Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 367

Chapter 367: Asura

A series of notifications flooded Shi Feng the moment he logged into the game.

“There sure are a lot of people trying to contact me,” Shi Feng slowly browsed through the notification list, discovering that a vast majority were friend requests or private messages. Among them, there were plenty of messages from high-ranking members of first-rate Guilds. Most of them wanted to acquire Zero Wing.

There were also a few first-rate Guilds who had messaged Shi Feng with different intentions. These first-rate Guilds stated that, as long as Shi Feng willing joined their Guilds, they promised to promote him into an elder position in their Guild immediately and offered him a significant percentage of the Guild’s shares. Shi Feng couldn’t understand these offers. Since when had he become so valuable?

“Even Feng Xuanyang sent me a message? Interesting,” Shi Feng read Feng Xuanyang’s message, feeling slightly surprised. Although he had yet to discard all pretenses with Feng Xuanyang, they were already mortal enemies; neither would rest until one side was annihilated. Based on Feng Xuanyang’s arrogance, it would be a miracle if he stopped trying to dispose of Shi Feng. So, why would Feng Xuanyang contact him? This wasn’t his style at all.

When Shi Feng opened and read Feng Xuanyang’s message, he could not but laugh.

“Feng Xuanyang sure is quick to change his attitude. It’s no wonder he was promoted to Underworld’s management.”

In the message, Feng Xuanyang had expressed his agreement to the conditions Shi Feng had previously stated. He was willing to invest one billion Credits in Zero Wing in return for 10% of Zero Wing’s shares. As for the finer details, they could discuss that further once Shi Feng contacted him.

“What the hell happened while I was away?” Everything had happened too suddenly, and Shi Feng was at a loss.

The looting war in White River City should not have warranted such a change in Feng Xuanyang. There must be some other reason.

Although Zero Wing had become a major force, in the end, it was limited to White River City. There over a hundred cities in the kingdom. To first-rate Guilds, the gain or loss of a single city was insignificant. As for Underworld, they surpassed even first-rate Guilds.

Moreover, among some of the messages Shi Feng had received, a few of the major Guilds from the other countries in God’s Domain had invited Shi Feng to their Guilds. They even offered very enticing salaries. No matter how Shi Feng looked at it, there was definitely something wrong with this situation.

However, even after a long moment of contemplation, he still couldn’t figure it out. Hence, he logged onto the official forums to get a better understanding of the situation.

The moment he logged in, however, he was stunned.

Under the Star-Moon Kingdom’s forum section, posts about Black Flame and the God’s Domain Experts List flooded the page.

Star-Moon Kingdom’s Top Player, Black Flame!

Appearance of the Experts List Top 500 in Star-Moon Kingdom!

God amongst men! One against ten thousand! Killing thousands and escaping alive!

Experts analyze of the various Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom. Zero Wing overall strength ranked first.

…

However, among the numerous posts, the most popular was titled “One-hit Asura” with a view-count of over ten million.

God’s Domain Experts List Rank 481: Black Flame

Class: Swordsman

Title: Asura

Black Flame had undergone numerous great battles in White River City. He once successfully killed Lone Tyrant, the Guild Leader of Dark Star, while surrounded by over a thousand Dark Star members. Afterward, he fought several hundred elite players in White River City, killing every player with a single hit. Nobody could stop his mighty sword as he effortlessly annihilated over a hundred players. Shortly after, tens of thousands of players from multiple Guilds hunted him down. Not only did he paralyze those players with shock, but he also killed thousands of players by himself before safely departing the battlefield….

Secret Pavilion’s Evaluation: One hit per person, possessing strength like a demon.

The Secret Pavilion hereby gives Black Flame the title of Asura.

Below the introduction, the post contained video highlights of Black Flame’s battles.

“Black Flame is simply too amazing! He is the role model of us Swordsmen! I must take him as my teacher! I heard that the Secret Pavilion doesn’t give out titles casually. It’s a pity that Black Flame has been in so few battles. Otherwise, he would definitely get a higher ranking on the Experts List.”

“You don’t say? One hit per person. Black Flame even killed a Level 19 Shield Warrior with a single hit, and he only took a few seconds to kill over a hundred players. With such godlike strength and techniques, no matter how you look at it, he should not rank at just 481. In my opinion, first place should be just about right. The Secret Pavilion is definitely pulling some strings, so they’re using the title of ‘Asura’ to divert people’s attention.”

“I had hesitated about joining Zero Wing before. Now, however, I’ve decided to head straight for White River City. I must join Zero Wing no matter what!”

“Hah! I’ve long since arrived at White River City. I heard that the benefits Zero Wing offers to its members are superbly good. The weapons and equipment available for trade are also top-tier. In particular, the core members’ equipment is a feast for the eyes. You’ll just be ashamed if you wear Secret-Silver Equipment in front of them. The lowest quality equipment is at least of Fine-Gold rank! Moreover, Zero Wing also has a Guild Residence. I hear that there are private rooms in the Guild Residence, and even normal members can rent these rooms. After I join Zero Wing, it will only be a matter of time before my equipment surpasses a major Guild Leader’s.”

Many players had begun discussing Shi Feng’s title of Asura and the revelation of the various benefits that Zero Wing offered its members. At this moment, Black Flame and Zero Wing had become the most popular existences in Star-Moon Kingdom, and their fame far exceeded first-rate Guilds’ like the Star Alliance and Ouroboros.

As Zero Wing did not recruit players outside of the city, White River City had become Zero Wing’s recruitment center. Many players throughout the Star-Moon Kingdom began pouring into White River City, causing the population to rise suddenly. Unknowingly, Zero Wing had become the most dominant force in White River City.

While the reputation of One-hit Asura spread, many players also cursed Shi Feng as a shameless villain.

Shi Feng had lured the Mechanical Slayer to kill countless innocent players, dragging many players into the fray. These players claimed that Shi Feng should compensate them by handing over all the drops from the Mechanical Slayer. Meanwhile, these players cursing Shi Feng were all the subordinates of Lone Tyrant and the Guild Leaders of the various Guilds in White River City who had joined to take down Shi Feng.

After the looting war, their hatred for Shi Feng was higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean.

Any players who the Slayer had killed had lost two levels. They also had to wait one natural day before they could revive. Moreover, after reviving, they suffered a weakened state for two natural days. During this time, all of their Attributes had reduced by 30%, and their EXP gain reduced by 50%.

Dark Star had already suffered severe losses during the looting war. However, Lone Tyrant had never imagined that it was only the start of his nightmare. With this penalty, how Dark Star ever catch up to the other Guilds in the future?

The other Guilds were in a similar situation as well. At this moment, their eyes had turned bloody-red with rage. Just why had they so foolishly sent their members after Shi Feng?

Thinking up to this point, their hearts crumbled.

However, regardless of how much regret filled their hearts or how many curses they spewed at Shi Feng’s despicable behavior, at this moment, nobody paid them any attention. Rather, they had set themselves up to become the joke that served to uplift Zero Wing’s fame even further.

“So that’s why. Rank 481 and a title. It’s no wonder why even first-rate Guilds from other kingdoms and empires have made such grand offers. Even Feng Xuanyang has swallowed his pride and agreed to invest in Zero Wing.” Reading up to this point, Shi Feng finally understood the reason behind all those messages.

There were countless experts in God’s Domain. However, there could only be 1,008 players on the Experts List at a single time. These players were the at the apex in God’s Domain.

Players capable of placing on the Experts List were also symbols of strength and status for Guilds. The more Experts List players a Guild possessed, and the higher the rank of said players, the more potential and strength a Guild would have. As a result, players on the God’s Domain Experts List became targets for first-rate Guilds and various organizations.

Take Red Feather for example. Despite ranking only within the top 900, the Star Alliance treated him like their precious baby. The Star Alliance had even given Red Feather a certain percentage of the Guild’s shares.

As for Shi Feng, not only did he rank within the top 500 on the Experts List and was the number one player in Star-Moon Kingdom, but he had also received a title from the Secret Pavilion. Naturally, he was quite valuable.

Just as Shi Feng was about to contact Aqua Rose and have her appraise the drops from the Mechanical Slayer with him, he suddenly received a call request from Feng Xuanyang. Shi Feng had only logged into the game moments ago, and already, Feng Xuanyang had contacted him. Feng Xuanyang’s speed left even Shi Feng speechless.

 

Chapter 368: Lunatic against Lunatic

Maple City was one of the major cities in Star-Moon Kingdom’s eastern region. Although its population was no match for White River City, it was not too far off.

At this moment, over half of Maple City had fallen under Underworld’s control, and it was only a matter of time before the organization controlled the city entirely.

“Young Master Feng, do you really plan to contact Black Flame?” South Wolf asked curiously, watching Feng Xuanyang as he sat on the sofa enjoying delicacies.

Currently, Black Flame had become one of the great experts ranked on the God’s Domain Experts List and had even received the title of “Asura” from the Secret Pavilion. He had now become an expert recruiting. However, Black Flame had once rejected their kind offer in the past, going as far as to toy with Feng Xuanyang. He had even ruined Underworld’s plans. Based on Feng Xuanyang’s personality, he would continue to plan Black Flame’s destruction.

Now, however, Feng Xuanyang had actually taken the initiative to contact the Black Flame he hated so fiercely.

“There are some things you will never understand. Based on our previous investigations, that Mechanical Slayer was a very special monster,” Feng Xuanyang said as he examined the compiled data in his hands, a playful smile appearing on his handsome face.

“A special monster?” South Wolf was confused.

“That’s right. According to the information I have here, any player killed by the Mechanical Slayer had to wait one natural day before reviving. Even healers’ resurrection skills were ineffective on these players. Moreover, the penalty for death doubled. After these players revived, they also entered a weakened state for two natural days. During this period, all their Attributes have decreased by 30%, and the EXP they can receive has decreased by 50%,” Feng Xuanyang reported pleasantly as he lightly shook his head. “Do you understand what this means?”

South Wolf shook his head, growing more confused at Feng Xuanyang’s words.

“Have you ever seen a monster with such strength?

“With God’s Domain’s basic settings, the stronger a monster is, the greater its loot will be. The Mechanical Slayer’s loot must be stunning. There might even be many Epic items among its drops.

“Meanwhile, Zero Wing is the largest beneficiary from the looting war. They claimed more drops than any other Guild in White River City. Obtaining these drops could skyrocket Underworld’s future development. However, it is simply too difficult for us to obtain them. Moreover, we don’t have any concrete information about the loot. Trying to steal it from Zero wing would not be easy.

“Hence, I’ve decided to invest in Zero Wing. Although we would have to spend a large sum of money, when I become one of Zero Wing’s stockholders, I can easily obtain any information I want. Afterward, I can just set up a trap to steal those items and, slowly but surely, destroy Zero Wing from the inside.

“Isn’t it just money? I have plenty of that.”

Feng Xuanyang was determined to join Zero Wing. Nobody could resist the enticement of one billion Credits. As long as he could get ahold of a small percentage of Zero Wing’s shares, he could obtain all information relevant to Zero Wing fair and square. Previously, not only had Shi Feng acted so arrogantly before him, but Shi Feng had also caused his plans to support Dark Star to fall short. So, why would he ever let Shi Feng escape his punishment?

South Wolf trembled upon hearing Feng Xuanyang’s plans.

Suddenly, South Wolf realized that he was still naive. His understanding of Feng Xuanyang was still too shallow.

Feng Xuanyang’s plans were simply insane and terrifying.

In South Wolf’s opinion, Feng Xuanyang’s plans weren’t related to the Mechanical Slayer’s loot at all. Feng Xuanyang just wanted his revenge on Shi Feng. The drops were an excuse to take action.

To think that Feng Xuanyang was actually willing to spend one billion Credits just to destroy Zero Wing and get his revenge…. He was a lunatic!

“Young Master Feng, I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries, but we have gone looking for trouble with Black Flame many times before. We have hunted Zero Wing’s core team. Now that we are trying to become the Guild’s shareholders, won’t he just reject us outright?” South Wolf said softly.

“Of course, I have already considered that. Although we were behind the attacks on Zero Wing, Dark Star stood in the forefront. I have never personally made an appearance. Although Black Flame knows the truth, on the surface, we maintain our pretenses with each other. Moreover, the reason I’ve contacted Black Flame during his time of glory is that I want him to think that I noticed his potential and that I am willing to pay any price to obtain him. That way, I can smoothly become a shareholder of Zero Wing without arousing any suspicion,” Feng Xuanyang smiled coldly as he gazed into the wine glass in his hand. After taking a sip, he added, “Besides, is there anyone who would willingly refuse money? I’ve investigated Zero Wing’s background. This Guild does not possess any sort of funding. If Black Flame wishes to develop his Guild further, he will inevitably need large sums of Credits. To Zero Wing, one billion Credits is like a heaven-sent fortune.

“If Black Flame is intelligent, he will set aside personal feelings and act logically. He has no reason not to accept my offer.”

South Wolf’s heart suddenly pounded. He never expected that his guess would hit the mark. Feng Xuanyang’s true goal had never been to obtain the drops of the Mechanical Slayer. Instead, he only ever cared about Zero Wing’s destruction. To put it another way, Feng Xuanyang planned to “incidentally” obtain the drops after he destroyed Zero Wing.

As fear began to grip South Wolf’s heart, Feng Xuanyang contacted Shi Feng.

—

“Oh? Vice-Leader Feng, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call today?” Shi Feng asked rhetorically the moment the call connected.

“Guild Leader Black Flame, regarding the matters we discussed during our last meeting, I have thought them through. Regarding a Guild with boundless prospects like Zero Wing, Underworld is willing to pay one billion Credits to become one of its shareholders. At that time, with the support of Underworld, Zero Wing will certainly grow to become the overlord of Star-Moon Kingdom’s eastern region. Guild Leader Black Flame, when will you have time to sign the contract with us?” Feng Xuanyang asked, smiling.

“It looks like you have finally realized Zero Wing’s value. Although your previous conduct was slightly excessive, I will be magnanimous and forgive you this time. Let’s first talk about the shares, then. If there are no problems after our discussion, we can discuss a time to sign the contract. After all, the shares of the utmost importance to Zero Wing,” Shi Feng said, expressing his interest.

However, the moment Feng Xuanyang heard Shi Feng’s words, he very nearly erupted into a flurry of curses. The wine glass Feng Xuanyang had held, however, was less fortunate as it fell from his trembling hand and shattered on the floor.

Shi Feng spoke as if he thought Feng Xuanyang was a child who had done something wrong, and that Feng Xuanyang was currently pleading for Shi Feng’s forgiveness. Why wouldn’t such blatant humiliation enrage the proud and arrogant Feng Xuanyang?

Black Flame…! I will…endure…today’s matters… ! The moment I become a shareholder of Zero Wing, I will sign your death certificate! Feng Xuanyang inwardly swore as he suppressed his anger. As calmly as possible, he said, “Of course. Underworld will willingly purchase 10% of Zero Wing’s shares for one billion Credits. We will also supply Zero Wing with 100 Gold Coins every week, as well as send a large number of experts and talents from various fields, allowing the Guild to become the overlord of White River City.”

“One billion for 10% of the shares?” Shi Feng shook his head. Revealing a cold smile, he said, “I think we may have a misunderstanding. Vice-Leader Feng, do you know what ‘times have changed’ means?”

“Is Guild Leader Black Flame planning to reject my well-intentioned investment because of our previous issues?” Feng Xuanyang hurriedly said. “It was truly just a misunderstanding. I had no knowledge of the actions against Zero Wing. Lone Tyrant was responsible for those attacks. Despite my explicit command barring him from taking action against Zero Wing, Lone Tyrant insisted on doing so. Underworld never intended to strike Zero Wing.”

“Vice-Leader Feng, you misunderstand me. I’m not saying that I don’t agree to

Underworld’s investment. However, one billion for 10% of Zero Wing’s shares? Vice-Leader Feng, don’t you think you’re being a little too greedy?” Shi Feng shook his head slightly. He said seriously, “Vice-Leader Feng, greed can ruin one’s life. However, seeing Vice-Leader Feng’s sincerity, I will sell you 0.1% of Zero Wing’s shares in exchange for one billion Credits. What do you think?”

At this moment, Shi Feng’s tone implied that this was an incredibly generous offer There was no sense of disharmony in Shi Feng’s words, and it sounded as if his every word was true.

“Black… Flame!” Feng Xuanyang’s face immediately flushed red upon hearing Shi Feng’s remarks, the hair all over his body standing on end and the blood vessels on his forehead surfacing. Feng Xuanyang was no longer capable of suppressing the rage within him. Word by word, he angrily bellowed, “Have you gone insane?! Why don’t you rob a bank instead?!”

Shi Feng’s offer even frightened South Wolf.

A 100 fold increase…. Even if Zero Wing had grown….

 

Chapter 369: King’s Return

By demanding such a price, Shi Feng made it clear that he was still angry about Feng Xuanyang’s previous actions.

“Misunderstanding” was just another form of deceit.

Everybody knew this. After all, if anything could be chalked up to a “misunderstanding,” why would anyone need the police?

“Vice-Leader Feng, I’m really losing a lot with this transaction. If you aren’t interested, there are many others who will jump at the offer.” Shi Feng chuckled.

In fact, Shi Feng wasn’t lying. Many Guilds and organizations outside of Star-Moon Kingdom had expressed interest in collaborating with Zero Wing. In addition, there were also major corporations who had offered high prices to purchase the Guild.

At this moment, Feng Xuanyang’s complexion darkened, and his eyes flashed with a fierce chill. Even South Wolf, who stood by Feng Xuanyang’s side, silently lowered his head, his legs trembling. He was deeply afraid that Feng Xuanyang would erupt with rage and take it out on him.

Whenever Feng Xuanyang was this angry, he would secure a painful ending for any who incurred his wrath. Meanwhile, Shi Feng had toyed with Feng Xuanyang many times now.

No one knew what Feng Xuanyang would do next.

After a long moment…

“Guild Leader Black Flame, I am very sincere here. How about this? In exchange for one billion Credits, I will ask for 5% of Zero Wing’s shares.” Feng Xuanyang suppressed his anger and expressed an extraordinary serenity.

“No negotiations. I will only do 0.1%. This is the very limit that I can offer. If Vice-Leader Feng is not interested, then forget it. I won’t demand your acceptance.” Shi Feng had only probed since he doubted Feng Xuanyang’s intentions. He had not expected that Feng Xuanyang could actually endure his games so well.

Feng Xuanyang had always possessed a dominant approach. He would immediately take action against anyone who disagreed with him. Now, however, he actually controlled his anger to negotiate with Shi Feng. Why wouldn’t Shi Feng be suspicious?

There must be a reason for Feng Xuanyang’s attitude change.

Feng Xuanyang gnashed his teeth to the point of almost cracking them when he heard Shi Feng’s reply.

One billion was not a small number. If he had to give away so much money, even his heart would ache. If it was in exchange for 10% of Zero Wing’s shares, he could barely accept it. However, he could never accept 0.1%.

Black Flame! You dare treat me like a fool! Sooner or later, I will make you pay this debt a hundredfold! Feng Xuanyang inwardly bellowed. As long as he became one of Zero Wing’s shareholders, he could investigate Zero Wing fair and square and insert his own men into Zero Wing’s core. When that time came, he could crush everyone in Zero Wing. Hence, suppressing his anger right now, he said in a low tone, “I understand. I hope that Guild Leader Black Flame will not disappoint me. Let’s sign the contract as soon as possible, then.”

Feng Xuanyang’s agreement surprised and concerned Shi Feng. Originally, he thought he could anger Feng Xuanyang and send the young master flying into a rage. He had expected Feng Xuanyang to break off their relationship completely, spouting a few curses and making some vengeful statement such as “not resting until one of them was annihilated” and the like. However, Shi Feng had never expected this ending. Feng Xuanyang had actually endured such an insult to his reputation….

Feng Xuanyang was actually willing to exchange one billion Credits for 0.1% of Zero Wing’s shares. Unless Feng Xuanyang had truly lost his mind, he was definitely plotting something.

Considering the events up to this point, Shi Feng revealed a faint smile and said, “Vice-Leader Feng, why are you in such a hurry? I still haven’t finished. Aside from the one billion Credits, I also want 50% of Underworld’s shares. If you can promise that, I won’t hesitate to sign.”

“Black… Flame…! You’re courting death!” Feng Xuanyang exploded. He was now fully aware that Shi Feng was not deliberately raising the price out of anger. Instead, Shi Feng was wholeheartedly toying with him right now.

Not only did Shi Feng want to sell 0.1% of Zero Wing’s shares for one billion Credits, but he also wanted 50% of Underworld’s shares.

What was Underworld? It was a force that far surpassed a first-rate Guild. Not to mention 50%, Feng Xuanyang did not even possess 1% of the organization’s shares. Yet, Shi Feng wanted 50%.

“Vice-Leader Feng, you’re not going to keep up the act anymore?” Shi Feng faintly smiled. “I wanted to play around with you for a little longer.”

“Black Flame, don’t think that just because you are invincible in White River City that I can’t do anything to you! You underestimate Underworld too much! Zero Wing is merely the overlord of White River City! Meanwhile, the several cities surrounding White River City have already fallen under our control! It won’t be long before I personally finish you off and eradicate your Guild!” Feng Xuanyang could no longer control his anger. Like a berserk beast, he let out a lung-piercing roar, causing everyone who heard it to shiver with fear. “Black Flame, originally, you could have had a billion Credits as your retirement fund! Now, you no longer have that chance! I will force you into a corner, bit by bit, and make you regret all your actions today!”

At first, Shi Feng was slightly surprised when he heard Feng Xuanyang’s fury. In the next moment, however, he smiled and said, “I will be waiting.”

Afterward, Shi Feng disconnected the call.

Although he had only said four words, his statement contained utter confidence and determination. Even Feng Xuanyang was slightly stunned, having no comeback.

Feng Xuanyang fully understood the meaning behind Shi Feng’s words.

“Zero Wing is not afraid to start a war. If you think you’re strong enough, bring it on!”

However, Feng Xuanyang was confused. Just how had Shi Feng remained so calm even when facing a billion Credits?

It seems that I need to speed up my plans, Shi Feng thought after he disconnected the call.

His surprise during the call had not been due to fear. Instead, it was because he had not expected Underworld’s background to be so powerful. They had acted so quickly and had already conquered the cities surrounding White River City. If it were not for Feng Xuanyang losing his cool for a moment and revealing this information, Shi Feng would not have known how serious the situation was.

However, Shi Feng could now release a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had not discovered this too late. He could still prepare if he started taking action right now. It wasn’t Underworld’s iron grip on those several cities; rather they were under the absolute control of the Guilds beneath Underworld. Otherwise, Feng Xuanyang would not have tried to spend one billion Credits to bury Zero Wing.

Currently, the average player’s level was still low, so interaction between cities was limited. However, when players reached higher levels, they would have to head to higher-leveled areas. Meanwhile, these high-level areas were close to the common borders between cities. At that time, Underworld could trap Zero Wing. With enemies on all sides, Zero Wing’s members would not be able to level up safely as they would face the risk of an enemy ambush at any time. In the end, Zero Wing would slowly but surely be pushed into a corner.

However, thanks to Feng Xuanyang’s temper tantrum, Shi Feng could act early to prevent such a situation. Otherwise, by the time everyone had leveled up, Zero Wing would be declawed.

Considering the situation, Shi Feng hurried back to White River City.

Upon his return, Shi Feng discovered that the area outside the Teleportation Hall had already been fully repaired. Meanwhile, many players wandered the streets. A majority of these players were independent. Whenever these independent players saw someone wearing Zero Wing’s emblem, they would watch that person enviously, letting the Zero Wing member feel very proud.

As for the members of Dark Star and other Guilds, whenever they saw a member of Zero Wing, they would consciously avoid contact. These Guild players were no longer as arrogant as before.

Moreover, Shi Feng discovered that the independent players walking around on the streets possessed very high levels. These independent players were clearly above the standard of ordinary players. Currently, many of these independent players were trying to form parties to raid high-level Dungeons or grind in high-level areas.

Before Shi Feng had even left the Teleportation Hall, the atmosphere on the street changed. Practically everyone turned to stare at him.

“Isn’t he One-hit Asura, Black Flame?

“Guild Leader Black Flame has returned?”

“Where?! Where?!”

“Wah! It’s real! It’s the real deal! He’s just too handsome! Crap! I’m going to faint at this rate!”

Shi Feng was not currently wearing his Black Cloak, so he was easily and quickly recognized. Suddenly, everyone on the street grew excited. Some female players looked as if they would pounce on Shi Feng as soon as he passed, and many of them squealed in excitement.

However, before these female players even had the chance to pounce on Shi Feng, a group of players wearing dazzling equipment quickly swarmed over from a distance. The poorest-quality weapons and equipment these players had were Secret-Silver rank, and every one of these players was above Level 20. They all wore a six-winged emblem on their chests, and the appearance of this group immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

This group of players was none other than Zero Wing’s core team. In addition to these core members, there were also over a thousand elite members behind them. These players moved in unison, and the extraordinary momentum they displayed caused the players to make way for them unconsciously.

Meanwhile, all of these members of Zero Wing were here to receive Shi Feng.

“Guild Leader, welcome back!”

Aqua Rose, Fire Dance, and everyone else walked over, smiling faintly as they looked at Shi Feng.

This grand welcome left Shi Feng utterly speechless. He could only silently nod in reply.

Afterward, Shi Feng walked back to the Starstreak Trading Firm with the crowd from Zero Wing. Throughout their journey, the players of White River City had all promptly moved aside. These players gazed at Shi Feng with wonder as if welcoming the king’s return.

 

Chapter 370: Legacy Stone Sword

Starstreak Trading Firm, third-floor meeting room. At this moment, all of the core members of Zero Wing had gathered here.

Compared to other Guilds, Zero Wing was more fortunate as it had a meeting place exclusively for its own members. Normally, other Guilds would have to use the temporary rooms available at the Adventurer’s Association. However, those temporary rooms could only hold a limited number of people at a time. Other than the Adventurer’s Association, Guilds could also pay a large sum to rent conference rooms at hotels or bars. However, only wealthy and powerful Guilds could afford such rentals.

“Guild Leader, we have completed all of the necessary preparations for tomorrow’s recruitment. We can start as soon as the Guild Residence’s construction has completed. In addition, here is the detailed list of tomorrow’s tasks. Everyone can take a look at what they need to do tomorrow,” Aqua Rose presented a list of tasks on the meeting table’s system screen and explained them one by one.

Aqua Rose had long since prepared for Zero Wing’s recruitment. However, when she considered the large number of players coming from other cities as well, she had to revise her plan. Moreover, she had also made detailed adjustments to the Guild’s benefit system. Now, they would not have to fear the sudden influx of members overloading Zero Wing’s capacity and harming the Guild’s development.

Aqua Rose’s list shocked everyone present.

The information Aqua Rose had compiled so impressively organized. They felt as if they were reading a university textbook. The section relating to Zero Wing’s benefit system consisted of over a dozen pages. Moreover, Aqua Rose had carefully planned how they were going to counter the spies sent by other Guilds. To access more information about the Guild and its benefit system, members would need to be promoted to a higher rank within the Guild.

However, the lowest-ranking members could still view the benefits that Zero Wing offered, and they were enough to impress many players.

“What? There are actually 150 private rooms available for rent in the Guild Residence? I thought there were only going to be seven or eight rooms available.”

“That’s only what is available for the normal members. Look at the benefits for elite members. They can actually rent 2-star private rooms. Moreover, there are a total of fifty 2-star private rooms available. Just how huge is our Guild Residence?”

Many of the core members present were shocked by the information revealed. Their curiosity about their Guild Residence grew.

“Look at their surprise. If they knew that our Guild Residence is White River City’s largest and most valuable residence, the Purple Sun Mansion, I wonder what kind of expressions they would make?” Blackie chuckled softly.

Although Zero Wing’s core membership had grown past a hundred, only a few actually knew where their Guild Residence was located.

After everyone had their assigned tasks, Aqua Rose suddenly stood. Clearing her throat, she said seriously, “The next thing we are going to talk about is classified information regarding Zero Wing. It is also what that everyone present is most concerned about today: the loot from the Mechanical Slayer. Other than the people here, no one is allowed access to this information.”

Everyone nodded nervously in reply to Aqua Rose’s words.

Every player who had been invited to this meeting today had a huge responsibility to the Guild.

The Mechanical Slayer was extraordinarily powerful. So, the items it dropped were also extraordinary. The importance of the role these items could play went without saying. Whether it was competing for a Dungeon’s First Clear or fighting in a Guild War, these items would definitely be of immense help a Guild’s development. If the information of these items went public, not only would their enemies have an edge against them, but it would also rouse the greed in others. At that time, their enemies would definitely plot to steal these items.

Looking at the anticipation in everyone’s eyes, Shi Feng slowly reported, “We have obtained a total of 102 items. Of them, there are 37 Fine-Gold items, 14 Dark-Gold items, 7 forging designs and recipes, 12 Tier 2 Magic Scrolls, 3 Tier 3 Magic Scrolls, 8 potions, 2 Epic items, and 19 rare materials.”

“What?! There are actually Epic items?!”

“Awesome! With Epic items, our Guild will flourish in Dungeons! We can claim all of the First Clears easily!”

Everyone grew incomparably excited after listening to Shi Feng’s report.

The large number of Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold items alone had greatly shocked the team. They could fully arm a 20-man team with so many items.

Just the thought of having a 20-man team fully geared in Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold ranked weapons and equipment was enough to give them the shivers. Not even first-rate Guilds could produce such a powerful team. Fully arming a team with Secret-Silver Equipment was already impressive. As for a 20-man team in Fine-Gold Equipment, that was simply impossible.

Meanwhile, if Zero Wing could establish such a powerful team, they would be invincible in 20-man Team Dungeons. The Dungeon Bosses would become pushovers. At that time, they could continuously supply the Guild with loads of precious equipment.

Most importantly, there were even two Epic items among the loot….

Previously, Epic items only existed in their thoughts and dreams. After all, since the launch of God’s Domain, there had yet to be any mention of anyone obtaining an Epic item. Now, their Guild actually had two Epic items! Everyone’s breath began to grow heavy at this revelation.

“Don’t get too excited. Although we obtained quite a few weapons and equipment, the lowest level requirement is 30. The same goes for the two Epic items.” Shi Feng smiled in response to their enthusiasm. He could understand how his team felt at the moment.

Epic items!

In God’s Domain, they were symbols of extraordinary strength.

In Shi Feng’s previous life, he, too, had been elated when he first saw an Epic item. After all, it was an item every player dreamed of having.

“I know that all of you are eager to see how powerful the Epic items are, so today, I’ll let all of you have a look at them. While we’re at it, I’ll let all of you know that I do not plan to allocate these two Epic items to anyone in particular. Instead, I’ll place both of them in the Guild Warehouse. However, only core members can see them. Once you have accumulated sufficient contribution points, you can trade your points for any of these two Epic items at any time,” Shi Feng explained. He then presented the information of the two items on the screen of the meeting table.

[Song of Beatrice] (Staff, Epic Rank)

Level 30 – Level 90

Equipment Requirement: Intelligence 200

Attributes will be adjusted according to user’s level.

Magic Damage increased by 25%.

Cooldown of all spells reduced by 20%.

Casting speed increased by 20%.

Spell critical rate increased by 15%.

Cast range +3

All magic-type skills +2 Levels

Ignore Levels +15

Durability 200/200

Additional Passive Skill: Song of Elements. All successful attacks have a chance to trigger this skill, increasing player’s magic damage by 20% for 15 seconds. Does not stack.

Cooldown: 1 minute.

Additional Skill 1: Forest Sprites. Summons three Forest Sprites to battle for you. Forest Sprites can also be sacrificed to recover player’s Mana. Each Forest Sprite sacrificed will recover 15% of player’s maximum Mana.

Cooldown: 20 seconds

Additional Skill 2: Elemental Domain. All allies within a radius of 50 yards will have their magic damage increased by 15%, cast speed increased by 15%, and Mana consumption decreased by 20% for 1 minute.

Cooldown: 30 minutes

Additional Skill 3: Song of Sprites. Increases the effect of a specified spell by 300%.

Cooldown: 5 minutes

[Shadowcraft] (Leather Armor, Epic Rank)

Level 30 – Level 90

Equipment Requirement: Agility 200, Strength 150

Attributes will be adjusted according to user’s level.

Agility increased by 25%.

Strength increased by 10%

Evasion +20

All Magic Resistance +20

Defend +4 Levels

Ignore Levels +10

Additional Passive Skill 1: Dark Shadow. Movement Speed increased by 20%. In dark places, Movement Speed increased by 30% and Agility increased by 10%

Additional Passive Skill 2: Rapid Movement. Agility increased after receiving damage. Agility increases by 5% with every 10% decrease in HP.

Additional Skill: Shadowless. Player can consecutively appear behind targets within a distance of 40 yards. Each use consumes one charge. Replenishes one charge per minute up to a maximum of three charges.

Of the two Epic items, the Song of Beatrice required 600,000 Guild Points, whereas Shadowcraft required 400,000 Guild Points.

One Guild Point was the current equivalent to around 30 Copper Coins. Even Aqua Rose and Fire Dance would require a relatively long time before they could accumulate so many points.

When everyone saw the Attributes on the two Epic items, they were all stupefied. The equipment they wore was simply too inferior compared to these two items. Meanwhile, when everyone thought about how they could trade Guild Points for these items, a passionate flame lit up in all of their eyes. The absurdly high demand of Guild Points didn’t deter their passion at all. At this moment, they wanted to rush out of the room and start earning Guild Points immediately.

“You’ve seen the Attributes on these items for yourselves. As to whether or not you can trade for them, that will depend on the effort you put in. In addition, I also have some good news to tell all of you. I will reward Guild Points to the first 100 members in the Guild to get promoted into a Tier 1 class. First place will receive a reward of 50,000 points, so all of you, work hard.” Seeing the high morale of the crowd, Shi Feng added more fuel to the fire.

Currently, not a single player had become a Tier 1 class in the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. The various Guilds around the kingdom were all focused on raiding the 50-man Team Dungeons in their respective cities. None of them knew the importance of Tier 1 players. Presently, only Shi Feng knew that Tier 1 players were the key requirement to raid a Level 20, 100-man Team Dungeon. In addition, Tier 1 players also played an important role in the competition between Guilds. The sooner a Guild possessed Tier 1 players, the more beneficial it would be to the Guild’s future development.

This was the reason why Shi Feng had ordered his Guild members to level up quickly rather than waste time competing over the First Clear for the Level 10, 50-man Team Dungeons.

Everyone’s fighting spirit soared once more when they heard Shi Feng’s announcement.

At this moment, they all viewed their decision to join Zero Wing as the best decision they had ever made.

No other Guild would offer Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold items to its members, much less Epic items.

On the other hand, not only had Shi Feng made the items available for trade, but he also spent a large sum of money to encourage everyone to raise their strengths. Players would never find these opportunities in any other Guild.

If they could earn the reward of 50,000 Guild Points, even if they didn’t want the Epic items, they could still gain several Fine-Gold or Dark-Gold items, greatly increasing their prowess.

After the meeting ended, the core members headed towards the Class Association to receive their Class Change Quest, afraid that the others would beat them to the top prize.

“It should be about time for me to upgrade my class as well.” Shi Feng smiled faintly.

Shi Feng had wanted to take on his Class Change Quest for a while now. However, he celebrated the fact that he had not already done so. He would have regretted that decision.

Before the meeting started, Shi Feng had already appraised the drops from the Mechanical Slayer. In the looting war, Zero Wing had actually managed to obtain 103 items, not 102. There was one item Shi Feng had not revealed.

The item Shi Feng hid was none other than the crystal-encased ancient sword.

Shi Feng had kept it hidden because that item was simply too frightening. Even if he added together the value of the other 102 items, it would not reach even a hundredth of the Sword in the Stone. If others learned about this item, it would definitely cause a sensation to sweep throughout God’s Domain, which was why Shi Feng had decided to keep silent about it.

The Sword in the Stone was neither a weapon nor armor. It was a Legacy Item. Moreover, the Legacy it contained was no ordinary Legacy. It was a Legacy Item even more powerful than the Magic Weapon Star’s Reminiscence.

 

Chapter 371: Peak Legacy

A Legacy hinted at a hidden class.

This was also one of the reasons why Legacy Items were extremely rare in God’s Domain.

Previously, the fact that they had obtained the Astromancer’s Legacy from the Blood Hand Association’s stronghold had already blown Shi Feng’s mind. Now, however, he had an even more powerful Legacy. Moreover, only Berserkers and Swordsmen could use this Legacy.

Shi Feng knew that the Legacy contained within the Sword in the Stone was more powerful than the Astromancer’s Legacy was because of its unsealing conditions.

Violet Cloud’s Legacy Item, the Magic Weapon Star’s Reminiscence, required a Tier 3 Great Mage to help unseal it. Based on these stringent requirements, the Astromancer’s Legacy should be superior among the many Legacies that existed in God’s Domain.

However, Shi Feng’s Sword in the Stone was far more amazing than the Star’s Reminiscence.

[Sword in the Stone]

The sword inside the crystal faintly emits a power from the ancient era. It occurs naturally with no signs of being crafted. However, a frightening power had damaged this ancient sword severely in the past. If one wishes to awaken the power contained within and gain a better understanding of this sword, they need to gather the power of three Tier 4 classes and expend 21 Mana Stones.

Class restriction: Berserker and Swordsman

Not to mention the three Tier 4 NPCs, just the number of Mana Stones required was a huge headache for Shi Feng.

Mana Stones were extremely precious in God’s Domain. Although they weren’t as valuable as Seven Luminaries Crystals, they were not far from them, either. Mana Stones were rare materials required to craft Epic ranked weapons and equipment. However, the most dreadful aspect of Mana Stones was that nobody sold them in God’s Domain. Only Bosses in 100-man Hard Mode Team Dungeons dropped Mana Stones. Moreover, the drop rate was a minuscule 2%.

Currently, throughout all of God’s Domain, Shi Feng had yet even to hear news about anyone obtaining the First Clear of a Level 10, 50-man Team Dungeon, not to mention a Level 20 100-man Team Dungeon. Even Zero Wing, his own Guild, was only in the preparation stage of raiding a Level 20, 100-man Team Dungeon. Only players who had gathered 100 Tier 1 players had a chance of success in the Hard Mode versions of those Dungeons. In other words, it was simply impossible for Shi Feng to get his hands on a Mana Stone right now, let alone 21 of them.

The difficulty of unsealing the Sword in the Stone far surpassed the Magic Weapon Star’s Reminiscence. Hence, Shi Feng was certain that the Legacy contained within the Sword in the Stone was far superior to the Star’s Reminiscence. At the very least, it should be one of the Peak Legacies of God’s Domain.

“I can only give it a try.” Shi Feng smiled bitterly as he gazed at the Sword in the Stone inside his bag.

The awakening conditions of the Sword in the Stone were too high. Ever since Shi Feng had appraised the Legacy Item, he had constantly been thinking of a way to fulfill those conditions. He could not afford to wait until Zero Wing obtained the First Clear of a 100-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon before gradually collecting 21 Mana Stones.

If the Guild Leader of any other Guild stood in Shi Feng’s place right now, activating the Class Change Quest of the Sword in the Stone would be nigh impossible. And ordinary players could never meet these conditions. Only after wracking his brain did Shi Feng think a way to awaken the Sword in the Stone early.

Soon, Shi Feng left the meeting room as well and headed to one of the forging rooms on the fourth floor of the Starstreak Trading Firm.

They had obtained a total of seven forging designs and recipes from the looting war. Of them, three were forging designs.

All three forging designs produced different types of Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, which were respectively meant for plate armor, leather armor, and cloth armor. Although these Basic Strengthened Armor Kits were a lot weaker than the Basic Mana Armor Kit, their effects only half of the latter, they were still very valuable.

After all, Shi Feng was not a dedicated Lifestyle player. He could not afford to spend a large amount of time producing the Basic Mana Armor Kits. Meanwhile, the supply of Basic Mana Armor Kits available on the market would not meet the demand. Hence, these three Basic Strengthened Armor Kit Forging Designs were extremely important.

At this moment, a knocking came from the door of the forging room. “Guild Leader, the ones you called for are here,” Melancholic Smile said respectfully as she entered the room.

While Shi Feng had been busy, Melancholic Smile had grown to have the aura of a strong and capable woman. The current Melancholic Smile was already an Advanced Forging Apprentice, and she was only a short distance from her promotion to a Basic Forger.

Under Melancholic Smile’s management, the Horizon Alliance, the Lifestyle Guild Shi Feng had secretly established, had grown to house over 3,000 members. These Lifestyle players had been recruited from various places. Currently, these members had crafted a majority of the products sold at the Starstreak Trading Firm.

Not even Aqua Rose and Blackie knew about the Horizon Alliance. In the eyes of the public, the members of the Horizon Alliance were simply players that the Starstreak Trading Firm had hired.

“Ah, come on in, then,” Shi Feng nodded.

Following which, a man and a woman entered the forging room. The woman who followed Melancholic Smile was none other than the forging genius Cream Cocoa. She had already become an Advanced Forging Apprentice. Meanwhile, the man who entered with Cream Cocoa was a 40-year-old man called Roasted Ironheart. Because of his age, the Guilds Roasted Ironheart had joined in the past had looked down on him. However, after he passed the test set by Melancholic Smile and became a member of Horizon Alliance, he had poured his heart into forging items and displayed frightening talent. Regarding forging techniques, he was even more talented than Melancholic Smile. Currently, he had already become one of the Five Great Forgers of the Horizon Alliance.

After the two entered, upon seeing Shi Feng, Roasted Ironheart immediately grew cautious. Normally, Melancholic Smile was responsible for dealing with all matters within the Horizon Alliance. So, no one had ever met the true owner of the Guild. The members of the Horizon Alliance only knew that their Guild Leader was extremely mysterious, and he had actually managed to form a relationship with the Starstreak Trading Firm. Not only did this great personage possess frightening wealth, but he also had great talents such as Melancholic Smile and Cream Cocoa working under him. The members of the Horizon Alliance all felt reverence and curiosity towards this mysterious boss of theirs.

Today, as Roasted Ironheart finally met the mysterious boss behind the Horizon Alliance, his heart was filled with incomparable shock.

Originally, Roasted Ironheart had believed that the force behind the Horizon Alliance was a wealthy tycoon. However, he would never have imagined that proprietor of this Lifestyle Guild was actually White River City’s, no, the entire Star-Moon Kingdom’s number one expert, the One-hit Asura, Black Flame. How could this revelation not shock him?

Moreover, Black Flame was also Star-Moon Kingdom’s publicly acknowledged number one forger.

At this moment, Roasted Ironheart’s mind was a complete mess.

“There is no need to panic; I don’t eat people,” Shi Feng could not help but console Roasted Ironheart when he noticed the man’s trembling legs.

Hearing Shi Feng’s words, Roasted Ironheart nearly slumped to the ground.

The number one expert of Star-Moon Kingdom. The Guild Leader of Zero Wing. The great character that dominated White River City. There was simply no chance that a small fry like Roasted Ironheart could meet such a great character like Shi Feng. Yet, not only had such a situation occurred, but Roasted Ironheart was also speaking directly with such a great character. How could Roasted Ironheart not panic?

“Uncle Ironheart, relax. Our Guild Leader is a very kind and friendly guy!” Cream Cocoa said, smiling.

Roasted Ironheart silently nodded. After taking a long moment to calm down, he said, “Hello, Boss!”

Melancholic Smile and Cream Cocoa giggled at this sight.

Shi Feng had grown speechless at Roasted Ironheart’s actions as well. He was not a monster. Why was he so intimidated?

“Alright, I have some important matters to discuss with you. I’ve called the three of you here today because of these.” Saying so, Shi Feng took out the three Basic Strengthened Armor Kit Forging Designs. “Each of you will take one. Your task for this is to produce these items; the more, the better.”

As forgers, Melancholic Smile’s group was stunned when they saw the forging designs. They understood the value of the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits. By producing these items, not only could they increase their promotion speed to Basic Forgers, but they could also use these items to dominate the forging market and create names for themselves.

When the trio thought about how Shi Feng was actually willing to let them learn such precious forging designs, their hearts were moved.

“I’ll leave these forging designs to you, so research them properly. If you can achieve a 20% success rate, then you can start mass-producing them,” Shi Feng said.

Although the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits were not as difficult to produce as the Basic Mana Armor Kits, Advanced Forging Apprentices still had a low success rate. Melancholic Smile and the others would be lucky if they could successfully produce one or two pieces out of ten tries.

“Guild Leader, rest assured; we will accomplish this task! We definitely won’t disappoint you!” all three of them guaranteed.

Following which, the three returned to their respective forging rooms and began their research on the forging designs.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng also departed from the Starstreak Trading Firm and hurried towards White River City’s Bank. He planned to start the first step of awakening the Sword in the Stone.

 

Chapter 372: Five Big Cities

Walking in the middle of the street in White River City, Shi Feng had used the Demon Mask to change his appearance back to Ye Feng. The color of his ID reverted to white as well.

All this while, Shi Feng had used his artificial ID of Black Flame. It had been a long time since he used his actual ID. In a rapidly changing game like God’s Domain, not only were there tons of new players flooding into the game every day, but there were also many experts rising and falling with every passing moment. Meanwhile, the duration of Ye Feng disappearance from the public eye had been long enough for everyone in White River City completely forget about him.

Throughout Shi Feng’s whole journey to the bank, not a single player he passed by had recognized him. Although some players had glanced his way, they had not done so because of Shi Feng’s identity. Instead, it was because of the equipment he wore.

The Magic Weapon Abyssal Blade and the Dark-Gold ranked Purgatory’s Shadow hung from his waist. Even if Shi Feng had removed the two weapons’ glow effect, when one saw the intricate patterns carved onto the swords as well as the flowing lights flashing on the blades, no one believed they were ordinary weapons.

White River City sure has changed. Even the average level of ordinary players is almost the same as Star-Moon City.

Making a casual observation, Shi Feng discovered that a majority of the independent players wandering the streets were Level 15 or 16 and armed with a few pieces of Bronze Equipment. Shi Feng occasionally saw some independent players who were Level 17 or 18 and fully geared in Bronze Equipment with a few pieces of Mysterious-Iron Equipment. In the past, this sight could not have been found in White River City.

Suddenly, Shi Feng thought of an idea.

What if he transformed White River City into the heart of Star-Moon Kingdom?

Originally, Shi Feng had intended to develop a Branch Guild in Star-Moon City once Zero Wing was sufficiently powerful to compete for the resources available there. After all, Star-Moon City was the heart of Star-Moon Kingdom. It was a gem that incited fierce competition among the many first-rate Guilds. Star-Moon City was also the hub for elites. The player population there was simply immense, with no other city within Star-Moon Kingdom capable of being its rival. Meanwhile, controlling Star-Moon City meant obtaining the large number of elite players and resources there. A Guild’s development in Star-Moon City would be much faster than in any other city in Star-Moon Kingdom.

However, when Shi Feng saw the current state of White River City, a thought suddenly came to his mind. Why must he torture himself to compete over Star-Moon City with all those first-rate Guilds?

Most players went to Star-Moon City was because it had far more opportunities for development. The city also contained many advantages that no other city possessed.

But, what about now?

Due to Zero Wing’s existence in White River City and the fact that the Guild did not recruit members in any other city, many players had now migrated to White River City. As for the reason behind this migration?

Wasn’t it because Zero Wing offered advantages that no other Guild possessed?

As long as Zero Wing offered its members more benefits than other Guilds, players would continue to flood into White River City. Moreover, as players’ levels increased, their income would increase as well. Soon, the teleportation fee between cities would no longer be a problem. At that time, it was not entirely impossible for White River City to surpass even Star-Moon City.

“Hm? Is it about Underworld’s inside information?” Shi Feng suddenly heard the arrival of a message; Absolute Heaven had contacted him.

Meanwhile, the Assassin’s message was perfectly timed.

Underworld had already become the dominant force in the several cities surrounding White River City. As for how much control they possessed over those cities and exactly which cities they controlled, Shi Feng had no clue. Without that information, he could not take appropriate measures against Underworld. Shi Feng did not want to waste too much time searching for Underworld and subsequently ruining the organization’s plans.

If he could find access to detailed information about Underworld, he would have a much easier time preparing for the future.

“There sure is a lot of information here.” Shi Feng was inwardly surprised when he opened up the file attached to Absolute Heaven’s message. The file was dozens of pages long, and its level of detail was above and beyond what Shi Feng had expected. An outer member like Absolute Heaven should not have had access to the kind of information contained in the file. Most likely, only those at Feng Xuanyang’s level would possess the authority to know such information. “Did Absolute Heaven kidnap and interrogate Feng Xuanyang? I’m impressed that he could obtain such detailed information.”

Now that he had such detailed information about Underworld, without wasting any time, Shi Feng quickly found a quiet spot inside the bank and sat down. He then started carefully reading through the file Absolute Heaven had sent him.

Two hours later, Shi Feng finished reading the final page. He could not help but exhale deeply.

“Although I already expected as much, I did not realize that Underworld is actually so terrifying. They control a total of 316 Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom’s eastern region. It is no wonder even Gentle Snow is wary of Underworld.” Making a rough estimate, Shi Feng guessed that Underworld controlled over a million players in Star-Moon Kingdom’s eastern region alone.

Zero Wing’s current member count was just over 5,000. To Underworld, Zero Wing was no more intimidating than an ant.

Furthermore, there were also the Underworld Guards, a group of elites that the organization secretly nurtured. Although the Underworld Guards only had around 400 members, each one was an expert. If they formed a 100-man team, they could effortlessly annihilate hundreds of elite players out in the fields.

In addition, Blue Frost City, Maple City, Gale City, Twin Lion City, and Coldstar City, the five big cities neighboring White River City, had all been dominated by the Guilds under Underworld’s control. Moreover, these Guilds were not inferior to Underworld in the slightest. Without any powerful enemies, these Guilds had grown rapidly. Of these Guilds, Overwhelming Smile, the Guild holding dominance over Gale City, was currently even more powerful than Dark Star had been during its peak.

Without any obstructions, it was a matter of time before these powerful Guilds became the overlords of their respective cities.

“Underworld really is a headache. This situation is much worse than what I had imagined.” Shi Feng wrinkled his brows and scratched his head, considering the situation carefully.

Based on Zero Wing’s current strength, moving out and dealing with just one of the five cities under Underworld’s control would be a massive undertaking. As for dealing with all five, it was simply impossible. Setting aside the disadvantages of fighting in enemy territory, Zero Wing would first need sufficient strength. With the current number of members Zero Wing possessed, it wouldn’t even be a threat for any of these Guilds. For such an endeavor, not only would Zero Wing need to pay a large number of teleportation fees, but it also had to waste a lot of manpower and material resources.

As for Shi Feng himself, although he was strong as an individual, he wasn’t strong enough to threaten an entire Guild with tens of thousands of members.

“I need to hurry and get my class change done,” Shi Feng looked at the Sword in the Stone inside his bag, a sense of urgency overwhelming his thoughts of upgrading his class.

No matter how Shi Feng wracked his mind, he could not think up of a proper solution. The only thing he could do now was to increase his own strength.

There was a large gap in combat power between a Tier 1 player and a Tier 0 player, not to mention a hidden class. If Shi Feng could successfully upgrade his class and become a Tier 1 player, he could cause some trouble for the Guilds controlled by Underworld and buy Zero Wing more time to grow.

Following which, Shi Feng walked towards the bank’s counter, retrieving the larger of the two Philosopher’s Stones from inside his personal warehouse. He then retrieved a large number of Magic Crystals from the Guild Warehouse.

Guild members had come across these Magic Crystals while they had raided Dungeons. Originally, these Magic Crystals were intended for equipment crafting, but as of yet, nobody within the Guild could produce equipment that required Magic Crystals. Hence, a large stockpile had accumulated inside the Guild Warehouse. Now, however, Shi Feng emptied their stock.

Following which, Shi Feng returned to his forging room inside the Starstreak Trading Firm. He then took out the Philosopher’s Stone and all of the Magic Crystals.

Mana Stones were originally born from the minerals inside Magic Crystals. If Magic Crystals were refined, there was a chance to obtain a Mana Stone. Hence, Shi Feng intended to utilize the Philosopher’s Stone to refine Mana Crystals into Mana Stones.

However, Mana Stones were extremely rare and precious. The chances of obtaining a Mana Stone from refining a Magic Crystal were extremely low, and even Shi Feng himself wasn’t very confident in success.

“Hopefully, this works.”

Shi Feng then grabbed a transparent Magic Crystal with one hand and the Philosopher’s Stone in the other. Praying silently, he refined the Magic Crystal.

 

Chapter 373: Alchemical Synthesis

With his right hand, Shi Feng lightly tapped the Philosopher’s Stone on the Magic Crystal in his left hand.

In the next moment, the Philosopher’s Stone released a faint blood-red glow. Following which, the Magic Crystal in Shi Feng’s left hand transformed into dust and scattered across the floor, leaving nothing behind.

A Magic Crystal, which cost 8 Silver Coins, was gone, just like that….

In the God’s Domain, 8 Silver Coins were the current equivalent of a day’s income for an entire elite team.

However, without even blinking, Shi Feng snatched a second Magic Crystal from the table and attempted the Elemental Refinement once more.

Two seconds later, another pile of dust scattered to the floor…

After over a hundred consecutive attempts and failing every time, Shi Feng stopped and reevaluated his actions.

“Is it not possible with Elemental Refinement?” Shi Feng frowned at the dust covered floor.

There were not many members in Zero Wing, so the number of accumulated Magic Crystals was not high. There had been only around 600 in the Guild Warehouse. Meanwhile, Shi Feng had not obtained a single Mana Stone, even after refining over a hundred Magic Crystals. At this rate, he would never refine 21 Mana Stones.

“No, it is just because the success rate is so low. Do I need to raise my chances before it’ll work?”

“Mana Stones are the product of polymerization of Magic Crystals. Logically, it should be possible to refine a Magic Crystal into a Mana Stone. Is it because the Magic Crystal’s quality is too poor?”

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng took another Magic Crystal and tested his theory.

This time, after clicking “Refine,” Shi Feng thoroughly focused on observing the changes that occurred during the refinement process of the Magic Crystal.

After God’s Domain underwent its first evolution, both forging and alchemy had become far more realistic. Moreover, Shi Feng was currently playing the game using a virtual gaming cabin which possessed a synchronization rate of 97%. Hence, if he observed the refinement process of the Magic Crystal carefully, he might discern the cause for failure.

However, the refinement process happened far too quickly. Even if Shi Feng had exceptional dynamic vision, everything still happened in a flash. It was too hard to see anything.

“System Recording, activate Full Simulation Mode,” Shi Feng suddenly said.

System: Please hold for system identification…

System: Interface used by player detected as the Virtual Gaming Cabin. Full Simulation Mode is supported.

System: Full Simulation Mode has activated.

After the system activated Full Simulation Mode, Shi Feng picked up a Magic Crystal and attempted Elemental Refining once more. As expected, the Magic Crystal still crumbled into dust that scattered all over the floor.

Unperturbed, Shi Feng said, “System, play the video recorded through Full Simulation Mode.”

In the next moment, a 3D holographic image appeared before Shi Feng’s eyes, showing the exact scene when Shi Feng had attempted Elemental Refinement on the Magic Crystal.

Aside from allowing players to experience a synchronization rate of 97%, the virtual gaming cabin also allowed players to activate Full Simulation Mode in the game. With this function, the videos players recorded in game could be viewed as a holographic projection rather than on a flat surface. This function was unavailable to those who used both the ordinary and advanced helmets.

In the God’s Domain of the past, if one were a Master Lifestyle player, they would have definitely purchased a virtual gaming cabin for themselves. They did so for the sole purpose of this holographic recording function. Through this function, players could realistically reproduce the videos they recorded. Players could experience what they normally couldn’t through a flat-screen video, and this included the refinement process of the Magic Crystal.

However, the main purpose of the Full Simulation Mode lay in the analysis of enemies.

Players could record their battles with enemies to study their enemy’s fighting habits, defenses, attacks, dodges, and other detailed actions.

After analyzing their enemies’ habits and weaknesses, even if they were weaker than their opponents, players could take advantage of said habits and weaknesses to triumph against their enemies. In the past, this often happened in God’s Domain. It was especially true for fights between experts.

At the same time, players could also utilize the holographic recording for self-reflection, improving weaknesses and discovering new techniques. This was one of the quickest ways for a player to improve themselves.

This was also why players who used the virtual gaming cabins improved so quickly.

In the past, Shi Feng had done countless self-evaluations through using the Full Simulation Mode, continuously improving his combat power. Back then, if he had used the virtual gaming cabin a few years earlier, he might have reached even greater heights. Unfortunately, Shadow had only a few million Credits. A single virtual gaming cabin cost three million. How could Shadow possibly afford a virtual gaming cabin? Moreover, even if they purchased one, Shi Feng would not have had access to it.

Following which, Shi Feng adjusted the settings of the holographic recording and played the refinement process into slow motion. That way, he could fully observe and analyze the entire process in detail without needing to waste Magic Crystals and stress his eyesight over and over.

After observing the process dozens of times, Shi Feng finally discovered the reason. “As expected, the Mana density inside the Magic Crystals is too low. I wouldn’t get a single complete Mana Stone even if I used the Elemental Refinement 10,000 times.”

Although Shi Feng had discovered the cause of his failures, he didn’t have a solution. In God’s Domain, there was no difference in quality between Magic Crystals. In other words, it was simply impossible to obtain a Mana Stone through refining Mana Crystals….

Shi Feng could not help his frustration.

If refinement could not work, then he had to go at it from another angle.

The only method he had left was to use Alchemical Synthesis, combining two Magic Crystals into one. Once the accumulated Mana inside the Magic Crystals reached a sufficient level, it would become a Mana Stone naturally.

However, how could Alchemical Synthesis be easy?

Even a Grandmaster Alchemist would struggle with Alchemical Synthesis. The price they had to pay would also exceed the value of the final product. Normally, nobody would willingly take on such a risk.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng was merely a Forging Apprentice. He was not even an alchemist, to begin with. His chances of successful Alchemical Synthesis were abysmal.

On the other hand, the Philosopher’s Stone, an alchemy treasure, had such an ability. However, the Philosopher’s Stone Shi Feng had right now was a defective product. He could only use Alchemical Conversion and Elemental Refinement, not Alchemical Synthesis.

“That’s right! If one Philosopher’s Stone won’t do, what about two?” Shi Feng suddenly recalled the fragmented piece of Philosopher’s Stone that he had obtained from the God’s Grave.

The Philosopher’s Stone had been broken into five fragments, so its abilities had greatly weakened. However, the Philosopher’s Stone was inherently of one body. As long as Shi Feng could gather all five fragments, he could restore the Philosopher’s Stone. Although Shi Feng did not possess all five fragments at the moment, if he fused the two fragments he had, it should become much stronger than one fragment alone.

“I can only give it a try.”

Shi Feng had no other options. The Philosopher’s Stone was his only hope.

The Philosopher’s Stone had broken into five fragments of different sizes, and the abilities each fragment possessed were different. The Philosopher’s Stone Shi Feng had obtained from the God’s Grave was slightly smaller than the first one he had found. As it only possessed Alchemical Conversion, Shi Feng had not intended to use it.

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng rushed back to the bank and retrieved the other Philosopher’s Stone from his warehouse before hurrying back to his forging room.

Inside the forging room, Shi Feng carefully combined the two Philosopher’s Stones.

System: Do you wish to fuse the two Philosopher’s Stones?

Shi Feng immediately clicked the “Fuse” button.

Suddenly, the two Philosopher’s Stones transformed into a pool of blood-red liquid and fused. The liquid then solidified into a fist-sized blood-red pearl. It was no longer an uneven block of stone.

After the fusion completed, Shi Feng picked up the newly-formed Philosopher’s Stone and checked its information. He wanted to know how powerful the Philosopher’s Stone had become.

 

Chapter 374: Results Beyond Imagination

“Good,” Shi Feng sighed in relief when he read the information displayed.

[Philosopher’s Stone] (36% Completed)

Epic Rank Special Item (Dropped upon death)

A sacred item for Alchemy, the Philosopher’s Stone can be used to turn stone into gold, revive the dead, and more. However, the Sword Emperor, Knight, shattered the Philosopher’s Stone into five pieces. However, the Philosopher’s Stone possesses immense strength. As long as one gathers the five pieces, it will recover to its full strength.

Active Effect: Due to being damaged, the Philosopher’s Stone possesses less than a seventh of its original strength. It can only be used for Alchemical Conversion, Elemental Refinement, Alchemical Synthesis, and Elemental Strengthening.

Now that the Philosopher’s Stone was capable of Alchemical Synthesis, Shi Feng should be able to obtain Mana Stones easily.

Just as he was about to begin the Alchemical Synthesis, a system notification alerted Shi Feng. Moreover, it repeated three times.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode Bone Ruin. Rewarding 10,000 Guild Reputation and 10,000 Guild Popularity. All players within the team will be rewarded 100 Reputation Points in White River City and 10 Reputation Points in Star-Moon Kingdom.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode Bone Ruin. Rewarding 10,000 Guild Reputation and 10,000 Guild Popularity. All players within the team will be rewarded 100 Reputation Points in White River City and 10 Reputation Points in Star-Moon Kingdom.

Star-Moon Kingdom Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Overwhelming Smile for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode Bone Ruin. Rewarding 10,000 Guild Reputation and 10,000 Guild Popularity. All players within the team will be rewarded 100 Reputation Points in White River City and 10 Reputation Points in Star-Moon Kingdom.

“What? The Bone Ruin is a 50-man Team Dungeon. A Guild has already defeated it?” Thinking that he had heard wrong, Shi Feng quickly opened the system message log to take a look. However, they had indeed cleared the Bone Ruin.

“Overwhelming Smile? Isn’t that one of the Guilds controlled by Underworld, a second-rate Guild dominant in Maple City?” Shi Feng could not help his surprise. He then carefully read the member list of the team that cleared Bone Ruin. “How could they have cleared it first?”

There were over a hundred cities throughout Star-Moon Kingdom. There were simply too many Guilds and experts within the kingdom to count. There were also plenty of first-rate Guilds. Among the countless teams, the one with the greatest chance of being the first to clear a 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon belonged to Gentle Snow in White River City. On this, Shi Feng was certain.

Immediately after Shi Feng had entered White River City, he produced the White River City Guidebook. Gentle Snow had even spent a large sum to purchase the most detailed version, gaining a huge advantage over the other Guilds right off the bat. Moreover, to secure the First Clear of the Three Great Dungeons, Gentle Snow had assembled many of Ouroboros’ experts in White River City. She even purchased multiple Fine-Gold ranked Arclight Shields and a large stock of Basic Mana Armor Kits from Shi Feng. Not even the core team of the most powerful first-rate Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom could compete with Gentle Snow’s team in terms of personnel or equipment.

Yet, Gentle Snow’s team had actually lost to a second-rate Guild like Overwhelming Smile. Although Overwhelming Smile received plenty of support from Underworld in the form of money and experts, the First Clear of 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeons was not easy to claim.

If that were the case, Gentle Snow would have long since claimed the First Clear of the Land of Death.

Moreover, in Shi Feng’s memories, Overwhelming Smile had always been a very ordinary Guild. In the end, Assassin’s Alliance took them out, and they were swept away by the torrents of God’s Domain.

“Just what sort of secrets is Overwhelming Smile hiding?” In the information Shi Feng received from Absolute Heaven, there was nothing special about Overwhelming Smile. Despite Underworld going all-out with its support, even sending 50 Underworld Guards to help the Guild, Shi Feng did not believe for a second that Overwhelming Smile could take the lead in claiming the First Clear of a 50-man Team Dungeon.

Yet, Overwhelming Smile had done exactly that. This showed that Overwhelming Smile’s team had an advantage that not even Gentle Snow’s could compete with.

If Overwhelming Smile continued to develop without rival Guilds, in addition to Underworld’s hidden support, even Shi Feng could not guess how powerful the Guild would become.

The appearance of the three system notifications had immediately caused a sensation throughout Star-Moon Kingdom. Previously, everyone had their guesses as to which first-rate Guild would be the first to claim the First Clear of a 50-man Team Dungeon. However, no one expected this result.

A second-rate Guild had actually accomplished what first-rate Guilds couldn’t…

For a time, Overwhelming Smile had become the focus in Star-Moon Kingdom.

“I need to hurry as well.”

Shi Feng clutched the Philosopher’s Stone and started the Alchemical Synthesis.

No matter how powerful an enemy was, one’s personal strength still mattered the most.

Shi Feng stored one Magic Crystal after another in the Philosopher’s Stone. In the next moment, the synthesis bar began to slowly increase. The synthesis bar only reached 100% after Shi Feng stored 50 Magic Crystals.

Although Shi Feng could now synthesize Mana Stones using Magic Crystals, the Philosopher’s Stone in his possession was still incomplete. Hence, the synthesis rate was only 50%.

“This item really is an alchemical treasure,” the power of this stone awed Shi Feng.

If Grandmaster Alchemists could see this synthesis rate and the number of required base materials, it would leave them speechless with shock.

Grandmaster Alchemists’ synthesis rate only hovered around 20%, which was already quite high. Meanwhile, normally over 200 base materials were required. Hence, nobody would willingly sacrifice high-tiered materials through Alchemical Synthesis. However, Grandmaster Alchemists paled in comparison to the Philosopher’s Stone. It was as expected of a treasure of alchemy.

Meanwhile, Alchemical Combination was only a small part of the Philosopher’s Stone’s abilities. It was no wonder so many kingdoms and empires had gone to war over the Philosopher’s Stone.

“Let’s start, then.” Shi Feng clicked the “Synthesize” button.

Three seconds later, an additional fist-sized gray stone appeared in Shi Feng’s hand. This was none other than the Mana Stone.

“Awesome!”

After successfully synthesizing a Mana Stone, Shi Feng quickly added more Magic Crystals into the Philosopher’s Stone, starting the second round of Alchemical Synthesis.

At the same time, Shi Feng had also contacted Melancholic Smile and instructed her to purchase a large stock of Magic Crystals immediately. With the stockpile Zero Wing possessed, he wouldn’t have enough to synthesize 21 Mana Stones.

Even if the synthesis rate was 100%, he would need 1,050 Magic Crystals to for 21 Mana Stones. With only a 50% rate, he would need at least 2,100 Magic Crystals.

Shi Feng had previously used quite a lot of Magic Crystals, and he only had 508 remaining.

By Shi Feng’s estimation, he would need at least 2,000 more Magic Crystals.

“Guild Leader, please tell me you’re joking. You want to purchase 2,000 Magic Crystals? The current market value for them is 8 Silver Coins each; 160 Gold for 2,000 pieces. Moreover, this is the best and lowest cost. If we buy them in bulk, the prices in White River City will soar. When that happens, we’ll need to pay at least double or triple the current price. Making a rough estimate, we’ll need to spend at least 300 Gold to get 2,000 Magic Crystals.” Although Melancholic Smile had always dealt with the purchasing of materials for the Horizon Alliance, this was her first time handling a transaction that involved over 300 Gold. She struggled against her sudden anxiety.

If converted to Credits, 300 Gold Coins would be over four million Credits. All her life, she had never even seen so much money.

“It doesn’t matter. Just get it done quickly.” Shi Feng couldn’t care less about the potential consequences. His Class Change Quest took priority. Even if he had to spend 1,000 Gold to purchase the 2,000 Magic Crystals, he would not hesitate. By the time Melancholic Smile’s group of three could mass-produce the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, it would only be a short time before he earned the money back.

After half an hour passed, Melancholic Smile delivered 2,000 Magic Crystals to Shi Feng. She had experienced the pleasure of being a wealthy tycoon.

Meanwhile, during this period, Shi Feng had also kept himself busy. After using 500 Magic Crystals, he had an additional six Mana Stones. In addition, he had also produced some Basic Mana Armor Kits for his Guild, as well as slightly raising his own Forging Proficiency.

“Hopefully my luck won’t be too bad.”

Shi Feng took the 2,000 Magic Crystals and started the Alchemical Synthesis once more.

He used 100 pieces… 200 pieces…

The new stock of Magic Crystals continuously diminished.

After using 1,650 Magic Crystals, Shi Feng had finally managed to collect 21 Mana Stones.