Reincarnation of The Strongest Sword God

741-760

Chapter 741 - Godly Speed

The members of Zero Wing and the Flower of Seven Sins had entered their own battles.

Aside from Fire Dance, Violet Cloud, and Aqua Rose relying on the Attribute advantage that their Tier 1 Set Equipment provided to suppress the assassins' party leaders, the others struggled against the remaining four party leaders.

These party leaders' equipment was in no way inferior to the members of Zero Wing's main force. In addition, they wore almost a full set of Tier 3 Gemstones, and their Berserk Skills were slightly more powerful than the Power of Darkness. Hence, they easily made up for the difference in Attributes.

With very little difference in Basic Attributes, even if three of Zero Wing's main force members ganged up on one of the Flower of Seven Sins party leaders, they were powerless. The enemy neutralized their attacks, one after another. Meanwhile, if they were not careful and received an attack, they would instantly lose one-third of their HP. It was only a matter of time before they were defeated. Not to mention, the Lava Domain was also in effect, continuously reducing the HPs of Zero Wing's players.

Surprisingly, Shadow Sword, Minor Wind, Flying Shadow, Turtledove, Cola, and Ye Wumian were able to exchange blow for blow with their assassin opponents, both their HPs and their enemies' gradually decreasing. A small difference in HP might determine the outcome of their fights.

"Zero Wing is quite strong. Despite facing so many experts from the Flower of Seven Sins, they still fight so ferociously. If this were any other team, the Flower of Seven Sins would have defeated them by now," Yuan Tiexin, who watched the fight from afar, said in slight surprise. "Unfortunately, Zero Wing will still go up in flames."

Currently, aside from a few of Zero Wing's upper echelons holding their ground, it was only a matter of time before the others were defeated. If the battle dragged on, the ordinary main force members would fall. At that time, the assassins could corner Zero Wing's upper echelons. As they already had their hands full with their current opponents, facing more at once would be fatal.

The other Secret Pavilion members nodded in agreement.

However, they had to admit that Zero Wing's main force was indeed impressive. If they were in Zero Wing's place, the battle would end very quickly.

Refinement Realm experts could alter their actions in such high-speed battles nimbly. However, ordinary experts could not.

On the scorched battlefield, although the fights between Zero Wing's main force members and the Flower of Seven Sins' assassins was exciting, the Secret Pavilion members focused on Shi Feng's battle.

After all, the title of One-hit Asura was not just for show.

To have earned his current reputation, Shi Feng had killed many experts.

However, in this war, Shi Feng's opponent was even more extraordinary than he was. He fought the assassins' leader.

This was a rare sight, indeed.

"The Flower of Seven Sins sent you to lead the mission this time?" Shi Feng asked as he unsheathed his swords. He was utterly focused on the silver-robed man before him.

Although the silver-robed man had not yet attacked, the cold killing intent he radiated caused Shi Feng to shudder involuntarily. Shi Feng felt as if his life were slipping away. It almost felt as if he were standing in the middle of a Demonic Beast's nest.

Moreover, the silver-robed man's Level and equipment quality were extremely high.

Not only was the man a Level 35 Berserker, but his equipment was also the Dark-Gold Set Equipment meant for Berserkers, the Wind Frost Set.

The Wind Frost Set focused on speed and Strength. It was Level 30 to Level 40 equipment. It was a Dark-Gold Set that could improve as its wearer leveled. It was only second to a Tier 1 Set Equipment.

As for the snow-white spear in the man's hands, although Shi Feng had never seen it before, judging by the runes and weapon's elegance, it should be, at the very least, a top-tier Dark-Gold Weapon.

"That will depend on whether or not you qualify to know!" the silver-robed man rebuked as he swung his spear. Suddenly, it seemed like his spear had transformed into five poisonous snakes that shot towards Shi Feng.

One Spear, Five Transformations!

Although there were only five spear images, these images attack trajectories were both complex and varied. Even the middle-aged man could not predict the attacks, not to mention the attack trajectories.

Seeing this, Shi Feng abruptly retreated.

Dang! Dang!

Sparks scattered between the Swordsman and the Berserker.

Such quick spearmanship! Shi Feng could not help his surprise.

Despite retreating as soon as he had noticed the attacks, the five spear images had appeared before him instantly. By the time he had reacted, although he had deflected two of the spear images with his swords, it had been too late to block the other three spears. He had no choice but to activate Defensive Blade to block the spears. Otherwise, with his Attributes after activating the Power of Darkness, although the remaining spear images would not kill him instantly, they would destroy one-third of his HP.

Due to the previous clash, Shi Feng had gained a general understanding of just how powerful the silver-robed man was. Hence, he could predict the man's damage.

"You actually avoided my One Spear, Five Transformations. You are worthy for me to take you seriously." The silver-robed man smiled. Suddenly, he launched another attack.

This time, six spear images flew towards Shi Feng. This attack was also much faster than the last.

By the time Shi Feng could react, the six spear images appeared before him.

Despite having taken precautions, three of the six images struck Shi Feng. Fortunately, Defensive Blade blocked the other three.

How are his attacks so fast?! Shi Feng could not help his surprise as he glanced at his opponent's spear.

He had clearly predicted the man's general targets, yet, by the time he had defended himself, the six spear images had arrived before him. It almost seemed as if the images had teleported.

Despite predicting the trajectory of the attacks, his body could not keep up with the assassin's speed.

This was the first time Shi Feng had encountered such a situation.

Logically, he should be much faster than the silver-robed man, yet, the man's spear moved as if it had Instantaneous Movement. Even if he were faster, he could not keep up with the silver-robed man's spear attacks.

With no other choice, Shi Feng used Abyssal Bind.

The four-second binding gave him plenty of time to kill the silver-robed man several times over.

However, as soon as the pitch-black chains emerged from the ground, the silver-robed man activated Wargod's Radiance, a dazzling light shining from his body as he became immune to all control effects. Immediately after, six more spear images appeared before Shi Feng, striking him. This time, Defensive Blade's block count was exhausted.

The Secret Pavilion members watching from afar were dumbfounded.

The silver-robed man's spear strikes were simply too fast. The attacks had completely surpassed the speed defined by the system. How could anyone dodge such attacks?

"How are that man's attacks so fast?"

Despite being the top genius of the Secret Pavilion's new generation, Cold Autumn was shocked as he watched the fierce battle.

If he had to block the silver-robed man's attacks, he, most likely, would have died immediately after the battle had begun.

Only Black Flame, with his lightning-fast swordsmanship, was barely capable of defending against two or three of those spear strikes. Anyone else would have died multiple times by now.

"Autumn, now you understand why I brought you all here to watch this battle, right?" Yuan Tiexin asked, chuckling. "The apex experts you know of are only figureheads. This is a true apex expert of the virtual gaming world. However, Black Flame's performance is just as impressive. One Spear, Six Transformations is that man's specialty technique. Countless well-known experts have died against this move. I can count the number of experts who can block two or three strikes while in the Flowing Water Realm on one hand.

"Now that Black Flame has used up all his Lifesaving Skills, this fight should end very quickly."

The silver-robed man executed One Spear, Six Transformations once more.

However, Shi Feng suddenly closed his eyes. He saw nothing as he allowed the assassin to attack.

"Could he have given up already?" The sudden development shocked the onlookers.

With the spear moving so fast, if Shi Feng did not rely on his sight to predict the silver-robed man's actions, how could he defend against the spear attacks?

"It seems the fight is over," Cold Autumn said, shaking his head.

The six spear images pierced Shi Feng's body.

However, the instant the six spear images shot through Shi Feng's body, another Shi Feng appeared beside the silver-robed man. This other Shi Feng swung down his Abyssal Blade.

Dang!

The clear ring of metal clashing with metal resounded throughout the battlefield. The silver-robed man was forced to retreat three steps before stabilizing himself.

"You actually dodged all of them!" Shock appeared on the silver-robed man's face as he stared at the unharmed Shi Feng with disbelief. 

Chapter 742 - Deciding Strike

Shi Feng's sudden evasion of the silver-robed man's One Spear, Six Transformations left the Secret Pavilion members speechless.

"How did he do it?!" Cold Autumn's eyes widened as he stared at Shi Feng, who still had his eyes closed.

Shi Feng had avoided that godlike spearmanship, which had been impossible to dodge with open eyes, with his eyes closed.

This was simply inconceivable!

Yuan Tiexin was similarly stunned.

"Black Flame really is surprising. I had never imagined he would see through Sky's One Spear, Six Transformations so quickly," Yuan Tiexin exclaimed. "Years ago, I suffered numerous losses against Sky's One Spear, Six Transformations, yet Black Flame had seen through it after only a couple of attacks. Could he be a monster?"

The silver-robed man named Sky was one of the Flower of Seven Sins's veteran assassins. Many top-tier experts from Super Guilds had suffered immensely at Sky's hands. Sky had even killed many experts who had also stepped into the Void Realm.

Only those at the Void Realm, who could exert their five senses to their limits and possessed rudimentary control over their surroundings, had the ability to block One Spear, Six Transformations.

Even Yuan Tiexin struggled to defend against One Spear, Six Transformations while wielding two weapons. He could block four or five strikes at most.

However, he was a Shield Warrior, so he had a much easier time defending against the spear strikes with a shield. Only, he would have a much harder time closing in on Sky.

Of course, there were many Skills in the game, such as wide-range attacks, that could neutralize such precision attacks. One could also distance themselves from Sky. After all, a Berserker's attack range was only so far. Even a long spear would not increase one's attack range by much.

However, in a close-quarters, high-speed battle like this, aside from the Lifesaving Skills that one could activate with a thought, it was impossible to defend against Sky's attacks with Skills. Skills generally required specific motions before activation. This would create a sense of disharmony in expert players. Their attacks using Skills would not be as fast and natural as their normal attacks. Hence, this would reveal weak points that they did not normally possess.

It was this reason precisely that experts in the Refinement Realm or above rarely used Skills in close combat against other players as it was highly possible that one weakness would spell their doom.

Shi Feng had yet to reach the Void Realm. However, without using any Skills, he still managed to neutralize Sky's One Spear, Six Transformations. This was the first time Yuan Tiexin had seen such an occurrence.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, after Sky calmed his slightly surprised heart, fighting spirit flared in his eyes. He began to execute One Spear, Six Transformations once more.

Sky executed his specialty technique numerous times in succession. Yet, Shi Feng dodged all of his attacks with his eyes closed, launching a counter attack each time.

Initially, Shi Feng had only gotten one hit in during his counterattacks. Now, he landed two hits.

Although Sky had blocked every attack Shi Feng had sent at him, he had received a lot of damage. Each one of Shi Feng's attacks had dealt over -500 damage. Shi Feng's Strength was astonishing.

In God's Domain, the resulting impact as weapons clashed would offset the damage. If there were a significant difference between the combatants' Strength, however, some damage would occur. However, this damage was usually so low that it was almost negligible.

If the difference in the combatants' Strengths was quite vast, the weaker side would receive significant damage, even if they blocked the attack successfully.

Sky experienced this first-hand against Black Flame.

His equipment had already reached the current peak among players in God's Domain. He was also a Berserker, a class famed for its Strength. The Berserk Skill he had activated was even a Strength-type Berserk Skill. Yet, Shi Feng's Strength was still far above his own.

This was the first time Sky had encountered such a situation.

In terms of the Strength Attribute, even those monster-like players in God's Domain could not overwhelm him like this.

It no longer felt as if he fought another player. Instead, it felt more like he fought a humanoid Lord ranked monster. He received over -500 damage just by defending against attacks. His HP after activating his Berserk Skill was only slightly more than 19,000.

He had a limit to the number of times he could defend against Shi Feng's attacks.

Although Sky put in the utmost effort to dodge Shi Feng's attacks, he discovered that he could not dodge any of them. Despite having relatively powerful control over his surroundings, Shi Feng's attacks were simply too fast. Even though he could predict Shi Feng's attack trajectories, he could barely defend himself.

"You really are amazing. It's no wonder why even Silver has noticed you." Glaring at Shi Feng, Sky said in a low tone, "I had intended to save this card for challenging Silver, but it seems that I have no choice but to try it on you."

As soon as he said this, Sky's spear shot out and transformed into nine spear images.

One Spear, Nine Kills!

This was currently the limit of Sky's abilities. Not only did this move have a greater range than One Spear, Six Transformations, but it was also much faster.

This time, Shi Feng opened his eyes.

Facing the sudden approach of the nine spear images, rather than retreating, Shi Feng moved forward to welcome the spears.

Yuan Tiexin, who watched from afar, thought that Shi Feng had lost his mind.

Players, who knew of it, already avoided One Spear, Six Transformations like the plague. On the other hand, One Spear, Nine Kills sent chills down even Yuan Tiexin's spine. Even if he could lift his shield in time, the spear images would, most likely, hit him. Yet, Shi Feng had taken the initiative to welcome the spears. Did his success of neutralizing Sky's One Spear, Six Transformations make him overconfident?

However, as Yuan Tiexin stood too far away from Shi Feng, he did not notice the faint blue arcs of electricity circling Shi Feng's body.

This move was none other than Killing Ray's second Skill, Thunder God's Descent.

[Thunder God's Descent]

Become immune to all Control Skills, Movement Speed and Attack Speed increased by 150%, damage increased by 50%, and all damage received decreased by 50% for 30 seconds.

Cooldown: 1 hour

In the next moment, numerous blue lights flashed. The lights deflected the spear images as they closed in on Shi Feng. From an outsider's view, it looked as if the spear images had avoided Shi Feng.

Like a strong gale, Shi Feng blasted through the nine spear images and swept past Sky. Too fast for the naked eye to follow, Killing Ray penetrated Sky's body.

This had all happened in an instant.

Before Sky even realized what had just happened, fountains of blood spurted from his body. His HP plummeted rapidly. In the blink of an eye, his 19,000-plus HP fell to zero. Sky's body thudded as it hit the ground.

"This..."

Shi Feng's sudden attack had killed Sky, stunning everyone who watched.

For a moment, only silence followed.

"What happened just now?!"

"How did he block the nine spear images?!"

"Sky died?!"

Questions filled the minds of the Secret Pavilion crowd. Despite their focus on Shi Feng all this time, they had only seen Shi Feng vanish and reappear. They had not noticed Shi Feng draw his sword before Sky fell to the ground.

None of them knew exactly what had just happened.

Shi Feng had clearly waged a bitter battle against Sky just moments ago. Yet, after a few exchanges, Shi Feng had seen through and neutralized Sky's specialty technique. He even claimed Sky's life with a single move.

This change had happened too fast. It was unbelievable.

"Uncle Yuan, do you know what happened just now? What did Black Flame do?!" Cold Autumn asked, practically shouting his question with bloodshot eyes.

However, standing beside him, Yuan Tiexin's were just as wide, containing his own confusion. 

Chapter 743 - Seven Sins' Defeat

In Yuan Tiexin's eyes, although Shi Feng was certainly strong, he was still no match for him.

However, the Swordsman's sudden performance had truly dumbfounded him.

If Yuan Tiexin faced Sky's One Spear, Six Transformations, he was only 50% certain of emerging victorious. However, against the One Spear, Nine Kills Sky had just displayed, Yuan Tiexin did not think he had any chance of victory.

Yet, even after using One Spear, Nine Kills, Sky died after Shi Feng's single strike.

From the moment Shi Feng moved to when he swung his sword, everything had happened all too quickly. Moreover, due to the distance between them, the battle had ended before Yuan Tiexin realized what had happened.

"Did any of you record this battle?" Yuan Tiexin asked the several people behind him.

They were staff from the Secret Pavilion's intelligence department. The Magic Mirror they held was a magical tool in God's Domain that could record the scenes within a certain range.

One could purchase a Magic Mirror from shops in the various major cities. However, they were extremely expensive. A Basic Magic Mirror cost 3 Gold. However, a Basic Magic Mirror could record an area of 100*100 yards in a range of 4,000 yards for two hours. This item could easily allow the various large Guilds to keep a record of certain battles.

It was especially easy for players like them to get dragged into battles like this. Hence, they needed to maintain a certain distance from the battle. Although they could use Binoculars to watch the fights, those items could not record the battles. Hence, Magic Mirrors were the best tools to gather information. After collecting the required data, one could research the information in detail. It was much easier than the system's recording function.

"We got everything." The intelligence agents nodded in reply.

"Good! Make a copy and send it to me later! Send a copy to the Guild Leader as well!" Yuan Tiexin commanded seriously.

For an expert like himself, nothing was more alluring than watching a battle between players of Shi Feng's and Sky's standards.

Moreover, Shi Feng's performance was also mindblowing. At this moment, Yuan Tiexin could not help but reconsider the relationship between the Secret Pavilion in Zero Wing. However, this decision would have to wait until after the war ended.

Compared to the surprise the Secret Pavilion members had felt, the Flower of Seven Sins' assassins were thunderstruck.

Although Sky was not one of their upper echelons, his fame within the organization was resounding. Almost everyone had heard of him. Moreover, among the many Void Realm experts in the organization, Sky was the only expert capable of facing down Silver.

Yet, Black Flame, someone who was only slightly famous, had killed Sky.

This was like watching an ant defeat a lion. It was inconceivable.

"Guild Leader!" When Fire Dance saw the Assassin Pleiades freeze, she followed the Assassin's gaze. Immediately, she discovered that Shi Feng had claimed the assassins' team leader, and unconsciously, power welled up in her.

Fire Dance wasn't the only one to react this way. Everyone from Zero Wing's main force also felt power flow into their bodies when they saw the Berserker on the ground.

Although Zero Wing's main force had lost over a dozen members, this one death had far more of an impact that killing three or four of the Flower of Seven Sins' party leaders.

Hadn't the Flower of Seven Sins never failed a job?

In the end, hadn't their strongest team leader still died under their Guild Leader's sword?

Sky's death also caused the Lava Giant to disappear. Without the Lava Giant, the Lava Domain vanished as well.

In the blink of an eye, the suppression on everyone from Zero Wing lifted, their Attributes abruptly soaring. On the other hand, the Nine-star Polar Domain still suppressed the Flower of Seven Sins' assassins.

Damn it! Sky actually died so quickly! Pleiades frowned as he turned to Fire Dance, whose Attributes had been restored; he lost his prior composure.

Initially, Fire Dance already had higher Attributes than he did. He had only kept up with Fire Dance's attacks by relying on his accurate judgment. Now that Fire Dance had recovered her Attributes while he was still hampered, dodging and blocking the woman's attacks became far more difficult.

Whether it was Pleiades or the other members of the Flower of Seven Sins, they all had grimaced as they fought.

"Didn't you enjoy beating me up just now?!" Shadow Sword, who had less than half of his HP remaining, said as he smirked at a Refinement Realm Level 34 Guardian Knight. His lips curling into a smile, Shadow Sword said, "It's my turn now!"

Saying so, Shadow Sword swung the Bluefire Double-edged Sword violently and executed Whirlwind Slash. He was not the slightest bit afraid of revealing any weak points.

Against absolute Strength and speed, despite the Level 34 Guardian Knight using his shield to defend against Shadow Sword's Whirlwind Slash, the impact forced him to retreat six steps, a damage of over -800 points appearing above his head. For a second there, he had nearly lost his balance.

Shadow Sword immediately followed up with a series of violent slashes.

Facing Shadow Sword's rapid barrage, the Guardian Knight had no choice but to raise his shield and defend himself. However, every time Shadow Sword struck his shield, he received over -200 damage, his body forced to retreat one step after another. He had no chances to counterattack.

On Violet Cloud's side, the Astromancer was finally able to apply leverage. Activating Star's Guidance, she sent the Level 34 Berserker party leader, who chased after her, flying. Immediately after, she attacked with her Mana Balls.

Thirty Mana Balls appeared in the air around them. Although this attack was not as strong as the 36 Mana Balls she could summon after drinking the Hundred Berry Wine, Violet Cloud was able to control the 30 Mana Balls with much greater precision.

Moreover, due to her recovered Attributes, the force her Mana Balls contained had also increased significantly. The Berserker party leader required his full might to block every Mana Ball. Otherwise, the Balls would knock him back and reveal even more weak points.

However, against the overwhelming power of the 30 Mana Balls, the Berserker party leader occasionally missed two or three Mana Balls, receiving around -500 to -600 damage.

Without the suppression of Zero Wing's Attributes, the battle immediately turned to Zero Wing's favor, whereas the Flower of Seven Sins were at a complete disadvantage.

After killing Sky, Shi Feng did not stop to pick up the loot the Berserker had dropped. Instead, he turned around and dashed for the Seven Sins party leader that posed the greatest threat to Zero Wing.

These party leaders were all experts in the Flowing Water Realm. Even if Zero Wing's main force members recovered their Attributes, the party leaders were still a major threat.

After Shi Feng's Attributes recovered, due to Thunder God's Descent still being active, he became much faster. Although he was not as fast as when he had killed Sky, his speed was more than enough to deal with the Seven Sins party leaders.

After appearing behind one of the party leaders, Shi Feng executed Chop with his Killing Ray.

A streak of blue light flashed.

-15,485.

A bloody mark appeared on the Shield Warrior party leader. Only at this moment did the Shield Warrior's shield appear in Shi Feng's trajectory.

The Shield Warrior was slower than Shi Feng's by a massive margin.

Suddenly, the party leader, who had roughly 11,000 HP remaining, fell to the ground.

Observers were, once again, rendered speechless.

Shi Feng's attack was simply too fast.

Watching from afar, they had only seen a flash of blue light. They had not even seen his sword's afterimage before it struck his opponent. Just how was someone supposed to defend against such an attack?

After just a short moment, four of the seven Flower of Seven Sins party leaders had died at Shi Feng's hands.

Fire Dance, Violet Cloud, and Aqua Rose took care of the last three.

In the end, Zero Wing had annihilated the assassins from the Flower of Seven Sins... 

Chapter 744 - Star Alliance's Defeat

As the Flower of Seven Sins came to an end, everyone watching from afar was dumbfounded.

It was especially true for the Star Alliance's upper echelons. People in their position were very aware of how terrifying the Flower of Seven Sins was.

The Flower of Seven Sins was an organization that had killed the upper echelons of Super Guilds countless times, invoking the Super Guilds' wrath. However, none of those Guilds could do anything to the assassin organization.

Until this day, the Flower of Seven Sins had never failed a job. Yet, now, this legend shattered...

The most incredulous aspect was that it had been an upstart Guild that broke the legend.

"How can this be?!" Red Feather's eyes widened, and he clenched his fists as he stared at the corpses of the Seven Sins scattered across the ground.

The Flower of Seven Sins had been their final trump card against Zero Wing.

Now that the assassins had been wiped out, how were they supposed to deal with Zero Wing's upper echelons?

Any expert could take advantage of the narrow terrain to exert their strength, not to mention Black Flame, who could instant-kill the Flower of Seven Sins' team leader.

With Black Flame's strength, he could slaughter elite players without wasting much Stamina. He only needed one hit for each kill.

If they relied on zerg tactics to kill Black Flame, just how many elite players would they need to sacrifice?

Not to mention, the Tier 3 Demon was still alive and kicking.

It was practically impossible to annihilate Zero Wing's main force here with just 20,000 elite players.

"Guild Leader, the Flower of Seven Sins members have been wiped out. What should we do now?" Unsure himself, Red Feather quickly decided to report to Galaxy Past.

"What?!" Galaxy Past was momentarily stunned when he received the news. For a second, he even thought Red Feather was joking. However, Red Feather would never joke so distastefully in such a dire situation like this. His expression turning serious, Galaxy Past asked, "How many people does Zero Wing have left? Is Black Flame dead?"

The Flower of Seven Sins' strength was absolute. Even if Zero Wing's main force were impressive, they would not walk away unharmed. If Zero Wing's main force had suffered severe casualties, then they could rely on their elite army to swarm their remaining enemies.

Without any commanders, Zero Wing's army would into disarray and morale would drop sharply. It would be significantly easier to take out Zero Wing's elite army without its leaders.

"They have 76 people remaining. Black Flame is still alive," Red Feather hurriedly reported after glancing at Zero Wing's members, who were still within the magic array.

Galaxy Past's surprise escalated.

"A-Are you sure?" Galaxy Past asked once more.

The Flower of Seven Sins had dispatched 50 of its top-tier assassins. Every one of these assassins was an expert that struck fear into one's heart. Even Galaxy Past himself was not sure that he could escape should any one of these experts come for his life. How was it possible that this team of assassins had only claimed slightly over 20 Zero Wing lives?

Galaxy Past had a very clear understanding of the strength of Zero Wing's main force.

Aside from the few, very strong upper echelons, most of them were subpar. Galaxy Past was even confident he could face several of them at once.

"Guild Leader, how could I mistake something like this?" For a time, even Red Feather was at a loss. Hurriedly, he said, "All of Zero Wing's upper echelons are still alive. Only a few core members died. That Tier 3 Demon has also broken out of its magical imprisonment and has begun to attack our people."

When Galaxy Past heard this, his brain stopped functioning.

Since when was Zero Wing so powerful? Against the Flower of Seven Sins's 50-man assassin team, Zero Wing had actually emerged victorious, losing only a few unimportant members.

"Guild Leader, what should we do now? Do we fight or retreat?" Red Feather asked anxiously as he watched the Tier 3 Demon slaughter his elite members.

"Black... Flame! We will... retreat!" Only after a long moment did Galaxy Past finally decide. When he uttered the word "retreat," he sounded as if he had been sapped of all of his energy.

How many years had it been? Galaxy Past had long since forgotten the feeling of defeat. However, today, he had been reminded of the taste.

This taste made him very uncomfortable.

Ever since the Star Alliance had fallen into his control, the Guild had only lost to Super Guilds and super-first-rate Guilds. The Star Alliance had never lost to anything less.

Yet, now, the Star Alliance he commanded had been beaten into submission by an upstart Guild. This blow was many times more humiliating that suffering defeat at the hands of those Super Guilds.

A Tier 3 Demon was the equivalent of a Great Lord. Galaxy Past knew the strength of a Great Lord quite well.

Otherwise, he would not have paid such a large price to purchase a Tier 3 Summoning Scroll from a Super Guild. At this stage of a game, having a Great Lord on one's side could reduce one's losses significantly while dealing a devastating blow to the enemy.

With two Tier 3 Summoning Scrolls, they thought they had this war in the bag. However, Galaxy Past had never imagined that an energy pulse attack would eliminate both of their Great Lords.

They had no way to deal with a Tier 3 Demon.

If they did not retreat, they would only suffer more casualties.

After Red Feather heard Galaxy Past's command, his downcast expression became even more gloomy. However, he still gave the order to retreat.

---

Meanwhile, standing on a nearby mountaintop, the Secret Pavilion members were engaged in a heated discussion over this war between the Star Alliance and Zero Wing.

"Guild Leader Black Flame is too powerful! The way he killed that team leader from the Flower of Seven Sins was just too cool!"

"I wonder what sort of training Black Flame used to get to his level? Even after watching the battle so many times, I only caught a glimpse of Black Flame's figure. I couldn't even see the afterimage of his attack. Uncle Yuan would most likely last only a few moves against Black Flame."

"What do you even know? Uncle Yuan is powerful. Of course, he could block Black Flame's attack."

"But Black Flame's Attack Speed is so high. Who could possibly defend against his attack?"

...

Among the Secret Pavilion's trainees, many had renewed their impressions of Zero Wing. They were no longer arrogant when talking about Zero Wing. Unconsciously, they had gone from calling the Swordsman 'Black Flame' to calling him 'Guild Leader Black Flame.' However, a few youths among them were still unsatisfied.

"There is no need to argue. I am not a match for Black Flame. Or to put it in another way, only those few, monstrous players can contend with Black Flame now," Yuan Tiexin said suddenly. He could not help but laugh at everyone's conversation.

"Autumn, what did you think of this fight?" Yuan Tiexin asked the silent Cold Autumn.

Cold Autumn was the top genius among the Secret Pavilion's new generation. The youth had joined the Secret Pavilion's secret training program a year ago. He was only 17 years old, yet he had already become the Pavilion's star pupil. He had already reached the Half-step Refinement Realm and was only a thread away from truly entering the Refinement Realm. He could break through at any time.

Initially, Yuan Tiexin had brought Cold Autumn and the other trainees here to teach them not to be too arrogant, showing them that there were many experts in the virtual gaming world. He had also wanted to show them a true monster.

Unfortunately, Silver had not made an appearance this time.

However, their gains from watching the battle between Sky and Black Flame should be sufficient.

Yuan Tiexin had even hoped to see a confrontation between Black Flame and Silver. Just what kind of outcome would such a battle yield?

"Black Flame is very strong. With my current strength, I am no match for him," the prideful Cold Autumn admitted softly. "However, I will continue to work hard! Sooner or later, I will surpass him!"

"Hahaha! That's right! This is the sort of mindset you must possess! It seems that this trip here has not been a waste at all!" Yuan Tiexin nodded with satisfaction. Suddenly, he heard the ring of his communicator, surprising him.

After all, this was a call from none other than the Secret Pavilion's Guild Leader. 

Chapter 745 - Eternally Remembered Strike

After Red Feather gave the order, the elite army the Star Alliance had sent to deal with Zero Wing's main force retreated, leaving behind only a small squadron to deal with the Battle Demon.

The elite legions of the Star Alliance and the various large Guilds, which fought elsewhere on the battlefield, also began to retreat, preparing to leave the Stoneclaw Mountains.

"It's too late to retreat now!" Shi Feng sneered as he swept his gaze across the fleeing Star Alliance army. Immediately, he sent a command through the Guild chat, saying, "All elite legions, activate the Nine-star Polar Domain Magic Array!"

There was why Shi Feng had previously split Zero Wing's army into ten separate elite legions.

The Stoneclaw Mountains' outer region was vast. However, there were only ten paths that led to the Dungeon's teleportation array.

As soon as the war began, Shi Feng had used the Guild War Order to seal off the Stoneclaw Mountains. Any player within could not escape with a Return Scroll; the only way to leave the Dungeon was by using the teleportation array.

There were two methods of using magic arrays in God's Domain.

The first method used a magic array aggressively to suppress the enemy.

The second use was defensive.

Due to the unique characteristics of Barrier Magic Arrays, once these magic arrays were activated, enemies trapped inside the barrier could not leave. Similarly, nobody would be able to enter the barrier unless they destroyed the magic array itself.

However, it was not easy to destroy a magic array. A lot of time was required to do so. Attacks from outside the array would be weakened. Normally, it was much easier to destroy a magic array from inside. The Nine-star Polar Domain was no exception.

Hence, Shi Feng had sent Zero Wing's ten elite legions to guard the ten paths. When the elite legions activated their Nine-star Polar Domain Magic Array, they would prevent the Star Alliance and other large Guilds from leaving the Stoneclaw Mountains. They could then take the opportunity to gain more from this war.

With Shi Feng's command, the barrier parties mobilized, every one of them revealing the Nine-star Polar Domain Magic Scroll they had held on to all this time.

As the ninety players unfurled the Magic Scrolls in their hands, ten massive magic arrays suddenly appeared above the battlefield, enveloping a large portion of the battlefield and sealing all exits out of the Stoneclaw Mountains.

"What's going on? Why have my Attributes decreased?"

"Damn it! I don't even have 6,000 HP right now!"

The various Guilds' elite members, who had forced Zero Wing's elite legions into a constant retreat, suddenly discovered something amiss. Their Attributes had decreased by 40%. Their attacks could not cause any significant damage to Zero Wing's elite members at all. In contrast, Zero Wing's elite members, whose Attributes remained unchanged, could finish them off with just a few hits. Suddenly, Zero Wing's enemies began to panic.

Although the players caught outside the magic array tried to help and constantly attacked the barrier with Spells, the effect of their attacks were minimal. The magical class players maintaining the Nine-star Polar Domain did not lose much Mana from their attacks at all.

"It's our turn now!" Seeing the various Guilds' panicking elites, Zero Wing's elite members rushed forward to resolve the battle.

Originally, they had needed roughly four or five attacks to defeat their enemies. Now, they only needed two or three hits to do so. On the other hand, their enemies now required roughly eight or nine hits to kill them. The battle was one-sided.

Moreover, the Nine-star Polar Domain Magic Array was like a knife at their throats. The magic arrays had cut off their retreat.

"Aqua, use the Mana Pulse Cannon to support the legions. Everyone else, guard the Cannon and clean up the battlefield." After Shi Feng issued his commands, he activated Wind Rider and flew down the mountain.

The Nine-star Polar Domain would not hold the Star Alliance and its allies for long. The various large Guilds would escape by the time the Battle Demon reached them. However, if he killed his enemies' commanders, the remaining elite players would run like a headless chicken. He would significantly reduce the elite army's momentum, earning more time for his army.

"Someone's flying towards us!" the retreating Star Alliance members suddenly shouted as they glanced towards the sky.

Everyone turned to see the flying figure.

"Black Flame!"

"It's Black Flame!"

As the figure approached, the elites recognized Zero Wing's Guild Leader.

"Charging at us alone? Do you really think the Star Alliance is that easy to bully?!" Red Feather also noticed Shi Feng rapidly approach their army. He bellowed," Ranged players, shoot him down! Anyone who kills Black Flame will be rewarded with a set of top-tier equipment, 500 Gold, and a promotion to core member!"

A first-rate Guild had many members. However, only a few could become core members. Without extremely powerful combat skills, becoming one of the Guild's elites was generally their limit. Meanwhile, there was a qualitative difference between the treatment an elite member received and what the core members enjoyed.

Not only did core members have priority on good equipment, but they also received a bountiful salary each month. One could earn far more Credits as a core member than they could as at an office job in a large corporation. One could say that core members were considered formal internal staff in a first-rate Guild while an elite was merely external staff. The benefits were on a completely different level.

"Black Flame, die!"

The Star Alliance's elites shouted excitedly. Thousands of ranged players began casting their Spells and nocking their arrows as they awaited Shi Feng's arrival.

As Shi Feng grew closer to the elite army, Spells and arrows began to fly towards him.

However, with Wind Rider's speed increase, Shi Feng had little trouble evading the Spells and arrows. Moreover, as these elite players launched their attacks based on their predictions of Shi Feng's movement, he only needed to fly out of range to avoid the attacks. Like this, Shi Feng advanced effortlessly, weaving his way through the rain of Spells and arrows.

From afar, it seemed as if Shi Feng danced amidst the countless Spells and arrows.

As a result of his frightening speed, Shi Feng left behind one afterimage after another, confusing the Star Alliance's elites. None of them could follow Shi Feng's movements.

Seeing Shi Feng approach, instead of being affected by Shi Feng's frightening momentum, Red Feather sneered as he took out a crimson Tier 2 Magic Scroll from his bag.

"Black Flame! You're the one who will die today!"

Red Feather acknowledged that none of his own Spells would land on the fast-moving Shi Feng. However, the Tier 2 Magic Scroll he held was a different story.

Tier 2 Spell, Holy Spears of Flame!

Suddenly, 36 Flame Spears appeared around Red Feather, the scorching fire increasing the surrounding temperature.

"Black Flame! Turn to ash!" Red Feather waved his staff when he saw that there were only 30 yards left between him and Shi Feng.

The 36 Flame Spears transformed into streams of light as they shot towards Shi Feng.

The Flame Spears were much faster than Shi Feng, taking only an instant to cross the 30 yards. The Flame Spears blocked any path of escape, giving Shi Feng no room to dodge.

Meanwhile, the Holy Spears of Flame was an unblockable Sacred Spell. Every spear rivaled a Lord ranked monster's power. It was an extremely powerful Spell.

Just as the Spears were about to strike Shi Feng, he suddenly disappeared. None of the Flame Spears hit their mark.

"You!" Before Red Feather could react, he discovered Shi Feng in front of him. Blue arcs of electricity circled Shi Feng's body, crackling as they sparked.

Tier 2 Taboo Skill, Instant Strike!

Shi Feng's figure dashed past Red Feather, leaving behind a blue afterimage that remained for a relatively long time.

Red Feather fell to the ground, his body lying motionless. His HP, which had been over 8,000, dropped to nothing. Meanwhile, Shi Feng's figure had long since departed, leaving the Star Alliance elites in a daze.

They would carry this scene forever in their minds.

While thousands of players bombarded him with attacks, Shi Feng had managed to kill Red Feather with one hit. All they could do was stare at Shi Feng's back as he departed! 

Chapter 746 - Breaking Through Flowing Water

The retreating elite members weren't the only ones who saw Shi Feng kill Red Feather.

The Secret Pavilion members, who had been preparing to depart from the battlefield, also saw the attack.

With a flash of blue light, the battle had been over. No one from the Secret Pavilion understood what had just happened.

Despite the thousands of elite players and Red Feather's Tier 2 Magic Scroll, Shi Feng had killed Red Feather instantly and left without so much as a scratch. It was simply inconceivable.

Shi Feng's attack was even faster than the one he had used to kill Sky.

Who could possibly contend with that kind of speed?

"Black Flame was still hiding his strength when he faced Sky?" Yuan Tiexin was shocked.

As for the Secret Pavilion's trainees, everyone was speechless, chills crawling down their spines.

Ordinary elite members might not have caught the crucial moment of the fight, but they had seen it.

Rather than his dodging capabilities, the speed of Black Flame's attack had been truly frightening.

They had only seen Black Flame brush past Red Feather. None of them had seen Black Flame's sword leave its sheath.

They stood too far away, so they had not been able to see the attack too clearly. However, Red Feather had taken the hit personally. He should have seen Black Flame's technique clearly.

Moreover, due to God's Domain, both ordinary players and experts' sharp intuition had improved significantly.

In the moment of death, this wild-like intuition could allow them to evade attacks. Expert players, in particular, had an easier time and a higher chance to evade.

Red Feather was an expert ranked on the God's Domain Experts List, which the Secret Pavilion published. His strength was extraordinary. Although he had yet to reach the Half-step Refinement Realm, he possessed bountiful combat experience with very high Basic Attributes to back it up. His ability to respond to danger was first-class among experts. Even Cold Autumn, a genius proclaimed by the Secret Pavilion, might not be as good as Red Feather in this aspect.

Yet, an expert with such fast reactions had not reacted in the least when Black Flame had attacked him. It was as if Red Feather's intuition had vanished during that moment. Only when he had died did he realize that he had been struck. This was the cause behind the Secret Pavilion members' shudders.

Although the Attack Speed Black Flame displayed when he faced Sky had been astounding, their eyes had only failed to keep up with Black Flame's sword. Now, however, they had not even realized when Black Flame had attacked. They had only seen the streak of rapidly dissipating blue light.

---

Meanwhile, Shi Feng, who had already pulled away from the elite army, was not particularly satisfied with his performance.

Sure enough, it won't be easy to replicate that sensation again. After killing Red Feather, Shi Feng recalled the move he used to kill Sky.

The principle behind One Spear, Six Transformations was similar to his Void Steps. One Spear, Six Transformations was a technique that used special attack methods to overload the opponent's brain with complex information, causing their brain to ignore this information, not allowing them to perceive the attack. Only when the spear truly threatened their life would their brain dispel this ignorance. However, at that point, the spears were already under their noses, and it was too late to react.

Even with his advantage of Attributes, Shi Feng could barely block two or three spear images. It was practically impossible to block all six.

Shi Feng was only able to employ such a technique with his body. However, Sky could employ the technique on his attacks; it was astounding. The body's Movement Speed was far inferior to its Attack Speed. Hence, it was exponentially more difficult to employ such a technique with one's attacks.

Moreover, for this kind of technique, the faster it was, the more difficult the technique was to use. One was required to carry out a series of complex motions within an extremely short period to execute the technique. Only with overly complex information would the brain refuse to accept the image, choosing to ignore it.

As someone who had a profound understanding of this technique, Shi Feng had no choice but to close his eyes and shut out all visual information. Instead, he chose to rely on his other sensory organs, his wealth of combat experience, and his sharp intuition to dodge Sky's One Spear, Six Transformations.

With his absolute advantage regarding Attributes, it was possible.

If he maintained a distance of roughly one yard away from Sky's attack range and evaded the instant he sensed the Berserker's spear displace the air around him, he would have sufficient time to dodge the incoming attacks.

This was precisely the reason that Shi Feng had avoided Sky's aggressive attacks while launching his own counterattack.

In a battle between experts, it was extremely dangerous to shut out one's visual sense because, among a person's five senses, one's sight absorbed the most information. Ordinary players relied on sight the most. If a player lost their sight, they would be crippled, wounding their combat power.

However, while Shi Feng had closed his eyes and evaded Sky's One Spear, Six Transformations, he discovered that his perception of the world had changed.

Without his sight, his concentration had focused on his surroundings. He no longer focused on his enemy. When he faced the threat of death, he discovered that his perception had become much clearer than before.

Although he had not been able to see Sky's movements, he had sensed the spear's position, which allowed him to have an increasingly easy time to dodge the Berserker's attacks.

Finally, when Sky executed One Spear, Nine Kills, Shi Feng realized what the Void Realm actually was.

At that moment, it was as if his environment were a part of his body. It felt like the martial arts concept of harmony between man and nature. At that moment, Sky's spear ceased to confuse him.

In the end, Shi Feng had opened the last door of the Realms of Refinement.

Void Realm!

After reaching the Void Realm, Shi Feng could see the general attack range of One Spear, Nine Kills with a single glance. Hence, Shi Feng brandished Killing Ray to block every single strike.

If comparing Attack Speed, Shi Feng, who had activated Thunder God's Descent, could not lose.

However, when Shi Feng landed the final strike against Sky, he noticed a crack in space. He unconsciously swung Killing Ray along that space. By the time he was aware of what was happening, Sky was already on the ground.

When he had killed Red Feather, however, he had not been able to relive that sensation. Only, the bonus speed that Instant Strike provided was simply astonishing, so much so that Red Feather could not react to his attack. Hence, Shi Feng was somewhat dissatisfied with this result.

After Shi Feng killed Red Feather, Red Feather's elite army fell into a turmoil. None of the elites knew what to do. Moreover, after watching Shi Feng's performance, many of them were scared witless as they scattered.

If killing Red Feather generated such a result, Shi Feng could not let the other legion commanders off the hook.

On top of his own battles, Shi Feng directed the Battle Demon to kill the Star Alliance and their allies' commanders. Very quickly, chaos broke out on the battlefield.

---

"Damn that Black Flame! He is trying to wipe us out!" After receiving the reports from the Star Alliance's various elite legions, even if Galaxy Past were a fool, he understood Shi Feng's goal. He then looked at the map of the Stoneclaw Mountains and said through the Guild chat, "Everyone, gather at the northwest mountain path! We'll break through as one!"

With mayhem overwhelming the battlefield, breaking through multiple exits would be too time-consuming. They would only play into Shi Feng's hands if they did so. Hence, Galaxy Past chose to gather the Star Alliance's army at the nearest exit path, focusing their power into a single point. With this, they could smash through Zero Wing's defense.

A moment later, under Galaxy Past's command, the Star Alliance's elite army gathered at the northwest mountain path and began to attack the Nine-star Polar Domain madly. Despite Zero Wing's elite members retaliating, the effect was minimal. The nine players maintaining the magic array lost their Mana rapidly.

After a few minutes, the Nine-star Polar Domain shattered. The Star Alliance members rejoiced.

"Huh? Isn't that Black Flame?!"

"It's not just Black Flame! Isn't that Fire Dance and Aqua Rose beside him?!"

When the magic array shattered, the players from the Star Alliance with sharp eyesight discovered Black Flame and Zero Wing's main force members in the middle of the mountain path. Their expressions sank instantly. 

Chapter 747 - Harvest of the War

Everyone had seen for themselves what kind of powerhouse Shi Feng was.

Despite watching from afar, they could not stop their shudder.

The fact that Shi Feng was able to kill Red Feather, while surrounded by thousands of elite players, and leave unharmed showed them that their lives were in Shi Feng's hands. If Shi Feng wanted to take any life here, nobody could stop him.

It was precisely this reason that kept the various players from the Star Alliance from rejoicing when they shattered the Nine-star Polar Domain. Right now, they only felt fear. Every one of them froze; none of dared to move forward by a single step.

One man had deterred an elite army of tens of thousands.

Moreover, this was no ordinary elite army. It was the elite army from the Star Alliance, a first-rate Guild. Every elite member was Level 32 or above. In the eyes of ordinary players, they were all experts.

Yet, against Shi Feng's might, these experts lost the will to fight.

Furthermore, Shi Feng had many famous experts standing with him.

Whether it was Fire Dance, Aqua Rose, and the other upper echelons of Zero Wing, each one of them was even more famous than their Guild Leader, Galaxy Past. Moreover, they all possessed dazzling battle records. Chances were that Zero Wing's upper echelons were stronger than their Guild Leader. How were they supposed to face these monsters?

Zero Wing loomed in front of them. Behind them, Ouroboros waited. The Star Alliance army was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Zero Wing only has several hundred people guarding the exit! So what if Zero Wing's main force has joined the fray?! Do they really think they can stop our 50,000-strong elite army?!" Galaxy Past suddenly shouted. "All of you, charge! Wipe them out!"

Galaxy Past's words jerked everyone out of their daze.

Although Zero Wing had a Tier 3 Demon, they had Barrier Scrolls, which could to suppress it. Dealing with Zero Wing's several hundred members would be a piece of cake.

Even if Shi Feng were more powerful and could kill a player with every attack, even if everyone let him, it would take a very long time to kill 10,000 players, not to mention 50,000.

Suddenly, the Star Alliance members swarmed towards Shi Feng.

The players from Zero Wing felt their hearts race as they watched the tide of players surging towards them.

They only had several hundred players on their side. Although their Guild's main force had arrived to assist them, it was impossible to hold off 50,000 players. Even lasting for a short time would be impressive. After all, battles between players demanded an extremely heavy burden of one's Stamina. Without Stamina, even the strongest expert would fall under an ordinary player's blade.

However, as soon as the Star Alliance's elites closed in, dozens of Intermediate Frost Grenades exploded among the crowd, freezing the mountain path and decorating it with hundreds of ice sculptures. As soon as they appeared, these ice sculptures shattered and disappeared.

Naturally, Shi Feng knew that it was impossible for several hundred players to hold off an army of 50,000. However, the Frost Grenades could delay the elite army for long enough for Ouroboros's army to arrive.

Each main force member carried 100 Intermediate Frost Grenades and ten Advanced Frost Grenades, which were significantly more powerful than Intermediate Frost Grenades. With the main force's strength and the large stock of Frost Grenades, it was child's play to hold back the Star Alliance's army until Ouroboros arrived.

"Black Flame!" Galaxy Past gnashed his teeth as the Frost Grenades appeared once more.

At this point, the fearsome might of the Frost Grenades had embedded itself into everyone's minds. Previously, Zero Wing's elite legions had damaged the various large Guilds significantly with these Frost Grenades. To deplete Zero Wing's supply, the various Guilds had sacrificed a large chunk of their armies.

If the Star Alliance showed its fear and halted its rampant assault, Zero Wing wouldn't need to waste their Grenades to buy time. However, if the Guild proceeded, it would pay a horrific price.

"Guild Leader, are we continuing the charge or not?" one of the Star Alliance's commanders asked.

"Charge! I refuse to believe that Zero Wing has that many tools!" Galaxy Past shouted, a chill running through his troops.

Neither advancing nor retreating was a good option. Hence, even if he knew that they would slam into a brick wall, they needed to charge past Zero Wing's blockade. If they waited until Ouroboros's army arrived, none of them would leave this place alive.

Suddenly, the Star Alliance launched a full charge. Zero Wing's main force, who were throwing Frost Grenades, had nearly buckled under the flood.

The Star Alliance's assault was fierce. These players showed zero regard for their lives as they pushed forward. Many MTs activated all of their Lifesaving Skills, significantly increasing their maximum HP and reducing the damage they took. The Intermediate Frost Grenades were already half as effective against players. Now, its damage reduced by another half. At this moment, each Intermediate Frost Grenade only dealt around -200 damage to the Alliance's MTs. With over 14,000 HP, not even 60 or 70 Intermediate Frost Grenades would be enough to kill them.

As a result, Zero Wing's 70-plus main force members threw their Grenades as fast as they could, barely holding off the assault.

As Shi Feng charged towards the Star Alliance's army, he upgraded the Seven Luminaries Ring's Aura of Fire to Level 9. As a result, Shi Feng's Level fell from 38 to 37. However, the Aura of Flame's Activatable Skill, Firestorm, instantly improved.

Previously, the Skill only inflicted 1,000% damage within a range of 30*30 yards for 6 seconds and had a Cooldown of five minutes.

After its upgrade, it inflicted 1,200% damage within a range of 45*45 yards for 6 seconds with a Cooldown of five minutes.

Although upgrading the Skill by two Levels did not increase its damage by much, the Skill's range had increased by 1.5 times. The Skill could now cover over half of the mountain path.

Suddenly, an inferno roared in the middle of the mountain path, transforming the frozen land into a scorching hell. Even an MT who had activated all of their Lifesaving Skills only lasted two seconds inside this inferno.

Six seconds later, the smoke cleared to reveal a large area empty of players but littered with weapons and equipment. The dropped items nearly formed a small mountain. The least valuable items were Level 25 Mysterious-Iron Equipment. It was mainstream equipment for God's Domain players right now, and each piece could sell for at least 40 or 50 Silver.

Meanwhile, nearly 5,000 pieces of equipment decorated the ground. Most of it had dropped from players who died under the Frost Grenade assault. Converted to Coins, the equipment was worth at least 2,500 Gold. Meanwhile, this harvest had only required a brief moment of effort.

Shi Feng also collected plenty of Immortal Souls.

Despite a limit of 10 yards, Shi Feng still managed to collect several hundred Immortal Souls. If he collected 10,000 souls, he would qualify to establish his own city.

A city was different from a town. A town's location was predetermined by the system. On the other hand, players could choose where they wished to build their city. Moreover, after capturing a town, one had to reconstruct the town from scratch, developing it into a city slowly. The time involved was long. On the other hand, the Sherlyn's quest would reward Shi Feng with the qualifications to construct a city.

Before him was the perfect chance to complete this quest.

There were two conditions to collect Immortal Souls. The first condition was the limit of 10 yards. The second was the Level limit. There could not be more than 5 Levels between Shi Feng and his prey. Currently, the Star Alliance's elites were at least Level 32. Meanwhile, Shi Feng was now Level 37. It just so happened that he could absorb all of their Immortal Souls. If he missed this opportunity, he would not find one like it again.

There weren't enough people before. Now that so many are here, I should get enough Immortal Souls. Shi Feng could not help his smile as he looked towards the distant Galaxy Past. Retrieving a blue Magic Scroll from his bag, he activated Wind Rider and dashed towards the Guild Leader. 

Chapter 748 - One Man's Strength

When the Firestorm swept through the land, it turned the mountain path into a river of fire.

Watching the players inside the fire turn to ash horrified everyone.

"This Spell sure is scary. Luckily, I wasn't with the front line," a Level 32 Shield Warrior in silver heavy armor gulped as he watched the flames in front of him.

He had only been a thread away from losing his life. Had he taken another step forward, he would have died like the Guardian Knight who had been in front of him a second ago. The Guardian Knight had over 12,000 HP and had Protection Blessing and Magic Resistance Aura activated. The Guardian Knight had even received a Truth Shield from a Cleric and a Defense Blessing from an Oracle. Yet, said Guardian Knight still evaporated in a matter of seconds.

"Huh? Someone's heading this way?" The heavy-armored Shield Warrior suddenly discovered a figure charging straight for him.

"Someone actually dares to face us alone?! Brothers, let's f*ck him up!" a Level 32 Berserker snarled as he raised his heavy sword.

The Berserker immediately received an enthusiastic response from his companions, they all took up a stance to welcome the approaching enemy.

After the enemy toyed with them using the Frost Grenades, resentment filled these players' hearts. Now that a fool charged at them blindly, this was the perfect chance to let off some steam.

The heavy-armored Shield Warrior squinted, trying to see the figure hidden in the smoke. When he glimpsed Shi Feng's general appearance, he shouted, terrified, "Wait! I think that's Black Flame!"

The dozen or so Berserkers and Shield Warriors, who had activated Charge, could not help their shock. However, as they had already activated their Skills and were only a dozen or so yards away from Shi Feng, retreat was no longer an option. Every one of them hardened their resolve as they aimed their most powerful Skills at Shi Feng.

To Shi Feng, however, these Berserkers and Shield Warriors' Attack Speeds were simply too low. Moreover, these dozen or so players had already entered Shi Feng's range. Now that Shi Feng was in the Void Realm, his perception allowed him to see the attack trajectories of these dozen or so players with a single glance.

Suddenly, Shi Feng's footwork changed. Like a cool breeze, he swept through the pincer attack. As he passed these players, the Killing Ray in his hand left behind several streaks of dazzling blue light on their bodies. On the other hand, none of the enemies' swords and sabers even touched Shi Feng.

In seconds, over a dozen plate-armor classes died, each dropping a weapon or piece of equipment as they fell to the ground. Over a dozen Immortal Souls flowed into the marking on Shi Feng's hand.

If these people had known that the players who Shi Feng killed would lose their Immortal Souls, not being able to log into the game for a few days, in addition to the usual Level and Skill Proficiency loss, they probably would have sacrificed themselves to the river of fire before letting Shi Feng get near them.

"How is this even possible...?" Everyone from the Star Alliance, who watched from a short distance away, were dumbfounded as Shi Feng finished off over a dozen players in a matter of seconds. They felt a weight that they had never experienced pressing down on them, their breathing growing haggard as a result.

Previously, they merely thought that Shi Feng was amazing and powerful. However, this kind of power was somewhat illusory for them. They did not fully understand it. However, only after facing this power themselves did they realize how massive a gap there was between them and Shi Feng. Now that they realized Shi Feng's true power, they nearly lost their grip on their weapons from fear. And although they tried to move, neither their hands nor their feet responded.

Suddenly, everyone thought that their previous idea of overwhelming Shi Feng with numbers was childish.

By the time they returned to their senses, Shi Feng had appeared right before them. In the next moment, numerous streaks of blue light bloomed on their bodies.

There sure are a lot of people. As Shi Feng glanced at the crowd of Star Alliance members blocking his way, he lifted Killing Ray and slashed downwards.

Thundering Flash!

Suddenly, several lightning strikes slithered towards the Star Alliance players, leaving behind dazzling electric arcs in the air.

With a single move, Shi Feng gained dozens of Immortal Souls and cleared a path for himself.

By the time the Star Alliance members reacted and tried to surround and contain Shi Feng, he had already dashed into the crowd and began a slaughter.

Chop!

Earth Splitter!

Thunder Flame Explosion!

Skywheel Sword!

Shi Feng leisurely harvested the Star Alliance's lives, one after another. Despite the elite members throwing all sorts of Control Skills at Shi Feng, who had activated the Aura of Space, none of these Control Skills had taken effect. As for the various attacks sent at him, with his Movement Speed, none of them even came close to hitting him.

Frequently, onlookers watched bodies soar into the air, hitting the ground with a thud far from the Star Alliance's elite army. Those who watched were stupefied.

Not only had Shi Feng's onslaught slowed the Star Alliance's offensive, but he had also killed a large fraction of the Star Alliance's elites. Shi Feng was unstoppable as he rushed through the Star Alliance's army. As Zero Wing's members watched the slaughter, their fighting spirits burned within them as they joined the offensive.

---

"He's so strong!"

"Black Flame can actually hold off the Star Alliance's assault by himself? Is he even a player?"

...

The players from the Secret Pavilion watching from afar were stunned. Shi Feng's astonishing performance even aroused many of the Pavilion's female players.

Despite being surrounded by enemies, not only did Shi Feng's rampage continue without pause, but he was also able to evade everyone's attacks in the limited space.

This feat was immensely difficult.

The Secret Pavilion's experts were quite confident that they could handle 100 elite players by themselves.

During the battle, they would try to choose the most favorable terrain for their fights, using it to funnel their opponents, limiting the number they had to face at a single time. This way, they would have a much easier time defending against and dodging attacks.

However, when the enemy surrounded them, the difficulty of defending and dodging increased exponentially.

They would most likely last only a moment before they died.

Even Cold Autumn, who was known as a genius of the new generation, would be lucky if he lasted even 20 seconds. However, Shi Feng had already lasted over a minute. Moreover, he had yet to receive any damage.

---

"Black Flame!" Complex emotions filled Galaxy Past's heart as he watched Shi Feng.

The Star Alliance's overall strength had clearly surpassed Zero Wing's by a large margin. The Alliance had even received assistance from various Guilds. They had amassed a force that not even Zero Wing and Ouroboros combined could defeat.

Yet, at the end of the day, he never would've imagined that...

In this war, involving hundreds of thousands of elite players, Zero Wing grasped the outcome, dominating simply because they had Shi Feng on their side.

It should have been impossible for a single player to change the outcome of a major Guild War, yet at this moment, that is exactly what had happened. Moreover, this domination occurred right before his very eyes.

"This will end now!" Killing intent flashed in Galaxy Past's eyes as he lifted his greatsword and charged at Shi Feng, shouting, "Everyone, attack him as one!"

Even Twilight Echo's Guild Leader, Glorious Echo, took action. Over a hundred experts also circled to Shi Feng's back stealthily. 

Chapter 749 - Wargod Possession

"Galaxy Past finally can't endure it." Yuan Tiexin could not help but smile as he watched Galaxy Past, who rushed at Shi Feng.

Although it was impossible for Shi Feng to wipe out the Star Alliance's army, even if Galaxy Past let the Swordsman be, doing so would wound the Alliance's morale severely.

If Galaxy Past did not stop Shi Feng's unrestrained slaughter, the elite members' opinions of their Guild might hit rock bottom.

When Ouroboros's army arrived, the Star Alliance would truly be finished.

However, with this opportunity, Yuan Tiexin would finally see Shi Feng's limits.

During the battles against Sky and Red Feather, Shi Feng had shown rapid improvements to his combat power.

Initially, Yuan Tiexin merely thought that Shi Feng's stunning performances against Sky and Red Feather were a result of his overwhelming Attributes. However, after seeing Shi Feng last so long while surrounded by elites, yet not receiving any damage...

This was no longer a matter of superior Attributes.

Without stepping into the Void Realm, which allowed one to perceive one's environment as if it were a part of their own body, it was impossible to dodge so many Spell and arrow attacks coming from behind accurately.

Yuan Tiexin suddenly realized something that made his skin crawl.

The Secret Pavilion had collected plenty of information regarding Zero Wing's Guild Leader, Black Flame. Yuan Tiexin, himself, had read the reports on Black Flame multiple times.

In the beginning, Black Flame had gained his fame in Star-Moon Kingdom through his identity as a forger, earning himself the title of Star-Moon Kingdom's Chief Forger.

However, as Black Flame began to appear in battle, everything had changed.

Black Flame had relied on absolute strength to defeat his enemies. Through his achievement of killing his enemies with a single hit, he had gained the title of One-hit Asura.

However, Black Flame's performance had been a result of his excellent equipment and very high Basic Attributes. As for his combat standards, he was merely a top-tier expert in the eyes of the general public. He had not even been a match for Cold Autumn when it came to combat standards. He was only someone with a wealth of combat experience. He could not hold the attention of the major powers in God's Domain.

Yet, as he participated in more battles, Black Flame's combat standard surprised the public again and again.

He had gone from Half-step Refinement Realm to reaching the Refinement Realm fully, then entering the Flowing Water Realm as well. As his battle count increased, Black Flame's abilities increased.

Now, he had reached the Void Realm...

Yuan Tiexin refused to believe that Black Flame's battles had just been acts. Moreover, experts who had set foot into the Realms of Refinement had their own pride. They would not suppress their strength to deal with a weakling. There was no point to that.

Since it wasn't an act, Yuan Tiexin could only think of one possibility.

Zero Wing's Guild Leader, Black Flame, had improved with an intensely terrifying speed. Compared to the horror of Black Flame's Basic Attributes, his growth was what truly frightened people.

The Secret Pavilion considered Cold Autumn a genius because he was young. In addition, despite training with the Pavilion for less than a year, he had already reached the Half-step Refinement Realm and could break through to the Refinement Realm at any moment.

Cold Autumn's growth was even faster than Yuan Tiexin's when he had been young.

But, what about Black Flame?

How long had it been since God's Domain launched?

In less than two months, Black Flame had gone from someone who was not even a Half-step Refinement Realm expert to a true Void Realm expert.

Was he even still human?

Even Martial Dragon, someone whom the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had considered a genius that only appeared once every ten years, would not be a match for Black Flame.

In the future, Black Flame might very well become one of the virtual gaming world's monsters.

With that in mind, Yuan Tiexin decided that, even if Zero Wing suffered defeat in this war, he would offer to aid Zero Wing in securing Stone Forest Town, taking the opportunity to get associated with the Guild.

God's Domain, as a virtual reality game, was massive. It was different from the virtual reality games they had seen in the past. Even a Super Guild should not consider the idea of monopolizing the game. Moreover, the waters of the virtual gaming world were relatively deep. Now that various major international corporations had put a foot in as well, the virtual gaming world had become far more complicated.

If the Secret Pavilion could gain a powerful ally like Zero Wing, it would benefit the Pavilion's development in the future. The Pavilion could seize more opportunities and gain a stronger influence.

---

Just as Yuan Tiexin plotted to strengthen the relationship between the Secret Pavilion and Zero Wing, over a hundred figures approached Shi Feng with astonishing speed.

"I'll hold his attention! Find an opportunity to attack!" Galaxy Past commanded through the team chat as he approached Shi Feng. He then retrieved a deep-blue potion from his bag.

Shi Feng might be able to fight with relative ease while surrounded by elite players, but it would be a different story if he were surrounded by expert players.

It was extremely difficult for elite players to push their virtual bodies to their limits. However, this was not an issue for experts. They could do so easily.

Naturally, Shi Feng had no trouble with elite players if he fought with everything he had.

However, it was a vastly different story against experts who also pushed themselves to their limits.

"Black Flame, I'll teach you that a first-rate Guild is not easy to deal with!" Galaxy Past shouted. He then dumped the deep-blue potion down his throat. At the same time, he activated his Berserk Skill, Wargod Possession. Suddenly, not only did his body grow a size larger, but it also released a brilliant golden glow. His aura was even stronger than a Lord ranked monster, and this sudden change sent a ripple of shock through the Star Alliance's army.

Since the various Guilds had learned of Zero Wing's Berserk Skills, they had spared no effort to collect their own.

Galaxy Past had even mobilized the entire Guild's strength and lost several thousand elite players to obtain Wargod Possession, the Berserk Skill that all Berserkers dreamed of having.

Wargod Possession was a Tier 1 Taboo Skill. Its effects could even rival an ordinary Tier 2 Berserk Skill. Moreover, the Skill was very well-suited for the Berserker class.

Upon activation, it instantly increased the user's Strength by 150%, all other Attributes by 80%, and Defense by 200%. Moreover, the less HP the user had, the higher the Strength bonus the user received. The only shortcoming the Skill had was its short duration of 20 seconds. Once those 20 seconds passed, the user would enter a weakened state for one hour. The Skill also had a 24-hour Cooldown. It was a forbidden Skill that should only be used during the most crucial moments.

However, to deal with Shi Feng, who possessed frightening Attributes, Galaxy Past had no choice but to activate this Berserk Skill.

As insurance, Galaxy Past drank an Extreme Speed Potion, a rare, high-level potion that he had obtained from a quest. The potion increased Movement Speed by 100% and Attack Speed by 150% for 30 seconds with a Cooldown of one hour.

With the effects of Wargod Possession and the Extreme Speed Potion, it was not entirely impossible to kill Shi Feng.

Moreover, not long ago, Shi Feng had used his own Berserk Skill.

Berserk Skills generally had very long Cooldowns. Only a short time had elapsed since Shi Feng had last used his. It was impossible for his Berserk Skill to have cooled down already.

Without a Berserk Skill, even if Shi Feng's Attributes were more powerful, he was not a match for Galaxy Past, who had activated a Tier 1 Taboo Skill.

"Black Flame! It's time you know what it feels like to have your Attributes overwhelmed!" Galaxy Past activated Charge and appeared before Shi Feng like a ghost. With a malevolent smile, he swung down his Dark-Gold ranked greatsword, Weeping Silver, violently.

Boom!

When Weeping Silver descended, an explosion shook the area. The ground beneath Shi Feng's feet shattered, revealing long sword marks. A Level 32 Shield Warrior, who had accidentally collided with the sword aura, lost his life instantly.

Galaxy Past's horrific power caused everyone to shudder. 

Chapter 750 - Berserk

Galaxy Past's performance shocked every player who saw it.

Nobody had ever imagined that Galaxy Past was so powerful.

Not only was his Strength unmatched, but he was also so fast that people only caught a glimpse of him as he moved. Despite using Violent Strike, one of the most common Berserker Skills, he displayed more power than an AOE Attack Skill.

Even a Lord of the same Level would pale in the face of such destructive power.

"Black Flame is done for sure this time!"

This scene cleared away the Star Alliance's defeated mood.

"As expected of the Star Alliance's Guild Leader. He actually hid such a card so well." Glorious Echo was also impressed. Although he had his own trump card, it was slightly inferior to Galaxy Past's.

With such Strength and speed, even if Black Flame had not died from the sudden blow, he would be heavily injured.

The hundred or so expert players stilled their footsteps, thinking that the battle had ended, that their help was no longer needed.

When the dust settled, however, a man, wearing a Black Cloak and wielding an emerald longsword, stood before Galaxy Past, unharmed.

"He blocked it? How?" Everyone's jaws nearly fell to the ground.

Shi Feng had actually blocked Galaxy Past's attack, which had been stronger than a Lord's.

Everyone had thought that Shi Feng might evade the attack, but never had they thought Shi Feng would block it with his sword. Moreover, Shi Feng was still unscathed. Only the ground beneath his feet had fragmented, the cracks spreading out across five yards in every direction. From the state of the ground, they knew how heavy Galaxy Past's Violent Strike had been.

Such immense Strength! Shi Feng felt his hand, which held onto Killing Ray, go numb.

Although he had sensed Galaxy Past charge at him, he had not expected the Berserker's Strength and speed to increase by so much. With that kind of speed, it had been too late to dodge. If not for his perception of his environment having sharpened, he would not have executed Parry in time to block Galaxy Past's attack.

Parry was considered one of a Swordsman's Lifesaving Skills. It could neutralize one instance of damage coming from ahead of the user. However, the user would not be exempt from the impact. If Galaxy Past's attack had struck Shi Feng's body, even with his high Defense and his HP being over 14,500, he would not have died, but he wouldn't have had much HP left, either.

"I want to see just how many Lifesaving Skills you possess!" Seeing that his surprise attack had failed, Galaxy Past, swung Weeping Silver and executed Horizontal Slash. Not only did Horizontal Slash have a larger attack range than Violent Strike, but it was also significantly faster.

With the boost from the Extreme Speed Potion, Weeping Silver transformed into a streak of silver light as it shot towards Shi Feng. Galaxy Past completely disregarded his own safety, revealing all sorts of weak points as he attacked. He was fully intent on trading Shi Feng a hit for a hit.

In response, Shi Feng used Silent Steps and avoided the devouring white light. Reappearing behind Galaxy Past, he swung Killing Ray down on the Berserker.

While using a Skill, players were highly susceptible to revealing weak points if they were not adept with a Skill's movements.

Galaxy Past experienced this for himself.

Transforming into a streak of electric-blue light, Killing Ray descended with frightening speed. Even if Galaxy Past had wanted to block the attack, it was too late.

However, as if he had expected this, Galaxy Past immediately executed Whirlwind Slash, spinning with his greatsword. He ignored the blue light descending towards him, fully intent on trading damage for damage.

In terms of Strength, Galaxy Past had an absolute advantage. Hence, if they traded blows, Galaxy Past would come out victorious.

Shi Feng had no intentions of granting Galaxy Past's wish. With a thought, he activated Defensive Blade.

Boom!

The blue light slammed into Galaxy Past's body, stealing over 2,300 of the Berserker's HP. Meanwhile, although Weeping Silver found its mark, Shi Feng's Defensive Blade blocked the damage.

Such high Defense. Shi Feng clicked his tongue.

He wielded the Epic Weapon, Killing Ray. His One-handed Sword Mastery had even reached the Basic Sword King standard, which increased his damage with the one-handed sword by 80%. He could easily finish off a cloth-armor class of the same level with a single hit. Yet, his attack had only inflicted around -2,300 damage.

Galaxy Past currently had 21,000 HP. Shi Feng's single attack had merely devoured slightly over one-tenth of his HP.

Just as Shi Feng intended to get a few more hits in, he noticed a Guardian Knight's Protection Blessing suddenly enveloping Galaxy Past. A Cleric's Truth Shield and an Oracle's Defense Blessing also fell over the Berserker. A Healing Light touched Galaxy Past's head, instantly recovering his HP to full.

Quickly, Shi Feng brandished Killing Ray and launched a barrage of attacks.

However, all he managed to do was shatter the Truth Shield. He was still short of shattering the Defense Blessing.

An Oracle's Defense Blessing and a Cleric's Truth Shield were different. The Truth Shield could protect the target's entire body, and the caster's Mana determined how much damage it could absorb. Defense Blessing, on the other hand, could only block attacks coming from one direction. However, the target's maximum HP determined how much damage it could absorb. A Tier 1 Defense Blessing could absorb damage equal to 30% of the target's maximum HP.

Since Galaxy Past had 21,000 HP, a Defense Blessing cast on him could absorb over 6,000 damage.

Shi Feng frowned slightly.

They were currently surrounded by members of the Star Alliance. If Shi Feng were facing an elite MT, even if said MT activated Shield Wall, he was confident that he could finish off the MT quickly without giving the healers a chance to heal him. Now, however, Galaxy Past's Defense was simply too high. The Berserker's HP had also increased to 21,000, and he had the damage reduction from Protection Blessing. It was practically impossible to kill Galaxy Past before the healers recovered his HP.

Although the predicament troubled Shi Feng, Galaxy Past was shocked.

He finally realized just how massive the gap was between him and Shi Feng. Shi Feng's Attack Power was insanely high. Wargod Possession had increased Galaxy Past's Defense by 200%. It would be impressive if expert Berserkers could even deal around -900 damage to him, yet Shi Feng had dealt over -2,300 damage with a single attack, nearly three times higher than those expert Berserkers. If not for the aid from the surrounding experts, he might have lost close to half of his HP from that exchange.

"Galaxy, I'll help you," Glorious Echo had also noticed how massive the gap was between Galaxy Past and Shi Feng in terms of combat standards. Even with the surrounding experts' help, it would not be easy to take down Shi Feng. Hence, as an additional precaution, Glorious Echo activated his Berserk Skill as well, his Attributes soaring instantly. Although his Berserk Skill, Evil God's Power, could not compare to Galaxy Past's Wargod Possession, it was still a very rare Berserk Skill.

Moreover, Glorious Echo was a Shield Warrior. His normal HP was already close to 13,000. After activating the Berserk Skill, his HP rose to over 26,000. He also radiated a bloody miasma, which formed a faint layer of blood armor around his body, increasing his Defense significantly.

Glorious Echo then revealed a Tier 2 blue Magic Scroll and used it.

[Lightning Speed] (Tier 2 Magic Scroll)

Increases the target's Movement Speed by 80%, Attack Speed by 120%, and damage by 20% for 30 seconds.

(Cannot be stacked)

Cooldown: 1 hour

When the Star Alliance members saw the two Guild Leaders activate their own Berserk Skills, their confidence rose.

The expert players a short distance away began to support the two Guild Leaders, casting buffs and heals. At this moment, it was practically impossible to kill Galaxy Past and Glorious Echo.

"Black Flame, today will be the day you die!" Glorious Echo used Charge, following up with a Justice Roar and releasing a dazzling glow as he forced Shi Feng to focus on him. If he didn't, Glorious Echo's Strength and speed would increase significantly, and killing Shi Feng would become much easier.

Yet, as soon as Glorious Echo arrived before Shi Feng, he discovered that Shi Feng was smiling. That smile told him two things: everything was under Shi Feng's control, and they had foolishly jumped into Shi Feng's trap.

Heavenly Dragon's Power!

Suddenly, numerous golden dragon scales covered Shi Feng's body, the strength of his aura rising exponentially. It felt like they had woken an ancient beast, and one could not help but shiver when this aura swept over them. 

Chapter 751 - Ancient, Broken Sword

"Crap! He still has a Berserk Skill!"

Galaxy Past was shocked. Hurriedly, he lifted his greatsword and swung it towards Shi Feng, taking the opportunity to assist Glorious Echo.

Just as frightened by this sudden development, Glorious Echo instinctively lifted his massive, golden shield.

A blue streak of light flashed across them.

Boom!

Glorious Echo was forced back by six steps, each step leaving a deep footprint in the ground.

-527!

Although the damage was small, practically negligible compared to Glorious Echo's 26,000 HP, Glorious Echo's shield hand was numb and trembling. A grave expression crossed over the Shield Warrior's face.

After activating Evil God's Power, his Defense had received a massive boost. In addition, as a Shield Warrior, he possessed Skills and equipment that reduced the damage he took. After activating Shield Wall, the damage was reduced by another 60%. He had even blocked Shi Feng's attack with his shield. And Shi Feng still dealt over -500 damage to him.

In terms of Strength, Shi Feng was practically a humanoid Boss.

If Glorious Echo had not blocked Shi Feng's attack, his HP might have dropped by a frightening amount.

Suddenly, Galaxy Past's Weeping Silver slashed at Shi Feng.

Just before the streak of silver light bit into its target, Weeping Silver suddenly stopped before Shi Feng, the weapon unable to proceed by even an inch. Unfortunately for Galaxy Past, Defensive Blade had intercepted the attack.

"That damned Lifesaving Skill!" Galaxy Past's previous excited expression vanished. He had forgotten that Shi Feng's Defensive Blade was still in effect.

Xiu!

This time, a streak of blue light bloomed on Galaxy Past.

A damage of -2,054 points appeared above Galaxy Past's head, shocking the Berserker. Hurriedly, Galaxy Past brandished his sword in an attempt to block Shi Feng's follow-up attacks.

When Shi Feng brandished Killing Ray, none of them could even see the sword's afterimage. They could only see the faint blue arcs of lightning that trailed after the Epic Weapon.

Numerous blue lights streaked across Galaxy Past's body.

Although Galaxy Past was very fast thanks to the Extreme Speed Potion, he was a Berserker. Even after drinking the Potion, he was only slightly faster than Shi Feng. When Killing Ray's Lightning effect triggered, Galaxy Past could not see the weapon's attack trajectory at all. Despite his desperate attempts to defend himself, Galaxy Past only avoided a few of Shi Feng's attacks.

-4,719.

-1,984.

-2,018.

...

Galaxy Past's HP fell rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he had lost over half of his total HP. In the next moment, however, several heals soothed his pain, each recovering over 3,000 HP. In an instant, Galaxy Past recovered to full HP.

"Hahaha! Black Flame, stop wasting your time. You can't kill me!" At first, Galaxy Past had thought he was dead for sure. For a moment there, he had completely forgotten about the numerous expert players supporting him from the sidelines. As long as Shi Feng couldn't instant-kill him, these expert healers would recover his HP immediately. Knowing this, Galaxy Past's confidence grew. Growing bolder, he took the initiative to attack Shi Feng, disregarding the Swordsman's attacks.

Watching, the frightened Glorious Echo also calmed down and continued charging at Shi Feng.

Although neither of them was a match for Shi Feng, as long as they could land one hit out of the dozens of attacks they sent, they would obtain their victory.

With both of them having such high Defense and Protection Blessings, I won't be able to kill them within a short time. Sure enough, Heavenly Dragon's Power alone won't be enough. Shi Feng sighed. Suddenly, he leaped and broke away from the two Guild Leaders.

"He's trying to escape! Stop him!" Galaxy Past shouted as Shi Feng fled.

His Wargod Possession had a very short duration. If he could not defeat Shi Feng within that duration, they would definitely lose this fight.

Hearing Galaxy Past's command, the Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights activated their Lifesaving Skills and rushed at Shi Feng.

"Scram!" Shi Feng shouted. Turning, he swung Killing Ray violently.

Hurricane!

[Hurricane]
Deals 200% + (30% * Hurricane Energy stacks) weapon damage in a 20-yard cone and lifts all targets struck into the air, preventing movement for 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 10 minutes.

This was one of the Tier 1 Swordsman Set Equipment's Additional Skills, Hurricane.

As Shi Feng had long since built up 10 stacks of Hurricane Energy during his previous attacks, he used Hurricane at its maximum power.

Instantly, the dozens of Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights were blown into the air.

Despite these players having activated Shield Wall and Protection Blessing, they still received over -15,000 points of damage. Some had even received a critical hit of more than -30,000 points. Instantly, every one of these MTs died before they hit the ground.

However, Galaxy Past and Glorious Echo had used this brief opportunity to catch up with Shi Feng.

I finally have some space. Shi Feng glanced at the approaching Berserker and Shield Warrior. He then retrieved the Dragon Slayer Potion, which he had obtained from the Disaster Treasure Chest, and drank it.

[Dragon Slayer Potion] (Consumable)

Increases all Attributes by 100% and all Resistances by 100 points for 1 minute.

Cooldown: 3 hours

In reality, Shi Feng didn't need to use the Dragon Slayer Potion to deal with Galaxy Past and Glorious Echo. He could simply activate Blade Liberation. However, the 20-second weakening effect after the Skill's duration was a risk that Shi Feng could not afford. Hence, he toughened his resolve and chose to drink the Dragon Slayer Potion instead. That way, he would not receive any negative side-effects that would hamper his combat power later on.

After drinking the potion, Shi Feng felt his entire body brim with energy. It felt as if his every attack contained enough power to decimate heaven and earth.

"Black Flame, you won't escape!"

After activating Charge and arriving before Shi Feng, Galaxy Past executed the Berserker's strongest Tier 1 Skill, Lethal Blow.

However, Shi Feng suddenly stopped running. With double the Attributes now, Shi Feng turned around and evaded Galaxy Past's Lethal Blow easily. The Killing Ray then transformed into numerous blue lights that snaked towards the Berserker. Before Galaxy Past realized what had happened, Killing Ray had struck numerous times.

-4,418.

-9,578.

-9,495.

...

In the blink of an eye, Galaxy Past's HP hit rock bottom, his body falling to the ground. The healers standing at the rear had not even had the time to heal him. When Galaxy Past died, he dropped a piece of equipment and an ancient, broken sword with a golden hilt.

Suddenly, the entire battlefield fell silent. The Star Alliance members who had tried to block Shi Feng's path revealed expressions of disbelief.

The Guild Leader they revered had been killed!

When Glorious Echo saw his companion hit the dirt, he froze in his tracks, his will to fight vanishing. Shi Feng's terrifying power left him thoroughly shaken.

Shi Feng noticed that Galaxy Past had dropped something extraordinary, so he took the opportunity to pick up the Berserker's loot while everyone was still caught in their stupor.

They all watched in a daze as Shi Feng collected the drops. Nobody dared try to stop him.

Seeing as nobody wanted to approach him, Shi Feng smiled faintly as he took a blue Magic Scroll out of his bag.

Shi Feng had also obtained this from the Disaster Treasure Chest.

[Thunder's Wrath] (Tier 3 Magic Scroll)

Deals devastating damage within a radius of 100 yards for 5 seconds.

Although this Magic Scroll was powerful, it had a channeling time of nearly one second. During this time, he could not afford any interruptions. This moment, however, was the perfect opportunity to use it.

While everyone struggled with their shock, Shi Feng unfurled the Magic Scroll and channeled the Spell. With himself as the center, he activated Thunder's Wrath.

"Crap! Run, quickly!" Glorious Echo shouted in a panic after realizing what was about to happen.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

To finish Shi Feng off, the Star Alliance had gathered most of its experts around him. If Shi Feng attempted to hunt down these experts one by one, they would have fled.

If he used Thunder's Wrath, however, none of them would get away.

Suddenly, a gigantic magic array appeared in the sky. Countless lightning bolts began to descend.

However, area-wide attacks like these usually required around two or three seconds to reach their full potential. During this period, the lightning strikes that snaked down from the sky would gradually increase. Hence, not all players within the affected area would take damage the instant the Magic Scroll activated.

Upon activating Thunder's Wrath, Shi Feng switched the Aura of Space to the Aura of Earth and activated Absolute Defense. The Skill's duration was just enough to last through the duration of Thunder's Wrath. Shi Feng then dashed towards the Star Alliance's expert players.

Lightning bolts descended, one after another. Even Glorious Echo, who had the highest HP and Defense among every player present, was vaporized when one of these bolts struck him.

Shi Feng weaved his way through the lightning storm as he collected the experts' Immortal Souls. This fed his current collection rapidly.

By the time Thunder's Wrath ended, the Star Alliance's expert players had been wiped out. 

Chapter 752 - Star-Moon's Number One

"Black Flame really is vicious!" Yuan Tiexin could not help his sigh as he looked at the charred corpses in the distance. "The Star Alliance is done for this time."

Thousands of Star Alliance elite members had died in an instant.

Who knew how much equipment was scattered across the ground?

If converted to Coins, just how much one would have to spend to purchase all of that equipment?

To the Star Alliance, however, the lost items were only secondary. To deal with Black Flame, the Star Alliance had gone all out and sent most of its experts to surround Shi Feng. Yet, with just one blow, Shi Feng had annihilated all of them. This was an irrecoverable blow to the Star Alliance.

Without these upper echelons commanding the war, the Star Alliance's army would definitely fall into chaos. Zero Wing and Ouroboros's armies would slaughter the survivors.

After players died in God's Domain, they could not contact those still alive in the game. They could only do so after they revived.

However, unlike in Dungeons, players would not revive immediately upon death. They needed to wait for half an hour before they could return to the world of the living.

By the time half an hour had passed, the war in the Stoneclaw Mountains would, most likely, be over. At that time, there would be no point in returning.

Even Yuan Tiexin could not begin to estimate how many elite members the Star Alliance would lose in this war.

However, what Yuan Tiexin did not know was that Shi Feng had not only killed the Star Alliance's experts, but he had also absorbed many of their Immortal Souls. As a result, these upper echelons would not be able to log into God's Domain for some time.

After losing a war, a Guild did not need to focus on its losses, but whether or not it could stabilize itself.

If a Guild's upper echelons could not log into God's Domain for two or three days, even Shi Feng could not imagine the chaos that would befall the Guild. Not only had the Star Alliance lost the war, but its upper echelons had also gone missing. Who would want to remain in such a Guild?

This was also why plundering Immortal Souls had become a taboo among players in God's Domain in the past.

---

Meanwhile, the reports of Shi Feng wiping out the Star Alliance's upper echelons with Thunder's Wrath had begun to spread throughout the official forums.

Instantly, the Star-Moon Kingdom forums gone into an uproar.

"Black Flame is too godly!"

"Damn! Black Flame can win, even surrounded by enemies?! Is he even human?!"

"If Zero Wing has such an expert, it won't have any problems growing stronger!"

"Please, carry me!"

"Please accept me as your disciple, God Black Flame!"

"Although I've just joined God's Domain, I am going to join Zero Wing no matter what!"

...

Only minutes after Black Flame's battle video posted, it had been upvoted to the number one spot on Star-Moon Kingdom's forums. Meanwhile, the majority of the kingdom's players desperately wanted to join Zero Wing.

Aside from focusing on Black Flame, players had also grown curious about Zero Wing's other experts and had begun to investigate the Guild.

The moment they checked, however, they were frightened.

Zero Wing had three people who had reached the eighth floor of the Divine Colosseum's Trial Tower!

If one were a veteran player in God's Domain, they would be very enthusiastic about the Divine Colosseum's Trial Tower. The Trial Tower had become an important indicator for players' comparisons against each other.

For players new to God's Domain, it was practically a dream to clear even the first floor.

As for veterans, reaching the third floor was their limit; whereas elite players could roughly reach the fourth floor. Meanwhile, ordinary players already considered elite players experts. When forming a party to raid a Dungeon, any party that had an elite player would be the envy of others. An elite player could increase the party's overall strength, making it a piece of cake to clear a Hard Mode Party Dungeon.

As for the experts who had reached the fifth floor, ordinary players looked up at them as if they were stars.

A city would only have several hundred experts; some even had less than a hundred. NPC cities' player population could range anywhere from 70,000 to over 1,000,000. One could imagine just how rare such experts were. In other words, these experts were the top players in an NPC city.

Currently, in most of the cities in Star-Moon Kingdom, the highest floor any player had reached was the Trial Tower's sixth floor.

Only the major NPC cities with a player population of over 1,000,000 would have seventh-floor experts.

Yet, Zero Wing actually had three people who had managed to reach the Trial Tower's eighth floor.

The players of Star-Moon Kingdom struggled to accept this fact.

It was impossible for ordinary players to encounter true experts. Hence, they usually used the Trial Tower as a method of judging experts because the Divine Colosseum's Tower did not test a player's Attributes or equipment; rather, it tested a player's true power. The difference between players was made clear.

Each of the Trial Tower's floors was more difficult than the last.

Veteran players could only reach the third floor after fighting through hell and high water. Hence, elite players who reached the fourth floor were treated like experts.

However, what about those who managed to reach the eighth floor?

No one could even imagine how much power these players had.

The Assassin Fire Dance, the Cleric Violet Cloud, and the Cursemancer Aqua Rose[1]... Beneath them were quite a few seventh-floor experts such as the Berserker Rampant Blade, the Berserker Shadow Sword, the Guardian Knight Cola, the Shield Warrior Ye Wumian, the Ranger Minor Wind, the Assassin Flying Shadow, the Elementalist Su Qianliu, and the Cursemancer Blackie. Zero Wing also had many sixth-floor experts...

Only after a detailed investigation did anyone discover that Zero Wing housed so many top-tier experts.

"Zero Wing is simply spectacular! There are actually so many experts in a single Guild!"

For a time, the many players in Star-Moon Kingdom began thinking that, if they wanted to become an expert, they would only have a chance at fulfilling that dream by joining Zero Wing. After all, wasn't Zero Wing's Guild Leader Star-Moon Kingdom's top expert?

Aside from Aqua Rose, who used to be in Twilight Echo, nobody had ever heard of Zero Wing's experts before the Guild established. After some research, they discovered that these players had undergone a heaven-defying change after they had joined Zero Wing.

This discovery made many players who had withdrawn from Zero Wing to join other Guilds regret their actions dearly.

They had begun from the same starting point, yet because of their unfortunate decision, their past companions had become the experts that they revered.

---

Inside the Stoneclaw Mountains:

After Thunder's Wrath dissipated and the Star Alliance's upper echelons were dead, chaos descended on the Alliance's elite army. The Guild's elite players scattered, fleeing in all directions and discarding their attempt to charge towards Zero Wing's blockade. Moreover, Ouroboros's army had finally caught up and had begun to trap the Alliance's elite army.

As Shi Feng had activated Heavenly Dragon's Power and had drunk the Dragon Slayer Potion, he could not idle and let the effects go to waste. He charged into the Star Alliance's elite army and began slaughtering players like a ferocious beast. On the other hand, none of the Alliance's elite members showed any will to defend themselves. They only wanted to escape the Stoneclaw Mountains.

As Shi Feng massacred the Alliance's elite members, the system notification he had long awaited for finally arrived.

System: Congratulations! You have collected 10,000 Immortal Souls. Rewarding Basic Tyrant title.

TL Notes:

[1]the Cursemancer Aqua Rose: not a typo. The author has finally remembered that he originally introduced Aqua Rose as a Cursemancer and suddenly decided to change her back. 

Chapter 753 - Title: Sword King

I've finally finished this quest. Shi Feng breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the system notification before him.

Although it was not difficult to kill 10,000 players in the time-frame Sharlyn had set, it would be very time-consuming if he had gone out of his way to do so.

Where would Shi Feng, who already had his hands full with his own tasks, find the time to hunt random players?

Now that he had completed the Epic Quest, Immortal Crown, the weight bearing down on Shi Feng's heart lifted significantly.

After all, he still had an extremely deadly Legendary Quest waiting for him.

Lord of Balrog's Fall!

If he did not gain the promotion to Tier 2 quickly, only death awaited him.

Failing an Epic Quest would partially cripple a player. However, there was still a chance to recover from the blow. A Legendary Quest, on the other hand, was different. If failed, the penalty would render the player's account useless. In the past, even though many players had encountered the opportunity to undertake a Legendary Quest, they had hesitated for a very long time before making a decision. There were multiple known instances where players, who had not been strong enough, had accepted a Legendary Quest. In the end, they had to delete their accounts and start all over again. Hence, in the past, many players had chosen to pass on the opportunity to challenge a Legendary Quest, either challenging it later or selling the quest's information to stronger, bolder players.

A Legendary Quest's rewards were incredibly bountiful. Normally, they would reward either a Fragmented Legendary or Legendary item. These were invaluable to a player, and they could push a player's combat power to the next level. Hence, one could gain quite a profit by selling information about such quests.

In the past, many players who had known that they were too weak would sell these Legendary Quests to large Guilds, earning Coins or items to strengthen themselves instead.

Others had scolded these players for being foolish. After all, just how much of a boost would a Legendary item offer a player?

Even so, many people had still envied such players. After all, it was extraordinarily difficult to complete a Legendary Quest as an individual. Obtaining one or two pieces of Epic Equipment without bearing any of the risks that came with a Legendary Quest definitely made it a worthwhile trade.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A small advantage was more beneficial than a massive risk. Improving one's strength was the priority.

However, a Legendary Quest was not as easy as an Epic Quest.

Epic Quests were similar to Epic items in God's Domain, while Legendary Quests were similar to Legendary items. Although Epic items were very high-end, they would gradually become commonplace among the general populace. A Legendary item, on the other hand, would remain a rarity. Not many players would ever encounter one without heaven-defying luck.

Moreover, the players' decisions to sell the Legendary Quests had been proven a wise one because, among the large Guilds that had purchased these quests, 90% of them had failed to complete their Legendary Quests even after suffering tremendous losses. Many of those Guilds' experts had been forced to start all over again.

Shi Feng knew of a few Legendary Quests he could pick up. However, he wasn't quite strong enough right now, so he would not try to take these quests on just yet. Yet, Shi Feng never imagined that the Legendary Quest that he tried so hard to avoid would come looking for him instead.

"Basic Tyrant title?" Shi Feng was reminded of the Tyrant Bear Cola when he saw this new title.

In the past, Cola had ranked at the top among the MTs in Star-Moon Kingdom. However, this achievement had not been due to his excellent combat techniques; rather, it had been his title.

That title was Tyrant.

However, Tyrant Bear Cola had never revealed his title's origin in the past.

Now, Shi Feng finally understood how he obtained it.

[Basic Tyrant] (Title)

When title is in use, Fortitude +30, maximum Stamina increased by 20%, and all Attributes increased by 5%.

(Requires 100,000 Immortal Souls to upgrade by one Level.)

What a powerful title. Shi Feng was stunned.

This was only the Basic ranked Tyrant title, yet, not only did it already increase a player's Fortitude by 30 points, but it also increased their maximum Stamina by 20%. Just how powerful were the Intermediate and Advanced Tyrant titles?

Both Fortitude and Stamina were Hidden Attributes.

In the past, many people had paid massive prices to add just one point to their Hidden Attributes. Yet, one could obtain both Stamina and Fortitude from just a single title. Not to mention, the Tyrant title also increased a player's Basic Attributes.

In God's Domain, although Basic Attributes were important, Hidden Attributes were far more powerful. It was especially true for expert players.

Fortitude could reduce the consumption of a player's Stamina and Concentration, whereas Stamina could extend the time a player could spend in battle.

Fights between experts of similar strength almost never ended in a short amount of time. Eventually, it would become a competition of Stamina and Concentration. Whoever could outlast the other would be the winner of the fight.

Shi Feng had only managed to obtain 10 Fortitude points after taking the risk to open the Disaster Treasure Chest. Even so, this meager amount had thrilled Shi Feng. Now, if he used the Basic Tyrant title, he could obtain 30 Fortitude Points and increase his maximum Stamina by 20%. If he encountered an opponent of roughly equal or greater strength in battle, he could definitely fight a battle of attrition and slowly wear down his opponent.

This was why, despite Cola being the MT of only a second-rate Guild, he had been able to push his way through the many obstacles in his path and become one of Star-Moon Kingdom's top MTs.

In fact, as one progressed in the game, Fortitude and Stamina were also extremely important when raiding a large-scale Team Dungeon because the Bosses inside these Dungeons demanded much of one's Stamina. More often than not, raids would fail not because the Bosses inside large-scale Team Dungeons were overwhelmingly powerful, but because the players raiding these Bosses would collapse from exhausting their Stamina.

"Guild Leader, we've cleared out most of the elites from the Star Alliance and the various large Guilds. Those still alive have already escaped the Stoneclaw Mountains. Should we hunt them down?" Aqua Rose reported excitedly.

This war had truly been a pleasurable one.

They had even beaten a massive threat like the Star Alliance to a pulp. Even if the Star Alliance tried to rope the other large Guilds to join hands and capture Stone Forest Town in the future, no one would work with them.

"No need for that. Everyone's tired from the war. Let's tidy up the battlefield and tally our gains and losses," Shi Feng said, shaking his head.

When players left the Stoneclaw Mountains, they could use a Return Scroll to teleport to their respective cities. It would be impossible to pursue these players even if they wanted to. Moreover, they had already achieved their main goal in this war.

In the future, any Guild would have to consider their decisions carefully before trying to lay a hand on Zero Wing.

Shi Feng left the post-war report to Aqua Rose and the others to manage. After all, he had something more important to deal with right now; he needed to look for Sharlyn and turn in his quest.

Shi Feng was already dying to receive the reward for the Immortal Crown.

---

As Shi Feng took off to turn in his quest, a huge incident rocked Star-Moon Kingdom.

The Secret Pavilion had updated its God's Domain Experts List.

This time, the update had rendered many experts throughout God's Domain speechless, none of them daring to believe the truth of what they saw.

The God's Domain Experts List was a very credible ranking list in God's Domain. Experts who ranked on it were all considered extraordinary players. Particularly, the top 500 rankings very rarely saw any fluctuations.

It was very difficult to climb the ranks once a player entered the top 500. Meanwhile, since the first publication of the God's Domain Experts List, the top 100 had never changed. This time, however, someone had finally broken that record. Moreover, not only had someone climbed the ranks, but their title had also changed.

God's Domain Experts List Rank 51: Black Flame

Class: Swordsman

Title: Sword King 

Chapter 754 - Famous Throughout God's Domain

Every one of the experts within the God's Domain Experts List's top 100 had been a famous expert in the virtual gaming world for many years.

These experts had become overlords in not just one, but several virtual reality games. Each was a master-level character with countless, brilliant battle records. Upstart experts could never hope to compare with these masters.

It was already extremely difficult for upstart experts to join the top 1,000.

For an upstart expert, joining the top 100 was practically a miracle.

Yet, not only had Black Flame achieved a miracle, but he had also jumped to the 51st rank. Excitement over the new development swept through Star-Moon Kingdom.

The majority of those top 100 experts resided in God's Domain's various empires. Empire players had always been dismissive of kingdom players.

Subconsciously, no one truly believed that kingdom players were a match for those from the empires.

Yet, Black Flame, who came from Star-Moon Kingdom, had managed to rank 51st on the Experts List. Star-Moon Kingdom's players were bursting with pride.

"The Secret Pavilion is certainly trying hard to flatter this upstart expert, raising his rank to 51 just after a single Guild war. Is he someone from the Secret Pavilion's son?"

"That's right. Didn't he just lead an upstart Guild to victory against a first-rate Guild? That has happened many times before in other games, yet I've never seen the Pavilion change the ranking list so drastically The top 100 experts have experienced victory in dozens of great wars. The Secret Pavilion is just favoring Star-Moon Kingdom's players."

"There is definitely something fishy about this!"

"Black Flame's title just as absurd. He's actually calling himself a Sword King! Does he really think he is the king among sword users? Every other Swordsman player in the top 100 could easily beat him to a pulp!"

...

As the God's Domain Experts List updated, many players from other kingdoms and empires voiced their complaints about the latest change. They all felt that the Secret Pavilion over-exaggerated Black Flame's achievements. Many of these players were also miffed that an upstart player had surpassed the god-like experts they had looked up to so easily and were skeptical about the Secret Pavilion's judgment.

However, the Secret Pavilion couldn't be bothered to explain itself.

They didn't need to waste their time mincing words with fools. Shi Feng's battle video was evidence enough. If these players still could not understand, then there was a problem with their intelligence. Trying to explain further was pointless.

If Shi Feng had not displayed the combat standards of a Void Realm expert, the Secret Pavilion would not have granted him the 51st rank.

When the other top-tier experts saw this development, they realized that Black Flame was someone who demanded their attention. It was especially true for the top 100 experts.

There were three thresholds for all ranking lists the Secret Pavilion published. Only the Pavilion itself and very few experts knew exactly what these thresholds were.

The first threshold was the top 400.

If an expert had yet to set foot into the Realms of Refinement, then regardless of how brilliant they performed in a game, they would never reach the top 400. If an expert were ranked among the top 400, then it proved that this expert had already set foot into the Realms of Refinement.

This was why Shi Feng had only ranked 481st; based on the Secret Pavilion's previous investigation, Shi Feng had not yet entered the Realms of Refinement. He had only reached the Half-step Refinement Realm. Otherwise, Shi Feng would have had a higher ranking.

The second threshold was the top 200.

Experts outside of the Flowing Water Realm should not even dream of entering the top 200. Even with the most brilliant of performance, the best rank they could achieve was 201.

The third threshold was the top 100.

Only those in the Void Realm could earn one of the top 100 ranks.

As Shi Feng had shown that he had reached the Void Realm and had defeated the well-known Sky, his rank instantly jumped to 51. Otherwise, the best rank Shi Feng could achieve was around the 80s or 90s.

An expert's position on the God's Domain Ranking List was not determined by just their strength. Instead, experts ranked based on their performance and battle records in a game. If experts ranked according to strength, then many of the experts on the ranking list would qualify for any positions.

If an upstart expert managed to reach the 401st rank on the God's Domain Experts List, God's Domain's top powers would, at most, spare that player a glance, making a note of their existence. They would not consider that person important in the least. Now that Shi Feng had joined the top 100, however, this sudden development forced the major powers to acknowledge him.

"Fifty-first? Black Flame is truly interesting." Phoenix Rain's beautiful eyebrows lifted slightly as she read the God's Domain Experts List. "He certainly knows how to hide his strength. I had actually failed to notice his true combat standard. It seems that he had not defeated Martial Dragon by luck alone."

Previously, Shi Feng had merely been a minor character in Phoenix Rain's eyes. He had just luckily obtained some top-tier equipment. At most, he would only reign supreme for a short time. However, it was a different story if She Feng had reached the Void Realm.

Even Phoenix Rain would have no choice but to treat Shi Feng as an equal.

With the Experts List's latest update, God's Domain's top tier players understood one thing—another apex expert had appeared in the virtual gaming world.

---

Star-Moon Kingdom, White River City:

As soon as Shi Feng returned to the city, he discovered that a constant stream of players arrived though White River City's Teleportation Hall. Moreover, these players' average Level was quite high, with the lowest among them being around Level 30. Although they were not at the standard of a Guild elite player, they were considerably high-leveled among ordinary players.

Meanwhile, as these players arrived, they immediately asked around for directions to Zero Wing's Guild Residence.

"Little brother, do you know where Zero Wing's Guild Residence is?" a thin man approached Shi Feng, asking politely. This man looked to be in his forties and wore a blue mage's robe.

Behind this middle-aged man were five other people. All five were Level 30, and their equipment was Level 25 Mysterious-Iron rank at the very minimum. In a Guild, these players could definitely join the elite members. Unfortunately, their Levels were slightly off the mark.

However, independent players did not have the same advantages as Guild player. Independent players did not have access the various benefits that a Guild offered. They had no choice but to invest some of their time in other aspects. Hence, their leveling speed was slower than Guild players.

Shi Feng currently hid under his Black Cloak and had reverted to his original appearance. Both his Level and equipment were also hidden. Hence, no one recognized him.

When Shi Feng glanced at this group of players, his eyes instantly lit up with an excited light.

The person speaking to him was actually Silent Years, who had been a top-tier expert in his previous life. This man had once ranked within the top 50 among the Oracles of Star-Moon Kingdom. He had even reached the top 10 during his peak.

"Big Brother Silent, this person is wearing Zero Wing's Emblem. He's from Zero Wing," the female Elementalist beside Silent Years said awkwardly as she jabbed her finger at the Oracle.

Suddenly, Silent Years jerked, realizing this. As he had walked up to Shi Feng from behind, he had not noticed the Guild Emblem on the Swordsman's chest. To think that he had actually asked a member of Zero Wing whether or not they knew where the Guild Residence was...

"Zero Wing's Residence is on the city's central street," Shi Feng said casually, not minding the Oracle's awkward question. "You guys can just take a carriage there."

After saying so, Shi Feng turned and left the Teleportation Hall, riding a horse carriage towards the Library.

"Sure enough, Zero Wing is really amazing. It's no wonder how it became an expert's playground. I felt so much pressure from a casual member! It seems that we have not wasted a trip. We must join Zero Wing," Silent Years stated as he watched Shi Feng's departing figure, reverence on his face. His evaluation of Zero Wing increased substantially.

Shi Feng had not realized that his casual response had increased Silent Years' reverence of Zero Wing. 

Chapter 755 - City Promoted

Horse carriages rattled up and down White River City's streets.

As Shi Feng rode comfortably in one such carriage, he could feel the tremendous changes that had swept through the city.

More horse carriages moved along the streets than before. Moreover, there were more varieties of carriages now.

God's Domain evolved over time. Similarly, NPC cities also changed as time passed. Nothing would stay the same forever.

Ordinary players might not think much of the number or variety of horse carriages, but to Shi Feng, who had played God's Domain for over a decade, these changes symbolized the city's prosperity.

How could one determine how prosperous a city was?

The most basic criterion was the city's horse carriages. It was similar to the cars in a city in reality.

In small cities, not only were there fewer cars, but high-class cars were also very rare. In big cities, however, traffic jams were common. One would also see high-class luxury cars all over the city.

God's Domain's cities were similar in this aspect.

When an NPC city's player population increased, to satisfy the players' needs, the Main God System automatically increased the number of horse carriages within the city, allowing more convenient travel.

Meanwhile, as players consumed more in a city, the system would also release advanced horse carriages. These advanced horse carriages charged more but were much faster. This would allow players to save time when traveling. After all, an NPC city was very large. It was very normal to spend several hours walking from one place to another.

Currently, advanced horse carriages had only appeared in five cities in Star-Moon Kingdom. The city with the most carriages was none other than White-River City. One could say that White River City had become Star-Moon Kingdom's most prosperous city.

Unlocking the advanced horse carriage feature was only one of a thriving city's basic settings. As time passed, various new facilities would open, such as flying tools and the flying transportation feature, which could allow players to reach destinations where teleportation arrays could not. As a result, these features would subtly improve a player's leveling speed.

This was also one of the main reasons that empire players were much higher leveled than kingdom players.

Now that White River City has unlocked the advanced horse carriages, with the number of carriages present, the city should not be that far from unlocking the luxury horse carriages. When the city unlocks the luxury horse carriages, players will be able to take the Flying Ship to the Eclipse Gate to level up. It seems I'll need to prepare for that. Shi Feng could not help but recall the Eclipse Gate, which had been the most famous leveling area that White River City had to offer in his previous life.

In the past, by the time White River City had activated the Flying Ship feature, the average player in God's Domain had closed in on Level 50. Many had even been promoted to their Tier 2 classes.

From that moment onwards, players' Levels in White River City had exploded.

This was because White River City's Flying Ships could access the Eclipse Gate. Of course, White River City wasn't the only city whose Flying Ships passed through the Eclipse Gate. Every city in Star-Moon Kingdom's eastern region had Flying Ships that could reach the Eclipse Gate.

Four countries would gather at the Eclipse Gate: the Star-Moon Kingdom, the Rhine Kingdom, the Ice Field Kingdom, and the East Spring Empire. It was considered a neutral zone, and the various countries had garrisoned their armies there to prevent the creatures within the Eclipse Gate from invading God's Domain. Hence, there were plenty of high-level and Army Quests there. A player's leveling speed at the Eclipse Gate would be roughly double than in other leveling maps of the same Level. Moreover, the Eclipse Gate was a colossal Level 40 to Level 70 map. One could also find plenty of rare herbs and ores in the area, which were all necessary resources to produce high-level potions and equipment.

More importantly, the Eclipse Gate was a source for Energy Essence, a resource required to tame Mounts.

Taming a Guild Mount required resources. The higher the quality and quantity of resources one had, the quicker one could tame a Mount. At the same time, one could use these resources to hasten a Guild Mount's growth.

Energy Essence was one of the advanced materials required to tame a Mount.

Precisely because of this, players coveted the Eclipse Gate.

After reaching Level 40, everybody dreamed of having a good Mount. However, they were not that easy to obtain. One had to nurture their Guild Mounts slowly, promoting it as quickly as possible before it could become a part of one's combat power.

However, although one could level up quickly and obtain plenty of resources at the Eclipse Gate, there was a downside.

The Eclipse Gate's environment was relatively severe. If one did not possess a certain amount of Fire and Ice Resistance, even expert players would lose their lives. Hence, after the Eclipse Gate opened, whether it was in Star-Moon Kingdom or the three surrounding countries, the demand for equipment with Ice Resistance and Fire Resistance Attributes grew.

Aside from Ice and Fire Resistance equipment, tools that increased one's Ice and Fire Resistance were also extraordinarily popular.

Although there was still quite a long time before the Flying Ship feature would unlock, Shi Feng felt that he could already begin the necessary preparations.

Although Ice Resistance and Fire Resistance equipment sold for a relatively high price right now, once everyone reached the Eclipse Gate, such equipment would double in price. Tools would also sell for far more.

Whether it was for improving the leveling speed of Zero Wing's Guild members or making money by reselling items, now was the perfect time to stockpile these items.

I recall Campbell Volcano drops plenty of Fire Resistance equipment and tools. It might not be a bad idea to bring Aqua and the others there to grind. Shi Feng could recall quite a few maps in Star-Moon Kingdom that were a great source for Fire and Ice Resistance equipment. Among them, Campbell Volcano had the highest drop-rates for Fire Resistance equipment.

Campbell Volcano was a Level 40 to Level 50 map. However, due to its extreme environment, very few players were willing to venture there. However, after the Eclipse Gate had appeared, Campbell Volcano became one of the most popular locations in Star-Moon Kingdom.

No one had visited that map yet. This was a good chance for him to lead the main force members there to develop the map since none of the Bosses had died yet. Bosses killed for the first time would have double their usual drop-rates. Moreover, with the strength of Zero Wing's main force, they shouldn't have any issues dealing with a Level 50 Boss. As for the Magic Crystals in the Stoneclaw Mountains, they could rely on the Guild's elite members to continue that harvest.

Before Shi Feng realized it, the advanced horse carriage he rode in had already arrived at the Library.

The Library's entrance was the same as usual, with a group of players bunching around the doors, hoping to gain the favor of an NPC noble and gain entry into the Library.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Shi Feng strode into the Library unhampered. When the NPC guards stationed at the entrance saw Shi Feng, they treated him with respect, shocking many of the loitering players.

After entering the Library, as always, Shi Feng headed towards the Star-Moon Hall on the building's top floor.

When the two Level 300 Tier 3 Red Paladins, who guarded Star-Moon Hall's doors, saw Shi Feng approach, they stopped him.

Since when did Tier 3 NPCs guard this place? Shi Feng was surprised.

Tier 4 NPCs were already overlords in White River City. Some small cities only had Tier 3 NPCs to safeguard them. Yet, now, two such NPCs guarded the Star-Moon Hall. This was surprising. Normally, only the Palace in Star-Moon City warranted such treatment.

"Without permission, outsiders are not allowed to enter!" the Level 200 Red Paladins said as they blocked Shi Feng's path with their spears.

Suddenly, however, a clear, crisp voice floated out from the hall.

"Let him in."

When the two Level 200 Red Paladins heard this, they immediately retrieved their spears and opened the doors, allowing Shi Feng entry. 

Chapter 756 - Fief

Compared to Shi Feng's previous visit, a new, large collection of ancient books filled the Star-Moon Hall. Some of these books even radiated Mana that could rival Tier 4 Magic Scrolls.

Tier 4 Magic Scrolls were almost as rare as Legendary items in God's Domain.

Tier 4 Magic Scrolls had survived since the ancient era. Shi Feng had yet to hear of anyone who could produce Tier 4 Magic Scrolls.

If a book could exude so much Mana that it rivaled a Tier 4 Magic Scroll, one could easily tell that these books were extraordinary.

Meanwhile, Sharlyn, who sat high above the hall, had also changed significantly.

Although her Level, statistics, and clothing had not undergone any transformations, the pressure she gave off had changed tremendously. She did not have the usual, oppressive aura of a powerhouse. Instead, she felt like the all-encompassing sky. Her presence could be felt from anywhere within the room.

Before Shi Feng had approached Sharlyn, he felt his mind clear far more than ever before. He also noticed that the endless streams of Mana in the room were actually moving towards Sharlyn. It was as if Sharlyn were God's Domain's heart.

This... How could this be possible! Shi Feng was shocked when he arrived before Sharlyn.

Shi Feng had discovered something that shook him to the core.

After reaching the Void Realm, he felt his environment as clearly as the palm of his hand. He could sense everything within a fixed radius of himself to an astonishingly accurate degree. Previously, as Sharlyn had still been outside his range, he had not thought much about not noticing Sharlyn's energy. Yet, despite standing so close to the woman, he couldn't feel her at all.

Before, the two Tier 3 Paladins had clearly been able to feel her presence. Shi Feng doubted that his sense had failed him.

"Has something happened that has led you to find me so urgently?" Sharlyn, who had been reading a book, asked with great interest as her beautiful eyes turned towards Shi Feng.

"Lady Sharlyn, I've collected the Immortal Souls you requested." Shi Feng displayed the Spirit Seal imprinted on the back of his right hand. Immortal Souls filled the Seal to the brim.

"Oh? Good job. With this many Immortal Souls, I'll be able to repair the Immortal Crown quickly." Sharlyn nodded and tapped her finger in the air. Suddenly, golden divine runes began circling Shi Feng's right hand. Countless golden threads flowed out of the Spirit Seal, gathering into a ball before flying into Sharlyn's hand. "Since you have completed your quest, I will fulfill my promise as well. Here, this is for you."

Sharlyn waved her hand. In the next moment, a leaf of lambskin parchment appeared in her hand. The parchment then flew towards Shi Feng.

The lambskin parchment looked quite ordinary. However, the words on the parchment could tempt any Guild in God's Domain.

Star-Moon Kingdom City Building Order!

As long as it was within Star-Moon Kingdom's jurisdiction, one could construct their own city with this City Building Order.

To a Guild, even a Legendary item was not worth as much as this single piece of parchment.

Cities were different from towns. In God's Domain, cities could be built, whereas towns could not. Meanwhile, captured towns' locations were fixed, but built cities could be chosen casually. One could even build a city in the middle of monsters' territory.

A town's maximum population usually ranged between 30,000 to 50,000. On the other hand, even the smallest city could hold 200,000 players.

This was why, after obtaining their own towns, Guilds would focus all of their efforts on developing the town in the hopes of promoting it into a city as soon as possible.

Moreover, as a city demanded a sufficiently large plot of land, one could construct a Mana Tower in the city. With the Mana Tower, any player residing in the city would enjoy increased Stamina and Concentration recovery rates. They could even accumulate the Double EXP buff. Although the accumulation rate was not as generous as a Guild Residence's, one could still accumulate 10%'s worth of Double EXP buff after 48 hours of rest.

Once players reached higher levels, the needed EXP to level up increased tremendously. Currently, Level 30 ordinary players required roughly three or four days to reach the next level. Hence, even a 10% Double EXP buff would significantly reduce the time players needed to grind.

Aside from improving one's Stamina and Concentration recovery rates, hotels would also offer the Guild Residence effect, allowing players to accumulate 20%'s worth of Double EXP buff after 48 hours of rest.

Meanwhile, the Guild that controlled the city would also see some benefits. When Guild members rested in the Guild Residence, they would accumulate 30%'s worth of Double EXP buff after 48 hours.

In addition to receiving this Double EXP perk, a player-established city would also receive a Specialty Product.

Aside from being able to construct a Mana Tower, one could also construct a Black Market Auction House in the city. This Auction House would function like the Auction House in Blackwing City. It would offer a large stock of products once every three days. Sometimes, even Epic items were available for bidding.

Because of these benefits, many Guilds in God's Domain desperately wanted to establish their own cities, regardless of the price.

A player-owned town could only make travel more convenient for players. A city, on the other hand, made it easier for players to level up.

The size of a Guild Residence and the number of members it could house were limited. Not every Guild member could enjoy the Double EXP buff. However, it was a different story if a Guild owned a city. With a city, every Guild member could enjoy the Double EXP buff.

A city was also a great source of income for a Guild.

As a player city had various benefits that an NPC city did not, many players wanted access to a player city. Unless a Guild offered Private Housing within the city, all players were required to pay an entry fee.

The entry fee was an important source of income for a player city. In comparison, a Guild would only earn pennies from the opening a shop. A Shop could never compete with a city regarding profits.

When Shi Feng gazed down at the City Building Order in his hands, he nearly drooled. Despite having been the Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild in his previous life, the Guild having owned ten city-states, he struggled to maintain his calm now that he knew he would have his own.

His very own city!

In the past, something like this could only happen in his dreams!

Yet, now, he held this dream in his hands.

While every other Guild competed over the golden Lands in NPC cities, nobody had any clue that Shi Feng would no longer compete on the same stage. Because from now on, Shi Feng would begin the competition for the kingdom's Territories.

Calm! I need to stay calm! This is only the beginning! Shi Feng continuously advised himself.

In God's Domain, like NPC cities' golden Lands and ordinary Lands, there were poor Territories and Territories with excellent resources in every kingdom and empire. The sooner one constructed their own city, the sooner they could occupy these resource-rich Territories.

What counted as a resource-rich Territory?

First, it was in an easily accessible location. As players reached higher levels, they would have to venture further from NPC cities. If a city were close to these high-level maps, it would save players a lot of travel time. It was a similar concept to capturing certain towns.

However, most towns were still quite far away from the truly excellent leveling areas.

Meanwhile, a city that was close to multiple high-level maps would attract large amounts of players.

Second, it was an area that was near consumable resources. This would provide convenience for players who needed to farm materials. After all, rare herbs and ores were necessary for players, regardless of Level.

Third, the Territory needed to be close to high-level Regional dungeons. Most Regional Dungeons were particularly far from NPC towns and cities. Furthermore, Regional Dungeons had their own specialty products such as the Stoneclaw Mountains' Magic Crystals. Even after reaching Level 200, Magic Crystals were still must-have items.

...

Where should I construct the city? Shi Feng grew troubled as he stared at the City Building Order. 

Chapter 757 - Witch's Hill

Star-Moon City, the Star-Moon Restaurant's top floor:

Few players were usually willing to dine here. However, more than a dozen player currently occupied the large, luxurious hall. If Gentle Snow were there, she would have been shocked as every one of these players was an Elder from the Star Alliance. Even Galaxy Past had to behave respectfully before these people.

Currently, however, every Elder had lowered their head as they watched the Level 10 woman seated on a bench, fear and respect radiating off of them.

"What did you just say? Galaxy Past has not been able to log into the game?" Exemplary Willow asked quietly, frowning. "What the hell is going on?"

The Star Alliance's Elder felt helpless against Exemplary Willow's questioning.

After the Guild war ended, the Guild's upper echelons should've begun working to stabilize the Guild. Yet, for some reason, the majority of the Guild's upper echelons, who had participated in the war, could not log into God's Domain.

Based on the Main God System's notification, these people were locked out of the game for around two or three days. Some were even barred from entering the game for up to four days.

Four days' time!

That was enough time for the mainstream players in Star-Moon Kingdom to grind at least one Level.

Although they, the Guild's Elders, had tried to stabilize the falling morale that shook the Guild, with the disappearance of the majority of the Guild's upper echelons, many members began to doubt the Guild. Many had begun to wonder if the Alliance's experts had defected to some other Guild.

If the Guild's experts had left, what was the point in remaining in the Guild?

Only a few hours after the Guild war ended, over ten thousand members had withdrawn. If this persisted, no one knew if the Star Alliance would survive.

However, this was not the most tragic issue.

The Star Alliance's defeat had infuriated Exemplary Willow.

A high and mighty first-rate Guild like the Star Alliance had actually lost to an upstart Guild–on their home ground no less! This caused Exemplary Willow to doubt the Star Alliance's strength.

If Exemplary Willow suddenly decided to withdraw her funding, it would deal a fatal blow to the Star Alliance.

"If none of you knows why they can't log into the game, your Guild may be truly finished," Exemplary Willow stated coldly as she sneered at the Alliance's Elders before her. Sternly, she said, "Since your Guild is nothing more than a failure, then you can forget about any follow-up investments! I have no intentions of spending money on a wastrel of a Guild! Get lost!"

When the Elders heard these words, their complexions paled to a sickly white, every one of them begging Exemplary Willow for mercy. Unfortunately, Exemplary Willow chased them all out of the room.

Exemplary Willow refused to tolerate defeat.

She had initially invested in the Star Alliance to deal with Zero Wing, teaching Shi Feng the consequences of angering Open Source Corporation. She would then plunder the Stoneclaw Mountains' Magic Crystals for herself. Yet, in the end, not only had she failed to teach Shi Feng anything, but his fame had also grown.

"The Flower of Seven Sins is also garbage. They had been so confident of themselves. In the end, didn't they lose as well? Fortunately, I only promised them one-third of the Stoneclaw Mountains' Magic Crystals and did not have to pay much," Exemplary Willow muttered as she glanced through Star-Moon Kingdom's official forums. Her mood soured as she saw the many discussion threads relating to Black Flame. "In the end, it seems that I'll have to use my own power to resolve this matter."

...

Meanwhile, in the real world, the Star Alliance's upper echelons enclosed themselves in a secret meeting.

Although they could not contact each other in God's Domain, the Star Alliance was a major company in the real world. The company often held video conferences between its upper echelons. Even without God's Domain, this latest loss would not affect the company. Only, it was a lot more difficult to direct the Guild members in God's Domain.

"Guild Leader, we suffered tremendous losses. Based on the initial statistics, we lost over 50,000 items. We'll need quite some time before we recover. However, the most tragic loss is ours. None of us can log into God's Domain for some time. It will be a challenge to catch up to Ouroboros," Red Feather reported sourly.

He had never imagined that they would actually lose this war so tragically.

Not only had the Guild's experts been wiped out, but the Guild's elite army had also almost been obliterated. Less than 10% of the elite army had managed to escape with their lives.

The loss of EXP, equipment, and post-war compensation were huge problems that they needed to deal with.

Most likely, by the time they saw to those issues, the Star Alliance will have been drained of resources.

"Purple, what's the situation with the Guild Elders?" Galaxy Past similarly gnashed his teeth upon hearing Red Feather's report. The Star Alliance had never suffered such a tragic loss. However, they first needed to deal with their current predicament.

"Based on the latest report, it seems that Exemplary Willow chased the Elders away; they are all in a foul mood. Exemplary Willow has probably withdrawn her funding," Purple Eye said, shaking her head.

"As expected of a businesswoman, she gave up on the Guild as soon as she deemed it useless." Galaxy Past could not help but laugh, reacting as if he cared nothing for this result.

"Guild Leader, what should we do now?" Seeing Galaxy Past laugh even in this situation, Red Feather's frustration grew.

Without Exemplary Willow's funding, the Guild would have to spend significantly more time to recover. They might never truly recover from this blow, and the Guild might fall from its status as a first-rate Guild.

"What's done is done. These Elders normally have little regard for me. They were also the ones who supported the decision to cooperate with Open Source Corporation. Now that OSC has withdrawn its funding, it is about time for these Elders to leave the Star Alliance," Galaxy Past sneered.

When Exemplary Willow had first approached them, he had strongly opposed the idea of cooperating with Open Source Corporation; he had not believed that Black Flame was as much as a fool as the OSC thought.

However, with the Guild Elders supporting the decision so strongly, his opposition had been futile.

Now that the Alliance had lost the Guild war, all of the blame could be pushed onto these Elders. He could also utilize the Board of Directors to expel them from the Star Alliance. This way, he would become the Guild's true ruler, not just in name. In the future, he would have a much easier time taking action.

---

Meanwhile, in God's Domain's White River City:

After Shi Feng bade Sharlyn farewell, he took a horse carriage to White River City's City Hall.

Shi Feng was all too familiar with Star-Moon Kingdom.

He knew of multiple locations which fulfilled two or even all three conditions for a resource-rich Territory. However, players could not reach these locations yet.

If he constructed a city in a very high-level location, the city would not be nearly as attractive to players.

Although building a city in a Level 100 map might be attractive towards players in the future, to current players, this city would be useless.

Without a large player population, the city's development would be slow.

The city's construction was not a small issue, either. The demand of manpower and resources could not compare to a town's. It would be a severe waste if he invested a large amount of resources in something that would not yield any immediate profits.

Moreover, Shi Feng's goal of constructing a city was to earn money. He could not waste large sums of money on a useless city.

It seems that the Witch's Hill is my only choice. After considering his options, Shi Feng decided that the Witch's Hill was the most profitable location right now.

While Shi Feng's mind wandered, the advanced horse carriage arrived before the City Hall. 

Chapter 758 - Building a City

The instant Shi Feng stepped out of the advanced carriage, he attracted a lot of attention like someone driving a luxury car in the city.

"Wow! That guy's rich!"

"He seems to be someone from Zero Wing. It's no wonder he's so rich!"

"I know, right? Zero Wing receives so many advanced quests every day. Even the Guild's normal members have the chance to snag one for themselves. On the other hand, our Guild only receives a few advanced quests each day, and the Guild's upper echelons have priority on them, leaving very few for anyone else. Even elite members have a hard time obtaining one. Although I'm an elite member, I have only accepted two advanced Guild Quests so far. Those were good times. I earned over a dozen Silvers a day during those days!"

"Indeed. One of my friend's friend is an elite member in Zero Wing, and he says that Zero Wing's elite members can accept an advanced Guild Quest once every two or three days, while normal members can pick one up once every five or six days.

...

Envy filled these players' voices as they spoke about Zero Wing.

It cost 1 Silver to ride an ordinary carriage and 3 Silver to ride an advanced carriage. To them, even riding an ordinary carriage was a luxury.

They would rather run to their destination than spend so much.

Shi Feng could not help but shake his head at this sight. He had never imagined that he would be envied for riding a carriage.

While the majority of the players in God's Domain still strived to earn a single Silver Coin, even a Gold Coin was of little use to Shi Feng anymore. He was more concerned about time than he was about spending a few Silvers.

At this point, the towering City Hall bustled with noise.

Regarding both Reputation and Coins, the various large Guilds had accumulated a certain stock after playing God's Domain for so long. Naturally, more people would be attempting to purchase the city's Lands.

However, most purchased ordinary Lands as the golden Lands and Lands in the central district were not easily affordable.

"Hello, sir. How may I be of service to you today?" a beautiful female employee approached Shi Feng and asked.

"I wish to construct a city," Shi Feng said.

"Please, follow me," the NPC receptionist smiled as she led Shi Feng to a VIP reception room.

Whether it was establishing a town or a city, players needed to begin the relevant procedures in an NPC city.

"May I know if you have a City Building Order?" the NPC receptionist asked politely.

Shi Feng retrieved the Star-Moon Kingdom City Building Order Sharlyn had given him. The lambskin parchment was worth over a million Gold.

"Very good, sir. May I know where do you wish to establish your city so that I can quote you a price?" the NPC receptionist said as she took out a Magic Scroll, unfurling it on the table.

This Magic Scroll displayed a map of Star-Moon Kingdom. Compared to the system map players had, this map was far more detailed.

"The Witch's Hill," Shi Feng said as he tapped a spot in the southwestern corner. Immediately, the Scroll displayed the Witch's Hill map.

The Witch's Hill was a Level 50 to Level 70 map. Rumors had it that a great witch lived there, hence, the hill had been called the Witch's Hill. The hill's name had remained unchanged even after hundreds of years and the Star-Moon Kingdom's ownership.

The Witch's Hill could be considered an ordinary leveling map. It was not particularly rich in resources.

Yet, various Guilds in Shi Feng's previous life had frantically sought after the Witch's Hill.

They had done so for two reasons.

The first was the location's accessibility. The Witch's Hill bumped up against two resource-rich maps; Shadow Forest, a Level 80-100 map, and Ruins of Agon, a Level 60-75 map.

Of these two locations, one produced rare herbs, while the other housed a Hell Mode Regional Dungeon.

The Witch's Hill's secret was the second reason.

This secret of the Witch's Hill had only been discovered after the mainstream players had reached Level 100. At that time, the various Guilds had suddenly rushed to construct their cities in this map. Dozens of Guilds had fought over the Witch's Hill. Naturally, that included Shadow, the Guild Shi Feng had led.

In the end, the powerful Star Alliance and Ouroboros had captured the Witch's Hill. The other Guilds had stood no chance against them.

Rumors had it that the Witch's Hill was home to a great witch, and they had been around for hundreds of years.

In fact, this rumor was absolutely true, as even now, that witch still lived in the Witch's Hill.

That witch was also one of God's Domain's legendary characters, the Jealous Witch.

In the past, Shi Feng's sight had been limited. He had thought that the Jealous Witch was only a Tier 5 powerhouse. Now that he thought about it carefully, he was sure that the Jealous Witch was not a Tier 5 powerhouse, but a Demigod. Otherwise, how could she have lived for so long?

The Jealous Witch none other than the guardian of the Otherworld Gate.

The Otherworld Gate led to another continent outside of God's Domain. The Otherworld was similar to the Top of the World that Shi Feng recently visited.

There, not only could players level up much faster, but they could also obtain equipment far more easily.

There was only one condition to cross the Otherworld Gate–players must have reached Tier 2.

In God's Domain, it was very difficult for players to find equipment of good quality above Level 50. However, it was much easier to grind for such equipment in the Otherworld. Hence, back when the Otherworld Gate had been discovered, the various large Guilds had fought frantically to occupy the Witch's Hill. After all, in order to obtain good equipment, countless players would grind and level up in the Otherworld. Hence, Witch's Hill bustled with player activity.

Even after a decade had passed, a storm of players still gathered in the Witch's Hill.

Currently, however, no one had discovered this secret yet. Hence, Shi Feng had to strike while the iron was hot.

Furthermore, Zero Wing's members were nearing Level 50. The Witch's Hill's proximity to a Hell Mode Regional Dungeon was also a good enough reason to establish a city there.

"Hello, sir. We have calculated the quote for the region you've selected." At this time, a beautiful female NPC walked over and handed Shi Feng a list. "Based on our preliminary assessment, the city's construction will cost 90,000 Gold. If the city comes under attack, we will charge you an additional fee based on the number and rank of monsters killed. In addition, there is also a 30,000-Gold registration fee. Based on the city's current level, you will also have to pay a 30,000-Gold management fee each month. May I know how many guards you wish to be stationed there?"

Although Shi Feng had prepared himself and had only come here to ask about the price...

His heart skipped a beat when he heard the cost.

The price of establishing a city was more than ten times higher than establishing a town. Moreover, after establishing the city, he also had to pay a monthly management fee of 30,000 Gold. That was the equivalent of paying 1,000 Gold every day.

Just how many Guilds in God's Domain could earn 1,000 Gold every day?

Even if Shi Feng had not spent most of his funds on Frost Grenades and the Mana Pulse Cannon, he couldn't afford even a fraction of that price.

"Sir, do you wish to build the city now?" the NPC receptionist asked with a smile.

"No, I have to consider this." Shi Feng rolled his eyes at this NPC receptionist.

The initial payment alone was 120,000 Gold. There were also additional fees if the city were attacked during construction. Shi Feng had experience in constructing a city. Even if he dispatched the entire Guild to repel the monster attacks, defending the city would cost tens of thousands of Gold.

"Alright. However, I must remind you that you only have one month to use this City Building Order. If it isn't used within a month, this City Building Order will be voided," the NPC receptionist said before leaving the reception room. 

Chapter 759 - Harvest of the War

Shi Feng could not help his bitter smile as he heard the NPC receptionist's words.

Sure enough, it isn't that easy to establish a city. Shi Feng had thought it strange that Sharlyn had so kind-heartedly given him a City Building Order in exchange for only 10,000 Immortal Souls. This reward was much too extravagant for an Epic Quest. Sure enough, there is another test to this.

God's Domain was currently still in its early stages.

Even a first-rate Guild would have to spend a relatively long time just to collect several thousand Gold. After all, for a Guild to develop, expand, and improve itself, it would have to spend an exorbitant amount of money. Normally, having even 1,000 Gold lying around was considered a luxury for a first-rate Guild.

Only Zero Wing, which had the Candlelight Trading Firm, Stone Forest Town, and a large number of Guild Quests, had a daily income of several thousand Gold. However, after expanding the Guild, they had a wider variety of expenditures. After deducting operating costs and salaries, Zero Wing raked in a clean profit of roughly 1,000 Gold each day. After a month, the Guild would make around 30,000 Gold.

The other Guilds could only dream of such wealth.

However, Shi Feng understood that, in reality, he was still just a poor bastard.

This was only a fraction of what he needed to establish his city.

The basic construction fee alone cost 120,000 Gold. After including the cost of dealing with monster attacks, it was practically impossible for him to earn what he needed to construct the city. He also had to think of the necessary building construction that he would need after the city itself was complete.

Shi Feng thought back to when Shadow had constructed a Mana Tower in its first city.

The Mana Tower's required raw materials had cost close to 10,000 Gold. The Guild had also hired a bunch of NPCs to deal with the construction. Overall, the Mana Tower had cost Shadow 35,000 Gold.

The Black Market, on the other hand, had been somewhat cheaper. Even so, its construction still cost over 20,000 Gold.

If one added all the costs together, they would discover that the initial construction fee was only the first step to constructing a city.

Even so, a large Guild would willingly sacrifice everything it had, seeking sponsors and selling small portions of the Guild's shares, to build a functioning city. Once the city was built, however, it would be a money magnet.

In the past, to construct its first city, Shadow had sought out over a dozen sponsors. It was also then that Shadow split its shares between many financial groups and corporations.

If Zero Wing did not wish to rely on external powers to construct a Guild City, then it needed to earn a lot more money.

When Shi Feng thought about the need to multiply his current income by several times, he felt his head throb.

When Shadow had constructed its first city, there were far more people playing God's Domain, and it had been much easier to earn money. Currently, the majority of the players in God's Domain had yet to reach Level 30. Hence, the challenge of earning more than 100,000 Gold was significantly more difficult than it had been.

Moreover, the Candlelight Trading Firm's daily income was nearly at its max. It would be very difficult to increase it.

As for Stone Forest Town, the town's income mainly came in the form of Magic Crystals. Moreover, it was also impossible to increase the town's income within a short time. As for the income from Guild Quests, it could not even begin to compete with the income of the Candlelight Trading Firm and Stone Forest Town.

It seems I'll have to look for a new source. Shi Feng began to consider the matter. Currently, the most profitable trade involved selling top-tier weapons and equipment. Consumables were the next most profitable items. Zero Wing did not even have enough top-tier weapons and equipment to equip all of its members, so how could it possibly afford to part with those items?

Just as Shi Feng's headache over searching for a new source of income grew, Aqua Rose contacted him.

"Guild Leader, I have the post-war report ready for you! We struck gold this time!" Aqua Rose said excitedly. "After deducting the compensation and rewards for our Guild members, we obtained 18,456 pieces of Level 25 Mysterious-Iron Equipment, 3,187 pieces of Level 25 Secret-Silver Equipment, 549 pieces of Level 25 Fine-Gold Equipment, 84 pieces of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment, 1,427 pieces of Level 30 Mysterious-Iron Equipment, 241 pieces of Level 30 Secret-Silver Equipment, 53 pieces of Level 30 Fine-Gold Equipment, and 4 pieces of Level 30 Dark-Gold Equipment."

There were always spoils after a great war. However, Shi Feng had never imagined that they would enjoy such a bountiful harvest.

This was all net income.

With this equipment enriching the Guild Warehouse, they could increase Zero Wing's strength by a large margin.

If they had purchased all of this equipment, they would have had to spend over 50,000 Gold.

"With this equipment and the equipment we already had in the Guild Warehouse, we will have no problems expanding the Guild by another 30,000 to 50,000 members." Previously, Aqua Rose had still struggled with her headache over the issue of equipment after expanding the Guild.

Zero Wing had already become a large Guild, acknowledged by every player in Star-Moon Kingdom. Its fame had even surpassed the Star Alliance and Ouroboros. As a result, more players reached out in an attempt to join the Guild each day. Hence, this was the perfect time to expand.

However, they would suffer if they did not have enough equipment in the Guild Warehouse for the new recruits.

Initially, Aqua Rose had considered limiting the number of new members they recruited to 10,000. Now that they had obtained so much new equipment, however, they could recruit an additional 30,000 to 40,000 players.

"However, most of the equipment's Durability has nearly been depleted. The repair fees will cost us a lot. I was thinking of taking out a portion of the Guild funds to repair the equipment," Aqua Rose suggested.

If it were only a small amount of money, Aqua Rose could make the decision herself. However, too much equipment needed repairs. Hence, she needed Shi Feng's permission before she moved forward.

Hearing this, Shi Feng felt another headache bloom.

"There isn't a lot left. Sell some of the lower quality equipment and use the money to repair the rest," Shi Feng said after some thought.

"I understand." Aqua Rose then disconnected the call.

After speaking with Aqua Rose, Shi Feng suddenly recalled the forging design inside his bag.

The Strengthening Device!

This item was capable of strengthening a player's equipment, reducing the consumption of Durability.

This was a must-have for current players.

During lower Levels, the majority of players in God's Domain would not think much of their equipment's wear and tear. However, as players reached higher levels, they encountered far more powerful monsters. Naturally, the burden on their equipment grew as they began to take more damage. The repair fees alone would demand the majority of a player's earnings.

Selling the Strengthening Devices would be a great source of income. Shi Feng could not help but smile. Previously, he had considered selling the Magic Devices. However, Magic Devices were too precious and expensive. Only the various Guilds' upper echelons could afford to purchase and use them. Moreover, there weren't even enough Magic Devices to outfit Zero Wing's members. Fortunately, it was a different story for the Strengthening Devices.

Shi Feng immediately left the City Hall and hurried towards the Candlelight Trading Firm.

"Huh? Isn't this the broken sword that Galaxy Past had dropped when he died?" While Shi Feng searched through his bag for the Strengthening Device Forging Design, he discovered an extraordinarily eye-catching, broken sword.

The broken sword's aura alone was enough to make Shi Feng's heart skip a beat, despite it sitting idle in his bag. 

Chapter 760 - Flawed Weapon Thousand Transformations

Inside Shi Feng's bag, aside from the Bible of Darkness, the broken sword was the next most powerful item.

Even the Epic Weapon Petrified Thorn could not compete with the broken sword's presence.

"Just what kind of weapon is this?" Shi Feng carefully retrieved the broken sword from his bag and clicked to check its statistics.

[Dilapidated Broken Sword]

It's impossible to tell which era this ancient weapon originated from based on its appearance. However, the broken sword's blade radiates a frightening magic power, and its edge is still sharp enough to slice through space itself. Although the blade has already been broken, its engraved, divine runes are still intact. More secrets might be revealed under a Grandmaster Forger's examination.

"What a powerful weapon. I actually need to take it to a Grandmaster Forger if I want to know anything more." Shi Feng's interest in the broken sword grew.

A Master Forger was already a towering figure in God's Domain. There were very few throughout Star-Moon Kingdom.

As for a Grandmaster Forger, they were treated with fear and respect, regardless of where they were from. There had been a countless Tier 4 and Tier 5 powerhouses who dreamed of hiring a Grandmaster Forger to craft them a custom weapon.

In God's Domain, who wouldn't want a weapon that had been made specifically for them?

Although Master Forgers could produce Epic Weapons, their success rate was abysmally low. Even so, many powerhouses flocked to them. After all, a tailored Epic Weapon would allow them to exert more of their own strength. Hence, Master Forgers enjoyed a lofty position in society.

Meanwhile, a Grandmaster Forger had a much greater chance of producing an Epic item. They even had some chance of producing a Legendary item. In terms of status, Master Forgers could not compete with them at all.

"I want to see just what this broken sword's true identity is." Saying so, Shi Feng activated Omniscient Eyes to appraise the broken sword.

After a full 30 seconds, Omniscient Eyes finally finished appraising the broken sword.

[Thousand Transformations]

Sixty-fifth of God's Domain's 108 Flawed Weapons. However, due to the sword's broken blade, it is now no more than scrap metal. Fortunately, the blade's divine runes remain nearly intact. The sword can be remolded and repaired using 100 Mana Stones.

"So, this is the rumored Flawed Weapon Thousand Transformations." In the past, Shi Feng had only heard about this shortsword.

Throughout God's Domain, there were a total of 36 Famed Swords and 108 Flawed Weapons. Famed Smiths and Craftsman Forgers had crafted everyone, and they were all peerless weapons.

Legendary figures had once used the 36 Famed Swords.

The Flawed Weapons, on the other hand, were different. Although the legendary figures of the past had never wielded any of these weapons, they were something far beyond ordinary Epic Weapons.

After all, the Flawed Weapons were the results of Famed Smiths and Craftsman Forgers' failed attempts to forge Legendary Weapons.

A weapon produced with the same materials as a Legendary Weapon was naturally not something ordinary Epic Weapons could compare to.

Meanwhile, the Thousand Transformations had been made vastly famous by a player in Shi Feng's previous life.

In the past, a Tier 6 Assassin God had wielded the Thousand Transformations and had claimed countless expert lives with the blade. Among those experts, even the era's apex experts had died to the blade. This was precisely the reason that Assassin had become one of God's Domain's solo players that others feared and respected.

Meanwhile, that Assassin's name had been Feather. Although his ID was ordinary, nobody dared to show him disrespect.

In the past, a few people with too much time on their hands had compiled a list of God's Domain's solo players that one should avoid provoking. Among them, the top ten were known as the Ten Great Solo Players.

One of these Ten Great Solo Players had been the Cleric God Violet Cloud.

However, Violet Cloud had merely ranked eighth on the list, whereas the Assassin God Feather had ranked third.

Shi Feng had never imagined that he would obtain Feather's weapon.

Although 100 Mana Stones is a steep price, owning a Flawed Weapon will be a worthwhile trade. Shi Feng inwardly smiled.

For most, obtaining one Mana Stone was an extremely difficult endeavor. To Shi Feng, however, there was no challenge to it at all.

He only needed enough Magic Crystals to synthesize.

Immediately, Shi Feng contacted Melancholic Smile and Fire Dance. He had Melancholic Smile retrieve 10,000 Magic Crystals and instructed Fire Dance wait for him at the Candlelight Trading Firm.

An hour later, Shi Feng arrived. Both Fire Dance and Melancholic Smile had waited patiently in his Special Forging Room.

"Guild Leader, those are the 10,000 Magic Crystals you've asked for," Melancholic Smile said as she pointed towards the Magic Crystals carefully stacked on the table.

If other Guilds realized that Zero Wing could easily take out 10,000 Magic Crystals, they might bang their heads against a wall in frustration.

Shi Feng nodded.

Ten thousand Magic Crystals should be just enough to synthesize 100 Mana Stones. If converted to Coins, 100 Mana Stones was worth far more than an Epic Weapon.

However, anyone would be willing to trade 100 Mana Stones for a Flawed Weapon.

"Guild Leader, why have you called me here?" Fire Dance asked softly. Although she was thrilled that Shi Feng had called for her, she was not a forger. She was only apt at fighting. She could not help the Candlelight Trading Firm.

"What do you think about this weapon?" Shi Feng retrieved the Petrified Thorn from his bag and handed it to Fire Dance.

After receiving the weapon, Fire Dance checked its statistics and was stunned.

"An Epic Weapon!" Fire Dance could not believe her eyes.

The Truefire Blades were top-tier, even among Dark-Gold Weapons. Compared to the Petrified Thorn, however, they were no different than trash.

"Yes. This weapon is for you. I hope you use it well," Shi Feng said. He could not help but smile as he watched Fire Dance's excitement. "However, this is only one of the two I've prepared for you. You'll have to wait a while for the second."

"Another one?!" Fire Dance was nearly dying with excitement after receiving an Epic Weapon. Yet, now, Shi Feng was actually going to give her a second one. Fire Dance had even wondered if she had misheard him.

It wasn't just Fire Dance, but Melancholic Smile, who stood beside her, was similarly shocked.

Until now, although she had heard about the various large Guilds accumulating quite a stock of top-tier Dark-Gold Weapons, she had yet to hear anything regarding the rumored Epic Weapons. One could just imagine how rare Epic Weapons were.

Yet, Shi Feng could hand out two such weapons so casually. Moreover, both were meant for Assassins. It was simply inconceivable.

"Melancholic, take this design and learn it. Use as many materials in the warehouse as you need. If there are not enough, have Aqua Rose try to obtain more. Produce as many as you can." Shi Feng then handed the Strengthening Device Forging Design to Melancholic Smile.

Although forging the Strengthening Device was particularly difficult, Melancholic Smile was an Intermediate Forger. With a little practice, she should have a relatively high success rate.

Shi Feng did not have the time to forge the items himself, of course.

Melancholic Smile's eyes shone after she examined the design.

Nothing interested a forger more than forging designs. It was especially true for advanced forging designs. Compared to Epic Weapons, the Strengthening Device Forging Design was far more attractive to Melancholic Smile.

Moreover, the Strengthening Device's effect was astounding. It would significantly reduce equipment's Durability consumption. Unlike the Advanced Whetstones, the demand for this item on the market would be immense. Advanced Whetstones had already saturated the market, and many Guilds could produce their own.

On the other hand, the Strengthening Device would be unique to the Candlelight Trading Firm. It would become a hot-selling item, no matter where they sold it.

After Shi Feng finished directing the women, Melancholic Smile rushed back to her own Special Forging Room to research the Strengthening Device' production method, leaving Fire Dance and Shi Feng behind.