Reincarnation of The Strongest Sword God

601-620

Chapter 601 - legendary quest

Even after a long look, Shi Feng still did not dare believe that what he was seeing was real.

Legendary items were as rare as a phoenix's feather in God's Domain, and not even Tier 5 players would necessarily possess one.

Any player who owned a Legendary item had the power to challenge opponents of a higher Tier.

Take Shi Feng's Fragmented Legendary ranked Heavenly Dragon's Breath for example. When he activated Heavenly Dragon's Power, he could contend with a Lord, which was the equivalent of a Tier 2 class, for a short time.

If he possessed a Legendary item, he could definitely contend with a High Lord.

A Lord ranked monster was merely the Boss of a 20-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon. Meanwhile, a High Lord was the Boss of a 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon. The difference in power was immense.

If he could equip a Legendary item now, not to mention a 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon, he could even lead a team in a 50-man Hell Mode Team Dungeon. He could even give a 100-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon a try.

A Team Dungeon tested the overall strength of a team, while a Legendary item was capable of increasing the overall strength of a team significantly. This was the why Legendary items were so frightening. They could break the limits of conventional strength.

Unfortunately, although the information Shi Feng had obtained regarding the Moloch's Ring stated that it was a Legendary item, it turned out that the Ring was sealed.

[Moloch's Ring] (Ring, Legendary Rank)

Sealed by the Lord of Balrogs, legend has it that this ring contains all of the Lord of Balrog's secrets and power. By wearing this ring, one can obtain this power. After Moloch's Ring had been sealed away, the Great Demon Knettel stood guard over the item. The Ring holds the Great Demon Knettel's mark, allowing the Great Demon to sense its location periodically.

System: Legendary Quest "Lord of Balrog's Fall" activated.

Quest details: Lift the seal on Moloch's Ring.

Quest rewards: Unknown.

"A Legendary Quest!" Shi Feng smiled bitterly. "No wonder the penalty Discipline Paradise received was so severe."

Just the penalty for failing an Epic Quest could half-cripple a player's character, not to mention a Legendary Quest.

"However, I've never heard of this Legendary Quest before. The clues the quest provides are so limited, too. It says that I need to lift the seal on the ring, but it doesn't tell me how to do that. The ring doesn't provide any clues, either. It is no wonder Discipline Paradise failed the quest." Shi Feng knew very well just how frightening a Legendary Quest was.

A single Epic Quest had already given Shi Feng such a huge headache, not to mention a Legendary Quest.

However, God's Domain was fair in all regards. If he could complete this Legendary Quest, the reward he could obtain would definitely be incredible. In God's Domain, if a player wished to obtain a Legendary item, they would have to do so by completing a Legendary Quest. However, a majority of the players that took this path normally ended up plunging themselves into a dark abyss. This was also why Legendary items were so rare.

If possible, Shi Feng would rather not accept a Legendary Quest right now.

"After going through so much to get this ring, in the end, it still doesn't help me get to the Dark Den." Shi Feng sighed. Currently, as long as he held onto this ring, a Great Demon would hunt him. Moreover, there was no definite time as to when the Great Demon Knettel would make his appearance again. This was far more dangerous than his Epic Quest, which provided a clear time limit.

Shi Feng stored Moloch's Ring in his bag. Right now, completing the Darkness Descends quest was of the utmost priority.

Just as Shi Feng was about to leave his hiding spot, the sound of a system notification reached his ears.

System: Moloch's Ring has detected the presence of the Power of Darkness. Do you want Moloch's Ring to devour the Power of Darkness?

"Devour the Power of Darkness?" Shi Feng was stunned. Giving it some thought, he could not recall there being anything important in his bag. He then clicked "Agree."

In the next moment, the dozen or so Soul Crystals inside his bag disappeared.

Meanwhile, due to having devoured the Soul Crystals, the inscriptions on Moloch's Ring glowed slightly.

System: First seal on Moloch's Ring lifted.

"It's lifted, just like that...?" The sudden development rendered Shi Feng speechless. He then examined Moloch's Ring again.

[Moloch's Ring] (Ring, Legendary Rank)

Sealed by the Lord of Balrogs, legend has it that this ring contains all of the Lord of Balrog's secrets and power. By wearing this ring, one can obtain this power. After Moloch's Ring had been sealed away, the Great Demon Knettel stood guard over the item. The Ring holds the Great Demon Knettel's mark, allowing the Great Demon to sense its location periodically.

First seal lifted. A fragment of its power has been released. Power of Darkness required to lift the second seal: (6/100)

All Attributes +10%

Fire Resistance +30

Additional Skill-

Gate of Darkness: Opens a teleportation gate to the central area of the Dark Den.

Duration: 10 minutes

Cooldown: 24 hours

"Sure enough, the Dark Den and this ring are related," Shi Feng stated, laughing. "With this, I can head to the central area of the Dark Den."

After Shi Feng equipped Moloch's Ring, he activated Gate of Darkness.

Boom!

The ground suddenly trembled as dark smoke slowly emerged from the forest floor. After a moment, the black smoke formed a pair of gates that was over five meters tall. There were countless golden runes engraved on the gates, radiating a frightening pressure.

"So powerful. This pressure can rival even that of a Tier 5 NPC." At this moment, Shi Feng even found it difficult to breathe. He felt as if he were only an ant in front of these gates.

However, when Shi Feng tried to push apart open the gates, he suddenly discovered that they were locked. Rather, he noticed a small groove in the center of the gates. It seemed like a keyhole.

"So, that's the case."

Originally, Shi Feng had thought Discipline Paradise had been trying to trick him. Now, however, it would seem that he really did need the Chapter of Darkness to enter the Dark Den. He then placed the Chapter of Darkness into the groove.

When Shi Feng placed the black slate tablet into the groove, the golden runes on the gates suddenly linked with each other, releasing a golden brilliance. The gates began to open slowly.

The instant the gates opened, Shi Feng felt as if something were emerging from within the gates. His body suddenly felt incredibly heavy, and even taking a step forward was an extremely difficult task.

"Just what kind of place is this Dark Den? The pressure from behind these gates alone is enough to suppress my combat power to one-tenth." Shi Feng had not felt such fear when he was in the God's Grave. "Is there a God on the other side?"

However, Shi Feng couldn't care less. Gritting his teeth, he gradually pushed his body forward, advancing to the other side of the Gate of Darkness. He did not have much time left. If he did not complete his quest soon, only a dead end awaited him.

After Shi Feng entered the Gate of Darkness, it seemed as if he had entered an entirely different space.

A mountain, so tall that he could not even see its peak, loomed before him. He could also see many magnificent temples on the mountainside. These temples grew larger as one approached the top of the mountain. The temples at the foot of the mountain were merely ten meters in height. The largest temple that Shi Feng could see was over a hundred meters in height. Other than their massive sizes, these temples also radiated a powerful Divine Might.

While Shi Feng was still overwhelmed by the sight before him, a figure suddenly flew down from the peak of the mountain. The figure descended with lightning speed, and in the blink of an eye, it appeared before Shi Feng.

"My luck can't be that rotten, right? It's actually a Tier 5 Fallen Angel." Dread gripped Shi Feng's heart as looked up at the enchanting woman, who had three pairs of pitch-black wings on her back, hovering above his head. 

Chapter 602 - time limit

Fallen Angels were considered Higher Beings in God's Domain, and they were born far stronger than Ordinary Beings. They were also known to be invincible against Ordinary Beings of the same Tier.

Even a Tier 5 expert with a Tier 5 Taboo Skill could only run when facing a Tier 5 Fallen Angel.

I'm dead for sure this time.

Shi Feng could only reveal a bitter smile as he looked at the Fallen Angel hovering in the sky.

He might have been able to escape a Tier 4 Great Demon, but against a Tier 5 Fallen Angel, he had no hope of resistance. Within a Domain established by a Tier 5 being, even the Seven Luminaries Ring's Space Movement would be useless, not to mention his other Skills.

As for competing in terms of speed, if he was not even a match for a Tier 4 Great Demon, how was he supposed to outmatch a Tier 5 Fallen Angel?

In front of a Tier 5 Fallen Angel, even the Tier 4 Great Demon Knettel was an insignificant speck of dust.

"Human, it seems that you are quite courageous. Despite being only a Tier 1 Swordsman, you have actually dared to steal Moloch's Ring from Knettel," the Fallen Angel said, wearing a mischievous expression. She looked like a child who had just gained a new toy to play with.

Before Shi Feng could react, the Fallen Angel disappeared from the sky. By the time Shi Feng realized what had happened, the charming Fallen Angel stood before him, her flawless white hand piercing Shi Feng's heart.

Instantly, Shi Feng's HP, which was over 10,000, fell to zero.

Is this the power of a Tier 5 Fallen Angel? Shi Feng stared at his rapidly decreasing HP, shock filling his heart.

Regarding both speed and power, the Fallen Angel was far more powerful than any Tier 5 players Shi Feng had ever encountered. However, the Fallen Angel's combat standards were by far the most frightening. They were impeccable. There was not the slightest excess movement her actions. It was no wonder many experts in the past had paled whenever they spoke about Fallen Angels.

Although Shi Feng had already reached the Flowing Water Realm, the second stage of the Refinement Realm, he was still far from reaching a state of perfection with his physical control. Only when he achieved a Domain[1] could he strive for such perfection.

However, just how many players could achieve a Domain in God's Domain?

At this moment, Shi Feng felt quite fortunate as the Fallen Angel had not used any special moves to kill him. Rather, she had only needed an ordinary attack to finish him off. With this, he would only lose one Level and some Skill Proficiency at most. Moreover, other than some items that would drop upon death, players would not drop any of their equipment when killed by monsters.

"What's going on here?" When Shi Feng opened his eyes, he discovered that he was still in the Dark Den after coming back to life. However, he had revived much further away from the towering mountain. If he wanted to head towards the mountain, he would have to run for more than half an hour.

Normally, when a player died in a special map, they would revive back in a city. Since the Tier 5 Fallen Angel had killed him, logically, that should have been where he revived, in a city, yet he had revived out in the fields.

Shi Feng then hurriedly called up his Attribute Panel, checking his Attributes and the contents of his bag.

Good. I only lost a Level and some Skill Proficiency. Shi Feng released a sigh of relief. Regardless if he were Level 33 or Level 32, it did not matter too much to Shi Feng. Just what is going on?

Looking around, Shi Feng suddenly discovered a golden avenue paved through the endless plains. There were also a countless monsters moving along this avenue towards the towering mountain.

The monsters' Levels varied greatly, with the lowest being Level 10 and the highest being over Level 100. A single glance told Shi Feng that there were tens of thousands of monsters moving along the golden avenue.

Moreover, these monsters consisted of a wide variety of races; the majority were not linked to the forces of darkness. Shi Feng even spotted human NPCs. These NPCs also did not belong to the dark forces, and they looked more like Adventurers. Like the monsters, the NPCs' Levels ranged from Level 10 to over Level 100.

Why are there so many human NPCs here? Shi Feng was shocked. However, his shock did not stop him from quietly approaching the golden avenue.

As a precaution, Shi Feng activated Phantom Kill, sending his doppelganger ahead of him.

Surprisingly, however, even after these monsters and NPCs noticed Shi Feng's doppelganger, they showed no signs of aggression. When the doppelganger stepped onto the golden avenue, Shi Feng received a system notification stating that he could not attack anyone while inside this region.

There was no danger.

With this, Shi Feng relaxed. He then advanced towards the towering mountain along the golden avenue as well.

He had only arrived at the Dark Den's central region after much difficulty. There was more than an 80% possibility of the Bible of Darkness being somewhere on the mountain.

Shi Feng had completed quite a few Epic Quests before.

The Tier 5 Fallen Angel had only killed him with a normal attack. This proved that he had yet to fail the quest. It was possible that he had only incurred a punishment because he had used an incorrect method to enter the Dark Den.

Otherwise, he would have truly been finished.

If a Tier 5 Fallen Angel were guarding the Bible of Darkness, unless he were a Tier 6 God-ranked player, completing this Epic Quest would be impossible. Moreover, the fact that Fantasy Extinguisher had managed to complete this quest in the past proved that there was definitely some other way to scale the mountain and steal the Bible of Darkness.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Shi Feng discovered that the golden avenue led towards a massive altar. Above the altar, countless monsters fought viciously, tearing each other apart. Occasionally, victors would emerge from the ceaseless battles, holding a golden key. These victors would then scale the mountain, reaching Shi Feng's original arrival point.

Sure enough, my entry was flawed. After watching the situation for awhile, Shi Feng did not discover any high-tiered monsters guarding the mountain. There were also no Tier 5 Fallen Angels patrolling the sky.

Very quickly, Shi Feng arrived before the altar. The instant he set foot onto the altar, a system notification sounded out by his ears.

System: Defeat all enemies before you, and you will be given entry into the World Summit.

System: You will gain 1 minute for every Common Monster killed, 10 minutes for every Elite Monster killed, 30 minutes for Special Elites, 100 minutes for Chieftains, and 500 minutes for Lords.

System: You may choose 10 monsters to serve as your opponent. If you fail to defeat all of your opponents, you will die.

System: You have 19 minutes to decide. Failure to do so will result in automatic forfeiture. You will die if you forfeit.

I see. There is a restriction for entering the World Summit. It seems that I'll have to choose who my opponents carefully. Shi Feng finally understood the gameplay here. However, if I only kill ten Common Monsters, ten minutes won't be long enough to explore all of the World Summit. I will most likely run out of time after traveling a short distance.

No matter how he looked at it, an item like the Bible of Darkness would not be easy to find.

It might even be at the very top of the mountain. He would not reach the top of the mountain even if he spent ten hours traveling. However, if he chose monsters that were too powerful, he'd be at a disadvantage. On the off chance that he could not kill the opponents he selected, he would have truly dug his own grave.

A Lord was equivalent to 50 Special Elites or 5 Chieftains. However, although a Lord provided the most time, it was also the most difficult monster to take down. Moreover, if he had to face more than one Lord simultaneously, the difficulty of the challenge would increase manifold.

Yet, if he did not challenge high-ranking monsters, he would not have enough time to explore the World Summit.

While standing on the massive altar, Shi Feng pondered for a very long time.

System: You have 1 minute to consider. Please make your decision as soon as possible.

TL Notes:

[1] Domain: This is... slightly different from the Domain mentioned in Chapter 599. The Domain Shi Feng is referring to in this chapter is a martial arts thing, while the Domain mentioned in Chapter 599 that Weissman had used [Magic Domain] in the Mechanical Slayer arc is an in-game mechanic [It is something like a Skill]. 

Chapter 603 - s rank

Time passed quickly, and Shi Feng's head was spinning.

This was a test meant to determine a player's understanding of themselves and their abilities.

If a player overestimated their strength and skills, they might bring about their own deaths due to choosing monsters that were too strong. On the other hand, if they chose monsters that were overly weak, they might fail their quest due to having insufficient time.

In other words, the more a player understood of their own strength, the more benefits they could obtain through this test.

With Berserk Skills such as Heavenly Dragon's Power and Blade Liberation, although it was possible for Shi Feng to kill a Lord of the same Level, the same did not true for a group of Lords. Hence, Shi Feng could not make this decision lightly.

System: You have 30 seconds to consider. Please make your decision as soon as possible.

"I choose one Lord and nine Chieftains," Shi Feng said, finally deciding.

System: Opponents confirmed. Based on the analysis of your combat power, this test's difficulty is A-rank. Once victorious, you will obtain a key that can be used to open Shrine Gates that are Dark-Gold rank or lower. Do you wish to confirm your choice?

Dark-Gold rank? Shi Feng immediately felt that something was amiss. Hurriedly, he said, "I wish to change my selection to two Lords and eight Chieftains."

His quest was Epic rank. It was clear that he would not be able to obtain the Bible of Darkness if he could only visit Dark-Gold Shrines. He needed to be able to enter Epic Shrines. Otherwise, even if he won this battle, he would still fail his quest.

System: Opponents confirmed. Based on the analysis of your combat power, this test's difficulty is A-rank. Once victorious, you will obtain a key that can be used to open Shrine Gates that are Dark-Gold rank or lower. Do you wish to confirm your choice?

Crap! Even with two Lords, it's still hasn't reached S-rank? Shi Feng inwardly cursed. "Change my selection to three Lords and seven Chieftains."

Shi Feng should be at his limit with two Lords. There was only a 50% chance that he would emerge victorious from such a battle. If he faced three Lords, based on his estimations, his success rate would be less than 20%.

System: Opponents confirmed. Based on the analysis of your combat power, this test's difficulty is S-rank. Once victorious, you will obtain a key that can be used to open Shrine Gates that are Epic rank or lower. Do you wish to confirm your choice?

"Confirm!" Shi Feng shouted, gritting his teeth. Hopefully, the line-up of these Lords won't be too powerful.

A moment later, ten monsters appeared before Shi Feng on the altar; three of them were Lords, and seven were Chieftains. All ten monsters were combat puppets of the same shape and size as an average player. In terms of Attributes, however, they were leaps and bounds above Shi Feng.

[Golden Puppet] (Lord Rank)

Level 32

HP 1,600,000/1,600,000

[Silver Puppet] (Chieftain Rank)

Level 32

HP 550,000/550,000

Good, my luck isn't that rotten after all. These puppets are all melees, and their HPs are quite low as well. I shouldn't have too many issues if I fight them from a distance. Shi Feng released a sigh of relief.

When the battle started, the ten puppets began moving. Step by step, they slowly approached Shi Feng, lacking the dexterity of a living creature. However, Shi Feng did not dare to be careless. Immediately, he activated Heavenly Dragon's Power, increasing his Strength by 100% and Defense and HP by 300%. Instantly, Shi Feng's HP broke through the 30,000 threshold.

Sure enough, Lords were not that easy to deal with.

The instant Shi Feng activated Heavenly Dragon's Power, the combat puppets dashed towards him, much faster than an ordinary Chieftain and Lord.

The ten combat puppets crossed the distance of 50 yards in the blink of an eye. The first to attack were the Silver Puppets, who thrust their spears at Shi Feng. Following closely, the Golden Puppets unsheathed the twin swords slung over their backs.

Without hesitation, Shi Feng activated the Ice-Blue Devil Flame and Black Emperor, holding nothing back. Deep blue flames covered Shi Feng's entire body, raising his fire and ice damage by 40%. Shi Feng then used Skywheel Sword, sealing the movements of all ten combat puppets within a fixed perimeter. He followed up with a Firestorm.

Ice-blue flames devoured the ten combat puppets, dealing over -20,000 damage, or -40,000 damage with a critical hit, to all ten puppets every second for five seconds. When the spell's duration ended, the ten combat puppets had received over -100,000 damage each. Shi Feng fully displayed the devastating might of the large-scale destruction spell.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng collected 30 stacks of Death Aura from this single attack.

"I'll get rid of one of you first."

Shi Feng then took out a bottle of Hundred Berry Wine from his bag, drinking it. Instantly, his compatibility rate with his swords soared. Moving towards a Silver Puppet with less than 300,000 HP remaining, he used Phantom Kill, followed by Flame Burst.

Twenty-four consecutive strikes!

Twenty-four swords of light illuminated the altar. The Silver Puppet faded out of existence.

Although Shi Feng killed one Silver Puppet, the remaining six Silver Puppets and three Golden Puppets caught him in a pincer attack.

With his most powerful Burst Skill exhausted, Shi Feng used Thunder Flame Explosion to slow the remaining combat puppets, as well as deal over -10,000 damage to each. Due to his compatibility rate rising, he managed to achieve a 95% Completion Rate on Thunder Flame Explosion, reducing the Movement Speed of these combat puppets for over 10 seconds. Following which, he switched to the Aura of Wind, turning around and fleeing with his doppelganger.

Facing two Lords at the same time was already enough to overwhelm Shi Feng, not to mention three Lords and six Chieftains simultaneously.

With the Aura of Wind's Movement Speed Increase and Thunder Flame Explosion's Movement Speed Reduction, the Silver Puppets were unable to catch up with Shi Feng. As for the Golden Puppets, although their speed allowed them to keep up with Shi Feng, their occasional attacks caused their speed to drop sharply as well. As a result, it became impossible for them to surround Shi Feng.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng activated Nine Dragons Slash, the twelve Abyssal Blade phantoms constantly assaulting the distant Silver Puppets. From time to time, Shi Feng would also attack with the Blazing Meteor. Although damage from his ranged attacks caused was not as high as the Abyssal Blade, each attack still dealt around -2,000 to -3,000 damage. Occasionally, Shi Feng would also use Thundering Flash to inflict the Damage Amplification effect on the remaining nine combat puppets.

Shi Feng also constantly expended the Death Auras he accumulated to reduce the Cooldown of Thunder Flame Explosion, Thundering Flash, and other Skills. Among them, he reduced the Cooldown of Flame Burst the most.

In such a way, Shi Feng reduced the Movement Speed of all combat puppets while exterminating the Silver Puppets. From time to time, he would use Flame Burst to instant-kill a Silver Puppet.

In less than two minutes, Shi Feng had annihilated all of the Silver Puppets; only three Golden Puppets remained.

However, these three Golden Puppets were inseparable. Shi Feng could not find a chance to take them on one-on-one. Moreover, even though so much time had passed since the battle began, the three Golden Puppets were still at full HP thanks to their battle recovery.

Even when Shi Feng activated Wind Rider and managed to single out one of the Golden Puppets with his overwhelming speed, the remaining two would quickly catch up. As a result, Shi Feng could only land a few hits before he was forced to retreat.

This is troublesome. Although the Golden Puppets do not have any Skills, the three of them are like a single entity, attacking and defending as one. Shi Feng, who hovered in the air, frowned at the three Golden Puppets.

The Golden Puppets were too powerful when working together. Moreover, the Heavenly Dragon's Power's duration would end soon. At that time, even a battle of attrition would be difficult against the three Golden Puppets.

"Do I have no other choice?" Shi Feng muttered as he reluctantly retrieved an aqua-blue Magic Scroll from his bag.

This was his greatest trump card, one that he never thought of using.

Watching the remaining seconds of the Heavenly Dragon's Power's duration tick by, Shi Feng had no choice but to unfurl the aqua-blue Magic Scroll. 

Chapter 604 - time is money

Shi Feng had prepared extensively to obtain the Bible of Darkness.

His preparations included this aqua-blue Magic Scroll.

Although Lords were powerful, in the end, they were only Tier 2 monsters. It was only their high HP and damage, which were far superior to ordinary players', that made them so difficult to deal with.

When Shi Feng activated Heavenly Dragon's Power, his Attributes were no longer below that of a Lord of the same Level. With his superior dodging techniques and powerful Skills, he could easily defeat a Lord of the same Level. However, with three Golden Puppets working seamlessly together, all Shi Feng could do was dodge.

As Shi Feng unfurled the aqua-blue Magic Scroll, the surrounding Water Mana surged towards the paper. In a moment, the Mana formed a massive, six-star magic array.

"Go!" Shi Feng pointed at the three Golden Puppets.

Suddenly, water surged from the six-star magic array and swept over the bodies of the three Golden Puppets. In the blink of an eye, a small lake formed within an area of 50 yards. Although the water only reached the Golden Puppets' knees, the lake itself seemed to possess life as it formed dozens of water whips to bind the three Lords.

The three Golden Puppets desperately struggled to break free of these water whips.

Facing a Lord's power, these water whips snapped easily. However, the whips were seemingly endless; the moment one broke, another would immediately rise from the lake to take its place. As a result, it became extremely difficult for these Golden Puppets to move.

"Give it up. You guys are only Lords. Against a Tier 2 Domain Skill, Binding Current, you don't stand a chance," Shi Feng growled, annoyed at the loss of the Tier 2 Magic Scroll.

Zero Wing possessed quite a few Tier 2 Magic Scrolls. Yet, even among them, Binding Current was somewhat special. Binding Current was a Domain Skill, far rarer than even large-scale destruction spells. Although the Skill did not have any Attack Power, it was capable of restricting enemies. Shi Feng only possessed one such Magic Scroll. Once it was used, it would be very difficult to obtain another.

Binding Current had a duration of ten minutes. During these ten minutes, all enemies within the Domain would be bound by water currents, their movements greatly affected. Even Lords' strength would be significantly restricted while inside this Domain.

"Die!" Shi Feng immediately struck a Golden Puppet.

With the endless currents, the three Golden Puppets could no longer work in sync. This allowed Shi Feng to focus his attacks on a single Golden Puppet safely.

Chop!

Thunder Flame Explosion!

Thundering Flash!

Shi Feng used one Skill after another on the Golden Puppet. Due to Black Emperor, Shi Feng could decrease his Skills' Cooldowns significantly. Shi Feng's Chop was practically without a Cooldown. In addition, Shi Feng the bottle of Hundred Berry Wine allowed his Skill Completion Rates to remain above 95%. Every time Shi Feng used Chop, he obliterated nearly 30,000 HP from the Golden Puppet. As a result, the Golden Puppet's 1,600,000 HP decreased at a rate visible to the naked eye.

When the Golden Puppet's HP fell to 30%, Shi Feng suddenly sensed danger. Hurriedly, he retreated by several steps.

Boom!

After backing up, a powerful impact slammed into Shi Feng, sending him flying over a dozen yards backward.

"This is... Absolute Domain!" Shi Feng was shocked.

At this moment, a faint gray membrane surrounded the Golden Puppet with only 30% of its HP remaining. When the countless water whips collided with his gray membrane, they were immediately repelled, unable to enter the Domain.

Without the currents binding it, the Golden Puppet recovered its speed fully. In the blink of an eye, the Golden Puppet arrived before Shi Feng and brandished its twin swords. The puppet's swords were like whips as they viciously assailed Shi Feng.

"Just in time."

Shi Feng involuntarily smiled. As if he had long since seen through the Golden Puppet's intentions, he nimbly bent his body, allowing the whip-like swords to move over his body unhindered. The puppet's swords slid against Shi Feng's body as they passed. However, they did not truly connect with Shi Feng.

Flowing Water Realm!

Shi Feng was like flowing water as he received the Golden Puppet's barrage, evading the countless sword lights smoothly. He would also occasionally strike back at the Golden Puppet, his attacks targeting the monster's joints.

If the Puppet were capable of using any other Skills, Shi Feng might really be in a predicament. However, since it could only use Absolute Domain, a Skill that dispelled all Control Skills targeting its user, the Golden Puppet was no threat at all.

In terms of power, he was not one bit inferior to a Lord. As for speed, although he was slower than the Golden Puppet, he could make up for the gap with his dodging techniques. Moreover, even in the event that dodging was not possible, he could confront the Puppet directly. He was not afraid of facing the Lord in melee combat.

After roughly a dozen seconds, Shi Feng finally defeated one of the Golden Puppets.

With the death of one Golden Puppet, Shi Feng's concerns had gone out the window. His chances of victory instantly increased to more than 50%. He then proceeded to deal with the second Golden Puppet.

When Heavenly Dragon's Power's duration finally ended, Shi Feng used the Tier 2 Magic Scroll, Scorching Saber, to finish off the second Golden Puppet.

Shi Feng glanced at Flame Burst's Cooldown before shifting his gaze towards the final Golden Puppet. Smiling faintly, he muttered, "I can finally end this."

After roughly two minutes of exhausting battle, Shi Feng finally managed to wear down the Golden Puppet's HP to 1,000,000.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Shi Feng activated Blade Liberation, increasing both his Strength and Agility Attributes by 90%. He then proceeded to torture the last Golden Puppet to death.

Compared to when he had activated Heavenly Dragon's Power, his attacks dealt slightly less damage. However, due to his increased Attack Speed, his total damage was higher than before.

When the Golden Puppet was about to activate its Absolute Domain, Shi Feng activated his ultimate Skills, Flame Burst and Dragon Breath, killing the Golden Puppet, which only had 30% HP remaining, instantly.

When the battle ended, the sound of a system notification rang out by Shi Feng's ears.

System: You have completed the S-rank difficulty test. Rewarding Epic Shrine Key. You have received 2,200 minutes.

After the test ended, Shi Feng did not rush towards the mountain. Instead, he chose to rest for a moment.

When Blade Liberation ended, he would enter a Weakened state for three minutes. Moreover, he had no idea of what to expect on the mountain.

Since he had already qualified to enter the World Summit and was not in a hurry, he could take the chance to recover his mental state. After all, high-intensity battles were very taxing on the mind. He could also take this opportunity to wait for the Heavenly Dragon's Power's Cooldown to end.

"This test alone has forced me to use so many of my hidden cards. Just what awaits me on the mountain?" Shi Feng could not help but shudder whenever he recalled the Tier 5 Fallen Angel that had appeared before him.

Three hours passed quickly. Holding the purple-gold key, Shi Feng arrived before the gates to the World Summit.

The moment Shi Feng set foot on the World Summit, the time he had obtained through the test began to count down.

"No monsters?" Shi Feng muttered, confused.

He was not in a hurry. Examining his surroundings, other than the ten-meter tall Shrines, nothing hindered his path.

Shi Feng then activated Windwalk and ran towards the nearest ten-meter tall Shrine.

The stone doors in front of the dazzling golden Shrine were shut tightly. When Shi Feng touched the stone doors, the sound of a system notification reached his ears.

System: Epic Shrine Key detected. You are qualified to open the doors of this Bronze Shrine. Do you wish to spend 50 minutes to open them?

"Crap! Opening the Shrines requires time?" Originally, Shi Feng thought he would have sufficient time to search for the Bible of Darkness. With this new development, however, that notion had changed.

However, Shi Feng had no idea as to what was inside these Shrines. He needed a better understanding so that he could face any future developments.

"Open the doors!" Shi Feng said, gritting his teeth. 

Chapter 605 - player's paradise

After Shi Feng confirmed his decision, the heavy stone doors slowly parted.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng's remaining time in the World Summit instantly decreased by 50 minutes.

When he entered the Shrine, he was greeted by a staircase that led to the top of the Shrine. Engraved runes and pictures decorated the staircase's walls. Among them, there were even images of Gods before the Great Destruction.

Shi Feng ascended the Shrine's staircase, step by step.

In the beginning, Shi Feng had not felt anything out of the ordinary. However, by the time he was halfway to the top, he felt something off.

"Why has the gravity here increased?"

Shi Feng's physical control was quite strong. As he took another step up, he felt the gravity increase by 10%. Although the gravity had only increased from 1 to 1.1 g, this small change would affect his Skill Completion Rates, resulting in a decrease in his combat power.

However, since Shi Feng had already entered the Shrine, he had no intentions of leaving.

If he could not even overcome a single Bronze Shrine, obtaining the Bible of Darkness would be a pipe dream.

Shi Feng continued to ascend, step by step. However, he was no longer as fast as before, as with every ten steps, the gravity increased. And with each change, Shi Feng needed some time to adapt.

By the time Shi Feng reached the top of the Shrine, the gravity had shifted to 2.4 g.

Exposed to such an intense shift, even Shi Feng was significantly affected.

The room at the top of the Shrine was not large. It was roughly the size of a basketball court. Aside from a black stone coffin in the room's center, the area was empty.

Shi Feng approached the center of the room. When he was ten yards away from the stone coffin, golden runes suddenly emerged on its black surface. A moment later, a golden magic array began to expand from the stone coffin, enveloping Shi Feng with it.

"A barrier?"

Shi Feng glanced at his surroundings. Golden, translucent walls enclosed the area around him, trapping him with the stone coffin.

Just as Shi Feng considered his escape options, a semi-transparent figure materialized inside the barrier.

This figure was actually Shi Feng himself. Both the figure's appearance and apparel were exactly like his own.

[Shrine Guard]

Level 32

HP 20,000/20,000

"Am I supposed to defeat him?" Shi Feng frowned at the Shrine Guard, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

Shi Feng only required one critical hit to finish off the Shrine Guard's 20,000 HP. However, he did not dare to casually approach the Shrine Guard because, currently, his intuition warned him that, should he approach the Guard, only death awaited him!

Shi Feng was a player that was capable of defeating a Lord by himself, yet, against this Shrine Guard, who only had 20,000 HP, he was utterly helpless.

"Are you too scared to approach me?" the Shrine Guard asked, laughing.

Shi Feng could not help his shock when he heard the Shrine Guard's humanlike speech and behavior.

In his memories, only high-tiered NPCs were capable of such performances. He had never heard of a Common Monster behaving like this. It was obvious that the Shrine Guard was an extraordinary existence.

"I don't have a death wish." Shi Feng shook his head, growing more certain of his intuition's warning.

"Not bad. You have actually discerned the gap in strength between us. However, rest assured, since you have already made it here, there is no danger. On the contrary, I have a reward for you," the Shrine Guard said, laughing.

"Reward? What kind of reward?" Shi Feng did not think that an NPC would trick him, and there was no need to do so. This NPC was certainly far stronger than himself. The Shrine Guard could simply kill him if he wanted to.

"I will help you become stronger." The Shrine Guard then explained, "I can offer you guidance on one Swordsman Skill. How much you learn depends on you, of course. However, you don't have much time left. You only have 49 minutes remaining."

Guidance on a Swordsman Skill! Shi Feng was surprised. When he thought back to the price required to enter the Bronze Shrine, he immediately understood. Hurriedly, he said, "I would like you to give me pointers on Chop."

Shi Feng had plenty of Swordsman Skills. However, there were some he used frequently and some he only used occasionally. Among them, he used Chop most often. Although his Magic Weapon had allowed his Skill Completion Rate to rise significantly, he was still far from achieving a 100% Skill Completion Rate.

"You've made a wise decision. Watch me carefully, then."

The Shrine Guard nodded. He then began to flow through the motions of Chop.

The Shrine Guard's body leaned forward and swung the Abyssal Blade in his hand. The Abyssal Blade then began to blur. In the next moment, it was as if the space in front of the Shrine Guard broke as a faint spatial crack appeared. The Shrine Guard's Chop was completely different than Shi Feng's.

"How is this possible?" Shi Feng was at a loss for words.

His Skill Completion Rate with Chop was over 95%, and he was extremely close to reaching perfection. However, whenever he used Chop, it always appeared in the form of three sword lights resembling full moons that gathered at a single point. However, these three sword lights did not appear when the Shrine Guard used Chop. From the beginning, there had only been a single sword light. Moreover, the Shrine Guard's swing had not been particularly fast, so Shi Feng could see the Skill being executed very clearly.

However, the most frightening aspect was the power the Shrine Guard's Chop had displayed...

Shi Feng could sense that the Shrine Guard's Strength and constitution and his own were exactly the same. The only difference was that the Shrine Guard had slightly more HP. Yet, the Shrine Guard's Chop could tear apart space itself. Although the spatial crack that had formed seemed very small, the might it contained was sufficient to kill him instantly.

Despite the Shrine Guard's speed and power being ordinary, he was actually able to display such frightening power.

"Confused?" the Shrine Guard asked, smiling.

"Mhm." Shi Feng nodded and admitted shamelessly.

No matter what was said or done, he was a top-tier expert in God's Domain who had reached the Flowing Water Realm. Although he still could not compete with those apex experts in the past, he was not that far away from reaching their level. Yet, the Chop the Shrine Guard had executed shattered his conception of the Skill known as Chop.

"If you don't understand, I will display the Skill a few more times. You can also experience it for yourself. Rest assured; while inside this barrier, you will not receive any damage." The Shrine Guard spoke like a teacher who guided his student carefully.

Hearing this, Shi Feng quickly sought the Shrine Guard's guidance.

If one wished to improve on their techniques, the fastest way to do so was through actual combat. Previously, he had kept a distance between himself and the Shrine Guard, worried that the NPC would kill him. Now that he knew the NPC intended to help him improve his ability with the Skill, he would not hold back. Immediately, he displayed his best Chop and began battling the Shrine Guard.

Since Shi Feng attacked him, the Shrine Guard replied with a Chop of his own.

When the two swords collided, sparks flew into the air around them.

Peng!

In one moment, Shi Feng sent a Chop at the Shrine Guard, and in the next moment, his body left an imprint on the barrier's wall. There was even a faint spatial crack lingering in Shi Feng's original position.

"This... is this a super-perfect Skill?" Shi Feng stared at the Shrine Guard with a stupefied expression. His mind replayed the Shrine Guard's sword swing.

Regarding speed, Shi Feng was definitely the victor. Moreover, he had prepared to dodge the NPC's attack beforehand.

However, before he had any chance to dodge, the Shrine Guard's sword had collided with his own. He instantly felt a tremendous power flow into his hand. In the next moment, he had been thrown backward.

Shi Feng was still badly shaken by the Shrine Guard's attack. Fortunately, this was only a lecture. Otherwise, the NPC's attack might have really killed him. He and the Shrine Guard were worlds apart from each other.

"Perfect?" the Shrine Guard laughed. "Nothing is perfect in this world. It is only because your vision is limited, and you are confined to your own world."

"Nothing is perfect?" Shi Feng thought about the Skill Completion Rate's limit of 100%. Yet, the Shrine Guard had said that nothing was perfect. "Could the Skill Completion Rate possibly exceed 100%?!"

The more Shi Feng thought about it, the more he felt it was possible. Otherwise, why would his Chop, which neared a 100% Completion Rate, be so inferior to the Shrine Guard's?

Following which, Shi Feng faced-off against the Shrine Guard again and again.

Although every exchange ended in Shi Feng's utter defeat, the more Shi Feng fought, the more his excitement grew. He felt as if he had caught onto something, something that he had never noticed before.

He had laced too much importance on his body, trying too hard to replicate a Skill's template motions that had been provided by the system; he had forgotten to think outside of the box.

As Shi Feng traded blows with the Shrine Guard, his Skill Completion Rate continued to rise.

96%... 97%... 98%...

"It should feel like...." Shi Feng leaned forward. He no longer pursued ultimate speed as he swung his sword along the air's resistance.

Suddenly, a spatial crack appeared before him.

Chop's Skill Completion Rate reached 101%. 

Chapter 606 epic shrine

"This is a really wonderful feeling." When Shi Feng looked at the black fissure before him, he could not help but recall the sensation he felt when he drew his sword before.

Unfortunately, he had only achieved this super-perfect Completion Rate accidentally. Trying to grasp this feeling was akin to trying to catch a dream.

Just as Shi Feng was about to commence another bout with the Shrine Guard, the sound of a system notification suddenly entered his ears.

System: Active duration of the Shrine has ended. Player will be sent out of the Shrine in three seconds.

"Time's up already?" Shi Feng could not help his surprise.

He felt as if he had fought against the Shrine Guard for only a short while. He still had many questions he wished to gain answers to. Yet, before he realized it, 50 minutes had already elapsed.

By the time Shi Feng snapped out of his daze, he was already back outside the gates of the Bronze Shrine.

"This..."

Shi Feng still wanted to enter the Shrine again. However, the system notified him that he had already opened this Shrine once before and that he would have to wait another seven days before he could open it again.

Truly a pity. If I were to practice there for a few more hours, I might be able to grab ahold of that feeling, Shi Feng silently lamented.

In God's Domain, whether it be a player's combat techniques or Skill usage, both were learned through self-experimentation. There was no teacher to guide players on these topics. The system only provided a holographic video of the template motions of a Skill. The rest was up to the players themselves to experiment and practice.

Having someone specially teaching them how to use their Skills was definitely a heaven-sent opportunity.

After all, having a guide was far more efficient than groping for answers in the dark. The learning speed would definitely be more than ten times faster. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many players who couldn't achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate.

"I wonder what kind of rewards the other Shrines have?" Expectations welled up inside Shi Feng.

Just a single Bronze Shrine had provided him with such a guidance reward. What would the Mysterious-Iron, Secret-Silver, Fine-Gold, Dark-Gold, and Epic ranked Shrines have in store for him?

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng no longer wasted any more time. He immediately activated Windwalk and dashed towards the peak of the World Summit.

Shi Feng could determine the rank of a Shrine based on its location on the World Summit. The higher the rank of a Shrine, the closer to the pinnacle it lay.

However, the World Summit was simply too massive. It was many times larger than White River City. Despite continually alternating between Windwalk, Wind Rider, and Speed Scrolls, Shi Feng had reached only the middle section of the World Summit after running for three full hours. He still couldn't see the peak of the mountain from where he stood. On the other hand, the Shrines at the foot of the mountain were no more than little dots in his eyes now.

I have managed to reach the area of the Fine-Gold Shrines only after three hours; that's six Special Elite kills gone. Even if an expert player were to come here, they would not be able to obtain the reward of the Fine-Gold Shrines. Shi Feng had tried checking one of the Fine-Gold Shrines earlier, and it required him to spend 200 minutes just to open it.

It should be known that the current elite players of God's Domain were only capable of contending against an Elite monster of the same level, while ordinary experts were capable of opposing up to a Special Elite of the same level. Only first-rate experts could fight a Chieftain of the same level. As for top-tier experts, they were capable of contending against a Lord of the same level.

In order to arrive at this place and open the doors of a Fine-Gold Shrine, a player would need to defeat two Chieftains and eight Special Elites, obtaining 440 minutes, at the very least.

In other words, an extremely powerful first-rate expert would barely be able to open the doors of a Fine-Gold Shrine and obtain the reward stored within it.

I have only reached the middle section of the mountain. Just how long do I have to continue running to reach the Epic rank section? Shi Feng grew somewhat worried.

Shi Feng discovered that the distance between Shrines also grew wider the further up he went.

He had only reached the edge of the Fine-Gold Shrine area right now. He still had to traverse the Dark-Gold area to arrive at the Epic area. He also had to spend time searching for the right Epic Shrine. Moreover, he had obtained the Epic Shrine Key by the skin of his teeth. He had no idea how much time was required to open the doors of an Epic Shrine. In the off chance that he did not have enough...

This place really is damnable. I can't use the Aura of Space's Spatial Movement here. Only the Aura of Wind's speed increase and Wind Rider are of some help. The rules of the World Summit were thoroughly exasperating. If Shi Feng could use Spatial Movement here, he could travel a distance of 400,000 yards in just one second, saving him hours in travel time.

Time passed by quickly. After running for another five hours, Shi Feng finally arrived before a Shrine that was over 300 meters in height. The Shrines around this area were completely different from the ones he had seen before.

"This is an Epic Shrine?" Shi Feng muttered as he looked at the mountain-like Shrine.

The Shrines he encountered before were all inanimate objects. On the other hand, the Epic Shrines here had frightening auras. Shi Feng even began to wonder whether terrifying monsters lived in these Shrines.

Done admiring the Shrine before him, Shi Feng walked up and touched its doors.

System: Epic Shrine Key detected. You are qualified to open the doors of the Epic Shrine. Do you wish to spend 1,000 minutes to open them?

"A thousand minutes?" Shi Feng breathed out a sigh of relief. "I still have slightly more than 1,600 minutes right now. I will have plenty of time remaining even after I open an Epic Shrine. I should be able to locate the Shrine storing the Bible of Darkness within 600 minutes."

The World Summit had a large number of Shrines, and the same held true even for Epic Shrines. Shi Feng counted nine Epic Shrines just within his range of vision. There were also plenty more up above. He guessed that the total number of Epic Shrines on the World Summit exceeded a hundred.

These Shrines were different from each other. There was a huge difference just in terms of the elemental mana surrounding these Shrines. Some Shrines released bright and dazzling elemental mana, and others released flaming elemental mana. Even Shrines that released the same type of mana would have different images engraved on their doors—images of Angels, Demons, and many other races. Some Shrine doors even depicted Gods. Hence, Shi Feng would not have difficulty looking for the Shrine that contained the Bible of Darkness, so long as he had sufficient time.

"The Bible of Darkness is a treasure of the Demon race. It should be stored in one of the Demonic Shrines of the darkness element." Although Shi Feng had little understanding of the World Summit, he knew quite a lot regarding mana.

A curse was categorized as a darkness Skill. Since it was a Great Demon who had cursed him, the Great Demon knew how to cast darkness spells. This meant that the Bible of Darkness had to be related to a Shrine of the darkness element.

With a target in mind, Shi Feng quickly began his search. Very easily, he had managed to locate five Darkness Shrines. Among them, only two belonged to the Demon race. Meanwhile, of these two Shrines, one belonged to the Lord of Destruction, while the other belonged to the Lord of Nightmares.

The Bible of Darkness was a descriptive record of all Demons written by the Lord of Destruction. Rumor had it that as long as one managed to control the Bible of Darkness, they would become the Lord of Demons with all Demons obedient to their commands.

Without hesitation, Shi Feng opened the Lord of Destruction's Shrine.

When the black stone doors parted, an ancient aura washed over him. Shi Feng could feel the origin of destruction contained within this aura. The pressure he felt coming from within the Shrine was far more powerful than what he had felt from the Tier 5 Fallen Angel he encountered before.

"Amazing. It is only a Shrine. There is clearly no living being inside, yet it gives off such an overwhelming pressure. As expected of the Lord of Destruction's Shrine," Shi Feng exclaimed. "Heavenly Dragon's Power, activate!"

The immense pressure made even walking a difficult task for Shi Feng. However, after activating Heavenly Dragon's Power, the weight pressing down on him lessened significantly. He was then able to enter the Shrine with relative ease. 

Chapter 607 - magic device

The moment Shi Feng stepped into the Shrine, it was as if he had arrived in another world.

He could hear the chirping of birds and smell the fragrance of flowers. Verdant trees and grass filled his vision. Instead of a Shrine, this place looked more like a garden.

"Fallen Angel!"

Inside the garden, Shi Feng immediately discovered the Fallen Angel that had killed him previously.

Three pairs of pitch-black wings, a perfect, enchanting body, long and slender legs, as well as that jade-white skin and flawless face... Of all the women Shi Feng knew, only the Great Divine Official Sharlyn was a match for this Fallen Angel. Any other woman standing before her would simply pale in comparison.

"Human, you sure are fast," the Tier 5 Fallen Angel giggled as she looked at Shi Feng with her aquamarine eyes. "You Adventurers are truly blessed by the heavens, being born with an Immortal Soul. Even we would find it difficult to thoroughly kill you Adventurers."

Even until now, Shi Feng still got chills whenever he thought back to how the Fallen Angel had killed him instantly.

Most likely, only a few players throughout the entire God's Domain could rival that near-perfect combat technique.

If he had not known that only rewards—and no punishments—awaited him inside these Shrines, he would have long since fled this Shrine.

"My name is Serena. Come over. You entered the World Summit normally this time, so I won't kill you," Serena laughed as she beckoned Shi Feng with her hand. "Since you've managed to make it to this place, it shows that you indeed possess some ability. I can give you two options."

"Two options?" Shi Feng asked curiously.

"Though I say options, in reality, they are just two reward methods." Serena nodded lightly. "The first option is obtaining the Bible of Darkness that is stored in this place directly. The second option is undertaking a small test. Through the second option, you will not only obtain the Bible of Darkness but also have a chance to win these items."

Serena waved her hand lightly.

Suddenly, three Rainbow Treasure Chests appeared in midair.

The first Rainbow Treasure Chest contained a large number of Soul Crystals. A simple glance told Shi Feng that there were over a hundred crystals at the very minimum.

In the Dark Den, the Soul Crystal was the foundation of all development. A sudden infusion of more than a hundred Soul Crystals would definitely increase a Shelter's strength significantly.

The second Rainbow Treasure Chest contained a black stone tablet that looked similar to the Chapter of Darkness. However, the name displayed was Chapter of Shelter. It could be used to immediately promote a Shelter by a single rank, up to a maximum of Large Shelter.

There's such a good item available as well? Sure enough, the rewards of an Epic Shrine are astonishing. Shi Feng grew very excited when he saw these two rewards.

Promoting the Shelters found inside the Dark Den was extremely difficult. Besides the astronomical number of Soul Crystals required, players also needed to complete a series of quests in order to promote a Shelter. The manpower and resources necessary to do so were extremely daunting. Even the Shelter at District One had yet to be promoted to a Large Shelter until now. One could just imagine how difficult a feat it was. Only a Shelter supported by a large Guild was capable of becoming a Large Shelter after amassing all the resources collected by the multiple Shelters controlled by said Guild.

Once he obtained the Chapter of Shelter, he could immediately upgrade a Medium Shelter to a Large Shelter. This would be of immense help for District One's Shelter, which was under Zero Wing's control.

However, when Serena opened the third Rainbow Treasure Chest, Shi Feng was thoroughly stupefied.

"Magic Device Design!" Shi Feng's eyes turned bloodshot as he looked at the dilapidated design inside the treasure chest. He could not help but wish he could snatch it up right away.

"Oh? I did not think that a human like you would know about this item. Since you know about Magic Devices, then you must know what a Magic Device Design represents. Its value is only slightly lower than the Bible of Darkness's. You humans, however, would probably appraise the Design more highly." The Fallen Angel Serena smiled in satisfaction upon seeing Shi Feng's reaction. "Say it, then. Which reward do you choose?"

At these words, Shi Feng fell silent.

A product of God's Domain's magical civilization when it was at its peak, the Magic Device represented the pinnacle of alchemy, forging, and engineering combined—as well as the end of the era of the gods. Even the lowest ranked Bronze Magic Device boosted a player's strength to a whole new level, not to mention a Magic Device Design.

Even the lowest ranked Bronze Magic Device Design could provoke a war between Guilds.

In the past, when a Mysterious-Iron Magic Device Design had appeared, over a dozen countries and more than a hundred Guilds had fought over it. Multiple Super Guilds had also participated. The death toll for that war was innumerable. A rough estimation had pegged it at five million. In the end, a Super Guild had emerged victorious.

As for Shadow, which had been a second-rate Guild back then, it had not dared to even participate in the war. It could only stand on the sidelines and watch.

Now that a Magic Device Design appeared right in front of him, how could Shi Feng not grow excited?

Magic Devices were similar to the Mana Armor Kits. In the Magic Device's case, however, it did not increase any Basic Attributes. Instead, it was mounted on a weapon to increase the weapon's strength. Every weapon could only mount one Magic Device.

After God's Domain underwent its third evolution, whether it was a battle against players or against monsters, an injury would reduce a player's combat power. And while players could rely on heals to recover from their injuries, the deterioration of their weapons was inevitable. It was especially true when players fought against high-ranking monsters. Unless one's weapon was of high quality, players would have great difficulty injuring a Lord and reducing its combat power since Lords had skin that was as hard as steel.

Meanwhile, a Magic Device could be used to strengthen a weapon. Not only could it make a weapon sharper, but it could also bestow special effects such as Reduced Weight, Increased Weight, Hardness, Mirage, Paralysis, and other effects that could improve a player's combat power significantly.

Most importantly, Magic Devices were not Consumable items. Like inlaid Gemstones, they could be taken off the weapons they were mounted on. Whether it was a Level 1 Common Weapon or a Level 200 Epic Weapon, players could freely transfer their Magic Devices between them.

This was the reason why players were so attracted to Magic Devices.

However, Magic Devices were extremely difficult to produce; hence, production volumes were very low. Even after reaching Level 100, most players still did not have their own Magic Devices. In the past, as the Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild, Shi Feng owned only a Mysterious-Iron Magic Device, even after he was over Level 100. As for other independent experts, they possessed only Bronze Magic Devices.

If he could obtain a Magic Device Design right now, it would definitely become one of Zero Wing's trump cards.

"Have you come to a decision?" Serena asked, smiling as she flourished the Magic Device Design in her hand. "Time waits for no one. You only have three minutes to decide. If you do not give me an answer, I will take it as you picking the first option, and you may leave once you obtain the Bible of Darkness."

"To hell with it." Shi Feng looked at the Fallen Angel, a passionate flame burning in his heart. "I choose the second option."

Both the Chapter of Shelter and the Magic Device Design were items that were not easily acquired. The difficulty of obtaining the Magic Device Design was even above that for an Epic item. Otherwise, Magic Devices wouldn't have been so rare in the past.

"Good. I knew you were a smart man. Let's begin, then." Serena smiled in satisfaction.

She then waved her hand. The entire garden promptly vanished, and replacing it was a volcanic hell. Molten magma surrounded a 40-yard area of solid ground. The ambient temperature was scorching hot; any ordinary player would most likely broil to death slowly. Only someone like Shi Feng, who possessed high Fire Resistance, could stay in this place for long periods of time. Meanwhile, the gravity here had also increased to 3 g, which would greatly affect a player's mobility.

"Come, then. If you can defeat me, you win," Serena said, smiling as she looked down at Shi Feng from midair. 

Chapter 608 - tier 2 taboo skill

Originally, Serena had anticipated seeing a look of horror on Shi Feng's face. However, even after she had revealed the contents of the test, Shi Feng did not evince any shock. On the contrary, it seemed as if he felt that the test was totally reasonable.

"Don't you feel surprised that the final test actually requires you to defeat me?" Serena asked, a perplexed expression on her face as she looked at Shi Feng.

A Tier 1 human against a Tier 5 Fallen Angel.

With such a massive gap, even a person with a stable mentality would feel despair. And if not despair, then at the very least, anger, as this was obviously not a fair contest.

Yet, Shi Feng remained unfazed by this revelation, so how could she not be surprised?

"Since the rewards are so bountiful, I naturally prepared for the worst. Not to mention, I really don't have a choice, do I?" Shi Feng laughed, a helpless smile on his face.

There were no free lunches in God's Domain.

Not to mention, the rewards of the test were of such a frightening caliber.

"It seems that you understand the rules of the world quite well, so it wasn't just luck that prompted you to pick the second option." Serena squinted her aquamarine eyes slightly as she looked at Shi Feng. At this moment, she no longer looked down at the human before her. Curling her blood-red lips into a seductive smile, she continued, "If you had chosen the first option, then the Bible of Darkness you would have received would have been a replica. As for the second option, while you may fail the test, you will still obtain the real Bible of Darkness regardless."

Although Shi Feng had guessed that this was the case, he inwardly felt relieved to hear these words directly from the Fallen Angel herself.

When all was said and done, the Bible of Darkness was a treasure left behind by the Lord of Destruction. How could it possibly be that easy for players to acquire it?

"Since you are already clear on the situation, I will explain the rules of the test." Serena raised her brows slightly and continued in a low tone, "The rules are very simple. You will not die while inside this area. Both our strengths will also be suppressed to Tier 1. It will be your win as long as you are able to defeat me in the remaining time you possess."

"Both suppressed to the standard of a Tier 1?" Shi Feng frowned.

Although both their strengths would be suppressed to the standard of a Tier 1 class in the upcoming test, Fallen Angels were Higher Beings. Not only were they born much stronger than other beings, but they also wielded many more Skills.

Even at Tier 1, Serena's combat power would most likely be at the peak of an ordinary Tier 2 class or above. She was stronger than even a High Lord of the same level. There was actually a possibility that her combat power approached that of a Great Lord.

"If there are no problems, you may begin attacking as much as you want." Serena smiled faintly as she sent Shi Feng a teasing look. "Rest assured, I'll make sure to hold back plenty. I also won't use any Tier 3 or Tier 4 Skills."

Despite Serena's reassurance, Shi Feng had no intention of attacking her just yet.

Even without using Tier 3 or Tier 4 Skills, a Tier 1 Fallen Angel can still kill me easily using Tier 2 Skills. He smiled bitterly as he took in Serena's leisurely attitude.

Shi Feng had a very clear understanding of his own strength. Although he had grasped plenty of powerful Skills, they were all Tier 1 Skills. As for Tier 2 Magic Scrolls, while he had quite a few on him right now, his opponent had Tier 2 Skills, which she could use indefinitely. The only trump card he had was Twofold Berserk. If he activated Heavenly Dragon's Power and Blade Liberation simultaneously, he would gain the ability to contend against a High Lord for a short period of time.

However, engaging a Tier 1 Fallen Angel in melee combat was simply suicidal.

I have close to ten hours left. It would be pointless to charge into battle right now. My only option is to wait for the Cooldown of Dragon's Power to end. Shi Feng was in no hurry. He then sat on the ground, resting as he quietly observed the Fallen Angel before him.

Earlier, when he was entering the Shrine, he was forced to use Heavenly Dragon's Power to resist the intense pressure.

If he fought Serena, a Fallen Angel who had the Attributes of a High Lord, without Twofold Berserk, he would just be seeking his own death.

Fortunately, the condition to clear the test was only to defeat Serena, not to kill her. There was a massive difference between these two conditions.

Defeat meant that he was only required to cause a certain amount of damage to Serena. After all, even if Serena simply stood still and allowed him to attack her freely, he would not be able to kill her within 20 seconds. Currently, although Serena was only Level 32, she had a total of 5,000,000 HP.

Tier 1 Skills are definitely useless against Serena. In terms of combat techniques, she is also far superior to me. If I wish to defeat her, my only option is to rely on Tier 2 Magic Scrolls. Although Shi Feng had his ultimate Skill, Flame Burst, this Skill was meaningless if his weapon could not connect with his opponent. Not to mention, in a direct clash of power, Serena would trounce him.

Having thought up to this point, Shi Feng suddenly stood up. He then replaced the Aura of Wind with the Aura of Fire and cast Firestorm at Serena.

The platform he currently stood on only had an area of 40 yards. Firestorm certainly covered most of it. At Level 7, Firestorm's might could easily rival a Tier 2 large-scale destruction spell.

A tsunami of flames descended from the sky. However, just as the flames were about to engulf Serena, her finger suddenly moved. In the blink of an eye, she had finished writing the runes required to cast Frost Storm, a Tier 2 large-scale destruction spell.

In the next moment, fire and ice clashed, filling the space around the platform with steam. Meanwhile, Shi Feng's Firestorm did not even manage to touch the Fallen Angel.

Fallen Angels with high intelligence are really difficult to handle. Shi Feng was not surprised.

In the virtual reality games of the past, there would only be two possible outcomes when a player used a Skill: either the Skill hit, or missed. There was no third possibility. In God's Domain, however, one would encounter various scenarios when attacking using a Skill. Aside from hitting or missing, it was also possible for the Skill to be blocked, offset, or unraveled. Blocking a Skill would result in one taking a small amount of damage, and normally, this was an action that most Lords were capable of. However, offsetting or unraveling a Skill was a feat that was doable only for high-tiered monsters and NPCs. Meanwhile, the method Serena had used to deal with Shi Feng's Firestorm was to offset it using a Skill of her own. When one successfully offset a Skill, they would not receive any damage whatsoever.

If even Firestorm is useless against her, my Tier 2 Magic Scrolls would most likely yield similar results. Shi Feng felt a huge headache when he looked at Serena, who was currently hovering in midair. It would be great if Kite were here right now.

Kite was a Dark-Gold ranked Personal Guard. With his strength as a Tier 2 Sword Master, he could not overcome a Great Lord, which was equivalent to a Tier 3 class, but he could still pin it down for some time. His strength should not be below that of the Tier 1 Fallen Angel Serena.

"Invincible within the same Tier?" A sudden inspiration came to Shi Feng as he looked at Serena's smiling face.

Taboo Skill!

Taboo Skills possessed the power to transcend Tiers. Meanwhile, although Serena's strength was currently suppressed to Tier 1, her frightening Basic Attributes and arsenal of Tier 2 Skills made her invincible even against ordinary Tier 2 classes. However, if a Tier 2 player managed to grasp a Tier 2 Taboo Skill, they would similarly become an invincible existence among other Tier 2 classes.

Thank goodness I did not store Instant Strike inside my warehouse. As long as I manage to learn it, even if I cannot kill Serena, I still have a chance to defeat her. Shi Feng's eyes glowed. Immediately, he retrieved the Skill Book of the Tier 2 Taboo Skill from his bag and began poring over it carefully.

After half an hour passed, Shi Feng felt that he was ready.

If he wanted to learn the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike, the first way to do so was to collect 100 Thunder Crystals, which was obviously impossible. The second option was to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate.

Previously, it had indeed been impossible for him to achieve a 100% Completion Rate for Instant Strike. However, after the Abyssal Blade was upgraded, his compatibility with the Magic Weapon had increased significantly. With the help of the Hundred Berry Wine, which he had obtained from Blue Frost, he definitely had a chance to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate right now.

Hence, Shi Feng drank a bottle of Hundred Berry Wine and began rehearsing the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike.

"Trying to learn a Tier 2 Taboo Skill?" Serena revealed a faint smile. "Not a bad idea. Unfortunately, the time you have left isn't enough for you to do so."

Taboo Skills required long periods of bitter training. There were no shortcuts available. Even a gifted person would require several days or over a dozen days to learn a Tier 2 Taboo Skill.

Shi Feng did not have much time left. It was simply impossible for him to succeed in learning the Taboo Skill in such a short period of time. 

Chapter 609 - instant strike

While Shi Feng was continuously rehearsing the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike, a great upheaval rocked the Evil Ghost Domain.

The entire District Five was destroyed overnight, and over half of the District's players had disappeared.

To the players in the Evil Ghost Domain, this was an inconceivable situation. Just what could actually wipe out the Evil Ghost Domain's fifth-ranking Shelter?

Not a single Shelter in the Evil Ghost Domain would be capable of going up against such a frightening power.

Suddenly, a strong sense of crisis filled the air of the entire Evil Ghost Domain.

---

District One's Shelter.

"Leader Frost, what are we supposed to do now?" Best Reincarnation, the leader of the Second Party, asked worriedly. "Based on the information we discovered, it seems that the assault on District Five comprised of a large number of powerful monsters—all Level 40 and above. There were actually numerous Lords participating in the monster assault as well.

"However, this is still not the scariest part. When our players went to investigate the situation at District Five, they encountered some survivors from the Shelter. According to the survivors, the ones responsible for annihilating their District Five were not actually those Lords. Instead, it was the doing of a much more powerful monster. However, as they had been too far from the monster at the time, they did not get a clear look at what that monster was. They only know that that monster had annihilated hundreds of players with just a wave of its hand using black flames. It instantly killed even District Five's strongest player, Punishment Day.

"If we remain in this area, it is quite likely that we will encounter that monster as well.

"Although District One is a lot stronger than District Five, against that rank of monster, we simply stand no chance at all."

Everyone present fell silent at Best Reincarnation's words.

The enemy that obliterated District Five was just too terrifying.

It had not been easy for them to raise their Shelter to the rank it had today. If it was destroyed, then their Shelter's rank would also fall by one, dropping from a Medium Shelter to a Small Shelter. If that happened, the advantage of the Hundred Berry Wine they had possessed all this time would vanish as well. There was also no telling whether they would be able to obtain the Hundred Berry Wine again the next time they upgraded their Shelter to a Medium Shelter.

Yet, if they moved their Shelter to a low-level area, the distance they had to travel every day would be extremely long and time-consuming. They would most likely have to spend the entire day running just to commute between their leveling spots and the Shelter. This would greatly impact the development of the Shelter.

"Everyone, listen to me. This is an opportunity for our District One," Blue Frost said after pondering for some time, an excited smile on his face.

"Opportunity?"

"What opportunity?"

Everyone could not understand what was going through Blue Frost's mind.

"I believe that you guys have heard of this as well. After the incident with District Five, many Shelters that previously refused to join a Guild Force began changing their minds one after another. They are all trying to gain the protection of Shelters run by Guild Forces. In the worst-case scenario, they can also migrate directly to the Large Shelters of the Guild Forces and develop themselves there," Blue Frost said. "Meanwhile, our District One has also joined Zero Wing. However, unlike the other Shelters, the Guild we joined is very strong.

"You guys must have seen the Teleportation Magic Array Design for yourselves. Brother Ye Feng has also stated that, so long as we manage to gather the necessary materials, he will construct a Teleportation Magic Array for our Shelter. If we manage to annex the other Shelters right now, our position in Zero Wing will also rise. I believe that nobody present wishes to remain as just the party leader of a Shelter, right?"

All the party leaders expressed their agreement with Blue Frost's words. The things Zero Wing had revealed so far were already enough to show just how powerful the Guild was, particularly the frightening combat power Shi Feng had displayed as well as the funds that he had transferred to them. Zero Wing had even provided them with a training facility. As long as they made contributions to Zero Wing and raised their positions within the Guild, they would be able to head to Jin Hai City's Big Dipper Training Center and undergo special training for their combat techniques.

Every city had their own martial arts dojos and training centers. If one wanted to improve their combat techniques, it was definitely better to have someone guiding them.

They had previously conducted some investigations in the real world regarding the Big Dipper Training Center. The moment they checked, however, they were shocked.

The Big Dipper Training Center actually had a martial arts master overseeing it. Currently, the Big Dipper was already a famous training center, and many professional fighters from the surrounding cities had gone there to train. It was no longer a place that ordinary people could enter.

Moreover, the amount one had to pay in order to become a member there was also not something ordinary people could afford.

Although their knowledge regarding first-rate Guilds was lacking, they knew full well just how precious a martial arts master was. A martial arts master was the ultimate force of humans. If they could receive pointers from a martial arts master, their combat techniques in God's Domain would definitely improve by leaps and bounds.

Meanwhile, Zero Wing would allow them to undergo special training directly at the Big Dipper. The Guild's financial prowess and influence had thoroughly shattered their perception of ordinary Gaming Guilds.

Although they had earned quite a lot of money from playing God's Domain, they were still far from being able to afford establishments like the Big Dipper Training Center.

If they could climb their way up to Zero Wing's upper management, they would not have to worry about earning enough to support themselves in the future.

"I'm sure everyone clearly understands what a Teleportation Magic Array represents. What we need to do now is annex the other Shelters and obtain the materials required for the Teleportation Magic Array as soon as possible. Even if we retreat from this area, we can simply rely on the teleportation array to return here in the future."

After listening to Blue Frost's explanation, everyone nodded in agreement one after another.

Previously, they had found it simply too difficult to gain control over the other Shelters in the Evil Ghost Domain. However, that changed after the incident with District Five. If they had a teleportation array, the amount of money and resources they could earn would be endless.

Hence, the various party leaders began arranging workforces to collect the materials required for the Teleportation Magic Array. At the same time, they also tried persuading the other Shelters to subordinate themselves to District One's Shelter. That way, the members of these Shelters would get to use the teleportation array of District One.

---

Inside the Darkness Shrine, Shi Feng had already been rehearsing Instant Strike for five hours continuously now.

After just five hours of practice, it was as if Shi Feng was a veteran who had been practicing Instant Strike for many years. His movements when executing the Taboo Skill were practically the same as the holographic video provided by the Skill Book.

I'm still off by a little. Sure enough, a Tier 2 Taboo Skill is not that easy to master.

Although Shi Feng had already given his all to trying to raise his Completion Rate, his best record was 95%. Right now, he could not increase it by even an additional percent.

Moreover, he had only managed to achieve this result because of the Abyssal Blade and the Hundred Berry Wine. Otherwise, he would have taken several days to reach a 95% Skill Completion Rate with Instant Strike.

He did not have much time left to practice. Each bottle of Hundred Berry Wine lasted only one hour—and he had just three more bottles on hand. They would not last him till the very end.

"Human, you should give up. The might of a Tier 2 Taboo Skill is simply too immense. It is not that I am trying to look down on you. However, if you wish to grasp a Tier 2 Taboo Skill, you will need another ten days of hard work at the very least." Serena could discern Shi Feng's current progress in a single glance. "Presently, you have already grasped the motions of the Taboo Skill completely. Unfortunately, your comprehension of the Skill is lacking. With the remaining five hours you have, you would be fortunate to raise your Completion Rate by even just another 1%."

"Lacking comprehension?" Shi Feng thought so as well. It was just like when he had achieved a 101% Completion Rate with Chop. That feeling had gone by in a flash, and he could not grab hold of it even if he wanted to.

Comprehension?

Compatibility?

Does the comprehension Serena is speaking of refer to compatibility?

Shi Feng did not give it too much thought. He did not have much time left—not enough to wait out the 10-day Cooldown to challenge the World Summit again. He then took out all the Hundred Berry Wine in his bag and consumed all three bottles in rapid succession. Even with Shi Feng's willpower and mental power, he still grew dizzy.

The Hundred Berry Wine was just like the Black Steel Beer. The more one drank, the better the effect. Correspondingly, however, the side effects also grew stronger. It was best if players drank just one bottle at a time to maintain a clear mind, as players could steadily improve their Completion Rates and look for any shortcomings in their movements throughout the beverage's effective duration. Consuming too many bottles at once could result in players losing themselves to the alcohol.

Now, Shi Feng downed three bottles in one go. His compatibility rate instantly soared.

This feeling is really great.

At this moment, Shi Feng felt as if he had become one with his sword. When he drew the Abyssal Blade and executed Instant Strike, each and every one of his movements felt light and natural. There was no excess power in any of his actions at all.

Then, Shi Feng's initially smooth movements suddenly changed. The afterimages of the Abyssal Blade, which were originally created due to Shi Feng's overly fast speed, suddenly vanished. The Abyssal Blade in Shi Feng's hand also became clear and visible. In the next moment, faint blue electric arcs manifested around Shi Feng's body, filling the air with crackling sounds. The places these electric arcs touched also charred.

System: Instant Strike Skill Completion Rate 100%. 

Chapter 610 - higher realm

Arcs of electricity continuously sparked around Shi Feng. Although the electric arcs were tiny, the destructive power they contained was practically equivalent to a Tier 2 lightning spell.

"He actually succeeded!" A shocked expression appeared on Serena's beautiful face.

Learning a Taboo Skill was an enormous challenge. It was the same for both players and NPCs with high intelligence. In order to learn a Taboo Skill, one had to go through long periods of arduous training as well as achieve a certain degree of comprehension regarding the Taboo Skill.

Serena wasn't the only one who was shocked by this result. Even Shi Feng himself was quite shocked.

It was extremely difficult for a Tier 1 class to learn a Tier 1 Taboo Skill, not to mention a Tier 2 Taboo Skill.

Moreover, Instant Strike's requirements were exceedingly high even for a Tier 2 Taboo Skill.

Achieving 100% Completion Rate on a Taboo Skill was a feat Shi Feng had never managed, despite having been a Tier 3 Sword King in the past.

In this life, however, he had actually done so while he was still a Tier 1 class. This was simply a dream.

Ninety-nine more times to go. I need to hurry up. Although Shi Feng was currently somewhat drunk, he was still able to maintain a relatively clear consciousness. To make sure he did not forget the feeling from before, he hurriedly continued with his rehearsal.

Unfortunately, none of his next three tries managed to achieve a 100% Completion Rate at all. The highest he reached was 97%.

He had only managed to achieve the 100% Completion Rate before due to luck. On this point, Shi Feng was very certain.

However, now that there was a first, achieving 100% again would become much easier.

Following which, Shi Feng continuously tried to recall the feeling he had felt before. His Skill Completion Rate gradually increased as well, and soon after, he managed to maintain a stable 99%. He was only a thread away from 100%.

Not only do I have to control my own body, but I also have to learn how to adapt to the external environment around me and constantly adjust to the environment. As Shi Feng reviewed his memories, he did not only think about when he achieved a 100% Completion Rate with Instant Strike but also when he had achieved a 101% Completion Rate with Chop.

Whether it was the Refinement Realm or the Flowing Water Realm, both pursued internal control.

Before, the Tier 5 Fallen Angel Serena had stated that he had already done very well in terms of movement and that he was only missing a little comprehension.

If it was said that comprehension was compatibility, and that compatibility was adaptation, then what he needed to do was adapt to the environment. If he used the same methods to execute a Skill in different environments, the results would naturally be different.

This was just like how going from an ordinary environment to a high-gravity one would greatly affect a player's Skill Completion Rate. However, what if this change to the environment was extremely subtle?

It was highly possible that ignoring this minor change was the reason why players would never able to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate, regardless of how perfect their movements were.

Just as Shi Feng continued drawing his sword and adapting to the surrounding air flow, the friction between his sword and the air suddenly generated a small spark. This small spark immediately attracted countless arcs of electricity to circle around Shi Feng's body.

System: Instant Strike Skill Completion Rate 100%.

Sure enough, the progression in control goes from internal to external. Is this what the higher realm feels like? Shi Feng finally discovered the direction he needed to take to advance.

With a clear direction in mind, Shi Feng no longer focused his concentration on his own body but instead shifted it towards his environment.

As Shi Feng grew increasingly familiar with his surroundings, the 100% Skill Completion Rate of Instant Strike grew more frequent as well.

Currently, Shi Feng was achieving a 100% Skill Completion Rate about once every four times he executed Instant Strike. Moreover, during the process of swinging his sword, Shi Feng was also constantly making minor adjustments to better adapt his movements to the external environment.

After training for another half an hour, Shi Feng's improvement was undeniable. He was able to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate practically every other time he executed Instant Strike.

Before an hour had even passed since drinking the three bottles of Hundred Berry Wine, he had already executed a hundred Instant Strikes with a 100% Completion Rate.

After Shi Feng completed an Instant Strike that achieved a 100% Completion Rate for the hundredth time, electricity purified his entire body, his skin becoming glossier and the muscles all over his body growing denser and more powerful.

System: You have learned Instant Strike. Obtained Basic Lightning Physique.

"Why does my body feel a lot lighter?" Shi Feng was greatly shocked when he saw the faint blue electric arcs coursing around his body. Carefully feeling out the changes to his own body, he exclaimed, "This Lightning Physique really is mysterious. The gravity my body is under should still be 3 g. Yet, the effect the increased gravity has on my body has clearly decreased significantly even though none of my Attributes have changed. Right now, the effect feels like the equivalent to a gravity of 1.5 g."

After the third evolution of God's Domain, the Gravitational System had impacted the combat power of players significantly. Meanwhile, now that Shi Feng's body had undergone such changes, it would become much easier for him to adapt to his environment. The current state he was in was similar to being under the effects of the Hundred Berry Wine. Although the Lightning Physique's effects were very much inferior to the Hundred Berry Wine's, the fact that it was always active was a huge advantage.

This Instant Strike is simply fantastic. It is actually able to improve a player's Physique as well. No wonder it was so difficult to learn!

In the past, Shi Feng had heard of some Taboo Skills in God's Domain that when successfully learned, would provide players with additional rewards. However, these Taboo Skills were usually high-tiered ones. He never expected that the Tier 2 Instant Strike was one such Taboo Skill.

Physique was a kind of Hidden Attribute in God's Domain. If a player's Attributes reached a certain level, they would be able to trigger an extraordinary Physique, allowing them to carry out feats that were definitely impossible in the real world. This kind of Hidden Attribute could not be viewed by players, so it was extremely difficult to alter or improve it.

However, this kind of Hidden Attribute would have a significant impact on a player's combat power.

After resting for a while and recovering his mental state, Shi Feng walked up to Serena, smiling as he said, "Miss Serena, sorry for the long wait. Let us begin now."

Currently, not only had he mastered the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike, but he had also obtained the Basic Lightning Physique. Not only did his body feel lighter right now, but its flexibility had also increased significantly. Shi Feng even felt that his reflexes had sped up. However, his reaction speed was still a far cry from that of a gifted talent like Soaring Snake.

"Not bad. Despite being a mere mortal, you have actually managed to grasp a Tier 2 Taboo Skill while still being at Tier 1. Come, give me your best shot. Hopefully, you are able to entertain me for a little while," Serena said, licking her lips as she looked at Shi Feng.

The moment Serena was done speaking, the surrounding magma started roiling. The ground also began trembling as the Fallen Angel released a frightening aura.

Is this the power of a Tier 1 Fallen Angel? Shi Feng gulped down a mouthful of saliva.

He knew that Serena had finally gotten serious. Just her aura alone was enough to render him breathless.

Heavenly Dragon's Power, activate!

Blade Liberation, activate!

Shi Feng was unwilling to lag behind. After activating Heavenly Dragon's Power and Blade Liberation, his Strength Attribute was now equivalent to a High Lord of the same level.

The instant Shi Feng activated Twofold Berserk, he tilted his body forward slightly. He then activated Phantom Kill and had his doppelganger get ready as well.

Shi Feng's sudden increase in strength surprised Serena somewhat. She had not thought the little human before her was capable of reaching such a level. She then stretched out her right hand. Instantly, a golden holy sword appeared in her hand. Countless wind blades wrapped around her weapon.

She cast a Tier 2 Skill, Storm Blade, at Shi Feng right away. Countless swords of light instantly surged towards Shi Feng and his doppelganger.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng and his doppelganger also simultaneously activated the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike.

Shua!

Both Shi Feng and his doppelganger disappeared from where they stood to instantly appear beside Serena. Both Swordsmen then began brandishing their swords at the Fallen Angel.

Instant Strike, when activated, increased its user's Attack Speed by 500% for a short period of time.

Originally, Shi Feng's Attack Speed was already terrifying. Now, Shi Feng and his doppelganger sent out dozens of sword lights in the time it took to take a single breath. Moreover, these sword lights had appeared practically simultaneously, with none ahead or behind the others.

"Such a fast attack!" Serena's gaze sharpened as another golden holy sword appeared in her other hand. She then parried the barrage of attacks sent at her.

Peng... Peng... Peng...

Serena's sword technique was flawless. Every movement of hers was utterly efficient as she blocked dozens of attacks continuously.

However, even if Serena's defense were more perfect, there was still a limit to her Attack Speed. In the end, Shi Feng managed to cut Serena's arm with the Abyssal Blade, causing -1 damage to the Fallen Angel.

When Shi Feng saw the compulsory -1 damage he dealt, his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

"Such a powerful Tier 2 Taboo Skill. You were actually able to break through my defense." Serena looked at the bloody cut on her arm. Gently moving her finger across the wound, she instantly returned her skin to its unblemished state. Then she looked at Shi Feng, saying, "Although I don't want to admit it, since you were able to injure me, it is your win. You may take these items and leave." 

Chapter 611 - shrine rewards

After Serena was done speaking, the Fallen Angel suddenly vanished. At the same time, the volcanic hell that surrounded Shi Feng transformed into a golden Shrine with an altar before him. Three Rainbow Treasure Chests were stacked up one upon another on the altar, and placed on top of these Treasure Chests was a thick and heavy black leather book.

"Victory at last!" Shi Feng breathed out a sigh of relief.

Serena was just too powerful.

Whether it was in terms of techniques or Basic Attributes, he was far inferior to the Fallen Angel.

Shi Feng and his doppelganger had sent out over a hundred attacks within the three seconds of Instant Strike's duration. Yet, Shi Feng had only managed to land a hit on Serena at the very last second. The Fallen Angel's strength was simply terrifying.

Most likely, even Kite would not be a match for Serena, who had suppressed her strength to Tier 1.

If Serena had suppressed her strength to Tier 2 instead of Tier 1, he would not have stood a chance against her at all.

Although Shi Feng had only managed to get through the test after immense difficulty, his harvest was similarly huge.

During his three seconds of frantic attacking, Shi Feng had thoroughly experienced Serena's perfect sword defense technique firsthand. He had seen for himself the sword technique of an NPC standing at the peak of God's Domain. This was not something just any player would get to enjoy, as normally, they would have killed with a single hit.

After Shi Feng reviewed his memories of the previous battle a few times, he walked up to the altar and carefully picked up the black leather book.

As soon as he did so, he felt a hard stare.

Moreover, this feeling was not just limited to one person staring at him. Instead, he felt the gazes of a vast number of people. Every one of these gazes felt cold and violent. It was as if his body had submerged in a chilling, icy hell.

"Sure enough, the Bible of Darkness is not an ordinary item." Shi Feng activated Omniscient Eyes and appraised the black leather book.

[Bible of Darkness] (Fragmented Legendary Item)

The Bible of Darkness had been destroyed during the Great Destruction. However, the Power of Darkness contained within the Bible is extreme. If one can gather the other fragments, they can restore the Bible's power, gaining dominance over all Demonic Creatures and become the Lord of Demons.

"It's actually a Fragmented Legendary item? I heard that the Bible of Darkness Fantasy Extinguisher had was an Epic item. Was the one he obtained a replica?" Shi Feng muttered, feeling rather surprised as he looked at the quality of the Bible of Darkness in his hands.

However, after giving it some thought, Shi Feng felt it was possible.

With how powerful Serena was, Fantasy Extinguisher should not have been able to injure the Fallen Angel at all with the strength he had at that time. It was highly possible that he had chosen the first option instead.

Meanwhile, Fantasy Extinguisher had managed to become a peerless expert in the Black Dragon Empire thanks to the Bible of Darkness.

With the help of the Bible of Darkness, Fantasy Extinguisher managed not only to become exceedingly powerful himself but also to increase the strength of his Guild significantly. Only afterward did Blue Frost and the others from District One shine brightly.

Back then, countless Guilds had looked at Fantasy Extinguisher enviously.

There was nothing remarkable about owning a single Epic item. However, the Bible of Darkness was no ordinary Epic item, as it held the power to increase the overall strength of a Guild.

The Bible of Darkness was capable of strengthening players with the Power of Darkness. Not only could players receive a huge boost in Attributes, but they could also obtain an Enhanced Skill corresponding to their classes.

This was the reason why the Fantasy Shrine had managed to form the invincible Black Demon Legion in the past, allowing the Guild to become one of the tyrants of the Black Dragon Empire. Back then, even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's Blood Legion had not been a match for the Black Demon Legion.

If Fantasy Extinguisher had gained such achievements by relying on a replica, what would have happened if he had obtained the real Bible of Darkness? Most likely, the entire Black Dragon Empire would have fallen into the Fantasy Shrine's hands. Shi Feng inwardly grew excited as he looked at the Bible of Darkness in his hands.

He had finally completed one of the steps required to become an overlord in God's Domain.

Whether it was the Magic Weapon Abyssal Blade or the Fragmented Legendary ranked Heavenly Dragon's Breath, both were items that focused on increasing his personal strength. They were of little use in raising the overall strength of his Guild. However, the Bible of Darkness was different. It was an item focused on increasing the overall strength of many players.

With the Bible of Darkness in hand, he would be able to form a group of Black Demon Guards. With his special training plan, he would be able to quickly establish a Black Demon Legion that surpassed even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's Blood Legion. At that time, who—in Star-Moon Kingdom—would be able to compete with him?

After some fantasizing, Shi Feng then stored the Bible of Darkness and shifted his gaze towards the three Rainbow Treasure Chests.

"I have really made a killing from the Epic Quest this time. Not only did I get a Fragmented Legendary item, but I also obtained a Chapter of Shelter and a Magic Device Design," Shi Feng laughed.

He quickly tucked the contents of all three Rainbow Treasure Chests into his bag.

The first Rainbow Treasure Chest contained 188 Soul Crystals. Though Shi Feng himself had no use for these things, he would be able to upgrade the Lions Bar to a 2-star Bar with this many Soul Crystals. At that time, the production volume of the Hundred Berry Wine would increase to a level barely enough to supply the upper echelons of both District One and Zero Wing.

The second Rainbow Treasure Chest contained the Chapter of Shelter.

Before coming to the World Summit, Shi Feng had asked Blue Frost about Large Shelters in detail.

If a Small Shelter was akin to a small village, then a Medium Shelter was a small town, while a Large Shelter was a large town.

Why were so many Guild Forces madly accumulating resources and were adamant in upgrading a Shelter to a Large Shelter? It was because Larger Shelters possessed a certain degree of self-defense.

The number of players a Shelter could hold was not unlimited. If players wished to become a resident of a Shelter, they had to register themselves with said Shelter. Meanwhile, the number of players a Shelter could register was limited. If there was no cap to registration, players within the Dark Den would have long since migrated to the best Shelters available to develop themselves.

It was also precisely this limitation that severely restricted the development speed of a Shelter.

A Small Shelter could register a maximum of 10,000 players, which was roughly equivalent to the member count of a small Guild.

Medium Shelters could register up to 30,000 players, which was roughly equivalent to the player population of a small town. Aside from having a larger population, players could also construct some Specialty Buildings such as the Lions Bar in a Medium Shelter. The overall strength of a Medium Shelter was significantly higher than a Small Shelter's.

Meanwhile, when a Medium Shelter was upgraded to a Large Shelter, the number of players the Shelter could register would undergo a qualitative change, directly increasing to 100,000. That number could practically rival the member count of a second-rate Guild. Moreover, the functions of the Shelter would also increase notably. The increase was not limited to just the Skill Books and Specialties supplied; players of the Shelter would also be able to tame Mounts.

Mounts could be said to be the lifeblood of players residing within the Dark Den.

With no Teleportation Magic Arrays in the Dark Den, players could only rely on their own two feet to travel to their desired destinations. With a Mount, the mobility of players would improve significantly, and as a result, their strength would also rise much faster than before.

Hence, the various Guild Forces were desperately accumulating resources in order to create a Large Shelter of their own. This was also why plenty of independent Shelters subordinated themselves to Guild Forces. As long as they joined a Guild Force, they could head to the Large Shelter controlled by said Guild Force and purchase Mounts. Otherwise, they would have to wait until their own Shelters were promoted into Large Shelters or try their luck in large-scale Team Dungeons.

Now that Shi Feng had the Chapter of Shelter, he could directly promote the Shelter of District One to a Large Shelter. The players inside the Shelter could then begin to accumulate funds and resources. As soon as they reached a sufficient Level, they would be able to purchase a Mount of their own. Compared to the players of other Shelters, the players of District One would be able to save up on plenty of time.

"Although I've obtained the Chapter of Shelter, I still don't have a way to return to the Shelter right now. It seems that I can only wait until the Cooldown of the Position Teleportation Scroll ends before making another trip to District One's Shelter." Shi Feng suddenly recalled that he had arrived at the central area of the Dark Den through a teleportation gate. As for the method of returning to the Evil Ghost Domain, he had no idea whatsoever.

With the items he came for in hand, Shi Feng did not continue idling around inside the Lord of Destruction's Shrine. He took out a Return Scroll and began chanting the incantation required to teleport back to White River City.

After twenty seconds passed, Shi Feng transformed into a streak of light and disappeared from the Shrine. 

Chapter 612 - winds have change

White River City Teleportation Hall:

Due to Zero Wing's evergrowing fame and the Candlelight Trading Firm's wide array of high-end products, many players were attracted to White River City. Currently, one could see plenty of players forming Dungeon-raiding parties in the wide and spacious Teleportation Hall,

The prosperity and liveliness here were far more intense than in Star-Moon City.

The moment Shi Feng stepped out of the Teleportation Hall, he could feel the hustle and bustle that filled the city.

Other than a large number of independent players who filled the city streets, there were also plenty of Guild players. These Guild players' average levels were very high. Although they could not compare to the players in the Dark Den, most of these Guild players were still Level 27 or 28. That was still quite high in the current God's Domain. These Guild players also wore Fine-Gold and Secret-Silver equipment. They were the envy of ordinary players.

"That Guild is amazing! Its members' equipment looks so amazing! They should be catching up to the powerful Guilds in White River City."

"I've heard of that Guild before. It's called Heaven's Burial, and it's one of the newly-established White River City Guilds. Although it is a new Guild, it is very powerful. So far, Heaven's Burial has already raided many 20-man Hell Mode Team Dungeons and is in the midst of planning to raid 50-man Team Dungeons. I also heard that the Guild has a very powerful backer."

"A strong backer isn't the only thing Heaven's Burial has. A few hours ago, one of Heaven's Burial's experts managed to break into the fourth floor of the Divine Colosseum. It is the tenth Guild in White River City to set foot on the Divine Colosseum's fourth floor."

"I've been to the newly-launched Divine Colosseum as well and paid one Magic Crystal to challenge it. The challenges are insanely difficult. I only managed to reach the second floor after exhausting myself. And I died the moment I set foot on the second floor. In the end, I only got 1 Silver as a reward. It was a serious loss."

"Heaven's Burial is amazing. Even Zero Wing, the most powerful Guild in White River City, has only advanced to the Colosseum's fifth floor."

The Divine Colosseum, which had recently appeared in God's Domain, drew the interest and attention of many players, and every conversation was related to it in one way or another.

After God's Domain had undergone its third evolution, combat in the game had become more difficult for players. The Divine Colosseum was a very good place to train their combat techniques. Only, training there was too expensive. Moreover, the Colosseum only accepted Magic Crystals as currency. This had caused the price of Magic Crystals to skyrocket overnight. Since the third system upgrade, the price of Magic Crystals had doubled.

"Sure enough, that which should arrive, will arrive." Shi Feng was frustrated as he swept a glance over the members of Heaven's Burial.

Before the third evolution of God's Domain, international corporations had only prepared to invest in God's Domain. As for other smaller corporations, they had not paid much attention to this particular investment route. However, with the launch of the Divine Colosseum, God's Domain's popularity began to show signs of overtaking the fighting competitions in the real world. This situation drove corporations—both big and small—around the world towards the game. With a potential gold mine in sight, these corporations began to increase their investments in the game.

For a time, countless new Guilds emerged throughout God's Domain, all wishing to take a bite of the pie known as God's Domain.

Among these corporations, several major investors looked to Star-Moon Kingdom. Some bought shares of long-standing Guilds, while others chose to establish their own Guilds. Among these newly-established Guilds, three stood out: Cloud Nine, Yin Yang Court, and Heaven's Burial.

In the past, Heaven Burial had started developing itself in Star-Moon City. The Guild was clearly ambitious. While Ouroboros and the Star Alliance had been busy fighting each other, Heaven's Burial had taken advantage of the situation and solidified its position in Star-Moon City in one fell swoop. In the end, it had even forced the two first-rate Guilds to suffer quite a few hardships.

Shi Feng had never expected that, after White River City began to show signs of becoming the number one city in Star-Moon Kingdom, Heaven's Burial would run to White River City to develop itself.

Moreover, of the newly-established Guilds Shi Feng had seen so far, Heaven's Burial wasn't the only one of the top three newbies to establish itself in White River City. He also saw members of both Cloud Nine and Yin Yang Court.

Interesting. Everyone's has come to White River City trying to take a bite out of the fat piece of meat that I cooked up. Do they really think that Zero Wing is some kind of pushover? Shi Feng could not help but smile.

Zero Wing indeed possessed plenty of enemies. In the dark, Underworld lurked and spat like a viper. In the light, they had also provoked the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion.

As Shi Feng made his way to White River City's Library, he discovered that, despite having only been away from the city for a short time, many players had acquired their own NPC guards.

NPC guards had become beacons of hope for many powerless players. At the same time, these NPC guards had also received attention from the various large Guilds. As a result, these NPCs' development speeds were unusually fast. Players who were trying to become merchants were especially interested in these NPC guards.

In God's Domain, players' activities were not limited to killing monsters out in the fields. Players could also take on all sorts of quests. Many merchant players, who did not possess any combat power, could rely on NPC guards when carrying out special quests. However, the majority of the quests did not allow the assistance of ordinary guards, only Personal Guards.

Just as Shi Feng arrived before White River City's Library, the sound of his system communicator rang by his ears, and the caller was none other than Everlasting War.

"Brother Ye Feng, you've finally come online. I've been trying to contact you for a while. How are preparations coming along?" Everlasting War asked, slightly worried.

Shi Feng was the expert he had recommended. If Shi Feng did not pass the selection test, it would stain his reputation.

"There are no issues. I can participate in the selection at any time. Seeing as Brother Everlasting is contacting me, has something happened?" Shi Feng asked.

The selection held in Beast City was tomorrow morning. There was still quite some time before the selection began. Something must have happened for Everlasting War to contact him.

"It's nothing major. Only, the higher-ups have changed the requirements for the selection. Now, after you pass the selection, you are required to sign a contract and become a member of the company if you join the battle team. Of course, you will receive far more benefits as well. For example, you will be entitled to 5% of the wagers made on the matches you win," Everlasting War explained. "If Brother Ye Feng joins the battle team, with your strength, you will easily make more than a dozen times the Credits the Guild Leader of a first-rate Guild would normally earn. Once the battle team becomes famous, your status in the world will become even greater than any Leader of a first-rate Guild. What do you think, Brother Ye Feng?"

Everlasting War and his group did not particularly care about signing the new contract as they had originally been employees of the company. However, Shi Feng was different. He was affiliated with Zero Wing. Moreover, he was one of Zero Wing's core members. He had definitely signed a contract with the Guild. If he joined the battle team, unless the company allowed it, he would not be able to be part of any Guilds in the future.

To put it bluntly, the company was restricting the freedom of the team members instead of cooperating with them.

"Of course, if Brother Ye Feng is selected to become one of the members of the battle team, the company will take full responsibility of the breach of agreement with your Guild. Brother Ye Feng can rest assured on this." Everlasting War was very confident in Shi Feng's strength, and he desperately hoped that Shi Feng would join their battle team.

In his opinion, what did a Guild in a virtual reality game amount to?

How could it possibly hope to match up against an international corporation? 

Chapter 613 - peak of star moon

The benefits Everlasting War had mentioned were quite tempting.

The Dark Arena was a place where the various international corporations around the world could secretly compete.

The resources and funding involved were on an entirely different level than ordinary arenas. Even just 5% of the gambling rewards was sufficient to make someone a tycoon overnight.

Moreover, as one's battle record in the Dark Arena grew, the bets on their matches also increased. The income one could potentially earn through the Dark Arena could even tempt international fighters. To virtual reality gaming experts, that was an astronomical number.

However, that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Based on what information Shi Feng had, in the past, any players who signed a contract with a battle team held extraordinary positions in the corporation that owned the team. If it were a famous player such as Everlasting War, even the upper echelons of international corporations would treat them with respect.

The Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild did not even qualify to fawn over such players. They were from entirely different worlds.

The third evolution of God's Domain arrived too soon. I did not expect these international corporations to discover the importance of expert players so quickly. Shi Feng frowned, feeling disappointed. It would have been great if these international corporations had only discovered this fact a few days after the selection tests.

However, since these international corporations had discovered the truth, he could not do anything to change it.

He was the Guild Leader of Zero Wing. Moreover, in this life, he had sworn that he would not be controlled by others ever again.

"Brother Everlasting, since the higher-ups have made this decision, you will have to forgive me for not participating in the selection," Shi Feng directly refused.

Although he could no doubt earn a lot of money, fame, and status in the Dark Arena, in the era of God's Domain, a player could similarly obtain all of these things so long as they had the ability.

Since he could not earn a large sum of Credits through the Dark Arena, he just had to look for some other way.

As a reincarnator, he did not believe that he could not earn Credits from other avenues.

Particularly, from his trip to the Dark Den, he had obtained the Teleportation Magic Array Design and Magic Device Forging Design. These two items were practically money-printing machines. As long as he had enough raw materials, the money he could make would be astronomical.

Everlasting War was slightly stunned by Shi Feng's reply. He had not thought that Shi Feng would refuse his offer so decisively. However, when he thought about Shi Feng's skill, he hurriedly advised, "Brother Ye Feng, won't you reconsider? At the end of the day, a Gaming Guild is only a Gaming Guild. It is nothing compared to a major corporation that can affect the world's economy. With your skills, I guarantee that you'll at least become vice-leader of the battle team."

The team's strength did not rely on a single person. After all, each battle team could include up to ten members. Naturally, the more experts there were in a team, the higher the team's chances were of obtaining victory.

In Everlasting War's opinion, Shi Feng could most likely rank within the top three within their battle team.

If they lost a top three expert, it would wound the battle team's overall strength.

"Brother Everlasting, don't waste your time trying to persuade me. Moreover, I have many matters that I need to attend to. Not being able to join is a good thing. Anyways, I still have something to do, so I'll talk to you another time." Shi Feng disconnected the call. He then entered the Library.

---

Meanwhile, Everlasting War could not help but sigh as he said, "Truly disappointing."

"Disappointing? What's there to be disappointed about? Isn't he just a core member of a small Guild? How strong could he be? He must have realized how weak he actually is. Do you know how many experts of God's Domain and professional fighters are trying to join the Glorious Battle Team? Even if he shows up, he will never be selected." A luxuriously dressed middle-aged woman standing across from Everlasting War disdainfully dismissed his concern.

Four bodyguards in black stood next to this woman. All four radiated intimidating auras that were capable of making Everlasting War, someone who had once been a professional bodyguard, anxious. Particularly, the rugged-looking man among these bodyguards was very famous in the bodyguard industry. He was known as the Steel Guard, and even some international fighters were no match for him.

"Director Hua, Ye Feng is no ordinary expert. If you can restore the recruitment conditions to what they were before and allow him to join the Glorious Battle Team, our chances of beating our next opponent, the Midday Wolves, will be much higher. This will also greatly benefit the company," Everlasting War carefully suggested.

The changes in the battle team's recruitment conditions were all due to this woman, Hua Qiushui, standing before him. Although he did not understand why Hua Qiushui had suddenly changed the conditions, this last-minute adjustment troubled him, the leader of the battle team. However, despite his annoyance, Hua Qiushui's position was extraordinary. A single word from her could easily leave him jobless. Hence, he did not dare speak too boldly in front of her.

"Naturally, I have considered these changes carefully. You only need to focus on how you're going to defeat your next opponent. He is merely a nameless expert. Do you think that, just because we are missing one nameless expert, you're going to lose against your next opponent?" Hua Qiushui questioned, her voice low and dangerous. "He is just one less nameless expert participating in the selection. There are plenty of God's Domain experts coming to take the test. Among them, many are well-known in the industry. These people's standards are far beyond his. I think that Vice-Leader Journey Leave should administer the test this time around. You should take this time to think of a strategy to deal with the Midday Wolves."

Everlasting War's words had clearly dissatisfied Hua Qiushui. Without hesitation, she had stripped him of his duties for a few days. Helpless, Everlasting War could only agree with the lady director.

---

Inside White River City's Library:

After entering the Library, Shi Feng headed towards the building's top floor.

Two Level 180 Tier 2 White Robe Knights stood by the doors. Normally, ordinary players would not dare approach the Star-Moon Hall. However, Shi Feng had long since become a frequent visitor of this place. Without hesitation, he walked past the Knights and opened the doors to the hall.

Sharlyn, who sat beside a table, looked at Shi Feng, mildly stating, "You're here."

Hearing Sharlyn's intimate greeting, Shi Feng could not help but tense up.

Crap! I forgot to store the Coins in my bag! Seeing Sharlyn's intimate smile, Shi Feng suddenly thought of the precious Coins he had in his bag. This reaction was practically instinctual now.

Although Sharlyn was an NPC, she seemed more realistic than a real person. Though she always appeared friendly, her actions said otherwise.

If not for a few tricks he hid up his sleeves, she would have bankrupted him long ago.

"Hahaha! Come over here; let me see what you've brought this time!" Sharlyn waved her hand at Shi Feng. Suddenly, a huge force tugged at Shi Feng's body, sending him flying towards Sharlyn.

Shi Feng was shocked at this sudden development.

After not meeting for some time, Sharlyn's strength had increased once more.

Sharlyn, who had been a Tier 4 Great Divine Official, had now become a Level 200 Tier 5 Red Official.

At this point, Sharlyn was many times stronger than Weissman, White River City's Magistrate. She stood at the peak of Star-Moon Kingdom.

Although Shi Feng had long since known that Sharlyn was not an ordinary NPC and that her strength would increase significantly every time they met, her improvement speed was simply mind-blowing. Even he, someone who had played God's Domain for more than a decade, found it astonishing.

Just who is Sharlyn? Questions filled Shi Feng's heart. 

Chapter 614 - demon gate

Just as Shi Feng pondered Sharlyn's identity, a hint of shock surfaced in the Red Official's golden eyes.

"You have actually obtained it!" Sharlyn could not help but reevaluate her opinion of Shi Feng. "And here I thought you would bring me a replica to help you solve your problem."

Hearing this, surprise appeared on Shi Feng's face.

He had only discovered the truth about the replica from the Fallen Angel Serena. He had not expected Sharlyn to know about it as well.

Sharlyn could see the question floating in Shi Feng's mind. Smiling, she explained, "The Bible of Darkness is not an ordinary item. The Lord of Destruction crafted this item, and it is a treasure used to gain dominance over all Demonic Creatures. Even though the Bible has been destroyed, it still holds boundless power. There are countless powerhouses who wish to obtain it. In the past, plenty of strong people tried going to the Dark Den to obtain the Bible of Darkness. In the end, however, they only managed to return with replicas.

"Even so, a replica of the Bible of Darkness still possesses a certain degree of power. There are no problems with using it to solve your Great Demon problem. Only, at the end of the day, a replica is still a replica. While it might be useful to a weak little Adventurer like you, to high-tiered powerhouses, it is hardly worth anything."

It is no wonder why Fantasy Extinguisher stopped using the Bible of Darkness after he became a Tier 4 class. Shi Feng came to a realization after listening to Sharlyn's explanation.

In the past, Fantasy Extinguisher had made a name for himself by relying on the Bible of Darkness and had even enabled the Fantasy Shrine to overwhelm the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's Guild Branch. However, after Fantasy Extinguisher became a Tier 4 Spirit Emperor, he stopped using the Bible of Darkness. Back then, everyone had thought that Fantasy Extinguisher had dropped the Bible of Darkness and lost it after someone had killed him.

Epic items, particularly special Epic items like the Bible of Darkness, an item that would take effect even when inside a player's bag, would not lose its worth with the passing of time. Even a Tier 5 expert could continue to use it. After all, Fragmented Legendary and Legendary items were simply too rare. Even Tier 6 God-ranked players would not necessarily own such items. Owning a unique Epic item was still quite impressive.

As Shi Feng reexamined the situation, he realized that it was highly possible that the replica of the Bible of Darkness could only display its worth up until Tier 3. If it were not helpful to Tier 4 classes, Fantasy Extinguisher would not have continued to use it.

"Take it out, then," Sharlyn said softly, her eyes smiling.

Shi Feng carefully retrieved the Bible of Darkness from his bag and placed it on the table beside him.

"Mhm. Sure enough, it's the real deal. You really are quite the capable fellow. Do you know just how many powerhouses are trying to retrieve the Bible of Darkness? In the end, everyone only returns with a replica. If they knew that a little fellow like you had the real thing, they would most likely go crazy from anger." Sharlyn nodded, smiling as she scrutinized the Bible of Darkness. She then continued, "Since you brought me the genuine article, I'll give you two options.

"The first option is free of charge. For this option, you'll be able to solve the problem of the Great Demon descending on you.

"The second option will cost you 1,500 Gold and 100 Soul Crystals. For this option, you can be done once and for all, destroying the Great Demon that targets you."

Sure enough... Shi Feng could not help but send Sharlyn a contemptuous gaze. Currently, he had a little over 1,600 Gold in his bag. This was the money the Candlelight Trading Firm had made while he had been absent. If he gave it all to Sharlyn, he would become a pauper once more.

However, even so, Shi Feng gritted his teeth and handed over the money.

If he had chosen the first option, although it might seem like he had dealt with the Great Demon, in reality, Sharlyn would only weaken the descended Great Demon to a level that he could cope with. He would still have to deal with the Great Demon's will descending on him every so often until he could defeat and kill it.

In the past, the darkness's descent plagued Fantasy Extinguisher, requiring him to deal with a weakened Great Demon every-so-often and throwing his Guild, Fantasy Shrine, into chaos.

The fact that he had a second option was considerably lucky.

This might be the difference between a replica and the genuine product.

Sharlyn received the Coins and Soul Crystals with a saintly smile. Nodding with satisfaction, she said, "Alright, step back."

Following Sharlyn's request, Shi Feng moved more than thirty yards away from her.

Meanwhile, Sharlyn held up the Bible of Darkness. After flipping through a few pages, she began chanting a series of incantations, her hand continuously tracing out a line of runes in the air.

As the line of runes grew longer, the Power of Darkness filling the Star-Moon Hall grew denser and denser, to the point where Shi Feng could even see faint black mist appear. This black mist desperately gathered in front of Sharlyn, forming a fourfold magic array. The surrounding space began to blur as well. The powerful Mana was even capable of suppressing the space within the hall.

This Mana is simply too powerful. I can't move at all! Shi Feng was shocked as he stared at the fourfold magic array suspended in midair.

A magic array was actually capable of forming its own space... Chances were that only Tier 5 existences like Sharlyn were capable of forming such an array.

After Sharlyn finished writing the runes, she casually scattered the 100 Soul Crystals before her. Immediately, all 100 Soul Crystals transformed into gray smoke. This gray smoke then formed a pair of silvery-gray gates. There were countless images of Demons engraved on these ancient gates, and every one of these Demons was quite famous throughout God's Domain. These were existences that even ordinary Tier 4 powerhouses would not dare provoke.

"Are you trying to summon a Demon?" Shi Feng frowned at the gray gates. He could clearly feel how frightening their power was. If the gates opened, horrific creatures would most likely crawl out.

"You've guessed correctly. I am trying to summon a Demon. Moreover, I am summoning the Great Demon that targets you. Otherwise, how you going to get rid of it?" Sharlyn rolled her eyes at Shi Feng. Her golden eyes then shifted back to the gray gates. "In the name of Darkness, I summon thee! Emerge, Great Demon Kildred!"

The moment Sharlyn finished speaking, the gray gates abruptly opened.

"Who dares to summon me?" a cold, dark voice boomed through the gray gates.

Following which, a figure pushed through the gray gates. This figure sported a large pair of black bat wings and two pitch-black goat horns on his head. Pitch-black scaled covered his entire body, and killing intent filled his blood-red eyes.

The moment Kildred appeared, he surveyed his surroundings with his blood-red eyes, and he could not help but sneer at what he saw.

"And here I wondered who had summoned me. It turns out that it's just you, little Divine Official, and that foolish Adventurer," Kildred said disdainfully as he flapped his wings. "I did not expect that little ants like you could actually obtain the real Bible of Darkness. As your reward for summoning me, I'll collect your souls and the Bible."

Is this Great Demon stupid? Shi Feng frowned at Kildred, confused.

Kildred was a Level 180 Tier 4 Great Demon. On the other hand, Sharlyn was a Level 200 Tier 5 Red Official. No matter how he looked at it, they were on entirely different levels. Moreover, the Great Demon had actually called Sharlyn a 'little Divine Official.'

Did Kildred believe that he was a Tier 6 Demon God?

"Huh? Wait a minute..." Shi Feng immediately discovered the problem. For some reason, the Sharlyn before him had somehow fallen from being a Tier 5 Red Official to a Tier 3 Divine Official.

"Little Brother, stop daydreaming. Right now, your task is to kill him," Sharlyn instructed as she looked at Shi Feng. She paid no attention to the Great Demon Kildred's provocation.

"You wish to kill me, the Great Demon Kildred?! You two must be insane! I'll show you what the consequences are for summoning a Great Demon!" Kildred revealed a malicious grin upon hearing Sharlyn's words. Suddenly, black flames appeared in his hand. 

Chapter 615 - tier 5 curse

The raging black flames quickly transformed into a ferocious beast that bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it pounced on Sharlyn.

Boom!

At the sound of an explosion, the black flames in the air suddenly began to collapse, dissipating into nothingness.

"You!?"

The Great Demon Kildred's malicious expression suddenly changed, and he no longer looked down on Sharlyn. Rather, he gazed at the Tier 3 Divine Official with solemn eyes.

Even Tier 4 classes would find it difficult to deal with Soul Fire, yet, Sharlyn managed to disperse it without moving in the slightest. One could just imagine what kind of power she contained.

No! It wasn't the Soul Fire that was defeated! My Mana!" Kildred was horrified as he quickly discovered the true problem.

His Mana rapidly leaked from his body. Due to the lack of Mana, he had lost control of the Soul Fire he had summoned, causing it to disappear.

Standing at a distance, Shi Feng was also shocked by Sharlyn's counterattack.

The Great Demon Kildred's Level plummeted, as did his Tier.

Level 180... Level 170... Level 160...

In a short moment, the Great Demon Kildred had become a Level 35 Tier 2 Evil Spirit. He was no longer a Level 180 Tier 4 Great Demon.

"What have you done?!" Kildred asked, gaping at Sharlyn in abject horror.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just used God's Twilight, a Tier 5 Curse," Sharlyn said, smiling. "While inside God's Twilight's effective area, all beings above Tier 2 will be forcefully suppressed by two Tiers. Naturally, their Levels will lower as well."

Upon hearing these words, Kildred instantly paled.

Shi Feng was similarly astonished.

A Tier 5 Curse!

This was a spell that could rival the power of a Tier 6 God-ranked spell.

"Kildred, you can only escape this situation by defeating the Adventurer before you. Otherwise, you will die here." Although Sharlyn's voice sounded pleasing to the ears, her words caused even a Great Demon like Kildred to shudder in fear.

Realizing that was his cue, Shi Feng unsheathed the Abyssal Blade and Purgatory's Shadow.

This should be the final test. Shi Feng licked his lips as he stared at the Great Demon Kildred, who hovered in the air.

He had always known that it would not be so easy to obtain the Fragmented Legendary ranked Bible of Darkness.

In God's Domain, there was an abundance of Epic items. However, Fragmented Legendary and Legendary items, items that were above Epic rank, were extraordinarily rare. If players wanted to obtain one, they would have to pay an unimaginable price. The fact that he had grasped a special Fragmented Legendary item such as the Bible of Darkness with so little trouble could already be considered a miracle.

In the past, to obtain a single Fragmented Legendary item, the various large Guilds throughout God's Domain would have to be busy for at least one to two months, possibly three to four months. Unless one were extremely lucky and encountered special locations such as the Star River Valley, they would have to rely on quests to obtain a Fragmented Legendary item.

"Little ant, a Tier 1 Swordsman like you dares to draw your sword against me, the Great Demon Kildred? You are indeed courageous. However, just because I have been suppressed to Tier 2, you think you have a chance of defeating me?" Kildred laughed angrily as he felt the sting of a deep wound to his pride.

"How will I know if I don't try?" Shi Feng laughed. He then approached the Great Demon one step at a time.

[Kildred] (Evil Spirit [Great Demon])

Level 35

HP 1,000,000/1,000,000

A Tier 2 Evil Spirit was the equivalent of a Lord ranked monster. However, due to Kildred's intelligence, his combat power was definitely much higher than an ordinary Lord. His HP, though lower than an ordinary Lord, was also much higher than a player's.

As Shi Feng approached Kildred gradually, he suddenly discovered something fortunate.

While he was under the effects of God's Twilight, all of his Skills' Cooldowns had not only been refreshed, but they had also been reduced by half.

It seems my test this time is to defeat a Tier 2 Evil Spirit while at my peak.

Shi Feng had initially been worried that he would not be able to use Blade Liberation. Now, however, it seemed that his worries were for naught.

"Die!" the Great Demon Kildred roared. Suddenly, a black spear appeared in his hand. He then swooped down and jabbed the spear towards Shi Feng in rapid succession. In the next moment, streaks of black light rained down on the Swordsman.

Tier 2 Skill, Black Rain Annihilation!

Shi Feng did not dare to hold back. Immediately, he activated Heavenly Dragon's Power and Blade Liberation. He then used the Aura of Wind's Activatable Skill, Wind Rider, and leaped into the air.

With a 280% increase to his Movement Speed, Shi Feng's speed could rival that of a Great Lord. Very easily, he escaped the effective area of Black Rain Annihilation. Moreover, due to his ability to fly, he had no need to fear the Great Demon Kildred's ranged attacks from the air.

After avoiding Kildred's Black Rain Annihilation, Shi Feng proceeded to activate the Ice-Blue Devil Flame, Phantom Kill, Nine Dragons Slash, Black Emperor, and Purgatory Power, instantly pushing his combat power to its peak.

Immediately, both sides began a fierce and deadly dance.

With Wind Rider active, Shi Feng held an absolute advantage in terms of speed. As a result, he was able to dodge all the Great Demon's attacks easily. Kildred could not even make contact with Shi Feng's body.

On the other hand, sword lights bombarded on the scales covering Kildred's body, easily penetrating the Great Demon's armor.

Chop!

-25,641.

Thunder Flame Explosion!

-47,156.

Thundering Flash!

-14,527, -18,546, -24,716.

Every Skill Shi Feng executed had a Completion Rate of 95% or above, allowing his Skills' effect to increase significantly.

The Great Demon Kildred's 1,000,000 HP decreased at a rate visible to the naked eye. After a measly five seconds, the Great Demon only had 70% of his HP remaining.

However, Shi Feng suddenly discovered that, as he relentlessly attacked the Great Demon, his opponent's Strength and speed began to rise.

Originally, when he had activated Twofold Berserk, his Strength should have rivaled even a High Lord of the same level and overwhelmed the Great Demon Kildred. After a short period of intense battle, however, Kildred's Strength was already equal to his. The Great Demon's speed also quickly caught up.

This can't continue. Although I don't know whether he is growing stronger due to the length of battle increasing or his HP decreasing, I need to finish him off as soon as possible! Shi Feng used Flame Burst.

Suddenly, two miniature suns appeared and illuminated the Star-Moon Hall.

Twenty-four consecutive strikes!

Both Shi Feng and his doppelganger used Flame Burst at the same time.

Twenty-four sword lights cut across the space of the hall, striking the Great Demon Kildred. Every sword light from Shi Feng dealt over -20,000 damage to the Great Demon. His doppelganger caused over -10,000 damage with each attack as well. When critical hits were achieved, the damage of the attacks doubled.

When the attacks ended, the Great Demon Kildred suffered a total damage of over -500,000.

"This..." Shi Feng was stupefied when he saw the Great Demon that he had attacked.

At this moment, the Great Demon Kildred had only 40% of his HP remaining. Meanwhile, a faint, black light radiated from Kildred's body.

Tier 2 Skill, Dark Shield... It was a spell that could absorb a relatively large amount of damage.

"Damn it!" Shi Feng frowned.

Flame Burst was his ultimate Skill. Yet, the Great Demon had actually managed to negate a portion of its damage.

Currently, the Great Demon Kildred had grown more formidable after the attack. Meanwhile, there were less than 10 seconds left on Blade Liberation's duration.

"Hahaha! My Strength has completely surpassed yours now! Die, human!" Kildred snorted. He then threw his spear at Shi Feng.

Kildred's spear was extremely fast, and even Shi Feng only barely managed to block it with his swords.

Peng!

Shi Feng was immediately struck down from the air, his body colliding heavily with the floor and shattering it. A damage of close to -1,100 points appeared above his head.

This was the damage he received after blocking the Great Demon's attack. If he had failed to block the attack, he would have lost far more than a little over 1,000 HP.

However, the Great Demon Kildred was not finished. Suddenly, Kildred split into two copies of himself. These two Kildreds looked exactly the same, and their Attributes were equally frightening. In the next moment, one Kildred charged at Shi Feng's doppelganger while the other charged at Shi Feng. 

Chapter 616 - promotion to count

Two identical Great Demon Kildreds attacked Shi Feng and his doppelganger.

Shi Feng, who had been at a disadvantage in terms of Strength, had no choice but to dodge the Great Demon's attacks.

Although Shi Feng had entered the Flowing Water Realm and could predict the trajectories of Kildred's attacks, the Great Demon's spear was like a venomous snake that consistently sent fatal blows towards his blind spots.

If any other player stood in his place, not to mention dodging, even blocking the attacks would be difficult.

Facing the unavoidable attacks, Shi Feng had no choice but to block with his swords.

However, the Great Demon Kildred's Strength was simply too intense. Each of his attacks managed to push Shi Feng back by several steps and inflict slightly more than -1,000 damage. Fortunately, Heavenly Dragon's Power had increased Shi Feng's Defense and HP by 300%. With over 30,000 HP, Shi Feng could endure the Great Demon's assault for quite some time.

Only, Shi Feng's Twofold Berserk state could only last for twenty seconds. Once these twenty seconds were over, he would enter a Weakened state and would lose all power to resist the Great Demon.
　　
A short moment later, the other Great Demon Kildred defeated Shi Feng's doppelganger.

"Hahaha! Human, you are quite amazing. A mere Tier 1 Swordsman like yourself has actually managed to damage me, the Great Demon Kildred, to such an extent. As a reward, I'll let you become my puppet, and you can follow my orders for the rest of your life!" Kildred sneered at Shi Feng, who desperately tried to defend against his attacks.

Standing at a distance, Sharlyn frowned slightly as she watched the battle. Sighing, she muttered, "Was it still too soon?"

Now, Shi Feng no longer had his doppelganger. His ultimate Skill, Flame Burst, was also on Cooldown. Even though he was under the effects of God's Twilight, reducing his Cooldowns by half, Flame Burst still had a Cooldown of 1 minute, 30 seconds.

Most importantly, he had to face two Great Demon Kildreds who had the same Attributes and 40% HP remaining.

Shi Feng had no chance of winning.

It would be Shi Feng's end once the two Great Demon Kildreds launched a pincer attack.

"Human, be at ease and become my slave!"

In the blink of an eye, the two Great Demon Kildreds appeared in front of and behind Shi Feng, both Great Demons revealing a ferocious expression.

"This is just the Twin Life Technique. Do you really think that I have no way of unraveling it?"

At this moment, Shi Feng's previously stern expression suddenly vanished. On the contrary, he revealed a disdainful and victorious smile.

Hearing Shi Feng mention the words "Twin Life Technique," Kildred's expression turned grim.

Twin Life Technique was a Special Skill that did not possess any Tiers. It was a Skill that utilized the aid of a treasure to produce a doppelganger with the same capabilities as the original, though both the doppelganger and the original shared the same HP. However, unlike the original, the damage the doppelganger received would be increased by 300%. While Twin Life Technique boosted its user's combat power, it also increased the damage they took. The Skill was a double-edged sword. If used correctly, it could display boundless power. If used badly, one would cut their own lifeline with this Skill.

"So what if you know about the Twin Life Technique? Can you tell which one is real and which is fake?" Kildred did not believe that Shi Feng could differentiate the true Kildred from his doppelganger. The doppelganger the Twin Life Technique had created was exactly the same as the original. It was impossible to tell the difference by sight alone. "Even if you identify the doppelganger, will you be able to block the attacks from both of us?"

Shi Feng did not reply to the Great Demon. Instead, he pointed the Abyssal Blade towards the hall's ceiling. Suddenly, countless golden divine swords appeared above them.

When these golden swords descended, two different damages appeared above the two Great Demons' heads. The Great Demon in front of Shi Feng received over -5,000 damage, while the one behind Shi Feng received over -15,000 damage. At this point, it was obvious which was real and which was fake.

However, Shi Feng was not finished with his attacks. Tightening his grip around the Abyssal Blade, he swung the Magic Weapon downwards.

Abyssal Curse!

Suddenly, the space within 30 yards around Shi Feng took on the effects of a quagmire. The two Great Demon Kildreds were unable to move.

Although Kildred was immune to Fainted effects and other control conditions, the Abyssal Blade was as powerful as an Epic weapon. Even if Abyssal Curse could not restrict the Great Demon for a full five seconds, to Shi Feng, two or three seconds were more than enough.

"I've been waiting for this moment."

Shi Feng activated Silent Steps and appeared behind Kildred's doppelganger. Suddenly, the Abyssal Blade in Shi Feng's hand released a dazzling flame.

"This... How is this possible! How can you still use that Skill?!" Kildred's originally calm expression abruptly changed.

The Skill Shi Feng currently used was none other than Flame Burst, the Skill that had previously inflicted massive amounts of damage. However, Shi Feng had used that Skill recently. Now, the Swordsman used it against his doppelganger once more!

"Die!"

Shi Feng did not bother explaining anything to the Great Demon. In truth, while Kildred's doppelganger faced-off against his doppelganger, he had used up the 30 stacks of Death Aura on Flame Burst. Each stack of Death Aura could reduce the Cooldown of a Skill by three seconds, and thirty stacks just happened to grant him 90 seconds. Once his doppelganger died, he pretended to struggle against one of the Great Demon's attacks, allowing the two Great Demon Kildreds to launch a pincer attack and giving him a good opportunity to deal with the Great Demon's doppelganger.

Twelve consecutive strikes bit into the Great Demon's immobile doppelganger.

Even when Shi Feng had used Flame Burst on the real Great Demon Kildred, each of his attacks had dealt over -20,000 damage. Now that the damage was amplified by 300%, each strike dealt over -60,000 damage against Kildred's doppelganger, or -120,000 damage with a critical hit. Against such frightening damages, Kildred's doppelganger died instantly.

"No!" Kildred released a frustrated scream.

Unfortunately, Twin Life Technique made it so that both doppelganger and the original shared the same HP. The doppelganger's death meant the original's death. The Great Demon Kildred would never have guessed that Shi Feng was a reincarnator. Not only was Shi Feng extremely familiar with many of the Skills in God's Domain, but he also knew the weaknesses of the various Skills.

After Shi Feng killed the Great Demon Kildred, a golden glow appeared around his body. Moreover, this golden glow appeared twice in a row.

Shi Feng's level immediately jumped from Level 32 to Level 34.

"Such an abundant amount of EXP!" Shi Feng said in shock.

As the class he possessed was the hidden class Blade Saint, the EXP he required to level up was double of what other players required. Now that he had leveled up twice in a row, not only had he earned back the level he had lost at the World Summit, but he also gained a level beyond that.

System: Epic Quest "Darkness Descends" completed.

Quest rewards: "Demon Slayer" title, Star-Moon Kingdom Reputation +50, White River City Reputation +500, automatically promoted to the status of Count in White River City.

System: Congratulations on becoming a Count of White River City. You can now employ 100 guards, including four Personal Guards. You can also enjoy a 20% discount on all expenditures in White River City.

"As expected of an Epic Quest. I've been promoted to a Count after completing a single quest. I can lessen my cost significantly when I head to the Divine Colosseum," Shi Feng said, smiling.

If a Viscount was considered a major noble, then a Count was a top figure among major nobles.

In God's Domain, the highest social status a player could attain in a city like White River City was Marquis. Only in a capital city like Star-Moon City could players become Dukes. Thus, becoming a Count of White River City was quite impressive.

To players, the largest difference between a Count and a Viscount, aside from the difference in status and the number of guards they could employ, was the Divine Colosseum.

The Divine Colosseum was a location where players could raise their combat power. Meanwhile, the Colosseum required Magic Crystals as currency. However, Viscounts or below would not receive any discounts at the Divine Colosseum. Only Counts or above would enjoy that benefit. This was also one of the reasons why many players had strived to increase their Reputation and become Counts. That way, one could lessen the burden on their wallet.

Compared to ordinary players, a Count's title held far more importance to players who owned private Lands because Counts possessed much greater authority. This authority was also the capital that a player required if they wished to rise and succeed in a city. 

Chapter 617 - book of legends

After the Great Demon Kildred died, Shi Feng discovered a particularly interesting item.

A Design had dropped from the Demon. However, this was no ordinary Design. The Design Kildred had dropped was nearly four times larger than ordinary Designs.

"Stable Design!" Shi Feng could not help his shock after examining the item.

In God's Domain, after players reached Level 40, they could use Mounts rather than relying on their own two feet to travel.

Players could purchase Common Mounts from the various large cities. Of course, players were also required to have a certain amount of Reputation before they could make this purchase. As for higher ranking mounts, players could only obtain them through quests, raiding Team Dungeons, and killing high ranking Field Bosses.

Guild players had one other avenue to obtain a Mount.

The Guild Mount!

Guild Mounts were different from the generalized Mounts that one could purchase from cities. They were Mounts unique to Guilds. They could also be considered the symbol of a Guild. Not only did Guild Mounts possess higher Movement Speeds than Common Mounts, but they could also be upgraded. Only, upgrading a Mount was very difficult. However, high-quality Mounts were an ordinary player's dream.

How could a Guild obtain Guild Mounts?

They could do so with the Stable!

In order to obtain a Guild Mount, a Guild had to construct a Stable in its Residence and recruit NPCs to nurture the Mount. Guild members could only purchase these Mounts with Guild Contribution Points.

In the past, to obtain a Guild Mount, many independent players had desperately tried to join a Guild.

As for why they were so desperate to obtain a Guild Mount, aside from Guild Mounts having higher Movement Speed and being upgradable, the key benefit was that the Mounts had unique appearances. Guild Mounts had different appearances from the Common Mounts one could purchase from cities, so if one rode a Guild Mount while roaming a city's streets, they would attract a lot of attention. Not only could a Guild Mount serve to raise the reputation of its rider, but they were great ice-breakers.

The Mounts one could purchase from cities only consisted of horses. The only difference between them was their coloring. However, Guild Mounts were not limited to horses; there were many other rideable species. Based on Shi Feng's knowledge, there were several thousand Mount species in God's Domain. Hence, most Guilds would have their own unique Mounts.

Why were there so many species of Guild Mounts?

It was because Guild Mounts were either wild beasts or Demonic Beasts that had been captured, tamed, cultivated, and propagated until they were finally rideable. This was why there were so many species available. Similarly, it was not easy for a Guild to obtain a Guild Mount. This required a large amount of resources and manpower.

Now that I have the Stable Design, I can push ahead with the plan to develop Zero Wing's Mount. Shi Feng had considered a few locations where he could capture rare Mounts.

In the past, the various large Guilds throughout God's Domain had headaches over the acquisition of their Guild Mounts. After all, depending on the beast they caught and the method they used to nurture said beast, the Mount's Attributes would be different. If a beast were nurtured properly, it could start with a rank close to Bronze. The Mount could also increase Movement Speed up to 115%. One could just imagine how beneficial this would be to a Guild.

While everyone used Common Mounts, they could obtain a Mount that was close to Bronze rank. With some additional nurturing, the Guild would have a batch of Bronze Mounts. At Bronze rank, Mounts could assist players in battle. This alone would allow them to widen the gap between themselves and other players. Hence, in the past, the various large Guilds would nurture the beasts they captured with extreme care to avoid a late start against other Guilds.

The sooner a Guild possessed the Stable Design, the sooner they could start preparing their Guild Mounts.

However, the Stable Design was extremely rare. The easiest method to obtain it was through raiding Level 20 to Level 60, 100-man Team Dungeons. Only, the drop-rate for the Design was abysmally low. In the past, even when Guilds had offered to purchase a Stable Design for 5,000 or 6,000 Gold, nobody was willing to sell theirs.

Initially, Shi Feng had planned to wait for everyone in the Guild to grow stronger before raiding 100-man Team Dungeons.

Now that the Great Demon Kildred had dropped this Design, it had saved him plenty of time.

After Shi Feng stored the Stable Design excitedly, Sharlyn closed the Bible of Darkness and turned to Shi Feng, saying softly, "Not bad. You actually managed to defeat the Great Demon Kildred. However, even though Kildred is dead, why is there still such a dense Power of Darkness lingering around you?"

Seeing Sharlyn's confused expression, Shi Feng quickly came to an understanding. He then retrieved Moloch's Ring from his bag, saying, "This should be why."

"Moloch's Ring!" Sharlyn instantly recognized the ring. Surprised, she asked, "How did you get your hands on this ring?"

"I stole it from a Great Demon called Knettel," Shi Feng responded honestly.

"Stole it?" Sharlyn's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She obviously did not believe Shi Feng's claim. A Tier 4 Great Demon at full power only needed to swing his hand to wipe Shi Feng out of existence. Shi Feng would simply not survive an attempt to steal the ring from the Great Demon. "Are you really not afraid of death, or are you just that ignorant? You actually had the guts to remove the seal on the ring. Fortunately, you only obtained Moloch's Ring now. I guess you are somewhat lucky.

"Legend has it that Moloch's Ring is related to the fall of the Lord of Balrogs. Moreover, this ring is a complete Legendary item. With your strength, this ring will devour you very quickly."

"Devour?" Shi Feng thought back to when the Great Demon Knettel had chased after him. If not for his good luck, he would have certainly died.

"When I say 'devour,' I mean it in the literal sense. Do you really think a Legendary item is easily controlled?" Sharlyn rolled her eyes at Shi Feng. "Based on what I know, several hundred years ago, the Demon that guarded this ring was a Tier 5 Great Demon King. After that Great Demon King was devoured, it became the current Great Demon Knettel's turn to guard it."

Shi Feng broke out in cold sweat upon hearing these words.

At this moment, Shi Feng understood what Sharlyn was trying to say. The so-called "guardian" of Moloch's Ring was nothing but a sacrifice for the ring to devour. Meanwhile, those Demons had been unaware of the fact that they were sacrifices. To make matters worse, he had foolishly stolen the ring without knowing this fact.

If even a Tier 5 Great Demon King had not been able to avoid its fate, with Shi Feng's current strength, he stood absolutely no chance against Moloch's Ring.

"In the past, in order to seal this ring, ten Tier 5 powerhouses sacrificed themselves. Now that you have removed one of the seals, if you wish to seal it again, you will need the help of at least three Tier 5 classes. Otherwise, no matter where you go, you will not be able to hide from your fate." Seeing Shi Feng's grim expression, Sharlyn could not help but laugh as she said, "However, I have also said that you are somewhat lucky."

"Lucky?" Shi Feng grew curious.

"That's right. Your luck is quite good. You were able to obtain the real Bible of Darkness. If you had returned with a replica, even I would have no way to save your little life." Sharlyn rubbed her forehead lightly, saying seriously, "The Bible of Darkness is a treasure made by the Lord of Destruction. If one wields the Bible of Darkness, they can rule over every Demon in existence; the Lord of Balrogs is no exception. As for why the Bible of Darkness is capable of ruling over Demons, it is because the Bible is the origin of all Demons. All Demons have evolved from the Bible. With the Bible of Darkness, one possessed the power to restrain all Demons.

"Of course, in its current state, it won't be able to suppress Moloch's Ring. Only the complete Bible of Darkness has the power to do so. What you need to do now is repair the Bible of Darkness. Do you understand?" 

Chapter 618 - target: Tier 2

"Repair the Bible of Darkness?" Shi Feng laughed bitterly.

In God's Domain, some Fragmented Legendary items could be repaired to their peak conditions, which was Legendary rank.

However, very few Fragmented Legendary items could actually be repaired. Otherwise, Legendary items wouldn't have been so rare in the past.

In the case of the Fragmented Legendary ranked Heavenly Dragon's Breath, the ring's description clearly expressed how it could be repaired. In the case of the Bible of Darkness, however, the description only provided a vague clue. How was he supposed to repair it?

"Of course, it won't be easy to repair the Bible of Darkness. With your current strength, you can't repair it at all. Fortunately, you have only removed one seal on Moloch's Ring thus far. You still have enough time to prepare," Sharlyn said slowly after perceiving the current state of Moloch's Ring with her magic.

"Lady Sharlyn, how long do I have?" Shi Feng asked rather anxiously.

"That depends on you." Sharlyn smiled as she glanced at Shi Feng.

"Me?" Shi Feng was stunned.

"That's right. The stronger you are, the more time Moloch's Ring will need to accumulate enough power to devour you. Based on your current level, you have roughly fifty to sixty days. It would be the best if you reach Tier 2 within fifty days. If you can do so, Moloch's Ring will require far more power to devour you. Of course, there is a catch.

"If you continue releasing the seals on the ring, the speed at which the ring accumulates power will grow. Hence, the deadline depends on you."

Hearing Sharlyn's explination, Shi Feng immediately came to a realization.

In the past, the first top-tier expert to have been promoted to a Tier 2 class appeared three months after God's Domain launched.

However, Shi Feng was a Blade Saint. He required twice as much EXP as ordinary classes to level up. Although he was a reincarnator, it would still be somewhat difficult for him to become a Tier 2 class within 50 days. The issue wasn't leveling speed, but that the Advancement Quest was too challenging and time-consuming. Hence, in the past, even top-tier experts had only obtained their Tier 2 classes three months after the game launched.

The Advancement Quest for hidden classes were far more difficult, and the time required to complete them was much longer. If he had to complete his Advancement Quest within 50 days, he really didn't have much confidence of succeeding. If he had 60 days instead, then he would have significantly more confidence. Yet, the deadline Sharlyn had given him ranged between 50 and 60 days. Who knew how much time he actually had?

Because of how specific Sharlyn was, Shi Feng even began to wonder if the Main God System set such a deadline purposefully.

"You are already very lucky. If you had not acquired the Bible of Darkness, Moloch's Ring would not have required so much time to devour you. However, with your current strength, you have no chance of repairing the Bible of Darkness. Look for me again once you are promoted to Tier 2." Sharlyn waved her hand lightly. The Bible of Darkness then floated to and hovered before Shi Feng. "Oh, right. Don't forget about the task I gave you."

Finished speaking, Sharlyn vanished. There was no trace of her throughout the Star-Moon Hall.

"This is... Will Projection!" Shi Feng stated, shocked when he saw Sharlyn disappear.

Will Projection was not a profound Skill or something similar. It was an ordinary Tier 4 Skill. In the past, many Tier 4 magical class players had known how to use the Skill. However, the doppelganger summoned through Will Projection only possessed a small portion of the original's strength. The doppelganger could not be used as a fighting force. It was a Skill normally used for probing and reconnaissance. Yet, it had not been Sharlyn who had summoned a Demon Gate and suppressed a Tier 4 Great Demon with a Tier 5 Curse, but her doppelganger. Sharlyn had easily completed these feats by relying on a weakened copy. In terms of strength, she definitely stood at the very top among Tier 5 NPCs.

When Shi Feng recovered from his shock, he discovered that the Bible of Darkness had undergone some changes.

[Bible of Darkness] (Fragmented Legendary Item)

The Bible of Darkness had been destroyed during the Great Destruction. However, the Power of Darkness contained within the Bible is extreme. If one can gather the other fragments, they can restore the Bible's power, gaining dominance over all Demonic Creatures and become the Lord of Demons.

Skill 1:

Demon Summoning: Summons the Demon Gate with the Power of Darkness, calling forth a random Demon that is no higher than 1 Tier and 10 Levels than the summoner (Maximum Tier cannot exceed Tier 5). The holder of the Bible of Darkness can command the summoned Demon for up to five hours.

Cooldown: 3 hours

Skill 2:

Gate of Darkness: Allows teleportation to the Dark Den. Can also be used in the Dark Den to teleport to the outside world. Can teleport a maximum of five people at a single time.

Cooldown: 1 day

Skill 3:

Light of Darkness: Strengthen a player with the Power of Darkness, allowing said player to wield the Power of Darkness. Can strengthen up to a maximum of 600 people. Every player strengthened provides one Source of Darkness to the wielder of the Bible of Darkness.

Skill 4:

Power of Darkness: Fill your body with the Power of Darkness, increasing all Attributes by 60%, decreasing Cooldown of all Skills by 30%, and increase damage by 50%. Duration will be equal to the number of Source of Darkness*1 second. (Power of Darkness cannot stack. Can only strengthen players up to a maximum of Tier 5 classes)

Cooldown: 6 hours

"So, that's the case. It's no wonder Fantasy Extinguisher had stopped using the Bible of Darkness Replica after reaching Tier 4." Shi Feng was overjoyed after seeing the Bible of Darkness's Attributes.

In the past, there had been two reasons why Fantasy Extinguisher was able to become a tyrant among Tier 3 classes. One was his reliance on the Demon he summoned, and the other was the Power of Darkness. However, the Demons Fantasy Extinguisher could summon had only been as strong as their summoner, possessing the same Tier. Moreover, he could only summon a maximum of one Demon at a time. Even so, it had been quite impressive. After all, a Demon of the same Tier was a lot more powerful than a monster of the same Tier. Although it still could not compare to a Fine-Gold ranked Personal Guard, Demons that died could be resummoned. On the other hand, if a player's Personal Guard died, they would have to go through a lot of trouble to resurrect said guard.

However, the Bible of Darkness replica Fantasy Extinguisher had obtained most likely could only be used up to Tier 3. On the other hand, the real article in Shi Feng's hand could be used up to Tier 5. The gap between the real and the fake was massive. The most frightening aspect of the real Bible of Darkness was the fact that it was capable of summoning a Demon that was one rank higher than the summoner. Shi Feng was currently Tier 1, so he could summon a Tier 2 Demon. When he reached Tier 2, he would be able to summon a Tier 3 Demon. With this, who could possibly challenge him?

The only unfortunate thing was that the skill summoned a random Demon. There was no guarantee that he would summon a Demon of a higher Tier.

Meanwhile, Power of Darkness was a Berserk Skill that was famous throughout God's Domain. Although the Skill did not increase one's Attributes much, its duration was extremely long. It was at least two or three times longer than ordinary Berserker Skills. Moreover, there were no side effects.

"Fantasy Extinguisher's Power of Darkness lasted six minutes, while mine can last up to ten minutes. Even the number of people I can buff has increased to 600." Shi Feng's heart burned with passion when he thought of forming his own Black Demon Legion.

A Black Demon Legion with a total of 600 members.... As long as the members of the Black Demon Legion were around the same Level, they could definitely go on a crusade against a town controlled by the forces of darkness, capturing it and constructing their own Guild Town.

Shi Feng then stored the Bible of Darkness.

The Bible of Darkness was not equipment. It could take effect even from inside a bag. Hence, it was extremely difficult for others to plunder it.

Now that Shi Feng had the Bible of Darkness, he would not waste any more time. He immediately departed from the Library and headed towards Zero Wing's Residence by way of horse carriage.

On his way, Shi Feng contacted Aqua Rose.

"Aqua, have the members of the main force gather at the Residence," Shi Feng said.

"Guild Leader, the main force is currently raiding a Dungeon. Our efforts will go down the drain if we recall them now. Many Guilds in White River City have already reached the Final Boss." Aqua Rose did not understand Shi Feng's intentions. Currently, the various large Guilds in White River City desperately vied for the First Clear of the 50-man Team Dungeon, Ruins of the Crow God. If they recalled Zero Wing's main force right now, they would have wasted a lot of precious time.

"Relax; it won't be a problem." Shi Feng was very familiar with the Final Boss in the Ruins of the Crow God. It will not be that easy to raid. Smiling, he said, "Moreover, I'm calling them back to help them clear the Dungeon."

"Guild Leader, are you serious?" Aqua Rose grew excited. To conquer the Ruins of the Crow God, the various large Guilds had tried every hand and exhausted every ounce of brainpower they had. They have never encountered such a difficult Dungeon Boss before. They were truly helpless against it. Everyone could only try to force their way through the Boss again and again. If they had a raiding strategy, then they would have a much easier time dominating the Dungeon.

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?" Shi Feng laughed.

"Okay! I'll notify them right away!" Aqua Rose's eyes shone with renewed passion. After disconnecting her call with Shi Feng, she immediately notified Zero Wing's main force.

Chapter 619 - generation of talents

Inside the 50-man Team Dungeon, the Ruins of the Crow God:

A black crow that stood over thirty meters high currently spewed endless blue flames, turning the surrounding landscape into a sea of fire. Any players that came into contact with these blue flames would die within three seconds.

This black crow was none other than the Final Boss of the Dungeon, the Bluefire Crow King.

[Bluefire Crow King] (High Lord)

Level 28

HP 10,000,000/10,000,000

Although a High Lord ranked Dungeon Boss was slightly weaker than a Field Boss of the same Level and rank, its HP was several times higher. In addition, Dungeon Bosses also possessed some special Skills, making them much harder to take down than Field Bosses. It was especially true for the Final Boss of a Dungeon. These Bosses usually possessed very high intelligence, so they knew how to strike at a team's weak points. Because of this, survival demanded significantly more cooperation between players. To put it simply, the Final Boss of a Dungeon was a test of sorts of a team's ability to work with each other.

If one wished to emerge victorious against such a Boss, there were only two ways to do so. The first was to rely on the composite strength of teamwork; the second was to rely on overwhelming power.

However, to the current players in God's Domains, both were extremely hard to achieve.

"Careful! Dodge the flames! Anyone who has touched the flames, distance yourselves from the group immediately!" Fire Dance shouted sternly.

These blue flames were one of the Bluefire Crow King's team-wipe Skills.

It would have been fine if the sea of fire only prevented players from approaching the High Lord. However, these flames were like a plague. Players who had touched the fire would inflict -2,000 damage to other players within a radius of 10 yards once every three seconds. That amount of damage was more than half of a cloth armor class's HP. Moreover, this plague formed a chain reaction, jumping from player to player as they neared their teammates. If not dealt with properly, the debuff would make quick work of the entire team.

Fortunately, none of the 50 players present were greenhorns. They had already fought the Bluefire Crow King dozens of times, so every one of them was extremely familiar with the High Lord's attacks. The moment the Crow King began to spew the blue flames, everyone instantly moved to dodge the attack. However, the flames still struck a few unfortunate players, so they had no choice but to distance themselves from the rest of the team.

After the Bluefire Crow King stopped spewing its fire, it squinted as it focused on one of the healers standing at the rear line. Flapping its wings, it created a storm as it soared into the sky. The Crow King then spread its massive wings, blotting out the sun as it prepared to swoop down towards that healer.

"Damn! It's targeting Violet!" Fire Dance frowned. Hurriedly, she shouted, "Cola, use Iron Will!"

"Ouh!"

Cola, who was as robust as a bear, shouted. In the blink of an eye, his body began to emit a golden glow, making it impossible for others to ignore him. Cola instantly attracted the Crow King's attention. The Crow Wing's steel-like wings then descended on Cola's head.

[Iron Will] (Tier 1 Skill)

Forces all nearby enemies to attack user and increases Defense by 70% for 4 seconds. If enemy ignores user, Strength increases by 70%, speed increases by 100%, and damage increases by 100% for 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 2 minutes

A Guardian Knight's Strength was already quite high. If Cola's Strength increased by another 70% and his damage increased by another 100%, even a Boss of the same Level would find his attacks too much to bear. Hence, the Crow King had no choice but to attack Cola.

Boom!

The Crow King's black wings possessed a massive amount of Attack Power. Upon contact, the boss repelled Cola, the Guardian Knight having no choice but to retreat eight steps before he could stabilize himself. Despite having blocked the attack with his shield, Cola still received over -800 damage.

"Its Battering Dive really packs a punch." Cola hurriedly used his shield to block the High Lord's follow-up attacks. Every collision numbed his arms and forced him to retreat by multiple steps. If his Defense had not been increased by 70%, he would have easily received over a thousand damage. The Crow King would attack more than a dozen times in quick succession when using Battering Dive. If Cola received every single attack, he would die without question.

While Cola's HP rapidly decreased, Violet Cloud, who stood at the rear of the team, waved her jade-like hand. Healing spells then landed on Cola, one after another, causing Cola's HP to yo-yo. Her heals were very timely. In the end, Violet Cloud managed to stabilize Cola's HP above a safe threshold, letting the Guardian Knight avoid the fate of instant death at the hands of the Bluefire Crow King.

Thanks to Violet Cloud's precise and powerful healing, the entire team had an easy time dealing with the Bluefire Crow King. Violet Cloud was the only healer responsible for the lead MT. This situation freed the other healers to focus on keeping the other members of the team alive, allowing the team to avoid losing members to one of the Boss's minor Skills.

Meanwhile, the other ranged classes took the opportunity to barrage the High Lord with a stream of attacks.

When Cola's Iron Will ended, the Bluefire Crow King shifted its focus back to Violet Cloud. However, just as the Crow King was about to deal with the Astromancer, the female Guardian Knight, Turtledove, similarly activated Iron Will and forced the Crow King to attack her instead.

Turtledove was a Guardian Knight Shi Feng had encountered in White River City's Teleportation Hall during the incident with the Mechanical Slayer. Back then, she had only been at the standard of an elite player. Now, however, she had become a member of Zero Wing's main force. Of Zero Wing's Guardian Knights, she was only inferior to Cola and Ye Wumian.

Unfortunately, as her equipment was slightly inferior, she required two healers to maintain her HP above a safe threshold.

While the MTs held the Boss, Fire Dance and the other melee players of the team assaulted the Bluefire Crow King with a continuous stream of attacks.

The Truefire Blades in Fire Dance's hands transformed into countless streaks of light. Every one of her attacks dealt over -1,000 damage. The total damage Fire Dance dealt surpassed even Blackie, who wielded an Epic staff.

Meanwhile, among the melee players, one Berserker stood out like a sore thumb. Although this Berserker's weapon was only a Level 25 Fine-Gold greatsword, his total damage ranked 7th in the entire team. He was none other than Shadow Sword, the person who had accompanied Turtledove during the Mechanical Slayer incident. Shadow Sword was almost equally matched with Rampant Blade, one of the Five Demon Generals and the Berserker ranked 6th in terms of total damage within the team. However, unlike Shadow Sword, the weapon Rampant Blade used was a Level 25 Dark-Gold two-handed saber. However, although Rampant Blade's weapon possessed significantly higher Attack Power than Shadow Sword's Fine-Gold greatsword, the two Berserkers were almost equal in terms of their total damage. One could see clearly just how high Shadow Sword's Skill Completion Rate was.

"Shadow, you're improving too fast! Your Skill Completion Rate was roughly 78% yesterday, yet, today, it's sitting at 80%. It seems that my position as number one Berserker will soon be in danger," Rampant Blade said, depressed.

"That's because you're not working hard enough. Shadow Sword has either been raiding Dungeons or visiting the Divine Colosseum to improve himself," Ye Wumian, who had been the Workshop's past leader, said contemptuously.

"Alright, enough! Focus on the Boss!" Fire Dance reprimanded.

In reality, other than Shadow Sword, many other powerful recruits had joined Zero Wing's main force. This allowed the strength of Zero Wing's current main force to improve significantly.

At this point in the fight, the Bluefire Crow King only had 50% of its HP remaining.

"Die, intruders!" the Bluefire Crow King bellowed.

"Cola, take care of the Boss! The other MTs and melees will deal with the small mobs!" Fire Dance shouted, her expression turning grim.

A moment later, over a dozen three-meter-tall Bluefire Crows descended from the sky. Every one of these Bluefire Crows was a Level 28 Special Elite, each with 300,000 HP. It would be extremely hard difficult with them all.

If players did not dispatch these Bluefire Crows swiftly, these monsters would grow using the only Skill they possessed, Growth.

When the Bluefire Crows used this Skill, they would instantly become Chieftain ranked monsters, their maximum HPs reaching 700,000. If the battle dragged on for too long, they could even become Lords that possessed 1,500,000 HP. Even a more powerful team could not contend with a High Lord in addition to over a dozen Lords.

A few minutes later...

A group of players emerged from the Ruins of the Crow God's resurrection point.

Meanwhile, quite a few teams took this chance to relax around the resurrection point. Among them were the various large Guilds of White River City. The Bluefire Crow King had wiped them all out.

When everyone saw this new group of players appear, they all could not help but gaze at these players with admiration.

This group was none other than Zero Wing's main force. They were the team with the best equipment of all the teams in White River City.

"Those Bluefire Crows are too difficult to deal with. Our overall DPS is still too low," Blackie stated dispiritedly. "It would be awesome if Guild Leader joined us. With his DPS, we can breeze through this Boss."

The other members of Zero Wing's main force nodded in agreement.

In their opinion, Shi Feng was no longer a human. He alone could serve as an entire team.

Suddenly, Fire Dance received a call from Aqua Rose. After exchanging a few words, joy appeared on Fire Dance's face.

"Let's head back to the city and rest for a bit," Fire Dance said through the team chat.

"Return? Aren't we supposed to try five or six more times today?" Blackie asked, surprised.

"Didn't you want Guild Leader to raid with us?" Fire Dance grinned. "Guild Leader has just returned, and he's telling us to head back to the Residence immediately. He says that he has something to tell us and that it's related to the Dungeon."

"Really?!" Everyone was suddenly excited.

"We'll know once we get back." Saying so, Fire Dance took out a Return Scroll and began chanting.

Everyone else followed her example, one after another.

---

"Look! Zero Wing's main force is leaving! Are they giving up on the Dungeon?"

"Probably. The Final Boss of the Ruins of the Crow God is really too powerful. They must've guessed that no team will clear it anytime soon, so why bother wasting their time here?"

Many teams that had watched Zero Wing carefully before chatting among themselves. 

Chapter 620 - frightening power of darkness

After Zero Wing's main force left the Ruins of the Crow God, the news spread like wildfire.

If one were to point out which Guild in White River City had the highest chances of obtaining the First Clear of the Ruins of the Crow God, it would undoubtedly be Zero Wing. Not only did Zero Wing's team possessed excellent equipment, but it also had plenty of experts. Following Zero Wing would be Overwhelming Smile and the other Guilds. It was especially true for the recently-established Guild, Heaven's Burial. The new Guild's raiding speed was only slightly slower than Zero Wing and Overwhelming Smile.

"Leader, it seems that Zero Wing has left," a Level 28 Ranger in gray reported to a youth in white robes.

"Everyone's already at the point of clearing the Dungeon, yet, Zero Wing has given up?" The white-robed youth pondered the situation. He was greatly confused about Zero Wing's actions.

"Leader, Zero Wing must've determined that they aren't able to raid the Final Boss and gave up," a gorgeous woman wearing low-cut crimson robes commented, smirking. "Everyone talks about how Zero Wing has so many experts. Now, however, it seems that they only amount to this. Despite our Heaven's Burial having such a late start, we still caught up to Zero Wing's raid progression of the Ruins of the Crow God, reaching the third phase of the Final Boss. As long as we familiarize ourselves with the Boss's third phase, today might be the day we surpass Zero Wing and become the first Guild in White River City to reach the fourth phase of the Final Boss."

Hearing this beautiful woman's words, pride appeared on every face in the team.

"Leader, just ignore Zero Wing. We are the experts the company has recruited. Zero Wing arrived in White River City only a few days before us. If we had arrived earlier, Zero Wing would not necessarily be White River City's overlord," a tall and robust Level 28 Berserker said, laughing.

Although Heaven's Burial was a newly-established Guild, the power backing the Guild was much stronger than even the power behind Overwhelming Smile.

Moreover, their company had paid a huge price to recruit quite a few well-known experts in the virtual gaming world. Among them, the commander of Heaven's Burial's main force, Flame Blood, had been crowned as one of the top ten newcomers of the virtual gaming world during the previous year. He had once been an expert who had become an overlord in a large-scale virtual reality game. Now that Flame Blood and so many other experts have arrived in White River City, if they could not surpass Zero Wing, they would have wasted their many years of playing virtual reality games.

"Indeed. Regardless of what Zero Wing does, we will be the ones to obtain the First Clear of the Ruins of the Crow God," Flame Blood said, revealing a refreshing smile. "Soon, Ghost Shadow and the others will arrive. At that time, Heaven's Burial will claim the Ruins of the Crow God in one fell swoop."

Hearing the name 'Ghost Shadow,' a hint of reverence appeared in everyone's eyes.

The Ghost Shadow Workshop was one of the industry's first-rate Gaming Workshop. It had came conflicted with Super Guilds in many virtual reality games before. The strength of the Workshop's core members was extraordinary. Meanwhile, in terms of popularity, Ghost Shadow was even superior to the Snow Goddess, Gentle Snow and the Guild Leader of Star Alliance, Galaxy Past.

Two days ago, the company successfully purchased Ghost Shadow Workshop, rebranding the Workshop's members as members of Heaven's Burial. Heaven's Burial's strength soared instantly and even showed signs of surpassing Zero Wing.

---

Aside from Heaven's Burial, Overwhelming Smile had also made ample preparations in order to conquer the Ruins of the Crow God. War Wolf, who had been based in Maple City, had come to White River City. In addition, he brought with him a group of experts with domineering auras. If Shi Feng were present, he would definitely be shocked as a few of War Wolf's team actually consisted of Ouroboros's top combatants.

Among them was the gifted Soaring Snake, who had undergone a massive change. Not only had he reached Level 29, but he also carried two blue longswords whose quality could not be determined. The two longswords looked identical, and it was obvious that they were a set.

"Brother Wolf, now that Zero Wing has given up, the rest will be up to you." Feng Xuanyang addressed War Wolf respectfully.

After facing a series of failures, Feng Xuanyang's position in Underworld had fallen significantly. However, he had not given up. As long as Overwhelming Smile obtained the First Clear of the Ruins of the Crow God, he still had a chance to make a comeback. Hence, he had specifically invited War Wolf and the others to help him.

"Young Master Feng, you can rest assured. God's Domain is not a one-man game. Even if Black Flame is more powerful, his capabilities inside a large-scale Dungeon are limited. With Boss Wolf taking the lead with our expert support, the Ruins of the Crow God's First Clear will be ours for the taking," an Elementalist said confidently.

War Wolf only nodded silently.

After the third evolution of God's Domain, the powers backing the various large Guilds had begun placing importance on the experts in God's Domain. As War Wolf possessed extraordinary strength, his position in Underworld rose rapidly. Not only did Underworld supply him and his team with all sorts of resources, but the organization had also mobilized the Guilds under their control in order to gear up War Wolf and the others. In terms of equipment, their team was only slightly inferior to Zero Wing's main force right now.

---

While Overwhelming Smile and Heaven's Burial prepared to go all out in raiding the Ruins of the Crow God, things were getting extraordinarily lively in Zero Wing's Residence in White River City.

"Guild Leader is finally willing to lead us in a Dungeon. I want to see just what sort of reaction those bastards from Overwhelming Smile will have once we leave them in our dust." Cola laughed loudly.

"Guild Leader said that he would lead us in a Dungeon the last time. He's finally fulfilling his promise," Ye Wumian said, laughing as well.

Zero Wing had already proven its strength to the public many a time through the wars they've participated in. However, regardless of how capable a Guild was in PvP, their ability to raid large-scale Dungeons was far more important. Only when they obtained the First-Clear of the Ruins of the Crow God would they truly stabilize their position as White River City's overlords. Otherwise, other Guilds would always try to rise up and overtake Zero Wing.

However, compared to White River City's overlord position, what everyone truly anticipated was for Shi Feng to lead them in a large-scale Dungeon personally. That way, they could learn far more from him. It would be a huge help towards improving their own strength.

A moment later, the doors of the meeting room abruptly opened. Shi Feng slowly entered the room. He had already used the Demon Mask to recover Black Flame's appearance. Although there were no changes to Black Flame's character, his aura was much stronger than before.

Everyone was shocked by this change.

Originally, Shi Feng's aura had been contained, making him seem like only an ordinary passerby. However, after undergoing a series of challenges that pushed him to his very limits, his strength had improved vastly. At this moment, his previous strength could not compare. He would require some time before he could sheathe his aura once more.

Taking his seat on the Guild Leader's throne, Shi Feng swept a glance over everyone present and said slowly, "The reason why I've called you guys back is to notify you of one thing. You could also say that this is a core secret of Zero Wing."

Upon hearing the words "core secret," everyone immediately fell silent.

"There's no point in just telling you. I'll give you a demonstration," Shi Feng announced, smiling faintly. He then shifted his gaze to the Berserker Shadow Sword, saying, "Shadow Sword, come over here for a moment."

Shadow Sword revered Shi Feng. Ever since watching Shi Feng battle at the Teleportation Hall, Shadow Sword had been mesmerized by Shi Feng's combat techniques. He had watched and learned from Shi Feng's battle videos repeatedly, hoping to grasp even the tiniest fraction of Shi Feng's techniques.

Hearing Shi Feng call for him, despite his normal calm, he involuntarily grew excited. Immediately, he walked up to his Guild Leader.

Shi Feng stretched out his hand, a black ball the size of a fist suddenly condensing in his palm. The center of the ball looked like a miniature universe; it was fascinating.

Shi Feng snapped his fingers. This black ball then melded into Shadow Sword's body.

When this black ball vanished into Shadow Sword's body, the Berserker's aura changed. Suddenly, Shadow Sword released a frightening aura resembling that of a demonic beast.

"This is..."

Shadow Sword looked at himself in shock. He had never experienced such a strong force before.

With Shadow Sword's astounded reaction, there was no need to mention everyone else's, who possessed acute five senses.

So strong! Fire Dance faintly felt a sense of danger when she looked at Shadow Sword.