Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 158

Chapter 158: The Final Violent Dance

“Lonely, I’m not dreaming, right?” Blackie slapped Lonely Snow’s shoulders, his finger pointing towards the group of crippled Golden Fish.

Lonely Snow’s gaze turned sluggish as he shook his head in a daze.

Compared to the rapid decrease of the Golden Fish’s HP, Lonely Snow was more shocked by Shi Feng’s techniques. He only managed to see the countless shadows left behind by Shi Feng’s hands. Before Lonely Snow could even get a clear view of Shi Feng’s hands, more than ten Freezing Shadow darts already flew out. Such speed could practically rival an assault rifle.

Aside from Shi Feng’s frightening speed, his accuracy also caused others to submit. Every dart he shot out had accurately landed on the Golden Fish afflicted with the Doom Curse. Moreover, they even landed on the softer side-abdomens of the Golden Fish. If Lonely Snow were in Shi Feng’s shoes, it would be fortunate if he could toss out one Freezing Shadow dart at a time and land the hit, not to mention tossing out more than ten darts at a time and land every single one on the side-abdomens of the Golden Fish.

“I’ll be satisfied when I can achieve such a level of technique,” Lonely Snow was completely trapped in the fantasy of Shi Feng’s dart-throwing technique.

“Stop daydreaming and quickly capture the crippled Golden Fish!” Shi Feng hurriedly commanded.

At this time, Blackie and Lonely Snow were finally aroused from their thoughts. They immediately used the magical nets to capture the crippled Golden Fish.

One fish… Two fish… Three fish…

Shi Feng only spent a short 30 seconds to force three Golden Fish into a crippled state. Shi Feng’s violent speed had shocked even Faust himself, and he could not help but feel a slight ache in his heart.

However, when the effects of the damage amplification, Doom Curse, and Dark Violent Dance dissipated, the capturing speed of the Golden Fish immediately slowed. Shi Feng could only wait until the Cooldown for Thundering Flash, Earth Splitter, Thunder Flame Explosion, and Dark Violent Dance to finish before renewing his assault.

Overall, Shi Feng’s group captured an average of five Golden Fish per minute. Within one hour, they could capture around 300 Golden Fish, and within four hours, they could collect the required 1,000 Golden Fish and complete the quest.

Time passed, little by little.

Unknowingly, over four hours passed by already.

“We’re rich! We’re rich! Lonely, how many fish did you catch?”

“I got 618. You?”

“Hahaha! I have more than you! I have 645. We’ll have 1,263 if we add them together. We’ve already reached the targeted 1,000 to trade for the Fragmented Legendary ranked item!”

“Leader, hang in there! We should still have some time remaining! We might even gather another hundred or so Golden Fish to trade for a Dark-Gold ranked item.”

Blackie and Lonely Snow captured the Golden Fish in exhilaration. As they watched the number of Golden Fish continuously grow in their bags, they could not suppress even a smile a their faces.

The only misfortune in this situation was that Shi Feng could not raise his skill proficiency by attacking these Golden Fish. He also did not obtain a single point of experience from his efforts.

If he killed this many Level 20 Special Elites in a normal situation, the three of them would have long since risen by two or three levels.

However, Shi Feng did not feel much from this. It was only Blackie and Lonely Snow who did not know of the rarity of a Fragmented Legendary ranked item. They might not get another chance to secure one for a very long time. To obtain the Fragmented Legendary ranked item, the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath, right now, even spending one to two days would be worth it, not to mention spending only several hours.

Shi Feng’s strength would soar if they possessed a Fragmented Legendary ranked item. As long as he equipped it, even when faced with apex experts, he would still suppress them with overwhelming strength.

In God’s Domain, there were none willing to follow a weakling. Players would only revere the strong.

If Shi Feng wanted to establish his own virtual empire, he first needed to empower himself. Only then could attract others to follow him.

During the early stages of God’s Domain, players like Shi Feng, who had yet to start up their own Workshops, had zero chances of competing against the various large Guilds. In God’s Domain, there were plenty of high-leveled field Bosses that dropped valuable loot. There were even some that would drop Dark-Gold ranked items. If lucky, players might even encounter a High Lord ranked monster.

Although High Lord ranked monsters were incomparably powerful, they possessed a small chance to drop an Epic ranked item. As for the usefulness of an Epic ranked item to a Guild, that was obvious. Not only could it increase a player’s personal strength, allowing them to kill even more powerful monsters, they would also attract plenty of famous players to join the Guild, further increasing the Guild’s overall prowess.

In regards to dealing with high-level monsters or High Lord ranked monsters, large Guilds could simply use numbers to overwhelm them. Although they would have to pay a heavy price, everything would be worth it if they could obtain top-tier equipment. Meanwhile, small Guilds and Workshops did not have such capabilities, and such a situation would allow the large Guilds to have a much easier time procuring top-tier equipment. As more time passed, the gap between the two would continue to grow larger and larger, and soon, the small Guilds would have no chance to compare to large Guilds at all.

Although developing a Guild with a massive amount of members was an easy task, it was a long and arduous process to fully persuade these players to willing stay in the Guild and share in the wealth and woe together. Time was necessary for the members to improve their cooperation with each other. A Guild also needed a core framework that could properly manage the Guild members. Aside from that, a Guild needed sufficiently attractive incentives and treatment to attract new members. It also needed to have a massive space for improvements and wonderful future prospects. Meanwhile, having wonderful future prospects meant having a powerhouse as a leader. None of these points could be to be missing. Otherwise, the recruited members would easily choose to leave the Guild.

For Guilds like Martial Union, Assassin’s Alliance, and Ouroboros, they had long since formed a sturdy foundation. They were also led by apex powerhouses. Hence, the moment they entered a new virtual reality game, they would very quickly develop themselves. They also continuously recruited a large number of players. Hence, even if they suffered massive setbacks, they would very quickly rise again.

Meanwhile, for startup Guilds like Shadow, they did not even possess a proper welfare system. If they wished to recruit a large number of players within a short period, they might cause an adverse effect, entering a period of stagnation and maybe even a period of declination.

Thus, Shi Feng chose to go down the road of the elite. He planned to first form a powerful team as the Guild’s foundation. He would then improve it steadily, gradually increasing the Guild’s member capacity. He would not follow in the footsteps of Shadow; where the Guild appeared superb on the outside, but in reality, it was riddled with holes, unable to withstand even a single blow.

If Shi Feng wished to form a sturdy foundation, powerhouses were a definite must, even more so for a newly established Guild and Workshop like Zero Wing. Without strength that surpassed others, how could they suppress those other experts and recruit them into the Guild? Only with great strength would Zero Wing show others the possibilities of advancement in their Guild. Meanwhile, the Fragmented Legendary ranked item was unquestionably a great source of strength for Shi Feng.

“Time is almost up. I should start the final spurt, then.”

After battling at full-power for over four hours, Shi Feng was drenched in sweat. Be it mentally or physically, he was exhausted near to collapsing. If it were not for the attraction of the Fragmented Legendary ranked item, he would have long since fainted into a deep sleep.

Soon after, Shi Feng took out all the Frost Grenades he had in his possession and all of the Tier 1 Magic Scrolls he had. He then distributed them to Blackie and Lonely Snow.

“These items are very precious. We’ll use them together. Absolutely do not waste them,” Shi Feng sternly said in the party chat.

“Brother Feng, rest assured. I’m a Cursemancer, so it will not be a problem for me to release these Tier 1 Magic Scrolls!”

“Leave it to me!”

Blackie and Lonely Snow could also feel the weight of these items. Not mentioning the Frost Grenades, just the value of such a large quantity of Tier 1 Magic Scrolls was immeasurable. If any accidents occurred, their losses would be abnormally huge.

“Attack that group of Golden Fish with me,” Shi Feng tossed out an Intermediate Frost Grenade, solidifying a group of Golden Fish in place. He then used Thundering Flash, inflicting a damage amplification effect and the Doom Curse on them. Soon after, he unfurled a fire-type Tier 1 Magic Scroll, blasting an attack at the group of Golden Fish.

Blackie and Lonely Snow also tossed out their Frost Grenades at the same time, freezing all the Golden Fish. They then followed up by using the Tier 1 Magic Scrolls, immediately starting violent bombardment.

A series of explosions resounded throughout the silver river, giving rise to layers upon layers of waves. The shocking damages caused the HP of the group of Golden Fish to roll downwards frantically. Compared to Shi Feng’s initial burst, this burst was much more powerful.

Watching this, Faust could not help but wipe away the cold sweat that formed on his forehead.

“Are these young lads trying to snatch even my family inheritance away?”

Chapter 159: The Forgotten History

The power of Tier 1 Magic Scrolls far surpassed the capabilities of the magic of players at this stage of the game.

The might of fire-type and ice-type magics that Shi Feng wielded was especially frightening.

A Tier 1 AOE scroll, Flame Explosion, instantly caused over -6,000 damage to the Golden Fish, while another Tier 1 AOE scroll, Cold Wind Blowing, caused over -5,000 damage.

With all three members of Shi Feng’s group attacking simultaneously, the Golden Fish had nowhere to hide.

Due to being frozen by the Frost Grenades, the Golden Fish were unable to move at all. Tier 1 Magic Scrolls bombarded them with magical attacks, one after another, rapidly reducing the Golden Fish’s HP and sending them into a crippled state.

After an all-out burst lasting more than ten minutes, Shi Feng completely exhausted all of the attack-type Tier 1 Magic Scrolls he obtained from the Moonlight Forest. They had also fully depleted the Frost Grenades he bought from the Blackwing City.

If totaled, the value of all of the items used was at least 20 Gold Coins. This loss could bankrupt a normal Guild.

However, their harvest during these ten minutes or so was bountiful. They captured a total of 247 Golden Fish during this time, increasing their total accumulated number to 1510 Golden Fish, far exceeding Shi Feng’s initial estimation. They had perfectly achieved the quest’s targeted number.

“Brother Feng, here’s the Golden Fish I collected.”

“Here’s mine as well.”

Blackie and Lonely Snow excitedly handed over all the Golden Fish they captured to Shi Feng. Anticipation filled their eyes as they waited for Shi Feng to trade for the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath. They wanted to see just how powerful the Attributes a Fragmented Legendary ranked item were.

Just as Shi Feng received all the Golden Fish, hesitation appeared on his face.

Originally, his goal from the beginning had been the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath. Now, however, he had an additional 500 or so Golden Fish in his possession, far exceeding his initial estimates. He did not know just what sort of items he should trade for with these extras.

“Brother Feng, what’s wrong?” Blackie curiously asked as he noticed Shi Feng’s thoughtful expression.

“Nothing much. I want to ask you guys for your opinions. Right now, we have over 500 extra Golden Fish; so we can gain plenty more items with them. If we trade them for Dark-Gold Equipment, we can get two to three pieces. If we convert them to Level 15 Fine-Gold Equipment, we have enough for more than ten pieces. If we trade them for Secret-Silver ranked items, we can outfit the entire party with them, greatly increasing the party’s strength. However, we can also exchange 500 Golden Fish for an Epic ranked item,” Shi Feng said.

“When everyone reaches Level 15, the entire party can be fully equipped with Level 15 Secret-Silver Equipment?” Blackie trembled with excitement just from the thought of it.

Although they still needed some time before they reached Level 15, and by the time they reached that level, the scarcity of equipment would have decreased, an entire party fully geared with Secret-Silver Equipment was not a feat that even a first-rate Guild could achieve. Even the elites amongst the elites of these first-rate Guilds would, at most, have one to two pieces of Secret-Silver Equipment. Moreover, the equipment would be Level 10, not Level 15.

Possibly, only those very few apex experts that reached Level 15 could gather a full set of Secret-Silver Equipment. However, it would still be impossible for them to gather a complete set of Level 15 Secret-Silver Equipment. This meant that the moment all the members of the Zero Wing party reached Level 15, they would instantly soar to become an apex party in God’s Domain. None of the elite parties of the major Guilds would be their equal.

“We could surpass all the elite parties of first-rate Guilds and become the topmost Level 15 elite party in God’s Domain?” Lonely Snow grew excited as well.

“What do you guys think?” Shi Feng asked.

Blackie and Lonely Snow entered deep thought.

This was an extremely grave matter, as it was a problem related to the future development of the Zero Wing Workshop.

After the three of them gave the matter some thought, Blackie suddenly said, “Brother Feng, my suggestion is to trade for the Epic ranked item.”

“Although it would be awesome for our party fully equip Secret-Silver Equipment the moment we reached Level 15, it isn’t exactly impossible for us to get more Secret-Silver Equipment in the future. Meanwhile, an Epic ranked item is definitely something we won’t encounter again. We also don’t know when we’ll get another chance like this.”

“This is an extremely rare opportunity, so we need to grab it without hesitation. Although an Epic ranked item can only raise a single person’s strength, its benefits to the party not that great. However, with a single powerhouse in the party, we will have a much easier time obtaining Secret-Silver ranked items. On the other hand, even if we had a party fully geared with Secret-Silver Equipment, we won’t obtain even a single Epic ranked item. When considering the future, Level 15 Secret-Silver Equipment will sooner or later be worthless. However, it is a different matter for an Epic ranked item. It can bring us longer-lasting benefits.”

“I also agree. To a large Guild, the improvements brought about by an Epic ranked item might not compare to over a hundred pieces of Secret-Silver ranked items. However, these large Guilds are still willing to use hundreds of Secret-Silver ranked items to trade for just a single Epic ranked item. The reason being, although having a hundred or more Secret-Silver ranked items could temporarily increase our strength, what about the future? Leader, I think we should exchange for an Epic ranked item instead.”

Blackie and Lonely Snow exchanged looks with each other. They had both given Shi Feng their most earnest opinions. They both believed that, once Shi Feng grew stronger, by the time they reached Level 15, he could outfit them with a pile of good equipment. So, why should they carry out an action that was the equivalent of killing the chicken to get the egg?

“I get it. I’ll take a look and see whether or not the Epic ranked items available for trade will be of any help to us in the future. If they are useless, then I’ll exchange for a dozen or so Fine-Gold ranked items,” Shi Feng nodded his head.

In reality, Shi Feng had thought of this matter as well. However, he couldn’t be too selfish either. Compared to a Fragmented Legendary ranked item, an Epic ranked item was not as important. Hence, when trading for other items, he needed to consider everyone else’s opinions. After all, this was a result that was only possible through everyone’s joint efforts.

“Young adventurer, here is the list of items. Have a look, and simply tell me whichever items you wish to trade,” Faust said with a stiff expression.

He truly did not expect the young fellow before him to be so powerful. To actually obtain the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath that he had treasured for so many years… He had not been willing to sell it in the past, even when someone offered 30,000 Gold Coins. Yet, today, he was trading it away for only 1,000 Golden Fish…

Shi Feng looked at the list of items, discovering that there were three additional Epic ranked items available for trade. There was a necklace called Heart of Light, a longbow called Starchaser, and a staff called Mavis’s Guard.

As for the Dark-Gold ranked items and Fine-Gold ranked items, there were a ton of them available. Almost every kind of item was available.

However, the item that aroused the most attention was still the Fragmented Legendary ranked item, the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath.

It was needless to be mentioned that the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath had to be purchased. As for the remaining three Epic ranked items, one of them was a longbow, a weapon for Rangers, and it was useless to their current party. Hence, only the necklace and staff remained as options.

However, when Shi Feng looked at both the Attributes of these items, he was instantly speechless. He could not decide which item would bring the greatest personal improvement to his party.

“Which one should I choose…?” Shi Feng’s gaze kept switching between the two Epic ranked items before him, indecisive.

Faust only revealed a smile at this sight. What he loved watching the most was the distressed appearance of young people.

After hesitating for a long time, Shi Feng suddenly recalled a name in his memories from long ago. This name had once resounded throughout God’s Domain. However, after going through the ravages of time, this name slowly became unknown and forgotten.

“Esteemed Lord Faust, I wish to exchange for the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath, Mavis’s Guard, and this Level 15 Secret-Silver ranked ring, the Ring of Glory,” Shi Feng said.

“How do you know about this matter?!” Listening to the items that Shi Feng wanted to exchange, Faust was instantly dumbfounded. He fixedly stared at Shi Feng, asking in disbelief.

Chapter 160: Shocking Attributes

Great! The gamble paid off! It really is a treasure left behind by that great existence! Shi Feng inwardly felt immense excitement. However, he did not reveal it on his face, maintaining a calm outward expression.

To Faust’s shock and questioning, Shi Feng did not give out an answer. He only revealed a mysterious smile at Faust.

“Esteemed Lord Faust, I wonder if I can purchase these items?” Shi Feng asked once more.

“Hah… Maybe this too is fate,” Faust sighed. He then said, “Since you’ve already made your choice, you have to use this strength properly. The total is 1,510 Golden Fish for all three items.”

“Esteemed Lord Faust, here are 1,510 Golden Fish,” Shi Feng handed over the Golden Fish, receiving three items in return.

He had made a huge profit from this trade.

Actually, Shi Feng did not think that his luck would be so heaven-defying after his reincarnation.

In Shi Feng’s previous life, six years after God’s Domain began, Shadow accidentally discovered a Level 150 lost ruin. Moreover, to fully explore the lost ruin, they had sacrificed a disastrous amount of resources. However, they did not obtain anything significant from this exploration, only managing to find a golden book on a goddess statue. There was nothing special about this book. It was simply a book made of pure gold, so it did not rot easily. Recorded in the book was a segment about a long forgotten history.

Meanwhile, one of the phrases within the book contained the name, Mavis. During that ancient era, Mavis was likened to a God, and she was referred to as the God of Light. Compared to the strange old man, Faust, Mavis was much stronger. Aside from that, Shi Feng had not a clue about who Mavis was.

Even so, an item left behind by a legendary existence much stronger than Faust would not be an ordinary item.

Meanwhile, Blackie and Lonely Snow stood silently in confusion as they watched Shi Feng. They did not understand why Shi Feng was so joyful. However, listening to Faust’s words, they faintly felt that they had gained a great advantage from the trade.

“Young man, seeing that fate has allowed us to meet let me give you a warning; the Magic Weapon in your hand is extremely terrifying. Sealed within the Magic Weapon is the curse of the Black Dragon King, which even I will not face. This curse is extremely formidable, and even if the Lucky Stone suppresses it, sooner or later, you will have to face it,” Faust’s caution was grim. He then continued, saying, “While you allow your Magic Weapon to absorb more power, you also strengthen the curse suppressed within the weapon.”

“Remember that a Magic Weapon is a double-edged sword. If you wish to obtain extraordinary strength, your will must be extraordinary as well. Otherwise, strength will, soon or later, devour you whole. Maybe, this is also fate. Although the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath is only a fragmented item, it could still, more or less, aid you in resisting your Magic Weapon’s backlash. If you can fully restore the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath, it will bring you unimaginable benefits. Strive harder, young man.”

Finished speaking, Faust’s body vanished, while the entire Star River Valley gradually faded from existence as well.

System: Rare Quest “Delicious Golden Fish” completed. Rewarding 300,000 EXP. Reputation in White River City +10.

Shi Feng instantly rose to Level 12, a golden glow enveloping his body.

Immediately after, a golden glow also coated Blackie and Lonely Snow, both of them reaching Level 11.

“This quest is too awesome! It instantly gave me 150,000 EXP!” Blackie said, entranced.

Lonely Snow also nodded, saying with a smile, “I also received 140,000 EXP. With this, our Zero Wing party dominates the top three positions of White River City. If others know of this, our Zero Wing Workshop will become famous.”

“We might be more than famous; those other players from major Guilds might even be dumbfounded. Those bastards from Martial Union would regret becoming enemies with us. The next time we meet them, I will teach them a good lesson,” confidence about the future filled Blackie’s heart. Now that his level was so high, and his equipment was excellent, even if he encountered several experts from Martial Union, he could still kill them all.

While Blackie fantasized, the Star River Valley had completely disappeared. Only the dark Silent Swamp and dying forest remained around them.

“Brother Feng, that strange old man looked so shocked just now. Just what did you obtain from him?” Blackie curiously asked.

“Nothing much. I got the Fragmented Legendary ranked item, the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath, an Epic ranked staff, Mavis’s Guard, and a Secret-Silver ranked ring, the Ring of Glory,” Shi Feng shared the information of the items with the other two.

[Heavenly Dragon’s Breath] (Ring, Fragmented Legendary Rank)

Equipment Requirement: Strength 200, Agility 200, Intelligence 120

Strength +40%, Agility +40%, Intelligence +30%, Endurance +50%

Movement Speed +20%

Attack Speed +30%

Ignore Levels +10

All item level requirements reduced by 10 Levels.

Additional Skill 1: Dragon’s Authority. Suppress all enemies in the surroundings with the might of the Heavenly Dragon, inflicting the Fear status onto enemies within a 30-yard distance, reducing their Attack Power by 20%, Attack Speed by 20%, and Movement Speed by 20% for 1 minute.

Cooldown: 3 minutes

Additional Skill 2: Dragon Breath. Inflicts 6X damage in a 30*5 yard line in front of you. There is a 20% chance to induce the Fainted state for 2 seconds.

Cooldown: 5 minutes

Additional Skill 3: Heavenly Dragon’s Power. Allows the user to temporarily possess the power of the Heavenly Dragon, increasing HP by 300%, Strength by 100%, and Defense by 300%, and grants immunity to all controlling effects for 2 minutes.

Cooldown: 3 hours

The Dragon Slayer Mekaseru once owned the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath. It was originally a Legendary Ranked Item possessing the suppressed strength of the dragon tribe. Due to damage resulting from a war between Gods, its might has greatly decreased. However, the Heavenly Dragon’s Breath possesses an incomparably strong magic power and possesses the potential to restore itself. Its past glory may be restored with three Magic Stars and one Dragon’s Heart. Current restoration (0/4).

[Mavis’s Guard] (Staff, Epic Rank)

Level 1 – Level 60

Equipment Requirement: Intelligence 80

Attributes adjust according to user’s level.

Magic Damage +20%

Maximum Mana +20%

Mana Consumption -10%

Ignore Levels +10

All magic-type skills +2 Levels.

All item level requirements reduced by 10 Levels.

Additional Passive Skill: Spear of Light. There is a 15% chance to trigger this skill when attacking, launching a Spear of Light at the target and causing 200% magic damage.

Additional Skill 1: Guardian of Light. Grants a target immunity to all magic damage, reduces physical damage by 80%, and recovers 5% HP every second for 20 seconds.

Cooldown: 20 minutes

Additional Skill 2: Stars of Light. Deals 500% magic damage to targets within a 5-yard radius, or deals 300% magic damage to targets within a 20-yard radius. The damage scales up by 10% every second for 15 seconds.

Cooldown: 30 minutes

Mavis’s Guard was once a staff blessed by the God of Light, Mavis. It possesses incomparably powerful magic. However, due to the limited materials used to make the staff, it is unable to display its full might. Its maximum level can increase to Level 100 if a Master Forger uses five Radiant God-steal to reforge the staff

[Ring of Glory] (Ring, Secret-Silver Rank)

Level 15

Equipment Requirement: Intelligence 40

Intelligence +24, Vitality +15, Endurance +10, Strength +8, Agility +8

Increases damage of all light-type magic by 15%.

“These are a Fragmented Legendary ranked item and an Epic rank item?”

“Aren’t they too OP?!”

Blackie and Lonely Snow’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when they saw the Attributes of the three items.

Previously, they thought that the Attributes of a Secret-Silver Weapon were already powerful. Only now, after seeing these Attributes, did they understand that no matter how strong you were, there would always be someone stronger than you. In the face of Fragmented Legendary ranked items and Epic ranked items, Secret-Silver ranked items were simply…

Trash!

Chapter 161: Frightening Damage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This… alright, then.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Swamp Lizard] (Rare Elite)

Level 17

HP 200,000/200,000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Let me see just how amazing you are, Mavis’s Guard!”

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

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

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

“This is too powerful!”

“This is an Epic Weapon?”

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

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

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

Chapter 162: eye

Level 15 monster area, Silent Swamp.

“Leader, where are we headed?”

“Brother Feng, wasn’t there a herd of Swamp Hippos just now?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Swamp Rhino] (Common Monster)

Level 20

HP 3,200/3,200

[Twin-horned Rhino] (Elite Monster)

Level 20

HP 17,500/17,5000

[Rhino Chieftain One-eye] (Special Elite)

Level 20

HP 50,000/50,000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Brother Feng!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Such a tough defense! Shi Feng was slightly shocked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Almost! Shine out, Stars of Light!”

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

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

Chapter 163: Mad Leveling

“This is…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thunder Flame Explosion!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abyssal Bind!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s finally over.”

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

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

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

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

Chapter 164: The First Crisis

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

Show the strength of Zero Wing Workshop?

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

Is leader telling us to go level up? Cola grew excited at the thought of this possibility. This is too great! We’re being stifled to death by constantly staying in town. It would be fine even if we have to slaughter our way out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—

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

—

Meanwhile, inside the Hotel at the Trade Area…

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

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

Peng!

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

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

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

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

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

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

This situation dumbfounded Unstable Devastation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—

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

The moment he had long awaited had finally arrived.

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

Chapter 165: A Foolish Choice?

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

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

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

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

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

—

Red Leaf town, Trade Area, Black Rose Bar.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hah… I understand. I’ll only ask this one last time, then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 166: Initial Formation of the Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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