xiao's presence, they might have dashed forward and promptly introduced themselves to this great beauty.

At this moment, Manager Xiao discovered Shi Feng, who currently prepared to take his own test, standing beside Zhao Ruoxi, and he could not help but ask, "Ruoxi, this person beside you is...?"

"This is my classmate, Shi Feng," Zhao Ruoxi introduced. "He has come here today to test himself and check on his own physical condition.

"Uncle Xiao, haven't you wanted to nurture those students to participate in the Provincial Youth Fighting Competition? I have a great way to help them obtain a good rank!" Zhao Ruoxi said, giggling.

"Really?" Manager Xiao's eyes suddenly glowed. The Provincial Competition was incredibly important to the Big Dipper Training Center. Zhao Ruoxi would have really helped him big time if she had a way to help the students to get a good rank in the competition.

"Of course," Zhao Ruoxi said with confidence.

"What kind of method is it?" Manager Xiao asked concernedly. Seeing Zhao Ruoxi's serious expression, Manager Xiao did not think she was lying.

Zhao Ruoxi then pointed towards Shi Feng. With a slightly prideful tone, "It's him."

"Him?" Manager Xiao shifted his gaze to Shi Feng's body, unable to discover anything special about him.

Zhao Ruoxi nodded, explaining, "He is our class's great expert. With him teaching those students, they will definitely succeed."

Hearing this, before Manager Xiao could speak, Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan started laughing. They were the elite seedlings chosen by the Big Dipper Training Center after undergoing a rigorous selection process. Let alone an ordinary university student, even some professional fighters had no right to instruct them. How powerful could the great expert of a class of university students possibly be? They could probably knock Shi Feng out with a single punch.

Chapter 362 - rank

Although Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan had not voiced their opinions, their expressions exposed the disdain they felt. If Manager Xiao had not been present, they might have even taught Shi Feng a lesson, teaching him what it meant to be wet behind the ears.

As to why the two would not dare take action in front of Manager Xiao, it was not because of Manager Xiao's position in the Big Dipper Training Center. Rather, they feared Manager Xiao's personal strength.

Because Manager Xiao's strength frightened Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan, they would not make any casual remarks in front of him. Why else would geniuses like them remain silent at such a ridiculous statement?

Manager Xiao's full name was Xiao Yan, and he was well-known in Jin Hai City. He had also been a professional fighter during his youth. However, after winning a championship, he retired as a professional fighter. He then joined the Big Dipper Training Center and developed himself there.

Even though Xiao Yan was over forty now, he would frequently spar with some of the top fighters in the city, thoroughly defeating them.

"Uncle Xiao, why do you look so surprised?" Zhao Ruoxi's lips curled up slightly when she saw Manager Yan's face. "Since you don't believe me, why don't we place a bet?"

Zhao Ruoxi's mesmerizing smile left Manager Yan greatly confused. He could not figure out what the little girl before him was trying to accomplish. However, since Zhao Ruoxi wished to play, he certainly wouldn't mind humoring her for a while. When all was said and done, her father was a good brother of his, and he had pampered her like a little princess since she was a child.

"It seems that you have a lot of confidence in your classmate, Shi Feng, Ruoxi. In any case, since you've already made the offer, I'm guessing that you won't let your uncle say 'no.' What do you wish to bet, then? However, I'll tell you this in advance. Your Uncle Xiao cannot get you the Secret Pavilion's information viewing rights," Manager Xiao laughed, having already prepared to lose.

Hearing the words 'Secret Pavilion,' both Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan behind Manager Xiao were shocked.

What was the Secret Pavilion?

Anyone who played virtual reality games definitely knew about the Secret Pavilion.

The Secret Pavilion was the creator of the Experts List that recorded all the excellent individuals throughout the world. The Secret Pavilion's information gathering was unmatched throughout virtual gaming world. It had also been titled as Omniscient. In the virtual gaming world, it was an exalted existence.

Other than the Experts List, one could also search for various information relating to the virtual gaming world through the Secret Pavilion's official website. However, depending on the type of information, the price varied.

If one had a strong relationship with the Secret Pavilion, they could obtain different levels of information viewing rights. To those who played virtual reality games, that kind of access was a dream.

Even Shi Feng who taken aback by Manager Xiao's words. He had not thought that the Big Dipper Training Center would have a relationship with the Secret Pavilion.

"I know. I never said I wanted to bet the viewing rights anyway." Although Zhao Ruoxi made that claim, inwardly, she was somewhat disappointed. She then smiled and said, "Let's bet three bottles of S-rank Nutrient Fluids! I know that you have recently received some!"

Manager Xiao laughed bitterly when he heard her offer. "Little girl, you are always thinking about taking what little family fortune I have left. I've only managed to obtain these few bottles of S-rank Nutrient Fluids after much difficulty, and I had planned to reward them to the most excellent students."

When Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan heard these words, their hearts began to pound with excitement. They had even thought that they had heard wrong for a second there.

Even C-rank Nutrient Fluids were considered a luxury, let alone S-rank Nutrient Fluids.

S-rank Nutrient Fluids could not be purchased even if one had the money for it. When consumed, S-rank Nutrient Fluids provided notable physical recovery and enhancements. It even played a role in delaying the body's aging process and was known as the Water of Life. Moreover, even if one found the opportunity to purchase these S-rank Nutrient Fluids, each bottle cost one million Credits. Ordinary people could not afford it even if they bankrupted themselves. Only a wealthy organization like Big Dipper could willingly award such an item.

If Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan could each obtain a bottle of S-rank Nutrient Fluids before the Provincial Youth Fighting Competition, they would have more confidence in succeeding in the competition.

"Uncle Xiao, you aren't going back on your word, right? If so, I'm going to tell Big Sis Bing Yu that you're bullying me," Zhao Ruoxi giggled.

"Hah... You're the one who bullies your Uncle Xiao. Since I've already agreed to your bet, I won't go back on my word. Say it, then. What are the terms?" Manager Xiao agreed without hesitation upon hearing the name "Bing Yu," his actions stupefying both Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan.

"Hm..." After giving it some thought, Zhao Ruoxi shifted her gaze towards Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan. She then smiled faintly as she pointed towards the two, saying, "The two of them, then."

"What do you want the two of them to do? Don't tell me you want them to fight your classmate. Ruoxi, you should consider this carefully. Although Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan are not professional fighters, an ordinary university student is no match for them," Manager Xiao kindly explained.

Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan both proudly raised their heads upon hearing Manager Xiao's words, expressing their agreement. After all, they were the most excellent candidates selected by Big Dipper.

"Of course not. It would be too unfair to them if we let them fight Shi Feng," Zhao Ruoxi said righteously. For a second there, even Manager Xiao almost believed her. "So, let's compete using the punching power test and reaction test results. That way, they can't complain when they lose."

Zhao Ruoxi's words left both high schoolers utterly speechless. The two of them promptly shot a glare at Shi Feng, provocation filling their eyes as if saying, "A brat like you thinks you're fit to compete with us? You'll pay for this!"

"Hah... Little girl, what goes through your mind all day long? You better not blame me when you lose," Manager Xiao sighed. He then looked at Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan, asking, "What do you think? If you two lose, your S-rank Nutrient Fluid rewards will be gone. If you win, I will double the rewards."

"We don't have any problems. However, we wish to retake the test and use the new results. Will that be fine?" Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan had long since discussed the bet among themselves. Hence, they quickly put forward their request.

This surprised many of the silently spectating crowd. They could not understand why the two students would request for a retest. After all, their previous test results were the best out of three tries. If they retook the test, they might not get better numbers.

Only Manager Xiao understood the two students' intentions. Nodding his head, he said with a smile, "Okay. I knew you two little brats were holding back just now."

The realization struck the spectators upon hearing Manager Xiao's words.

"They managed to get such high test results even while holding back? Are those two really high school students?"

"Those two are simply too frightening!"

Many among the crowd expressed their shocks at this revelation.

However, Shi Feng was not the slightest bit surprised at this news. Only, he was very surprised by Zhao Ruoxi's actions. He could not figure out just what she was trying to do.

"I've earned you the chance to obtain three bottles of S-rank Nutrient Fluids. The rest is up to you now. Also, I prohibit you from losing!" Zhao Ruoxi walked up to Shi Feng and smiled, not giving him a chance to say "No."

After Zhao Ruoxi issued her command, Shi Feng finally realized what she wanted to accomplish. It turned out that she had played this little game just to gain him three bottles of S-rank Nutrient Fluids.

Before Shi Feng could utter a word of gratitude, Zhao Ruoxi, with slightly red cheeks, cut him off, saying, "Don't think too much about it. Aren't we friends? I know that you've been secretly and desperately training to improve physically. Since we're friends, it is only natural that we help each other out. As for thanks, it isn't necessary. If you really wish to thank me, then come to my birthday party next month. Even if you're a busy man, you must come. You're also not allowed to be late, alright?"

Shi Feng's heart warmed when he heard Zhao Ruoxi speaking. Although he had many things he wished to say, after racking his mind on what he should say, a single, simple sentence left his lips, "I'll be there."

However, when Manager Xiao heard Zhao Ruoxi's demand, his originally friendly smile suddenly froze. He then shifted a stiff gaze towards Shi Feng, looking at the youth with disbelieving eyes.

"Just what sort of demonic power does this brat have?" Manager Xiao could not help but pay more attention to Shi Feng. There must be a reason why the little swindling girl had such an optimistic opinion of him.

Following which, Shi Feng, Wang Cheng, and Wu Chuan walked towards the punching power testing apparatus to begin their examination.

Chapter 363 - breaking the record

"Is this really happening? They're going to compete with each other?"

"Both Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan are the most excellent among these students. Their results were so impressive despite their age. Calling them geniuses wouldn't be an exaggeration. That guy called Shi Feng is only going to humiliate himself."

"You don't know? Shi Feng didn't request this competition himself. Instead, it is the great beauty standing beside him who claimed that Shi Feng could defeat Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan in a fight easily. For fairness' sake, they chose to compete using the test results."

"That beauty is blinded by love. Does she really believe whatever that Shi Feng says?"

"What do you even know about it? This is called having skill. However, that Shi Feng is going to suffer for his bragging. Soon, the tests will reveal his true colors."

The testing hall had originally been very lively. Now, because of the competition between Shi Feng and the two students, everyone immediately crowded around the trio. The spectators present had already witnessed Wang Cheng's and Wu Chuan's strengths, though none of them had ever seen Shi Feng before. However, nobody among the crowd felt optimistic about Shi Feng's chances. Shi Feng possessed neither a strong and sturdy frame, nor a giant muscular body. Shi Feng's appearance was simply too ordinary. Shi Feng was overestimating himself by challenging Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan's punching force and reaction time.

"Let's start with the punching test first. Each one of you will have three tries. Wu Chuan, you'll go first," Manager Xiao said from beside the testing apparatus.

Although Wu Chuan's test results before had not been as eye-catching as Wang Cheng's, his strength was still over 320kg. He was already at the standard of a professional fighter.

Wu Chuan nodded before stepping up to the testing apparatus. Holding up and clenching his fists, his arms abruptly burst with strength as he sent three accurate strikes towards the leather target.

"Peng! Peng! Peng!"

Three deep, muffled noises resounded simultaneously.

Wu Chuan was satisfied with his punches. He then turned and walked away from the testing apparatus, smirking arrogantly at Shi Feng.

The numbers displayed on the testing apparatus continuously changed before finally displaying three scores.

341 kg, 346 kg, 342 kg.

The crowd suddenly went into an uproar when these three scores appeared.

Wu Chuan's results were close to Wang Cheng's previous results. Regarding pure strength, Wu Chuan definitely ranked second within the elites Big Dipper had recruited.

Manager Xiao was elated when he saw these numbers. His heart was already set on placing more emphasis on Wu Chuan's training in the future. After all, Wu Chuan was far more superior than Wang Cheng in reaction time and speed. Overall, Wu Chuan was more powerful than Wang Cheng.

"Next, Wang Cheng!" Manager Xiao shouted.

Wang Cheng walked up to the testing apparatus and took up his stance. Immediately, his muscles bulged, and the blood vessels across his arms also appeared. Wang Cheng sent three quick punches towards the leather target.

"Peng! Peng! Peng!"

The punching power testing apparatus suddenly released three crisp sounds, and even the machine itself trembled slightly. Meanwhile, the score the machine displayed broke through the 300kg threshold and continued to rise. Within a moment, it shot the 360kg threshold. Wang Cheng had surpassed even his previous highest record.

Finally, the punching power testing apparatus displayed the final results.

385 kg, 391 kg, 388 kg.

Three scores. And each one surpassed Wang Cheng's previous record.

"Impressive! I didn't realize how much you had held back!" Manager Xiao laughed upon seeing the scores. His fondness of Wang Cheng grew the more he looked at the young man. The standard of a top fighter in Jin Hai City was 400kg. Meanwhile, Wang Cheng was only a thread away from reaching that standard. Based on the youth's potential, after Big Dipper nurtured him, he should have no problems entering the top ten in the Provincial Youth Fighting Competition.

Zhao Ruoxi's confidence wavered when she saw the results. Wang Cheng's punching force had surpassed even Zhang Luowei's....

Although there was only a difference of around 30kg between Wang Cheng's previous record and his current scores, it was exceedingly difficult to increase one's force by even 1kg after passing the 350kg threshold. Many years of effort were required to increase one's force by 30kg. It was impossible to achieve such a feat in a short amount of time.

Although Shi Feng had defeated Zhang Luowei, Zhao Ruoxi guessed that the two of them were almost equal in terms of strength. Only, Shi Feng's combat techniques and experience far surpassed Zhang Luowei's. Thus, he had effortlessly defeated the renowned fighting genius. If she had known that Wang Cheng had held back so much of his strength, she would never have chosen to compete using the test results....

"Next, Shi Feng."

Although Manager Xiao did not know why Zhao Ruoxi had such a favorable opinion of Shi Feng, he knew that it was impossible for Shi Feng to surpass Wang Cheng's record of 391kg.

Shi Feng walked up to the testing apparatus, smiling bitterly at the displayed "391 kg." Inwardly, Shi Feng thought, _He is just a high school student, yet, even before undergoing systematic training, he is already so strong. This should be the so-called "genius."_

Originally, Shi Feng had simply come to the Big Dipper Training Center intending on checking his progress. Yet, he had somehow gotten caught up in this farce. If he did not give it his all, he might really become a laughingstock. Although he did not mind being laughed at, the spectators behind him would ridicule Zhao Ruoxi for trusting the wrong person, and that was something he absolutely would not permit.

"I wonder how much I've improved." Shi Feng then began to warm up, preparing a full-powered punch.

The last time he tested himself, he only obtained 256 kg, placing him above the standard of ordinary people. Though he had improved since then, it was impossible for him to have improved overmuch. He would be impressed if he could achieve 290 kg.

"Damn, can you be any slower? Isn't it just a punch? Is all this build-up necessary?"

"I think he's frightened. He is just trying to stall for time. In a moment, he might even say that he feels ill!"

Watching Shi Feng take his time warming up, many in the crowd began to grow impatient and taunt him.

Shi Feng paid no attention to the noisy crowd behind him and continued with his warm-up.

"That should be enough." After feeling his entire body loosen up, he clenched his fist and sent a quick punch at the target.

"Peng!"

The testing apparatus displayed a score of 302 kg.

"The heck? Here I thought he would be amazing, but he only managed to hit 302 kg!" Many among the crowd laughed when they saw Shi Feng's first result.

In the next moment, however, Shi Feng abruptly took half a step forward, firing a punch once more.

This time, the crowd could faintly hear the joints all over Shi Feng's body crack.

"Pa... Pa... Pa..."

A series of eight pops resounded. In addition to the sounds, some of the spectators with sharp eyesight noticed that, while Shi Feng launched his second punch, the hairs all over his body had stood on end. Following which, Shi Feng's punch landed on the target.

"Boom!"

This time, instead of a normal punch, Shi Feng had used the One-inch Punch.

This move concentrated the power of his entire body into a single burst. It was an advanced technique that required a certain degree of control over their own body.

The testing apparatus trembled slightly from Shi Feng's strike, and the score promptly changed to 437 kg.

However, he was not done. In the next moment, Shi Feng whirled his body around and threw out a punch, his fist striking the target.

Suddenly, the testing target bent inwards, and the entire apparatus rocked back slightly. Meanwhile, as if struck by a sledgehammer, web-like cracks appeared on the marble floor where Shi Feng's foot landed.

At the same time, the testing apparatus complained loudly, the machine's display revealing a frightening score of 576 kg. Shi Feng's punch had broken the punching power test record of the Big Dipper Training Center.

"What... the..." Wang Cheng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets after seeing this score.

"What the hell?!" Wu Chuan was greatly shocked as well.

Shi Feng's final result stupefied every witness in the testing hall, every one of them falling silent.

Chapter 364 - internal force expert

Not only did Shi Feng knock the punching power testing apparatus back with a single punch, but he also cracked the marble floor with a single stomp.

However, there was one point that confused everyone watching.

Shi Feng's punch and stomp both looked very light, and no matter how one looked at the two actions, it was impossible for them to exert such immense power. Yet, the impossible had actually happened. Moreover, the burst of power was simply terrifying.

Shi Feng's punch and stomp struck the testing apparatus and the marble floor, respectively. If they landed on someone's body... Wouldn't the hits be fatal?

Both Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan inadvertently gulped when they saw the cracked marble floor. They no longer looked at Shi Feng with contempt. Instead, they gazed at him in awe. Only now did they understand why Zhao Ruoxi's claim. If they fought Shi Feng, the result would not be pleasant.

"What a hateful bastard! Despite being so powerful, he is constantly trying to hide it. For a second there, I was afraid he might lose." Zhao Ruoxi finally sighed in relief after watching Shi Feng's stunning performance.

Standing beside the testing apparatus, Manager Xiao gaped at Shi Feng's flushed and sweating face with disbelieving eyes. He suddenly thought of a possibility for Shi Feng's shocking results, and he couldn't help but ask softly, "Is this internal force?"

Manager Xiao was well-versed in physical techniques and combat. He knew only Grandmaster martial artists could utilize an advanced technique like internal force.

"Mhm. It is," Shi Feng nodded, not expecting Manager Xiao to recognize the technique.

Internal force was an advanced combat technique. It was not a myth or a legend, and it was not a superpower. In the past, in order to learn this technique, Shi Feng had spent many years consulting several martial arts masters, constantly training and refining his skills in God's Domain. Only after he finally achieved a certain level of control over his own body could he perform this technique.

Although internal force granted vast destructive power, it was also extremely taxing on the body. A single strike fatigued him. Right now, he began to show signs of collapsing. If he launched another strike using internal force, he would most likely fall flat to the floor.

"Mister Shi... I represent... Big Dipper to thank you for breaking our all-time punching power record. According to Big Dipper's rules, we will award you 300,000 Credits for this achievement. However, at my disposal, in addition to paying you 300,000 Credits, Mister Shi, in the future, you will be a Platinum Member of Big Dipper. You can enjoy a 60% discount on all expenses at Big Dipper. You will also receive a specially reserved Platinum Suite at the Big Dipper Training Center for your pleasure, Mister Shi." After receiving Shi Feng's nod of recognition, Manager Xiao was nearly speechless from excitement. He no longer looked down at Shi Feng as a member of the younger generation. Instead, he treated Shi Feng as his predecessor, even changing the way he addressed Shi Feng.

Since his youth, Manager Xiao had been infatuated with martial arts. He had never stopped training his body. Even now, his dream was to achieve a higher level in martial arts and successfully practice internal force. However, despite his many years of effort, he had never been successful. So, now that an internal force expert stood before him, how could he contain his excitement?

Martial arts did not judge by age. Only one's achievements were important.

Although he was young, Shi Feng's capabilities with internal force signified him as Manager Xiao's predecessor in the man's eyes. Naturally, he would have to treat Shi Feng with respect.

"Uncle Xiao, since when were you so generous?" For a second, Zhao Ruoxi even thought she had heard wrong. At this moment, her Uncle Xiao not only gazed at Shi Feng with respect and reverence, but he also addressed her classmate as "Mister." He even upgraded Shi Feng from a Normal membership to being a Platinum Member.

There were less than 100 Platinum Members in all of Jin Hai City. It was a symbol of status. Even she was only a Gold Member. Zhao Ruoxi could not understand what her uncle was thinking.

"Little girl, Mister Shi is a true martial arts expert! Why would you be surprised by this upgrade? On the other hand, why didn't you tell me that Mister Shi was a martial arts expert, little girl? You've really caught me by surprise this time," Manager Xiao said sharply, shooting a glance at Zhao Ruoxi. "Didn't you say that you wanted Mister Shi to teach these students? This isn't the proper place for such a discussion. Why don't we go to a meeting room and have a proper chat?"

"Uncle Xiao, what about the results of the competition?" Zhao Ruoxi pointed at the score on the testing apparatus.

"Of course, Mister Shi won this bet. There's no need to employ the reaction test anymore. I'll have the three bottles of S-rank Nutrient Fluids delivered to you later," Manager Xiao said. He then shifted his gaze to Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan, asking, "Do you two have any concerns?"

Both Wang Cheng and Wu Chuan hurriedly shook their heads.

Even a person as skilled as Manager Xiao treated Shi Feng with great respect. Shi Feng's strength and skill were obvious. If they continued to compete with him, they would only humiliate themselves.

"Mister Shi, now that this competition is over, let's go to a meeting room upstairs and talk. I have many things I would like to ask you," Manager Xiao said.

Zhao Ruoxi's heart fluttered with joy when she saw her Uncle Xiao's respectful attitude towards Shi Feng. She also felt a little prideful as if Shi Feng's success were her own.

\---

After the crowd in the testing hall dispersed, Manager Xiao led Shi Feng and Zhao Ruoxi to a meeting room on the 21st floor.

"Mister Shi, would you be interested in becoming the Head Instructor of Big Dipper?" Manager Xiao asked seriously. "As long as Mister Shi is interested you can state any conditions you want."

It was extremely rare to meet an internal force expert. After all, every one of these experts was a master of the martial arts world. Their statuses and positions were all extremely impressive. Manager Xiao could not meet such a master even if he wanted to. Employing such a master to Big Dipper was an even more impossible task.

The Big Dipper Training Center was famous in Jin Hai City and possessed a certain amount of influence. Outside of Jin Hai City, however, it was unknown and insignificant. Big Dipper had no way to compete with the training or fitness centers commanded by martial arts masters.

If Big Dipper had an internal force expert like Shi Feng in command, their long-time goal of becoming famous beyond Jin Hai City might soon become a reality.

"Uncle Xiao, are you joking?"

Zhao Ruoxi was stunned. The position of Big Dipper's Head Instructor was no laughing matter. At that time, the rights Shi Feng would possess would surpass even Manager Xiao's. In her opinion, Shi Feng was only a university student slightly skilled in martial arts. In the beginning, she had pestered her Uncle Xiao with the intention to help Shi Feng get a good part-time job, as well as train the current batch of students. Now that the situation had evolved, even she was slightly caught off-guard.

"Since when has your Uncle Xiao joked around before? I am very serious. I am only afraid that Mister Shi Feng is unwilling to accept my offer." Manager Xiao did not know what to say to Zhao Ruoxi. Despite clearly having an internal force expert by her side, she had not realized the true value of an internal force expert. Manager Xiao's anxiety was overbearing. He was deeply afraid that Shi Feng would just stand up and leave, taking Big Dipper's dream of growing out of Jin Hai City with him.

"Big Dipper's Head Instructor?" Shi Feng thought for a moment before saying, "It isn't impossible, but I have two conditions."

"Mister Shi, please speak your mind," Manager Xiao hurriedly said.

"I want to become a member of Big Dipper's Board of Directors and establish a specialized training area. Meanwhile, I want full responsibility over this training area," Shi Feng demanded earnestly.

Chapter 365 - ranked

Shi Feng's conditions were quite harsh.

Manager Xiao's brows pinched upon hearing them. His expression turned somewhat grim, and he was at a loss on what to do.

If Shi Feng had only wanted some of Big Dipper's shares, Manager Xiao could easily approve by himself. The Chairman of Big Dipper would also happily agree with Manager Xiao's decision. However, it was a different story if Shi Feng wanted to become a member of the Board of Directors.

Manager Xiao did not have the authority to make that decision.

The Board of Directors controlled every aspect of Big Dipper. In other words, the Board of Directors held absolute authority. Why would the allow an outsider to have access to such power?

Moreover, Shi Feng had also demanded permission to establish a training area that would be solely under his supervision. This request was equivalent to cutting off a portion of Big Dipper and giving it to Shi Feng. It was more incredulous than his first request.

If Shi Feng were a famous martial arts master, the Directors might even agree to his requests. However, no one knew of Shi Feng. There was practically no chance that the company would accede to his demands.

Sitting by the side, Zhao Ruoxi was similarly stunned by Shi Feng's conditions, and she began to look at Shi Feng in a different light.

"Is this really our classmate Shi Feng?" This question resounded in Zhao Ruoxi's heart.

Shi Feng's exorbitant demand surpassed even her greed.

Head Instructor was only a title. In reality, it was a very relaxing position, and normally, Shi Feng would not have much to do. However, the Head Instructor of Big Dipper's status was extremely high, and countless people coveted the position. Even the famous fighters of Jin Hai City yearned for this position. Unfortunately, Big Dipper had never found anyone worth consideration. On the other hand, despite being offered such a coveted position, Shi Feng still demanded such a high price. Zhao Ruoxi could not understand what Shi Feng was thinking.

In Zhao Ruoxi's opinion, Shi Feng's actions were somewhat excessive. However, Zhao Ruoxi felt they were justified. Shi Feng was not an unreasonable person.

Indeed, just as Zhao Ruoxi had guessed, Shi Feng was completely reasonable with his demands. His price was actually quite low. If not for his consideration of Zhao Ruoxi, his demands would have been more exorbitant than a position on the Board of Directors and a training area under his supervision.

Although Zero Wing's strength was limited to White River City at the moment, after the looting war in White River City, Zero Wing had become famous throughout the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. Moreover, Zero Wing had long since established a strong and sturdy foundation. It already qualified to fight for the position of overlord of Star-Moon Kingdom.

It was possible that only the higher-ups of first-rate Guilds knew what this signified.

There were hundreds of millions of players. Moreover, this number increased which each passing day. Only a few million people lived in Jin Hai City. At most, it was as large as White River City. As for the authority Zero Wing commanded in White River City and the Big Dipper's authority in Jin Hai City, it would not be an exaggeration to describe the difference between them as the difference between heaven and earth.

Moreover, as God's Domain grew increasingly popular, the number of people Zero Wing could influence would also grow. That influence could massively impact whichever training center it partnered with.

What about the training center itself?

To put it bluntly, it was simply a place for people to improve physically. What sort of influence could it possibly have?

A casual remark made by a first-rate Guild could allow a training center to rise to prominence at any given minute. Hence, rather than sharing the profits with others, wouldn't it be better just to establish their own training centers?

"What is your opinion on this, Manager Xiao?" Shi Feng looked at Manager Xiao and asked.

"Mister Shi, your conditions are a little harsh. How about 5% of Big Dipper's shares?" Manager Xiao could tell that Shi Feng was not some random knowledgeable person, and Shi Feng most definitely knew the value of an internal force expert. Hence, after giving it some thought, he offered the highest possible benefit that he could authorize by himself.

"Although 5% of the shares of a successful company like Big Dipper is generous, my conditions are firm. It would truly be a pity if you cannot agree to them," Shi Feng shook his head.

"This... Mister Shi, I do not have the authority to agree to the demands you've stated. Can you give me some time? I'll report this to my superiors. After they have reached a decision, I'll give Mister Shi an answer. How about it?" Shi Feng's unwavering attitude frightened even Manager Xiao. Originally, he had thought that a young man like Shi Feng would jump with joy when offered the position of Head Instructor and 5% of Big Dipper's shares. However, he had never expected anything like Shi Feng.

Manager Xiao refused to believe that Shi Feng was only a university student. Five percent of Big Dipper's shares was a lot of money, enough to grant one a lifetime of luxury. However, Shi Feng had insisted on his original demands. If Shi Feng were not insane, then he was absolutely confident.

"Certainly. I'm not in a hurry for this matter. I'll wait for your reply," Shi Feng smiled. He had not expected to deal with Zero Wing's training issues in a short amount of time. He still had many things he needed to do in God's Domain. Zero Wing's Workshop had also just opened, and he needed time to allow all these changes to settle in.

He had simply come here today to test his physical limits.

However, Shi Feng also had Zhao Ruoxi to thank. If not for her, establishing a dialog with Big Dipper's upper management would have been a struggle and taken some time. His current progress had already surpassed his expectations.

Following which, Manager Xiao had consulted with Shi Feng on some matters relating to martial arts. Although Zhao Ruoxi was indifferent to such topics, when she saw how her Uncle Xiao looked up to Shi Feng, she could not help but find the scene funny. If she related this matter to her father, her father would definitely be shocked.

After roughly three hours of lengthy conversation, Manager Xiao's admiration towards Shi Feng had grown by leaps and bounds. If not for the lack of time, Manager Xiao would have continued the conversation for three days and three nights.

After Shi Feng left the Big Dipper Training Center, Zhao Ruoxi drove him back to his rented apartment.

Meanwhile, Manager Xiao immediately contacted Big Dipper's Chairman, his elder brother, Xiao Yu. Manager Xiao was prepared to discuss Shi Feng's demands in detail.

\---

As the sun set, a bright red luxury sports car stopped in front of Shi Feng's apartment complex.

"Shi Feng, you must store these three bottles of S-rank Nutrient Fluids properly. Unlike other Nutrient Fluids, S-ranks need to be kept below freezing. Otherwise, their effects will gradually weaken, and after two or three days, they will lose their effects completely. Also, you can only consume them once every five days. It would be detrimental to your body if you drink them more often. You must keep this in mind, alright?" Zhao Ruoxi said, carefully handing over the metal briefcase containing the S-rank Nutrient Fluids. She reminded Shi Feng repeatedly, worried that he would carelessly waste the S-rank Nutrient Fluids as he had never consumed them before.

Although one million Credits was only a small matter to her, S-rank Nutrient Fluids were impossible to obtain even if one had the money. Shi Feng could not easily get more. Big Dipper was only lucky enough procure a few bottles after much difficulty because of some of its connections.

"Mhm, I understand," Shi Feng said, a bitter smile on his face. In reality, this was not his first time consuming an S-rank Nutrient Fluid. However, Zhao Ruoxi did not know about that.

"I'll take off, then. Don't forget about my birthday party next month! I know where you live now, so if you're not there, I won't let you off lightly!" Zhao Ruoxi brandished her little fist through the car's window. She then sped away in her hovering red sports car.

At this moment, Shi Feng finally reacted. It turned out that Zhao Ruoxi had actually sent him home with such intentions. Although he was almost never on time, he shouldn't be that unreliable of a person, right...?

When Shi Feng turned around and was about to enter the apartment complex, he suddenly discovered someone squatting by the building's entrance. That person stared at Shi Feng with a wretched smile on his face.

It was none other than Blackie.

"Brother Feng, you're simply too amazing! I don't see you for a few days, and already, you've managed to hook up with Class Monitor Zhao! You need to teach me some of your skills! If you don't, I'll tell Sister Fire Dance!" Blackie said, giving Shi Feng a meaningful smile.

"Scram! Don't think that I don't know how frequently you hook up with some of the beauties in the Guild!" Shi Feng rolled his eyes at Blackie. Although Blackie had attempted to behave himself ever since he joined Zero Wing Workshop, a man's nature would not change easily. Currently, he was already growing closer with one of the female mages in the Guild. "Speak. Why are you here?"

"Okay, okay! I admit! I have important news that I needed to relay to you personally! After you hear it, don't get too excited," Blackie said excitedly. Clearing his throat, he happily announced, "One hour ago, the Secret Pavilion published its latest Experts List. Meanwhile, Brother Feng, your ID has been included! Right now, the entire Star-Moon Kingdom is going crazy!"

Chapter 366 - virtual gaming cabin

Listening to Blackie's excited report, Shi Feng was speechless.

Even if Blackie hadn't told him the news, he would have discovered it after he entered God's Domain. There was not necessary for Blackie to hunt him down.

"Did you run all the way here just to tell me this?" Shi Feng asked.

"Of course not! Sister Aqua said that using the advanced virtual gaming helmet constantly would affect your strength and growth in game. After all, the helmet only has a synchronization rate of 90%. The cabin, however, has a synchronization rate of 97%. So, some time ago, she tried to buy a few virtual gaming cabins," Blackie said. "However, there aren't many of them. Even with Sister Aqua's influence, she could only purchase five cabins for us. I came to deliver your unit. The workers have already installed the cabin in your apartment; you can use it immediately."

"Virtual gaming cabin? Where did you guys get so much money?" Shi Feng could not help his shock.

Although there was quite a lot of money in the Workshop's bank account, it was not enough to buy five virtual gaming cabins.

A single unit cost three million Credits. Moreover, virtual gaming cabins were always scarce as they were extremely difficult to manufacture. Unlike the virtual gaming helmet, the materials the virtual gaming cabin required were very rare, so they only produced and sold a limited number each day. Wealthy tycoons usually snatched up the cabins the moment they came out of production.

Many people usually wondered why these virtual gaming cabins were so popular.

Despite the cabin being so expensive and only having a 7% sync rate increase over the helmets, it was still immensely popular.

In the past, Shi Feng had thought similarly. Wasn't it just 7%? How much would a player's strength in game possibly increase after using the cabin?

Why bother wasting so much money for such a measly improvement?

However, after Shi Feng obtained his own cabin and subsequently tested it, it instantly changed his mind.

That 7% made a world of difference. In the past, an expert had been involved in an experiment using the two machines to test combat power. In the end, the expert exhibited 71% of his combat power while using the virtual gaming helmet. However, when using the virtual gaming cabin, the expert managed 75%. Furthermore, not only could the gaming cabins allow a player to raise their combat power, but they could also allow a player to improve their techniques at a quicker rate. The cabins could also develop the potential of a player's brain, as well as restore and enhance their physical fitness.

In the past, if Shi Feng had purchased a virtual gaming cabin earlier on, he would not have stagnated at the peak of Tier 3. He had poured his heart and soul into God's Domain to build his own legacy. In the process of doing so, he had neglected his physical fitness, which deteriorated with each passing year. By the time he realized the problem, it was already too late.

"Sister Aqua paid for them with her own money. She said that, as the number one Workshop in Jin Hai City and the sensational Guild of White River City, if others discovered that the Guild Leader of Zero Wing still used a virtual gaming helmet, Zero Wing would become a laughingstock. Hence, we needed to buy the cabins no matter what, and you, Brother Feng, must use one. This concerns Zero Wing's reputation," Blackie said eloquently, leaving Shi Feng with no room to refute.

"Alright, then. I'll accept the cabin. However, we must pay Aqua back for all of the money she spent. There's still around two million leftover from the White River City Guidebook sales; send that to Aqua for now. I'll think of a way to gather the rest." Shi Feng agreed that he needed a virtual gaming cabin. However, he couldn't have purchased one before because he lacked the proper channels. Since Aqua Rose had already bought one for him, he would gladly accept this favor, but there was no room for negotiation regarding money money.

However, he did not possess a lot of Credits right now. Although he had previously earned quite a bit and received the 50 million compensation from Twilight Echo, he had already spent most of it purchasing the real-estate and all of the necessary equipment for the Workshop. He now had very little Credits on hand. Coins, on the other hand, he had a lot of. If he converted the Coins into Credits, he would have more than enough to repay Aqua Rose.

However, unless he had no other choice, he would never trade his Coins for Credits. There was not much time left to complete the Epic Quest "Gospel Project." After his few recent large purchases, the Gold Coins he had on hand had grown further and further from his target of 30,000 Gold. He could no longer afford to trade Coins for Credits. He could only search for other avenues to earn Credits.

"Hahaha! Brother Feng, Sister Aqua truly understands you! She knew you would say such a thing. So, she told me to tell you that since she was paid 5% of Zero Wing's shares for doing nothing, you can consider this as her investment in Zero Wing. Also, if you really wish to repay her, make Zero Wing a Guild that surpasses Twilight Echo. To her, this would be the greatest form of repayment," Blackie said. He laughed when he heard Shi Feng reply exactly how Aqua Rose said he would. "The cabin has already been installed in your home. Since I've finished my report, I'll return to the Workshop now. You have no idea how busy the Guild is right now."

Finished speaking, Blackie quickly departed from the apartment complex.

"Surpass Twilight Echo, huh?" Shi Feng muttered as he watched Blackie leave.

His goal was not just to surpass Twilight Echo. However, there were still too many things he needed to deal with in White River City right now. It was especially true for Underworld. They had been too quiet during the looting war. This was out of character for them.

After a short moment of silent contemplation, Shi Feng turned and walked into the apartment complex, returning to his apartment.

Inside his home, as expected, Shi Feng discovered a white virtual gaming cabin that was 2.5 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and 1.5 meters tall quietly laying inside his bedroom. He would no longer have to rely on the virtual gaming helmet to play God's Domain.

There were Nutrient Fluids as well as various health monitoring devices implemented in the cabin. Players would not have to worry about hunger or physical discomfort for extended periods of time while inside. On the contrary, they would get plenty of rest and recovery.

Moreover, with the 97% sync rate, players would find their five senses reaching new heights in the game.

With the cabin, Shi Feng could finally display his true strength in God's Domain.

Shi Feng examined the cabin before shifting his gaze towards the furnishing around the room. His apartment suddenly felt empty. There was absolutely nothing in his home that was even close to rivaling the value of the virtual gaming cabin. Rather, the cost of a single cabin could pay for the whole apartment.

"It should be about time," Shi Feng looked at the time. It was currently 8 pm and about time for him to enter God's Domain once more. Following which, Shi Feng went to the kitchen and stood before the fridge. He then removed the bottles of S-rank Nutrient Fluids from the metal briefcase.

Shi Feng placed two bottles in the freezer, opening and drinking the last bottle.

Compared to the lower grade Nutrient Fluids, the S-rank Nutrient Fluid was very special. Despite being stored in freezing temperatures, when he drank the liquid, it felt as if he had swallowed a mouthful of liquid fire. Every organ the liquid passed, from his mouth to his stomach, felt as if they had been scorched. There was no pleasure when drinking the S-rank Nutrient Fluid, only piercing pain. Moreover, this pain quickly spread throughout his body. Even his skin started to redden. It felt as if hot air flowed through his body, cleaning away all the toxins and restoring the vitality of his cells.

His previous efforts had paid off, increasing his punching power from 256kg to 302kg.

Everything in life involved balance. It was the same with the human body. If there were gains, then there were bound to be losses as well.

Such a huge and sudden improvement would definitely cause plenty of damage to his body. Originally, Shi Feng had intended to purchase an A-rank Nutrient Fluid to recover slowly. However, that was no longer necessary.

A single bottle of S-rank Nutrient Fluid could completely heal all the damage to his body.

"It's been so long since I've drunk this. I almost forgot about the burning sensation." Shi Feng smiled faintly. Although he was in pain, his body had never felt better. As for the remaining two bottles, he planned to leave them for his parents. That way, it could also help strengthen his parents and relieve some of the exhaustion they had piled up from work.

Following which, Shi Feng lay down in the virtual gaming cabin and connected to God's Domain.

The drops from the Mechanical Slayer still waited for his appraisal. After all, aside from a two-hour waiting period, there was also a twelve-hour period before the drops of Field Bosses could be unsealed, appraised, or used. Fortunately, by the time Shi Feng logged in, that twelve-hour period should be almost over.

The drops of a Mutant.... Just thinking about them excited Shi Feng. In the past, the drops from a Common Mutant were enough for Guilds to drool over. Meanwhile, the Mechanical Slayer was a High Lord Mutant. Shi Feng couldn't even begin to guess just how amazing its drops would be.

Chapter 367 - asura

A series of notifications flooded Shi Feng the moment he logged into the game.

"There sure are a lot of people trying to contact me," Shi Feng slowly browsed through the notification list, discovering that a vast majority were friend requests or private messages. Among them, there were plenty of messages from high-ranking members of first-rate Guilds. Most of them wanted to acquire Zero Wing.

There were also a few first-rate Guilds who had messaged Shi Feng with different intentions. These first-rate Guilds stated that, as long as Shi Feng willing joined their Guilds, they promised to promote him into an elder position in their Guild immediately and offered him a significant percentage of the Guild's shares. Shi Feng couldn't understand these offers. Since when had he become so valuable?

"Even Feng Xuanyang sent me a message? Interesting," Shi Feng read Feng Xuanyang's message, feeling slightly surprised. Although he had yet to discard all pretenses with Feng Xuanyang, they were already mortal enemies; neither would rest until one side was annihilated. Based on Feng Xuanyang's arrogance, it would be a miracle if he stopped trying to dispose of Shi Feng. So, why would Feng Xuanyang contact him? This wasn't his style at all.

When Shi Feng opened and read Feng Xuanyang's message, he could not but laugh.

"Feng Xuanyang sure is quick to change his attitude. It's no wonder he was promoted to Underworld's management."

In the message, Feng Xuanyang had expressed his agreement to the conditions Shi Feng had previously stated. He was willing to invest one billion Credits in Zero Wing in return for 10% of Zero Wing's shares. As for the finer details, they could discuss that further once Shi Feng contacted him.

"What the hell happened while I was away?" Everything had happened too suddenly, and Shi Feng was at a loss.

The looting war in White River City should not have warranted such a change in Feng Xuanyang. There must be some other reason.

Although Zero Wing had become a major force, in the end, it was limited to White River City. There over a hundred cities in the kingdom. To first-rate Guilds, the gain or loss of a single city was insignificant. As for Underworld, they surpassed even first-rate Guilds.

Moreover, among some of the messages Shi Feng had received, a few of the major Guilds from the other countries in God's Domain had invited Shi Feng to their Guilds. They even offered very enticing salaries. No matter how Shi Feng looked at it, there was definitely something wrong with this situation.

However, even after a long moment of contemplation, he still couldn't figure it out. Hence, he logged onto the official forums to get a better understanding of the situation.

The moment he logged in, however, he was stunned.

Under the Star-Moon Kingdom's forum section, posts about Black Flame and the God's Domain Experts List flooded the page.

Star-Moon Kingdom's Top Player, Black Flame!

Appearance of the Experts List Top 500 in Star-Moon Kingdom!

God amongst men! One against ten thousand! Killing thousands and escaping alive!

Experts analyze of the various Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom. Zero Wing overall strength ranked first.

...

However, among the numerous posts, the most popular was titled "One-hit Asura" with a view-count of over ten million.

God's Domain Experts List Rank 481: Black Flame

Class: Swordsman

Title: Asura

Black Flame had undergone numerous great battles in White River City. He once successfully killed Lone Tyrant, the Guild Leader of Dark Star, while surrounded by over a thousand Dark Star members. Afterward, he fought several hundred elite players in White River City, killing every player with a single hit. Nobody could stop his mighty sword as he effortlessly annihilated over a hundred players. Shortly after, tens of thousands of players from multiple Guilds hunted him down. Not only did he paralyze those players with shock, but he also killed thousands of players by himself before safely departing the battlefield....

Secret Pavilion's Evaluation: One hit per person, possessing strength like a demon.

The Secret Pavilion hereby gives Black Flame the title of Asura.

Below the introduction, the post contained video highlights of Black Flame's battles.

"Black Flame is simply too amazing! He is the role model of us Swordsmen! I must take him as my teacher! I heard that the Secret Pavilion doesn't give out titles casually. It's a pity that Black Flame has been in so few battles. Otherwise, he would definitely get a higher ranking on the Experts List."

"You don't say? One hit per person. Black Flame even killed a Level 19 Shield Warrior with a single hit, and he only took a few seconds to kill over a hundred players. With such godlike strength and techniques, no matter how you look at it, he should not rank at just 481. In my opinion, first place should be just about right. The Secret Pavilion is definitely pulling some strings, so they're using the title of 'Asura' to divert people's attention."

"I had hesitated about joining Zero Wing before. Now, however, I've decided to head straight for White River City. I must join Zero Wing no matter what!"

"Hah! I've long since arrived at White River City. I heard that the benefits Zero Wing offers to its members are superbly good. The weapons and equipment available for trade are also top-tier. In particular, the core members' equipment is a feast for the eyes. You'll just be ashamed if you wear Secret-Silver Equipment in front of them. The lowest quality equipment is at least of Fine-Gold rank! Moreover, Zero Wing also has a Guild Residence. I hear that there are private rooms in the Guild Residence, and even normal members can rent these rooms. After I join Zero Wing, it will only be a matter of time before my equipment surpasses a major Guild Leader's."

Many players had begun discussing Shi Feng's title of Asura and the revelation of the various benefits that Zero Wing offered its members. At this moment, Black Flame and Zero Wing had become the most popular existences in Star-Moon Kingdom, and their fame far exceeded first-rate Guilds' like the Star Alliance and Ouroboros.

As Zero Wing did not recruit players outside of the city, White River City had become Zero Wing's recruitment center. Many players throughout the Star-Moon Kingdom began pouring into White River City, causing the population to rise suddenly. Unknowingly, Zero Wing had become the most dominant force in White River City.

While the reputation of One-hit Asura spread, many players also cursed Shi Feng as a shameless villain.

Shi Feng had lured the Mechanical Slayer to kill countless innocent players, dragging many players into the fray. These players claimed that Shi Feng should compensate them by handing over all the drops from the Mechanical Slayer. Meanwhile, these players cursing Shi Feng were all the subordinates of Lone Tyrant and the Guild Leaders of the various Guilds in White River City who had joined to take down Shi Feng.

After the looting war, their hatred for Shi Feng was higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean.

Any players who the Slayer had killed had lost two levels. They also had to wait one natural day before they could revive. Moreover, after reviving, they suffered a weakened state for two natural days. During this time, all of their Attributes had reduced by 30%, and their EXP gain reduced by 50%.

Dark Star had already suffered severe losses during the looting war. However, Lone Tyrant had never imagined that it was only the start of his nightmare. With this penalty, how Dark Star ever catch up to the other Guilds in the future?

The other Guilds were in a similar situation as well. At this moment, their eyes had turned bloody-red with rage. Just why had they so foolishly sent their members after Shi Feng?

Thinking up to this point, their hearts crumbled.

However, regardless of how much regret filled their hearts or how many curses they spewed at Shi Feng's despicable behavior, at this moment, nobody paid them any attention. Rather, they had set themselves up to become the joke that served to uplift Zero Wing's fame even further.

"So that's why. Rank 481 and a title. It's no wonder why even first-rate Guilds from other kingdoms and empires have made such grand offers. Even Feng Xuanyang has swallowed his pride and agreed to invest in Zero Wing." Reading up to this point, Shi Feng finally understood the reason behind all those messages.

There were countless experts in God's Domain. However, there could only be 1,008 players on the Experts List at a single time. These players were the at the apex in God's Domain.

Players capable of placing on the Experts List were also symbols of strength and status for Guilds. The more Experts List players a Guild possessed, and the higher the rank of said players, the more potential and strength a Guild would have. As a result, players on the God's Domain Experts List became targets for first-rate Guilds and various organizations.

Take Red Feather for example. Despite ranking only within the top 900, the Star Alliance treated him like their precious baby. The Star Alliance had even given Red Feather a certain percentage of the Guild's shares.

As for Shi Feng, not only did he rank within the top 500 on the Experts List and was the number one player in Star-Moon Kingdom, but he had also received a title from the Secret Pavilion. Naturally, he was quite valuable.

Just as Shi Feng was about to contact Aqua Rose and have her appraise the drops from the Mechanical Slayer with him, he suddenly received a call request from Feng Xuanyang. Shi Feng had only logged into the game moments ago, and already, Feng Xuanyang had contacted him. Feng Xuanyang's speed left even Shi Feng speechless.

Chapter 368 - lunatic vs lunatic

Maple City was one of the major cities in Star-Moon Kingdom's eastern region. Although its population was no match for White River City, it was not too far off.

At this moment, over half of Maple City had fallen under Underworld's control, and it was only a matter of time before the organization controlled the city entirely.

"Young Master Feng, do you really plan to contact Black Flame?" South Wolf asked curiously, watching Feng Xuanyang as he sat on the sofa enjoying delicacies.

Currently, Black Flame had become one of the great experts ranked on the God's Domain Experts List and had even received the title of "Asura" from the Secret Pavilion. He had now become an expert recruiting. However, Black Flame had once rejected their kind offer in the past, going as far as to toy with Feng Xuanyang. He had even ruined Underworld's plans. Based on Feng Xuanyang's personality, he would continue to plan Black Flame's destruction.

Now, however, Feng Xuanyang had actually taken the initiative to contact the Black Flame he hated so fiercely.

"There are some things you will never understand. Based on our previous investigations, that Mechanical Slayer was a very special monster," Feng Xuanyang said as he examined the compiled data in his hands, a playful smile appearing on his handsome face.

"A special monster?" South Wolf was confused.

"That's right. According to the information I have here, any player killed by the Mechanical Slayer had to wait one natural day before reviving. Even healers' resurrection skills were ineffective on these players. Moreover, the penalty for death doubled. After these players revived, they also entered a weakened state for two natural days. During this period, all their Attributes have decreased by 30%, and the EXP they can receive has decreased by 50%," Feng Xuanyang reported pleasantly as he lightly shook his head. "Do you understand what this means?"

South Wolf shook his head, growing more confused at Feng Xuanyang's words.

"Have you ever seen a monster with such strength?

"With God's Domain's basic settings, the stronger a monster is, the greater its loot will be. The Mechanical Slayer's loot must be stunning. There might even be many Epic items among its drops.

"Meanwhile, Zero Wing is the largest beneficiary from the looting war. They claimed more drops than any other Guild in White River City. Obtaining these drops could skyrocket Underworld's future development. However, it is simply too difficult for us to obtain them. Moreover, we don't have any concrete information about the loot. Trying to steal it from Zero wing would not be easy.

"Hence, I've decided to invest in Zero Wing. Although we would have to spend a large sum of money, when I become one of Zero Wing's stockholders, I can easily obtain any information I want. Afterward, I can just set up a trap to steal those items and, slowly but surely, destroy Zero Wing from the inside.

"Isn't it just money? I have plenty of that."

Feng Xuanyang was determined to join Zero Wing. Nobody could resist the enticement of one billion Credits. As long as he could get ahold of a small percentage of Zero Wing's shares, he could obtain all information relevant to Zero Wing fair and square. Previously, not only had Shi Feng acted so arrogantly before him, but Shi Feng had also caused his plans to support Dark Star to fall short. So, why would he ever let Shi Feng escape his punishment?

South Wolf trembled upon hearing Feng Xuanyang's plans.

Suddenly, South Wolf realized that he was still naive. His understanding of Feng Xuanyang was still too shallow.

Feng Xuanyang's plans were simply insane and terrifying.

In South Wolf's opinion, Feng Xuanyang's plans weren't related to the Mechanical Slayer's loot at all. Feng Xuanyang just wanted his revenge on Shi Feng. The drops were an excuse to take action.

To think that Feng Xuanyang was actually willing to spend one billion Credits just to destroy Zero Wing and get his revenge.... He was a lunatic!

"Young Master Feng, I'm not trying to overstep my boundaries, but we have gone looking for trouble with Black Flame many times before. We have hunted Zero Wing's core team. Now that we are trying to become the Guild's shareholders, won't he just reject us outright?" South Wolf said softly.

"Of course, I have already considered that. Although we were behind the attacks on Zero Wing, Dark Star stood in the forefront. I have never personally made an appearance. Although Black Flame knows the truth, on the surface, we maintain our pretenses with each other. Moreover, the reason I've contacted Black Flame during his time of glory is that I want him to think that I noticed his potential and that I am willing to pay any price to obtain him. That way, I can smoothly become a shareholder of Zero Wing without arousing any suspicion," Feng Xuanyang smiled coldly as he gazed into the wine glass in his hand. After taking a sip, he added, "Besides, is there anyone who would willingly refuse money? I've investigated Zero Wing's background. This Guild does not possess any sort of funding. If Black Flame wishes to develop his Guild further, he will inevitably need large sums of Credits. To Zero Wing, one billion Credits is like a heaven-sent fortune.

"If Black Flame is intelligent, he will set aside personal feelings and act logically. He has no reason not to accept my offer."

South Wolf's heart suddenly pounded. He never expected that his guess would hit the mark. Feng Xuanyang's true goal had never been to obtain the drops of the Mechanical Slayer. Instead, he only ever cared about Zero Wing's destruction. To put it another way, Feng Xuanyang planned to "incidentally" obtain the drops after he destroyed Zero Wing.

As fear began to grip South Wolf's heart, Feng Xuanyang contacted Shi Feng.

\---

"Oh? Vice-Leader Feng, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call today?" Shi Feng asked rhetorically the moment the call connected.

"Guild Leader Black Flame, regarding the matters we discussed during our last meeting, I have thought them through. Regarding a Guild with boundless prospects like Zero Wing, Underworld is willing to pay one billion Credits to become one of its shareholders. At that time, with the support of Underworld, Zero Wing will certainly grow to become the overlord of Star-Moon Kingdom's eastern region. Guild Leader Black Flame, when will you have time to sign the contract with us?" Feng Xuanyang asked, smiling.

"It looks like you have finally realized Zero Wing's value. Although your previous conduct was slightly excessive, I will be magnanimous and forgive you this time. Let's first talk about the shares, then. If there are no problems after our discussion, we can discuss a time to sign the contract. After all, the shares of the utmost importance to Zero Wing," Shi Feng said, expressing his interest.

However, the moment Feng Xuanyang heard Shi Feng's words, he very nearly erupted into a flurry of curses. The wine glass Feng Xuanyang had held, however, was less fortunate as it fell from his trembling hand and shattered on the floor.

Shi Feng spoke as if he thought Feng Xuanyang was a child who had done something wrong, and that Feng Xuanyang was currently pleading for Shi Feng's forgiveness. Why wouldn't such blatant humiliation enrage the proud and arrogant Feng Xuanyang?

_Black Flame...! I will...endure...today's matters... ! The moment I become a shareholder of Zero Wing, I will sign your death certificate!_ Feng Xuanyang inwardly swore as he suppressed his anger. As calmly as possible, he said, "Of course. Underworld will willingly purchase 10% of Zero Wing's shares for one billion Credits. We will also supply Zero Wing with 100 Gold Coins every week, as well as send a large number of experts and talents from various fields, allowing the Guild to become the overlord of White River City."

"One billion for 10% of the shares?" Shi Feng shook his head. Revealing a cold smile, he said, "I think we may have a misunderstanding. Vice-Leader Feng, do you know what 'times have changed' means?"

"Is Guild Leader Black Flame planning to reject my well-intentioned investment because of our previous issues?" Feng Xuanyang hurriedly said. "It was truly just a misunderstanding. I had no knowledge of the actions against Zero Wing. Lone Tyrant was responsible for those attacks. Despite my explicit command barring him from taking action against Zero Wing, Lone Tyrant insisted on doing so. Underworld never intended to strike Zero Wing."

"Vice-Leader Feng, you misunderstand me. I'm not saying that I don't agree to

Underworld's investment. However, one billion for 10% of Zero Wing's shares? Vice-Leader Feng, don't you think you're being a little too greedy?" Shi Feng shook his head slightly. He said seriously, "Vice-Leader Feng, greed can ruin one's life. However, seeing Vice-Leader Feng's sincerity, I will sell you 0.1% of Zero Wing's shares in exchange for one billion Credits. What do you think?"

At this moment, Shi Feng's tone implied that this was an incredibly generous offer There was no sense of disharmony in Shi Feng's words, and it sounded as if his every word was true.

"Black... Flame!" Feng Xuanyang's face immediately flushed red upon hearing Shi Feng's remarks, the hair all over his body standing on end and the blood vessels on his forehead surfacing. Feng Xuanyang was no longer capable of suppressing the rage within him. Word by word, he angrily bellowed, "Have you gone insane?! Why don't you rob a bank instead?!"

Shi Feng's offer even frightened South Wolf.

A 100 fold increase.... Even if Zero Wing had grown....

Chapter 369 - king's return

By demanding such a price, Shi Feng made it clear that he was still angry about Feng Xuanyang's previous actions.

"Misunderstanding" was just another form of deceit.

Everybody knew this. After all, if anything could be chalked up to a "misunderstanding," why would anyone need the police?

"Vice-Leader Feng, I'm really losing a lot with this transaction. If you aren't interested, there are many others who will jump at the offer." Shi Feng chuckled.

In fact, Shi Feng wasn't lying. Many Guilds and organizations outside of Star-Moon Kingdom had expressed interest in collaborating with Zero Wing. In addition, there were also major corporations who had offered high prices to purchase the Guild.

At this moment, Feng Xuanyang's complexion darkened, and his eyes flashed with a fierce chill. Even South Wolf, who stood by Feng Xuanyang's side, silently lowered his head, his legs trembling. He was deeply afraid that Feng Xuanyang would erupt with rage and take it out on him.

Whenever Feng Xuanyang was this angry, he would secure a painful ending for any who incurred his wrath. Meanwhile, Shi Feng had toyed with Feng Xuanyang many times now.

No one knew what Feng Xuanyang would do next.

After a long moment...

"Guild Leader Black Flame, I am very sincere here. How about this? In exchange for one billion Credits, I will ask for 5% of Zero Wing's shares." Feng Xuanyang suppressed his anger and expressed an extraordinary serenity.

"No negotiations. I will only do 0.1%. This is the very limit that I can offer. If Vice-Leader Feng is not interested, then forget it. I won't demand your acceptance." Shi Feng had only probed since he doubted Feng Xuanyang's intentions. He had not expected that Feng Xuanyang could actually endure his games so well.

Feng Xuanyang had always possessed a dominant approach. He would immediately take action against anyone who disagreed with him. Now, however, he actually controlled his anger to negotiate with Shi Feng. Why wouldn't Shi Feng be suspicious?

There must be a reason for Feng Xuanyang's attitude change.

Feng Xuanyang gnashed his teeth to the point of almost cracking them when he heard Shi Feng's reply.

One billion was not a small number. If he had to give away so much money, even his heart would ache. If it was in exchange for 10% of Zero Wing's shares, he could barely accept it. However, he could never accept 0.1%.

"Black Flame! You dare treat me like a fool! Sooner or later, I will make you pay this debt a hundredfold!" Feng Xuanyang inwardly bellowed. As long as he became one of Zero Wing's shareholders, he could investigate Zero Wing fair and square and insert his own men into Zero Wing's core. When that time came, he could crush everyone in Zero Wing. Hence, suppressing his anger right now, he said in a low tone, "I understand. I hope that Guild Leader Black Flame will not disappoint me. Let's sign the contract as soon as possible, then."

Feng Xuanyang's agreement surprised and concerned Shi Feng. Originally, he thought he could anger Feng Xuanyang and send the young master flying into a rage. He had expected Feng Xuanyang to break off their relationship completely, spouting a few curses and making some vengeful statement such as "not resting until one of them was annihilated" and the like. However, Shi Feng had never expected this ending. Feng Xuanyang had actually endured such an insult to his reputation....

Feng Xuanyang was actually willing to exchange one billion Credits for 0.1% of Zero Wing's shares. Unless Feng Xuanyang had truly lost his mind, he was definitely plotting something.

Considering the events up to this point, Shi Feng revealed a faint smile and said, "Vice-Leader Feng, why are you in such a hurry? I still haven't finished. Aside from the one billion Credits, I also want 50% of Underworld's shares. If you can promise that, I won't hesitate to sign."

"Black... Flame...! You're courting death!" Feng Xuanyang exploded. He was now fully aware that Shi Feng was not deliberately raising the price out of anger. Instead, Shi Feng was wholeheartedly toying with him right now.

Not only did Shi Feng want to sell 0.1% of Zero Wing's shares for one billion Credits, but he also wanted 50% of Underworld's shares.

What was Underworld? It was a force that far surpassed a first-rate Guild. Not to mention 50%, Feng Xuanyang did not even possess 1% of the organization's shares. Yet, Shi Feng wanted 50%.

"Vice-Leader Feng, you're not going to keep up the act anymore?" Shi Feng faintly smiled. "I wanted to play around with you for a little longer."

"Black Flame, don't think that just because you are invincible in White River City that I can't do anything to you! You underestimate Underworld too much! Zero Wing is merely the overlord of White River City! Meanwhile, the several cities surrounding White River City have already fallen under our control! It won't be long before I personally finish you off and eradicate your Guild!" Feng Xuanyang could no longer control his anger. Like a berserk beast, he let out a lung-piercing roar, causing everyone who heard it to shiver with fear. "Black Flame, originally, you could have had a billion Credits as your retirement fund! Now, you no longer have that chance! I will force you into a corner, bit by bit, and make you regret all your actions today!"

At first, Shi Feng was slightly surprised when he heard Feng Xuanyang's fury. In the next moment, however, he smiled and said, "I will be waiting."

Afterward, Shi Feng disconnected the call.

Although he had only said four words, his statement contained utter confidence and determination. Even Feng Xuanyang was slightly stunned, having no comeback.

Feng Xuanyang fully understood the meaning behind Shi Feng's words.

"Zero Wing is not afraid to start a war. If you think you're strong enough, bring it on!"

However, Feng Xuanyang was confused. Just how had Shi Feng remained so calm even when facing a billion Credits?

It seems that I need to speed up my plans, Shi Feng thought after he disconnected the call.

His surprise during the call had not been due to fear. Instead, it was because he had not expected Underworld's background to be so powerful. They had acted so quickly and had already conquered the cities surrounding White River City. If it were not for Feng Xuanyang losing his cool for a moment and revealing this information, Shi Feng would not have known how serious the situation was.

However, Shi Feng could now release a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had not discovered this too late. He could still prepare if he started taking action right now. It wasn't Underworld's iron grip on those several cities; rather they were under the absolute control of the Guilds beneath Underworld. Otherwise, Feng Xuanyang would not have tried to spend one billion Credits to bury Zero Wing.

Currently, the average player's level was still low, so interaction between cities was limited. However, when players reached higher levels, they would have to head to higher-leveled areas. Meanwhile, these high-level areas were close to the common borders between cities. At that time, Underworld could trap Zero Wing. With enemies on all sides, Zero Wing's members would not be able to level up safely as they would face the risk of an enemy ambush at any time. In the end, Zero Wing would slowly but surely be pushed into a corner.

However, thanks to Feng Xuanyang's temper tantrum, Shi Feng could act early to prevent such a situation. Otherwise, by the time everyone had leveled up, Zero Wing would be declawed.

Considering the situation, Shi Feng hurried back to White River City.

Upon his return, Shi Feng discovered that the area outside the Teleportation Hall had already been fully repaired. Meanwhile, many players wandered the streets. A majority of these players were independent. Whenever these independent players saw someone wearing Zero Wing's emblem, they would watch that person enviously, letting the Zero Wing member feel very proud.

As for the members of Dark Star and other Guilds, whenever they saw a member of Zero Wing, they would consciously avoid contact. These Guild players were no longer as arrogant as before.

Moreover, Shi Feng discovered that the independent players walking around on the streets possessed very high levels. These independent players were clearly above the standard of ordinary players. Currently, many of these independent players were trying to form parties to raid high-level Dungeons or grind in high-level areas.

Before Shi Feng had even left the Teleportation Hall, the atmosphere on the street changed. Practically everyone turned to stare at him.

"Isn't he One-hit Asura, Black Flame?

"Guild Leader Black Flame has returned?"

"Where?! Where?!"

"Wah! It's real! It's the real deal! He's just too handsome! Crap! I'm going to faint at this rate!"

Shi Feng was not currently wearing his Black Cloak, so he was easily and quickly recognized. Suddenly, everyone on the street grew excited. Some female players looked as if they would pounce on Shi Feng as soon as he passed, and many of them squealed in excitement.

However, before these female players even had the chance to pounce on Shi Feng, a group of players wearing dazzling equipment quickly swarmed over from a distance. The poorest-quality weapons and equipment these players had were Secret-Silver rank, and every one of these players was above Level 20. They all wore a six-winged emblem on their chests, and the appearance of this group immediately attracted everyone's attention.

This group of players was none other than Zero Wing's core team. In addition to these core members, there were also over a thousand elite members behind them. These players moved in unison, and the extraordinary momentum they displayed caused the players to make way for them unconsciously.

Meanwhile, all of these members of Zero Wing were here to receive Shi Feng.

"Guild Leader, welcome back!"

Aqua Rose, Fire Dance, and everyone else walked over, smiling faintly as they looked at Shi Feng.

This grand welcome left Shi Feng utterly speechless. He could only silently nod in reply.

Afterward, Shi Feng walked back to the Starstreak Trading Firm with the crowd from Zero Wing. Throughout their journey, the players of White River City had all promptly moved aside. These players gazed at Shi Feng with wonder as if welcoming the king's return.

Chapter 370 - legacy stone sword

Starstreak Trading Firm, third-floor meeting room. At this moment, all of the core members of Zero Wing had gathered here.

Compared to other Guilds, Zero Wing was more fortunate as it had a meeting place exclusively for its own members. Normally, other Guilds would have to use the temporary rooms available at the Adventurer's Association. However, those temporary rooms could only hold a limited number of people at a time. Other than the Adventurer's Association, Guilds could also pay a large sum to rent conference rooms at hotels or bars. However, only wealthy and powerful Guilds could afford such rentals.

"Guild Leader, we have completed all of the necessary preparations for tomorrow's recruitment. We can start as soon as the Guild Residence's construction has completed. In addition, here is the detailed list of tomorrow's tasks. Everyone can take a look at what they need to do tomorrow," Aqua Rose presented a list of tasks on the meeting table's system screen and explained them one by one.

Aqua Rose had long since prepared for Zero Wing's recruitment. However, when she considered the large number of players coming from other cities as well, she had to revise her plan. Moreover, she had also made detailed adjustments to the Guild's benefit system. Now, they would not have to fear the sudden influx of members overloading Zero Wing's capacity and harming the Guild's development.

Aqua Rose's list shocked everyone present.

The information Aqua Rose had compiled so impressively organized. They felt as if they were reading a university textbook. The section relating to Zero Wing's benefit system consisted of over a dozen pages. Moreover, Aqua Rose had carefully planned how they were going to counter the spies sent by other Guilds. To access more information about the Guild and its benefit system, members would need to be promoted to a higher rank within the Guild.

However, the lowest-ranking members could still view the benefits that Zero Wing offered, and they were enough to impress many players.

"What? There are actually 150 private rooms available for rent in the Guild Residence? I thought there were only going to be seven or eight rooms available."

"That's only what is available for the normal members. Look at the benefits for elite members. They can actually rent 2-star private rooms. Moreover, there are a total of fifty 2-star private rooms available. Just how huge is our Guild Residence?"

Many of the core members present were shocked by the information revealed. Their curiosity about their Guild Residence grew.

"Look at their surprise. If they knew that our Guild Residence is White River City's largest and most valuable residence, the Purple Sun Mansion, I wonder what kind of expressions they would make?" Blackie chuckled softly.

Although Zero Wing's core membership had grown past a hundred, only a few actually knew where their Guild Residence was located.

After everyone had their assigned tasks, Aqua Rose suddenly stood. Clearing her throat, she said seriously, "The next thing we are going to talk about is classified information regarding Zero Wing. It is also what that everyone present is most concerned about today: the loot from the Mechanical Slayer. Other than the people here, no one is allowed access to this information."

Everyone nodded nervously in reply to Aqua Rose's words.

Every player who had been invited to this meeting today had a huge responsibility to the Guild.

The Mechanical Slayer was extraordinarily powerful. So, the items it dropped were also extraordinary. The importance of the role these items could play went without saying. Whether it was competing for a Dungeon's First Clear or fighting in a Guild War, these items would definitely be of immense help a Guild's development. If the information of these items went public, not only would their enemies have an edge against them, but it would also rouse the greed in others. At that time, their enemies would definitely plot to steal these items.

Looking at the anticipation in everyone's eyes, Shi Feng slowly reported, "We have obtained a total of 102 items. Of them, there are 37 Fine-Gold items, 14 Dark-Gold items, 7 forging designs and recipes, 12 Tier 2 Magic Scrolls, 3 Tier 3 Magic Scrolls, 8 potions, 2 Epic items, and 19 rare materials."

"What?! There are actually Epic items?!"

"Awesome! With Epic items, our Guild will flourish in Dungeons! We can claim all of the First Clears easily!"

Everyone grew incomparably excited after listening to Shi Feng's report.

The large number of Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold items alone had greatly shocked the team. They could fully arm a 20-man team with so many items.

Just the thought of having a 20-man team fully geared in Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold ranked weapons and equipment was enough to give them the shivers. Not even first-rate Guilds could produce such a powerful team. Fully arming a team with Secret-Silver Equipment was already impressive. As for a 20-man team in Fine-Gold Equipment, that was simply impossible.

Meanwhile, if Zero Wing could establish such a powerful team, they would be invincible in 20-man Team Dungeons. The Dungeon Bosses would become pushovers. At that time, they could continuously supply the Guild with loads of precious equipment.

Most importantly, there were even two Epic items among the loot....

Previously, Epic items only existed in their thoughts and dreams. After all, since the launch of God's Domain, there had yet to be any mention of anyone obtaining an Epic item. Now, their Guild actually had two Epic items! Everyone's breath began to grow heavy at this revelation.

"Don't get too excited. Although we obtained quite a few weapons and equipment, the lowest level requirement is 30. The same goes for the two Epic items." Shi Feng smiled in response to their enthusiasm. He could understand how his team felt at the moment.

Epic items!

In God's Domain, they were symbols of extraordinary strength.

In Shi Feng's previous life, he, too, had been elated when he first saw an Epic item. After all, it was an item every player dreamed of having.

"I know that all of you are eager to see how powerful the Epic items are, so today, I'll let all of you have a look at them. While we're at it, I'll let all of you know that I do not plan to allocate these two Epic items to anyone in particular. Instead, I'll place both of them in the Guild Warehouse. However, only core members can see them. Once you have accumulated sufficient contribution points, you can trade your points for any of these two Epic items at any time," Shi Feng explained. He then presented the information of the two items on the screen of the meeting table.

[Song of Beatrice] (Staff, Epic Rank)

Level 30 - Level 90

Equipment Requirement: Intelligence 200

Attributes will be adjusted according to user's level.

Magic Damage increased by 25%.

Cooldown of all spells reduced by 20%.

Casting speed increased by 20%.

Spell critical rate increased by 15%.

Cast range +3

All magic-type skills +2 Levels

Ignore Levels +15

Durability 200/200

Additional Passive Skill: Song of Elements. All successful attacks have a chance to trigger this skill, increasing player's magic damage by 20% for 15 seconds. Does not stack.

Cooldown: 1 minute.

Additional Skill 1: Forest Sprites. Summons three Forest Sprites to battle for you. Forest Sprites can also be sacrificed to recover player's Mana. Each Forest Sprite sacrificed will recover 15% of player's maximum Mana.

Cooldown: 20 seconds

Additional Skill 2: Elemental Domain. All allies within a radius of 50 yards will have their magic damage increased by 15%, cast speed increased by 15%, and Mana consumption decreased by 20% for 1 minute.

Cooldown: 30 minutes

Additional Skill 3: Song of Sprites. Increases the effect of a specified spell by 300%.

Cooldown: 5 minutes

[Shadowcraft] (Leather Armor, Epic Rank)

Level 30 - Level 90

Equipment Requirement: Agility 200, Strength 150

Attributes will be adjusted according to user's level.

Agility increased by 25%.

Strength increased by 10%

Evasion +20

All Magic Resistance +20

Defend +4 Levels

Ignore Levels +10

Additional Passive Skill 1: Dark Shadow. Movement Speed increased by 20%. In dark places, Movement Speed increased by 30% and Agility increased by 10%

Additional Passive Skill 2: Rapid Movement. Agility increased after receiving damage. Agility increases by 5% with every 10% decrease in HP.

Additional Skill: Shadowless. Player can consecutively appear behind targets within a distance of 40 yards. Each use consumes one charge. Replenishes one charge per minute up to a maximum of three charges.

Of the two Epic items, the Song of Beatrice required 600,000 Guild Points, whereas Shadowcraft required 400,000 Guild Points.

One Guild Point was the current equivalent to around 30 Copper Coins. Even Aqua Rose and Fire Dance would require a relatively long time before they could accumulate so many points.

When everyone saw the Attributes on the two Epic items, they were all stupefied. The equipment they wore was simply too inferior compared to these two items. Meanwhile, when everyone thought about how they could trade Guild Points for these items, a passionate flame lit up in all of their eyes. The absurdly high demand of Guild Points didn't deter their passion at all. At this moment, they wanted to rush out of the room and start earning Guild Points immediately.

"You've seen the Attributes on these items for yourselves. As to whether or not you can trade for them, that will depend on the effort you put in. In addition, I also have some good news to tell all of you. I will reward Guild Points to the first 100 members in the Guild to get promoted into a Tier 1 class. First place will receive a reward of 50,000 points, so all of you, work hard." Seeing the high morale of the crowd, Shi Feng added more fuel to the fire.

Currently, not a single player had become a Tier 1 class in the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. The various Guilds around the kingdom were all focused on raiding the 50-man Team Dungeons in their respective cities. None of them knew the importance of Tier 1 players. Presently, only Shi Feng knew that Tier 1 players were the key requirement to raid a Level 20, 100-man Team Dungeon. In addition, Tier 1 players also played an important role in the competition between Guilds. The sooner a Guild possessed Tier 1 players, the more beneficial it would be to the Guild's future development.

This was the reason why Shi Feng had ordered his Guild members to level up quickly rather than waste time competing over the First Clear for the Level 10, 50-man Team Dungeons.

Everyone's fighting spirit soared once more when they heard Shi Feng's announcement.

At this moment, they all viewed their decision to join Zero Wing as the best decision they had ever made.

No other Guild would offer Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold items to its members, much less Epic items.

On the other hand, not only had Shi Feng made the items available for trade, but he also spent a large sum of money to encourage everyone to raise their strengths. Players would never find these opportunities in any other Guild.

If they could earn the reward of 50,000 Guild Points, even if they didn't want the Epic items, they could still gain several Fine-Gold or Dark-Gold items, greatly increasing their prowess.

After the meeting ended, the core members headed towards the Class Association to receive their Class Change Quest, afraid that the others would beat them to the top prize.

"It should be about time for me to upgrade my class as well." Shi Feng smiled faintly.

Shi Feng had wanted to take on his Class Change Quest for a while now. However, he celebrated the fact that he had not already done so. He would have regretted that decision.

Before the meeting started, Shi Feng had already appraised the drops from the Mechanical Slayer. In the looting war, Zero Wing had actually managed to obtain 103 items, not 102. There was one item Shi Feng had not revealed.

The item Shi Feng hid was none other than the crystal-encased ancient sword.

Shi Feng had kept it hidden because that item was simply too frightening. Even if he added together the value of the other 102 items, it would not reach even a hundredth of the Sword in the Stone. If others learned about this item, it would definitely cause a sensation to sweep throughout God's Domain, which was why Shi Feng had decided to keep silent about it.

The Sword in the Stone was neither a weapon nor armor. It was a Legacy Item. Moreover, the Legacy it contained was no ordinary Legacy. It was a Legacy Item even more powerful than the Magic Weapon Star's Reminiscence.

Chapter 371 - peak legacy

A Legacy hinted at a hidden class.

This was also one of the reasons why Legacy Items were extremely rare in God's Domain.

Previously, the fact that they had obtained the Astromancer's Legacy from the Blood Hand Association's stronghold had already blown Shi Feng's mind. Now, however, he had an even more powerful Legacy. Moreover, only Berserkers and Swordsmen could use this Legacy.

Shi Feng knew that the Legacy contained within the Sword in the Stone was more powerful than the Astromancer's Legacy was because of its unsealing conditions.

Violet Cloud's Legacy Item, the Magic Weapon Star's Reminiscence, required a Tier 3 Great Mage to help unseal it. Based on these stringent requirements, the Astromancer's Legacy should be superior among the many Legacies that existed in God's Domain.

However, Shi Feng's Sword in the Stone was far more amazing than the Star's Reminiscence.

[Sword in the Stone]

The sword inside the crystal faintly emits a power from the ancient era. It occurs naturally with no signs of being crafted. However, a frightening power had damaged this ancient sword severely in the past. If one wishes to awaken the power contained within and gain a better understanding of this sword, they need to gather the power of three Tier 4 classes and expend 21 Mana Stones.

Class restriction: Berserker and Swordsman

Not to mention the three Tier 4 NPCs, just the number of Mana Stones required was a huge headache for Shi Feng.

Mana Stones were extremely precious in God's Domain. Although they weren't as valuable as Seven Luminaries Crystals, they were not far from them, either. Mana Stones were rare materials required to craft Epic ranked weapons and equipment. However, the most dreadful aspect of Mana Stones was that nobody sold them in God's Domain. Only Bosses in 100-man Hard Mode Team Dungeons dropped Mana Stones. Moreover, the drop rate was a minuscule 2%.

Currently, throughout all of God's Domain, Shi Feng had yet even to hear news about anyone obtaining the First Clear of a Level 10, 50-man Team Dungeon, not to mention a Level 20 100-man Team Dungeon. Even Zero Wing, his own Guild, was only in the preparation stage of raiding a Level 20, 100-man Team Dungeon. Only players who had gathered 100 Tier 1 players had a chance of success in the Hard Mode versions of those Dungeons. In other words, it was simply impossible for Shi Feng to get his hands on a Mana Stone right now, let alone 21 of them.

The difficulty of unsealing the Sword in the Stone far surpassed the Magic Weapon Star's Reminiscence. Hence, Shi Feng was certain that the Legacy contained within the Sword in the Stone was far superior to the Star's Reminiscence. At the very least, it should be one of the Peak Legacies of God's Domain.

"I can only give it a try." Shi Feng smiled bitterly as he gazed at the Sword in the Stone inside his bag.

The awakening conditions of the Sword in the Stone were too high. Ever since Shi Feng had appraised the Legacy Item, he had constantly been thinking of a way to fulfill those conditions. He could not afford to wait until Zero Wing obtained the First Clear of a 100-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon before gradually collecting 21 Mana Stones.

If the Guild Leader of any other Guild stood in Shi Feng's place right now, activating the Class Change Quest of the Sword in the Stone would be nigh impossible. And ordinary players could never meet these conditions. Only after wracking his brain did Shi Feng think a way to awaken the Sword in the Stone early.

Soon, Shi Feng left the meeting room as well and headed to one of the forging rooms on the fourth floor of the Starstreak Trading Firm.

They had obtained a total of seven forging designs and recipes from the looting war. Of them, three were forging designs.

All three forging designs produced different types of Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, which were respectively meant for plate armor, leather armor, and cloth armor. Although these Basic Strengthened Armor Kits were a lot weaker than the Basic Mana Armor Kit, their effects only half of the latter, they were still very valuable.

After all, Shi Feng was not a dedicated Lifestyle player. He could not afford to spend a large amount of time producing the Basic Mana Armor Kits. Meanwhile, the supply of Basic Mana Armor Kits available on the market would not meet the demand. Hence, these three Basic Strengthened Armor Kit Forging Designs were extremely important.

At this moment, a knocking came from the door of the forging room. "Guild Leader, the ones you called for are here," Melancholic Smile said respectfully as she entered the room.

While Shi Feng had been busy, Melancholic Smile had grown to have the aura of a strong and capable woman. The current Melancholic Smile was already an Advanced Forging Apprentice, and she was only a short distance from her promotion to a Basic Forger.

Under Melancholic Smile's management, the Horizon Alliance, the Lifestyle Guild Shi Feng had secretly established, had grown to house over 3,000 members. These Lifestyle players had been recruited from various places. Currently, these members had crafted a majority of the products sold at the Starstreak Trading Firm.

Not even Aqua Rose and Blackie knew about the Horizon Alliance. In the eyes of the public, the members of the Horizon Alliance were simply players that the Starstreak Trading Firm had hired.

"Ah, come on in, then," Shi Feng nodded.

Following which, a man and a woman entered the forging room. The woman who followed Melancholic Smile was none other than the forging genius Cream Cocoa. She had already become an Advanced Forging Apprentice. Meanwhile, the man who entered with Cream Cocoa was a 40-year-old man called Roasted Ironheart. Because of his age, the Guilds Roasted Ironheart had joined in the past had looked down on him. However, after he passed the test set by Melancholic Smile and became a member of Horizon Alliance, he had poured his heart into forging items and displayed frightening talent. Regarding forging techniques, he was even more talented than Melancholic Smile. Currently, he had already become one of the Five Great Forgers of the Horizon Alliance.

After the two entered, upon seeing Shi Feng, Roasted Ironheart immediately grew cautious. Normally, Melancholic Smile was responsible for dealing with all matters within the Horizon Alliance. So, no one had ever met the true owner of the Guild. The members of the Horizon Alliance only knew that their Guild Leader was extremely mysterious, and he had actually managed to form a relationship with the Starstreak Trading Firm. Not only did this great personage possess frightening wealth, but he also had great talents such as Melancholic Smile and Cream Cocoa working under him. The members of the Horizon Alliance all felt reverence and curiosity towards this mysterious boss of theirs.

Today, as Roasted Ironheart finally met the mysterious boss behind the Horizon Alliance, his heart was filled with incomparable shock.

Originally, Roasted Ironheart had believed that the force behind the Horizon Alliance was a wealthy tycoon. However, he would never have imagined that proprietor of this Lifestyle Guild was actually White River City's, no, the entire Star-Moon Kingdom's number one expert, the One-hit Asura, Black Flame. How could this revelation not shock him?

Moreover, Black Flame was also Star-Moon Kingdom's publicly acknowledged number one forger.

At this moment, Roasted Ironheart's mind was a complete mess.

"There is no need to panic; I don't eat people," Shi Feng could not help but console Roasted Ironheart when he noticed the man's trembling legs.

Hearing Shi Feng's words, Roasted Ironheart nearly slumped to the ground.

The number one expert of Star-Moon Kingdom. The Guild Leader of Zero Wing. The great character that dominated White River City. There was simply no chance that a small fry like Roasted Ironheart could meet such a great character like Shi Feng. Yet, not only had such a situation occurred, but Roasted Ironheart was also speaking directly with such a great character. How could Roasted Ironheart not panic?

"Uncle Ironheart, relax. Our Guild Leader is a very kind and friendly guy!" Cream Cocoa said, smiling.

Roasted Ironheart silently nodded. After taking a long moment to calm down, he said, "Hello, Boss!"

Melancholic Smile and Cream Cocoa giggled at this sight.

Shi Feng had grown speechless at Roasted Ironheart's actions as well. He was not a monster. Why was he so intimidated?

"Alright, I have some important matters to discuss with you. I've called the three of you here today because of these." Saying so, Shi Feng took out the three Basic Strengthened Armor Kit Forging Designs. "Each of you will take one. Your task for this is to produce these items; the more, the better."

As forgers, Melancholic Smile's group was stunned when they saw the forging designs. They understood the value of the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits. By producing these items, not only could they increase their promotion speed to Basic Forgers, but they could also use these items to dominate the forging market and create names for themselves.

When the trio thought about how Shi Feng was actually willing to let them learn such precious forging designs, their hearts were moved.

"I'll leave these forging designs to you, so research them properly. If you can achieve a 20% success rate, then you can start mass-producing them," Shi Feng said.

Although the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits were not as difficult to produce as the Basic Mana Armor Kits, Advanced Forging Apprentices still had a low success rate. Melancholic Smile and the others would be lucky if they could successfully produce one or two pieces out of ten tries.

"Guild Leader, rest assured; we will accomplish this task! We definitely won't disappoint you!" all three of them guaranteed.

Following which, the three returned to their respective forging rooms and began their research on the forging designs.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng also departed from the Starstreak Trading Firm and hurried towards White River City's Bank. He planned to start the first step of awakening the Sword in the Stone.

Chapter 372 - five big cities

Walking in the middle of the street in White River City, Shi Feng had used the Demon Mask to change his appearance back to Ye Feng. The color of his ID reverted to white as well.

All this while, Shi Feng had used his artificial ID of Black Flame. It had been a long time since he used his actual ID. In a rapidly changing game like God's Domain, not only were there tons of new players flooding into the game every day, but there were also many experts rising and falling with every passing moment. Meanwhile, the duration of Ye Feng disappearance from the public eye had been long enough for everyone in White River City completely forget about him.

Throughout Shi Feng's whole journey to the bank, not a single player he passed by had recognized him. Although some players had glanced his way, they had not done so because of Shi Feng's identity. Instead, it was because of the equipment he wore.

The Magic Weapon Abyssal Blade and the Dark-Gold ranked Purgatory's Shadow hung from his waist. Even if Shi Feng had removed the two weapons' glow effect, when one saw the intricate patterns carved onto the swords as well as the flowing lights flashing on the blades, no one believed they were ordinary weapons.

_White River City sure has changed. Even the average level of ordinary players is almost the same as Star-Moon City._

Making a casual observation, Shi Feng discovered that a majority of the independent players wandering the streets were Level 15 or 16 and armed with a few pieces of Bronze Equipment. Shi Feng occasionally saw some independent players who were Level 17 or 18 and fully geared in Bronze Equipment with a few pieces of Mysterious-Iron Equipment. In the past, this sight could not have been found in White River City.

Suddenly, Shi Feng thought of an idea.

What if he transformed White River City into the heart of Star-Moon Kingdom?

Originally, Shi Feng had intended to develop a Branch Guild in Star-Moon City once Zero Wing was sufficiently powerful to compete for the resources available there. After all, Star-Moon City was the heart of Star-Moon Kingdom. It was a gem that incited fierce competition among the many first-rate Guilds. Star-Moon City was also the hub for elites. The player population there was simply immense, with no other city within Star-Moon Kingdom capable of being its rival. Meanwhile, controlling Star-Moon City meant obtaining the large number of elite players and resources there. A Guild's development in Star-Moon City would be much faster than in any other city in Star-Moon Kingdom.

However, when Shi Feng saw the current state of White River City, a thought suddenly came to his mind. Why must he torture himself to compete over Star-Moon City with all those first-rate Guilds?

Most players went to Star-Moon City was because it had far more opportunities for development. The city also contained many advantages that no other city possessed.

But, what about now?

Due to Zero Wing's existence in White River City and the fact that the Guild did not recruit members in any other city, many players had now migrated to White River City. As for the reason behind this migration?

Wasn't it because Zero Wing offered advantages that no other Guild possessed?

As long as Zero Wing offered its members more benefits than other Guilds, players would continue to flood into White River City. Moreover, as players' levels increased, their income would increase as well. Soon, the teleportation fee between cities would no longer be a problem. At that time, it was not entirely impossible for White River City to surpass even Star-Moon City.

"Hm? Is it about Underworld's inside information?" Shi Feng suddenly heard the arrival of a message; Absolute Heaven had contacted him.

Meanwhile, the Assassin's message was perfectly timed.

Underworld had already become the dominant force in the several cities surrounding White River City. As for how much control they possessed over those cities and exactly which cities they controlled, Shi Feng had no clue. Without that information, he could not take appropriate measures against Underworld. Shi Feng did not want to waste too much time searching for Underworld and subsequently ruining the organization's plans.

If he could find access to detailed information about Underworld, he would have a much easier time preparing for the future.

"There sure is a lot of information here." Shi Feng was inwardly surprised when he opened up the file attached to Absolute Heaven's message. The file was dozens of pages long, and its level of detail was above and beyond what Shi Feng had expected. An outer member like Absolute Heaven should not have had access to the kind of information contained in the file. Most likely, only those at Feng Xuanyang's level would possess the authority to know such information. "Did Absolute Heaven kidnap and interrogate Feng Xuanyang? I'm impressed that he could obtain such detailed information."

Now that he had such detailed information about Underworld, without wasting any time, Shi Feng quickly found a quiet spot inside the bank and sat down. He then started carefully reading through the file Absolute Heaven had sent him.

Two hours later, Shi Feng finished reading the final page. He could not help but exhale deeply.

"Although I already expected as much, I did not realize that Underworld is actually so terrifying. They control a total of 316 Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom's eastern region. It is no wonder even Gentle Snow is wary of Underworld." Making a rough estimate, Shi Feng guessed that Underworld controlled over a million players in Star-Moon Kingdom's eastern region alone.

Zero Wing's current member count was just over 5,000. To Underworld, Zero Wing was no more intimidating than an ant.

Furthermore, there were also the Underworld Guards, a group of elites that the organization secretly nurtured. Although the Underworld Guards only had around 400 members, each one was an expert. If they formed a 100-man team, they could effortlessly annihilate hundreds of elite players out in the fields.

In addition, Blue Frost City, Maple City, Gale City, Twin Lion City, and Coldstar City, the five big cities neighboring White River City, had all been dominated by the Guilds under Underworld's control. Moreover, these Guilds were not inferior to Underworld in the slightest. Without any powerful enemies, these Guilds had grown rapidly. Of these Guilds, Overwhelming Smile, the Guild holding dominance over Gale City, was currently even more powerful than Dark Star had been during its peak.

Without any obstructions, it was a matter of time before these powerful Guilds became the overlords of their respective cities.

"Underworld really is a headache. This situation is much worse than what I had imagined." Shi Feng wrinkled his brows and scratched his head, considering the situation carefully.

Based on Zero Wing's current strength, moving out and dealing with just one of the five cities under Underworld's control would be a massive undertaking. As for dealing with all five, it was simply impossible. Setting aside the disadvantages of fighting in enemy territory, Zero Wing would first need sufficient strength. With the current number of members Zero Wing possessed, it wouldn't even be a threat for any of these Guilds. For such an endeavor, not only would Zero Wing need to pay a large number of teleportation fees, but it also had to waste a lot of manpower and material resources.

As for Shi Feng himself, although he was strong as an individual, he wasn't strong enough to threaten an entire Guild with tens of thousands of members.

"I need to hurry and get my class change done," Shi Feng looked at the Sword in the Stone inside his bag, a sense of urgency overwhelming his thoughts of upgrading his class.

No matter how Shi Feng wracked his mind, he could not think up of a proper solution. The only thing he could do now was to increase his own strength.

There was a large gap in combat power between a Tier 1 player and a Tier 0 player, not to mention a hidden class. If Shi Feng could successfully upgrade his class and become a Tier 1 player, he could cause some trouble for the Guilds controlled by Underworld and buy Zero Wing more time to grow.

Following which, Shi Feng walked towards the bank's counter, retrieving the larger of the two Philosopher's Stones from inside his personal warehouse. He then retrieved a large number of Magic Crystals from the Guild Warehouse.

Guild members had come across these Magic Crystals while they had raided Dungeons. Originally, these Magic Crystals were intended for equipment crafting, but as of yet, nobody within the Guild could produce equipment that required Magic Crystals. Hence, a large stockpile had accumulated inside the Guild Warehouse. Now, however, Shi Feng emptied their stock.

Following which, Shi Feng returned to his forging room inside the Starstreak Trading Firm. He then took out the Philosopher's Stone and all of the Magic Crystals.

Mana Stones were originally born from the minerals inside Magic Crystals. If Magic Crystals were refined, there was a chance to obtain a Mana Stone. Hence, Shi Feng intended to utilize the Philosopher's Stone to refine Mana Crystals into Mana Stones.

However, Mana Stones were extremely rare and precious. The chances of obtaining a Mana Stone from refining a Magic Crystal were extremely low, and even Shi Feng himself wasn't very confident in success.

"Hopefully, this works."

Shi Feng then grabbed a transparent Magic Crystal with one hand and the Philosopher's Stone in the other. Praying silently, he refined the Magic Crystal.

Chapter 373 - alchemical synthesis

With his right hand, Shi Feng lightly tapped the Philosopher's Stone on the Magic Crystal in his left hand.

In the next moment, the Philosopher's Stone released a faint blood-red glow. Following which, the Magic Crystal in Shi Feng's left hand transformed into dust and scattered across the floor, leaving nothing behind.

A Magic Crystal, which cost 8 Silver Coins, was gone, just like that....

In the God's Domain, 8 Silver Coins were the current equivalent of a day's income for an entire elite team.

However, without even blinking, Shi Feng snatched a second Magic Crystal from the table and attempted the Elemental Refinement once more.

Two seconds later, another pile of dust scattered to the floor...

After over a hundred consecutive attempts and failing every time, Shi Feng stopped and reevaluated his actions.

"Is it not possible with Elemental Refinement?" Shi Feng frowned at the dust covered floor.

There were not many members in Zero Wing, so the number of accumulated Magic Crystals was not high. There had been only around 600 in the Guild Warehouse. Meanwhile, Shi Feng had not obtained a single Mana Stone, even after refining over a hundred Magic Crystals. At this rate, he would never refine 21 Mana Stones.

"No, it is just because the success rate is so low. Do I need to raise my chances before it'll work?"

"Mana Stones are the product of polymerization of Magic Crystals. Logically, it should be possible to refine a Magic Crystal into a Mana Stone. Is it because the Magic Crystal's quality is too poor?"

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng took another Magic Crystal and tested his theory.

This time, after clicking "Refine," Shi Feng thoroughly focused on observing the changes that occurred during the refinement process of the Magic Crystal.

After God's Domain underwent its first evolution, both forging and alchemy had become far more realistic. Moreover, Shi Feng was currently playing the game using a virtual gaming cabin which possessed a synchronization rate of 97%. Hence, if he observed the refinement process of the Magic Crystal carefully, he might discern the cause for failure.

However, the refinement process happened far too quickly. Even if Shi Feng had exceptional dynamic vision, everything still happened in a flash. It was too hard to see anything.

"System Recording, activate Full Simulation Mode," Shi Feng suddenly said.

System: Please hold for system identification...

System: Interface used by player detected as the Virtual Gaming Cabin. Full Simulation Mode is supported.

System: Full Simulation Mode has activated.

After the system activated Full Simulation Mode, Shi Feng picked up a Magic Crystal and attempted Elemental Refining once more. As expected, the Magic Crystal still crumbled into dust that scattered all over the floor.

Unperturbed, Shi Feng said, "System, play the video recorded through Full Simulation Mode."

In the next moment, a 3D holographic image appeared before Shi Feng's eyes, showing the exact scene when Shi Feng had attempted Elemental Refinement on the Magic Crystal.

Aside from allowing players to experience a synchronization rate of 97%, the virtual gaming cabin also allowed players to activate Full Simulation Mode in the game. With this function, the videos players recorded in game could be viewed as a holographic projection rather than on a flat surface. This function was unavailable to those who used both the ordinary and advanced helmets.

In the God's Domain of the past, if one were a Master Lifestyle player, they would have definitely purchased a virtual gaming cabin for themselves. They did so for the sole purpose of this holographic recording function. Through this function, players could realistically reproduce the videos they recorded. Players could experience what they normally couldn't through a flat-screen video, and this included the refinement process of the Magic Crystal.

However, the main purpose of the Full Simulation Mode lay in the analysis of enemies.

Players could record their battles with enemies to study their enemy's fighting habits, defenses, attacks, dodges, and other detailed actions.

After analyzing their enemies' habits and weaknesses, even if they were weaker than their opponents, players could take advantage of said habits and weaknesses to triumph against their enemies. In the past, this often happened in God's Domain. It was especially true for fights between experts.

At the same time, players could also utilize the holographic recording for self-reflection, improving weaknesses and discovering new techniques. This was one of the quickest ways for a player to improve themselves.

This was also why players who used the virtual gaming cabins improved so quickly.

In the past, Shi Feng had done countless self-evaluations through using the Full Simulation Mode, continuously improving his combat power. Back then, if he had used the virtual gaming cabin a few years earlier, he might have reached even greater heights. Unfortunately, Shadow had only a few million Credits. A single virtual gaming cabin cost three million. How could Shadow possibly afford a virtual gaming cabin? Moreover, even if they purchased one, Shi Feng would not have had access to it.

Following which, Shi Feng adjusted the settings of the holographic recording and played the refinement process into slow motion. That way, he could fully observe and analyze the entire process in detail without needing to waste Magic Crystals and stress his eyesight over and over.

After observing the process dozens of times, Shi Feng finally discovered the reason. "As expected, the Mana density inside the Magic Crystals is too low. I wouldn't get a single complete Mana Stone even if I used the Elemental Refinement 10,000 times."

Although Shi Feng had discovered the cause of his failures, he didn't have a solution. In God's Domain, there was no difference in quality between Magic Crystals. In other words, it was simply impossible to obtain a Mana Stone through refining Mana Crystals....

Shi Feng could not help his frustration.

If refinement could not work, then he had to go at it from another angle.

The only method he had left was to use Alchemical Synthesis, combining two Magic Crystals into one. Once the accumulated Mana inside the Magic Crystals reached a sufficient level, it would become a Mana Stone naturally.

However, how could Alchemical Synthesis be easy?

Even a Grandmaster Alchemist would struggle with Alchemical Synthesis. The price they had to pay would also exceed the value of the final product. Normally, nobody would willingly take on such a risk.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng was merely a Forging Apprentice. He was not even an alchemist, to begin with. His chances of successful Alchemical Synthesis were abysmal.

On the other hand, the Philosopher's Stone, an alchemy treasure, had such an ability. However, the Philosopher's Stone Shi Feng had right now was a defective product. He could only use Alchemical Conversion and Elemental Refinement, not Alchemical Synthesis.

"That's right! If one Philosopher's Stone won't do, what about two?" Shi Feng suddenly recalled the fragmented piece of Philosopher's Stone that he had obtained from the God's Grave.

The Philosopher's Stone had been broken into five fragments, so its abilities had greatly weakened. However, the Philosopher's Stone was inherently of one body. As long as Shi Feng could gather all five fragments, he could restore the Philosopher's Stone. Although Shi Feng did not possess all five fragments at the moment, if he fused the two fragments he had, it should become much stronger than one fragment alone.

"I can only give it a try."

Shi Feng had no other options. The Philosopher's Stone was his only hope.

The Philosopher's Stone had broken into five fragments of different sizes, and the abilities each fragment possessed were different. The Philosopher's Stone Shi Feng had obtained from the God's Grave was slightly smaller than the first one he had found. As it only possessed Alchemical Conversion, Shi Feng had not intended to use it.

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng rushed back to the bank and retrieved the other Philosopher's Stone from his warehouse before hurrying back to his forging room.

Inside the forging room, Shi Feng carefully combined the two Philosopher's Stones.

System: Do you wish to fuse the two Philosopher's Stones?

Shi Feng immediately clicked the "Fuse" button.

Suddenly, the two Philosopher's Stones transformed into a pool of blood-red liquid and fused. The liquid then solidified into a fist-sized blood-red pearl. It was no longer an uneven block of stone.

After the fusion completed, Shi Feng picked up the newly-formed Philosopher's Stone and checked its information. He wanted to know how powerful the Philosopher's Stone had become.

Chapter 374 - results beyond imagination

"Good," Shi Feng sighed in relief when he read the information displayed.

[Philosopher's Stone] (36% Completed)

Epic Rank Special Item (Dropped upon death)

A sacred item for Alchemy, the Philosopher's Stone can be used to turn stone into gold, revive the dead, and more. However, the Sword Emperor, Knight, shattered the Philosopher's Stone into five pieces. However, the Philosopher's Stone possesses immense strength. As long as one gathers the five pieces, it will recover to its full strength.

Active Effect: Due to being damaged, the Philosopher's Stone possesses less than a seventh of its original strength. It can only be used for Alchemical Conversion, Elemental Refinement, Alchemical Synthesis, and Elemental Strengthening.

Now that the Philosopher's Stone was capable of Alchemical Synthesis, Shi Feng should be able to obtain Mana Stones easily.

Just as he was about to begin the Alchemical Synthesis, a system notification alerted Shi Feng. Moreover, it repeated three times.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode Bone Ruin. Rewarding 10,000 Guild Reputation and 10,000 Guild Popularity. All players within the team will be rewarded 100 Reputation Points in White River City and 10 Reputation Points in Star-Moon Kingdom.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode Bone Ruin. Rewarding 10,000 Guild Reputation and 10,000 Guild Popularity. All players within the team will be rewarded 100 Reputation Points in White River City and 10 Reputation Points in Star-Moon Kingdom.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode Bone Ruin. Rewarding 10,000 Guild Reputation and 10,000 Guild Popularity. All players within the team will be rewarded 100 Reputation Points in White River City and 10 Reputation Points in Star-Moon Kingdom.

"What? The Bone Ruin is a 50-man Team Dungeon. A Guild has already defeated it?" Thinking that he had heard wrong, Shi Feng quickly opened the system message log to take a look. However, they had indeed cleared the Bone Ruin.

"Overwhelming Smile? Isn't that one of the Guilds controlled by Underworld, a second-rate Guild dominant in Maple City?" Shi Feng could not help his surprise. He then carefully read the member list of the team that cleared Bone Ruin. "How could they have cleared it first?"

There were over a hundred cities throughout Star-Moon Kingdom. There were simply too many Guilds and experts within the kingdom to count. There were also plenty of first-rate Guilds. Among the countless teams, the one with the greatest chance of being the first to clear a 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon belonged to Gentle Snow in White River City. On this, Shi Feng was certain.

Immediately after Shi Feng had entered White River City, he produced the White River City Guidebook. Gentle Snow had even spent a large sum to purchase the most detailed version, gaining a huge advantage over the other Guilds right off the bat. Moreover, to secure the First Clear of the Three Great Dungeons, Gentle Snow had assembled many of Ouroboros' experts in White River City. She even purchased multiple Fine-Gold ranked Arclight Shields and a large stock of Basic Mana Armor Kits from Shi Feng. Not even the core team of the most powerful first-rate Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom could compete with Gentle Snow's team in terms of personnel or equipment.

Yet, Gentle Snow's team had actually lost to a second-rate Guild like Overwhelming Smile. Although Overwhelming Smile received plenty of support from Underworld in the form of money and experts, the First Clear of 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeons was not easy to claim.

If that were the case, Gentle Snow would have long since claimed the First Clear of the Land of Death.

Moreover, in Shi Feng's memories, Overwhelming Smile had always been a very ordinary Guild. In the end, Assassin's Alliance took them out, and they were swept away by the torrents of God's Domain.

"Just what sort of secrets is Overwhelming Smile hiding?" In the information Shi Feng received from Absolute Heaven, there was nothing special about Overwhelming Smile. Despite Underworld going all-out with its support, even sending 50 Underworld Guards to help the Guild, Shi Feng did not believe for a second that Overwhelming Smile could take the lead in claiming the First Clear of a 50-man Team Dungeon.

Yet, Overwhelming Smile had done exactly that. This showed that Overwhelming Smile's team had an advantage that not even Gentle Snow's could compete with.

If Overwhelming Smile continued to develop without rival Guilds, in addition to Underworld's hidden support, even Shi Feng could not guess how powerful the Guild would become.

The appearance of the three system notifications had immediately caused a sensation throughout Star-Moon Kingdom. Previously, everyone had their guesses as to which first-rate Guild would be the first to claim the First Clear of a 50-man Team Dungeon. However, no one expected this result.

A second-rate Guild had actually accomplished what first-rate Guilds couldn't...

For a time, Overwhelming Smile had become the focus in Star-Moon Kingdom.

"I need to hurry as well."

Shi Feng clutched the Philosopher's Stone and started the Alchemical Synthesis.

No matter how powerful an enemy was, one's personal strength still mattered the most.

Shi Feng stored one Magic Crystal after another in the Philosopher's Stone. In the next moment, the synthesis bar began to slowly increase. The synthesis bar only reached 100% after Shi Feng stored 50 Magic Crystals.

Although Shi Feng could now synthesize Mana Stones using Magic Crystals, the Philosopher's Stone in his possession was still incomplete. Hence, the synthesis rate was only 50%.

"This item really is an alchemical treasure," the power of this stone awed Shi Feng.

If Grandmaster Alchemists could see this synthesis rate and the number of required base materials, it would leave them speechless with shock.

Grandmaster Alchemists' synthesis rate only hovered around 20%, which was already quite high. Meanwhile, normally over 200 base materials were required. Hence, nobody would willingly sacrifice high-tiered materials through Alchemical Synthesis. However, Grandmaster Alchemists paled in comparison to the Philosopher's Stone. It was as expected of a treasure of alchemy.

Meanwhile, Alchemical Combination was only a small part of the Philosopher's Stone's abilities. It was no wonder so many kingdoms and empires had gone to war over the Philosopher's Stone.

"Let's start, then." Shi Feng clicked the "Synthesize" button.

Three seconds later, an additional fist-sized gray stone appeared in Shi Feng's hand. This was none other than the Mana Stone.

"Awesome!"

After successfully synthesizing a Mana Stone, Shi Feng quickly added more Magic Crystals into the Philosopher's Stone, starting the second round of Alchemical Synthesis.

At the same time, Shi Feng had also contacted Melancholic Smile and instructed her to purchase a large stock of Magic Crystals immediately. With the stockpile Zero Wing possessed, he wouldn't have enough to synthesize 21 Mana Stones.

Even if the synthesis rate was 100%, he would need 1,050 Magic Crystals to for 21 Mana Stones. With only a 50% rate, he would need at least 2,100 Magic Crystals.

Shi Feng had previously used quite a lot of Magic Crystals, and he only had 508 remaining.

By Shi Feng's estimation, he would need at least 2,000 more Magic Crystals.

"Guild Leader, please tell me you're joking. You want to purchase 2,000 Magic Crystals? The current market value for them is 8 Silver Coins each; 160 Gold for 2,000 pieces. Moreover, this is the best and lowest cost. If we buy them in bulk, the prices in White River City will soar. When that happens, we'll need to pay at least double or triple the current price. Making a rough estimate, we'll need to spend at least 300 Gold to get 2,000 Magic Crystals." Although Melancholic Smile had always dealt with the purchasing of materials for the Horizon Alliance, this was her first time handling a transaction that involved over 300 Gold. She struggled against her sudden anxiety.

If converted to Credits, 300 Gold Coins would be over four million Credits. All her life, she had never even seen so much money.

"It doesn't matter. Just get it done quickly." Shi Feng couldn't care less about the potential consequences. His Class Change Quest took priority. Even if he had to spend 1,000 Gold to purchase the 2,000 Magic Crystals, he would not hesitate. By the time Melancholic Smile's group of three could mass-produce the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, it would only be a short time before he earned the money back.

After half an hour passed, Melancholic Smile delivered 2,000 Magic Crystals to Shi Feng. She had experienced the pleasure of being a wealthy tycoon.

Meanwhile, during this period, Shi Feng had also kept himself busy. After using 500 Magic Crystals, he had an additional six Mana Stones. In addition, he had also produced some Basic Mana Armor Kits for his Guild, as well as slightly raising his own Forging Proficiency.

"Hopefully my luck won't be too bad."

Shi Feng took the 2,000 Magic Crystals and started the Alchemical Synthesis once more.

He used 100 pieces... 200 pieces...

The new stock of Magic Crystals continuously diminished.

After using 1,650 Magic Crystals, Shi Feng had finally managed to collect 21 Mana Stones.

Chapter 375 - I'd like to borrow someone

"Now that I've got 21 Mana Stones, I only need the three Tier 4 NPCs." Shi Feng thought about where he could find these NPCs as he collected the 21 Mana Stones and Philosopher's Stone from the table.

There were only three Tier 4 powerhouses currently residing in White River City. If Shi Feng wanted to gather all three of them...

Even if Shi Feng were ten times stronger than he was now and became a Count of White River City, he would not possess the authority to gather all three of these NPCs to help him.

"I guess I can only try my luck in the capital city." Star-Moon City possessed the most high-tiered NPCs in Star-Moon Kingdom, and it was where Shi Feng would most likely get the help of three Tier 4 NPCs.

Following which, Shi Feng left the Starstreak Trading Firm and ran towards the bank.

His personal warehouse in the bank was the safest location to store the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone dropped upon death, and Shi Feng did not want to lose the treasure under any circumstances.

While walking down the middle of the street, Shi Feng could hear many players discussing Overwhelming Smile.

"Say, how do you think Overwhelming Smile became so powerful? They actually claimed the First Clear of a 50-man Team Dungeon so quickly. I heard that their Guild didn't have many experts."

"Yeah, I'm confused, too. Originally, I thought either Ouroboros or Zero Wing would be the first Guild to claim a First Clear. After all, the Snow Goddess, Gentle Snow, leads the team herself. Although Gentle Snow had neither accomplished any amazing feats nor is she a great expert ranked on the God's Domain Experts List, everyone knows about her frightening battle records. She's probably no weaker than Black Flame. Now, however, both of these amazing Guilds lost to a second-rate Guild like Overwhelming Smile."

"I heard that the equipment dropped in a 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon is amazing. The Attributes on the equipment are far superior than the equipment found in other Dungeons. Now that Overwhelming Smile has equipment from Bone Ruin, they will have a much easier time raiding Level 20 large-scale Team Dungeons."

"I heard that Overwhelming Smile has already become the overlord of Maple City. Moreover, they are currently mass-recruiting players, and the benefits they offer are insanely good. There is also proof posted online showing that someone recently invested one billion Credits for the Guild's development. Just thinking about that much money makes me drool. I have never heard of any Guild receiving such a large investment. I'm somewhat tempted to head over to Maple City to join them."

Players on both sides of the street were talking about Overwhelming Smile. Overwhelming Smile had destroyed the previous momentum Zero Wing had garnered.

Shi Feng could only smile bitterly at this sudden shift.

He had to admit that Overwhelming Smile's timing of obtaining the First Clear of a large-scale Team Dungeon was perfect.

Not only had Overwhelming Smile managed to spread their name throughout Star-Moon Kingdom, but it had also suppressed Zero Wing's fame.

However, this was only natural.

Compared to individual strength, players were more concerned about Dungeons. After all, Dungeons were the main source of equipment in God's Domain. It was especially true for high-quality equipment.

Just after Shi Feng returned the Philosopher's Stone to his personal warehouse, the system notified him of a voice communication request. It was Gentle Snow.

"Miss Snow, how are you?" Shi Feng greeted her warmly after answering the call.

Although the situation of Overwhelming Smile's First Clear had impacted Zero Wing, the one most affected by this result should be Gentle Snow. In order to claim the First Clear of the Land of Death, she had paid a huge price. Other Guilds could not compete with the advantages she possessed. Yet, just as she was about to harvest the fruit of her efforts, Overwhelming Smile stole the glory.

"Guild Leader Black Flame, I wish to discuss something with you," Gentle Snow's tone was indifferent; only she understood her current state of mind.

"Miss Snow, please, speak your mind," Shi Feng said, smiling.

"I'd like to borrow someone," Gentle Snow said.

"Borrow someone?" Shi Feng was confused. Ouroboros had many experts. They should not lack personnel.

"That's right. I wish to borrow Ye Feng." Gentle Snow nodded, resolving Shi Feng's confusion. "As for the price, I am willing to pay five million Credits."

"Borrow Ye Feng?" Shi Feng nearly stumbled. Just what was going through Gentle Snow's mind?

Borrow Ye Feng? Didn't that mean she was trying to borrow him?

Since when did he have such great charm to attract the attention of the Snow Goddess? Moreover, Gentle Snow even offered an astronomical price of five million to borrow him.

That was the equivalent of a famous gaming expert's annual salary. And she only wanted his help with a single matter...?

Wasn't Gentle Snow's opinion of him a little too high?

"I know that this is somewhat abrupt. Honestly, I initially considered asking you, Guild Leader Black Flame. However, not only are you the Guild Leader of Zero Wing, but you are also very famous in Star-Moon Kingdom. The implications for obtaining your help are too grave to ignore. Hence, my only option is to ask for Ye Feng's help, as he is only a member of Zero Wing. However, I doubt he will help me without your explicit permission," Gentle Snow explained. If she had any other choice, she wouldn't be asking. However, now that Overwhelming Smile had claimed the first First Clear of a large-scale Team Dungeon, this was her only option.

Listening to Gentle Snow's request, Shi Feng could guess that Gentle Snow needed experts. However, these experts could not be too famous, and the more hidden they were from the public eye, the better. Thus, she thought of the now-forgotten Ye Feng.

"Although I wish I could agree to your request, Ye Feng is currently busy an extremely important task. I'm afraid he can't help you right now, Miss Snow. How about the other experts in Zero Wing?" Although Shi Feng wished to help Gentle Snow, his Class Change Quest took priority.

"Other experts?" Gentle Snow fell silent for a moment, considering the idea. She then said, "It is possible if they are as skilled as Ye Feng."

"I'm afraid they have yet to reach that level," Shi Feng said definitely.

Setting aside techniques, if speaking purely in terms of weapons, equipment, and skills, nobody within the Guild could even come close to being a match to him. In terms of techniques, though, Fire Dance, Aqua Rose, Violet Cloud, and Cola might catch up to him in the future. It was especially true for Violet Cloud, who had improved leaps and bounds with each passing day. If Shi Feng hadn't had his decade's worth of experience campaigning in God's Domain, Violet Cloud would have left him in the dust by now.

"I'm afraid they won't do if they are not as strong as Ye Feng," Gentle Snow said, disappointed. However, when she gave it more thought, how could great experts such as Ye Feng be easy to find? She then asked, "Guild Leader Black Flame, how long will it take for Ye Feng to complete his task?"

Normally, an ordinary Class Change Quest required two to three days to complete. Meanwhile, Shi Feng's Class Change Quest should be a lot more difficult. At the very least, he would require three to five days.

"Around five days," Shi Feng said, giving a conservative estimate.

"Five days, huh?" Gentle Snow's brows wrinkled slightly. After thinking for some time, she slowly asked, "Guild Leader Black Flame, will five days really be enough?"

"Mhm." Shi Feng nodded.

Shi Feng could tell that Gentle Snow was carefully considering a very important decision.

"I'll have to trouble Guild Leader Black Flame to pass on the message, then. I'll transfer five million Credits into your account immediately." Gentle Snow sighed in relief upon hearing Shi Feng's confident answer. She then disconnected the call after thanking him.

Chapter 376 - great divine official

Based on Gentle Snow's tone, Shi Feng did not think that things were as simple as he had first imagined.

After experiencing a decade of battles and socializing between various Guilds in God's Domain, Shi Feng was no longer the young and immature student that he had been in the past.

This was merely the First Clear of a large-scale Team Dungeon. At most, Ouroboros would lose the chance to earn some fame. Such a loss would not greatly affect the strength of the Guild itself.

In other words, Gentle Snow must have made some sort of personal bet regarding Overwhelming Smile being the first Guild to claim the First Clear of a large-scale Team Dungeon. However, she had obviously lost.

"Five days, huh? It seems that I can't slack off." Now that Shi Feng had agreed to help, he would not go back on his word.

Unfortunately, even Shi Feng was not completely confident that he could gain the help of three Tier 4 NPCs in Star-Moon Kingdom. He needed to waste a lot of time to earn their assistance.

It was not easy to ask NPCs for help. It was especially true for high-tiered NPCs.

Following which, Shi Feng took out the pass to Blackwing City, teleporting immediately.

Being a neutral zone as well as a famous city in God's Domain, Blackwing City was many times stronger than Star-Moon Kingdom. Naturally, a lot of high-tiered NPCs would reside there. If luck would have it, he might even meet a Tier 5 powerhouse. One could not meet such an NPC even in the capital city of Star-Moon Kingdom.

It had been quite some time since the launch of God's Domain. The population of the game had increased rapidly. The number of players who had obtained Blackwing City Passes had also increased.

As Shi Feng walked down the wide streets of Blackwing City, he discovered far more players than before.

Among these players, a majority were the upper echelons of Guilds. Like Shi Feng before, these upper echelons were here to trade with each other. They mainly traded Hard Stones, taking advantage of the price difference to make a huge profit.

However, as more players began visiting Blackwing City, the potential profits would start to dwindle. This was also why Shi Feng had stopped Aqua Rose from sending her subordinates to cooperate with other Guilds. He planned to save the Blackwing City Passes, only using them to attend the Blackwing City Auction or purchase special tools such as the Frost Grenades.

In reality, aside from being a trade hub, Blackwing City had one other fascinating feature: the city's beautiful scenery. In the past, when God's Domain was in its middle-stages, many upper echelons of Guilds would frequently visit Blackwing City for leisure.

Nothing could beat the Stargazing Tower of Blackwing City.

The Stargazing Tower's interior was like a dream world; it looked absolutely stunning. In the past, many players even longed to spend the rest of their lives living inside the Stargazing Tower.

"It's been a long time since I entered the Stargazing Tower," Shi Feng muttered as he gazed at the distant tower that pierced the sky. The Stargazing Tower was one of the architectural symbols of Blackwing City.

Meanwhile, the reason Shi Feng had come to Blackwing City this time was none other than to visit the Stargazing Tower.

Based on Shi Feng's understanding of God's Domain's history, the Stargazing Tower of Blackwing City was older than the city itself. Blackwing City was established here because of the Stargazing Tower.

The Stargazing Tower was a monument that had existed in God's Domain before the Great Destruction. As for exactly when it had been built, not even Shi Feng knew that.

If there were anywhere in Blackwing City where one could find three Tier 4 NPCs at the same time, aside from the City Lord's Mansion and Magic Tower, the Stargazing Tower would be it.

The City Lord's Mansion was self-explanatory. As for the Magic Tower, it was the residence of many mage NPCs of God's Domain who single-mindedly pursued the limits of magic. Meanwhile, high-tiered NPCs had guarded the Stargazing Tower since ancient times. Hence, all three of these locations housed many high-tiered NPCs.

However, players could not easily gain access to the City Lord's Mansion and the Magic Tower.

Only a sightseeing spot like the Stargazing Tower permitted players to enter and leave as they wished.

The moment Shi Feng set foot inside the Stargazing Tower, he was met with cute little Elemental Sprites hovering and dancing around in the air. The center of the main floor contained a spiraling staircase leading to the top floor of the Tower. Despite the absence of sunlight inside the Stargazing Tower, a faint blue glow illuminated the interior. Moreover, the walls looked like the starry skies at night, glimmering starlight covering the pitch-black walls to create a mesmerizing sight.

In addition, the Stargazing Tower also possessed another mysterious effect.

Calming Heart!

Any player that entered the Stargazing Tower, even those filled with burning rage, would find tranquility inside this place.

At this moment, however, Shi Feng did not have the time to appreciate the view. Immediately, he ascended the spiral staircase until he arrived at the Weeping Moon Pavilion of the Stargazing Tower. Before Shi Feng could enter the Weeping Moon Pavilion, the two Level 180 Tier 2 Black Robe Knights guarding the entrance stopped him.

"Outsiders are not allowed entry into the Weeping Moon Pavilion."

"This humble one is called Ye Feng, a Demon Hunter. I wish to meet Lord Aslan Hartberu; can I trouble you to inform the lord?"

Shi Feng immediately flashed his identity as a Demon Hunter to the two Knights. As for his identity as the Viscount of White River City, it was utterly worthless here.

"Look, another fool is trying to enter the Weeping Moon Pavilion."

"I bet that he's a newcomer who has just arrived in Blackwing City. Everyone in Blackwing City knows that the Weeping Moon Pavilion is the most important place in the Stargazing Tower. It's where many power NPCs reside. I heard that there are many high-level quests available inside as well, and many experts have attempted to get in. But even after wasting a lot of time to become citizens of Blackwing City, the Knights guarding the entrance still chased those experts away. Does that newcomer think he can get in just by asking?"

The Stargazing Tower was well-known in Blackwing City. If a player visited the city often, they would know that the Weeping Moon Pavilion was off-limits to players.

Hence, when the players inside the Stargazing Tower saw Shi Feng's presumptuous actions, they all started ridiculing him.

"Outsiders are forbidden from entering the Weeping Moon Pavilion," the Knights ignored Shi Feng's identity as a Demon Hunter; the gaze they directed at him was as cold as before. They then moved to chase Shi Feng away.

However, before these Black Robe Knights could take action, a voice came from inside the Weeping Moon Pavilion.

"Let him in. I know him."

The two Black Robe Knights immediately halted their assault. They then opened the doors to the Weeping Moon Pavilion, allowing Shi Feng to enter.

"What the hell!?"

"Damn, that player actually got in!"

The players who had come to enjoy the show were all stupefied. Until now, not a single player had been allowed into the Weeping Moon Pavilion. Now, however, a newcomer actually got in...

The first floor of the Weeping Moon Pavilion was a large and spacious hall. The hall was filled with books and crystal tools. Meanwhile, the ceiling was made of a gigantic water mirror that reflected the starry skies of the outside world.

"You're late. You've kept me waiting for a long time. How are you going to pay me for my time?"

A crisp and melodious voice reached Shi Feng's ears. Turning around, Shi Feng noticed a female priest in white robes walking down the staircase at a distance. Meanwhile, this female priest who emitted a sacred aura was none other than the Divine Official Sharlyn.

Listening to Sharlyn's accusatory tone, Shi Feng suddenly recalled the scene back at the City Hall of White River City. Back then, Weissman had told him that Sharlyn would wait for him in the Stargazing Tower. However, as he had been preoccupied at the time and had completely forgotten about it.

"This..."

Watching Sharlyn's slowly approaching figure with a saintly smile plastered on her face, a sense of foreboding bloomed in Shi Feng's chest.

Moreover, Sharlyn was no longer the Tier 3 Divine Official that Shi Feng had known.

Now, she was a Tier 4 Great Divine Official!

Chapter 377 - unknown

Shi Feng stared at Sharlyn's information, dumbfounded by what he saw.

From a Level 8 NPC in Red Leaf Town, Sharlyn had first jumped to become a Level 20 Tier 3 Divine Official. Then she grew from a Level 20 Tier 3 Divine Official to a Level 180 Tier 3 Divine Official.

Now, she had grown even further, becoming a Level 200 Tier 4 Great Divine Official.

She was now on the same level as the Tier 4 Wizard, Weissman.

"Lady Sharlyn, I heard that you have been looking for me. May I know how I may be of service to you?" Shi Feng reluctantly asked after calming down.

Whenever Shi Feng encountered Sharlyn, he feared for his wallet. It was especially true when Sharlyn revealed that saintly smile of hers...

Shi Feng suddenly felt that he had come to the wrong place. If he had known that he would meet Sharlyn here, he would have definitely gone to Star-Moon City instead.

"I do have something I need you to help me with, but this matter can only be addressed inside the Weeping Moon Pavilion. Unfortunately, the Weeping Moon Pavilion does not permit entry to outsiders. You should know that I am taking a big risk by allowing you in. Seeing as we are acquaintances, I can help you pay half of the 1,000 Gold security deposit, but you will have to pay the remaining 500 Gold yourself. Otherwise, these Black Robe Knights will escort you out. Even I am helpless about this rule," Sharlyn sighed and shrugged, a helpless look on her face.

Shi Feng immediately cast a scornful glare at Sharlyn.

Again! She was trying to take his money again!

This was the first time he had heard about a security deposit for entering the Weeping Moon Pavilion.

He had only brought around 700 Gold with him this time. Yet, in just a moment, Sharlyn had relieved him of 500 Gold.

However, even though Shi Feng's heart ached, he had no choice but to pay.

Before Sharlyn, Shi Feng was like a helpless little boy. Sharlyn's senses were simply too sharp, and she would sniff out his weaknesses every time they met. This time as well, in order to find three Tier 4 NPCs to help him, he had to enter the Weeping Moon Pavilion no matter what. Although he had other plans he could use to try to enter the Weeping Moon Pavilion, there was no guarantee that those plans would succeed. Moreover, those plans would demand a lot of his time.

Reluctantly, Shi Feng took 500 Gold Coins from his bag and handed them over to Sharlyn.

"Why are you looking at me like that? This is only a security deposit. It's not like you won't get it back," Sharlyn said. At this moment, her eyes were completely glued to the glittering Gold Coins in Shi Feng's hands. With a slight wave of her delicate finger, the Gold Coins flew into her pocket.

Inwardly, Shi Feng flipped her off.

"Since this is a security deposit, why are you pocketing the money instead of the Administrator of the Stargazing Tower?"

As if having read Shi Feng's thoughts, Sharlyn smiled faintly as she took out a Silvermoon Emblem and pinned it to her chest. The words carved onto this Silvermoon Emblem were "Stargazing Tower Administrator"...

"Damn! Just how many jobs does she have?!" When Shi Feng saw the Silvermoon Emblem on Sharlyn's chest, Shi Feng understood one thing. He would never see that 500 Gold again. There was not even a trace of hope of getting his money back.

In which case, he had not just paid a security deposit, but an entrance fee.

Moreover, it was an entrance fee of 500 Gold...

"Hmph. Little dummy, did you really think that I'd lie to you?" Sharlyn tapped the Silvermoon Emblem on her chest, chuckling. "Alright, let's go, then."

Sighing helplessly, Shi Feng followed Sharlyn up the pavilion.

As for the Sword in the Stone, it would not be too late to ask for Sharlyn's help after accepting her quest.

The second floor of the Weeping Moon Pavilion consisted of a single wide corridor with many tightly locked rooms; it looked like an apartment complex. Massive stone doors loomed at the end of the corridor. Numerous images were carved onto the stone doors, and each image carried its own meaning and story.

Sharlyn pointed towards the distant stone doors, smiling as she said, "Beyond those doors lie the deepest secret of the Stargazing Tower. Do you want to go in and have a look?"

"Can I?" Shi Feng had always been curious about the Stargazing Tower.

In God's Domain, any monument that survived the ancient era was a massive treasure, not to mention a monument that had survived the Great Destruction. If a player could explore the secrets hidden beyond those stone doors, their path towards godhood would definitely become much easier. Unfortunately, Shi Feng had not been strong enough in the past, and he simply had not qualified to explore the secrets beyond those doors.

"Of course not! I should remind you that, without sufficient strength, you are better off not knowing certain things. Just like how you opened the entrance to the Endless Abyss. Now, not only do you carry a Stigmata on your body, but you also plan to gather the Seven Treasures. You are looking to get yourself killed. Do you know how many years the War God's Temple has spent trying to gather those treasures?

"Meanwhile, you haven't even obtained your Tier 1 class. Do you think it is even possible for you to accomplish something the War God's Temple cannot?

"They are only trying to...

"Forget it. There are some things you are better off not knowing."

Sharlyn sighed as she looked at Shi Feng, emotions such as pity and anger filling her eyes.

Suddenly, Shi Feng realized that Sharlyn was a unique NPC. It was no longer a matter just high intelligence. Sharlyn was almost human.

Following which, Sharlyn led Shi Feng to her own room.

Sharlyn's room was very simple. Other than a place to rest, bookshelves covered the remainder of her room. Rare, ancient books crowded the shelves, all of which would normally be impossible to find anywhere else.

"Sit." Sharlyn made a wave with her finger. In the next moment, a wooden chair appeared behind Shi Feng. "I've called you here because I have something I need you to do for me. People such as myself cannot complete this particular task; only heaven-blessed individuals like you can accomplish it. However, this task is extremely dangerous. Will you accept it?

"Of course, if you do, I can give you a chance to obtain an Advanced Legacy. This would help your growth immensely in the future. If you can complete this task, I can even make you the lord of a city. You will possess your very own fiefdom."

Sharlyn's words stunned Shi Feng into a silence.

He could obtain an Advanced Legacy just by accepting the quest? Moreover, if he could complete the quest, he could even become the lord of a city. Just what rank was this quest?

System: Do you wish to accept Sharlyn's unknown quest?

_It seems that I won't know anything about the quest if I don't accept it._

Shi Feng felt uncertain when he saw Sharlyn's grave expression and the unknown quest.

Shi Feng was very clear about the iron law of God's Domain.

Equivalent exchange.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward would be.

The Advanced Legacy alone was no trivial matter, let alone the reward of becoming the lord of a city.

Although he could afford to ignore the Advanced Legacy, the reward was something he could not ignore. Opportunity seldom knocks twice. It was now or never.

The term "becoming the lord of a city" did not mean that players would be allowed to take control of a city controlled by NPCs such as White River City. To begin with, these NPC cities would never accept the rule of players.

When Sharlyn spoke of becoming the lord of a city, it meant that she would reward Shi Feng with his own fiefdom, qualifying him to establish his own city.

Normally, when a Guild wished to establish their own city, it would first need to capture a town not governed by any kingdom or empire. The second option was starting it from scratch and establishing a town from nothing. However, that was much more difficult, and the resources needed would also be several times higher than if the Guild just captured a town. On the bright side, the Guild could determine the location and geographic advantages of the town.

Meanwhile, once they obtained a town, a Guild would have to develop the town over a long period before it could become a city. Moreover, the conditions for a town's promotion to become a city were numerous and very demanding.

However, Sharlyn's reward would allow Shi Feng to establish a city directly, eliminating many of the challenges one would normally face.

Chapter 378 - immortal crown

A city completely under his control!

This was a dream for Zero Wing.

Shi Feng had once led Shadow, a Guild that owned ten city-states, so he knew how valuable and how great the advantages were for owning his own city.

Although Zero Wing was developing well at the moment, its lack of a stable source of income for Credits was a major flaw.

Other first-rate and second-rate Guilds had support from wealthy corporations. These corporations would provide funding to their partnered Guilds, allowing these Guilds to develop steadily without worrying about a shortage of Credits.

Although Shi Feng had many ways to earn Coins in God's Domain, it was not easy to support a Guild with Coins alone. Moreover, along with the Guild's development and the influx of new members, its demand for Coins would increase as well. Converting large sums of Coins into Credits was not a suitable long-term plan to develop a Guild.

However, it would be a different story if Shi Feng possessed a city of his own.

Why were large corporations willing to invest so many Credits into a Guild? Wasn't it to earn money?

However, how were they going to earn money?

The answer was a player-established autonomous city.

If a Guild possessed an autonomous city, it could start seeking investors to rent out shops and such in its city. Through these investors, the Guild could then earn a large amount of Credits and Coins, thereby solving the problems of the Guild's future development.

Thus, Shi Feng was determined to obtain the rights to establish his own city. Even if he had to pay a huge price in the process, he would.

After a moment of silence, Shi Feng answered, "Lady Sharlyn, I accept your conditions."

"Good. I really did not choose the wrong person. Since you've agreed, the contract between us will be established from this moment onward." Sharlyn nodded and drew a silver rune in midair. She then imprinted the rune on the back of Shi Feng's hand and said, "This is a Spirit Seal, and it can be used to absorb Immortal Souls. What I want you to do is to collect 10,000 Immortal Souls."

"Collect Immortal Souls?" Shi Feng said, unable to suppress his shock. "You want me to kill 10,000 heaven-blessed individuals?"

When NPCs spoke of heaven-blessed individuals, they were referring to players. Players were immortal existences in God's Domain, and they could resurrect infinitely at the cost of some levels and EXP. This was all due to the souls of players being immortal.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng could only obtain the Immortal Soul from the corpse of a player. Moreover, Shi Feng needed to meet a few requirements before he could absorb the Immortal Soul of another player. First, he could not be 5 levels higher or lower than the target player. Second, he needed to kill the target player personally. Lastly, upon the target player's death, the distance between Shi Feng and the player could not exceed 10 yards. If he failed to meet any of these conditions, he would not absorb the player's Immortal Soul.

For the NPCs of God's Domain, absorbing the Immortal Souls of heaven-blessed individuals was taboo. If Shi Feng were discovered doing so, no one, NPCs or players, would hold back from killing him.

As to why players would try to kill Shi Feng as well, it was because any players who lost their Immortal Souls would be barred from logging into the game for a long time. It was a punishment more severe than the penalty for death. Hence, there was no leeway for Shi Feng if he were caught in the act.

"I never thought you would know about Immortal Souls. That's right. I require you to kill heaven-blessed individuals and collect their Immortal Souls," Sharlyn stated, slightly surprised that Shi Feng actually knew about Immortal Souls. However, she had not planned to hide this fact, to begin with. "I know that I am making things very difficult for you by requesting such a thing, but we cannot repair the Immortal Crown without Immortal Souls.

"The Immortal Crown was originally a Divine Artifact used to suppress all evil beings. However, the crown was damaged the last time it was used to suppress the Endless Abyss. Meanwhile, the Stargazing Tower has already collected the other materials required to repair the Immortal Crown, and right now, we are only missing Immortal Souls. Initially, I called you here to help me collect Immortal Souls gradually.

"However, I had not expected the Endless Abyss to escape its confinement so soon. The Endless Abyss is simply too powerful. Without the Immortal Crown, we have no chance of resisting the invasion of the Endless Abyss. Since you started this scourge, naturally, you will have to take responsibility for it. In order to repair the Immortal Crown quickly, we need a large number of Immortal Souls. However, I do not want others to know of this, so I have no choice but to ask you to complete this task by yourself.

"The magic array that keeps the Endless Abyss in place will not last long. By my estimation, it will hold out for another three months. In three months, we will have no choice but to face the Endless Abyss directly. Hence, you must collect 10,000 Immortal Souls within that time.

"However, it won't be easy, which is why I asked you to meet me here. There are many Legacies within the Stargazing Tower. As long as you can pass the test of one of those Legacies, you will have a much easier time collecting the Immortal Souls."

System: You have accepted the Epic Hidden Quest "Immortal Crown."

Quest details: You are required to collect 10,000 Immortal Souls within three months. If you fail to do so, your soul will be cursed and barred from logging into God's Domain for one month. In addition, your soul will enter a weakened state for three months, decreasing your Attributes by 90% during this period.

Shi Feng's head started to ache after reading this quest notification.

To put it simply, failure meant hell!

Failing this quest would deal a heavy blow. If he could not log into God's Domain for a month, just how far would he fall behind? Also, even after he could log back into God's Domain, with all of his Attributes decreased by 90%, how was he even supposed to play the game?

"With your current level, you already qualify to accept an Advanced Legacy. Will you the Advanced Legacy's trial right now, or do you wish to challenge it after taking some time to prepare?" Sharlyn asked patiently as she watched Shi Feng. "Oh, I should remind you that Advanced Legacies are extremely precious. Even with my status, I can only give you one chance. You must be careful. If you are not confident in succeeding, it is best to challenge it at another time.

"The trial of an Advanced Legacy is no less difficult than an Epic Quest.

"If you think that an Advanced Legacy will be too difficult for you, I can offer an Intermediate Legacy. Not only will the difficulty decrease, but you will also have three chances to complete it."

Sharlyn explained the options patiently. Shi Feng understood her intentions.

In God's Domain, a class change was the equivalent of obtaining the Legacy of a higher tiered class. Meanwhile, a majority of the players in God's Domain would normally receive their Class Change Quest from the Class Association in their respective city. By doing so, players would be challenging Basic Legacies.

Intermediate Legacies were one rank above Basic Legacies. Intermediate Legacies were relatively rare in God's Domain, and normally, these Legacies allowed players to obtain a common hidden class.

Advanced Legacies were one rank higher. Advanced Legacies were extremely rare, and players could take on a rare, hidden class. Astromancer was one of these rare, hidden classes.

Peak Legacies were one rank higher than Advanced Legacies. In God's Domain, Peak Legacies were like phoenix's feathers. Even the Stargazing Tower should not possess such a Legacy.

In Shi Feng's decade of playing God's Domain, he had only seen a few people obtain Peak Legacies.

After giving it some thought, Shi Feng said earnestly, "Lady Sharlyn, can I pass this chance to another person?"

To Shi Feng, an Advanced Legacy held little significance. After all, he possessed the Sword in the Stone, a Legacy Item containing a Peak Legacy. How could he give up on a Peak Legacy to accept an Advanced Legacy?

Chapter 379 - awaken

Shi Feng's question stunned Sharlyn. She looked at Shi Feng, surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes.

What were Advanced Legacies?

A heaven-blessed individual could only come across an opportunity like this if they were lucky. They'd never find an Advanced Legacy by searching alone.

Even if one tried to trade ten Epic items, they could never afford it. Even she, the manager of the Stargazing Tower, had paid a massive price to obtain this one chance to challenge an Advanced Legacy.

Yet, Shi Feng wanted to give this precious chance to someone else...

"The Legacies of the Stargazing Tower cannot be passed to others. If you do not wish to accept the Legacy, I can give you an Epic item as compensation instead," Sharlyn said, shaking her head.

The words "Epic Item" were tempting.

However, Shi Feng was not satisfied.

"Lady Sharlyn, may I exchange the Advanced Legacy for a favor from you?" Shi Feng asked once more.

"A favor?" Sharlyn grinned. Chuckling, she said, "Little dummy, do you know how valuable an Advanced Legacy is? And you want to trade it for a favor? Don't tell me you want Big Sister to...."

Looking at Sharlyn's blushing cheeks, sweat streamed down Shi Feng's forehead. Hurriedly he said, "Don't get the wrong idea. You mustn't misunderstand me. I only want you to awaken an item for me. Only Tier 4 classes can awaken it."

"Awaken an item?" Sharlyn was suddenly interested. She then focused on Shi Feng, thoroughly scanning his body from top to bottom. Her eyes widened in surprise when her gaze landed on the bag hanging from Shi Feng's waist. With a teasing laugh, she said, "I don't see anything on your body that needs to be awakened, though. You can't be asking me to wake that withered dragon hanging from your waist, right?"

Based on Sharlyn's comment, Shi Feng had finally confirmed something.

Sharlyn could see the contents of his bag. This was how Sharlyn could always squeeze him dry every time they met.

"Hm? She hasn't discovered it?" Shi Feng felt that something amiss when he saw Sharlyn's ridiculing smile.

Since she could see the contents of his bag, why didn't she discover the extraordinary power within the Sword in the Stone?

If a Tier 0 player like himself could see it, how could a Tier 4 Great Divine Official not?

Thus, Shi Feng removed the Sword in the Stone from his bag.

Sharlyn, who had still been chuckling, immediately became serious upon the appearance of the Sword in the Stone; she was no longer laughing. Indescribable emotions flashed in her eyes as she fixed her gaze on the crystal-encased sword in Shi Feng's hands.

Sharlyn reacted as if the sword in Shi Feng's hands had suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Just what is this? It actually escaped the detection of my Eyes of God." Sharlyn was momentarily surprised. Even as she looked directly at the sword, her Eyes of God could not discern any information. It was as if the sword before her did not exist.

Eyes of God was a Tier 3 advanced detection spell, and even Legendary items could not escape its detection. Yet, the Sword in the Stone had actually....

"Can I have a closer look at it?" Sharlyn asked, her curiosity reaching its peak.

Shi Feng did not reject Sharlyn's request, handing the Sword in the Stone over to her.

The moment Sharlyn received the sword, she immediately cast over a dozen spells in quick succession. Every time one of her spells faded, Sharlyn's expression would grow slightly more serious.

"Amazing. It seems that I'll have to use my true abilities." Sharlyn smiled. Suddenly, a terrifying amount of Mana burst forth from her body, and in the next instant, Sharlyn's Holy Light Domain had devoured the room.

Simultaneously, two golden magic arrays appeared on both the ceiling and the floor.

Shi Feng immediately felt his body grow heavy, the Mana in the room rendering him immobile. Sharlyn's Holy Light Domain was much stronger than the Tier 4 Sky Piercer Weissman had used against the Mechanical Slayer.

At this moment, Shi Feng had finally realized just how powerful Sharlyn was. It was no wonder why she could casually offer him the qualifications to establish his own city.

However, Sharlyn was not done after summoning the twofold magic array, as her hands continuously drew line after line of divine runes in the air. After a short moment, the twofold magic array became a fourfold magic array, before finally becoming a sixfold magic array.

At this moment, magic arrays covered all six sides of Sharlyn's room.

The Tier 4 Sky Piercer Weissman had used only required a fourfold magic array to channel it. Yet, the spell Sharlyn channeled now required a sixfold magic array. At the very least, Sharlyn's spell should be a Peak Tier 4 spell.

Although Shi Feng did not know what Sharlyn was trying to do, he felt incredibly fortunate. It seemed that asking Sharlyn to help him was the right choice after all. If Sharlyn could summon such a powerful magic array, her position in the Stargazing Tower should be relatively high. She might even be able to invite three Tier 4 NPCs to help him awaken the Sword in the Stone.

At this moment, the runes Sharlyn drew seeped into the Stone in the Sword, which floated in midair.

After another few minutes had passed, the golden divine runes separated from the Stone in the Sword and flew into Sharlyn's palm, forming a golden ball. Following which, the magic arrays disappeared from the room, and the Stone in the Sword landed in Sharlyn's hand once more.

However, Sharlyn paid no attention to the Sword in the Stone. Instead, she focused the ball of divine runes, seemingly studying it.

"How could this be?" Sharlyn muttered in utter disbelief. "Not even Divine Appraisal, a Peak Tier 4 spell, can analyze this sword?"

"To think that you have such an item, I have really underestimated you. Even after exhausting every option I have, I still can't uncover a single thing about this item. How did you learn that this thing requires Tier 4 classes to awaken it?" Sharlyn asked. By this time, she had completely given up on analyzing the Stone in the Sword.

"I..." Shi Feng wondered the same thing. "I have simply used Omniscient Eyes."

Sharlyn couldn't uncover even basic information about the Sword in the Stone?

Just what kind of item was this?

"Omniscient Eyes? Impossible. I couldn't analyze the sword even when I tried using the Eyes of God." Sharlyn shook her head, slightly surprised by Shi Feng's answer. However, she suddenly thought of a possibility. "Don't tell me you have a Golden Stigmata!"

"Mhm." Shi Feng nodded.

"No wonder!" Sharlyn revealed a faint smile. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, little dummy? Throughout God's Domain, the Omniscient Eyes of the Golden Stigmata is only inferior to the Eyes of Truth. I really did not expect the War God's Temple to be so generous as to give you a Golden Stigmata.

"Tell me, then. What are the conditions to awaken this item?" Sharlyn inquired as she pointed at the Sword in the Stone.

"Twenty-one Mana Stones and three Tier 4 classes are needed to awaken the power slumbering within this sword," Shi Feng recited the information he could see using the Omniscient Eyes.

"Little dummy, don't tell me you have 21 Mana Stones inside that bag of yours. Even Big Sister here doesn't have that many of them." Sharlyn's eyes glowed as she looked at Shi Feng. Stretching out her jade-like hand, she said, "Out with them, then."

"This... I only have 21 pieces." Shi Feng instantly panicked.

"What kind of person do you take me for?" Sharlyn rolled her eyes at the sight of Shi Feng's caution. She then said, "Relax; I won't rob you. I just want to awaken the power inside this sword."

"It needs three Tier 4 classes to awaken this sword," Shi Feng reminded, unwilling to hand over the Mana Stones.

"I know. However, do you think Tier 4 powerhouses have the time and energy to help you?" Sharlyn said, disgruntled. "This sword is no trivial matter. Fortunately, you met me. Otherwise, even if you found three Tier 4 powerhouses, they wouldn't help you. Their answers wouldn't change even if you offer each of them a Fragmented Legendary item."

Chapter 380 - Destroyer of immortality

"They won't help me even if I offer each of them a Fragmented Legendary item?" Shi Feng was taken aback.

He did not think Sharlyn was lying.

He had personally witnessed how extraordinary the Sword in the Stone was. Even Sharlyn, a Tier 4 Great Divine Official, could not uncover its secrets. Meanwhile, he had only obtained the Golden Stigmata due to luck. Otherwise, he would have never known that the Sword in the Stone was a Legacy Item.

"Fortunately, I made the trip here. Otherwise, I would have missed my chance." Shi Feng inwardly celebrated his luck as he looked at the Sword in the Stone.

Originally, Shi Feng had thought he only needed to hire three Tier 4 NPCs to help him. Now, it would seem that even if he found three Tier 4 NPC powerhouses, there was no price he could pay to gain their help.

Based on Sharlyn had said, however, even if he could afford the price, he still couldn't awaken the power within the Sword in the Stone.

"Alright, let's begin. I, too, want to see just what sort of item this is. Little dummy, stand back."

Sharlyn was greatly interested in the Sword in the Stone right now. After saying so, Sharlyn tossed the 21 Mana Stones into the air and started chanting an incantation. The 21 Mana Stones suddenly split up and flew in all directions. Fortunately, Sharlyn's room was sufficiently large. After the Mana Stones flew 20 yards, they immediately stopped, hovering in the air. The Mana Stones then started to spin slowly. In the next moment, silvery-white light shone from under their feet.

Shi Feng immediately distanced himself from the magic array that appeared, watching silently from afar.

As the 21 floating Mana Stones rotated, the Sword in the Stone hovered in the center of the magic array.

Sharlyn then shouted. Suffocatingly dense Mana filled the room, buzzing.

As if unable to withstand this immense pressure, the 21 Mana Stones immediately shattered into dust, forming clouds of gray smoke that flowed into the Sword in the Stone.

When the Sword in the Stone completely absorbed one of the Mana Stones, the Legacy Item emitted a thumping sound that resembled a heartbeat.

Shi Feng even wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him at first.

However, as more Mana Stones fused with the sword, the thumping became much louder and more powerful. It was as if the disintegrated Mana Stones were waking an ancient beast from its deep slumber.

However, as Mana Stones continued to drift into the sword, Sharlyn, who currently stood inside the magic array, grew weaker.

By the time the seventh Mana Stone fused with the sword, Shi Feng could clearly feel that only half of the terrifying Mana that filled the room remained. At this moment, Sharlyn had also greatly weakened. As the fourteenth Mana Stone melded with the sword, Sharlyn began to grow pale. When the twenty-first and last Mana Stone fused with the sword, Sharlyn wavered. A gentle breeze could send her tumbling to the floor.

At this moment, Shi Feng finally realized that it was not easy to awaken the Sword in the Stone.

Channeling a single magic array had weakened a Tier 4 powerhouse to such a degree. It was no wonder why Sharlyn had said that no Tier 4 powerhouse would agree to aid him, even if offered a Fragmented Legendary item.

Sharlyn's power stunned Shi Feng.

She had managed to complete a task that required three Tier 4 classes. Her strength was simply too frightening.

"Just who is she?" Shi Feng grew curious about Sharlyn's identity.

It was impossible for an ordinary NPC to grow so quickly. Moreover, back in the God's Grave, Shi Feng saw a woman who looked exactly like Sharlyn. Although Sharlyn's strength could not compete with that slumbering woman's, the aura the two gave off felt exactly the same; the intensity was the only difference.

While Shi Feng pondered Sharlyn's identity, the awakening ritual had come to an end. The silver magic array that covered the floor vanished.

"Boom!"

The Sword in the Stone hovering in the air suddenly fell, half its blade sinking into the floor.

"Sharp!"

Sharlyn, who was currently unstable from the drain of Mana, could not hold back her shock when she saw the blade slide smoothly into the floor.

Not even the Great Destruction had managed to destroy the Stargazing Tower. The strongest and highest quality materials had gone into this monument's construction. Magic arrays reinforced the building further. A full-powered blow from a Tier 4 Sword Emperor armed with a Legendary ranked sword could not even scratch the floor. Yet, the hovering Sword in the Stone sunk effortlessly into the wood.

By now, the transparent crystal encasing the sword had completely disappeared. Only a sword with a golden hilt and guard remained, with a blade that was as pure and clear as a diamond.

"Impossible! This is actually... the Destroyer of Immortality!" Sharlyn was tongue-tied when she read the Sword in the Stone's information, which was now fully visible.

[Destroyer of Immortality]

A creation born of nature, containing unrivaled power. Although it was greatly damaged during the war between the Ancient Gods, it had absorbed some of their powers. If one can master this blade, they will obtain a trace of the Ancient Gods' powers.

Class restriction: Berserker and Swordsman

"Destroyer of Immortality?" Shi Feng was puzzled. He had never heard this name before.

Reading the item's introduction, apparently, its origin was quite amazing. The Ancient Gods had actually used this weapon.

Shi Feng knew a little about the Ancient Gods.

The Ancient Gods were born from nature, and they had the power to decimate the heaven and earth. Even the Tier 6 god-ranked classes of God's Domain were no more than ants before an Ancient God. They were practically invincible. However, all of these Ancient Gods had perished in the Great Ancient War.

"You must have heaven-defying luck. It is no wonder you didn't want an Advanced Legacy." Sharlyn smiled. She then explained, "The Destroyer of Immortality is one of the Ten Great Saint Legacy Items in ancient records. Moreover, the Legacy is unique; not even the Peak Legacy of the Stargazing Tower can compete with it."

"Ten Great Saint Legacies?" Shi Feng was at a loss.

The highest Legacies he had heard of in the past were Peak Legacies. This was the first time he had heard of the Ten Great Saint Legacies.

"I, too, have only read about the Ten Great Saint Legacies. Today is my first time actually seeing one in person. However, I don't know any details about them. Even so, I will remind you not to look down on these Saint Legacies.

"A Peak Legacy is already as difficult as a Legendary Quest. At the very least, the trial of Ten Great Saint Legacies should be just as difficult. If you are not confident in succeeding, you should not recklessly attempt to challenge it. You might lose your life, even if you are a heaven-blessed individual."

Sharlyn was extraordinarily serious when she looked at Shi Feng, even more serious than when she gave the "Immortal Crown" quest to Shi Feng. When she spoke of death, she had even paused for a moment.

Shi Feng could clearly discern the kindness in Sharlyn's tone, and he, too, knew how dangerous and difficult the trial of a Saint Legacy would be.

God's Domain's law of equivalent exchange held true everywhere.

Naturally, there was danger in challenging the trial of a Legacy. Take Basic Legacies for example. If a player failed to clear the trial of a Basic Legacy, they would lose three levels, be weakened for three days, and be barred from accepting the trial again for ten days.

Meanwhile, the penalty for failing an Intermediate Legacy was much harsher. Players would lose five levels, be weakened for seven days, be barred from accepting the trial for twenty days, and permanently lose a small portion of their Attributes.

For Advanced Legacies and Peak Legacies....

Shi Feng was 90% certain that he could complete an Advanced Legacy. As for a Peak Legacy, Shi Feng had around 50% to 60% certainty of success.

However, the Legacy he had eagerly looked forward to turned out to be one of the Ten Great Saint Legacies. Shi Feng had never even heard of a Saint Legacy, so he was not too sure how well he would fare.