Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 316

Chapter 316: Moon

The confrontation between Dark Star and Zero Wing had already become explosively popular on the forums.

Previously, using the name Black Flame, Shi Feng had declared that he would exact vengeance against Dark Star.

In response, those who knew of Dark Star’s strength were not optimistic about Zero Wing’s chances of success.

After all, everyone knew that Zero Wing had only recently established; it did not possess a significant background. However, Zero Wing was still the first Guild in Star-Moon Kingdom to possess a Guild Residence, so most considered it to have great potential. If it spent a few more months developing, it might become an existence that surpassed even Dark Star. At the moment, though, it was simply too early for Zero Wing to go against Dark Star.

Yet, sometime later, such remarks about Zero Wing completely disappeared.

World Dominators, veteran first-rate Guild, had actually suffered defeat. Moreover, the Guild had been eliminated from the competition for dominance over White River City. Zero Wing had played a significant role in achieving this feat, so it was apparent that Zero Wing was not as weak as everyone had imagined.

Hence, the moment the video of Shi Feng killing Dark Star’s Guild Leader, Lone Tyrant, uploaded, it’s popularity instantly grew.

In particular, the scene where Shi Feng indifferently faced off against an army of over a thousand elites and managed to kill Lone Tyrant by himself garnered huge amounts of attention.

Shi Feng’s actions made it seem as if killing the enemy commander while surrounded by an army as simple as taking something out of his pockets.

A scene that was only possible in storybooks had actually occurred in reality.

In the face of Shi Feng, the Guild Leader of Dark Star was like a little kid. Even as Lone Tyrant died, he had not offered the least bit of resistance. On the other hand, just a glance from Shi Feng caused the thousands of players of Dark Star to freeze in fright. At that time, Shi Feng was like a king. Before him, everybody else could only submit.

Also, the scene in which Shi Feng killed Ming Sha as he departed was even more amazing.

Anybody could tell at a glance that the Berserker, Ming Sha, was not just an ordinary expert. Yet, even so, Shi Feng killed him effortlessly. However, this did not mean that Ming Sha was weak. Instead, Shi Feng was simply too strong.

“This Black Flame is too powerful! With his skills, he can rank on the God’s Domain Experts List.”

“Not likely. That’s the God’s Domain Experts List you’re talking about. The Secret Pavilion has collected information on all experts in God’s Domain to compile that list and the God’s Domain experts that rank on it are all monsters. Previously, even though the god-ranked expert, Ye Feng, had killed over a hundred players all by himself, he still failed to earn a spot on that list.”

The Secret Pavilion was famous in the virtual gaming world, and one could find the Secret Pavilion’s presence in practically every virtual reality game available. The Experts List compiled by the Secret Pavilion was also well-received by many players. After all, by browsing through the Experts List, one could easily find information such as the major events that had occurred in God’s Domain, what kind of experts were present in the game, who the number one player was, and more. Players had no need to go through the trouble of searching for such information through the official forums.

Any player who managed earn a place on the Experts List was a target for recruitment of all of the major Workshops in the gaming industry.

Although nobody knew whether Black Flame was capable of ranking on the Experts List, undoubtedly, he had already earned his fame in Star-Moon Kingdom.

In the future, whenever people talked about Zero Wing, the first thing that would come to their minds would be Black Flame.

—

“Damn it! Damn that Black Flame!” Lone Tyrant burst into an uncontrollable rage when he discovered the video Shi Feng had uploaded.

His original plan to destroy Zero Wing had completely backfired, and instead, he became the laughingstock throughout Star-Moon Kingdom.

“Have we not found them yet?!” Lone Tyrant bellowed.

Dark Star had suffered a tremendous loss this time. Not only had it lost more than a thousand players to Zero Wing, but Dark Star’s fame and prestige had also been destroyed. Lone Tyrant’s reputation had gone up in flames. To make things worse, he still had to compensate World Dominators for its losses. The amount they had to pay would definitely put a dent in Dark Star’s funds, damaging the Guild’s development.

In this war, Dark Star had suffered a double loss]. However, Lone Tyrant was completely helpless about this situation.

“Guild Leader, we’ve already increased the number of people searching for them to 15,000. However, it’s as if they grew wings and flew away; even after rummaging through the entire Silverleaf Forest, we still can’t find any traces of Zero Wing. I suspect that they have long since left the Forest. Otherwise, if Black Flame and the core members of Zero Wing were still here, Zero Wing’s and Ouroboros’s forces would have carved a path of blood into this forest by now. They wouldn’t have dispersed and went on to do their own things.” Lone Tyrant’s confidant explained slowly.

Before, Lone Tyrant’s anger had blinded him, so he had not considered this. However, now that he thought it through, it was as his confidant said.

If Black Flame, Zero Wing’s Guild Leader, were still trapped deep in his enemy’s territory, how could the other members of his Guild possibly sit and do nothing? They would have charged forward in desperation. If Zero Wing had joined hands with Ouroboros, based on Dark Star’s strength, Dark Star would have no choice but to back off.

Yet, Zero Wing had not done so. Even the reinforcements Lone Tyrant had called in from White River City received no obstruction whatsoever from the other Guild. Based on Zero Wing’s inaction, one could conclude that Black Flame had indeed already left the Silverleaf Forest.

“Damn that Black Flame! We’ve wasted so much time and manpower!” Lone Tyrant’s eyes burned with anger. However, he was simply helpless against Zero Wing. It was no longer possible to deal with their enemy now.

Previously, he had the help of World Dominators to hinder Ouroboros. Now that World Dominators was out of the competition, if Dark Star wished to deal with Zero Wing, it would have to fight both Zero Wing and Ouroboros simultaneously. Even with Underworld’s support, it was still not an opponent for these two Guilds.

Suddenly, Lone Tyrant seemed to age by several years.

“Pass on my command: everybody is dismissed. Those who should rest, rest. Those who wish to level up, go level up. As for the rewards and compensations, I will issue those later.” After Lone Tyrant finished speaking, as if all the strength in his body drained away, his entire person became powerless.

Soon after, everyone from Dark Star departed from the Silverleaf Forest, one after another.

As for the seal of Guild War Order, that, too, had dissipated.

—

When the thousands of players from Dark Star hunted Shi Feng’s group, having nothing better to do, Shi Feng and the others had spent their time searching for Silver Carp at a lake.

Currently, nobody that knew how precious Silver Carp were. Moreover, now that the underwater areas of the Silverleaf Forest had yet to develop, one could find a large number of Silver Carp in the lakes in the area.

Even in the very beginning, each Silver Carp sold for 20 Silver Coins. Presently, 20 Silver was worth 3,000 Credits; it could compare to the monthly salaries of white-collared workers. By the time everybody discovered the Silver Carp’s value, its price had soared from the initial 20 Silver Coins to 2 Gold Coins. To an average player, such an amount was a fortune.

During the several hours Dark Star had hunted them, Shi Feng and the others had managed to catch over 20 Silver Carp. They even discovered multiple Treasure Chests. Although they were only Bronze and Mysterious-Iron rank, it was still a considerable harvest.

“Guild Leader, as you predicted, Dark Star has released the seal on the Silverleaf Forest,” Fire Dance reported excitedly.

Although everything had gone according to Shi Feng’s plan, when everyone witnessed the area seal lifting so quickly, they could not help their astonishment. It was as if everything was within Shi Feng’s grasp.

“That’s that. However, we are now Red Players. If we aren’t nobles of White River City, we won’t have any way to enter the city safely. Most of us are already Level 20, so if we wish to upgrade ourselves further, we need to complete our class change. Let’s first wash away our Red Names. Otherwise, we can’t enter White River City to accept our class change quest.”

Shi Feng was not particularly surprised about the seal on the Silverleaf Forest releasing. After spending so much time and manpower, Dark Star had still failed to locate any of them. As long as Lone Tyrant was not an idiot, he would definitely stop searching for them like a fool.

Chapter 317: Town Capture

“Guild Leader, our names are as red as blood right now. Most of us have killed more than ten people, while Blackie and I have killed more than a hundred each. We’ll need to waste a lot of time to cleanse our Red Names completely. By the time we do, most of the players from the other Guilds will have already reached Level 20,” Fire Dance said as she smiled bitterly.

If a player wished to remove their status as a Red Name, they needed to remove the Crime Value they had accumulated. One of the most common ways to get rid of Crime Value was to wait, as a player’s Crime Value decreased over time. However, if one’s Crime Value was excessively high, they needed to punish evil and promote righteousness.

However, although killing NPCs such as villains, criminals, and bandits would significantly reduce a player’s Crime Value, there was no other benefit for doing so. Killing these NPCs would not provide players with any additional rewards or EXP.

Moreover, these NPCs were very few and usually scattered all over God’s Domain. It would be fine if players hunted for these NPCs by themselves, but hunting as a group would be time-consuming and inefficient.

“Indeed. Let’s forget about cleansing your Red Names for now. We’ll raise our White River City Reputation. As long as you become nobles, entering the city as Red Names will not have significant consequences. We should have no problems taking on the class change quest,” Shi Feng made his decision after some thought. Otherwise, it would take around two to three days’ effort to cleanse such a high Crime Value.

“…”

Everyone fell speechless when they heard Shi Feng’s decision to raise their Reputation in White River City to the degree of becoming a noble. Shi Feng made it sound as if becoming a noble of White River City was as easy as buying cabbage from the market.

It was extremely difficult for players to raise their White River City Reputation, and one needed to invest a lot of time to accumulate sufficient Reputation Points to become a noble. In this case, it would be much easier to hunt for NPC bandits.

“Guild Leader, do you have a method to increase our White River City Reputation quickly?” Blackie knew that Shi Feng would not speak without reason. Suddenly, his eyes shone with a hint of excitement as he looked to his Guild Leader for answers.

A noble of White River City!

Currently, one could count the number of players that had become nobles of White River City on one’s fingers. After becoming a noble, not only could one purchase a business stall in White River City, but one could also receive high-level quests in the City. The rewards were enough to drool over. Although the EXP rewarded was low, the monetary rewards consisted of Silver Coins, not Copper Coins.

Most importantly, nobles could receive a 10% discount when purchasing items in White River City. They could also receive a 30% discount when repairing weapons and equipment!

Currently, every time they went to repair items, they would always leave with a stomach ache.

Due to the quality of their items, the repair fees were at least six times higher than the average player’s.

If they could become nobles of White River City, in the future, they would not become poor bastards whenever they needed to repair their equipment. They might even get the chance to enter the Noble’s District.

Shi Feng rolled his eyes at Blackie, saying, “Do you really think it is so easy to become a noble?”

The team could not help their laughter at Blackie as he nearly choked from Shi Feng’s reply.

“Although it is not easy to raise one’s Reputation in White River City, if one wishes to increase it quickly, there is indeed a method to do so.”

“Guild Leader, is there really such a method?” Cola asked excitedly. It was an absolute nightmare for him whenever he had to repair his equipment.

Out of cloth armor, leather armor, and plate armor, the repair fees for cloth armor were the cheapest. On the other hand, plate armor cost the most to repair, and normally, the fees were at least double that of cloth armor.

“Ah, there is one method: Town Capture,” Shi Feng nodded, revealing a mysterious smile.

Shi Feng’s announcement stunned his Guildmates. What kind of trouble was Shi Feng trying to stir?

They had just escaped from Dark Star’s pursuit, yet, now, they were going to capture a town?

“Town Capture?” Cola was confused.

Although he did not know why Shi Feng suggested they capture a town, such a thing was not easy. Level 50 Elite NPCs guarded every town. There were even Tier 2 NPCs protecting them. Even with their strength combined, they wouldn’t be a match for even a single Level 50 Elite NPC, not to mention a Tier 2 NPC.

“That’s right. However, we’re not going to capture just any town. Instead, our aim is Creek Town, one of the towns within the White River City region that’s occupied by evil-aligned NPCs. As long as we capture this town, we can obtain a lot of White River City Reputation Points. If we’re lucky, there might even be unexpected rewards,” Shi Feng explained. “However, it won’t be easy. I’ll need to make some preparations before we set off.”

“Just stay here and catch some fish for now. I’ll head back and make the necessary arrangements. I’ll notify you guys once I’m done.”

After Shi Feng said so, he used a Return Scroll.

Town Capture…. During the middle stages of God’s Domain, this was a commonplace activity for players.

There were plenty of small towns in God’s Domain, and a majority of these towns were not under the management of any kingdoms or empires. Instead, other forces occupied these towns. So long as players wished to establish their own empire in God’s Domain, it was a must for them to occupy towns. Meanwhile, if players wished to occupy a town, they needed to chase away the forces that occupied said town first. Only by doing so could they turn the town into their own Guild Town. They could then slowly develop and upgrade the town’s rank. It was also not impossible for players to develop a town to surpass even Star-Moon City. However, the conditions for doing so were extremely demanding, so it was very difficult for players to succeed.

Moreover, capturing a town was easier said than done.

Even if the current number one Guild in White River City, Ouroboros, went all out, they should not have any clue of how to capture a town. It should be impossible for Ouroboros to capture even the most bordered and resource-poor town.

On top of that, now that Shi Feng had unsealed the Endless Abyss, towns had upgraded their overall strength in preparation for the assault from Demonic Beasts, making it even more challenging for players to capture a town.

However, Creek Town, the town Shi Feng had chosen as his target, was slightly special. There was a Hidden Quest in White River City that would greatly reduce the overall strength of Creek Town. If the town were weakened, capture would become far easier. However, in order to accept this Hidden Quest, at the very minimum, one must first become a Viscount of White River City. Fortunately, Shi Feng just happened to be just that.

After Shi Feng returned to White River City, he suddenly became the focus of the entire city. Any players who saw him immediately began whispering to companions or strangers by their sides. Shi Feng was a celebrity right now, and everyone in White River City knew about him.

Although part of the reason why Shi Feng attracted so much attention was due to his blood-red name, the actual cause for his fame was due to the name Black Flame.

The video of the battle in the Silverleaf Forest was extremely exciting. The scene where Shi Feng had leaped high into the air to finish off Ming Sha was particularly unforgettable. Countless players had tried to mimic Shi Feng’s actions. Unfortunately, average players could, at most, jump two to three meters high. Compared to Shi Feng, who had managed to reach a height of eight meters, the gap between them was simply too massive. Moreover, Shi Feng had brandished his sword six times while in mid-air, and every strike accurately landed on Ming Sha’s vital points.

Through their attempts to mimic Shi Feng’s actions, everyone’s admiration for him grew. Everyone knew that a player’s Basic Attributes determined the gap between them and others. Only after making a comparison did they know just how wide the gap was between them and Shi Feng.

“Guild Leader Black Flame! When will Zero Wing hold another mass recruitment? I’ve been waiting to join Zero Wing for a long time now!” a Level 17 male Swordsman asked loudly.

“That’s right! This little girl wishes to join Zero Wing as well! Big Brother Black Flame, please tell this little sister when you’ll recruit again! It can be our little secret! I promise not to tell anyone!” a beautiful female Summoner asked sweetly.

Everyone’s eagerness to join Zero Wing grew greater and greater. If Zero Wing had not announced to the public that it had temporarily halted recruitment in order to fine-tune the management of the Guild, the stampede of players might have trampled Zero Wing’s recruitment area by now.

The crowd’s enthusiasm started to make even Shi Feng grow afraid. Without a better choice, he said, “Everyone can rest assured that Zero Wing will definitely recruit for more members. Moreover, we will have even more slots available during the next recruitment. As for the time and venue, the recruitment will be held in three days at Zero Wing’s Guild Residence. I hope that everyone will show up for the registration when the time comes.”

Finished speaking, Shi Feng hurriedly escaped. If he remained any longer, he might not be able to get away.

“In three days? Great! I can use that time to improve my techniques and strength! I will definitely pass the test and become a member of Zero Wing!”

After receiving a specific time, everyone grew even more enthusiastic. They all swore to join Zero Wing no matter what.

In their minds, Zero Wing stood out like a sacred temple of experts.

Assassin Fire Dance, Guardian Knight Cola, Elementalist Aqua Rose, Berserker Lonely Snow, Cursemancer Black Cloud, Cleric Violet Cloud, Swordsman Black Flame, Swordsman Ye Feng, and many other experts all belonged to Zero Wing. These experts possessed brilliant battle records in God’s Domain, and they were far stronger than other Guilds’ experts.

Chapter 318: Blood Hand

Shi Feng’s return immediately attracted the attention of the various powers in White River City.

When these powers learned about Shi Feng’s return, in addition, his blood-red colored name, they knew that Dark Star’s encirclement had failed.

Dark Star had dispatched over 10,000 members during this encounter. Yet, they still failed to annihilate Zero Wing’s core members. This conclusion had greatly boosted Zero Wing’s fame. Moreover, Lone Tyrant’s death at Shi Feng’s hands had also been a huge blow to Dark Star’s reputation.

Excluding World Dominators, which had already been eliminated from the competition for the dominance over White River City, Dark Star’s current reputation ranked at the very bottom of the top six Guilds of White River City. As a result, many players who had originally intended to join Dark Star now had their sights on Zero Wing instead.

As things stood, it was only a matter of time before Zero Wing surpassed Dark Star.

After escaping the attention of the passionate players surrounding him, Shi Feng immediately draped a Black Cloak over his shoulders, covering his face and hiding his name. He then hurried towards the Adventurer’s Association of White River City.

On the way, Shi Feng contacted Aqua Rose and had her bring around 60 core members to the Adventurer’s Association to meet up with him.

Twenty minutes later, Aqua Rose showed up at the entrance of the Adventurer’s Association with the requested Guildmates.

Every one of these core members wore equipment that was Mysterious-Iron rank and above. Among them, many possessed Secret-Silver Equipment. The group looked dazzling when they stood in front of the entrance, invoking the envy and admiration of many passing players.

Although Dark Star’s ambush and the battle with World Dominators had significantly damaged Zero Wing, fortunately, the Guild possessed a relatively large stock of Bronze and Mysterious-Iron Equipment to compensate for the loss. Only, some time was required to regain the lost Levels.

Meanwhile, Aqua Rose’s group consisted of players that had been busy raiding Dungeons while the Guild War had taken place. They had not been able to make it in time to help.

“Big Sis Aqua, why do you think the Guild Leader called us here?” a female Cleric called Snow Goose asked curiously.

“Isn’t it obvious? Dark Star caused us trouble, picking a fight. Our Guild Leader obviously wants us here to plan our payback,” a Berserker said, laughing.

“That’s great! The Dungeon we raided before was too far away, so we couldn’t join in the Guild War. Now, I’ll get to teach those bastards from Dark Star a lesson!” Snow Goose giggled as she waved her delicate fist around.

Watching this scene, Aqua Rose could not help but laugh, saying, “Snow Goose, aren’t you a little too aggressive? Although the Guild Leader hasn’t expressed his plans for us yet, I feel that he called us here for something else. Otherwise, if we start a war against Dark Star with the few numbers we have here, we won’t even fill in the gaps between their teeth. Stop guessing blindly. In any case, we’ll know what he wants us to do soon enough.”

Hearing that their Guild Leader had called them here for something else, Snow Goose’s mood dampened slightly. The others also revealed disappointed expressions.

Shi Feng finally arrived after Aqua Rose and the others had waited at the Adventurer’s Association’s entrance for a short while.

“Guild Leader, why are you still wearing a cloak? Are we not allowed to expose ourselves in this operation? Should we leave and sneak back over here?” Aqua Rose could not help her confusion when she saw Shi Feng hiding his face. At this moment, Shi Feng looked like a wanted criminal who was afraid of being discovered.

“I hadn’t intended to use it. However, being too famous doesn’t help me either. If I removed my cloak, I don’t think I will get further than the front door of the Adventurer’s Association,” Shi Feng said, laughing bitterly. “Forget about it. Invite me to the team and let’s get down to business. “

From Shi Feng’s brief explanation, Aqua Rose imagined the comical scene of a horde of players mobbing Shi Feng. Involuntarily, Aqua Rose’s lips hooked up into a bright smile. The dignified Guild Leader of Zero Wing had been fearless even against an army of thousands. Yet, now, he was actually afraid of his fans’ enthusiasm.

After Aqua Rose invited Shi Feng to the team, she passed the team leader position to Shi Feng.

After becoming the leader of the team, Shi Feng immediately examined everyone’s Level, and he could not help but feel proud at what he saw.

A majority of the team was Level 19, while a small portion had already reached Level 20. This was unimaginable in any other Guild. As the various large Guilds competed over the First Clear of the Three Great Dungeons, naturally, they would not hurry to level up.

In truth, the Guild’s actions were similar to putting the cart before the horse. Although obtaining the First Clear of the Three Great Dungeons was important, God’s Domain worked differently from other MMOs. If players paid too much attention to their gains and losses during the early stages of the game, they could easily miss other opportunities.

Take the promotion to become a Tier 1 class for example. Level 20 Dungeons specifically catered to Tier 1 classes. The only reason Fire Dance and the others had managed to clear Level 20 Dungeons was mainly due to the excellent equipment they possessed. Otherwise, it would have been extremely difficult to achieve such a feat.

Not to mention, there were still the 50-man and 100-man Level 20 large-scale Team Dungeons.

Hence, the earlier they completed their Tier 1 promotion, the better their chances were of obtaining the First Clear of the 100-man Team Dungeon.

The only benefit of obtaining the First Clear of the Level 10 Three Great Dungeons was fame among players. By obtaining the First Clear of a Level 20, 100-man Team Dungeon, however, not only could they increase their fame, but they could also encounter a great opportunity.

“Let’s head to the second floor,” Shi Feng said in the team chat.

—

Normally, nobody visited the second floor of the Adventurer’s Association.

This place did not receive individual Guild players. Instead, this place was exclusive to Guild teams.

“Sister Aqua, why do you think the Guild Leader has led us here?” Snow Goose asked curiously.

“I don’t know.” Aqua Rose shook her head. She, too, could not see through their Guild Leader, Shi Feng. However, it was precisely because of this that she had chosen to join Zero Wing. She then continued, “However, this is where Guilds come to take on large-scale quests. I wonder what kind of great quest the Guild Leader plans to accept?”

At this time, Shi Feng sat in front of the VIP counter. With a smile, the beautiful receptionist behind the counter asked, “Lord Viscount, how may I be of service today?”

“I wish to take on a Guild Crusade Quest,” Shi Feng requested.

“Okay. However, as the Zero Wing guild is only a 3-star Guild, there are only four locations available for a crusade. May I know which location Lord Viscount desires?”

The receptionist listed the four locations. They were rather remote towns, barren wastelands. However, dark forces occupied each location. Without two to three thousand Level 30 Tier 1 players, one should not even consider capturing it.

Of course, this was only in the case for attacking normally. If it were a crusade, however, the difficulty of capturing the town would significantly decrease. Even so, it was still extremely difficult. If one attempted to capture these towns with only 100 players around Level 20, it would be suicide.

“Creek Town, then.” Shi Feng was very familiar with the Crusade Quests available in White River City. He chose Creek Town, which was occupied by the Blood Hand Association, without hesitation.

Among the many dark forces in the White River City region, the Blood Hand Association was one of the weakest and smallest powers; it ranked at the very bottom. Taking on any of the other three locations, each of which was controlled by lower-middle class dark forces, would be nothing more than suicide for Shi Feng and his team. They would have no chances of successfully capturing the town at all.

“Okay. A 1-star Crusade Quest will require a deposit of 30 Gold Coins. If the quest is not completed within five days, then the deposit will not be refunded.”

Snow Goose, who currently stood behind Shi Feng, widened her delicate mouth in shock when she heard the requirement of a 30 Gold deposit.

Just what kind of quest was this? To think that they actually needed to pay a deposit before accepting the quest…. Moreover, the deposit was even 30 Gold Coins!

“Big Sis Aqua, what kind of quest is that? It actually needs 30 Gold Coins! Even if I sold myself, I still wouldn’t earn so much money!” Snow Goose said, stunned.

Snow Goose’s words left everyone speechless.

Shi Feng, on the other hand, merely revealed a calm smile as he paid the 30 Gold Coins deposit gladly. He then said in the team chat, “This is a Guild Crusade Quest. Unless one becomes a true noble of White River City, they can’t even accept such a quest. Moreover, 30 Gold Coins is actually very cheap.”

Cheap?

Everyone was truly speechless this time. At this stage of the game, 30 Gold Coins was practically the maximum a third-rate Guild would possess. If they could not complete this Crusade Quest, those 30 Gold Coins would be gone forever….

Chapter 319: Windbreaker

After Shi Feng accepted the 1-star Guild Crusade Quest, he led everyone to the Twilight Temple.

The Twilight Temple was a main hub for healer classes.

Here Clerics, Oracles, and Druids could take on quests that rewarded high-level skills related to their classes.

“Guild Leader, what are we doing here?” Aqua Rose asked, confused.

“We’re looking for assistance.” Shi Feng smiled faintly, not bothering to explain further.

After entering the main hall of the Twilight Temple, they saw Level 180 Elite Guards crowding the temple. This hall also contained the statue of the Twilight Goddess, below which stood a Level 200 Priest dressed in red.

An Oracle advanced to Priest after reaching Tier 2. To Shi Feng and the others, a Level 200 Priest was an existence that they could only revere. At this moment, however, this Priest dressed in red took the initiative to walk up to Shi Feng and welcome him.

“Greetings, Lord Viscount,” the Priest said, fawning.

“Greetings, Esteemed Lord Priest. I wish to purchase some Water of Life. Do you have some here?” Shi Feng asked softly.

The Water of Life was the spring water taken from the Fountain of Eternal Life; it was sacred medicine in God’s Domain that could heal any wound in an instant. It could even regenerate a person’s lost limbs, so The Water of Life was extremely valuable. To NPCs, the Water of Life held great importance.

The Twilight Temple worshipped the Twilight Goddess. Meanwhile, the Fountain of Eternal Life was a Godly Relic that the Twilight Goddess had bestowed upon the Twilight Temple.

Hence, throughout God’s Domain, only the Twilight Temple could possibly obtain the Water of Life.

“Lord Viscount, Water of Life is precious. This is a gift of the Twilight Goddess to we humans, and every drop is a treasure. It is not something a Priest like myself can give to others casually, so I beg for Lord Viscount’s forgiveness,” the Priest said, appearing slightly angry. However, a Viscount was a person of relatively high status in White River City. Even if Shi Feng’s request angered the Priest, the Priest still had to endure and hold it in. If any other player stood in Shi Feng’s place right now, the Priest might have thrown them out of the temple already.

Naturally, Shi Feng knew this.

Although he had guessed that his identity as a Viscount would not get him the Water of Life, the Priest’s unwavering refusal still shocked him slightly.

Shi Feng then activated the Golden Stigmata and looked at the Priest, asking, “Will this not do?”

Suddenly, twinkling golden stars appeared in Shi Feng’s dark pupils. His body began to emanate a terrifying aura. In the face of this aura, the Priest felt even his soul tremble.

“You are…” The Priest was the manager of this Twilight Temple, so it was only natural that he would possess vast knowledge regarding God’s Domain.

Stigmata were the War God’s Temple’s symbol of supremacy, and they were categorized into three different colors: silver, gold, and purple. A person capable of controlling a Golden Stigmata was definitely a core character of the War God’s Temple.

“Is it really not possible?” Shi Feng asked again. In truth, he was not confident in obtaining the Water of Life.

If players wished to purchase the Water of Life from the Twilight Temple, the prerequisite was sufficient status among humans. As to what degree of status, even Shi Feng was unsure. However, characters like Weissman, the controller of a city, could definitely purchase some.

Shi Feng was not a city lord, so if he wished to purchase the Water of Life, he could only try his other identities. If it were not possible to obtain any, he would have to look for other assistance to help him with the Crusade Quest instead. After he gained sufficient status in the future, he would return and purchase Water of Life.

After some struggling, the Priest finally opened his mouth and said, “Lord Viscount, with your esteemed status, you can purchase one drop.”

“Okay, I’ll take it,” Shi Feng replied, slightly excited.

However, his excitement confused the members of Zero Wing behind him. Wasn’t it just a single drop of Water of Life? Yet, it actually caused their usually calm and indifferent Guild Leader to grow excited. Could this Water of Life possibly be an Epic item?

“That will be 300 Gold, Lord Viscount.” The Priest carefully took out a small crystal vial from his pocket. Within this vial, there was a single droplet of dark-blue liquid.

Aqua Rose immediately revealed a shocked expression when she heard the required price of 300 Gold. The others were stunned as well.

However, Shi Feng was not surprised by this price. Instead, he handed over 300 Gold to the Priest without hesitation; his actions even seemed a little impatient.

Aqua Rose was speechless when she heard the price for a drop of Water of Life. There was not a single Guild in God’s Domain that could possibly afford such an amount. Hence, when she saw Shi Feng hand over 300 Gold to the Priest, her disbelief was overwhelming. Although Aqua Rose had long since known that Shi Feng was rich, she never thought his fortune was this vast.

“No wonder Guild Leader said that 30 Gold was cheap before…” Snow Goose finally understood Shi Feng’s words back at the Adventurer’s Association.

Indeed, compared to 300 Gold, the 30 Gold deposit for the Guild Crusade Quest was nothing.

With 300 Gold, one could fully arm a 100-man elite team with Mysterious-Iron Equipment.

In the end, just how deeply hidden is this guy? Just how much do I not know about Zero Wing? Aqua Rose shifted her gaze to Shi Feng, a complicated feeling possessing her heart.

If Lone Tyrant of Dark Star knew about this, he would definitely regret making an enemy out of Zero Wing.

Wars between Guilds were mainly competitions in financial power.

Meanwhile, by showing off its own financial power, Dark Star had simply shown off its slight skill in front of an expert.

However, what Aqua Rose did not know was that Dark Star could have caused Shi Feng some significant problems had they really annihilated Zero Wing’s core team. After all, Blackie wielded an Epic ranked staff. The others also possessed excellent Dark-Gold items. If Dark Star had managed to obtain these items, the consequences would have been unimaginably dire.

After Shi Feng obtained the Water of Life, he hurried over to a simple, and crude, looking house located in the Slums of White River City.

In this house lived a middle-aged man with only a single arm. Originally, this man had been a powerful Tier 2 Sword Master. However, during the Great Demon War, he had lost one of his arms, and subsequently, his strength deteriorated, reverting to an ordinary citizen.

This man was Kite. Even before he had lost his arm, Kite had not been very famous in Star-Moon Kingdom. After all, he was simply a Tier 2 Swordsman, something common.

The reason Shi Feng had come for Kite was mainly that of his potential.

Five years after God’s Domain had officially launched, Kite had another name.

Windbreaker!

Nobody would have thought that a one-armed man living in the Slums of White River City would, after becoming the personal guard of a player, one day grow to become a Tier 5 Titled Sword Saint. The more shocking matter was the fact that the owner of this Windbreaker was actually just an independent player with subpar techniques, and this player was simply a Lifestyle player.

However, due to the presence of this Tier 5 Titled Sword Saint, this insignificant, independent player had actually become an existence that nobody dared to provoke casually. The same went for the first-rate Guilds at that time.

Many first-rate Guilds and Super Guilds had also offered astronomical prices in order to recruit this independent player. Moreover, the prices they offered were much higher than what they would usually offer when recruiting a Tier 5 expert.

The reason being, NPCs were different from players. NPCs of the same rank were much more powerful than players, not to mention a Tier 5 Sword Saint that received a title. Kite’s strength far surpassed other ordinary Tier 5 Sword Saints. If ranked according to tiers, a Title Sword Saint could be considered a Tier 5.5 class, and only Tier 6 god-ranked players could possibly suppress this Windbreaker.

“Esteemed Lord Viscount, how may I be of service to you?” Kite asked in a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing when he saw Shi Feng entering his house. Although he had become a cripple with low status, his bearing was completely different when compared to the Priest back at the Twilight Temple.

Chapter 320: Personal Guard

When Shi Feng saw Kite’s depressing state, Shi Feng wondered just how much determination that independent player, Drunk Xiao, had when he decided to recruit Kite as his personal guard and invest in grooming Swordsman. However, reality had proven that Drunk Xiao certainly had impressive foresight.

When choosing a personal guard, players relied on two things: foresight and luck.

If a player made the wrong choice, they could only blame themselves for being dull and impatient.

Before placing an NPC under their command, players had absolutely no access to said NPC’s data. They would have no access even if they took in an NPC as a normal guard.

In the case of Anna, Shi Feng could only view her data because she was an assistant provided due to an Epic Quest. Anna belonged to Shi Feng completely, so she fit under the category of a personal guard.

After becoming a Viscount, players were given two slots for personal guards and 48 slots for normal guards. These slots were precious, as after signing the contract with an NPC, players were required to pay a considerable fee should they ever wish to dissolve the contract.

If it were merely dissolving the contract for normal guards, most players could afford the fee. After all, normal guards were incapable of growth. As a player’s strength grew, sooner or later, they would have to replace these normal guards. However, personal guards were a different story. Personal guards could grow with a player. Even if it were Shi Feng, he would not dare dissolve contracts of personal guards casually, as the price was simply too high.

Hence, after players became Viscounts, they would be very careful when selecting their personal guards. They absolutely would not waste these two slots.

However, leaving it empty was also unwise. Even if one accepted personal guards with slightly lower potential,, these personal guards could be of great help when properly developed, especially when leveling up. Moreover, the sooner one started nurturing a personal guard, the stronger they could become later on.

Also, players could not simply recruit any NPC they wished. For example, players could not recruit NPCs directly affiliated to the various kingdoms, empires, or the several strongest powers of God’s Domain. In other words, the NPCs must not be affiliated with any powers. In addition, the stronger the NPC was, the harder it was for a player to put them under their command.

Hence, thoughts such as recruiting a Level 200 Tier 5 NPC should be kept to one’s dreams.

In the past, Drunk Xiao’s decision to accept Kite as his personal guard relied on both foresight and luck. It was not a feat normal people could repeat.

In this life, however, Shi Feng had decided that he needed to obtain the NPC named Kite no matter what.

“Mister Kite, I have just recently become a Viscount of White River City, and currently, I am trying to recruit guards for myself. I wonder if you would be interested?” Shi Feng asked.

Kite looked a little excited when he heard Shi Feng’s offer. However, when he looked at the empty space where his right arm used to be, he sighed and said, “My lord, you, too, can see for yourself. I am but a cripple now, so I have no way to serve as one of my lord’s guard.”

“I realize Mister Kite’s concerns. I had heard that Mister Kite became a Tier 2 Sword Master at an early age. During the Great Demon War, you have even managed to injure a Tier 3 Demon heavily, though at the cost of your sword arm. Today, I have come to recruit you as my guard, so of course, I have come prepared. Do you know what this is?” Shi Feng smiled as he retrieved a small, crystalline bottle.

Within the crystalline bottle, there was a single droplet of dark-blue liquid. Just by looking through the crystal wall of the bottle, one could already feel the boundless life energy coming from this droplet.

“Water of Life!”

Kite immediately recognized this liquid, a hint of emotion appearing on his stone-cold face. After all, this liquid was something he had yearned for all this time. Now that it was in front of him, how could he not recognize it?

“That’s right. As long as Mister Kite agrees to become my personal guard, the Water of Life in this bottle is yours.” Shi Feng smiled.

“Esteemed Lord Viscount, are you truly willing to use this precious Water of Life on a mere Sword Master like me?” Kite asked carefully. In reality, Shi Feng’s offer was touching. “My lord, you should know that, with this droplet alone, even a Tier 3 powerhouse would agree to become your personal guard.”

Aqua Rose was greatly shocked when she heard Kite’s declaration.

She never realized the Water of Life was so precious.

A single droplet could actually convince a Tier 3 NPC to serve as a player’s personal guard!

That was a Tier 3 class! Players revered even Tier 2 classes, let alone Tier 3 classes.

If their Guild could have a Tier 3 NPC as a guard, they could simply annihilate anyone who provoked them.

Unfortunately, Aqua Rose’s thoughts were too good to be true. Although the Water of Life could be enough recruit a Tier 3 powerhouse, Shi Feng was simply too weak right now. He would not be able to recruit a Tier 3 NPC, even if he wanted to.

“Of course, I already know that, Mister Kite. However, I value your potential even more. Based on your firm and unyielding will and the fact that you have not fallen to become a Demonkin yet, I believe that you will one day become an apex powerhouse on the continent,” Shi Feng affirmed.

Shi Feng’s words were not without justification.

One should never provoke a Demon. Shi Feng had simply met with the phantom of a Tier 4 Great Demon, and as a result, he bore its curse. If Sharlyn, a Tier 3 Divine Official, had not dispelled the curse for him, he would have had no choice but to delete and restart a new account.

Meanwhile, Kite had fought a real Tier 3 Demon, so how could he have avoided receiving its curse?

A Demon’s power was the evilest force that could corrode a human’s spirit. However, after suffering the Demon’s curse for so many years, although Kite had lost his powers, he continued to live normally; he had not turned into a Demonkin. If Kite had not possessed a firm and unyielding will, the Demon’s power would have devoured him long ago.

“Mister Kite, I wonder if you are willing to become my guard?” Shi Feng asked seriously.

“Since Lord Viscount is willing to accept a cripple like myself, how could I possibly reject my lord’s good intentions? From today onwards, my lord will be my only master. I swear allegiance,” Kite dropped to a knee in front of Shi Feng, receiving the Water of Life respectfully.

System: Do you wish to assign Kite as your personal guard?

Shi Feng clicked “Agree.” Following which, Kite’s data appeared in Shi Feng’s NPC Managing interface.

[Kite] (Ye Feng’s Personal Guard)

Gender: Male

Age: 39

Loyalty: 90

Charm: 60

Physique: 40

Wisdom: 81

Growth Potential: 26

Class: Tier 1 Swordsman

Level: 30

HP: 8,000/8,000

Attack Power: 600-720

Defense: 3,100

Attributes: Strength 125, Agility 130, Endurance 200, Intelligence 90, Vitality 180

Although Shi Feng had mentally prepared himself, when he looked at Kite’s data, his heart could not help but twitch. Setting aside Kite’s other Attributes, his Growth Potential was only at 26 points. This number was simply maddening.

Shi Feng truly wondered how Drunk Xiao had managed to endure and nurture Kite in the past.

Common ranked personal guards had 0 to 30 Growth Potential. Basically, no one wanted such personal guards.

Bronze ranked personal guards had 31 to 50 Growth Potential. These were the lowest ranked personal guard players would usually possess.

Mysterious-Iron ranked personal guards had 51 to 70 Growth Potential. Meeting personal guards of such rank was rare. Normally, one required honed foresight and had to carry out long-term observation to find such guards.

Secret-Silver ranked personal guards had 71 to 80 Growth Potential. Such personal guards were extremely rare. Normally, players that managed to obtain these NPCs would treat them like their own babies.

Fine-Gold ranked personal guards had 81 to 90 Growth Potential. These individuals were as rare as a phoenix’s feather.

Dark-Gold ranked personal guards had 91 to 100 Growth Potential. If a player managed to recruit such a personal guard, as long as developed properly, the player’s strength no longer mattered.

As for Epic ranked personal guards, which were above Dark-Gold rank, Shi Feng had never actually seen one before. He also did not know how powerful Epic ranked personal guards were. However, it would not be unusual if such a guard transcended the realm of normal men, achieving godhood.

Chapter 321: NPC Army

After Kite became Shi Feng’s personal guard, he opened the crystalline bottle and drank the Water of Life within.

When Aqua Rose saw Kite drink the droplet of Water of Life, which cost 300 Gold, she could not hide her pained expression.

As for the other Guild members, they, too, gulped at the sight.

Three hundred Gold!

It was enough to outfit a 20-man team with Secret-Silver Equipment fully. Yet, their Guild Leader spent that 300 gold on an ordinary-looking and crippled NPC. They could not help their envy.

However, Shi Feng paid no attention to the others’ thoughts.

In the past, Drunk Xiao had become a famous character throughout God’s Domain due to his personal guard. Even when countless first-rate Guilds and Super Guilds had offered astronomical prices to purchase this guard, Drunk Xiao refused to sell.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng had only spent 300 Gold to obtain this future Tier 5 Titled Sword Saint. How was this not a worthwhile trade?

Shortly after Kite drank the Water of Life, his body suddenly emitted a bright green light. This light originated from the Water of Life. Not only did it possess frightening healing powers, but it could also remove all abnormal statuses.

A few moments later, Kite’s body expelled a cloud of dark gas, and following its removal, Kite’s originally pale complexion turned rosy red. The right arm that he had lost also began to regenerate at a rate visible to the naked eye.

One minute later, Kite had fully recovered.

“Guild Leader, he…” At this moment, Aqua Rose dared not believe her own eyes. She had long since developed a keen intuition, so she could immediately discover the change in the NPC named Kite.

Although Kite’s clothing was still worn out, the aura he gave off no longer felt depressing; rather, it was refreshing. At this moment, he seemed like a caged lion that had broken out of its confinement, releasing a heaven-shocking roar to let everyone know of its return.

“This is the real him.” Shi Feng laughed.

In the past, Drunk Xiao had gone through great pains for Kite. He had practically bankrupted himself to obtain a droplet of Water of Life.

In this life, however, Shi Feng had easy accomplished Drunk Xiao’s feats. Moreover, Shi Feng had managed to heal Kite while he was still Level 30.

In the past, Drunk Xiao had only managed to obtain the Water of Life after Kite passed Level 100.

Despite having the same Growth Potential, there would be a huge difference in strength between a personal guard nurtured from Level 30 and a personal guard nurtured from Level 100.

“His Growth Potential is as shocking as expected,” Shi Feng could not help but mutter happily when he examined Kite’s data again.

[Kite] (Ye Feng’s Personal Guard)

Gender: Male

Age: 39

Loyalty: 90

Charm: 75

Physique: 95

Wisdom: 88

Growth Potential: 94

Class: Tier 1 Swordsman

Level: 30

HP: 15,400/15,400

Attack Power: 830-960

Defense: 4,500

Attributes: Strength 384, Agility 364, Endurance 420, Intelligence 276, Vitality 280

Kite’s current Attributes were worlds apart from the Attributes he had before he drank the Water of Life.

It seems that taking the Water of Life earlier has also affected his Growth Potential. Shi Feng could recall that Kite’s Growth Potential in the past was 92 points. Now, it was two points higher. After 90 points, even a difference of one point in Growth Potential would create a significant difference regarding Attributes, let alone two points. These additional points would be of immense help to Kite’s growth in the future.

“Kite, take these and use them for now,” issuing his instructions, Shi Feng retrieved several pieces of Level 20 Mysterious-Iron Equipment and passed them to Kite. Although they were somewhat incompatible for the Level 30 Swordsman, they were all Shi Feng had at the moment. After all, Zero Wing had yet to start raiding Level 20 Team Dungeons. They had only raided the Level 20 5-man Party Dungeons.

After Kite equipped the Level 20 Mysterious-Iron items, he appeared valiant and extraordinary. His Attributes also increased significantly. His HP broke through the 18,000 threshold, his Attack Power increased past 1,400 points, and Defense reached 6,000 points. Kite’s Defense far surpassed even Zero Wing’s Chief MT, Cola. Kite was practically a Boss monster now.

“Let’s go. We still have to recruit some more people.” Shi Feng then led everyone to the Mercenary Alliance.

The Mercenary Alliance was the best place for players to recruit normal guards. The NPCs of the Mercenary Alliance were all well-trained, and they were far more reliable than the NPCs players recruited randomly from the streets.

Normal guards were different from personal guards. Players were required to pay for their services, and the prices varied depending on the strength of the NPC. With Shi Feng’s current level, the strongest guards he could recruit were Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs.

A normal Level 50 guard cost 5 Silver Coins per day, and the payment would be due once every ten days.

A Level 50 Tier guard cost 30 Silver Coins per day with payment due once every ten days as well.

The difference between a normal guard and a Tier 1 guard was like the difference between a Common monster and an Elite monster; thus, the price of a Tier 1 guard was six times higher than a normal guard. Some Tier 1 guards that were more powerful would cost even more.

After arriving at the Mercenary Alliance, Shi Feng signed a contract with 48 Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs. Among them, some were melee classes, some were ranged classes, and some were healers. Of the 48 NPCs, there were six NPCs in particular that were more powerful than the others. They were Tier 1 advanced guards, and they cost 50 Silver Coins per day. Shi Feng had hired these guards for one month, and the fee totaled to 468 Gold.

Shi Feng’s financial power completely eclipsed all the Guilds in White River City.

Afterward, Shi Feng led the 48 NPCs and walked through the streets, the group of Level 50 Tier 1 guards looking valiant and mighty. Many players even consciously moved out of the way, not daring to block the path of this small army of powerful NPCs.

“Crap, why are there so many Tier 1 NPCs? Did something happen in White River City?”

“No, look! Some of them aren’t NPCs, but players!”

“Aren’t they members of Zero Wing? Where are they heading?”

The players quickly discovered the problem. This small army of NPCs and the members of Zero Wing were actually together. Moreover, all of these NPCs were Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs. With such a large NPC army, who, in White River City, would dare make an enemy of Zero Wing?

In the face of so many Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs, even Dark Star’s army of tens of thousands of players amounted to nothing. The level suppression alone would leave the players of Dark Star completely helpless. Not to mention, these Tier 1 NPCs also possessed many powerful Skills in their arsenal.

“Zero Wing is too amazing!”

“I heard that Zero Wing is going to recruit members again in three days! I will definitely have to apply!”

The number of players gathered on the street continued to increase, and many started recording this majestic scene. This army of 48 NPCs was more imposing than an army of thousands of players.

The combat power this small army possessed was no weaker than the total battle power of a starting town.

Although nobody knew what relationship this NPC army had with Zero Wing, the fact that Zero Wing could mobilize so many NPCs was already amazing.

Meanwhile, the news of this matter spread quickly, creating a sensation on the official forums and increasing Zero Wing’s fame once more.

The members of Dark Star wore extremely ugly expressions when they discovered about this matter. Deeply afraid that Zero Wing would lead this group of NPCs to attack them, many of Dark Star’s members chose to hide in cities or towns. Some chose to remove their Guild Emblems temporarily and secretly grind monsters.

At the same time, the members of World Dominators were similarly frightened by this news, and they were also hiding, not daring to explore and level up.

Chapter 322: Crusade Against Creek Town

Creek Town was one of the border towns within White River City’s jurisdiction. The town was nestled in a desert, and it was so desolate that not even birds would come to lay their eggs.

However, such a small town was a popular gathering place for Red Names and those who walk the path of darkness.

Unlike towns, cities like White River City were managed strictly. Hence, Red Names who had often killed other players for equipment during the initial stages of the game could only find a desolate place like Creek Town to receive quests and level up.

Near Creek Town, high leveled monsters dwelled, ranging from Level 15 to Level 30, which were perfectly suitable for players at this stage of the game.

In Creek Town, Red Names crowded the streets. Most of these players were above Level 15, while only a few were below Level 15. The Blood Hand Association, a dark force, managed the town. So, naturally, the NPCs here would not kill these Red Names. On the contrary, the NPCs welcomed these Red Names. Red Names could also receive better quests depending on their Crime Value, and through completing these quests, they could raise their Reputation among the dark forces they served.

“Guild Leader, there are over a thousand players in this town. In addition to the NPCs guarding this place, I don’t think we can conquer it successfully.” After spending a long time scouting, Aqua Rose had obtained a general grasp on Creek Town’s overall combat power.

Setting aside the fact that there were over a thousand Red Names in this town, there were more than 500 NPCs guarding the town, the lowest of which was Level 50. Among them, there was no lack of Elite Guards. There was even a few Level 70 Tier 1 guard captains. If they charged in, the actual number of enemy NPCs might increase further. With only 100 players and 49 guards, they stood no chance at all.

Also, if a town were attacked, the NPCs within would not wait for players to close in on them before retaliating. Instead, all of the guards in the town would gather and fight back. Moreover, there was a huge difference between NPCs and monsters. The reason being, unlike monsters, NPCs knew how to coordinate with each other, making them far more difficult to deal with.

Furthermore, these Red Names would definitely try to take advantage of their battle with the NPCs, inconveniencing them at the very least. Moreover, these Red Names were not easy opponents. The fact that these players that could survive as a Red Name until now and possessed such a high level indicated that they had strong fighting techniques. Naturally, the equipment they used would be of high quality as well.

Killing and plundering was their main occupation in the game, so even if they were not fully equipped with Secret-Silver Equipment, at the very least, they would possess Bronze Equipment or above.

If any of these Red Names were in a Guild, they could easily become the elite or even core players of the Guild. Moreover, the frequent PKs they took part in allowed them to gain plenty of combat experience, so there was no shortage of experts among these Red Names.

To put it simply, although there were only around a thousand Red Names in Creek Town, these 1,000 or so players could easily rival 2,000 elites of Dark Star.

Thus, if they wished to conquer Creek Town, the task could only be described with one word—challenging!

“Of course, we stand no chance against them if we attack normally. However, we have come here with a Crusade Quest.” Shi Feng knew how difficult it was to capture a town. How could a Crusade Quest possibly be easy? If it were, the system would not reward players with shocking rewards and Reputation.

These Red Names were usually the bandits; they were not used to being the victims.

This time, however, it was their turn to shed some blood.

“Fire Dance, how are the preparations coming on your side?” Shi Feng asked through the team chat.

The 48 Level 50 Tier 1 guards Shi Feng had recruited were no pushovers. Although these guards could not be used to kill monsters or raid Dungeons, they could defend a town or private residence. More importantly, they could also help players complete large-scale Guild Quests. If not for this fact, Shi Feng would not have recruited so many Tier 1 guards.

However, even though all 48 were Tier 1, they were insufficient to deal with all of the NPCs in Creek Town. Moreover, Shi Feng had not intended for them to launch a frontal assault on the guards of Creek Town.

Among the 48 Tier 1 guards Shi Feng had recruited, some were Rangers and Assassins. Hence, Shi Feng had tasked Fire Dance and the others to take along one of these guards to lure the Blood Hand Association’s NPCs out of town. After all, the intelligence the Tier 1 guards possessed was much lower than players. If Shi Feng allowed the Tier 1 guards to lure the enemy NPCs, they could easily fail. Yet, if players lured the enemy NPCs, due to the great disparity in Attributes, the NPCs could catch up and kill the players. Hence, Shi Feng’s solution was to have players instructing the Tier 1 guards individually.

“We’re all ready. We’ve grasped most of the basic commands, so we’re only waiting for your command now,” Fire Dance said with a smile.

“Good. After I initiate the Crusade Quest, all of you take action immediately. Remember not to lure the town guards too far. Otherwise, they will run back to town.” After Shi Feng gave a few reminders, he then walked towards Creek Town.

Shi Feng stopped a few hundred yards before the town, taking out the Crusade Order. He then pointed the Crusade Order at the sky.

Suddenly, rays of golden light shot from the Crusade Order, and in the next moment, a golden magic array appeared above Creek Town. In the evening sky, this magic array was extremely conspicuous, and it quickly attracted the attention of many players inside the town.

A short moment later, the magic elements of this array burst open, and one after another, golden ripples spread from this magic array, enveloping the entire region of Creek Town. At this moment, if viewed from the outside, a protective, golden dome appeared, covering Creek Town.

Creek Town System Announcement: Zero Wing has started a crusade against Creek Town. Unrelated parties, please leave immediately!

Creek Town System Announcement: Zero Wing has started a crusade against Creek Town. Unrelated parties, please leave immediately!

Creek Town System Announcement: Zero Wing has started a crusade against Creek Town. Unrelated parties, please leave immediately!

The Crusade Announcement repeated three times, and all of the Red Names in Creek Town were shocked by this notification. There was actually a Guild that dared to capture a Red Name Town.

Shortly after, all of the players belonging to the dark forces in Creek Town received another message. However, the message this time was from the Blood Hand Association. The message stated that, as long as they could successfully defend the town, all players would receive bountiful rewards. Moreover, players would receive Achievement Points for each enemy they killed. After the battle was over, players could exchange these Achievement Points for weapons and equipment.

“Zero Wing sure is kind. They have actually come to gift us money.”

“Do they think they are amazing? Since they dared to come into our territory and make trouble, we’ll annihilate every single one of them!”

The players of Creek Town’s blood boiled, their killing intent rose to new heights. Although Zero Wing shone like the sun in midsky[1] in White River City, in their eyes, Zero Wing wasn’t worth mentioning. After all, they all had impressive techniques and none of them mingled in White River City, so they had no need to fear Zero Wing’s vengeance. Even if Zero Wing tried to take revenge on them, they only needed to hide, and Zero Wing could do nothing to them.

The barefooted are not afraid of those who wear shoes. They were the hoodlums of God’s Domain, so why would they fear Zero Wing?

—

Inside one of the bars in Creek Town, an Assassin clothed in black currently drowned himself in alcohol. The man felt like a piece of ice to others; he exuded a chilling intent that made others instinctively distance themselves. Shockingly, this man was actually Level 20, and he all of his equipment was Secret-Silver Equipment. In White River City, this man would definitely be considered a first-rate expert.

This black clothed Assassin was stunned when he received the system announcement, the beer bottle in his hand falling to the ground.

“Zero Wing? Doesn’t that mean that Ye Feng might show up as well?” The black clothed Assassin’s lips curled upward, forming a sinister smile. “The last time, I lost to him because of equipment quality. This time, I’m going to take back everything that he owes me.”

If Shi Feng could see this Assassin’s appearance, he would recognize this person as none other than Absolute Heaven, the Assassin that he killed in the past.

TL Notes:

[1] like the sun in midsky: heyday (definition: the period of a person’s or thing’s greatest success, popularity, activity, or vigor.)

Chapter 323: Nightmare

To avenge his hatred, Absolute Heaven had worked desperately to improve his techniques and upgrade his equipment. Now, even if Ye Feng were not involved in this sudden assault, he would still give the members of Zero Wing a taste of his new strength.

However, just after Absolute Heaven walked out of the bar’s entrance, he discovered the golden magic array hovering in the evening sky.

This magic array was a result of the Crusade Quest’s activation, and it would change the NPCs of Creek Town.

The guards that had originally been Level 50 immediately fell to Level 30, while the Level 70 Tier 1 guard captains became Level 50, the same level as Shi Feng’s normal guards.

Although Creek Town’s had been weakened, none of these guards delayed in taking action. The moment the warning bell rang, a storm of guards rushed out of the many buildings within the town. In moments, over two thousand guards surrounded the town. These NPCs belonged to the Blood Hand Association. At this moment, they had all removed their disguises, and the normal guards had revealed themselves as Blood Hand Association Members, while the guard captains were Blood Hand Association Elites.

[Blood Hand Association Members] (Elite Rank)

Level 30

HP 100,000/100,000

[Blood Hand Association Elites] (Tier 1 Elite Rank)

Level 50

300,000/300,000

“Why have all the guards become weaker?”

“What’s there to fear? Even if they are weaker, can Zero Wing defeat so many NPCs? Besides, we are here as well. If Zero Wing wants to attack, we’ll make them suffer the consequences.”

When the players of Creek Town discovered that the guards beside them had suddenly grown weaker, worry grew in their hearts. However, they soon rid their minds of this worry. Even during its peak, Zero Wing only had around 8,000 members. Moreover, due to the surge of players that had withdrawn from the Guild, they now had less than 5,000.

Even if Zero Wing had mobilized all 5,000 of its members, in the face of 2,000 NPCs, charging into the town would be nothing more than suicide. At this stage of the game, players had yet to reach Level 30. Furthermore, not a single player had managed to upgrade to a Tier 1 class. So, how could they possibly hope to fight against Level 30 and Level 50 NPCs? In God’s Domain, such a massive gap between levels was fatal.

“Begin!” Shi Feng commanded in the team chat.

Fire Dance and the others immediately took action, each of them commanding a Level 50 Tier 1 guard as they charged towards the Blood Hand Association’s army.

The guards Fire Dance and the others controlled were Tier 1 Rangers and Assassins. Regarding Movement Speed, they were much faster than the Blood Hand Association Members. Rangers also possessed ultra-long-ranged attack capabilities, and they could launch their attacks from 100 yards away. Hence, they were perfect for the role of a lure.

Within moments, the Red Names of Creek Town noticed several figures rushing at them with speeds that no players could hope to achieve.

In the next moment, these Rangers retrieved their longbows, nocking arrows and releasing them.

Xiu! The arrows struck their targets, several Level 30 Blood Hand Association Members, from roughly 90 yards away. Each arrow dealt over -5,000 damage to these Level 30 NPCs. If a player received one of these arrows, they would die with a single hit.

The Rangers’ attack attracted the attention of the Blood Hand Association NPCs. Without hesitation, over a thousand Blood Hand Association NPCs unsheathed their weapons and charged.

Seeing this, the Rangers turned on their heels and fled. Very quickly, they had drawn these Blood Hand Association NPCs away from the city.

“Weren’t we being attacked by players from Zero Wing? Why are there Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs as well?”

The Red Names were confused. They simply stood where they were, not following the Blood Hand Association NPCs in pursuit of the Tier 1 Rangers.

Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs only needed a single hit to kill them. If they did not possess lifesaving skills, fighting such an NPC was suicide. Moreover, they were all Red Names. If they died, they would pay a severe penalty. At the very minimum, they would lose two to three levels and a majority of their equipment. Naturally, they had to weigh the costs and benefits before they took action.

Not to mention, they had never intended to charge with the NPCs since the very beginning. Instead, they had planned to take advantage of the confusion while the Blood Hand Association NPCs and Zero Wing clashed. Now, however, those NPC guards had lured away all of the Blood Hand Association NPCs. At this moment, even they began to wonder whether they should join in the pursuit or not.

Just as these Red Names contemplated their actions, the Blood Hand Association NPCs had distanced themselves several hundred yards from the town.

“This is bad. The Blood Hand Association NPCs are gone!” one of the Red Names realized the situation and shouted. “We need to go help them! If Zero Wing manages to kite and kill them, we’ll be finished!”

This player’s words shook everyone to attention. Unfortunately, these Red Names were neither a single group nor of a single heart. Most importantly, they all understood that the first person to charge into battle would also be the first person to leave. Even though they had realized how serious their predicament was, none of them were willing to take action first. Instead, they all chose to stay put and do nothing at all.

None of these Red Names had discovered that, at this time, Shi Feng had already led the remaining forty Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs in a charge from another direction.

When capturing a town, the NPCs were the not the most troublesome obstacle. Instead, it was the players residing in said town. If the players and NPCs inside the town were allowed to cooperate, without absolute strength, it would be impossible to capture the town successfully.

Hence, the most important thing Shi Feng needed to do right now was to get rid of the players; only then would it be the NPCs’ turn to die.

After players died, they had to wait half an hour before they could revive at the Graveyard. Furthermore, if these Red Names died, even if they had the determination to continue fighting, they would not have the strength to present a challenge. The penalty they suffered was simply too severe.

Although the forty Level 50 Tier 1 guards did not possess as much HP as the Blood Hand Association Elites, they still had over 100,000 HP each. Moreover, the opponents they faced right now were not NPCs, but players; it would only take a single attack to kill a player instantly. When all forty Tier 1 guards charged at the Red Names of Creek Town, they were like a group of ferocious beasts as they killed everything in their path.

Although there were many Red Names in Creek Town, they were completely unable to defend themselves against these guards. Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights could take two hits at most. In the blink of an eye, Red Names died, one after another, littering the ground with bodies and equipment.

In contrast, although the Red Names attacked continuously, due to the level suppression of over 30 Levels, the damage the Red Names managed to deal was negligible. One thousand Level 20 players were required to take down a single Tier 1 guard, let alone forty guards.

With the forty guards sharing the damage from the enemy players, their battle recovery alone made up for the HP they lost. Not to mention, among the forty guards, there were also Clerics and other healer classes. A casual heal from one of these NPCs could replenish over 10,000 HP.

Within tens of seconds, over 200 Red Names of Creek Town died, while all forty guards that Shi Feng led still had full HP.

The disparity in strength caused the Red Names to despair.

“These NPC guards are too strong! We need to retreat and meet up with the Blood Hand Association NPCs!”

“You bastards from Zero Wing are shameless! You actually brought Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs to capture a town! If you have the strength to face us, don’t use those NPC guards and fight us fairly!

…

The Red Names cursed Shi Feng at the others as they fought the NPCs.

Shi Feng could only chuckle at their words. Immediately, he instructed the NPC mages to cast their AOE spells.

Suddenly, rain of fire descended from the sky. In the next moment, thunderbolts struck down at the Red Names. When cast by the Tier 1 mages, the Tier 1 AOE spells could display their true might.

The Red Names of Creek Town died in batches. After several AOE spells landed, the battlefield fell quiet. Of all the Red Names that had resided in Creek Town, only 400 or so remained, while everyone else was dead.

This scene not only shocked the players of the town, but Aqua Rose and the others were also stunned.

A single wave of AOE spells became a nightmare for the Red Players of Creek Town.

“Run!”

Nobody knew who shouted, but every surviving Red Name agreed wholeheartedly as they fled in all directions.

“Let’s start the slaughter. A majority of these Red Names wear Mysterious-Iron Equipment. Killing one of them will profit us more than killing a small Boss. Such an opportunity will be rare in the future,” Shi Feng laughed.

Following which, with Aqua Rose in the lead, both players and NPCs chased and killed the fleeing Red Names.

When Shi Feng was the last remaining on the high slope, he suddenly opened his mouth and said, “Now that no one is around, you can come out, right?”

Shortly after the battle began, Shi Feng faintly sensed someone spying on them from nearby. Moreover, the gaze that he felt contained a cold killing intent. However, it was only a feeling, so Shi Feng had not paid too much attention to it.

After his team left, however, this feeling became much clearer. He then activated the Golden Stigmata’s skill, Omniscient Eyes. The skill allowed him to perceive everything within 100 yards, and all stealth effects were useless in the face of this skill. And as expected, Shi Feng discovered an Assassin slowly creeping up on him from behind.

However, even after Shi Feng spoke, the Assassin continued to hide.

“Do you think I am playing a trick on you?” Shi Feng unsheathed the Abyssal Blade and immediately sent a Thundering Flash behind him.

Three green arcs of lightning streaked across the air. In the next moment, a black figure suddenly appeared and swiftly dodged the attack. It was none other than the Assassin that Shi Feng had killed before, Absolute Heaven.

At this moment, shock filled Absolute Heaven’s chilling gaze. Someone was actually capable of discovering his presence from such a long distance away. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

Chapter 324: Times Have Changed

So, it’s him. After not seeing him for some time, his techniques and equipment have improved quite a lot. No wonder he could get so close to me before my senses picked up on him. Absolute Heaven had left a deep impression on Shi Feng.

During the time Shi Feng had searched for the Ice-Blue Devil Flame, this expert Assassin had very nearly killed him. Afterward, Absolute Heaven had ambushed him again when he led Blackie and Lonely Snow to level up. At that time, Shi Feng’s life had hung on by a thread.

Since Shi Feng started playing God’s Domain in this life, although he had made plenty of enemies, Absolute Heaven was the only person who had almost taken his life.

After such a long time, Absolute Heaven would definitely be much stronger now that he had accustomed himself with the combat style of God’s Domain. If Absolute Heaven had not been careless and underestimated Black Flame, Shi Feng’s alternate identity, by not concealing his killing intent, Absolute Heaven might have successfully ambushed Shi Feng.

“Now that I know you’re there, you aren’t going to escape?” Shi Feng revealed a calm smile as he turned to Absolute Heaven.

“Escape?” Absolute Heaven revealed a hint of arrogance on his chilling face. “I admit that you’re strong. It is as expected of the Guild Leader of Zero Wing, Black Flame. According to my estimation, your strength should be on par with Ye Feng. Last time, Ye Feng only managed to kill me because of my own impatience. It was my mistake to use all of my skills on Ye Feng so early in the fight. Otherwise, with his strength, he could not even dream of killing me. Now, although I have revealed myself, do you really think that you can kill me while I still possess all of my skills?”

“Indeed, it is as you say. Unless all of your skills are on Cooldown, it will not be easy to kill a top-tier Assassin like yourself.” Shi Feng acknowledged Absolute Heaven’s power. However, times had changed. Although Absolute Heaven had improved, Shi Feng had also raised his strength. “Since you’re so confident, why don’t we make a bet?”

“A bet? Do you think that you can fool me? Originally, I intended to kill you today to show Ye Feng that I, Absolute Heaven, have returned. Since I can’t kill you, you can tell Ye Feng this; when I, Absolute Heaven, wish to kill someone, that person will definitely die!” Absolute Heaven laughed coldly. He then turned around to leave.

“If you want me to pass your message on, sure. However, the condition is that you need to escape.” Shi Feng activated the Seven Luminaries Ring, using the Aura of Time skill, Absolute Time. He instantly charged at Absolute Heaven.

[Absolute Time]

Prevents enemies within a range of 50*50 yards from using any skills or tools for 20 seconds.

With this skill activated, all of Absolute Heaven’s skills were in a similar state as a forced Cooldown. Meanwhile, an Assassin that could not use skills was like a tiger without claws or fangs.

“You think I can’t escape?”

Absolute Heaven smiled confidently in reply to Shi Feng’s taunt. He then tried to use Blind on his opponent. If he could do so, he could escape from this place easily.

However, Absolute Heaven immediately discovered that he could not use any of his skills. Suddenly, he started to panic. Nobody understood better than Absolute Heaven just how fragile an Assassin was without his skills.

However, Absolute Heaven was no ordinary player. He immediately calmed himself, turning around to flee.

Absolute Heaven quickly concluded that such a powerful skill had to have a limited duration; it was impossible for the effect to last indefinitely. As long as he could drag the fight out until the duration of this effect was over, he could fly freely like a bird.

At this moment, however, Shi Feng had already appeared at Absolute Heaven’s back after using Silent Steps, not giving Absolute Heaven an opportunity to run. Soundlessly, Shi Feng slashed the Abyssal Blade at Assassin. Absolute Heaven responded swiftly and used his dagger to meet Shi Feng’s sword.

When the silvery gray Abyssal Blade collided with Absolute Heaven’s dagger, he felt an immense pressure flowing from his dagger to his hand. That pressure then suppressed his entire body, forcing Absolute Heaven to kneel on the ground involuntarily.

Such power…as expected from the person who killed Ming Sha! Absolute Heaven silently clicked his tongue. If he had not personally experienced Black Flame’s might, he would never have imagined that Black Flame’s strength was actually on par with a Boss monster. At this moment, Absolute Heaven finally realized why a great expert like Ming Sha had been forced into a constant retreat and could retaliate against Black Flame.

Shi Feng brandished his sword over ten times repeatedly; each slash was as abrupt as a thunderbolt and as heavy as a mountain. Faced with this brutal assault, Absolute Heaven had no other choice but to block as many attacks as he could. However, although Absolute Heaven could reduce the damage he received by blocking with his dagger, his HP still decreased, frustrating him greatly.

Absolute Heaven inwardly cursed Shi Feng for being a despicable and shameless bastard. Shi Feng actually used force to suppress him. Shi Feng had not used any techniques and simply relied on brute force to brandish his sword. Shi Feng’s way of battle, which traded a life for a life, prevented Absolute Heaven from displaying any of his techniques.

If Absolute Heaven could use his skills, he could easily escape his current predicament. Unfortunately, none of his skills would work. Despite being a powerhouse, Absolute Heaven felt powerless.

Just as Shi Feng was about to send Absolute Heaven to his death with a bombardment of attacks, Absolute Heaven suddenly felt that this situation was extremely familiar.

It was just like when he had ambushed Ye Feng. Back then, he had used a Magic Scroll to seal all of Ye Feng’s skills and had even frozen his movement, turning Ye Feng into a fangless tiger. At that time, Ye Feng could only escape and had not dared confront him head-on.

Meanwhile, his current situation was almost exactly the same as the last time he encountered Ye Feng. Only, this time, the roles were reversed.

If he had known Black Flame possessed such a skill, he would never have closed in on Black Flame. Worse, he had even wasted time by chatting with his enemy, giving Black Flame ample time to set a trap for him. He had practically sought out his own death.

Hah… It seems that I’m really going to die this time. With only a thread of his HP remaining, Absolute Heaven could already see his demise. He was currently a Red Name. If he died, he would lose all of his equipment. His level would also plummet. At that time, he would no longer have the ability to exact revenge on Ye Feng.

However, just as the Abyssal Blade was about to collide with Absolute Heaven’s body, it suddenly froze in mid-air.

“What? You’re not gonna kill me? If you wait until I can use my skills again, you won’t be able to kill me.” Absolute Heaven laughed coldly as he watched Shi Feng curiously.

“As I said before, I want to make a bet with you, but you thought that I only said those words to fool you and kill you. Now that you only have a thread of your HP remaining, it will only take me a casual wave to destroy your weapon, equipment, and level. However, I’ll repeat my offer. Are you interested in placing a bet?” Shi Feng asked, smiling as he returned the Abyssal Blade to its sheath.

“It seems that you’re really not trying to cheat me. Then was the fight your way of proving that you wish not to kill me, but to make a bet instead?” Absolute Heaven asked, greatly confused by Shi Feng’s actions. He could not figure out just what was going through Shi Feng’s mind.

“Of course. Otherwise, why do you think I would even bother fighting you? Does it look like I have too much time on my hands?” Shi Feng laughed bitterly.

Absolute Heaven was suddenly rendered speechless.

“What? You still don’t believe me?” Shi Feng’s expression turned cold,

“No, no! I believe you! Tell me, then. What do you want to bet?” At this moment, Absolute Heaven grew interested in the bet Shi Feng proposed.

“Bet your life!” Shi Feng said straightforwardly.

“Bet my life? Isn’t my life already in your hands?!” Absolute Heaven nearly cursed at Shi Feng.

Shi Feng shook his head, then slowly, he said, “You previously mentioned that, as long as you can use your skills, you can escape from me easily. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right!” Absolute Heaven answered without hesitation.

Although Absolute Heaven had already witnessed Shi Feng’s frightening strength, he was still confident that he could flee from this battle.

“Simply put, I don’t believe you. So, let’s make a bet. While you can fully utilize all of your skills, we’ll see whether or not you can escape. What do you think?” Shi Feng asked with a smile.