Reincarnation of The Strongest Sword God

621-640

Chapter 621 - Sensation

As the commander of Zero Wing's main force, Fire Dance had a very clear understanding of every member's strength.

Although Shadow Sword had improved quite significantly during this period, his combat power only ranked slightly above average for the team. He was not capable of making her feel even the slightest hint of danger.

However, the Shadow Sword standing before her was vastly different. It was as if he had transformed into an ancient beast, dangerous and threatening, in the blink of an eye.

After receiving Lei Bao and Shi Feng's continuous guidance, Fire Dance had mostly learned how to control her body's power. She had already taken half a step into the Refinement Realm. Her Skill Completion Rates hovered around 85% as a result. She was considered a true top-tier expert.

After factoring in the powerful Attributes of her Tier 1 Set Equipment, the Dark Melody Set Equipment, very few players could triumph over her. Only monsters like Shi Feng could possibly defeat her.

Yet, now, Fire Dance felt that Shadow Sword had a chance against her. One could just imagine how massive of a buff Shadow Sword had received.

"Guild Leader, what is going on here?" Aqua Rose fixed her gaze on Shi Feng. She very much wanted to know what had just happened.

Everyone present turned to Shi Feng as well, all of them sharing the same thought as Aqua Rose.

If a few more of their team members suddenly become as strong as Shadow Sword, they would no longer be stuck at the Bluefire Crow King's third phase.

Every player here was a core member of Zero Wing. To ordinary players, they were considered absolute experts. Not only did they possess incomparably acute senses, but their intuitions were also very sensitive. Only by sheathing one's aura perfectly could they fool these players. Shi Feng during their previous encounter was an example. Before this, he could hide his aura completely and disguise himself as an ordinary passerby. Players only realized what a monster Shi Feng actually was after he took action.

Seeing the fervent gazes directed at him, Shi Feng could not help but laugh as he said, "I obtained an item that can increase a player's strength. As for how much of an improvement it grants, you guys can see that for yourselves."

The Power of Darkness could increase a player's Basic Attributes by 30%.

An increase of 30% was the equivalent of a player's combat power reaching a whole new level. For example, if a player possessed Tier 1 intermediate combat power, after their Attributes increased by 30%, their combat power would approach the peak of Tier 1.

Shadow Sword was currently Level 28, and his strength was near the top of Tier 1 intermediate. He was close to approaching Tier 1 advanced. After the Power of Darkness's enhancement, his combat power would rise to the peak of Tier 1. Meanwhile, Fire Dance, who was currently Level 30, already possessed combat power at the peak of Tier 1. Facing Shadow Sword, who similarly possessed combat power at the peak of Tier 1, it was only natural for Fire Dance to feel some danger from the Berserker.

Of course, the Power of Darkness did not permanently increase a player's Attributes. Rather, it gave players a Berserk Skill that they could activate freely. Only, this Berserker Skill had a slightly longer duration than ordinary Berserk Skills. The Power of Darkness lasted a full ten minutes and had a Cooldown of five hours.

Shadow Sword's sudden strength boost was due to the fact that the Power of Darkness had just melded with the Berserker, resulting in the Berserk Skill activating immediately. However, this effect only lasted several seconds. Once it was over, the Berserk Skill would become an Active Skill that players could use at any time.

This had been the true power of the Black Demon Legion. Berserk Skills were extremely rare in the entire God's Domain. If every member of a legion possessed a Berserk Skill that lasted ten full minutes, one could just imagine how frightening they would be. This was also why the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's Blood Legion had not been a match for the Fantasy Shrine's Black Demon Legion in the past.

"Guild Leader, how many people can that tool strengthen?" As the Vice-Leader of the Guild, Aqua Rose was particularly concerned about this. If they could enhance many players, they could definitely raise the main force's combat power to a whole new level.

Everyone's hearts began to pound upon hearing Aqua Rose's question. They, too, wished to become stronger like Shadow Sword.

However, they all knew that such a buff could only be used on a limited number of players. It would not be easy to obtain a spot for themselves.

"Relax. Every member of the main force can obtain this power." Shi Feng did not reveal the exact numbers to his Guildmates. There were a total of 100 members in Zero Wing's main force. In addition, there were 200 reserve members. The 600 slots he had on hand were more than enough to go around.

"Everyone? Guild Leader, you're not joking, right?" Aqua Rose was inwardly thunderstruck. She seriously doubted Shi Feng's claim.

If every member of Zero Wing's main force could possess this power, then they could display astonishing combat power. Not to mention the Hard Mode Ruins of the Crow God, they could even try Hell Mode.

"I have not finished. I plan to choose some members from the second echelon to form the Black Demon Legion. This legion will focus on dealing with Field Bosses and 20-man Hell Mode Team Dungeons. I'll leave this matter to you, Aqua." Shi Feng did not wish to waste his remaining Power of Darkness.

In the past, one of the duties of the Fantasy Shrine's Black Demon Legion was to grind and collect equipment through raiding various 10-man and 20-man Hell Mode Team Dungeons.

In a Guild, even the elite teams would struggle to raid 10-man and 20-man Hell Mode Team Dungeons. With the Power of Darkness, however, the difficulty of Dungeons would fall sharply. It would be much easier to clear Dungeons in the future.

It was also this reason that had allowed the Fantasy Shrine to amass a ton of wealth.

The greatest asset they could gain from raiding Hell Mode Dungeons was Magic Crystals. Normal Mode Dungeons very rarely dropped Magic Crystals. However, it was a different story for Hell Mode Dungeons. The drop-rate in Hell Mode Dungeons was more than ten times that of Normal Mode. The Magic Crystals could then be used to train the Guild's elites and experts. Hence, Fantasy Shrine's overall strength had steadily increased in the past. In the end, the Guild had become the overlord of the Black Dragon Empire, and even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had been forced to give way to Fantasy Shrine.

In this life, Shi Feng could use the Power of Darkness on far more players than Fantasy Extinguisher had been able to. Naturally, he had to utilize this benefit properly.

A short moment later, every official member of Zero Wing's main force received the Power of Darkness. To Fire Dance and Violet Cloud, a 30% increase in Attributes was colossal. Their combat power had already been at the peak of Tier 1. After using the Power of Darkness, they even qualified to contend with a Lord, which was the equivalent of a Tier 2 class, by themselves. Although they still could not win against a Lord, they could hold one off for a relatively long time. They could almost rival a great expert such as War Wolf. Only, they still lacked techniques.

After strengthening the main force, Shi Feng led Fire Dance and the others towards the Ruins of the Crow God.

Although Shi Feng still had many things he needed to attend to, such as the Teleportation Magic Array and the Stables, the construction of these two required materials. These materials could only be obtained from large-scale Team Dungeons. Hence, there was no point in focusing on those items for now.

---

An hour or so later...

Ruins of the Crow God.

An extremely tense atmosphere surrounded the 50-man Team Dungeon. Players crowded the vast plains around the Ruins. The majority of these players consisted of Guild players.

The various large Guilds in White River City knew that this was the juncture for the final sprint to claim the First Clear of the Ruins of the Crow God. It was highly possible that a lucky Guild would obtain the First Clear in the next second. Hence, many Guilds' members anxiously waited outside the Dungeon's entrance. If their Guild's team required any tasks or additional supplies, these idle members would rush to get it done or delivered.

"Look! It's Zero Wing!"

"Huh? Why are they here again? I thought they gave up?"

"I don't think so. Look, even Black Flame has shown up. They must plan to go all out."

"This is going to be interesting. Just before this, Heaven's Burial also received backup from a group of experts. I heard that those experts were members of the Ghost Shadow Workshop. Every one of them is incredibly strong. As for Overwhelming Smile, they, too, dispatched a lot of experts. I wonder which of the three will emerge wearing the crown?"

"I'm betting on Heaven's Burial. They have Ghost Shadow leading the team. Even Super Guilds are trying to annex the Ghost Shadow Workshop. Moreover, Heaven's Burial entered the Dungeon a while ago. Zero Wing has only just arrived. Most likely, they are already too late."

Upon noticing Zero Wing's arrival, everyone in front of the Ruins of the Crow God began chatting among themselves.

"Guild Leader, we have trouble. I've heard of Ghost Shadow before. He is definitely an expert among experts. Moreover, he has a group of reliable teammates with him. Now that they've been in the Dungeon for quite some time, it will be difficult to compete over the First Clear." Aqua Rose frowned slightly. She had heard plenty about Ghost Shadow.

Shi Feng shook his head. Laughing, he said, "Who says we're competing over the First Clear of Hard Mode?"

Everyone turned to Shi Feng in shock.

However, before they could react, Shi Feng selected the Dungeon's Hell Mode difficulty. In the next moment, every member of the team was teleported into the Dungeon. 

Chapter 622 - Power that Causes Despair

"Look! That's the teleportation gate for Hell Mode!"

"That's impossible, right? Is Zero Wing actually challenging the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God? Have they lost their minds?"

"I heard that the Ruins' Final Boss is a Great Lord. It's many times stronger than a High Lord ranked Boss. There's no way any of these Guilds can beat something so strong. Could Zero Wing's team leader have chosen the wrong difficulty?"

When everyone outside the Ruins of the Crow God saw the pair of pitch-black teleportation gates and the flickering skull behind it, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The Final Boss of Hard Mode already made them feel powerless. None of them even humored the thought of raiding Hell Mode.

Shortly after Shi Feng and the others entered the Dungeon, the news quickly spread throughout White River City.

No one who heard it could bring themselves to believe that it was true.

Meanwhile, if one had to point out who was most shocked by the news, then it would be White River City's various large Guilds.

Now that White River City's long period of development had come to an end, the city contained well over a hundred Guilds. Meanwhile, as White River City's overlord, Zero Wing constantly received attention from many of these Guilds.

"They actually dare challenge Hell Mode even though they still haven't cleared Hard Mode. I never thought that Black Flame would be so foolhardy." When Feng Xuanyang received the latest news regarding Zero Wing, he could not contain his mocking smile.

Underworld's information network covered over a dozen kingdoms and multiple empires. As part of Underworld's middle management, Feng Xuanyang knew exactly what the Hell Mode of a 50-man Team Dungeon represented.

Despair!

Of all these kingdoms and empires, there were several top-tier large Guilds that had already conquered the Hard Mode of a 50-man Team Dungeon. Yet, out of all of these Guilds, not a single one had managed to defeat the First Boss of Hell Mode; they had not even managed to drop the Boss's HP below 90%. No matter which MT they tried, everyone died from a single hit. It was useless, regardless of how many healers the team had. In the end, these top-tier large Guilds had no choice but to give up on raiding the Hell Mode of their respective 50-man Team Dungeons and had to shift their focus to 100-man Team Dungeons instead.

Previously, Zero Wing had only reached the third phase of the Bluefire Crow King, yet, now, they were actually trying to challenge Hell Mode. Even with three or four Shi Fengs, they still had no chance.

---

Meanwhile, inside the Ruins of the Crow God...

Regarding the environment, there were not many differences between the Hell Mode and Hard Mode Ruins of the Crow God. Collapsed shrines and towering statues littered the Ruins.

At this moment, however, Fire Dance and the others were extraordinarily tensed. Every one of them wore somber expressions.

"Haven't you guys fought up to the Final Boss of this place already? Why are you all so nervous?" Shi Feng could not help but laugh as he looked at his teammates. He was the only one who had not drawn his weapons, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

Team Dungeons were different from 6-man Party Dungeons. Team Dungeons only refreshed once every three days. It did not make a difference if one cleared Normal, Hard, or Hell Mode. Moreover, in Team Dungeons, Bosses and monsters would not respawn even if the team decided to change difficulties midway. Teams would not be able to kill Bosses that they had already defeated. Depending on which Boss a team fought up to, they would simply continue from the same Boss after switching difficulties. Only, the strength of the remaining monsters and Bosses would change according to the new difficulty.

There was a difference between the Team Dungeons in God's Domain and those in other virtual reality games. Unlike other virtual reality games, the difficulty setting of Team Dungeons could only be increased, not decreased. In other words, if a team raided Hard Mode and defeated the First Boss, but failed to defeat the Second Boss, they were not allowed to lower the difficulty to Normal Mode to continue raiding the Dungeon from there. If they wished to change the difficulty of the Dungeon, they could only raise it to Hell Mode.

Previously, Fire Dance and the others had fought up to the Final Boss. Now that they had selected Hell Mode difficulty, the path to the Final Boss was quite safe.

Everyone felt a little embarrassed when they heard Shi Feng's questions.

They had an instinctive fear of Hell Mode.

"Alright, let's take a look at the Bluefire Crow King," Shi Feng said, laughing.

Fire Dance then led the way towards the Final Boss's nest.

Meanwhile, as Shi Feng followed, he called up the system interface.

He was currently Level 34 and was already far above the maximum level limit, Level 30, to obtain the Dungeon's First Clear. He needed to reduce his level.

Moreover, the Hell Mode Bluefire Crow King was not a trivial opponent. Even if he had four additional levels of Attributes, it would not make a huge difference. Converting those Levels and Attributes into combat power would be far more beneficial.

Shi Feng selected his Skill window and clicked on Flame Burst. He leveled up the Skill without hesitation.

At Level 9, Flame Burst was already an impressively domineering Skill. After the Flame Burst icon flashed a few times, the Skill upgraded to Tier 1, Level 5. The Skill's stats increased significantly as well.

[Flame Burst]

Tier 1, Level 5 (Requires 480,000,000 EXP to upgrade to Tier 1 Level 6 skill)

Channeling time: 1 second

Gathers the power of flames to a single point and causes 900% damage to the target.

Attack Count: 15 times

Cooldown: 3 minutes

Originally, the Level 9 Flame Burst had an Attack Count of 12, and every attack dealt 750% of Shi Feng's damage. Now, not only did the Attack Count increase by three, but the damage each hit dealt also increased significantly. The Tier 1, Level 5 Flame Burst's damage far surpassed the Level 9 Flame Burst.

At the same time, however, Shi Feng's level fell rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he dropped to Level 30, which was in line with the requirement of obtaining First Clear of the Dungeon.

As expected of a super Skill. If I want to upgrade Flame Burst further, I'll have to wait until I am Level 40 at the very least. Shi Feng inwardly calculated.

Flame Burst required 480 million EXP just to reach the next level. With Shi Feng's current level, if he upgraded Flame Burst to Tier 1, Level 6, he would most likely drop to Level 25. Any other player would most likely lose many more levels; Shi Feng's saving grace was his class's high EXP requirement.

However, upgrading Flame Burst to Tier 1, Level 5 at the cost of four levels was still a worthwhile exchange.

With this Skill alone, Shi Feng was confident of heavily injuring even a full HP Lord.

In the future, he would have a much easier time killing Lord ranked monsters.

Half an hour later, Shi Feng and the others arrived before the Crow God's Shrine, the Bluefire Crow King's nest.

"It's huge!" Blackie gaped as he gazed at the Bluefire Crow King in the distance.

In Hard Mode, the Bluefire Crow King was roughly 30 meters tall. That was already an intimidating size. Now, however, the Bluefire Crow King before them stood over 50 meters high. The Hard Mode Bluefire Crow King was a child compared to the Hell Mode Bluefire Crow King.

[Bluefire Crow King] (Great Lord)

Level 30

HP 27,000,000/27,000,000

"How are we supposed to fight that? Its HP alone is already more than double that of the High Lord ranked Bluefire Crow King." Cola gulped, his prior enthusiasm dissipating.

Although they were now capable of activating the Power of Darkness and increasing their Basic Attributes by 30% for 10 minutes, the Bluefire Crow King's Attributes had increased by more than 30%. The gap between them now was even wider than before.

Fire Dance frowned. Even she was not confident of taking down such a powerful Boss.

"Leader, are we still going to fight it?" Aqua Rose asked as she turned to Shi Feng.

Initially, due to Shi Feng's leadership, everyone had possessed a shred of confidence of conquering the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God. However, they had terribly underestimated the horrors of Hell Mode. Even with Shi Feng, it was impossible for them to defeat such a powerful Boss.

"Fight! Why wouldn't we? What else do you think we came here to do?" Shi Feng rolled his eyes at his team.

This was not the first time Shi Feng had experienced the horrors of Hell Mode.

Even if Shi Feng went all out, he would require a long time to finish off the Crow King's 27,000,000 HP. Not to mention, the Crow King would also recover 1% of its HP every five seconds. The Great Lord's battle recovery alone made for a frightening weapon.

This was why an individual's power was extremely limited inside a Team Dungeon. Even though Shi Feng was capable of withstanding the Crow King's attacks for a short period, he and his team could not deplete that much HP within such a short time.

Of course, since he dared to come here, he naturally had a certain degree of confidence of emerging victorious. Otherwise, he would not have chosen to challenge Hell Mode.

"Time to put you to good use." Shi Feng opened his bag and smiled at the Bible of Darkness. 

Chapter 623 - Tier 2 Strengthening

Looking at Shi Feng, who was brimming with confidence, everyone's heavy hearts grew lighter.

Although the Great Lord ranked Bluefire Crow King was powerful, they still had a fighting chance against it.

After all, Dungeons were meant to be raided by players. They just had not figured out a proper raiding strategy yet.

In the next moment, Shi Feng retrieved the Bible of Darkness from his bag and began to chant the incantation recorded within.

"Emerge, Demon Gate!"

With Shi Feng's light shout, the dark mist in the sky congregated to form a pair of dark gray gates. However, unlike the Demon Gate Sharlyn had summoned, Shi Feng's was far weaker. Not only was the size of the Demon Gate much smaller, but the aura it radiated was also ordinary. It lacked the ability to instill fear in others.

Although the Demon Gate he summoned was significantly smaller, Shi Feng did not particularly mind it. However, to Fire Dance and the others, who were seeing these gates for the first time, their expressions grew serious as their gazes locked onto the Demon Gate.

As the Demon Gates slowly opened, everyone felt a sense of panic.

A moment later, a purple Demon, double the height of an average player, stepped out from the Demon Gate.

When this purple Evil Spirit swept its eyes across the crowd before it, Fire Dance and the others instinctively raised their weapons, expecting a fight.

"There is no need to worry. This is a Demon that I've summoned." Shi Feng waved his hand, signaling for the others to calm down. "It seems that my luck is quite good this time. It is actually a Heart Devourer, a Tier 2 Evil Spirit."

[Heart Devourer] (Evil Spirit)

Level 35

HP 1,200,000/1,200,000

A Tier 2 Evil Spirit was the equivalent of a Lord ranked monster. Although it did not possess as much HP as a Lord of the same Level, in terms of Skills and intelligence, it was superior. It would be a massive help in a Team Dungeon.

Although players could bring their Personal Guards to a Dungeon, Kite's current Level was too high. Moreover, in the off chance that Kite died, it would be extremely troublesome to revive him. Most importantly, Personal Guards took up Dungeon slot. Hence, it was not worthwhile to bring a Personal Guard. However, Shi Feng would not have to worry about such matters if he summoned a Demon.

Moreover, every Demon possessed many Skills and was proficient in a specific field. Take the Heart Devourer for example. It was proficient as support. Not only was it capable of weakening its enemies, but it was also capable of enhancing its allies' strength, which was why Shi Feng was satisfied with his luck.

"A Tier 2 Demon!" Aqua Rose stared at the Heart Devourer in shock.

There were plenty of Summoning Skills in God's Domain. For example, the Summoner was a class that specialized in summoning creatures. However, even a Tier 1 Summoner would find it very difficult to summon a Tier 1 creature. The majority of the current Summoner players could only summon Tier 0 creatures to fight for them.

If Tier 1 Summoners already found it difficult to summon Tier 1 creatures, there was no need to mention Tier 2 creatures. That was practically a Lord ranked monster. The summoned creature would be able to move unhindered among the current players of God's Domain. It could even display unimaginable strength in current Dungeons.

"Alright, everyone get into positions. Maintain a distance of 10 yards between each other. Fight the Bluefire Crow King as you would the Hard Mode Boss." Shi Feng immediately began to issue commands, not wanting to waste any more time.

In the past, Shi Feng had raided the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God so often that he found it tiresome. Only, at that time, he had conquered the Dungeon by relying on level suppression. Every one of his team members had been above Level 40. The equipment they wore had also been Secret-Silver rank or higher.

There were not many differences between the Hell Mode and Hard Mode Ruins of the Crow God. Only, the Basic Attributes and Skills of the monsters had been greatly enhanced. The Dungeon's Bosses had not received any additional Skills, and no new traps had been added into the Dungeon. The Ruins of the Crow God could be considered to be a large-scale Team Dungeon of intermediate difficulty.

"Heart Devourer, support spells!" Shi Feng commanded the Demon once everyone was in position.

Nodding, the Heart Devourer began drawing line after line of runes in the air with its sharp claws.

Tier 2 Spell, Iron Wall Reinforcement!

Tier 2 Spell, Blood Radiance!

Tier 2 Spell, Magic Power Increase!

Tier 2 Spell, Mad Cow's Power!

...

The Heart Devourer's Tier 2 Spells significantly increased the strength of the entire team. It was especially true for Cola's Defense and HP. Not only had his Defense doubled, but his HP also increased by 60%. Cola's HP was now over 16,000. As for Ye Wumian, the second-ranking MT on the team, his HP was also close to reaching 15,000.

Due to the significant increase in Defense, HP, and Strength, it was no longer possible for the Great Lord ranked Bluefire Crow King to kill them with a single hit.

"Damn, having Tier 2 Support Spells is just too awesome!" Blackie grew excited as he discovered that the magic damage he dealt and healing effects he received had increased by 20%. With this, the team's damage and healing rose to a whole new level.

Everyone finally understood why Shi Feng wanted to challenge Hell Mode. With the assistance of these Tier 2 Spells, it would be child's play to fight the Hard Mode Bluefire Crow King.

"Attack!" Shi Feng shouted as he unsheathed the Abyssal Blade.

Cola and Ye Wumian immediately took the lead and charged towards the Great Lord.

When there was still a distance of 150 yards between the two MTs and the Bluefire Crow King, the Great Lord noticed Cola and Ye Wumian.

"Caw!"

The Crow King's cry echoed throughout the shrine. It flapped its wings, sending black feathers, which were as large as the players themselves, flying at the two MTs.

The densely packed feathers descended on the two MTs like raindrops, giving them no opportunity to dodge the attacks. Immediately, Cola and Ye Wumian both raised their Shields to defend against the attacks.

"These feathers deal a lot of damage!" Cola stated, aghast.

In Hard Mode, the Crow King's feather attack only dealt around -200 to -300 damage per feather. However, due to the high number of feathers, Cola would receive more than -1,000 damage per second, so the overall damage was relatively high. However, the Great Lord ranked Bluefire Crow King's feathers each dealt nearly -400 damage, and this was after his Defense had doubled.

If he did not have the assistance of the Heart Devourer's Tier 2 Spells, he would most likely have received around -800 damage from each feather.

When Cola and Ye Wumian were still 50 yards from the Bluefire Crow King, the Great Lord halted its Feather Attack. It then condensed a ball of blue fire in its mouth, launching it at the Guardian Knight Cola and the Shield Warrior Ye Wumian.

Cola and Ye Wumian had long since familiarized themselves with dodging these flames. Immediately, they both threw themselves to the ground, dodging the blue flames and taking the opportunity to charge at the Great Lord.

Shield Bash!

-1,042.

Violent Strike!

-895.

Cola and Ye Wumian sucked in a mouthful of cold air.

"Crap! Why is its Defense so strong?!" Cola's eyes widened in shock when he saw the damage he had caused.

After being strengthened by Mad Cow's Power, his Strength increased by 15%. His damage should have significantly increased as well. If he were facing the High Lord ranked Bluefire Crow King, his damage would have easily surpassed -1,500 points, yet, now, his attack had only dealt slightly over -1,000 damage.

While Cola was still in a daze, the Bluefire Crow King flapped its wings and slapped them at Cola. Reacting quickly, Cola raised his shield to protect himself.

Boom!

The impact drove Cola knee-deep into the ground. A damage of over -4,000 appeared above his head.

"Why is the Great Lord ranked Crow King so powerful?!"

Every member of the team was stunned by this scene. If Cola had received the Crow King's attack with his body rather than his shield, he would have most likely died. Moreover, if he had not received the buff to his Defense, he would have received over -8,000 damage, even if he had blocked the attack with his shield...

Shi Feng was not surprised.

Without the assistance of Tier 2 Support Spells, Cola would have had to activate the Power of Darkness to withstand the Great Lord's attacks. Otherwise, the Boss would kill him very easily.

However, due to the Heart Devourer, this battle became a lot easier.

"Your turn!" Shi Feng commanded the Heart Devourer once more.

Having prepared for this moment, the Heart Devourer pointed its finger at the sky.

Suddenly, a 7-star magic array appeared on the Bluefire Crow King's body.

Tier 2 Spell, Judgment of the Seven Stars!

Immediately, the Bluefire Crow King released a pained cry. 

Chapter 624 - Difference in Strength

The 7-star magic array suppressed the Bluefire Crow King. The Crow King struggled as if it were trapped inside a swamp, its mobility declining sharply.

As a result, the Crow King's massive wings, which originally descended towards Cola, slowed significantly as well.

"Such a powerful spell!" Cola took the opportunity to roll out of the way, easily dodging the Great Lord's wing attack.

As the team's lead MT, if Cola could dodge the Boss's attacks, it would reduce the burden on the team's healers. Moreover, the healers would not have to run the risk of attracting the Boss's attention due to healing too much.

"Good. Everyone, attack!" Shi Feng nodded as he ordered the team's damage dealers to begin their assault.

The Tier 2 Spell, Judgment of the Seven Stars, was not an Attack-type Spell. Instead, it placed a powerful binding on a single target. The Spell's effects would even affect a Great Lord.

With the Heart Devourer's Judgment of the Seven Stars, both the melee and ranged damage dealers could attack the Boss safely. This was particularly helpful to Fire Dance and Flying Shadow as the high damage they dealt drew the Crow King's aggro. With the Boss's restricted movements, they could dodge its attacks easily, not having to worry about pulling aggro at all.

This was just like the time Blue Frost's team had used the Demon Sealing Barrier on the Great Lord Noya. However, even though the Demon Sealing Barrier's restraining effects were far more powerful than the Judgment of the Seven Stars, players could not maintain the barrier for too long due to a lack of Mana.

On the other hand, there was no need to worry about such problems when it came to the Judgment of the Seven Stars. The Heart Devourer was a Tier 2 Evil Spirit. It possessed an abundance of Mana, more than a dozen times that of a player of the same Level. Hence, the Evil Spirit could maintain the Tier 2 Spell for a very long time, long enough to last until the end of the battle.

Moreover, the team would not have to sacrifice any combat power by using the Judgment of the Seven Stars. They were not required to partition a portion of the team to maintain the magic array. Hence, the overall effect of the Judgment of the Seven Stars was much stronger than the Demon Sealing Barrier.

The Bible of Darkness really is impressive. It is no wonder why Fantasy Extinguisher had been able to lead his team to into large-scale Team Dungeons, one after another, in the past. Shi Feng was extremely satisfied with the Bible of Darkness. Ordinary Fragmented Legendary items could not compare it at all.

Following which, Shi Feng joined in the attack on the Boss as well.

No matter what was said or done, the Bluefire Crow King was a Great Lord. Although various Spells buffed their team, everyone's total damage was still considerably low.

Currently, the team's number one DPS was Fire Dance. Each of the female Assassin's normal attacks dealt roughly -900 damage. She could inflict over -2,000 damage if she used her Skills. Even when she used Absolute Strike, the most powerful Burst Skill available to a Tier 1 Assassin, she only managed to deal around -5,000 damage to the Great Lord.

As for everyone else, the majority of their normal attacks only dealt around -600 to -700 damage. They were only able to deal more than -1,000 damage if they used Skills, and very few among them could deal more than -2,000 damage.

To the Bluefire Crow King, which had 27,000,000 HP, that damage was practically negligible.

Thanks to its battle recovery, the Bluefire Crow King could recover up to 270,000 HP every five seconds; it was the equivalent of recovering 54,000 HP every second. The Crow King's battle recovery alone negated most of the damage everyone dealt. Moreover, this was a battle inside a Dungeon, not a shooting range where one could stand still and attack freely. Everyone had to focus attention on dodging the Crow King's attacks, so it was impossible for them to attack constantly. In other words, if their damage output was insufficient, it was impossible for them to kill the Bluefire Crow King. Rather, the Great Lord would exhaust them to death first.

Shi Feng then activated Windwalk and circled to the Crow King's side. After activating the Aura of Fire, Purgatory Power, Phantom Kill, and Nine Dragon's Slash, Shi Feng began his assault on the Great Lord.

As the Crow King's mobility was restricted, it could not avoid Shi Feng's attacks.

Every one of Shi Feng's normal attack dealt over -1,500 damage or -3,000 damage with a critical hit. Due to the Abyssal Blade, he had a 50% chance of achieving a critical hit. The Abyssal Blade also increased the damage he dealt with each successful hit. After landing his tenth attack, his subsequent normal attacks began dealing over -1,800 damage, over -3,600 damage if it were a critical.

As for his doppelganger, although it only possessed 70% of Shi Feng's Attributes, it had activated Blade Liberation, increasing its Strength and Agility by 90%. The damage the doppelganger currently dealt was actually higher than Shi Feng's. Each of its normal attacks dealt over -2,400 damage, while its critical hits deal nearly -5,000 damage. The doppelganger's Attack Speed was also slightly faster than Shi Feng.

Shi Feng's normal attack damage was already several times higher than Fire Dance's, not to mention his Skills.

Double Chop!

-11,420, -15,432.

Double Thunder Flame Explosion!

-14,266, -20,164.

Damages of over -10,000 appeared above the Bluefire Crow King's head, one after another, the Great Lord repeatedly crying out in pain as its HP bar decreased.

Everyone's jaws hit the floor when they saw these damages.

"Guild Leader, are you cheating!!"

"Guild Leader, you're not giving us a chance..."

Everyone's eyes twitched every time they saw Shi Feng's attacks deal over -10,000 damage. It would have been fine if that was the only issue, but, there were also the occasional -20,000, or even -30,000 hits. Shi Feng's damage was over a dozen times higher than theirs. Their attacks were on entirely different levels.

Originally, everyone had already treated Fire Dance as if she were a monster as every time they raided a Dungeon, Fire Dance's total damage always ranked at the top of the team. Moreover, her total damage was over 50% higher than the second place.

Yet, what about Shi Feng?

Despite having only attacked for a short time, his damage had already surpassed Fire Dance by more than eight times. His damage was the equivalent of half the team's total damage...

None of them understood how Shi Feng had achieved such a feat.

"Guild Leader, can't you give us some tips on how to increase our damage?" Blackie felt as if this were the first time he had ever met Shi Feng. Shi Feng's damage simply defied common sense.

Suddenly, Shi Feng was the center of attention.

"It's simple. Increase your Skill Completion Rates," Shi Feng said. He could not help but laugh at everyone's serious expressions.

His Skill Completion Rate hovered around 95%, so he could increase his Skills' effects by an additional 50% or so. In addition to the various powerful items he wore, his damage would naturally be greatly superior to the members of Zero Wing's main force.

"Guild Leader, how high is your Skill Completion Rate?" Aqua Rose asked curiously.

She knew full well that Shi Feng's Skill Completion Rate was very high. However, her Skill Completion Rate was not low, either. After a period of arduous training, she had managed to maintain it between 83% to 85%. Throughout White River City, this Completion Rate was definitely considered top-tier. As for Fire Dance and Violet Cloud, they maintained a stable 85%.

"Ninety-five percent." Shi Feng stated straightforwardly.

"Ninety-five percent?!" Everyone inhaled sharply.

After the third evolution of God's Domain, all players had discovered the importance of Skill Completion Rate. Hence, they had all begun to train in order to improve. However, even raising it by 1% was extremely difficult. It was especially true after reaching the 80% threshold.

Yet, Shi Feng had actually reached 95%, which was 10% higher than Fire Dance, the most powerful player in Zero Wing's main force.

They all understood that at 85% Completion Rate, one would display 100% of a Skill's effect. Meanwhile, every increment of 1% afterward would increase the effect significantly. It was simply inconceivable how high the Skill's effect would be at 95% Completion Rate.

Originally, none of them had any idea of Shi Feng's strength. Now, however, they fully understood just how powerful their Guild Leader was.

Ninety-five percent? Fire Dance was similarly shocked. Looking at Shi Feng, she inwardly swore, I will reach 95% as well!

"Is this the Guild Leader's strength?" Shadow Sword's eyes glowed. This was the first time he felt that his decision to join Zero Wing had been the right one.

In truth, Shadow Sword wasn't the only one who had such thoughts. Every team member was suddenly enthusiastic, thinking the same thing.

For a time, everyone's reverence and admiration towards Shi Feng rose to a whole new level. They all dreamed of the day when they would reach Shi Feng's standard.

Time quickly passed. Due to Shi Feng's stimulation, everyone became even more serious about experimenting to increase their Skill Completion Rates. The Bluefire Crow King's HP continuously decreased.

98%... 96%... 90%...

In just a few short minutes, the Crow King's HP dropped to 70%.

Releasing an angry cry, the Bluefire Crow King soared into the air.

"Everyone, take caution! The Boss has entered its third phase!" Shi Feng warned. 

Chapter 625 - Team's First Clear

After the Judgment of the Seven Stars suppressed the Bluefire Crow King, the blue flames it spewed posed no threat to anyone. In addition, Shi Feng would always give a timely reminder before the Boss released its flames. Until now, the Crow King's flames had not struck a single player.

However, when the Bluefire Crow King entered its third phase, the battle truly began.

They had all fought the Bluefire Crow King dozens of times now, but they always wiped at the Boss's third phase.

Hence, now that the Bluefire Crow King entered this particular phase, they grew anxious.

If they were facing the Hard Mode Bluefire Crow King, they would not be worried at all. After all, their team's current combat power had reached a whole new level compared their last attempt. It would be child's play for them to conquer Hard Mode. However, they were currently in the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God. The Bluefire Crow King's Skills would be far more powerful than before.

After the Crow King released an angry cry, eighteen Bluefire Crows descended from the sky.

Not only had the Hell Mode Bluefire Crow King entered its third phase at 70% HP, but the Bluefire Crows it summoned also started out at Chieftain rank right off the bat...

In Hard Mode, the Bluefire Crows only started out as Special Elites. Every member of the main force was capable of soloing one on their own. However, Chieftains were different. There were less than ten players on the team capable of soloing Chieftain.

Moreover, the Chieftain ranked Bluefire Crows of Hell Mode each had 900,000 HP, 200,000 more than Hard Mode. This raised the burden on the team's DPS to devastating levels.

The Bluefire Crows activated their Growth Skill once every two minutes. In other words, if they did not die in two minutes, they would become Lords. At that time, they would be far more difficult to deal with. However, the eighteen Chieftain ranked Bluefire Crows had a total of 16,200,000 HP...

"This Boss is bullshit." Blackie's expression turned grim.

If this were Hard Mode, the Stars of Light Skill he had saved would still be of some help. However, against Chieftains with 900,000 HP, even Stars of Light would not do much against them.

"Everyone, activate the Power of Darkness!"

Hearing Shi Feng's command, everyone did as he said, their Basic Attributes increasing by 30%.

As the lead MT, Cola's HP instantly soared to slightly over 20,000. The Shield Warrior Ye Wumian's HP had also increased to more than 19,000. Both of their damages and reaction speeds had also improved.

"Turtledove, pull the Bluefire Crows' aggro. All mages, get ready to cast your AOE Skills on my command," Shi Feng said unhurriedly.

Immediately, Turtledove, a Guardian Knight with over 17,000 HP, charged into the group of Bluefire Crows and activated Iron Will. All eighteen Bluefire Crows were caught within the Skill's range and were forced to focus on Turtledove.

Following which, Turtledove activated Protection Blessing.

The Tier 1 Protection Blessing could reduce its target's damage taken by 70%, 20% more than the Tier 0 version of the Skill. The Skill's duration was also slightly longer, lasting up to 20 seconds.

However, the Chieftain ranked Bluefire Crows were no trivial matter. Every one of their beak attacks dealt nearly -500 damage to Turtledove. Fortunately, although Turtledove had aggroed all eighteen Chieftains, only six could attack her at a single time. In other words, the Guardian Knight took nearly -3,000 damage with each wave of attacks. To Turtledove, who had over 17,000 HP, this damage was no threat.

Following which, Turtledove received one heal after another, each heal recovering one or two thousand HP for the Guardian Knight. The healers could easily stabilize Turtledove's HP.

However, Protection Blessing only lasted for 20 seconds. Once the buff expired, she could not endure the simultaneous attack of six Bluefire Crows.

"Good!"

Shi Feng smiled. After finding a good location, he activated Skywheel Sword. As golden divine swords rained down from the sky, the eighteen Bluefire Crows were immediately trapped within the Skill's effective area.

Immediately, damages of over -4,000 points appeared above the Crows' heads. Of course, Turtledove, who stood in the center of this onslaught, received damage from Skywheel Sword as well. This was why AOE Skills were not suited for Dungeons. However, thanks to Protection Blessing and Ironwill, the Guardian Knight only received slightly more than -700 damage from Shi Feng's attack.

However, Shi Feng was far from satisfied.

"Blackie, cast Guardian of Light on Turtledove!" Shi Feng said.

Guardian of Light was one of Mavis's Guard's Additional Skills. When cast, the target of the Skill would become immune to all magic damage. The physical damage they received would also reduce by 80%, and they would recover 5% HP every second for 20 seconds. It was definitely a super Lifesaving Skill.

When Blackie waved his staff, a golden glow wrapped around Turtledove's body.

Once she received the proper buffs, Shi Feng no longer held back as he activated Heavenly Dragon's Power. After his Strength increased by 100%, he activated the Aura of Fire's Skill, Firestorm.

Just before the roaring flames devoured Turtledove, Shi Feng switched the Aura of Fire to the Aura of Water, casting Life Bloom on her. Due to the Aura of Water increasing healing effects by 100%, Turtledove could recover up to 60% of her HP every second for 40 seconds. With Turtledove's HP, she was practically immortal for the moment.

Although Firestorm dealt over -40,000 damage to the Bluefire Crows every second, the spell was ineffective against Turtledove as she was immune to all magic damage. Moreover, she had Life Bloom, which recovered over 10,000 HP for her every second, the healers' attention, and the Clerics' Truth Shield. As a result, the damage the Bluefire Crows dealt was not even a scratch to her. Even if she stood still and did nothing, her life would not be in any danger.

Everyone was immediately stupefied.

Watching the female Guardian Knight Turtledove fight the many Bluefire Crows amidst the raging inferno, it seemed as if these destructive flames were no different than a breeze, safe and harmless. The more Turtledove fought, the more valiant she became. At this moment, she seemed like a Goddess of War and Fire, demanding reverence.

"Everyone, use your AOE Skills!" Shi Feng commanded.

A moment later, the team's mages cast their AOE Skills. Although they were not as powerful as large-scale destruction spells, these AOE Skills still dealt several thousand damage to the Bluefire Crows.

Among them, Blackie's Stars of Light caused massive amounts of damage to the Chieftains. The first wave alone dealt over -4,000 damage to each Crow. The damage of every subsequent wave increased by 10%, lasting for a total of 15 seconds.

Shi Feng also looked for opportunities to use Dragon Breath, Thundering Flame, Flame God's Fury, Earth Splitter, Thunder Flame Explosion, and other AOE Skills.

Fifteen seconds later, the Bluefire Crows were in a half-crippled state, possessing less than 5% of their total HPs. A few unlucky Bluefire Crows that had received one too many critical hits had even died during these past 15 seconds.

Of the eighteen Bluefire Crows that had been summoned, only eleven remained.

Shi Feng's figure then swayed slightly as he sent several more strikes at these Bluefire Crows. Adding in the team's damage, they dealt with the remaining eleven Bluefire Crows in less than ten seconds.

Once the Bluefire Crows had been annihilated, it became much easier to deal with the Bluefire Crow King. Moreover, now that Shi Feng had activated Heavenly Dragon's Power, his damage against the Great Lord doubled.

Within three minutes, the Bluefire Crow King only had slightly more than 1,000,000 HP remaining.

"It's finally here." Shi Feng smiled calmly.

The Bluefire Crow King had a total of four phases. Everyone had thought that the most difficult phase was the third phase. However, what everyone did not know was that the Crow King used its true trump card during its fourth phase.

The Bluefire Crow King would only enter its fourth phase when its HP fell below 1,000,000. That was also when the entire raiding team would be the most tired and relaxed. It would be at this moment that the Crow King would transform into a living inferno and become a Fire Crow. During this phase, any enemies within 50 yards would receive -1,000 damage every second. However, that was only in the case of Hard Mode. In Hell Mode, players received -1,600 damage every second. If the raiding team could not deal 1,000,000 damage to the Bluefire Crow King before every member died, they would team-wipe.

In the past, countless teams had repeatedly died at the fourth phase and had been unable to clear the Dungeon all because they had lacked a true ultimate Skill.

Just as the Bluefire Crow King's HP was about to fall below the 1,000,000 threshold, Shi Feng activated Blade Liberation, increasing both his Strength and Agility by 90%. He then activated Silent Steps and appeared behind the Bluefire Crow King, and both his body and the Abyssal Blade began to release a brilliant glow.

Divine Providence!

Flame Burst!

Slash after slash struck the Bluefire Crow King's back.

-122,154!

-61,846!

-122,454!

...

After fifteen consecutive strikes, the Bluefire Crow King's HP, which had been slightly over a million a moment ago, bottomed out. The Crow King released a sorrowful cry before falling heavily to the ground. 

Chapter 626 - Famous

Inside the Ruins of the Crow God:

A handsome young man in white robes commanded his team as they attacked the Bluefire Crow King.

This Cleric drew runes in midair without rest, using one Healing Spell after another. Moreover, these Spells weren't ordinary Spells. Rather, they were Tier 1 Healing Spells. Yet, his casting speed was the same as when others cast Tier 0 Healing Spells. All the while doing so, he wore a relaxed expression; his actions were seemingly effortless. In the blink of an eye, the team's low HP MT recovered to full health.

This youth was none other than the commander of Heaven's Burial's main force, Flame Blood.

"Just 3% HP to go! Raise the damage output!" Flame Blood shouted sternly.

Currently, less than half of the original team of fifty remained, the Bluefire Crow King's flames having burned every one of them to death. Losing 1,000 HP every second was simply too much. Even Flame Blood, one of the virtual gaming world's top ten newcomers, could only focus on keeping the team's lead MT and himself alive. At best, he could cast instantaneous Healing Spells on some of the team's main DPS, though the effects were very weak.

After the Bluefire Crow King had entered its fourth phase, it had entered its Berserk state. Not only had its Attack Speed increased, but its attack range had also improved. Some of the team members who could not dodge its attacks in time died instantly.

Despite the Bluefire Crow King having only 3% of its HP remaining, to the surviving members of the team, it felt like an iron fortress that they could not break through no matter what they tried.

---

Heaven's Burial wasn't the only one in such a situation. At this moment, Overwhelming Smile was also struggling.

Only, Overwhelming Smile was having a slightly easier time of it. Though the Bluefire Crow King they faced still had 4% of its HP remaining, they had more than forty members still alive. The few deaths had simply been due to bad luck, and they had failed to escape the High Lord's attack range in time.

Sure enough, it's not that easy to obtain the First Clear of a 50-man Team Dungeon. War Wolf dodged the Bluefire Crow King's attacks to the best of his ability by relying on Omnivision, the technique he was extremely proficient with. Although he could not dodge all of the High Lord's attacks, he was still capable of evading one-third of them. This greatly reduced the burden on the healers, leaving them with plenty of excess power to heal the other members of the team, keeping as many as possible alive.

If not for a powerful lead MT like War Wolf masterfully redirecting the Crow King's attacks, it would have been impossible for so many members of the team to have survived until now.

However, even so, this was the third time Overwhelming Smile had challenged the Hard Mode Bluefire Crow King's fourth phase.

The Bluefire Crow King's HP gradually decreased.

3%...

2%...

1%...

White River City Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Zero Wing for becoming the first team to conquer the Hell Mode of Ruins of the Crow God. All players on the team will be rewarded with 2,000,000 EXP, 50 Silver, 80 White River City Reputation Points, and 20 Star-Moon Kingdom Reputation Points.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Zero Wing for becoming the first team to conquer the Hell Mode of Ruins of the Crow God. All players on the team will be rewarded with 3,000,000 EXP, 3 Tier 2 Gemstones of random Attributes, 100 White River City Reputation Points, and 50 Star-Moon Kingdom Reputation Points.

God's Domain Southern Continent System Announcement: Congratulations to Zero Wing for becoming the first team to conquer the Hell Mode of Ruins of the Crow God. All players on the team will be rewarded with 5,000,000 EXP, 1 Tier 3 Gemstone of random Attributes, 80 Star-Moon Kingdom Reputation Points, and 5 Humanity Reputation Points.

...

The system announcement echoed in everyone's ears three times.

"How is this possible?"

Both Overwhelming Smile's and Heaven's Burial's teams were shocked speechless.

The Hard Mode Ruins of the Crow God had already caused them brutal headaches, yet, just as they were a thread away from success, Zero Wing snatched the lead and cleared the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God.

However, although they were shocked, none of them stopped what they were doing. Only, they were no longer as motivated as they attacked the Bluefire Crow King.

A moment later, the High Lord ranked Bluefire Crow King fell at War Wolf's feet.

At that moment, the system announcement rang out once more.

White River City Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode of Ruins of the Crow God. All players on the team will be rewarded with 1,000,000 EXP, 20 Silver, 30 White River City Reputation Points, and 10 Star-Moon Kingdom Reputation Points.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode of Ruins of the Crow God. All players on the team will be rewarded with 2,000,000 EXP, 1 Tier 2 Gemstones of random Attributes, 50 White River City Reputation Points, and 20 Star-Moon Kingdom Reputation Points.

...

Compared to the previous system announcement, however, this announcement was meaningless.

Zero Wing had already cleared Hell Mode. On the other hand, Overwhelming Smile had only managed to clear Hard Mode. Rather than gaining glory, Overwhelming Smile had become a laughing stock. One could clearly see the gap between the two Guilds.

However, this gap was not due to Overwhelming Smile's weakness. Zero Wing was just too powerful!

"In the end, we still lost." A bitter smile appeared on War Wolf's pale face.

Before this, he had received news stating that Black Flame had led Zero Wing's main force into the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God. Although he felt that there was a possibility that Zero Wing would conquer Hell Mode, he had never expected that they would clear it so quickly.

---

On Heaven's Burial side, the Guild's main force also defeated the Bluefire Crow King.

"Sure enough, Zero Wing is not White River City's overlord for nothing. However, Heaven's Burial will not let this rest. Sooner or later, we will catch up to them." Fighting spirit filled Flame Blood's eyes.

"That is only a matter of course. It has been a long time since I've encountered such an opponent. It seems that Black Flame is quite formidable." The Assassin with flowing straight hair beside Flame Blood was similarly enthusiastic. However, there was an undetectable coldness hidden in his gaze. He seemed like a beast that had just found new prey.

Glancing at the Assassin youth beside him, Flame Blood laughed and said humorously, "It seems that Black Flame is in for a tragedy. He actually attracted the attention of the famous Ghost Shadow. Heaven's Burial's future development in White River City will progress much more smoothly."

"Although I wish to exchange a few moves with him, I am still too weak. Once I complete my quest, I can definitely test Black Flame's skills." Ghost Shadow shook his head in response to Flame Blood's words. He then sheathed his pair of pitch-black short swords and took out a Return Scroll. He was not the slightest bit interested in the Bluefire Flame King's loot.

---

Compared to Heaven's Burial and Overwhelming Smile's shock, all of White River City—no, all of Star-Moon Kingdom was in an uproar. Throughout God's Domain, many teams had already obtained the First Clear of a 50-man Team Dungeon. However, that was only limited to 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeons. No one in the surrounding dozen or so kingdoms or several empires had managed to clear Hell Mode.

A newly established Guild like Zero Wing stole this glory. It was simply inconceivable.

---

For a time, Zero Wing's reputation soared to new heights.

Previously, Zero Wing's success in fending off the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's assault had attracted the attention of over a dozen kingdoms and empires. However, Zero Wing had only been protecting themselves. Moreover, they had relied on the strength of NPC guards rather than their own members. There was no need to grow wary of Zero Wing. Now, however, things had changed completely.

Claiming the First Clear of a 50-man Hell Mode Team Dungeon showed that the Guild's overall strength should not be underestimated.

"Zero Wing?" Phoenix Rain could not help but smile upon hearing the system notification. "It seems that I have underestimated Black Flame's abilities. Fragrance, prepare to head to White River City."

"Miss, why are we going to White River City? Pantheon's Guild Leader will arrive shortly," the pretty woman named Pure Fragrance asked, confused.

"We are going to meet that mysterious Black Flame, of course." Phoenix Rain laughed.

"Black Flame?" Pure Fragrance could not help her curiosity.

Who was Black Flame?

Could he possibly compare to the Guild Leader of the Super Guild Pantheon? 

Chapter 627 - Divine Bluefire Shield

As the outside world reacted to Zero Wing's achievement, Shi Feng busied himself with arranging the Bluefire Crow King's loot.

System: Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God has been cleared for the first time. Loot increased by 100%.

Divine Providence would already increase the loot from the Bluefire Crow King Now that the loot had doubled, items covered the ground. With a single glance, one could count more than 30 items, though the majority consisted of various rare materials.

"Is this the loot of a large-scale Hell Mode Team Dungeon?" Blackie's eyes shone with wonder as his jaw hit the ground.

Although Shi Feng had yet to appraise the dropped items, based on their majestic appearances and magical rune engravings, it was obvious that the weapons and equipment that had dropped were anything but ordinary. Secret-Silver items couldn't even compare to these.

Moreover, the Bluefire Crow King was a Level 30 Great Lord, so everything it dropped would be Level 30. To the team members who still wore Level 25 equipment, this was a massive haul.

Zero Wing had quite a few Level 30 items now. After all, as the members of the Guild's main force were mostly Level 29 or Level 30, they could raid Level 30, 6-man Party Dungeons, 10-man Team Dungeons, and even 20-man Team Dungeons.

Only, the quality and Attributes of the equipment they obtained was not particularly good. Most were Bronze or Mysterious-Iron rank, and very little of their loot was Secret-Silver rank or above. Every increase in five Levels for equipment was the equivalent of a single increase in quality rank. If one could equip a piece of Level 30 Fine-Gold Equipment, it would be the equivalent of equipping a piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment.

If they equipped a piece of Level 30 Dark-Gold Equipment, that was the equivalent of wearing a Level 25 item with Attributes that were extremely close to Epic rank.

Currently, most of the top-tier weapons and equipment the various large Guilds possessed was Level 25 Fine-Gold rank; very few had any Dark-Gold items. In addition, there were also Level 30 Secret-Silver rank and extremely few Fine-Gold items. If Zero Wing had Level 30 Dark-Gold Equipment, it would be considered the best equipment beneath Epic Equipment and Tier 1 Set Equipment.

Although combat techniques were important, a player's Basic Attributes were equally so.

Meanwhile, not only had their team just defeated a Level 30 Great Lord, but its drop-rate had also increased by 100%. It was natural for the Boss to drop a few Level 30 Dark-Gold Equipment.

After picking up all of the loot, Shi Feng began appraising the weapons and equipment. Meanwhile, Aqua Rose began distributing the Guild Contribution Points for successfully raiding the Dungeon. All raid members would get priority to purchase the weapons and equipment from their Dungeon raids with Guild Contribution Points. If nobody wanted the items, only then would they occupy the Guild Warehouse with a reasonably high price tag, allowing other Guild members to purchase them.

After successfully raiding a Great Lord ranked Boss, everyone received a bounty of Guild Contribution Points. However, no one paid attention to the points they had just earned. Instead, their attention was focused on Shi Feng, every one of them prepared to go for broke today.

Within Zero Wing's main force, aside from players such as Fire Dance, Aqua Rose, Violet Cloud, Cola, Ye Wumian, Blackie, Minor Wind, and a few others, none of their items could compare to the dropped equipment from a large-scale Hell Mode Team Dungeon. This was because Shi Feng had given Fire Dance and the others a complete Tier 1 Set Equipment, the best equipment available for Tier 1 classes that was only inferior to Epic Set Equipment.

Hence, until they became a Tier 2 class, they would not need to replace their equipment unless they procured a set of Epic Set Equipment for themselves.

A short moment later, Shi Feng finished appraising the loot.

A total of 33 items had dropped, and among them, 19 were materials such as Magic Crystals, Hundred Beast Wood, which was required to construct Stables, Essence of Mana, which was required to construct Teleportation Magic Arrays, and several other super-rare materials. Normally, one would not obtain these materials even if they defeated Great Lord ranked Bosses. Now, however, they had actually gained two or three of each.

"The benefits of obtaining the First Clear of Hell Mode are impressive," Shi Feng stated. He could not help but smile as he gazed at the weapons and equipment inside his bag.

"Guild Leader, what items dropped to make you this happy?" Aqua Rose knew of Shi Feng's tastes. Items that could excite Shi Feng would definitely be something extraordinarily good.

"That's right! Guild Leader, share the stats!" Although Blackie wielded an Epic staff, he still liked seeing the Attributes of excellent weapons and equipment.

"I won't waste your time. Here; look at this item first, then." Shi Feng took out a deep-red two-handed sword that emitted pale blue flames. Not only was the weapon extremely attractive, but it also felt as if it possessed extraordinary power.

[Bluefire Double-edged Sword] (Two-handed Sword, Dark-Gold Rank)

Level 30 - Level 35

Attack Power +702 (Currently Level 30)

Strength +54, Agility +41, Endurance +44

Attack Speed +2

Ignore Levels +10

Attacks have:

30% chance to trigger Bluefire Attack, causing an additional 120% flame damage to the target and reducing the target's Defense by 30% for 7 seconds.

20% chance to cause 200% damage.

10% chance to trigger Bluefire Dance, causing 300% flame damage in a cone.

Although the Bluefire Double-edged Sword did not have any Active Skills, it had plenty of Passive Skills. Its Attack Power alone was more impressive than the Level 30 Abyssal Blade. It was a weapon made for violence.

Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air upon seeing the Bluefire Double-edged Sword's Attributes.

"Crap! Even Epic Weapons aren't any better than this!" Blackie was stunned. He possessed an Epic Weapon himself, so he could tell just how excellent of a weapon the Bluefire Double-edged Sword was. It was of the same caliber as the Truefire Blades Fire Dance wielded.

If one of the team's Berserkers equipped this two-handed sword, their DPS would soar by several levels. Their damage would be close to Fire Dance's.

Moreover, the Bluefire Double-edged Sword could be upgraded to Level 35. It could rank at the top even amongst Level 40 weapons. In other words, if one equipped the two-handed sword, they would not have to worry about replacing their weapon even when they reached Level 40.

Immediately, the Berserkers within the team started drooling, staring at the Bluefire Double-edged Sword with burning gazes.

"Such powerful Attributes.... This sword alone could push a Berserker's damage to the top of the team," Fire Dance said in awe.

"Don't be so shocked by this item. The Bluefire Double-edged Sword only ranks third out of the weapons and equipment we obtained." Shi Feng shook his head as he chuckled. He then revealed a red and black buckler, saying, "This is the second best item."

Hearing Shi Feng's claim, everyone was surprised.

Such an excellent weapon was not the best piece of equipment that dropped!

The red and black buckler was only one-third the size of an ordinary shield. However, the image of the Bluefire Crow King had been engraved onto the shield, surrounded by many runes. With a single glance, one could tell that this buckler was extraordinary.

[Divine Bluefire Shield] (Shield, Dark-Gold Rank)

Level 30 - Level 35

Defense +1,950 (Currently Level 30)

Equipment Requirement: Strength 220

Defense +550

Block Rate: 42%

Strength +31, Endurance +47

Evasion +15

Attack Speed +2

Additional Passive Skill-

Bluefire Shield: Absorbs 30% of the damage taken and converts it into Bluefire. When accumulated damage reaches 5,000 points, causes 150% damage to an area of 3*10 yards in front of user.

Additional Active Skill-

Rising Fire: When activated, sacrifice 20% HP to transform Bluefire into the Armor of Flames, increasing Defense by 150% and Strength by 40% for 30 seconds.

Cooldown: 30 minutes 

Chapter 628 - Guild Mount

The moment the Divine Bluefire Shield appeared, hunger burned in the eyes of every MT on the team; even Cola drooled.

The shield was crucial to any MT. It was the equivalent of half of an MT's life. Not a single MT would pass up an excellent shield.

The best shield Zero Wing currently had was a Level 25 Dark-Gold Shield.

However, compared to the Divine Bluefire Shield, it was no more than scrap metal.

Not only did the Divine Bluefire Shield possess extremely high Defense, but it also had a powerful Attack Skill and Berserk Skill. If an MT equipped it, they would no longer be just a meatshield. The damage they could deal would be no less than what a normal DPS classes could do.

"This Divine Bluefire Shield's Attributes are better than even the current first ranking shield, the Blue Dawn." Aqua Rose was greatly shocked when she examined the red-black buckler. "Most likely, this is the best shield currently available throughout God's Domain."

As the manager of a Guild, Aqua Rose normally collected information on the various large Guilds throughout God's Domain. For example, she knew which Guilds had been active recently, members of the main force of various large Guilds, experts, and the latest powerful equipment.

Blue Dawn was a Level 30 Dark-Gold shield. However, a Super Guild had obtained this shield through a quest, and it had made many other Super Guilds jealous. Many corporations had even offered an astronomical price of 1,000 Gold for it.

On the other hand, the Divine Bluefire Shield was a Dark-Gold shield that would improve to Level 35. Setting aside its Basic Attributes, just the Passive Skill Bluefire Shield and Active Skill Rising Fire were excellent Skills. The Bluefire Shield was clearly more valuable than the Blue Dawn. Not including Epic Shields, it would not be an exaggeration to call it the most powerful shield currently available in God's Domain.

However, Aqua Rose very quickly realized something.

If the Divine Bluefire Shield, something that was so important to a Guild, only ranked second among the loot they had obtained...

What kind of item ranked first?

Very quickly, the rest of the team reached the same conclusion. Their gazes darted back to Shi Feng, expectation written all over their faces.

"Alright, then. I'll unveil the first ranking item." Shi Feng laughed. He then took out a purple-blue crystal necklace. "Chances are that every magical class will go crazy over this."

[Bluefire Heart] (Necklace, Dark-Gold Rank)

Equipment Requirement: Intelligence 200

Level 30 - Level 40 (Currently Level 30)

Strength +10, Agility +10, Endurance +10, Intelligence +40, Vitality +35

Casting speed increased by 20%.

Magic damage and healing effects increased by 20%.

Passive Skill-

Mana Heart: Maximum Mana increased by 15% and Mana Recovery Rate increased by 50%

Active Skill 1-

Bluefire Devour: Burn 30% of your Mana in exchange for the Power of Bluefire, increasing all Skill effects by 200% and Mana Consumption Rate by 200% for 30 seconds.

Cooldown: 30 minutes

Active Skill 2-

Bluefire Summon: Summons three Elite ranked Bluefire Crows to battle for you for 30 minutes.

Cooldown: 5 hours

The Bluefire Heart's Basic Attributes were average at best. However, the necklace's Skills increased its value tremendously. The Skills almost made up for all of the weaknesses a magical class possessed and enhanced their firepower.

Most importantly, the Bluefire Heart was a necklace. Ornament-type items were extremely rare in God's Domain. The value of one was multiple times that of a weapon or other equipment of the same quality and level. In the case of the Bluefire Heart, even a Tier 3 class would continue to use it. Hence, it was significantly more valuable than the Divine Bluefire Shield.

"Since you have seen the items for yourselves, you can start bidding for them," Shi Feng said, grinning at everyone's dumbfounded expressions. "First up is the Bluefire Double-edged Sword. The starting price is 20,000 GCP."

Currently, Zero Wing's Contribution Points were worth roughly 30 Copper per point. In other words, 20,000 Contribution Points was around 60 Gold.

However, this price didn't surprise any of them.

For a weapon of the Bluefire Double-edged Sword's caliber, this was considerably cheap. If it were on the Auction House, it would sell for at least 200 or 300 Gold.

"21,000!"

"24,000!"

"26,000!"

...

For a time, the Berserkers and Swordsmen began fervently outbidding each other. As the members of the Guild's main force, they frequently raided Dungeons, especially small-scale Team Dungeons. Furthermore, they were the Guild's frontline when it came to pioneering Team Dungeons. They would exchange most of their unwanted equipment for Guild Contribution Points. In addition, they also completed the various high-level Guild Quests. Hence, they had accumulated quite a lot of Guild Contribution Points.

In the end, however, the Guild's current number one Berserker, Rampant Blade, won the weapon for 40,000 Contribution Points.

Cola won the second item, the Divine Bluefire Shield, for 90,000 Contribution Points. However, this was practically Cola's entire fortune. It would be some time before he could compete with others for equipment.

Aqua Rose bought the third item, the Bluefire Heart, using 150,000 Contribution Points. As the Guild's Vice-Leader, Aqua Rose enjoyed certain benefits. In addition, she also frequently participated in Dungeon raids and Guild Quests, so she had accumulated an extraordinarily high number of Guild Contribution Points. Not even the commander of Zero Wing's main force, Fire Dance, could hold a candle to Aqua Rose. In Zero Wing, only Shi Feng was a match for the woman.

Everyone on the team envied these three players. These three pieces of equipment were definitely among the best currently available in God's Domain. Equipping them would significantly boost their combat power.

After all, no other Guild in God's Domain had managed to clear the Hell Mode of a 50-man Team Dungeon.

Following which, various members of the team purchased other Dark-Gold and Fine-Gold Equipment, increasing the overall strength of the entire team significantly.

As for the other materials, he stored them in the Guild Warehouse.

"Everyone, head back to the city and get some rest. Our next goal is to challenge a 100-man Team Dungeon," Shi Feng said slowly. "Blackie, Fire Dance, Cola, Violet, and Aqua, stay behind. I'll need you guys to accompany me on a quest."

"Quest?" Everyone could not help but grow interested.

Shi Feng was the publicly acknowledged number one expert in Star-Moon Kingdom. Just what kind of quest would he need help with?

However, everyone only wondered about it; none of them volunteered to assist. After all, weaklings like them would never survive a quest that even Shi Feng would need help to complete. They needed a certain amount of strength before they could embark on such a quest. Otherwise, Shi Feng would not have called the top ranking experts of the Guild to join him.

After everyone else returned to the city, Blackie, who could no longer hold back his curiosity, asked, "Guild Leader, what kind of quest are we doing? Why the need for such secrecy?"

"Guild Leader, is it an Epic Quest? I've been wanting to give an Epic Quest a try!" Cola's eyes glowed.

Epic Quests... No one, other than Shi Feng, in the Guild had taken on an Epic Quest yet. First of all, ignoring how rare an Epic Quest was, they were simply too difficult. Moreover, in the event that one failed an Epic Quest, the consequences would be extremely severe. However, if one completed the Quest, the rewards would be astonishing.

"Although I call it a quest, I need help capturing a wild beast." Shi Feng shook his head and laughed.

"Capturing a wild beast?" Everyone grew confused.

It was possible to capture wild beasts in God's Domain. However, capture was far more difficult than simply killing it for EXP. Even if one captured a wild beast, there was nothing they could do with it. At most, they could leave it in a corner and look at it. Most importantly, players had to spend a lot of money to capture a wild beast. Hence, at present, nobody was willing to spend their time on something so costly.

"Don't you want to capture a wild beast and ride it as a Mount?" Shi Feng said, smiling.

Upon hearing these words, a hint of anticipation flashed in everyone's eyes.

"However, I heard that, in order to capture a wild beast to tame it into a Mount, a Guild first needs a Stable," Aqua Rose stated. "Guild Leader, we don't have a Stable. We'll have to challenge 100-man Team Dungeons to obtain one."

Shi Feng simply laughed without offering a reply.

"Guild Leader, don't tell me that you already have the Design..." Aqua Rose asked in disbelief, her beautiful eyes widening as she stared at Shi Feng. 

Chapter 629 - 5-star mount

Aside from Aqua Rose, no one understood the value of the Stable Design.

However, this was expected.

Of those present, aside from Aqua Rose, who was the Guild's manager, and Blackie, who managed the Workshop's affairs, everyone had immersed themselves in improving their combat techniques. Why would they have noticed the Guild's potential constructions

Seeing Shi Feng silently nodded his head, Aqua Rose involuntarily began trembling.

In the past, why had various large Guilds desperately tried to raid large-scale Team Dungeons, going so far as to invest massive sums of money into gearing up their respective Guild's MTs and utilizing all items capable of assisting their raid of a large-scale Team Dungeon?

There was only one main reason.

Guild Mounts!

God's Domain's maps were extremely large. Once players began arriving at Level 30 and higher maps, they would have to spend a large chunk of their time traveling. The maps would also only grow larger the further one progressed into the game. Meanwhile, a powerful Mount would help players save a lot of time. However, the more important function of Guild Mounts was that they could attract more players to join a Guild.

The Common Mounts sold in cities not only required players to have sufficient Reputation, but they also required a significant sum of money to purchase. A Common Mount cost a full 40 Gold. Even after players reached Level 40, it would still be extremely difficult to procure that much money, unless, of course, one was willing to purchase Coins with Credits. In the end, however, they could still only purchase a Common Mount.

However, Guild Mounts were different. Although players were required to collect a certain amount of Guild Contribution Points before they could purchase a Guild Mount, which was more expensive than a Common Mount, unlike the Common Mounts, Guild Mounts could be nurtured and upgraded. Moreover, they possessed varying and much better-looking appearances. This was fatally tempting to many independent players and wealthy players.

Guilds could take this opportunity to develop and expand themselves, obtaining a large sum of funds. After all, Guild members were also required to spend money when purchasing Guild Mounts. Meanwhile, a portion of that money would flow into the Guild's coffers.

Due to this, the various large Guilds in the past had desperately attempted to raid 100-man Team Dungeons. It wasn't just because they had aimed for the weapons and equipment available inside the Dungeon, but more because they hoped to obtain the Stable Design as soon as possible.

Aqua Rose had never imagined that Shi Feng would actually obtain a Stable Design, one of the greatest money-earning tools of a Guild, so quickly.

It seems that my decision had really been the right one. I want to see just what Father will have to say in the future! Aqua Rose's lips curled up slightly. She could not help but recall the reason why she had left Twilight Echo. I will make sure Zero Wing surpasses Twilight Echo!

Originally, Aqua Rose had not believed that Zero Wing could surpass Twilight Echo. After all, Twilight Echo was a long-standing, first-rate Guild. Whether it was in terms of background, funding, contacts, or human resources, Twilight Echo was far superior to Zero Wing. Although Zero Wing was currently far ahead of the other Guilds, the Guild's weaknesses were glaring. The Guild simply had no background. Even though Zero Wing was so far ahead of the other Guilds right now, it would still have to accumulate power for a relatively long time in order to fully operate this machine known as a Guild.

However, the situation had changed.

Since they could build a Stable, one of the core components of a Guild, so soon, they could accumulate power several times faster.

Following which, Shi Feng wasted no more time as he sent the group back to White River City to prepare some necessary hunting tools. Meanwhile, Shi Feng made a trip to the Candlelight Trading Firm.

Capturing wild beasts in God's Domain was not an easy task. It was also a major field of study.

In the past, there had even been a specialized class for this task.

The Tamer!

In the past, there had been players who specialized in researching methods to capture rare wild beasts. They would also sell the beasts they captured to various large Guilds, earning huge sums of money.

Meanwhile, the most important item required to capture wild beasts was a Cage. However, NPCs did not sell these Cages, requiring players to produce them. Hence, many players would learn forging to craft the Cages themselves.

Fortunately, the NPC-run Forging Associations sold the Forging Designs for Cages. Moreover, they were very cheap. However, Shi Feng did not bother purchasing these forging designs as he had a method of producing a Cage of even higher quality.

Shi Feng quickly hurried back to the Candlelight Trading Firm and entered a forging room. He then retrieved a pile of materials from his bag and began to refine them.

Cages were sorted into ranks, with 1-star being the lowest and 10-star being the highest. Different ranks could capture beasts of a corresponding rank. In other words, a 1-star Cage could be used to capture a 1-star beast at maximum. It could not be used to capture a 2-star beast. One had to use a 2-star Cage in order to capture a 2-star beast.

The wild beast Shi Feng planned to capture was at the highest rank he could capture currently, a 5-star beast. Hence, he required a 5-star Cage. Meanwhile, a 5-star Cage cost almost 2 Gold to craft. Moreover, there was no certainty he could capture a 5-star beast with a single try. This was also one of the reasons why capturing wild beasts was a costly endeavor.

Shi Feng was currently a Basic Forger, so he had almost a 30% success rate of producing a 5-star Cage.

Half an hour later, Shi Feng managed to forge four 5-star Cages. The total raw materials he had spent on these four Cages cost over 30 Gold. He had also instructed Aqua Rose and the others to purchase a large number of Hunting Scrolls and Storage Space Scrolls, both costing more than 3 Gold.

Just as Shi Feng was about to leave the forging room, the sound of his communicator reached his ears.

"Phoenix Rain?" Shi Feng could not help his surprise when he saw the caller ID.

Ever since Phoenix Rain invested into the Candlelight Training Firm, she had left practically all cooperation matters to her subordinates. She no longer contacted him directly. Or, to put it in another way, she did not find it worthwhile to keep in touch. After all, in the wide world of God's Domain, the Guild Leader of Zero Wing was an insignificant character compared to a grand player like Phoenix Rain. To the young lady, the Candlelight Trading Firm was only one of her many small investments. Since her business with the Trading Firm had been completed, she would not bother entangling herself in the matter anymore.

"Guild Leader Black Flame, congratulations on obtaining the First Clear of the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God," Phoenix Rain said as she laughed softly. "I had jumped in surprise when I heard the system announcement. I had not realized that you had hidden your strengths so deeply."

"It's nothing." Shi Feng laughed as well. Doing away with pleasantries, he asked, "Since Miss Phoenix is contacting me personally, do you have some business you wish to discuss?"

"Sure enough, Guild Leader Black Flame understands people well. Would you be free to meet-up at the Blueberry Restaurant?" Phoenix Rain smiled mysteriously. "Guild Leader Black Flame might receive another boon."

Shi Feng was surprised when he heard her mention the Blueberry Restaurant.

Blueberry Restaurant was one of White River City's ordinary restaurants. This meant that Phoenix Rain had personally made a trip to White River City. It was clear that she wished to discuss something quite important.

"Okay, I'll head over there now," Shi Feng agreed.

During his previous meeting with Phoenix Rain, the latter had brought him an Epic Chest and allowed him to earn a hefty profit. Since Phoenix Rain offered another business opportunity, he had no choice but to meet with her again.

In truth, Shi Feng could more or less guess why Phoenix Rain wanted to meet him.

As soon as he cleared a 50-man Hell Mode Team Dungeon, she had come knocking on his door. This showed that it must be something related to the strength of the Guild's team. She might very well be looking for Zero Wing to help her complete some sort of quest. He might even be able to take the opportunity to earn a large sum of Credits from her.

Before, in order to purchase the necessary training facilities, he had spent most of the Credits in his account.

If he could lure Phoenix Rain into an alliance with Zero Wing, it could save Zero Wing many years of work. 

Chapter 630 - Proof of Strength

White River City, Blueberry Restaurant:

The moment Shi Feng entered the restaurant, he immediately felt several gazes land on him.

Phoenix Rain sure knows how to put on a display.

Shi Feng looked around the restaurant, noticing that the establishment's customers were not simple at all. The players sitting around were unanimously Level 30. In the current God's Domain, they ranked at the very top. Moreover, judging by the feeling these people gave off, it was obvious that they were not virtual gaming experts. Rather, they felt like experts who were proficient in martial arts.

Among these people, some had cold and sinister auras, while others had a violent auras.

However, they all shared a common aspect; they were all independent players. None of them were members of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion.

After glancing at Shi Feng, these people turned back to their own interests.

"Guild Leader Black Flame, please come upstairs," a beautiful, young lady asked softly as she walked down from the restaurant's second floor.

Shi Feng also knew this beautiful woman.

She was Phoenix Rain's capable assistant, Pure Fragrance. She was also one of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's top-tier experts and was quite famous. She ranked within the top 600 on the God's Domain Experts List. Not only did she possessed impressive strength, but she was also quite talented. In the past, she had been a Tier 5 powerhouse during her peak.

Shi Feng simply nodded and followed Pure Fragrance to the second floor.

At this moment, Phoenix Rain was the only other person on the second floor. She sat at a table near the window, quietly overlooking the street outside as she toyed with a black leather book.

"Miss Phoenix, may I know what you wish to discuss with me?" Shi Feng asked.

In response, Phoenix Rain smiled leisurely as she handed the black leather book to Shi Feng.

"Guild Leader Black Flame, please take a look at this," Phoenix Rain said unhurriedly.

The black leather book was not a quest prop or anything similar. Instead, it contained the written records of players. However, after reading through a few pages, Shi Feng's surprise grew as he continued to read.

This black leather book contained information on the Dark Arena. To be precise, the book held information regarding the official members of the many battle teams participating in the Dark Arena. Moreover, the information was extremely detailed, so much so that even the participants' life stories had been recorded. There was even a brief introduction to their current equipment.

Beyond that, there was an assessment of every battle team member's combat power. These assessments were also very detailed. These players' strengths and weaknesses had been recorded in detail.

"Guild Leader Black Flame, how do you feel about this information?" Phoenix Rain asked gently, a pleasant smile on her face.

"Miss Phoenix, why are you giving me this information?" Shi Feng was slightly confused about Phoenix Rain's intentions.

"I've heard that your Guild has been in contact with the Glorious Lions Battle Team, so I believe that Guild Leader Black Flame should understand the Dark Arena's value by now." Phoenix Rain smiled sweetly as she collected the leather book from Shi Feng. "Unfortunately, ordinary players do not qualify to participate in this game. However, I am, so I hope to establish a battle team myself to have some fun in the Dark Arena.

"Initially, I intended to seek cooperation with Pantheon's Guild Leader, but I suddenly changed my mind. Now, I wish to cooperate with Guild Leader Black Flame instead. May I know if you are interested in cooperating with this young lady?"

"Miss Phoenix must be joking. How could Zero Wing possibly hope to compare with a Super Guild? Wouldn't working with Pantheon be a better choice?" Although Shi Feng was so calm on the surface, inwardly, he was stunned.

He had not expected Phoenix Rain to be capable of obtaining the participation rights to the Dark Arena.

However, Shi Feng did not believe that Phoenix Rain would hand over such an opportunity so easily.

After all, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had countless experts, not to mention a Super Guild like Pantheon. It would be child's play for Phoenix Rain to gather ten apex experts. Why would she need Zero Wing?

"I sought you out precisely because Zero Wing is not very famous. That way, the opposing team will not bother to investigate you in detail. With Guild Leader Black Flame's power, it should not be hard to earn some achievements in the Dark Arena," Phoenix Rain said, smiling. "After all, it should not be that easy to obtain the First Clear of the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God."

Phoenix Rain had personally entered a 50-man Hell Mode Team Dungeon before, so she understood just how difficult raiding one was.

Even a Super Guild's main force had zero chance of raiding a 50-man Hell Mode Team Dungeon successfully, much less the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion.

Raiding a Dungeon was different from PvP. Successfully raiding a 50-man Hell Mode Team Dungeon was proof of one's strength. Moreover, she had conducted an investigation of Zero Wing's experts. Not to mention Hell Mode, even clearing Hard Mode would be a challenging endeavor, yet Zero Wing had done just that.

What did this mean?

Black Flame was not as simple as he appeared.

Hence, she had abruptly changed her plans and immediately made her way to White River City.

"I presume that Guild Leader Black Flame has already seen the experts downstairs. None of them were professional gamers before God's Domain launched. They are experts that I have nurtured secretly, and none of the other battle teams have any information on these people. With the element of surprise, we might be able to compete for the top 100 rankings.

"As for the remuneration, Guild Leader Black Flame will earn 10% of all of our winnings. If you lead the team into the top 100 spots, I'll give you 20% of the winnings. What do you think?"

Phoenix Rain's offer was extremely generous. It was much better than Everlasting War's. Most importantly, there were no restrictions on his freedom. He would only partner with Phoenix Rain. Phoenix Rain would provide the participation qualifications, while he would fight.

The Dark Arena's battles were the fastest method to earn Credits.

Moreover, after he gained fame in the Dark Arena, he could form plenty of influential connections. In the future, he would have a much easier time purchasing S-rank Nutrient Fluids, various training materials, and virtual gaming cabins.

Most importantly, the Dark Arena was the perfect place to improve one's strength. Even the Divine Colosseum could not compare.

After all, the Divine Colosseum was a place for ordinary players to battle each other or the system. Compared to battles against experts, players gained fewer benefits in the Divine Colosseum.

"What if I get us into the top 30?" Although Shi Feng was already satisfied with the 10% and 20% remuneration Phoenix Rain offered, he instinctively tried to strive for more.

"Top 30?" Phoenix Rain could not help but chuckle. "If Guild Leader Black Flame really manages to get the battle team into the Dark Arena's top 30, then I'll increase the remuneration to 40%."

In Phoenix Rain's opinion, entering the top 100 would be extremely difficult, not to mention the top 30. After all, this was a competition between the battle teams that various major international corporations had formed. None of those teams could be underestimated.

"Okay, let's see a contract, then." Shi Feng grinned. Although he, too, doubted that they could achieve such a feat, he had not accepted the Epic Guild Quest, Ancient Battlefield. If he could allow the Guild's few top experts to train there for a time, they might have a chance of getting into the top 30.

A moment later, Phoenix Rain and Shi Feng established a contract.

"Let's go, then. I'll introduce you to your team members." Phoenix Rain stored the contract and walked downstairs.

The moment Phoenix Rain arrived downstairs, the tens of people sitting seated on the first floor of Blueberry Restaurant stood and greeted her respectfully. None of them displayed the temperament of an expert as they had with Shi Feng.

Even those several experts that had exuded violence had sheathed their auras.

As expected of the woman known as the Demon Queen. She sure knows how to put on a powerful display. Shi Feng was inwardly astonished. 

Chapter 631 - Trial of Strength

Every player here was an expert.

And as experts, they all had their own pride and principles they abided to.

It would not be easy to get these experts to submit. Yet, looking into these experts' eyes, Shi Feng could see the reverence that filled their hearts, proving that their actions were not due to Phoenix Rain's demands.

"Miss, all twenty members are present," Pure Fragrance said in a low, but respectful, tone.

Phoenix Rain nodded in response.

Turning to Shi Feng, Phoenix Rain asked, "Guild Leader Black Flame, how do you feel about these experts?"

Of the twenty players present, all were Level 30. Their equipment also consisted of Level 25 to Level 30 top-tier equipment. In White River City, these players would rank at the very top. Clearly, their skill spoke for itself.

Every one of them was an expert who had experienced the baptism of live combat many times. Noobs like Fire Dance and Zero Wing's other core members, who had only gained their strength through arduous training, could not compare to these experts. One could feel the hostility they radiated from far away.

"Amazing. You will not find many in Star-Moon Kingdom who can match them," Shi Feng replied truthfully.

However, Shi Feng's words instantly earned the ire of these twenty people. They glared at Shi Feng, killing intent filling their eyes.

They were all experts who Phoenix Rain had carefully nurtured. How could the lowly experts of Star-Moon Kingdom possibly hope to be their equals?

"Guild Leader Black Flame, you may not realize this, but despite none of these people having any fame, they are not much weaker than the experts on the God's Domain Experts List; they are even stronger than some of those experts," Pure Fragrance said contemptuously.

Just how many people in Star-Moon Kingdom ranked on the God's Domain Experts List?

On the other hand, if the twenty people present displayed their strength, every one of them could definitely rank on the Experts List. One could just imagine how immense their strengths were. They were far beyond Star-Moon Kingdom's top-tier experts.

Shi Feng did not refute Pure Fragrance's words.

The God's Domain Experts List had initially served as an analysis of experts who had publicly displayed their strengths. It did not record every expert within the game. At most, the List could be used as a reference.

However, he also wasn't wrong. Although these people were strong, in White River City alone, there were plenty of experts who were much stronger.

For example, there was War Wolf and Ghost Shadow. There was also no need to mention those unknown experts hidden throughout Star-Moon Kingdom.

While God's Domain was very large, Star-Moon Kingdom was not small.

How could it possibly be that easy to become one of the top experts in a kingdom?

"Fragrance, enough. Have everyone introduce themselves so that Guild Leader Black Flame can establish the battle team more easily," Phoenix Raid softly instructed.

"There is no need for all of that. Anyone who can block my sword without using any Skills will be admitted into the battle team. Of course, I won't use any Skills, either," Shi Feng declared, not wanting to waste too much time.

"It seems that we are all going to become official members of the battle team today." A thin Assassin in black snorted.

The others similarly revealed annoyed sneers.

Shi Feng actually dared to underestimate them to such a degree.

Initially, Shi Feng had similarly surprised Phoenix Rain. However, she smiled and said, "Guild Leader Black Flame's suggestion will also work. Let's do as he asks, then."

Following which, everyone left the Blueberry Restaurant and headed towards the Divine Colosseum.

The Divine Colosseum was situated in White River City's central district. The Divine Colosseum was a massive tower that stood in the city's center.

Although the Divine Colosseum had only recently been constructed, a sea of players flowed to and from the building.

"Hahaha! I passed the second floor today! I can finally take part in Zero Wing's entrance exam!"

"Recruiting members for a Level 25 Team Dungeon! Must have Skill Completion Rate of 70% and above! Equipment must be at least Mysterious-Iron rank!"

"Heaven's Burial is recruiting Guild members! Our Guild has already cleared the Hard Mode Ruins of the Crow God! If you wish to join, you must be able to clear the Divine Colosseum's first floor before you can take the entrance exam!"

...

In the Divine Colosseum's first floor hall, many independent teams shouted, recruiting members.

In the past, these players usually recruited at the Teleportation Hall. Now, however, they had all come to the Divine Colosseum because they could determine a player's strength here. That way, they could be more at ease when they raided Dungeons.

Similarly, ever since the Divine Colosseum had emerged, Guilds no longer looked at a player's Level and equipment when allowing players to take part in their entrance exams. Instead, they determined the player's qualifications through their progress in the Divine Colosseum.

An ordinary player's techniques would not even be enough to pass the first floor of the Divine Colosseum.

If one passed the second floor, they would be roughly as strong as an elite player. Meanwhile, one was definitely considered an expert if they could clear the third floor. Hence, it was very easy to determine the exact standard of a player.

Upon arriving at the Divine Colosseum, Pure Fragrance spent 5 Magic Crystals to rent an amphitheater. In the amphitheater, players could fight however they wanted.

The combat inside an amphitheater and the combat in the Underground Arena were different. In an amphitheater, players could set the rules of combat to their liking. For example, they could allow only melee combat, prohibiting the use of Skills or tools. This would make fights much more realistic. On the other hand, such privileges were not available in the Underground Arena.

After setting the rules, Shi Feng and the twenty reserve members entered the amphitheater.

"Miss, Black Flame is simply too arrogant. I'm going to enjoy watching him embarrass himself," Pure Fragrance gloated as she smirked at Shi Feng.

"Fragrance, you're underestimating Black Flame. The fact that he could become the number one expert of Star-Moon Kingdom and remain undefeated is already enough proof of his strength. Don't forget, even Martial Dragon was helpless against him. You will see just how skilled he is," Phoenix Raid said, smiling.

When Pure Fragrance thought about the monster known as Martial Dragon, she could not help but tremble.

An expert who had mastered a Domain was an inhuman existence.

In the entire Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, very few were capable of blocking Martial Dragon's attacks.

After the last war between the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion and Zero Wing, the various large Guilds at the time had investigated Black Flame in detail. After all, a person capable of lasting against Martial Dragon in battle was extremely rare, not to mention someone capable of killing the Berserker. Although Black Flame was not responsible for killing Martial Dragon in the end, the fact that he fought Martial Dragon as an equal was an astounding feat.

However, the investigation's results shocked everyone.

Black Flame's Basic Attributes were simply tyrannical.

He had relied on pure destructive power to survive against Martial Dragon.

To put it simply, Black Flame's equipment was excellent.

Now, however, things were different. Since that battle, the various large Guilds had improved their equipment constantly, strengthening their top-tier experts' Basic Attributes.

Martial Dragon's Basic Attributes had grown significantly. If he faced Black Flame now, most likely, Black Flame would last only a few exchanges before dying.

Meanwhile, the twenty reserve members present wore top-tier equipment. Their equipment also held Tier 2 Gemstones. Every one of them wore three Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. In terms of Attributes, they had eliminated their weaknesses. On the contrary, one could even say that Attributes were their strong points.

Hence, it was no longer possible for Black Flame to rely on pure destructive force to win his battles.

Just as Pure Fragrance fantasized about the twenty reserve members toying with Shi Feng, a shocking scene suddenly played out before her eyes.

Before anyone realized it...

Shi Feng's first opponent fell to the ground, lying there motionlessly.

"What happened?" Pure Fragrance muttered in disbelief.

She was only distracted for a moment, yet the battle was already over... 

Chapter 632 - Gray Eagle

Above the wide and spacious stone platform, Shi Feng slowly sheathed the Abyssal Blade, not even bothering to look at the Level 30 Berserker who had fallen to the ground.

"Next," Shi Feng said calmly.

The rules of the amphitheater were set so that when a vital point was struck, death and defeat were certain. Even a Shield Warrior with high HP and Defense was no exception to this rule, not to mention a Berserker.

Seeing Shi Feng's calm expression, everyone who had felt insulted immediately shut their mouths, a hint of fear appearing in their eyes.

Although the Berserker class was not a speed-based class, it was not easily defeated. Not to mention, the Berserker that had served as Shi Feng's opponent was an expert who had experienced countless live battles.

Moreover, they were all companions, so they understood each other's strengths quite well.

Although the Berserker Shi Feng had defeated did not rank within the top five of their group, his combat power could still rank within the top ten. The fact that Shi Feng had defeated the Berserker with a single attack, giving the Berserker no time to react, was simply inconceivable.

"As expected of someone chosen by the Pavilion Master; you indeed possess some ability. Let me, Gray Eagle, learn something from you, then."

A middle-aged man with a lean body and eyes as sharp as an eagle's stepped out from the crowd.

When the crowd saw the Berserker named Gray Eagle step forward, the shock from Shi Feng's one-sided victory immediately dissipated, their arrogance and confidence returning.

"Eagle, we're counting on you! We can't let him look down on us!" the others showed their support from the side.

Gray Eagle was the number one expert among their group. Although the man was already in his forties, his keen skills and bountiful combat experience were unmatched by ordinary, young players.

"I'll do my best." Gray Eagle nodded as he slowly walked up to Shi Feng.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Rain smiled pleasantly as she watched from the stands.

"We didn't have the chance to see Black Flames true strength in the previous match. Now that Gray Eagle has stepped forward, we should get to see his limits," Phoenix Rain said, smiling as she watched a playback video of Shi Feng's prior battle.

"Miss, even in the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, Gray Eagle is an expert who ranks at the very top. He has a good chance of defeating anyone among the younger generation, other than Martial Dragon. How could he not be a match for Black Flame?" Pure Fragrance could not help her surprise when she heard Phoenix Rain's words.

Pure Fragrance believed that Phoenix Rain overestimated Shi Feng's strength.

She had not been paying attention, so she had not seen the moment when Shi Feng had drawn his sword. However, after watching the battle's recording, she could tell that his attack was not so fast that it was unblockable. Only, Shi Feng's attack was crafty, suddenly changing its trajectory to target his opponent's blind spot. As a result, the Berserker was unable to react in time and received a hit to his vital point, dying.

However, Gray Eagle was different. The combat experience he possessed was several times greater compared to the other reserve members. Even if Shi Feng abruptly changed the trajectory of his attack once more, it would be no threat to Gray Eagle.

"We'll know once the battle begins."

Naturally, Phoenix Rain knew how powerful Gray Eagle was. She had initially wanted Gray Eagle to lead the battle team. If Black Flame had not succeeded in conquering the Hell Mode Ruins of the Crow God, she would not be here today.

The moment Phoenix Rain finished speaking, the countdown timer above the stone platform also ended.

"Let me see just how strong you are." Gray Eagle retrieved his two-handed saber. Suddenly, his eyes grew cold; even the surrounding temperature dropped. It seemed as if nothing could escape his frosty gaze.

Before Shi Feng could move, Gray Eagle sent his saber slashing at Shi Feng's shoulder.

Gray Eagle's attack was not fast. On the contrary, it was very slow. Even an ordinary player could react to and block the attack. It was as if Gray Eagle's attack were tempting his opponent to block it.

In addition, Gray Eagle's saber targeted a vital point. Facing this attack, one would have no choice but to either block or dodge it.

If Shi Feng did not defend against this attack, choosing to attack Gray Eagle's vital point instead, the battle would end in mutual destruction.

One could say that this was a suicidal blow.

At this moment, those who were familiar with Gray Eagle laughed. They all knew that Gray Eagle was not trying to pit his life against his opponent's. Rather, he was using this attack to probe for his opponent's weaknesses.

Normally, experts rarely had any weak points when they were on guard. However, the instant they launched an attack, they would reveal their greatest weak point. Hence, Gray Eagle tempted Shi Feng to expose his weak point of his own accord. Then, he would strike. Although Gray Eagle would also reveal his weak point, with his superior insight and abundant combat experience, he could easily suppress his opponent.

In other words, Gray Eagle lured Shi Feng to fight within his comfort zone. Due to this ability, many top-tier experts in the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion were helpless against Gray Eagle.

"Going all-in?" Shi Feng laughed. "You'll regret it."

In the next moment, Shi Feng recklessly dove forward, towards Gray Eagle's purple-black saber. He did not even bother using his sword to block the oncoming weapon.

Has he gone mad?! Gray Eagle was dumbfounded as he watched Shi Feng's insane behavior. Does he think I'll show mercy? Or does he think he can avoid my saber at the last moment?

Gray Eagle was very experienced in combat. Seeing as Shi Feng was not a lunatic, the only possibility for such reckless behavior was that Shi Feng believed he could evade his attack at the very last moment and take the opportunity to strike at his weak point.

You underestimate me.

Gray Eagle's expression chilled further as he used more of his arms' strength. Suddenly, the speed of his saber increased. At such a close distance, it was simply impossible for anyone to avoid this attack.

Immediately after, Gray Eagle's saber passed through Shi Feng's body.

"This is...?!" Gray Eagle was dumbfounded as he saw his saber cut across Shi Feng's face, discovering that his weapon only struck an afterimage.

"What's going on here?" Pure Fragrance gaped at this scene. No matter how she looked at it, Gray Eagle's saber should have struck Shi Feng. Yet, for some unknown reason, despite a short distance of one meter between the Berserker and Swordsman, the 1.3-meter-long two-handed saber had failed to reach its target.

Sitting beside Pure Fragrance, Phoenix Rain squinted her eyes at this scene. With a heavy expression, she said, "Treating retreat as advance. I didn't imagine that Black Flame had already reached such a realm."

"Treating retreat as an advance? How does he know that?" Pure Fragrance was shocked when she heard her superior's comment.

Treating retreat as an advance was an attack technique. Against this technique, one would notice their opponent rush towards them, while in reality, their opponent was retreating. In actual combat, one would discover that they could not make contact with their opponent's body despite their opponent remaining right in front of them. It was as if they were haunted by a ghost, and they could not get rid of this ghost no matter what they did. This was a technique that could mentally exhaust the other party.

Treating retreat as an advance was Martial Dragon's specialty. However, the reason Martial Dragon could use such a technique was his Domain. He was only capable of using such a combat technique due to his absolute control over his surroundings.

Could he have learned it after his fight with Martial Dragon? How can that be?! Thinking up to this point, Pure Fragrance felt a chill crawl down her spine.

Following which, Gray Eagle brandished his sword over a dozen times at Shi Feng. Every attack was swift and precise. Ordinary players could not defend against these attacks at all. Yet, no matter how hard the Berserker swung his saber, his weapon never struck the Swordsman before him. His attacks would always be off by a small thread. However, he could not stop his desperate and suicidal attacks. With such a short distance between them, if Shi Feng attacked, he would not have enough time to react.

No wonder the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's men were so confident when Gray Eagle stepped up. He's an expert who has entered the Refinement Realm. If I had not gained some enlightenment from the Darkness Shrine, fighting him would have really been troublesome. At this moment, Shi Feng already had a general grasp of Gray Eagle's standard. Time to end things. 

Chapter 633 - Capturing a Demonic Beast

Shi Feng suddenly disappeared.

Is this the rumored Void Steps?

Gray Eagle was surprised. He had, more or less, watched the videos of Shi Feng using his specialty move, Void Steps. Only, he had not imagined that a live human being could actually disappear right before his eyes. Not even his acute five senses could find any trace of Shi Feng's presence.

However, Void Steps weakness was also blatantly obvious.

And that was the instant when Shi Feng attacked. Facing a fatal strike, the brain would not ignore such vital information. However, it was also very difficult to block such an attack as the distance between them was simply too short.

The most common method to counter Void Steps was to adapt to it gradually, allowing one's brain to stop ignoring the transmission of information. That way, Shi Feng's Void Steps would be rendered useless. However, it was extremely difficult to achieve this. It was like trying to remember the faces of the hundreds of pedestrians one walked by every day.

Remembering the faces of a few people was already a difficult feat, as the brain would automatically ignore the majority of such information. Hence, it was extremely difficult to unravel Shi Feng's Void Steps.

However, you still underestimate me.

Gray Eagle grinned as he shifted the trajectory of his saber, swinging the weapon towards a vacant location.

Dang!

Sparks scattered as the sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the amphitheater. Suddenly, Shi Feng appeared above the stone platform.

Sure enough, he can grasp my general location.

Shi Feng was not at all surprised by Gray Eagle's performance. After all, the Berserker had already entered the Refinement Realm. Gray Eagle's observational skills should be exceptional. Even with a lack of information, Gray Eagle should be able to grasp his general location.

It was like his fight with Martial Dragon. With his Domain, Martial Dragon was capable of processing all information within his Domain without missing even the tiniest of detail. If Martial Dragon concentrated on observing his surroundings, he could render Void Steps utterly useless.

Unfortunately, you only have a single weapon, whereas I have two.

Shi Feng increased the force he exerted with the Abyssal Blade, pinning down Gray Eagle's two-handed saber. Meanwhile, Purgatory's Shadow, which he wielded with his other hand, completed a perfect arc as it slid through Gray Eagle's heart, leaving behind small and unnoticeable seam.

"Damn it..."

Gray Eagle clutched at his heart as he fell to the stone floor of the platform, reluctance filling his eyes as he died.

Gray Eagle's defeat stunned the venue into silence.

Although this match had appeared uneventful, most battles between experts were like this. Tiny differences usually decided the outcome of these battles.

"What a pity. If Gray Eagle could use two weapons as well, Black Flame would not have won so easily." Pure Fragrance sighed. No matter what anyone said or did, Gray Eagle was a part of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. The fact that Gray Eagle was defeated so easily was not a good thing for the Pavilion's reputation.

"Would two weapons really solve the problem?" Phoenix Rain wore a complex expression as she watched Shi Feng. "He really is a hateful person."

Gray Eagle was a Berserker, a class that was known for its Strength. The class's Strength growth was the highest of any class, yet Shi Feng had suppressed Gray Eagle with a single hand. This was enough to show just how high Shi Feng's Strength Attribute was.

With such an advantage, Shi Feng could easily decide the outcome the moment the battle began. Still, Shi Feng had chosen to waste so much time with Gray Eagle.

Why?

There could only be one explanation; he wanted to determine Gray Eagle's strength.

Originally, Phoenix Rain had thought to use Gray Eagle to uncover the depths of Shi Feng's strength. However, not only had they failed to do so, but they had also allowed Shi Feng to study them in turn.

Following which, Shi Feng proceeded with testing the remaining 18 reserve members and sure enough, not a single one passed. Shi Feng finished off everyone with a single hit.

"Miss Phoenix, I'm sorry to say this, but none of these people passed. It seems that I can only recruit members on my own," Shi Feng said, smiling at Phoenix Rain.

Hearing Shi Feng's declaration, the reserve members instantly paled.

Shi Feng had extinguished their previous arrogance and confidence. They could not even bring themselves to muster a retort.

"If none of them passed, it can't be helped. I still have to deal with some procedures regarding the participation rights. As for the battle team members, I'll leave it to Guild Leader Black Flame." Phoenix Rain inwardly rolled her eyes at Shi Feng. It was obvious that Shi Feng had no intentions of letting her subordinates join the battle team.

Finished speaking, Phoenix Rain left the Divine Colosseum with her group.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng hailed a horse carriage and hurried towards White River City's Teleportation Hall.

"Phoenix Rain can't be underestimated. She was actually able to recruit three Refinement Realm experts. It seems that I'll have to hasten Fire Dance and the others' training." Shi Feng had a clear understanding of his companions' strength.

If not for his intention to widen the Guild's core members' horizons in the Dark Arena, Phoenix Rain's top three reserve members definitely qualified to become official members. After all, Refinement Realm experts were rare in God's Domain. A battle team with three of such experts could definitely rank in the middle among all battle teams participating in the Dark Arena. This was also why Phoenix Rain believed that the battle team had the chance to rank within the top 100.

Of course, that was not to say that Fire Dance and the others were weaker than Gray Eagle's group.

A player's combat power could not be determined by combat techniques alone. Attributes and Skills also made up a rather large ratio.

Upon arriving at the Teleportation Hall, Shi Feng quickly discovered Fire Dance and the others, who had been waiting for him for quite some time.

"Guild Leader, we brought what you asked for. However, haven't we bought a few too many?" Aqua Rose asked, feeling a slight sting to her heart.

Hunting Scrolls and Storage Space Scrolls were already very expensive. A single Hunting Scroll cost 3 Gold, 50 Silver, whereas a Storage Space Scroll cost a full 5 Gold.

If they only needed to purchase a few, Aqua Rose would not have minded. After all, the Guild's member count had increased significantly in recent days. The money a 2-star Guild could earn through Guild Quests was quite significant as well. In addition, they also had the profits from the Candlelight Trading Firm. Hence, spending 100 or 200 Gold wouldn't be an issue.

However, Shi Feng had requested 100 Hunting Scrolls and 50 Storage Space Scrolls. Furthermore, hunting required other items as well. In total, they had spent more than 800 Gold to prepare for this hunting trip. Not even a Bronze Mount cost that much.

"You'll understand when the time comes. This amount is nothing considerable." Shi Feng laughed.

In the past, to obtain a slightly better Guild Mount, various large Guilds had spent astronomical sums of money. In comparison, they had only spent around 800 Gold.

Aqua Rose grew frustrated by Shi Feng's response. Fortunately, Zero Wing still had the Candlelight Trading Firm to support it. Otherwise, this hunting trip would have punched a huge hole in the Guild's finances.

"Let's head to the Great Forest of Soria." Saying so, Shi Feng approached the Teleportation Magic Array.

Upon discovering their destination, everyone involuntarily trembled.

The Great Forest of Soria... Anyone who researched high-level maps knew that the Great Forest of Soria was a Level 50 map. To current players, it was a death trap.

Furthermore, the Great Forest of Soria was different from ordinary leveling maps; it was a forbidden land for the human race! 

Chapter 634 - Starfall City

Very quickly, Shi Feng paid the party's teleportation fees. Each person cost 80 Silver for a total of 4 Gold, 80 Silver for the whole party. An ordinary party could not afford to spend that much money even if they bankrupted themselves.

The Great Forest of Soria was a neutral area situated between the Black Dragon Empire and the Star-Moon Kingdom.

Current players were not nearly strong enough to survive the area.

Players also knew the Great Forest of Soria as the Forest of Death. It was a Level 50 to Level 70 leveling map, and it was three to four times larger than ordinary leveling maps of the same Level. However, the map's high level wasn't the greatest threat. The reason behind the 'Forest of Death' nickname was the utter lack of fortresses or safe gathering locations for humans. Instead, the map was a haven for Demonic Beasts and Half-orcs.

The Great Forest of Soria was a kingdom of Half-orcs, and it posed a great threat to players as the Half-orc race was highly prejudiced against outsiders. Players could encounter the Half-orc patrol squads at any time inside the Great Forest. Not only were these patrol squads extremely powerful, but they would also call for their other companions to ambush players. Hence, survival within the Great Forest was, to say the least, challenging.

Through the teleportation array, Shi Feng's party quickly arrived at Starfall City, a city near Star-Moon Kingdom's border.

Starfall City was the second largest city in Star-Moon Kingdom's northern region.

Although the city was near the kingdom's border, it was the most prosperous of all the cities in the northern region. Starfall City was of similar rank to White River City. Only, the city had a few more Tier 4 NPCs guarding it than White River City. There were a total of seven Tier 4 NPCs. The city's defensive power greatly surpassed White River City and was only weaker than Star-Moon City.

"This place is impressive!" Blackie could not help his shock when he saw the busy street.

There were a lot of NPC guards patrolling the streets, at least twice that of White River City. Other than the NPC guards, there were also plenty of Merchants roaming about. One could also see many horse carriages carrying cargo coming and going.

Moreover, these Merchants were not limited to NPCs. There were also plenty of player Merchants. These player Merchants similarly rode horse carriages around the city. There were also plenty of player Merchants who had parked their carriages in one place and hawked and bought various items.

"What are they doing?

Cola noticed that these player Merchants were frantically purchasing various materials and equipment from other players. There were even some who purchased common items from NPC Merchants. Moreover, these player Merchants purchased these common items in large quantities, costing up to dozens, or even more than a hundred, Gold. Such an amount would be enough to fund a small Guild for a relatively long time.

None of White River City's players would be so insane as to purchase so many common items from NPC Merchants.

"Those people are reselling goods and making a profit through the price differences," Shi Feng explained.

"Making a profit through the price differences?" Blackie was confused. "But the NPCs' prices are the same throughout Star-Moon Kingdom. Only some unique items can be resold for a profit. Even so, there aren't usually many of those items available for sale, and normally, when the NPCs restock, large Guilds usually buy everything, keeping them for their own use. Who are they planning to sell these common items to?"

"To players, of course," Shi Feng said, laughing. "Although NPCs' common items in Star-Moon Kingdom have uniform prices, the prices may be different in other kingdoms and empires. Some items sold in Star-Moon Kingdom might be more expensive in the Black Dragon Empire, while some items might be cheaper. Meanwhile, these people are trying to make a profit through the difference in prices."

"Then, aren't there teleportation arrays? Wouldn't it be easier just to deliver their products using teleportation arrays?" Blackie asked curiously. "Why must they use horse carriages?"

"Very simple. The transportation fees would be too high if they used the teleportation arrays. Moreover, only the capital city has an array that enables teleportation between other kingdoms and empires, and each teleportation would cost more than 1 Gold. Their profit margin is not high. Moreover, a player can't carry enough items. They might even incur losses if they used teleportation arrays to conduct their trades.

"Meanwhile, a horse carriage can carry more than a dozen times that of players. Some good horse carriages can even carry up to twenty or thirty times. Although one may waste some time and encounter some dangers if they travel to the Black Dragon Empire via a horse carriage, in general, they can earn a lot of money with a single trip. These player Merchants earn even more money than our Guild's elite players."

Shi Feng had some knowledge regarding the Merchant subclass. In the past, his Guild had frequently organized Caravans to conduct cross-border trade, earning significant funds for the Guild. Meanwhile, Starfall City offered a natural advantage for cross-border trade. This was also why many Merchants throughout Star-Moon Kingdom specifically traveled all the way to Starfall City to develop themselves.

Everyone came to a realization upon hearing Shi Feng's explanation. They had never imagined that the cross-border trade was such a profitable business.

The wages Zero Wing offered were among the highest of all Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom. The money its elite members earned each day was several times more than the elite members of other Guilds. The money they earned could even rival that of ordinary experts.

Yet, these Merchant players actually made more money than Zero Wing's elite members. In other words, these Merchant players made more money than even the ordinary experts in God's Domain.

"Alright, split up and look for any Caravans that are about to depart," Shi Feng ordered.

There was a great distance between Starfall City and the Great Forest of Soria. If a player relied on their own two feet to travel, it would take over ten hours to reach the Great Forest. If Shi Feng were traveling alone, he could simply teleport to the Great Forest with the aid of the Seven Luminaries Ring, saving him a lot of hassle. Unfortunately, none of his other party members possessed the Seven Luminaries Ring. Hence, they would have no choice but to travel to the Great Forest on foot.

Meanwhile, if a Caravan were about to embark from Starfall City to the Black Dragon Empire, they would have to pass through the outermost region of the Great Forest of Soria.

If one traveled via horse carriage, the journey to the Great Forest would only take three or four hours. It was much faster than even Common Mounts.

However, the road to the Black Dragon Empire was not easy for a Caravan. A Caravan normally required an escort of guards. Meanwhile, powerful players would often accept such Escort Quests as they were extremely profitable. The money one could earn from these quests was several times higher than ordinary high-level quests. Only, one would have to invest a lot of time to complete the quest.

A dozen minutes or so later, Aqua Rose located a Caravan that was about to depart for the Black Dragon Empire.

This Caravan was not particularly large. In total, there were only a dozen or so horse carriages. Moreover, it was a Caravan that consisted entirely of players. It was far less safe than NPC Caravans.

After leaving the city, Caravans could encounter all sorts of trouble such as monster attacks and player robberies. In the past, Shi Feng had even tragically been mugged by a Tier 4 Sword Emperor NPC.

Meanwhile, in an NPC-organized Caravan, there would usually be some NPC guards escorting the Caravan. Ordinary players would not dare consider robbing such Caravans; monsters offered the greatest danger these Caravans. Player-organized Caravans, on the other hand, were often the targets of players who had joined the dark forces.

Of course, with risk comes opportunity. If player Merchants joined an NPC-organized Caravan, their profits would decrease sharply. The maximum amount of money they could earn from a single trade was only one-third of the money they could make if they joined a player-organized Caravan. Of course, even this was still a significant amount of money to an ordinary player.

In other words, a player-organized Caravan's profits were three times that of an NPC-organized Caravan. Naturally, courageous or strong players would take this risk.

"Our Red Rain Caravan is not some weak Caravan. We don't welcome weaklings here. Not to mention, you guys are only planning to join us to the Great Forest of Soria. You will occupy our guard slots for nothing." A female Ranger with a charming and flirtatious look sneered. This female Ranger had black, shoulder-length hair and wore a black-and-red tight-fitting leather jacket. 

Chapter 635 - Rainless Sword

Just as the female Ranger had said, the Red Rain Caravan's strength could not be underestimated.

Although the Red Rain Caravan was slightly weaker than the other Caravans that consisted of over 30 horse carriages, their horse carriages were of higher quality. Two horses pulled the Red Rain Caravan's carriages, unlike the normal horse carriages that other Caravans used, which were only pulled by one horse. Not only were the Red Rain Caravan's carriages faster, but they could also hold considerably more cargo, with each carriage holding up to 24 times that of an ordinary player's bag space. Moreover, due to the horse carriages being of a higher rank, they could hire two more guards than ordinary carriages.

Forming such a powerful Caravan at this stage of the game displayed the great capability of this player group.

"Guild Leader, although there are several other Caravans that are about to leave we'll have to wait for another three to four hours for them to resupply before they set out. However, this Caravan doesn't want guards that will quit halfway through the journey," Aqua Rose reported.

Although there were many Caravans in Starfall City, that did not mean that a Caravan was available to set off at any time.

"It's their loss for not picking powerful guards like us," Cola snorted. He had just replaced his old shield with the Divine Bluefire Shield, his strength increasing significantly, so he felt somewhat irritated by the fact that the Red Rain Caravan had ignored him.

Shi Feng swept a glance over the Red Rain Caravan that was recruiting guards some distance away.

The Red Rain Caravan consisted of a total of 16 Bronze Carriages, each holding a maximum of five people. That was two more than Common Carriages; in other words, the Red Rain Caravan could carry a total of 80 people. After including the Caravan's Merchants, they could recruit up to a maximum of 50 guards. If the Caravan allowed Shi Feng's party of six to take up one-eighth of the remaining slots, it would greatly strengthen the Caravan.

Currently, Shi Feng's group wore Black Cloaks to hide their identities. Outsiders could not discern their appearances at all, not to mention their Guild.

With Zero Wing's influence in Star-Moon Kingdom, the Red Rain Caravan would definitely show some deference and allow their party to join.

However, Shi Feng did not wish to expose their tracks.

Every large Guild had their own investigation team that was responsible for collecting information on and tracking the important members of other large Guilds, taking the opportunity to investigate their movements or seek opportunities to assassinate these members.

Everyone in Star-Moon Kingdom knew of Zero Wing. Naturally, their actions would attract the attention of many parties. Not to mention, Zero Wing had plenty of enemies. If someone discovered their tracks, some of these enemies might go out of their way to deal with them.

Although Shi Feng was not afraid of his enemies, he did not wish to risk exposing the location of a rare Guild Mount and the method of capturing it; that would be a huge loss for him. Therefore, Shi Feng had everyone in his party hide their identities.

"I'll negotiate with them." Shi Feng shook his head and smiled. He then walked towards the lead female Ranger.

"Why are you here again? Haven't I said that our guard slots are precious and that we can't afford to hire people that will quit halfway through the trip?" the female Ranger named Red Rain said.

"We don't want any remunerations. I'll even give you 1 Gold as a traveling expense. How about it?" Shi Feng took out a shining Gold Coin from his bag.

Although the Red Rain Caravan transported a lot of goods, they could not earn much. To the Caravan, 1 Gold was a significant amount of money.

Hearing Shi Feng's offer, Red Rain hesitated.

"Although the Great Forest of Soria is only halfway, most of the dangers on the way to the Empire come from the Great Forest itself. As long as you get through the Great Forest, you shouldn't encounter any problems on the remaining journey. We'll part ways only after we exit the Great Forest, how about that?" Shi Feng offered another suggestion.

"This..." Red Rain was clearly tempted.

Indeed, just as Shi Feng had stated, the truly dangerous area from Starfall City to the Black Dragon Empire was the Great Forest of Soria. The Great Forest was the best place for players to set up an ambush. At the same time, the Great Forest was also where Caravans would most likely encounter monster attacks. As long as they passed through the Great Forest, their trip to the Black Dragon Empire could basically be considered a success.

"Sis, just agree to their offer. Our Red Rain Caravan is famous in Starfall City. Those bandit players normally take the long way around to avoid us. What's wrong with earning a little more money?" a Level 29 Swordsman youth asked. "Even if we encounter some trouble on the second half of the journey, doesn't the Caravan still have me?"

While the Swordsman youth was speaking, Shi Feng activated Omniscient Eyes to size up the young man.

The Swordsman's name was displayed as Rainless Path. The majority of his equipment was Level 25 Fine-Gold rank with a few pieces of Level 30 Secret-Silver Equipment. There was even a piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment.

Rainless Path? When Shi Feng saw this name, he suddenly recalled something about this Swordsman.

In the past, Rainless Path had been a famous Swordsman in Star-Moon Kingdom. At his peak, he had ranked within the top 30 Swordsmen in Star-Moon Kingdom. Back then, he had also been known as Rainless Sword. His name had shaken the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. Unfortunately, his growth had been limited by the fact that he was an independent player. For an independent player like Rainless Path to place within the top 30 of the kingdom's Swordsmen was an amazing feat.

"Alright, then. I accept your offer. However, we have to make a contract first," Red Rain sighed as she conceded. She thought that she was behaving too conservatively. After all, the Red Rain Caravan was a well-known Caravan in Starfall City. Bandit players normally would not try to make an enemy of their Caravan. Even in the off chance that someone did try to rob them, they still had an expert like Rainless Path.

"Okay." Shi Feng did not object to signing a contract. With a contract, both sides could feel at ease.

Afterward, Shi Feng and his party entered into a contract with the Red Rain Caravan. The contract required Shi Feng's party to pay a remuneration of 1 Gold to the Red Rain Caravan. In return, the Red Rain Caravan would transport his party to the Great Forest of Soria. The two groups would part ways once they exited the Great Forest.

After another dozen or so minutes, the Red Rain Caravan recruited enough players to fill the remaining guard spots. Shortly after, the Caravan departed from Starfall City.

The Bronze Carriages were very fast. Moving along the highway, it took only two hours for the Red Rain Caravan to reach the Great Forest of Soria.

Level 50 monsters roamed the Great Forest's outermost region. However, due to the Star-Moon Kingdom and the Black Dragon Empire armies often clearing the monsters around the highway, the Great Forest's monsters did not dare approach the highway casually. This allowed players to organize their own Caravans to travel between these two countries.

Moreover, with the current level of players, as long as they possessed some equipment that had the Ignore Levels Attribute and the Protection Skills unique to Caravans, even a player Caravan could pose a certain degree of threat to Level 50 monsters. As long as there were not too many monsters, a player Caravan could even kill off the Level 50 monsters.

Only, during transport, the players in a Caravan would not get any loot or EXP from the monsters they killed. Hence, players were unable to take advantage of the Caravan's strength to grind for EXP and items. Moreover, the Carriages could only travel on commercial roads; they could not travel to other locations. Otherwise, players would not need to purchase Mounts.

---

Shortly after the Red Rain Caravan entered the Great Forest of Soria, a thinly-built Ranger hiding in a towering tree noticed the Caravan. This Ranger then activated Eagle Eyes and carefully observed his target.

"Boss, another Caravan has arrived," the Ranger said through the team chat.

"Which Caravan is it?" a rough and barbaric voice came from the other side.

"Looking at the symbol, it seems to be the Red Rain Caravan," the thinly-built Ranger said, licking his lips.

"Red Rain Caravan. Excellent. I'll show that slut, Red Rain, that struggling is useless, even if she has Rainless Path. Send me their coordinates. Today, the Thousand Mile killers will take this opportunity to lay our hands on the Red Rain Caravan for never paying tolls!"

The thinly-built Ranger immediately sent the Red Rain Caravan's coordinates to his boss.

"Hahaha! We're going to make a fortune! I heard that the Red Rain Caravan is as rich as an oil baron! The Caravan has even given Rainless Path a Dark-Gold Weapon. Their riches will be ours, the Thousand Mile Killers!" The thinly-built Ranger drooled as he watched the Bronze Carriages of the Red Rain Caravan. 

Chapter 636 - Dark Guild

The Red Rain Caravan did not have an easy journey through the Great Forest of Soria.

They oftentimes encountered attacks from one or two Level 50 Wind Leopards, forcing the Caravan to halt their advance and face these Demonic Beasts.

[Wind Leopard] (Demonic Beast, Common Rank)

Level 50

HP 50,000/50,000

Although the Wind Leopard was only a Common monster and its HP was very low, its speed and damage could rival even that of a Level 30 Chieftain. Ordinary players would not survive more than three hits from this monster.

If an ordinary player encountered a Wind Leopard, only death awaited them. They would not even have a chance to escape.

However, when a Caravan was in the process of delivering goods, it gained Special Skills. There was no need for players to risk their lives to defend their cargo. They could deal significant damage to these monsters just by relying on the Bronze Carriages' Attack Skills. The Bronze Carriages could also enhance players' Attributes within a certain range. A Level 30 player could receive such a massive buff that it gave them the Attributes of a Level 40 player. Hence, as long as a player was somewhat skilled, it was not entirely impossible for them to defeat Level 50 monsters.

Before Shi Feng's party even descended from their Carriages, Rainless Path was already charging towards the two Wind Leopards. And before the two Wind Leopards could react, Rainless Path activated Chop and dealt three damages of over -1,000 points to one of the Demonic Beasts.

"Aoo!"

The injured Wind Leopard released an angry howl. It then pounced at Rainless Path, brandishing its sharp claws at the Swordsman. At the same time, the other Wind Leopard darted towards Rainless Path with its fangs bared.

However, before the two Wind Leopards could touch Rainless Path, the six frontmost Bronze Carriages each fired a blue beam at the two monsters. The beams were extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, they struck the Wind Leopards, knocking them back. Each beam dealt -3,000 damage and severely injured the two monsters.

Rainless Path circled to the Wind Leopards' backs, aiming Earth Splitter at their hind legs. The keen edge of a Dark-Gold longsword was extraordinary. Immediately, Rainless Path's weapon sliced through the Leopards' thick hide, damaging the tendons and greatly reducing the monsters' mobility.

Following which, the other Bronze Carriages fired beams as well, and in a short moment, the two Wind Leopards were dead. Meanwhile, Rainless Path had even not received a single point of damage. The coordination between player and Carriages was perfect. Shi Feng and the other guards had no chance to display their skill at all.

Sheathing his longsword, Rainless Path leaped back onto his Carriage and said, "Let's go."

This scene shocked many of the Caravan's guards. Rainless Path was able to defeat two Level 50 Wind Leopards without suffering any damage. In all of Starfall City, very few were capable of such a feat.

"As expected of Red Rain Caravan's Rainless Path, it seems that the only thing we'll do on this trip is fill our pockets with money," many of the guard players said in celebration.

Although the remuneration and EXP for a Caravan's Escort Quest were abundant, the quest itself was not an easy one. One would encounter many life-threatening dangers on the road. Hence, not many players in Starfall City were willing to accept an Escort Quest. However, it was a different story if the Escort Quest was for a powerful Caravan. In such cases, taking on the quest would be the equivalent of free money and EXP.

If he already has such precise physical control now, chances are that, among those in the Guild, only Fire Dance and Violet Cloud can defeat him. It's no wonder why he was able to make a name for himself in Star-Moon Kingdom despite being an independent player. Shi Feng was able to gage Rainless Path's combat standards during his previous battle. The current Rainless Path was many times stronger than Shi Feng when he had first logged into God's Domain in this life.

---

At a stone bridge in the Great Forest of Soria's outer region, multiple Level 27 and higher players hid in the surrounding forest.

At such a distance, ordinary players traveling the road could easily discover these players. However, they had used Isolation Scrolls. Although they were not invisible, the scrolls blurred their bodies, making it very difficult to notice them by sight alone while they hid in the forest.

The person leading this team was a Level 29 Berserker wearing black scale armor and wielding a silver greatsword. Watching the quickly approaching Caravan, he sneered as he said, "They're finally here. Get into position."

Upon receiving this man's command, every team member took out an earthy-yellow magic scroll from their bags.

The moment the Red Rain Caravan's Carriages entered their encirclement, the leading Berserker shouted.

"Go!"

The members of Thousand Mile Killers immediately activated the yellow magic scrolls. In the next moment, thick walls rose from the road, sealing off the path ahead and behind the Red Rain Caravan, preventing the Carriages from advancing or retreating.

The ambush took the Red Rain Caravan's players by surprise.

Before anyone could react, nearly one hundred players burst from the forest on both sides of the road.

Normally, when attempting to plunder a Caravan, one could not have too many players because if too many players joined the fight, the Caravan's Special Skills would grow stronger, making the Caravan far more difficult to deal with. When attacking a Caravan consisting of a dozen or so Carriages, a small army of one hundred players offered the best results.

"Thousand Mile Bear!" Red Rain's expression sank, her beautiful eyes glaring at the Berserker amidst the crowd. "We have never interfered with each other's business. What is the meaning of this?"

The Thousand Mile Killers was a Red Name Team that had already plundered countless Caravans; Thousand Mile Bear was their leader.

However, the Thousand Mile Killers had never attempted to rob Starfall City's famous Caravans. Hence, the various famous Caravans had never bothered to join hands to deal with the Thousand Mile Killers.

Red Rain had never thought that Thousand Mile Bear would break the unwritten rule after all this time and target their Red Rain Caravan.

"Red Rain, do you really think that I don't normally target you guys because I am afraid of you?" Thousand Mile Bear grinned. Coldly, he said, "Hand over one piece of Dark-Gold Equipment and five pieces of Fine-Gold Equipment. Oh, and leave your Carriages behind. Otherwise, none of you will leave here alive."

"Thousand Mile Bear, do you think that our Red Rain Caravan is that easy to bully? If you're strong enough, take it yourself!" Red Rain unslung the dark blue longbow from her back and fired multiple arrows consecutively at the Level 29 Berserker.

Although an arrow was not as powerful as a Spell, it was much faster.

Rainless Path also unsheathed his longsword and swiftly charged towards Thousand Mile Bear.

In order to round up bandits, one must first catch their ringleader. If Thousand Mile Bear died, the other members of his team would fall into disarray.

"Since you don't know when to give up, don't blame me for not showing mercy." Thousand Mile Bear swung his greatsword, deflecting the incoming arrows. He then called out to the twelve black-robed players behind him, saying, "It's up to you guys now!"

All twelve black-robed players hid their identities. Their appearances were also indiscernible. However, all twelve radiated a bone-chilling aura.

The twelve players nodded silently before splitting up and charging towards the Caravan. They did not bother dealing with Rainless Path as a group.

"I heard that you are a Swordsman expert. I want to see just how strong you are." One of the robed players, a Swordsman, unsheathed his pair of swords as he approached Rainless Path, wearing a playful expression

The black-robed Swordsman activated Wind Blade, arriving before and brandishing his swords at Rainless Path. As if they were venomous snakes, the black-robed Swordsman's two swords struck at Rainless Path's heart and neck with deadly precision. The attacks were so fast that Rainless Path barely saw the weapons' afterimages.

"Who are you?" Rainless Path was shocked. Hurriedly, he swung his longsword to block the attack.

Throughout Starfall City, only a few players were capable of such speed and accuracy, and Rainless Path knew practically every Swordsman in the city who could achieve such a feat. However, he could not remember anyone who matched the size and aura of the black-robed Swordsman.

Dang! Dang!

Two rings of metal clashing resounded. Although Rainless Path blocked the black-robed Swordsman's attacks, he had been forced to retreat by two steps. The black-robed Swordsman was slightly stronger than Rainless Path. However, Rainless Path did not lack speed as he slashed at his opponent's Black Cloak, revealing the mysterious Swordsman's true identity.

The mysterious Swordsman was actually a severely emaciated youth. However, the youth's character ID was as crimson as a deep pool of blood. A black skull also graced the boy's silver armor, and his entire body radiated a faint bloody glow.

"What is the Dark Guild, The Million Ghosts, doing here?!" Rainless Path could not help his shock when he saw the skull-shaped Guild Emblem.

"You really are powerful. However, what do you think of this?" the Swordsman youth laughed. In the next moment, he swung his swords and sent ten sword images towards Rainless Path. All ten sword images appeared before Rainless Path's body simultaneously, making them impossible to block or dodge. 

Chapter 637 - Are The Million Ghosts Very Strong?

Facing ten sword images, even an ordinary expert would be surprised, failing to defend themselves. However, instead of moving to block the attacks, Rainless Path activated Defensive Blade and charged towards the sword images.

Rainless Path then used the Tier 1 Swordsman Skill, Five Consecutive Slashes, on the Swordsman youth.

Five Consecutive Slashes was not a particularly powerful Skill among Tier 1 Swordsman Skills. However, this Skill increased his Attack Speed more than any other in his arsenal. When executing the Skill, the user would send out a total of five slashes, with each subsequent slash receiving a 20% Attack Speed and damage increase. Hence, each subsequent slash was faster and more powerful than the prior one, making it extremely difficult to counter.

Both Rainless Path and the mysterious youth were Swordsmen, and both parties were Level 29. Although they had extraordinary Attack Power, their Defenses were average. However, in terms of Attributes, the youth was stronger. The boy had over 7,300 HP, whereas Rainless Path only had over 6,800 HP. If either Swordsman failed to defend his opponent's attack, even if they did not die instantly, they would not have much HP remaining.

Facing Rainless Path's suicidal attack, the Swordsman youth had no choice but to activate Defensive Blade.

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

After sparks scattered, both Swordsmen pulled away from each other. Though neither received any damage, their Defensive Blades had been exhausted. For a short time, neither Swordsman could use the Lifesaving Skill again.

After a series of exchanges, neither side managed to grasp an advantage over each other.

Although the Swordsman youth had the advantage in Attributes, Rainless Path's combat techniques were superior. For a time, the Swordsmen were helpless against each other.

However, the same could not be said for the battles happening elsewhere.

Arrows and Spells flew through the air. The Bronze Carriages added their own magic attacks into the mix, as well. At the rear line, the healers of both sides concentrated on keeping their allies alive. The bridge had transformed into a miniature battlefield. Players could die at any time. When the Red Rain Caravan's guards were killed by Red Names, they would lose one Level and drop two or three pieces of equipment. On the other hand, the ambushing Red Names suffered a more severe fate. When they died, not only did they lose two or three Levels, but they also dropped the majority of their equipment. There were even some Red Names who dropped every single piece of equipment they had upon death.

However, the black-robed players who had emerged were frighteningly strong. Killing the Red Rain Caravan's guards was like child's play to these players. In a short moment, these black-robed players had killed eight guards.

"How could this be?!" Red Rain suddenly felt a wave of despair.

They should not have had any problems dealing with the Thousand Mile Killers. However, these twelve powerful experts had rendered even the Red Rain Caravan powerless.

Moreover, these twelve experts were members of The Million Ghosts, a Dark Guild.

Dark Guilds were different from ordinary Guilds in that they focused on slaughtering other players. The members of Dark Guilds were all Red Names. Meanwhile, The Million Ghosts was one of the famous Dark Guilds in the Black Dragon Empire. The Dark Guild's strength could rival even that of a first-rate Guild. Only, the Guild had far fewer members than a first-rate Guild.

Red Rain had never imagined that The Million Ghosts would lay their hands on this place as well.

Rainless Path was similarly anxious. After all, as his fight against the Swordsman youth drug on, more people in the Caravan would die.

"Hahaha! From today onwards, the trade route between Star-Moon Kingdom and the Black Dragon Empire belongs to The Million Ghosts! You people from Red Rain Caravan, when you return to Starfall City, make sure to tell all the Caravans in the city that anyone who crosses this bridge will have to pay a toll! Otherwise, they will share your fate!" Thousand Mile Bear arrogantly declared as he overlooked the battling crowd.

The Red Rain Caravan's members could not help but despair at these words.

The Million Ghosts intended to use them as an example for the people of Starfall City.

"So, that's the case. However, are The Million Ghosts very strong?" Shi Feng asked, chuckling as he looked down on the Level 29 Berserker.

Dark Guilds would normally occupy some high-traffic routes, making a fortune in tolls.

However, Shi Feng had never imagined that The Million Ghosts Guild would discover the importance of trade routes and begin claiming them so quickly.

It was just like the how the Candlelight Trading Firm was charged an export fee when selling their products in other cities. If they exported products to other countries, however, the fees were much higher, charging 30% of the item's price. Hence, once players established a Shop in other countries, they normally formed their own Caravans to transport their goods, saving a lot on travel expenses.

The Candlelight Trading Firm already possessed Shops in a few cities within the Black Dragon Empire. The Trading Firm similarly had a Shop in Starfall City. However, as the level of current players was still somewhat low, Shi Feng had not planned to establish his own Caravan just yet.

Since The Million Ghosts was already eyeing trade routes, Shi Feng could not sit idle and do nothing.

"How dare you provoke The Million Ghosts!" a Level 29 black-robed Berserker charged towards Shi Feng, sending a Heavy Strike at Shi Feng's head.

In response, Shi Feng remained motionless as he allowed the Berserker's axe to descend on him.

Peng!

Before anyone knew it, Fire Dance appeared beside a black-robed Berserker and used Sneak Attack, forcing the Berserker into a Fainted state for 3 seconds. Immediately after, she used the most powerful Burst Skill an Assassin had, Absolute Strike. When her Dagger penetrated the Berserker's back, the attack threw the latter forward by ten yards.

System: Absolute Strike Completion Rate 85%, resulting in 100% of Skill's effect. Skill Proficiency +3.

-12,056!

The black-robed Berserker, who had less than 8,000 HP, dropped like a stone.

As the Berserker slammed heavily into the ground, he dropped three pieces of equipment.

Since the Berserker was a member of a Dark Guild, even though he was a Red Name and his name was nearly black, his punishment from the system would not be too severe. Only, he would drop slightly more items than an ordinary player. As for his lost levels, he would only lose one level like everyone else.

However, the black-robed Berserker's death immediately silenced the battlefield. Everyone's attention shifted towards Fire Dance, who currently wore a Black Cloak that blurred her appearance.

"Who are you?" Thousand Mile Bear asked, his expression turning grave as he stared at Shi Feng.

The twelve experts The Million Ghosts had sent were all core members of the Dark Guild. Every one of them was extremely powerful. Meanwhile, the Berserker that Fire Dance had killed ranked fifth out of the twelve experts. If such a person died from a single hit, even an idiot could tell that Shi Feng's group was not ordinary.

Red Rain, who had begun to despair, also stared at Shi Feng's party in disbelief.

So strong! Rainless Path could not help but shiver when he recalled Fire Dance killing the black-robed Berserker instantly. When he placed himself in the Berserker's shoes, he felt that he would not have even had time to activate Defensive Blade, dying instantly. With such strength, Fire Dance could definitely rank at the very top of Starfall City. She was not someone that he could hope to contend with.

At this moment, Shi Feng waved his hand and said, "Get rid of them! Teach The Million Ghosts that there are some things that they are not allowed to touch!"

Fire Dance and the others nodded as they dashed towards The Million Ghosts' experts.

Although there was not much of a level difference between them, in terms of equipment, Fire Dance and the others were leaps and bounds above The Million Ghosts' experts. Not to mention the Dark Guild's core members, even The Million Ghosts Guild Leader would not have equipment that could compare with a Tier 1 Set Equipment.

Cola charged at a Level 29 black-robed Assassin and used Divine Shield Strike. The Divine Bluefire Shield transformed into a blue meteor that struck the Assassin and dealt -2,748 damage. In response, the Assassin hurriedly spun to Cola's back and used Backstab on the Guardian Knight. However, shifting his feet slightly, Cola easily blocked the attack with the Bluefire Shield, receiving no damage. Immediately after, Cola followed up with a Hammer of Sanctions and Punishment, finishing off the black-robed Assassin. The entire battle was over in a flash.

If even an MT like Cola could defeat his opponent so swiftly, there was no need to mention the rest of Shi Feng's party.

With a wave of her staff, Aqua Rose cast Flame Explosion and finished off one of the bandits instantly. As for Fire Dance, she activated Wind Steps, and like Death's scythe, she harvested her enemy's head easily.

After a short moment, only a few of the Thousand Mile Killers remained. As for The Million Ghosts members, only four of the black-robed experts still stood.

Nobody would have thought that a party of players could actually render these Red Name experts utterly powerless.

"You guys are digging your own graves!" Thousand Mile Bear's eyes bulged from his anger. "The Million Ghosts will not let you off the hook! We're retreating!"

Saying so, Thousand Mile Bear turned and fled.

However, activating Silent Steps, Shi Feng immediately appeared behind Thousand Mile Bear and sent a Chop at the Berserker. Shi Feng's sword drawing speed was astonishing, and all everyone saw was a silver flash.

In the next moment, Thousand Mile Bear's body fell to the ground. The Berserker could not believe that someone could actually execute such a fast attack. It was so fast that he had no chance to react. The only thing he could do was watch as his HP descend until it reached zero. 

Chapter 638 - Forming a Caravan

Thousand Mile Bear's instant death stupefied The Million Ghosts members who had been fleeing for their lives.

Shi Feng was simply too fast.

They had only heard Thousand Mile Bear finish his words, and in the next moment, his body hit the ground. And before anyone had noticed, Shi Feng stood beside Thousand Mile Bear like the God of Death.

Monster!

This thought immediately possessed the minds of the Million Ghosts members. They finally understood why Shi Feng looked down on The Million Ghosts.

With such strength, not even the Big Three in their Guild would be his match.

Both Red Rain and Rainless Path stared in shock at Shi Feng quietly standing in the distance. They were very familiar with Thousand Mile Bear's strength. Even if they worked together, they would need to expend a lot of effort to defeat him. Thousand Mile Bear might even escape. However, as if he stepped on an ant, Shi Feng only needed an instant to kill the Berserker.

They could no longer fathom just how strong Shi Feng was.

And here I thought that his companions were strong enough. I never imagined that the man himself would be even stronger. Thank goodness I accepted his request. Red Rain was somewhat afraid as she thought back to how she had taken a Gold Coin from Shi Feng. Fortunately, she had not offended Shi Feng with her words or actions. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

So that's what a real expert looks like. An indescribable excitement rose in Rainless Path's heart when he recalled Shi Feng's attack, which had been as quick as lightning.

In Starfall City, he was already considered one of the city's peak experts. There were not many worthy opponents for him in the city. However, upon seeing Shi Feng's stunning performance, he finally understood what a real expert was.

A real expert was someone who could exert their body and techniques to their limits, someone who could utilize their strength with maximum efficiency, and someone who was more than just slightly stronger than an ordinary player.

After Thousand Mile Bear died, Fire Dance and the others swiftly dispatched the remaining The Million Ghosts members and collected some excellent equipment.

Although these Level 25 Dark-Gold and Fine-Gold items were of no use to Fire Dance and the others, there were a bunch of people in the Guild who would fight over for them. Hence, the party silently pocketed the equipment, not bothering to leave any for the Red Rain Caravan.

"Many thanks for Big Brother Expert's help. Without you taking action, our Red Rain Caravan would have been obliterated." Red Rain repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Shi Feng. Although Shi Feng hid his name, from the vague appearance Red Rain saw beyond the cloak, she could tell that Shi Feng was not a child. Hence, she referred to Shi Feng as "Big Brother Expert."

"There is no need to thank me. I am only doing my job as a guard." Shi Feng waved his hand. He then shifted his eyes to The Million Ghosts' corpses, commenting softly, "A Dark Guild is already targeting this trade route. In the future, any Caravans that pass through here will have to pay a toll. I wonder what plans Miss Red has for the future?"

Compared to ordinary Guilds, Dark Guilds were far more overbearing. They would not give up a potential source of income just because of one failure. They would mobilize their forces, attacking again and again like a pack of hungry wolves. They would not give up before achieving their goals. After all, Dark Guilds had significantly fewer sources of income than ordinary Guilds. In order to develop themselves, it was a necessity to resort to such desperate actions.

Moreover, as players' levels increased, trade routes would become increasingly prosperous. One could collect astronomical tolls. Moreover, it was a costless business. If a Dark Guild managed to take control of multiple important trade routes, its income would most likely exceed even the Candlelight Trading Firm's, which was why it was impossible for The Million Ghosts to give up on the trade routes.

For a Caravan of independent players like the Red Rain Caravan, there was no safety to speak of. Even an expert like Rainless Path could not change the outcome. After all, an independent expert's strength was limited. In the past, after Violet Cloud left Ouroboros, she had similarly established her own Workshop to serve as her foundation. Otherwise, she would not have become a Tier 6 Cleric God.

Being questioned by Shi Feng in such a way, Red Rain quickly realized the severity of the situation.

Even if an independent Caravan were powerful, it could not stand against a large Guild.

"If this path is too risky, then our Red Rain Caravan can only move to other cities to develop ourselves," Red Rain could not help but sigh. She had never imagined that, shortly after the Red Rain Caravan improved and was about to follow a profitable path, an incident like this would happen.

"Move to other cities, huh?" Very quickly, Rainless Path noticed a crucial point. Shaking his head, he said, "Sis, I think the other cities will have the same issue. It's only a matter of how high the tolls they are."

Red Rain's mood soured further upon hearing Rainless Path's logic.

If that were the case, independent players could no longer survive...

"Miss Red, if you still wish to continue transporting goods, I know of a good option. I'm just not sure if you will be interested," Shi Feng said, smiling.

"Big Brother Expert, please, tell us." Red Rain was definitely interested in what Shi Feng had to say.

"The Candlelight Trading Firm has recently begun to hire Caravans to ship its goods to other kingdoms and empires. With the backing of the Trading Firm, you won't have to worry about large Guilds robbing you when transporting goods in the future." Shi Feng finally revealed his true goal.

Red Rain and her group were experienced in the transportation of goods. As the Candlelight Trading Firm continued to develop, sooner or later, it would require its own Caravan. By recruiting the Red Rain Caravan, not only would he establish a foundation for the Trading Firm in advance, but he could also deepen his connection with Red Rain and Rainless Path.

"The Candlelight Trading Firm? Is that the famous trading firm that Zero Wing established?" Red Rain's breathing grew a little rushed.

If the Candlelight Trading Firm were really hiring Caravans to transport goods, this would be a heaven-sent opportunity for them. With the support of the Trading Firm, they would gain an additional layer of protection. The only issue was that they would have to prioritize the Candlelight Trading Firm's goods. However, in the future, the Red Rain Caravan would no longer have to worry about robberies.

Zero Wing was currently like the midday sun throughout Star-Moon Kingdom. It was a Guild that even the super-first-rate Guild, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, was helpless against. There was no need to mention the other Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom.

"Thank you for the advice. I'll begin preparing once we return to Star-Moon Kingdom," Red Rain repeatedly thanked Shi Feng.

Following which, Red Rain and the others began to clear the battlefield. After completing this shipment, they intended to try their luck with the Candlelight Trading Firm.

Standing beside Shi Feng, Aqua Rose asked curiously, "Guild Leader, since when did Candlelight begin recruiting Caravans? Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

It was not an easy task for a Caravan to transport goods. The previous battle made this obvious. There were many problems involved in such an operation, and they were extremely troublesome to deal with.

"I just decided it," Shi Feng laughed.

Aqua Rose was speechless. She could not help but shift her gaze towards Red Rain, before returning her gaze to Shi Feng, a meaningful smile appearing on her face. She looked at Shi Feng as if saying, "I see..."

...

Half an hour later, the Red Rain Caravan arrived at the exit of the Great Forest of Soria. Reaching this point, Shi Feng and the others had fulfilled their agreement. After parting with Red Rain and the others, the party advanced into the inner regions of the Great Forest.

Roughly four hours later, Shi Feng's party arrived at a small lake in the forest.

"Guild Leader, aren't we trying to capture a Guild Mount? Why aren't there any monsters here?" Blackie glanced at his surroundings, failing to find a single monster around the lake. No matter how he looked at it, this was not an area for capturing Mounts.

Shortly after Blackie finished speaking, the sound of wings reached his ears.

Turning to the source of the sound, Blackie noticed a golden-winged lion that was over twenty meters long descending from the sky, landing beside the clear lake.

"A Great Lord!" Blackie gaped as he saw this monster.

Every member of the party was shocked. 

Chapter 639 - Rare Mount

"Guild Leader, don't tell me we're going to capture that?!" Blackie inquired. He gulped audibly as he stared at the massive figure in the distance.

The Golden-winged Lion King before him was a bona fide Great Lord.

Moreover, it was no ordinary Great Lord. It was a Level 60 Great Lord. It was definitely part of the ruling class of monsters; it could obliterate them with a sneeze.

[Golden-winged Lion King] (Demonic Beast, Great Lord)

Level 60

HP 30,000,000/30,000,000

"Capture it?" Shi Feng rolled his eyes at Blackie, saying, "You must be crazy."

Although the Golden-winged Lion King could be captured, it was a Level 60 Great Lord. He wasn't that good. Unless they had a 100-man team of Level 70 Tier 2 players or above, they had absolutely no chance of capturing the Great Lord.

Shi Feng's reply left Blackie speechless.

However, the other members of the party released a sigh of relief. Capturing a monster was several times more difficult than killing one.

"We'll head over once it leaves," Shi Feng said in the team chat.

This Golden-winged Lion King was this area's overlord. Hence, no other monsters dared to approach the area around the lake. However, nobody would have thought that not only was the Golden-winged Lion King a Field Boss, but it was also a Guardian Boss. It was a Boss specifically tasked with guarding a treasure.

In the past, after Fantasy Extinguisher led a team of players to exterminate this Golden-winged Lion King, they discovered a secret. When that secret got out, it shocked the various large Guilds throughout God's Domain.

Back then, even ordinary players had their own Mounts. The various large Guilds had also realized the importance of rare Mounts and constantly searched for their own unique monster. The commotion these Guilds caused as a result had disrupted God's Domain's peace and tranquility. However, nobody would have imagined that the Fantasy Shrine had actually managed to obtain a 5-star Mount.

The star-ranking of a Mount represented its Growth Potential.

A Guild Mount's rank could be upgraded when properly nurtured. Furthermore, with a higher star-rank, a Mount had a higher promotion success rate. The majority of the Guild Mounts throughout God's Domain were 1-star Mounts.

A 1-star Mount started out as a Common Mount. It was a general Mount, and most Guilds would not capture a 1-star Mount for a Guild Mount as there was only a 10% chance for it to become a Bronze Mount.

A 2-star Mount started out slightly stronger than a 1-star Mount, and there was a 20% chance that it could become a Bronze Mount. As long as Guild members were willing to pay the price, they could nurture their 2-star Mount into a Bronze Mount. It was much cheaper than just purchasing a Bronze Mount.

As for 3-star Mounts, they were rarely seen. Not only could the additional Movement Speed they provided initially reach 110%, but there was also a 30% chance that they could nurture them to become Bronze Mounts. However, few Guilds were capable of obtaining 3-star Mounts.

A 4-star Mount was a rare Mount. Not only could its initial Movement Speed reach 115%, but there was also a 50% chance for it to become a Bronze Mount. Impressively, there was a 15% chance for it to become a Mysterious-Iron Mount. This was a potential that 1-star to 3-star Mounts did not possess. Hence, 4-star Mounts and above were considered rare Mounts. Various large Guilds throughout God's Domain drooled over the idea of their own 4-star Mount.

Although there was only a difference of one rank between a Bronze Mount and a Mysterious-Iron Mount, the latter possessed storage capabilities. Moreover, unlike Bronze Mounts, Mysterious-Iron Mounts' combat capabilities allowed them to make a difference in a battle.

Five-star Mounts were even more powerful. The additional Movement Speed they provided initially could reach 120%; its speed was practically equivalent to an ordinary Bronze Mount. Only, it did not possess any combat capabilities. However, 5-star Mounts had a 70% chance to become Bronze Mounts. Not only could they be upgraded within a short amount of time, but they also had a 30% chance to become Mysterious-Iron Mounts and a 3% chance to become Secret-Silver Mounts.

The most powerful Guild Mount Shi Feng had seen in the past was a 6-star Mount. Its rarity could even rival that of a Legendary item. There was a 90% that it could become a Bronze Mount, 50% chance for Mysterious-Iron rank, and 10% chance for Secret-Silver rank.

Just the thought of a Guild outfitting its members with Secret-Silver Mounts was frightening. After all, unlike Mysterious-Iron Mounts or below, Secret-Silver Mounts possessed Skills that could assist players in battle, increasing their combat power significantly. This was also why so many Guilds had been so desperate to collect rare Mounts in the past.

In the past, after Fantasy Extinguisher's team killed the Golden-winged Lion King, they discovered a 5-star Mount and became one of the few large Guilds throughout God's Domain to possess one.

After over an hour, the Golden-winged Lion King finally quenched its thirst and finished its rest. It then flew from the clear lake.

"Alright, everyone, drink your potions and follow me." Shi Feng did not bother to explain much. Immediately, he retrieved a deep blue potion from his bag and emptied the bottle's contents.

The Underwater Breathing Potion allowed players to breathe underwater for two hours.

After drinking the potion, Shi Feng led his team and dove into the lake.

Although the Golden-winged Lion King was a Guardian Monster, it did not guard this place constantly. It normally left the area for an hour or so, giving players a loophole to exploit. Otherwise, Shi Feng would not have been confident of capturing 5-star Mount that hid behind a Great Lord.

After swimming for about a dozen minutes or so, the party discovered the ruins of a shrine. However, the shrine's thick, stone doors were currently shut tight. Even after combining their strength, they could not open the doors. It was obvious that they needed some sort of item to gain passage.

Just as everyone was at a loss on what to do...

Shi Feng activated the Seven Luminaries Ring's Space Movement and entered the space beyond the stone doors.

A minute later, the stone doors slowly opened.

Everyone was amazed by this scene. They had not thought that the doors could be opened like this.

"I wish I had an item with Space Movement. I could easily teleport into any shrine I find without wasting effort looking for a way to open the doors," Blackie said enviously.

"This method is only viable for shrines that are not magically sealed. You wouldn't be able to teleport into shrines with magic seals or their own spaces." Shi Feng wished the same, but there were very few non-magically sealed shrines throughout God's Domain. There were even fewer items with Skills similar to Space Movement.

Normally, in order to enter this shrine beneath the lake, players were required to obtain the key by killing the Golden-winged Lion King.

"Alright, we don't have much time left. We have around 40 minutes before the Lion King returns. We need to finish the job within these 40 minutes." Shi Feng no longer bothered to explain. Immediately, he swam further into the shrine.

The shrine was not large, being only three-stories tall. The first floor was completely flooded. There was nothing special about the second floor beyond the various idols that cluttered the space. However, upon reaching the third floor of the shrine, the party felt as if they had entered a different space entirely.

The third floor was actually a forest. Various wild beasts and Demonic Beasts lived here, and the monsters were all Level 50. However, the beasts living here would not actively attack players.

Meanwhile, slumbering in this forest's heart was a blue wolf that stood over three meters tall. Despite being asleep, blue arcs of electricity flashed around the wolf's body, preventing others from approaching it.

[Thunder Wolf] (Demonic Beast, Lord)

Level 50

HP 9,000,000/9,000,000

"Such a handsome wolf!" Cola was immediately mesmerized by the Thunder Wolf.

In comparison, the horses of the Red Rain Caravan's Bronze Carriages looked like ugly toads.

The Thunder Wolf was twice as large as a horse. If he could ride the beast through the city, he would become the envy of all.

"We only have thirty minutes left. Get into position as I taught you. If we fail, we'll have to spend a long time running back to this place," Shi Feng hurriedly commanded.

Quickly, everyone stealthily approached the Thunder Wolf under Shi Feng's command. 

Chapter 640 - Astonishing Attack Power

The Thunder Wolf cracked opened its eyes upon detecting Shi Feng's party. It then emitted a low growl, warning the approaching humans.

Although the Demonic Beasts on the third floor would not actively attack players, they would give warnings when players got too close. If the players refused to heed their warning, they would attack.

"Cola, make sure you're ready to aggro the Wolf! Blackie, focus on using Guardian of Light! Violet, focus on healing! Everyone else, use the Hunting Scroll when the time arrives!" Shi Feng hurriedly commanded his team when he noticed the Thunder Wolf beginning to stand.

Normally, it was practically impossible for them to capture a Level 50 Lord.

However, the Thunder Wolf was slightly special. One could use a special method to capture it.

The first condition for capturing a wild beast or Demonic Beast was to lower the monster's HP to exactly 10%. If its HP were above or below 10%, one could not capture the monster. It was a stringent condition, and it was one of the reasons why killing a monster was much easier than capturing one.

Cola was currently Level 30 and wore a complete Tier 1 Set Equipment. He also had the Divine Bluefire Shield. Even so, he could not hope to tank a Level 50 Lord.

Finished with his commands, Shi Feng revealed the Bible of Darkness and began activating Demon Summoning.

"Emerge, Demon!"

When Shi Feng finished chanting the incantation's final verse, the Demon Gate slowly opened. From behind the gates, a human-shaped Demon, an Evil Blade Spirit, stepped out. Sharp spikes and black scales covered the Demon's body. This Demon was a pure attack-type and would not possess any Support Spells like the Heart Devourer.

[Evil Blade Spirit] (Evil Spirit)

Level 36

HP 3,000,000/3,000,000

Not bad. At least it's a Tier 2 Demon. Shi Feng smiled at the Evil Blade Spirit in satisfaction.

Although it was not as strong as the Thunder Wolf, it would still be of significant help. It was fully capable of pinning down the Thunder Wolf for a long period.

"Everyone, assist the Evil Blade Spirit and attack the Thunder Wolf. Make sure you dodge the Wolf's lightning attacks." Shi Feng then commanded the Evil Blade Spirit to charge at the Thunder Wolf.

The Evil Blade Spirit fought like a Berserker. Activating Shadow Charge, it appeared before the Thunder Wolf like a ghost. The Blade Spirit's sword-like arms then sliced fiercely at the Thunder Wolf's body.

-17,519.

-16,749.

Two damages that were over -10,000 points appeared above the Lord's head, shocking the team.

Such a high Attack Power. Shi Feng was also surprised. We lucked out this time.

A Level 36 Lord had no chance against a Level 50 Lord. The latter's Defense was many times higher. The Thunder Wolf's Defense was even greater than an ordinary Level 35 Great Lord. For Shi Feng, he would have to enter his Twofold Berserk state to inflict more than -10,000 damage to the Thunder Wolf. Yet, the similarly Lord ranked Evil Blade Spirit could easily deal more than -10,000 damage. The Demon's Attack Power was stronger than even a High Lord of the same level.

"Awoo!"

The Thunder Wolf howled, countless blue arcs of electricity suddenly appeared and surrounded its body, significantly increasing its speed. It then swung its claws at the Evil Blade Spirit. The Tier 2 Evil Spirit had no opportunity to block or evade before the attack struck and sent it flying backward by more than ten yards. As it crashed to the ground, the resulting impact formed a large crater. The Thunder Wolf's claws easily sliced through the Evil Blade Spirit's scale armor, leaving multiple scorched scratch marks.

The Evil Blade Spirit's HP instantly fell by 41,864. The difference in strength between them was instantly obvious.

"Isn't its attack a little too powerful? If I don't activate Lifesaving Skills, I'll most likely die with a single hit." Standing a short distance away, Cola gulped when he saw the Thunder Wolf's damage. He no longer dared underestimate the Demonic Beast.

The Thunder Wolf's Attack Power was many times stronger than even the Great Lord ranked Bluefire Crow King...

Just how were they supposed to lower this monster's HP to 10%?

"Violet, heal the Evil Blade Spirit! Everyone else, attack from a distance!" Shi Feng was not particularly surprised by this result.

Level 50 was another great divide of levels.

At Level 50, players could become Tier 2 classes. Hence, monsters would become a lot more powerful after reaching Level 50 as well. Moreover, the Thunder Wolf was a super-attack-type Demonic Beast. Naturally, its Attack Power was dismaying.

However, this astonishing Attack Power was the key factor in capturing the Thunder Wolf.

Following which, Shi Feng controlled the Evil Blade Spirit and began to lure the Thunder Wolf elsewhere. At the same time, Violet Cloud continuously healed the Evil Blade Spirit. Although each of her heals could only recover several thousand HP for the Tier 2 Evil Spirit, they added up. As long as the Evil Blade Spirit fought while it fled, it will soon recover to full HP.

Meanwhile, Blackie and Aqua Rose were the party's main damage dealers.

Unfortunately, when Aqua Rose used the Tier 1 Spell, Fire Dragon's Dance, she only caused a little over -1,500 damage. As for Blackie, who wielded an Epic staff, he only dealt over -2,000 damage with the Tier 1 Spell, Darkness Ball. Against the Thunder Wolf's 9,000,000 HP, their attacks were practically negligible. Only after including the Evil Blade Spirit's attacks did their damage surpass the Lord's battle recovery.

After Shi Feng lured the Thunder Wolf to a low-lying area, he stopped actively controlling the Evil Blade Spirit and allowed it to attack on its own.

"This should be the place." Shi Feng observed his surroundings. After confirming that there were no problems, he recovered a dark blue Tier 2 Magic Scroll from his bag. "Everyone, distance yourselves 50 yards from the Thunder Wolf!"

Hearing Shi Feng's command, although Blackie and Aqua Rose wondered why he wanted them to stop attacking, they had no choice but to back away from the Thunder Wolf.

After seeing Blackie and Aqua Rose retreat, Shi Feng unfurled the Magic Scroll and began chanting the incantation recorded within.

At this moment, the Evil Blade Spirit, which confronted the Thunder Wolf head-on, lost HP rapidly. Each of the Thunder Wolf's attacks dealt over -40,000 HP, while its Skills dealt over -70,000 damage. The Evil Blade Spirit only had 3,000,000 HP. Very quickly, the Demon's HP fell below 2,000,000. On the other hand, the Thunder Wolf had only lost around 100,000 HP.

"Blackie, use Guardian of Light on the Blade Spirit!" Shi Feng said sternly through the party chat after completing his preparations.

Immediately, Blackie cast Guardian of Light on the Evil Blade Spirit.

Guardian of Light was an Additional Skill of Mavis's Guard. When activated, the Skill granted immunity to all magic damage, reduced physical damage taken by 80%, and recovered 5% HP every second for 20 seconds. It was one of the most powerful Lifesaving Skills at this stage of the game.

After receiving Guardian of Light, the damage the Evil Blade Spirit received fell sharply from over -40,000 points to just over -2,000 points. Moreover, it also recovered 5% of its HP every second. For the Evil Blade Spirit, that was 150,000 HP every second. Not only did the Evil Blade Spirit stop losing HP, but its HP also recovered rapidly.

"What's going on?" Aqua Rose was surprised.

The Thunder Wolf had initially dealt over -40,000 damage to the Evil Blade Spirit. Even if its damage were reduced by 80%, it should still deal over -8,000 damage. Yet, now, its attacks only inflicted over -2,000 damage.

Before Aqua Rose could make sense of the situation, Shi Feng activated the Tier 2 Magic Scroll, Waterfall, in his hands.

Suddenly, a massive magic array appeared above the Thunder Wolf. A torrent of water then gushed out of the magic array, pummeling the Thunder Wolf and causing damages of over -4,000 points to appear above the Lord's head. The Magic Scroll's effect lasted for 4 seconds.

"We're finally done. All we need to do now is to watch the show," Shi Feng smiled faintly.

"Watch the show?" Doubt flashed in Fire Dance's eyes.

Everyone was clearly confused. They did not understand Shi Feng's actions.

It was merely a Tier 2 Magic Scroll. Moreover, it wasn't dealing much damage.

In the next moment, however, everyone's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

Suddenly, damages of more than -60,000 points started appearing above the Thunder Wolf's head.

"This is...!"

When Fire Dance noticed the Thunder Wolf's claws falling into the pooled water from the Waterfall and it receiving massive amounts of damages as a result, she immediately came to a realization.

"That's right. The Thunder Beast's attacks are mainly lightning-type magical attacks. Using the electrical conductivity of water, although the water will amplify the power of its attacks, it will also become a victim of its own power," Shi Feng explained, grinning.

If it were any other monster, he would have no method to capture it. Unfortunately for the Thunder Wolf, its attacks were lightning-based, so its greatest weakness was water. Hence, when the Fantasy Shrine had faced enemies with water-type AOE Spells, they would not utilize their Thunder Wolf Mounts to assist them in battle, as doing so would cause more harm than good.

For a time, the Thunder Wolf's 9,000,000 HP rapidly decreased.

"Everyone, get ready!" Watching the Thunder Wolf's HP about to reach 10%, Shi Feng immediately ordered everyone to retrieve a Hunting Scroll and begin the capturing process.