Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 533

Chapter 533: Overwhelming Force

When the group heard Shi Feng’s introduction, they were dumbfounded.

Everyone present knew just how precious a martial arts master was.

Many professional fighters would do anything just to receive advice from a martial arts master, let alone personal tutorage.

Moreover, their instructor was a top-tier master. Never in their dreams would something like this happen. For a second, Blackie and the others even thought that they had heard wrong.

However, after spending time in God’s Domain, everyone’s senses had improved considerably. By now, they were already capable of making a rough estimate of another person’s strength.

Lei Bao also made no attempt to hide his beastlike aura in the slightest. Just basking in his aura made their bodies feel heavier. If not for Shi Feng standing beside Lei Bao, they would’ve fled immediately as this oppressive feeling was truly unbearable.

Although none of them knew Lei Bao’s exact strength, none of them doubted that Lei Bao could wipe the floor with all of them in less than ten seconds.

“Master Lei Bao, I’ll have to trouble you, then.” Shi Feng could see everyone’s surprise and knew how incredulous of a situation was. However, this was all definitely real. Not even famous professional fighters would have access to these benefits. If Blackie and the others could not improve with Lei Bao’s help, then he really had no other means of helping them.

In the past, under Shadow’s arrangement, Shi Feng had sought out many masters to learn from. He had not been as lucky as Blackie and the others. Being stood up by a martial arts master after several weeks of waiting was a normal occurrence to Shi Feng. As for personal tutorage? That was just a dream.

“No problem. Since we agreed upon this beforehand, I will hold up my end of our bargain.” Lei Bao nodded. He then shifted his gaze to Blackie and the others, faintly smiling, he said, “All of you, follow me. I’ll have a look at your foundations before planning your training.”

Under Lei Bao’s watchful gaze, everyone felt their hair stand on end. They all had a bad premonition about what was to come. Unfortunately, with Lei Bao’s personality, even if they did not want the training, he would not show any mercy.

“Guild Leader…” The group sent pitiful looks towards Shi Feng.

However, Shi Feng only waved them off.

With Lei Bao’s training, Shi Feng hoped that they could learn how to control their bodies more efficiently. Once they learned that control, they could display frightening combat power in God’s Domain.

When it came to control over one’s body, Lei Bao had reached perfection. That he had reached the standard of Tiger Roaring showed that Lei Bao knew a unique method to train his physical control. Otherwise, he could never train his body to the degree of merging his internal and external power. Compared to a half-baked martial arts master like Shi Feng, Lei Bao was a powerhouse.

While Lei Bao trained Blackie and the others, Shi Feng did not remain idle as he headed towards the Greenwater Villa’s gravity training room.

Now that Shi Feng’s brain activity had significantly improved, if he wished to control the lock on his physical power completely, he needed to possess sufficient strength. Otherwise, his body would crumble, unable to withstand the sudden release in power. Lei Bao, on the other hand, was different. He was a true martial artist, someone who had trained in the arts since he was young. Even if he released the limiter his brain had placed on his body, his body could easily handle the additional power.

The gravity training room would help enhance physical toughness immensely. There were also various medicine and healing cabins available for one to recuperate as they needed. Since Shi Feng had access to these facilities, he had to train as much as he could.

After Shi Feng had spent half the day training, Liang Jing had finished with her tasks at the Greenwater Villa. Currently, every Zero Wing member had a virtual gaming cabin in their room, coupled with an unlimited supply of A-rank Nutrient Fluids. However, the most valuable item was still the S-rank Nutrient Fluids; each person had received one bottle. With it, everyone could fully replenish their brain’s energy.

Such expenditure had left even Liang Jing, someone who had seen various aspects of high society before, stunned.

Not only was there a top-tier martial arts master serving as an instructor, but everyone had also been provided with a bottle of S-rank Nutrient Fluids.

How was this supposed to be training for professional gamers? Those who did not know better might even think that these youths trained to participate in the national fighting competition…

Was such extravagance necessary just to play a game?

Shi Feng could very much relate to Liang Jing. The chances of a single Guild currently spending so much to nurture their experts were nil. The same could be said even for Super Guilds. However, that was simply because no one had realized the importance of a top-tier expert yet.

Moreover, God’s Domain had only recently become popular, so its influence over the real world was still very faint. However, with the passing of time, God’s Domain’s popularity would grow, and soon, it would become a part of everyone’s daily life, becoming a true second world of mankind. People had the chance to live a different life in God’s Domain. They could explore all the mysteries this new world had to offer and perform feats that were normally impossible. The wealth one could earn in the game was immeasurable, and various fighting competitions would come to God’s Domain. These competitions were even more exciting than the fights in the real world.

After Shi Feng instructed everyone on their combat techniques in game, he retired to his room and logged in, beginning a new day in God’s Domain.

The moment Shi Feng logged in, he began to open Twilight Treasure Chests.

Without hesitation, he activated Divine Providence and sacrificed 100 Life Force points.

Inside the quiet forging room, the twelve Twilight Treasure Chests on the floor released a dazzling aurora that filled the room.

“Huh? It can’t be, right? It’s possible to obtain this, too?” Shi Feng looked at the golden book in his hand.

Shi Feng was already relatively happy about being able to obtain several more pieces of Tier 1 Set Equipment from the twelve treasure chests. However, upon seeing this glowing golden book, his joy became utter shock.

The Book of Gold!

This was the best possible item a Lifestyle Guild could obtain from the Twilight Treasure Chest.

This book was not any ordinary item. It was a Consumable item that would vanish after use.

To an individual Lifestyle player, this book’s effects were not particularly significant. To a Lifestyle Guild, however, it surpassed even that of an Epic item.

Book of Gold

Permanently increases the proficiency of a single player’s Lifestyle Skill by one rank to a maximum of Master rank. Can also be used to increase the proficiency of 100 players’ Lifestyle Skills by one rank to a maximum of Advanced Forger, for two days.

“With this item, I can temporarily promote those Advanced Forging Apprentices to Basic Forgers and promote Cream Cocoa and the others to Intermediate Forgers, significantly increasing their production speed and success rate.” Shi Feng could already imagine just how frightening the Candlelight Trading Firm would become with a sudden influx of so many Basic Forgers.

Although there was only a gap of one rank between a Basic Forger and an Advanced Forging Apprentice, it was a massive gap.

Using the Light Stones as an example, while Advanced Forging Apprentices only had a success rate of 20% to 30%, Basic Forgers had a success rate of 60% or higher. Not to mention, many items required one to be at least a Basic Forger to craft them.

Until now, there were only three Basic Forgers in all of White River City: Melancholic Smile and the other two. Other cities might not even have one Basic Forger, let alone three.

If the Candlelight Trading Firm had 100 Forgers, its impact on the market would be astronomical. Most likely, even if one added together all the Forgers throughout Star-Moon Kingdom right now, that number would not even reach half of the Candlelight Trading Firm’s.

“Melancholic, contact all trustworthy Advanced Forging Apprentices immediately and have them gather in the fifth-floor meeting room.” Shi Feng did not wish to leave the Book of Gold unused.

Chapter 534: Fire Dragon Potion

Maple City, Overwhelming Trading Firm:

“Master Aspiration, may I know if you are satisfied with the Overwhelming Trading Firm’s Advanced Alchemy Room?” Youlan asked softly as she watched the white-haired old man standing beside the workbench. Currently, this old man held a purple glass bottle and gently swirled it around.

Youlan was extra careful when dealing with this old man, Master Silent Aspiration, treating him with more respect than even Feng Xuanyang.

Although this white-haired old man was already past 70-years-old, even Underworld’s upper management had to show this man great respect, much less a young woman like herself.

Before Youlan had even been born, this old man had explored virtual reality games for many years. And throughout all these years, he had focused fully on the art of alchemy.

In this day and age, nobody in the virtual gaming world’s alchemy industry did not know the name Silent Aspiration.

Old Man Silent Aspiration was already a Basic Alchemist. Meanwhile, if Shi Feng could see the potion this old man was concocting right now, he would find it both shocking and familiar.

The potion in the glass bottle was a Fire Resistance Potion. However, it was not just any Fire Resistance Potion. It was a modified variation. In the past, this potion had been known as the Fire Dragon Potion, and it had been extremely famous throughout God’s Domain. Not only did it provide more Fire Resistance than a Basic Fire Resistance Potion, but its duration was also much longer. Most importantly, the Fire Dragon Potion increased a player’s Strength by 10 points during its duration. The Fire Dragon Potion’s effects could also stack to a maximum of 50 Strength and 100 Fire Resistance.

To an ordinary player, 50 Strength was a significant increase, not to mention experts.

“Not bad. I never expected that you, little girl, could actually obtain such a good bottle. This has finally allowed me to complete my newly-developed potion,” Silent Aspiration smiled at the red liquid inside the purple bottle. Satisfied, he said, “Sure enough, it is as I surmised. Not only will the Fire Resistance stack, but the Strength bonus will also stack. Seeing as the Basic version of the potion already possesses such wonderful effects, let’s call this the Fire Dragon Potion. Little girl, consider yourself lucky.”

“Master Aspiration, you truly are amazing. You are actually capable of producing such a powerful potion. May I know the success rate for this Fire Dragon Potion?” Youlan’s eyes lit up with joy when she saw the Fire Dragon Potion’s effects.

In order to convince Master Silent Aspiration to come to Maple City and help Overwhelming Smile, she had to go through much difficulty to obtain this set of Mysterious-Iron Alchemy Equipment.

However, compared to the value of this Fire Dragon Potion, a set of Mysterious-Iron Alchemy Equipment was nothing considerable.

“Relax. If this old man crafts the potions personally, my success rate is 50%, and though the success rate of other Alchemists might be below 30%, the materials I’ve used to concoct this potion are all common. It won’t do much harm to waste some,” Silent Aspiration laughed.

To develop the Fire Dragon Potion, he had invested a lot of time. Otherwise, he would have long since become an Intermediate Alchemist by now.

“Many thanks for Master Aspiration’s help. Now that we have the Fire Dragon Potion, as long as we nurture a large number of Alchemists, the Candlelight Trading Firm will no longer be a problem,” Youlan said confidently.

As the creator of the Fire Dragon Potion, Silent Aspiration could distribute its recipe to as many people as he wanted. It would be extremely easy for the Overwhelming Trading Firm to develop a small army of Alchemists.

Moreover, the Overwhelming Trading Firm would have exclusive rights to sell the Fire Dragon Potion. It was far more precious than any rare forging design or recipe. It was impossible for anyone outside the Trading Firm to produce it. With this potion, who could possibly challenge the Overwhelming Trading Firm?

“I’ve already produced what you requested. Little girl, if you wish to keep me here, you need to remember the Secret-Silver Equipment you promised me,” Silent Aspiration reminded her.

To this old man, nothing was more valuable than refining his alchemy. In particular, the alchemy in God’s Domain was unbelievable. If possible, he would’ve immersed himself in research every day. Unfortunately, his equipment was not good enough. Otherwise, he would not have bothered helping Youlan.

“Master Aspiration, please rest assured. I have already found some clues leading to the set. I believe that it won’t be long before we obtain a set of Secret-Silver Alchemy Equipment for you,” Youlan guaranteed. “In the meantime, however, I will have to trouble Master Aspiration to produce a few more Fire Dragon Potion Recipes. That way, I can earn the money required to buy the Alchemy Equipment quickly.”

“This is a simple task,” Silent Aspiration laughed.

—

As time passed by, the various Guilds throughout God’s Domain no longer competed over Dungeons. Instead, they had shifted their focus to competing in trade. This competition only grew fiercer as more time passed.

This shift had occurred because everyone had seen just how profitable the Candlelight Trading Firm was.

After just two short days, many Guilds had opened their own Shops. Even Ouroboros had opened a Shop in Star-Moon City, though the Shop was nowhere near the central district. However, Gentle Snow had not had much choice. She had seen just how much money the Candlelight Trading Firm raked in every day.

By the time Ouroboros collected enough Reputation points and Coins to purchase a golden Land, the Candlelight Trading Firm would have monopolized Star-Moon City’s trade. So, she made the decision to set up a Shop in the city’s outer district first. At the very least, the Guild could gain a small income of Coins this way.

Meanwhile, Overwhelming Smile was even more amazing. Not only had the Guild set up a Shop in Maple City, but it had also opened another Shop in White River City, challenging the Candlelight Trading Firm.

“Young Master Feng, everything has been prepared. At noon, we should have a sufficient stockpile of the Fire Dragon Potion. At that time, our men will announce the sales of the potion throughout White River City. Even if the Overwhelming Trading Firm is not situated in the golden areas, everyone will still swarm the Shop. Moreover, the Candlelight Trading Firm only has three people capable of producing the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits. When the time comes, it will fall to the Overwhelming Trading Firm.”

“Excellent! Youlan, you’ve done splendidly this time! You were actually able to obtain something as valuable as the Fire Dragon Potion. With this potion, the Overwhelming Trading Firm will lure a large number of players. We’ll reduce the prices for the other products as well. I want to see just how the Candlelight Trading Firm plans to compete!” Feng Xuanyang said gleefully.

Underworld had money and manpower. They could easily obtain a large stock of materials. In addition to Silent Aspiration’s unlimited supply of Fire Dragon Potion Recipes, each additional Basic Alchemist they nurtured would be one more capable of producing the Fire Dragon Potion. Currently, the Overwhelming Trading Firm already possessed six Basic Alchemists. As more time passed, that number would only increase. On the other hand, the Candlelight Trading Firm had no way to increase the number of Forgers who could craft Basic Strengthening Armor Kits, no matter how many Basic Forgers they hired. Meanwhile, Candlelight’s unsatisfied customers would naturally run to the Overwhelming Trading Firm.

After all, many Level 25 Dungeons required players to have Fire Resistance. One could say that the Fire Dragon Potion was more valuable to players than the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits. Moreover, every player only possessed limited funds. As the Fire Dragon Potion was cheaper than the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, when comparing the benefits one could gain from the two, players would prioritize the Fire Dragon Potion.

—

While Feng Xuanyang fantasized about monopolizing White River City’s trade with the Overwhelming Trading Firm, Shi Feng’s work was in full swing.

To maximize the benefits of the Book of Gold, Shi Feng allowed all trustworthy Advanced Forging Apprentices to become Basic Forgers and had them produce Light Stones ceaselessly for two days.

As for Shi Feng himself, after becoming a Forger, he had unlocked the forging design for the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit. Hence, throughout the duration of the Book of Gold, he focused on forging Intermediate Armor Kits without rest.

In addition, during this time, Shi Feng had secretly recruited Gentle Snow’s help to establish a few Candlelight Trading Firms in several other major cities, particularly the major cities in Star-Moon Kingdom’s Eastern Region. However, as Shi Feng’s money was limited, he had only established Basic Shops in these cities’ outer districts.

To establish these Shops, Shi Feng had invested all of the money he had earned during this time. He even spent the money the Guild had earned through Guild Quests.

“Guild Leader, we have met out intended goal. We can begin operations at any time,” Melancholic Smile reported. Although she was somewhat tired, excitement filled her eyes.

Chapter 535: Difference in Background

“Begin selling them in the Shops, then.” Shi Feng nodded.

During the past two days, Shi Feng had nearly a hundred Basic Forgers produce Light Stones constantly. Their stock of Light Stones was enough to supply multiple cities. In addition, the Proficiency gained during this period had allowed many Advanced Forging Apprentices to earn the promotion to Basic Forgers. With this, they could meet the public’s demand even after their current stockpile ran out.

“Guild Leader, how much should we sell them for?” Melancholic Smile ask.

Previously, she had focused on her work fully, giving no thought as to how much they should sell the Light Stones for.

The materials used to produce the Light Stones were very common. A 20-piece stack of Light Stones cost less than 3 Silver to craft. Factoring in a Basic Forger’s success rate, which was just slightly above 50%, the total cost would be around 6 Silver per stack.

“Simple. Sell each piece for 1 Silver and each stack for 19 Silver,” Shi Feng stated directly.

Unlike the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, which were considered luxury items to most ordinary players, Light Stones were commonly-used items. So, its price was also very low.

In the past, the starting price for Light Stones had also been roughly 1 Silver per piece. Any higher and players would begin to feel cheated. However, as the number of players who could produce the item increased, the Light Stone’s price would eventually fall to 50 Copper per piece and 10 Silver per stack.

“What about the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits?” Melancholic Smile asked.

In reality, Melancholic Smile didn’t believe that the Light Stones were Candlelight Trading Firm’s trump card; rather, she believed that their success lay in the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

Only Shi Feng could produce the Intermediate Armor Kit as nobody else had the design. This was the Candlelight Trading Firm’s greatest advantage. Others might not realize this, but the reason behind Starstreak Trading Firm’s fierce competitive edge was the Basic Mana Armor Kit.

Even now, the Basic Mana Armor Kits were still highly sought after by elite players.

[Intermediate Mana Armor Kit]

Can be made into either Physical or Magical Intermediate Armor Kit.

Bound to character after equipping.

[Intermediate Physical Armor Kit]

Defense +200

Strength +10, Endurance +12, Agility +10

Maximum binding limit per character: 3

Can only be bound to Level 25 equipment or above.

[Intermediate Magical Armor Kit]

Defense +60

Intelligence +10, Endurance +12, Vitality +10

Maximum binding limit per character: 3

Can only be bound to Level 25 equipment or above.

If a player equipped three Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, the total Attributes they received would be the equivalent of wearing an additional piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment.

One could not buy Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment through the market even if they had the money. Many people offered prices of 20 Gold or more for non-MT Dark-Gold Equipment, not to mention Dark-Gold Weapons and equipment for MTs.

Currently, God’s Domain’s elite players were around Level 25, so they could conveniently use the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. Hence, now was the best time to sell them.

However, it was also this reason that made it difficult for Shi Feng to set the price for the kits.

He could neither sell it too cheap nor too expensive. Moreover, there was also the fact that he wouldn’t have a lot of free time to produce the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

“Let’s set them a 5 Gold for now,” Shi Feng said after pondering for a long moment. Although the various Guilds currently busied themselves with commerce and had already spent a significant sum of money, they should still possess a small amount of Gold. To claim the First Clears of large-scale Team Dungeons, they would have no qualms about spending several hundred Gold to equip a team fully with Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

Following which, Melancholic Smile began to prepare.

Meanwhile, the Overwhelming Trading Firm had also begun selling the Fire Dragon Potions.

“This Fire Dragon Potion is awesome! It can stack Attributes and Fire Resistance! With this potion, raiding Level 25 Team Dungeons will be a breeze!”

“The only downside is the price. Each bottle actually costs 10 Silver. The MT alone will require five bottles per run. Everyone else in the team will have to drink at least one bottle as well.”

“What can you do about it? The Overwhelming Trading Firm is the only place that sells this potion. However, if we can successfully raid 10- and 20-man Hard Mode Team Dungeons, we will more than earn back the cost.”

Overwhelming Smile’s advertising had been very well-timed. As the Fire Dragon Potions went on sale, people began to promote the potion at the various lively locations throughout White River City. As a result, many teams, who had struggled with the Level 25 Dungeons that required high Fire Resistance, grew interested, and they had promptly run towards the Overwhelming Trading Firm to purchase the Fire Dragon Potion.

—

Shortly after the Fire Dragon Promotion went up for sale, some of the players visiting the Candlelight Trading Firm to purchase daily necessities discovered that something had changed.

There were several new counters in the hall on the first floor. Initially, due to the recent increase to Candlelight’s space, the first floor had felt relatively empty. Now, however, it was just right.

“What is this?” curious players quickly flocked around the new counters.

“Hello, sir, this is our Candlelight Trading Firm’s newest product, the Light Stone. With this item, you won’t have to worry about not being able to grind at night…” the NPC beauty slowly explained.

To ordinary players, nothing was more of a headache than grinding at night. At night, not only was monsters’ vision unaffected, but there was also a certain increase to monsters’ combat power. On the other hand, players’ vision was considerably limited during night-time, significantly affecting their combat power. However, this was still not the biggest problem. At night, because of the vision problem, it was much easier for monsters to ambush parties. Hence, ordinary players were normally afraid of grinding monsters in the dark.

Meanwhile, the Light Stone just happened to brightly illuminate a large area, allowing players to see as if it were daylight. With this item, not only would monsters’ strength remain unchanged, but it was also easier for players to avoid ambushes. Since players would be able to see as normal, they could also fight with their usual combat power, so grinding monsters would be as easy as it was during the day.

“Crap, there’s actually such a good item available? How much is it?” a player asked.

“As this is a new product, we are selling each Light Stone at the low price of 1 Silver Coin. You can also buy a stack of 20 at a discounted price of 19 Silver Coins,” the NPC beauty smiled brightly as she spoke.

“It’s so cheap! I want one stack!”

“Wait, I want two stacks!”

…

Suddenly, the players inside the hall began to purchase Light Stones madly. Although ordinary players did not make a lot of money, they normally formed parties when grinding in the fields. If they split the cost of 19 Silver between each party member, they could easily afford the Light Stones. Moreover, each stack of Light Stones could last a party up to two nights.

As long as one casually tallied up the accounts, the majority of the independent players would not miss out on this opportunity.

An ordinary party could definitely earn more than 19 Silver Coins from two nights of grinding, not to mention an elite party.

Very quickly, news of the Light Stones spread. Players who received the news immediately disregarded whatever they were currently doing and hurried to the Candlelight Trading Firm.

For a time, the Light Stones became far more popular than the Fire Dragon Potion.

“What? You’re saying that the Candlelight Trading Firm is selling Light Stones in large quantities?” Feng Xuanyang was baffled when he heard this latest report from his subordinate. “How is that possible?! We even have to limit the number of Fire Dragon Potions we sell each day! How could they possibly afford to sell Light Stones in large quantities?! Where are they finding so many people to produce them?!”

He had spent more than 50 million Credits just to poach the three people capable of producing the Light Stones from the Candlelight Trading Firm, yet, now, the Trading Firm was still able to offer so many Light Stones. How could he possibly believe such a ludicrous report?

Wasn’t that item extremely rare and precious?

How could there be so many Light Stones suddenly popping up? Even if the three Forgers of Candlelight focused on producing Light Stones without rest, it would not be possible to produce so many!

“Young Master Feng, this information has been verified. It is real. Based on our initial estimates, more than 1,500 stacks of Light Stones have already sold. Even so, the Candlelight Trading Firm continues to sell them without limit. Now, many of the Overwhelming Trading Firm’s customers have already run to the Candlelight Trading Firm to shop.”

“Shit! Shit! They scammed me of more than 50 million Credits! They will pay for this!” At this moment, Feng Xuanyang finally came to a realization. The previous three Advanced Forging Apprentices had been a trap set by the Candlelight Trading Firm.

He had lost over 50 million Credits, just like that. Moreover, it had all been his own money.

“Instruct someone purchase Light Stones immediately! Buy as many as you can! I don’t believe that they have an unlimited supply!” Feng Xuanyang commanded furiously.

Chapter 536: Unshakable

Under Feng Xuanyang’s command, Youlan, who was currently in Maple City, gave a new command.

Reduce their prices further!

“Miss Youlan, we won’t earn much money if we reduce our prices any more than this,” a female assistant cautioned.

“I don’t want this, either.” Youlan shook her head helplessly. “The Candlelight Trading Firm’s new move is simply too effective. It actually obtained such a valuable product. Both ordinary players and elites require this Light Stone. Although our Fire Dragon Potions are also very useful, only elite teams and various Guilds can afford to buy them. Meanwhile, our stock of Fire Dragon Potions is very limited. As a competitive edge, it stands no chance against the Light Stone at all.”

If they wanted to lure players to the Overwhelming Trading Firm, their only option was to do so with their common products.

“Right, from this moment onwards, halt all sales of the Fire Dragon Potion in White River City,” Youlan said after giving it some more thought.

Their supply of Fire Dragon Potions had already been insufficient to meet the demands of Maple City. Now that they had opened a Shop in White River City as well, their stock had stretched even thinner, further reducing the Overwhelming Trading Firm’s competitive edge. Moreover, there was a city tax imposed for selling the Fire Dragon Potions in White River City. This was also a considerable expenditure. So, now, their best option was to maintain the Overwhelming Trading Firm’s competition in Maple City above all else.

“Understood,” the female assistant then left the meeting room.

Overwhelming Trading Firm’s price reduction on its common goods had indeed attracted more ordinary players.

Common items such as Whetstones and Advanced Whetstones, various food and beverages, Regeneration Potions and Mana Recovery Potions, basic scrolls and more were must-have items when grinding in the fields. Now that the Overwhelming Trading Firm offered a 40% discount on these items, many ordinary players ran to its Shops to purchase these items.

For a time, the weakened Overwhelming Trading Firm in Maple City suddenly stood on equal footing with the Candlelight Trading Firm.

The Candlelight Trading Firm had the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits and the Light Stones.

The Overwhelming Trading Firm possessed the Fire Dragon Potion and discounts on common goods.

This situation overjoyed Maple City’s players.

While the Candlelight Trading Firm did not possess too large of an advantage in Maple City, in other cities, however, it was an entirely different story. The Trading Firm was like the sun at high noon in these cities. Because of the Light Stones, a large number of players swarmed the Candlelight Trading Firm’s Shops. Most of these players might have initially arrived with the intention of only purchasing the Light Stones. However, upon seeing the wide array of products the Trading Firm offered, they fell prey to temptation and bought other items as well.

Suddenly, the Candlelight Trading Firm’s income exploded.

Meanwhile, the Trading Firm’s most exaggerated sources of income were still Star-Moon City and White River City. As the Candlelight Trading Firm had set up its Shops on these two cities’ golden Lands, it had instantly become an unshakable player-owned trading firm there. The traffic other player-owned trading firms enjoyed was nothing compared to what the Candlelight Trading Firm saw.

Star-Moon City and White River City were Star-Moon Kingdom’s first and second most populated cities, respectively. Naturally, the income they could offer was astonishing.

In a short few hours, the Candlelight Trading Firm had earned over a thousand Gold.

“Guild Leader, why don’t we set up a few more Shops in other cities?” Melancholic Smile suggested when she saw the Trading Firm’s profits.

This was only the income from seven cities. If they set up a Shop in every city throughout Star-Moon Kingdom…

“There is no rush. Right now, we are relying on the Light Stones produced by almost a hundred Basic Forgers to barely meet the demands of these seven cities. If we expand any further, it will do more harm than good. We should focus on nurturing a large number of Forgers and Alchemists,” Shi Feng said with utter calm.

As for the income of over a thousand Gold in just a few hours, Shi Feng did not consider it odd in the least. However, players only purchased the Light Stones in large quantities at the moment due to their lack of the item. Once they had their own stock, they would only need to purchase them to resupply. Hence, the Candlelight Trading Firm’s income would decrease gradually as more time went by. Regardless, it would still be a frightening amount of money.

“Guild Leader, what about the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits?” Melancholic Smile asked.

Previously, Shi Feng had told her to hold off on offering the kits for sale, confusing her.

“Have you not noticed that someone in White River City is buying Light Stones in absurd quantities?” Shi Feng laughed.

“There seems to be someone like that. When I examined the statistics, I discovered that someone had purchased 500 stacks in one go for a total of 95 Gold. Afterward, two others had purchased 300 stacks and 400 stacks, respectively. Even if these people bought the Light Stones for their own Guilds, they should not need to buy so many.” Melancholic Smile nodded.

“Someone is intentionally trying to clean out our stock of Light Stones. If we push out the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits right now, what would we do if that person stops buying our Light Stones? Since someone is willingly purchasing our Light Stones in large quantities, who are we to stop them from giving us their money?” Shi Feng laughed.

The production of Light Stones was very fast. If a Basic Forger crafted them, the process for each Stone would typically take around six to eight seconds. After all, the materials only needed a little processing, and the finished product just needed a coating of magic runes. Though the process of adding the magic runes was somewhat troublesome initially, that would not be a problem once the Forgers were accustomed to it. After that, the only problem remaining was the success rate. Basic Forgers had a 60% success rate for forging the Light Stones. If they had good equipment and tools, their success rate could be increased to around 70% or so.

In other words, as there were 48 hours in each day in God’s Domain, a single Basic Forger could produce roughly 20,000 Light Stones per day. If 100 people worked for two days continuously, they would have 4,000,000 Light Stones. Moreover, this was only with the condition that Basic Forgers produced the Light Stones. This time, Shi Feng had distributed all of the Light Stone Forging Designs, allowing many other Advanced Forging Apprentices to learn it as well. Only, their production speed was slightly slower.

Four million stones were the equivalent of 200,000 stacks. If they sold each stone at 1 Silver and each stack at 19 Silver, one would have to spend 38,000 Gold to purchase them all.

In all of God’s Domain, Shi Feng did not believe that anyone possessed 38,000 Gold. And even if someone did, nobody would be so stupid as to spend it all on Light Stones. They would have long since invested it into buying Lands.

—

Currently, Feng Xuanyang sat at one of the open-air tables in a high-class restaurant. He held a Light Stone in his hand, admiring it.

“This item’s effects are truly impressive. If we buy out all the Candlelight Trading Firm’s stockpile, they will have no choice but to limit the amount they sell. At that time, it will be the Overwhelming Trading Firm’s time to shine,” Feng Xuanyang laughed coldly.

It would be just like the Basic Mana Armor Kits. Back then, the supply of the Basic Mana Armor Kits had been too limited. As a result, the kit’s price had risen from 20 Silver to 40 Silver when other players resold it. Even then, plenty of people still purchased them.

As soon as the Candlelight Trading Firm began limiting the amount of Light Stones it sold, he could turn around and sell the Light Stones he bought at an increased price. At that time, even if he sold them at 1.5 times the original price, a large number of players would still buy them. He would not have to fear a lack of customers.

“Young Master Feng, after using all the Coins we bought with Credits, as well as the Coins earned through the Overwhelming Trading Firm, we’ve purchased over 4,000 stacks of Light Stones. However, the Candlelight Trading Firm shows no signs of limiting its sales,” the slightly chubby middle-aged man reported worriedly, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“What are you worried about? Now that we’ve purchased so many, they can’t possibly have much left in their inventory. It won’t be long before it is our time to shine,” Feng Xuanyang comforted the man, utter confidence filling each word.

He had already asked the three Advanced Forging Apprentices he had previously poached, so he knew that Advanced Forging Apprentices had less than a 30% success rate for producing the Light Stones. Moreover, each stone required more than a dozen seconds to craft. Even if the Candlelight Trading Firm had over a dozen people forging Light Stones constantly, it could not accumulate a large stock over a few days. After they had purchased so many stacks, even if the Candlelight Trading Firm was not currently at its limit, it soon would be.

Now, all he had to do was wait.

Chapter 537: Legend Resurfaces

Inside the Candlelight Trading Firm’s serene and quiet Special Forging Room, after spending a long time planning for the Trading Firm’s future, the sound of his communicator ringing suddenly entered Shi Feng’s ears.

“He sure is fast.” Shi Feng’s lips curled up when he looked at the name of the caller.

The person contacting him this time was none other than Everlasting War, the person who had invited him to participate in the Dark Arena before.

Shi Feng promptly removed the Demon Mask’s disguise, returning to his appearance as Ye Feng. He then accepted the call and said, “Brother Everlasting, long time no see! It seems that your strength has risen significantly once again!”

He could not see Everlasting War’s current Level through the screen, but judging from the change in the other party’s equipment, he could tell at a glance that Everlasting War had undergone quite an improvement.

The last time Shi Feng saw the Guardian Knight, Everlasting War was geared in a mix of Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold Equipment, with the latter numbering only three or four pieces. Now, however, the majority of his equipment was giving off the glow effect of Dark-Gold Equipment. One could easily imagine how much his combat power had increased.

“Everything I am wearing right now came from the corporation. As long as Brother Ye Feng officially joins the battle team, the corporation will naturally give you their full support as well,” Everlasting War laughed.

He was delighted with the equipment he was wearing right now. Otherwise, he would not have purposefully revealed their special effects.

In reality, his objective in showing off his equipment was to display to Shi Feng the strength of the corporation sponsoring their battle team. Such strength was indeed not something the Guilds that one could find in the game could compare with. Take Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment for example. In the current God’s Domain, such an item was scarce, and every piece could sell for an astronomical amount. Moreover, even if one could afford it, there was no guarantee that they would have a chance to buy one. Even first-rate Guilds only possessed several pieces. On the other hand, the majority of Everlasting War’s equipment was Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment. The force backing him was evidently powerful.

“The time and venue for the test have already been set. It will be held four days from now in the Beast Empire’s Capital City, Beast City. At that time, you only need to come to the Underground Arena of Beast City. I will be waiting for you there,” Everlasting War said, his expression suddenly turning serious. “I hope that Brother Ye Feng treats this matter seriously. During these four days, try to improve your equipment’s quality as much as possible. I’ve heard that the higher-ups of the corporation have also found quite a few experts to participate in the test this time around. Among them, a few even possess powerful backers themselves, and they are mostly apex experts of the virtual gaming world. The competition this time is sure to be very intense. However, as long as you manage to pass it, the treatment you will receive will surely exceed your imagination.”

“Thank you for your reminder. I will make sure to arrive on time,” Shi Feng laughed, not bothering to add anything else.

As for Everlasting War’s advice for him to upgrade his equipment, Shi Feng had previously thought about doing so before. However, how could Epic Equipment possibly be that easy to obtain?

Epic Equipment? Shi Feng could not help but ponder.

At this point, he had already used up all the excess Life Force points he had saved up in the Icarus’s Heart. If he wished to upgrade the necklace to Epic rank, he would have to collect the full 5,000 Life Force points required.

However, after using that many Life Force points to open Twilight Treasure Chests, he had also obtained quite a harvest.

Currently, he had also completed the Tier 1 Set Equipment for Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights. There were even a few extra set pieces for a second set. He had also completed the Tier 1 Set Equipment for Assassins, Elementalists, and Clerics. As for Berserkers, Rangers, and Druids, he was still missing one set piece for each class. He also obtained two extra set pieces for Swordsmen.

Other than these Tier 1 Set Equipment, he had also obtained plenty of Level 30 Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold Equipment. Overall, his harvest was quite bountiful.

“It’s been some time since I last targeted Overwhelming Smile’s members. If I go for them again right now, they should not be too on guard against me.” Shi Feng licked his lips. There weren’t many Twilight Treasure Chests remaining. If he could upgrade the Icarus’s Heart to Epic rank and obtain another Shop Promotion Order, at that time, the Candlelight Trading Firm would truly become unstoppable.

Saying so, Shi Feng immediately went into action. After leaving the Special Forging Room, he immediately headed towards the Teleportation Hall.

Although it was somewhat inconvenient to take action during daytime, with his standards, he would have no problems ambushing a bunch of elite players.

Just as Shi Feng arrived at Maple City, Melancholic Smile called him.

“Guild Leader, that group of people has finally stopped buying Light Stones in bulk. Do we begin now?” Melancholic Smile asked with anticipation.

It had been quite some time since the Light Stones first went on sale. Now, the Candlelight Trading Firm’s income was gradually decreasing as the enthusiasm of players began to cool down. If they added more fuel to the fire at this moment, they were bound to deal the other player-owned trading firms a significant blow, as well as solidify the Candlelight Trading Firm’s position further.

“Okay. Since we’ve wrung them dry already, begin selling, then.” Shi Feng nodded.

The reason why he chose not to sell the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits until now was his concern that some people would intentionally purchase them in bulk. Then, when the Candlelight Trading Firm’s supply of the kits ran out, these people could take advantage of the situation to deal with the Candlelight Trading Firm, as well as earn a fortune while they were at it.

Hence, Shi Feng planned to utilize the Light Stones first, to deplete the funds of these people.

Soon, another new counter appeared simultaneously in the first-floor halls of the various Candlelight Trading Firms.

“Why was another counter added to the Candlelight Trading Firm?” a Berserker, who had come to purchase Light Stones, asked curiously.

“Hello, sir, this here is our Candlelight Trading Firm’s latest product, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit. This item will greatly increase your Attributes. Moreover, you can equip up to three kits at a time,” the beautiful NPC saleswoman explained.

“What? This is the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit?!” The Berserker was stunned.

The Basic Mana Armor Kits had long since become a legend in the city. Currently, each kit sold for 50 Silver. Even so, many still wished to buy it. Unfortunately, there just was no supply for the item. Now that the Intermediate version of the kits had suddenly appeared, how could this not be surprising?

After the Berserker read the item description of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit multiple times, he was finally sure that he was not hallucinating.

“Such powerful Attributes! Just a single Intermediate Mana Armor Kit is equal to three pieces of the Basic version!” The Berserker’s eyes shone dazzlingly, his drool nearly leaking out of his mouth.

The Attributes of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit were simply too shocking.

As long as one could equip three of these kits, it would be equivalent to wearing an additional piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment!

Currently, despite the high demand for Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment, supply for it was practically nonexistent. Countless people could not buy one even if they wanted to. If he could equip three Intermediate Mana Armor Kits right now, it would be equivalent to having an additional piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment. Just imagining it exhilarated the Berserker.

Battles in God’s Domain relied on two things: the player’s techniques and the player’s Attributes.

At this stage of the game, even if one had passable techniques, they would still have to consider the Attributes of their equipment before they could try raiding a Dungeon.

To an ordinary player, even being fully geared in Mysterious-Iron Equipment was a dream, not to mention owning a piece of Dark-Gold Equipment. The Attributes of a single piece of Dark-Gold Equipment could easily rival that of multiple pieces of Mysterious-Iron Equipment. If an ordinary player could equip three Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, it would no doubt result in a massive increase in strength.

“Crap! I was only missing just that bit of Attribute to qualify for that 20-man Team Dungeon last time. If I can equip three of these Intermediate Mana Armor Kits right now, the team leader will definitely beg me to join them!” The Berserker could not help but fantasize.

However, when he laid his eyes on the price of the kits…

Each Intermediate Mana Armor Kit actually cost 5 Gold. Suddenly, the Berserker was dumbfounded…

Although ordinary players could not afford to buy the kit, news about it still spread like lightning. The kits became the headline news on the official forums right away.

Shocking Emergence of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits!

Chapter 538: Moon Kingdom

The appearance of the Intermediate Armor Kits immediately caused a commotion.

News about the Candlelight Trading Firm spread like a pandemic throughout the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. In just a dozen minutes or so, the initially fading hype over the Candlelight Trading Firm surged once more. Players throughout the kingdom were behaving even more wildly than before.

The Light Stone was merely common goods. Although it was of significant help to players, it did not provide any direct improvements towards a player’s strength. It belonged to the category of support items. However, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit was different; this was an item whose sole purpose was to increase a player’s Attributes. Moreover, it provided a considerable increase.

Upon receiving news regarding this matter, many elite parties and teams that were out in the field immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed back to their respective cities. They made a straight dash to the Candlelight Trading Firm to purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. If they were even a little too slow, other players would no doubt buy out the kits. It would be just like the Basic Mana Armor Kit, which had already passed into legend.

According to the legend, many players who had managed to purchase the Basic Mana Armor Kits when they were initially released had already become experts by now. Some ordinary teams had also become top-tier teams capable of challenging Hard Mode, and even Hell Mode, Team Dungeons. However, Hell Mode was only limited to 10-man Dungeons.

To the majority of independent players, 20-man Team Dungeons were simply too difficult a challenge. The requirement of such Dungeons on a player’s equipment foundation was just too high. The requisite level in combat techniques was also extremely high. Only a small number of Guild elite teams could clear such Dungeons.

“Team Leader, I’ve just received news that the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits are selling for a fraudulent price of 5 Gold per kit! We can’t afford them even if we want to buy them!”

“They are indeed expensive. Even so, we still have to buy them. We must obtain them even if we have to borrow money to do so. I have deeply regretted not getting the Basic Mana Armor Kits. You should know our performance inside Team Dungeons as well. We are always short of just that small amount of damage and Defense. Unfortunately, no matter what we do, we aren’t able to upgrade our equipment any further. In the end, those teams that had the luck to buy three Basic Mana Armor Kits managed to brute-force their way through the Bosses.

“Right now, a single Intermediate Mana Armor Kit could match up to three Basic Mana Armor Kits. As long as we get our team’s MT three of these kits, we will be able to defeat the Bosses of the Team Dungeon. At that time, won’t it be easy to earn back the money we spent?”

…

Many independent teams out in the field maps began taking action, using all means to collect money.

To elite teams, collecting 5 Gold was still relatively easy. However, it would be very difficult if they wished to obtain 15 Gold. Even so, they still endured the hardship as they tried to amass 15 Gold.

After all, the effects of having an additional piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment on an MT was quite significant.

Normally, 20-man Normal Mode Team Dungeons dropped Mysterious-Iron rank; Secret-Silver Equipment only dropped if one possessed heaven-defying luck. Meanwhile, there were only three or four Bosses inside a Team Dungeon, and each Boss dropped just two or three pieces of equipment. On average, one could get roughly ten Mysterious-Iron Equipment with each Dungeon run. After factoring in the money and items obtained from the Dungeon monsters, a team earned around 4 Gold to 5 Gold each time they raided a 20-man Normal Mode Team Dungeon.

There was also the need to factor in the team’s various expenses, loss of EXP, and such, which further reduced the team’s profits.

Not to mention, the team’s twenty members would split this profit. In the end, each member of the team would receive only a meager amount of money.

However, the income one could obtain from a Hard Mode Team Dungeon was significantly higher. The Bosses inside such a Dungeon would drop at least one Secret-Silver Equipment with nearly a 100% certainty. There was even the possibility of Bosses dropping two or three pieces of Secret-Silver Equipment at the same time. Even the monsters of the Dungeon had a fixed chance of dropping Mysterious-Iron Equipment. Another point was that only Hard Mode Team Dungeons dropped certain necessary raw materials. After adding up the various types of income, a team would typically earn at least 10 Gold from every Dungeon run—more than double that of Normal Mode Team Dungeons.

If a team managed to clear a Normal Mode Team Dungeon, they would be able to sate their hunger at most. However, if they succeeded in raiding a Hard Mode Team Dungeon, they would be able to dine like kings.

Every time inside bars, there was bound to be some amazing teams celebrating their successful raid over a Hard Mode Team Dungeon, earning the envy of the surrounding players.

Now that everyone received such an opportunity again, the players naturally had to make a desperate effort for it.

For a time, players swarmed the Candlelight Trading Firm. However, a majority of the players who came were only here to act as a placeholder for now.

That was right—a placeholder.

The teams backing these players were currently still in the midst of collecting money. As soon as they gathered enough, they would immediately purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits from the Trading Firm, afraid that the kits would sell out.

Although few independent players could afford the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, it was an entirely different story for Guilds. Guilds were already willing to invest thousands of Gold in a single Shop, not to mention spending several hundred Gold to equip their core teams with Intermediate Armor Kits. If Guilds could fully outfit their core teams with Intermediate Armor Kits, the combat power of these teams would rise to a whole new level. There was no question that it was a worthwhile investment.

All the Guilds that had received news regarding the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits immediately hurried over to the Candlelight Trading Firm. Moreover, these Guilds were incredibly ambitious, each and every one of them asking to buy 100 or more kits without hesitation.

“What did you say? Why aren’t you selling it to me?” a Guild representative shouted angrily. “Have a good look! I don’t lack the money to pay for them!”

“Sir, my apologies, but since the supply for the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits is too limited, we are only selling it in limited quantities. Ordinary players are allowed to buy at most one kit each time. As you are representing a Guild, you will only be allowed to buy a maximum of nine kits. If you are from one of the Guilds partnered with the Candlelight Trading Firm, you will be allowed to purchase up to 21 kits at a single time.” The beautiful NPC saleswoman smiled faintly, paying no heed to the actions of the angry player before her.

“Damn! Give me nine for now, then!” The Guild representative was helpless about the situation as the Guild he belonged to was not a partner of the Candlelight Trading Firm. He had no choice but to buy nine kits for now and have the Guild send more members to make additional purchases. Only, they would have to waste a lot of time using this method. There were just too many players coming to buy the kits, and even lining up was extremely troublesome and time-consuming.

Although the Candlelight Trading Firm had only set up Shops in a few cities, when players and Guilds of other cities heard of the news regarding the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, they had promptly made their way over to cities that housed the Candlelight Trading Firm.

Among them, the number of players running over to White River City was the highest.

The Candlelight Trading Firms based in White River City had the largest allocation of Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. That number was practically the total of all of the branch Shops. Hence, many players from the various major cities and Guild representatives all came over to White River City.

Moreover, this allocation was something Shi Feng had deliberately instructed Melancholic Smile to do. He had done so with the intention of increasing White River City’s population. Once everyone realized the uniqueness of White River City, some players would surely consider developing themselves here instead, out of convenience. Meanwhile, this would indirectly increase Zero Wing’s strength.

At this moment, the Guilds that had previously chosen to partner themselves with the Candlelight Trading Firm were celebrating in joy. Previously, most, if not all, of them felt that they had taken a huge loss by partnering with Candlelight. Now, however, they had become the envy of all the other Guilds. Being able to purchase 21 kits at a single time had saved them plenty of trouble.

Right now, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits were priceless. Currently, people were offering to buy the kits for 8 Gold Coins, and this price was still rising. Even so, nobody was willing to sell their kits. Moreover, under the oversight of the system, independent players could purchase only one Intermediate Mana Armor Kit. Nobody wished to waste this precious opportunity, so they would not readily sell the kits they had obtained.

—

Just as many Guilds were fighting to purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, silence filled Overwhelming Smile’s Guild Residence in White River City.

Inside the Guild Residence’s meeting room, several veins were bulging on Feng Xuanyang’s forehead. He was very nearly at the point of erupting.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Feng Xuanyang violently slammed his fists down on the wooden table, and after a few consecutive blows, even the wooden table shattered.

“Young Master Feng, you must calm down!”

“Calm down?! How do you want me to calm down?!”

Feng Xuanyang’s eyes had already turned blood-red by now. If possible, he wished he could devour the Candlelight Trading Firm whole, right this instant.

In order to purchase the Light Stones in large quantities, he had invested another 100 million of his own money. Meanwhile, he had done so with the intention of earning back the 50 million he had previously lost. He had even thrown in all the earnings of the Overwhelming Trading Firm into the mix. But all he had accomplished was purchasing a bunch of goods that had a seemingly endless supply. The most infuriating part was that, upon receiving news regarding the Candlelight Trading Firm, his superiors had immediately ordered him to buy 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

However, where was he supposed to get so many Coins?

Three hundred kits would cost 1,500 Gold. Previously, he had indeed possessed this amount of money. Now, however, it was already gone.

Chapter 539: Dominant Force

“Young Master Feng, if there really is no other way, then let’s sell the Light Stones we bought cheaply. This way, we can get back most of the money we lost.”

“Sell them cheaply?”

Feng Xuanyang pondered. He had indeed thought about this method before.

However…

Who would want to buy them?

Currently, everyone had their eyes on the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, throwing everything they had into accumulating money. Since the appearance of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, even the exchange rate for Coins had risen significantly. How could anyone possibly bother to buy Light Stones?

Even if someone were to buy his Light Stones, just how many could he possibly sell?

He had a full 10,000 stacks piled up in his hands right now!

“Forget it. If I have to make a loss, so be it. I have to complete the task the higher-ups gave me. Sell the Light Stones at a 20% discount, then. Sell as many as you can. Even if we can’t sell them all, we can at least make some trouble for the Candlelight Trading Firm,” Feng Xuanyang sighed.

The management of Underworld was extremely strict. If he did not complete his assignment, the consequences would be very severe. He had only managed to reach this position in the organization after many difficulties. Naturally, he could not fall short after coming this far.

These 10,000 stacks of Light Stones had cost him 1,900 Gold, more than half of which came from Underworld and the Overwhelming Trading Firm. Although he would lose a significant sum of money by selling the Light Stones at a 20% discount, at least he could earn back Underworld’s and Overwhelming Smile’s shares of the money. He would also have the 1,500 Gold required to purchase the 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

Sometime later, the Overwhelming Trading Firm also began selling Light Stones. Moreover, due to Underworld’s connections, Feng Xuanyang managed to quickly get in touch with the various Guilds around Star-Moon Kingdom. Light Stones were still not available in many cities around the kingdom, which left the demands of many players unsated. So, selling the Light Stones at a 20% discount prompted many players to fight to purchase them. Only, for every stack of Light Stones sold, Feng Xuanyang would feel a painful sting in his heart.

—

Just as the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits were selling hotly in White River City, Star-Moon City had also gone into a frenzy. Currently, upper managers of the various large Guilds based in the capital stood in front of the counter inside the Candlelight Trading Firm, their eyes bloodshot.

“I am the Vice Leader of the Wind God Guild. Call out your boss for me. I have a big business proposal that I wish to discuss with him.”

“I am an Elder of the Rainbow Guild. Why aren’t you calling your upper management to come to greet me yet?”

Various Guilds in Star-Moon City were thinking of ways to contact the upper management of the Candlelight Trading Firm. Unfortunately, no matter what words they used, the NPCs hired by the Candlelight Trading Firm completely ignored them, leaving them restless.

Initially, the various large Guilds in Star-Moon City were only somewhat surprised when the Candlelight Trading Firm had set up a Shop in the city. They never expected that someone could actually afford to buy a plot of Land in the golden area of the city and even set up a Shop there. Now, however, they could not help but wish they could purchase the entire Candlelight Trading Firm. Using Credits, of course. If they had to buy using Coins, even if they added up the funds of every Guild in the city, they would not be able to afford to buy the Trading Firm.

—

“Guild Leader, I’ve received information stating that the Candlelight Trading Firm’s main branch is in White River City. Although the Firm has set up a Shop in the capital, its management seems to be based at White River City,” a graceful and elegant female Elementalist reported to the strong and dignified-looking man beside her.

Meanwhile, inside a coffee shop a short distance away from the Candlelight Trading Firm, many male players had promptly shifted their gaze to this tall beauty upon noticing her.

In this day and age, with the popularity of nutrition and fitness, one could easily find handsome men and beautiful women. However, it was still extremely difficult if one wished to have a top-tier beauty accompany them inside the game. Not to mention, that beauty appeared to be that man’s young secretary.

“Bro, when do you think we can live like that guy?” a Level 24 Guardian Knight muttered enviously.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” the Level 25 Ranger beside the Guardian Knight scoffed. “Do you know who that man is?”

“Isn’t he just a little rich? What’s there to be proud of? If I had that kind of money, beauties would surely throw themselves at me. I could also look for a group of little secretaries to play God’s Domain with me,” the Guardian Knight replied with disdain.

“Look at yourself. It’s no wonder you’ve been in this pitiful state all your life.” The Level 25 Ranger slowly explained, “Let me tell you, that man is not just some useless Prince Charming. He is someone who has achieved success due to his own efforts. Moreover, he’s only 34 years old. I am also certain that you have heard of his name before.”

“What’s he called?” the Guardian Knight asked curiously.

“He’s the Star Alliance’s Guild Leader, Galaxy Past!” the Ranger laughed. He then looked towards the woman standing beside Galaxy Past, adding, “That beauty is also no ordinary person. She is Purple Eye. She was ranked 931st in the latest God’s Domain Ranking List. Although her rank is lower than Red Feather’s, her strength is even superior to his. Do you think you can hire such a beautiful expert as your secretary just because you have money?”

The Guardian Knight fell silent, no longer daring to speak another word.

Star Alliance was currently one of the two top Guilds in Star-Moon City. However, as Ouroboros recently had a change in leadership and was facing problems with internal strife, Star Alliance had more or less become Star-Moon City’s number one Guild.

He would simply be seeking his own death if he dared to fool around with Galaxy Past’s little secretary inside Star-Moon City. He might even end up returning to Level 0 in the very next day.

“Guild Leader, do you think they are talking about you?” Purple Eye laughed.

“How could it possibly be me? They are clearly talking about the great beauty at my side,” Galaxy Past laughed. “Alright, ignore them. We have more important matters to address. Now that the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit has appeared, nobody in Star-Moon Kingdom can afford to sit still and do nothing. It seems that we’ll have to make a trip to White River City.”

“Star-Moon Kingdom’s Eastern Region has always been secretly controlled by that mysterious organization named Underworld. We have always minded our own business. If we head over to their territory right now, I’m afraid that it would bring about negative effects,” Purple Eye warned.

“I don’t care. If we let Underworld monopolize the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, what will we do about our development, then?” A cold glint flashed across Galaxy Past’s eyes as he said, “In reality, Underworld has long since been an eyesore. Unfortunately, the organization’s strength is altogether too massive and extensive. It has spread its influence across multiple kingdoms, and even into the Black Dragon Empire. So, before this, I would only avoid looking for trouble with Underworld if possible. However, if Underworld thinks it can monopolize the Intermediate Mana Armor kits, they can think again!”

The impact of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits was too massive.

Just being able to have every member of their core team receive the Attributes of an extra piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment was already very frightening. Moreover, these kits would not drop upon death. If they could equip even their Guild’s elite members with these kits, their Guild would practically be invincible.

—

Meanwhile, inside Ouroboros’s Guild Residence…

“Snow, are you really going to go?” Zhao Yueru asked, her brows knitted together. “We’ve just managed to stabilize the situation over here recently. If you head over to White River City, it would be troublesome if someone tries something in Star-Moon City while you are away.”

“Yueru, you should know that I don’t wish to leave at such a time, either. However, I must make a trip there personally for this matter.” Gentle Snow shook her head. “I’ll leave this place to you for now. I’ll try to return as quickly as possible.”

At the same time, the upper managers of the various large Guilds in Star-Moon City had also begun bringing along their men to White River City.

Chapter 540: Grand Gathering

While Shi Feng hunted and harvested members of Overwhelming Smile…

White River City had become the focal point of Star-Moon Kingdom. Many upper managers from first-rate and second-rate Guilds had arrived in White River City.

“What’s going on? Why are so many Guilds in White River City? I’ve never seen many of them before.”

“I heard that they’ve come to partner with the Candlelight Trading Firm. There are even Guilds from the surrounding kingdoms, including the Black Dragon Empire who have shown up, let alone Star-Moon Kingdom’s Guilds.”

“Weren’t others saying how empire players were much stronger than kingdom players? That doesn’t seem to be the case to me. In the end, haven’t they still come over to our White River City for some advantage?”

“They’ve only come here because of the Candlelight Trading Firm. Look at the other kingdoms. Which one of them possesses a Shop that sells Intermediate Mana Armor Kits? Right now, nobody has any Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment for sale at all. Meanwhile, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits are even more powerful than Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment, and the Candlelight Trading Firm can produce it in large quantities. Having it and not can make a huge difference to Dungeon-raiding progress and PvP fights. Naturally, these Guilds realize how important such an item is.”

The players filling White River City’s streets and alleyways discussed the large number of Guilds gathering in White River City, and a sense of pride bloomed in their hearts. No one would have thought that a Lifestyle Guild could possess so much influence.

“Damn! Why have so many people come here?!” At this moment, Feng Xuanyang watched the growing number of Guild representatives enter the Candlelight Trading Firm, wrathful flames burning in his eyes.

To collect the required 1,500 Gold, he had gone through a lot of trouble to sell the Light Stones; he also had to add in a large sum of his own Credits. Meanwhile, it was obvious that the reason many Guilds had come here today was none other than to purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

The Candlelight Trading Firm did not offer a large supply of Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. It had been a huge challenge for him to buy 300 kits for himself. Now that more competitors had appeared, his chances of fulfilling that quota had shrunk further.

Among the Guilds that had arrived, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion from the Black Dragon Empire was the most powerful. It was the first-rate Guild that was the closest to becoming a Super Guild. Unfortunately, the Pavilion was younger than those true Super Guilds, having been established later. Otherwise, it would have joined the Super Guilds’ ranks by now.

Meanwhile, the force and financial prowess backing the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was no less than that of an organization like Underworld. Currently, the Pavilion was the Black Dragon Empire’s number one Guild. Other first-rate Guilds stood no chance against it.

The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had sent one of its two Pavilion Masters, the Dragon Pavilion Master, as its representative. In the Guild, the Dragon Pavilion Master’s status was only below that of the Great Pavilion Master.

The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s management style was different from other Guilds. Normally, a Guild’s management personnel consisted of the Guild Leader, Vice Leaders, Elders, and so on. On the other hand, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion could be split into two Pavilions: the Dragon Pavilion and the Phoenix Pavilion. Each Pavilion was the equivalent of a single Guild, and both Pavilions developed themselves independent of each other. Meanwhile, a Pavilion Master governed each Pavilion. One could say that the Pavilion Masters were the equivalents of the Guild Leader of a Guild. Moreover, the influence each Pavilion wielded equaled that of a top-tier first-rate Guild. With both Pavilions merged, one could just imagine how powerful the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was.

The Great Pavilion Master managed the coordination between the two Pavilions. This Great Pavilion Master was extremely mysterious and secretive. Even until now, there had yet to be anyone who knew the Great Pavilion Master’s identity. However, the fact that this person was capable of managing two first-rate Guilds at the same time showed how capable they were.

“Young Master Feng, we should be celebrating!” the slightly chubby man beside Feng Xuanyang said, smiling.

“Celebratory Alcohol, what are you trying to say?” Feng Xuanyang frowned, saying, “With so many competitors here right now, how will I possibly be able to buy 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits?”

“Young Master Feng, hasn’t our initial goal been to defeat the Candlelight Trading Firm and establish our own trade empire in White River City?” Celebratory Alcohol slowly explained, “If only little fish and shrimp visit the firm, it would indeed be a good thing for the Candlelight Trading Firm. However, those who have arrived are all tigers and leopards; this is not good news for the Trading Firm.

“Think about it; the people that have shown up are either here to purchase the Candlelight Trading Firm or seek a partnership. However, who doesn’t want to monopolize the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits for themselves? It is especially true for the people from the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. In order to become a true Super Guild, the Pavilion has ignored all costs and recruited a large number of experts. They even managed to recruit five of last year’s top ten newcomers to the virtual gaming world, not to mention experts who have already been famous for many years.

“Currently, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit is the perfect item for the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion to advance itself. Naturally, the Guild will not let go of this chance to obtain the kit for itself. The other Guilds should feel the same.

“However, Young Master Feng, you have personally seen the personality of the Candlelight Trading Firm’s manager. Even Miss Youlan was helpless against her. One can just imagine what kind of response these newly arrived Guilds will receive. At that time, things will definitely end on a sour note, and the Candlelight Trading Firm will make enemies of the various Guilds. At that time, not only will we have the opportunity to complete the task given by the higher-ups, but we can also take the opportunity to deal with the Candlelight Trading Firm.”

When Celebratory Alcohol finished speaking, realization dawned upon Feng Xuanyang.

“You’re right! We’ll have a good show to watch this time!” Feng Xuanyang began laughing madly.

On the surface, although this seemed like a grand gathering, in reality, it was a festival of murder.

If the Candlelight Trading Firm offended the Guilds that had arrived, these Guilds would hold nothing back to suppress the Candlelight Trading Firm. If Underworld added fuel to the fire, who would dare to supply the Candlelight Trading Firm? Who would dare sell their materials to the Candlelight Trading Firm? Any Guild or Workshop that did would lose any hope of succeeding in God’s Domain. Even if the Candlelight Trading Firm were only a Lifestyle Guild and could not be dealt with like a Combat Guild, it could not survive without materials, forging designs, recipes, and other such items. Sooner or later, the items that were highly sought after now would become obsolete. At that time, the Candlelight Trading Firm would be finished.

—

“Big Sis Melancholic, there are so many Guilds in the first floor’s hall today that I nearly lost count. There are over a hundred Guilds who registered to meet with us to discuss business. Among them, there are over a dozen first-rate Guilds. It also seems that they have come with bad intentions. What should we do?” one of Melancholic Smile’s female assistants asked nervously.

No ordinary player would ever have dreamed such a scene.

Star-Moon Kingdom only had several first-rate Guilds. Now, not only had every one of these first-rate Guilds arrived, but there were even first-rate and second-rate Guilds from other kingdoms and empires as well.

“I understand. Have the NPCs welcome them for now. I’ll try to think of a solution in the meantime.”

Melancholic Smile also struggled with the situation. She had never expected that the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits would have such a huge influence. They had attracted a pack of hungry wolves and beasts to their doorstep.

If she had known something like this would happen, she never would have suggested that Shi Feng sell the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. Even if they wanted to sell them, they should have only done so after the Candlelight Trading Firm had secured its position in Star-Moon Kingdom.

Now, however, they were surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Although Melancholic Smile really wished to solve this problem by herself, she could not come up with any ideas. This situation was different than the previous one she had handled with the Guilds. If she approached this forcefully, she would offend the major powers of several kingdoms and an empire. To put it simply, she would be seeking her own death.

Helpless, Melancholic Smile had no choice but to contact Shi Feng. She was truly out of options, and she could only hope that Shi Feng had something up his sleeve…

Chapter 541: Terrifying Great Demon King

The Barren Ridge was a wasteland located in the Maple City Region. The land was parched and cracked; not even a blade of grass could grow here. Yellow sand choked the wind as it was lifted into the air all year long. Yet, at this moment, many players could be seen grinding and leveling in this desolate area.

The Barren Ridge was a Level 25 to Level 32 leveling map. Although it was a wasteland, various kinds of Stone Beasts lived there. Stone Beasts were Elemental Creatures made of excellent stone materials. There was a 20% chance to obtain Advanced Stones when killing these monsters, and they even had a small chance of dropping rare ores.

Nowadays, the forging industry was very popular, and many Lifestyle players who disliked combat would learn forging. Hence, all sorts of forging materials were in high demand right now. Even if the Barren Ridge did not contain treasure chests or advanced quests, many players still preferred to grind for Stones and ores here while leveling up.

The various large Guilds had monopolized the high-resource maps surrounding every city, leaving no room or access to ordinary players. If an ordinary player were discovered trespassing into a Guild-run zone, the Guild members would either chase them away or kill them on the spot.

Knowing this, ordinary players naturally avoided these high-resource maps. Instead, they could only explore ordinary maps such as the Barren Ridge.

However, after Shi Feng’s last visit to the Dragon Ridge, Overwhelming Smile’s members avoided the zone at all costs. Instead, they had come to the Barren Ridge to grind and level up. This resulted in ordinary players flooding the Dragon Ridge, and Maple City’s ordinary players came to admire the name Black Flame.

One man was capable of forcing an entire Guild to concede. Black Flame’s strength was inconceivable!

Laughing Heaven, Overwhelming Smile’s Guild Leader, wanted nothing more than to hack Shi Feng into thousands of tiny pieces.

Unfortunately, even Laughing Heaven’s hands were tied.

Based on War Wolf’s report, Shi Feng’s Base Attributes were simply too high. He was far beyond experts like them. If they wanted a fighting chance against him, they needed to upgrade their equipment and Base Attributes first. Before that happened, however, they could only try their best to keep hidden.

Of course, there were other methods they could use such as hunting Shi Feng in large teams. However, a team of several hundred players would not be enough. A single large-scale destruction spell would be more than enough to annihilate most of the team. At the very least, they needed to mobilize armies of over a thousand players. Unfortunately, Shi Feng’s whereabouts were unknown. It was practically impossible to trap him with thousands of players. So, they had no choice but to endure until they possessed a strategic-level expert capable of rivaling Black Flame.

“Damn, just how long do we have to grind here?” a Level 24 Summoner from Overwhelming Smile grumbled. “Since when have Overwhelming Smile members ever suffered such a loss before? We are actually forced to this godforsaken place. Isn’t he just one expert? I don’t believe that we can’t take him out if several hundred of us gang up on him.”

“Shh! Be quiet! What if your big mouth really summons that person?” the Level 25 Elementalist serving as the team’s leader warned the Summoner softly, frowning as he carefully observed his surroundings. “You were lucky that you weren’t out that night. If you experienced that volcanic power, you would know that even a team of hundreds of players would be no different than ants. Moreover, not even the Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights with high HP and Defense survived a single hit from that expert.”

Many among the team nodded their agreement to the Elementalist’s words. Although it was currently daytime, they could still recall the madness of that night as if it had happened yesterday.

“Team Leader, aren’t you overexaggerating? Although our current equipment isn’t top-tier, even someone fully geared with Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment should not be able to kill our team’s Guardian Knights and Shield Warriors in one hit, right?” the Summoner replied, refusing to believe his team leader’s claim.

Moments after this Summoner finished speaking, a black figure suddenly descended from the sky.

“Don’t believe it?

“Why don’t you experience it yourself, then?”

The person who had flown down from the sky was none other than Shi Feng himself. The Barren Ridge was ridiculously large, and Overwhelming Smile’s members had scattered across the map. For efficiency’s sake, Shi Feng had no choice but to activate Wind Rider to hunt these people. When Shi Feng noticed this 100-man team from Overwhelming Smile, he had immediately flown towards them.

The instant Shi Feng descended, he switched the Aura of Wind to the Aura of Fire and launched a Firestorm from above, covering a radius of 30 yards.

Flames filled the sky, burning everything in its vicinity to ash and dust. Even the Level 27 Stone Beasts, which possessed high Magic Resistance and 5,000 HP, died with the first wave of damage, not to mention players whose HPs were below 5,000 and had zero Magic Resistance.

In the blink of an eye, less than 30 players remained of Overwhelming Smile’s 100-man team.

They’re too spread out. After landing, Shi Feng frowned slightly when he noticed that many had escaped his Firestorm.

However, the massive AOE had dumbfounded Overwhelming Smile’s members.

“Crap! It’s the Great Demon King! Split up and run! Contact the Guild Leader and notify everyone else immediately!” the Elementalist team leader responded quickly as he shouted in the team chat.

“Team Leader, what should we be afraid of? He’s just one person. Watch me take care of him!” Although the Summoner was also stunned by Shi Feng’s Firestorm, he quickly began chanting an incantation and summoned a Flame Beast, ordering it to attack the newcomer.

The Flame Beast was a Fire-type Elemental Creature possessing extremely high flame damage. Moreover, it also had a very powerful Skill.

Self-detonate!

When activated, the Flame Beast would self-destruct and cause 300% damage to all enemies within a radius of 10 yards. It was a considerably powerful AOE Skill. However, upon activating Self-detonate, the Flame Beast could not be summoned again for another four hours. So, Self-detonate was not a Skill that could be used to grind monsters.

“Die!”

The Summoner controlled the Flame Beast to dash towards Shi Feng.

However, when the Flame Beast was only ten yards away from Shi Feng, a streak of black light penetrated the Elemental’s body. The Flame Beast began to dissipate instantly.

“Impossible!” Terror gripped the Summon upon losing control over his Flame Beast.

The Flame Beast was the strongest Summoned Creature he could currently call forth, and it had an HP of 10,000. Yet, before it could even get close to Shi Feng, it was already killed. Even the Summoner had not seen how his Flame Beast had died…

To end the battle quickly, Shi Feng activated Defensive Blade and Purgatory’s Power, increasing his attack range and damage. To Shi Feng, the Flame Beast’s 10,000 HP and attack range of ten yards was nothing.

By the time the Summoner had reacted, he had discovered that he could not move his body. Someone stood right in front of him, and although this person hid his appearance behind a black cloak, his imposing aura and horrifically cold killing intent shattered any thoughts of resistance the Summoner had.

The Summoner was truly and thoroughly terrified.

Is this even a human…?

He finally understood why his team leader had sounded so unsettled. Just mentioning the name “Black Flame” was a huge taboo.

In the blink of an eye, Shi Feng’s figure disappeared.

Am I hallucinating? Before the Summoner could say anything, his vision began to gray. Suddenly, his body fell to the ground. When did he even attack me?

In a short moment, Overwhelming Smile’s 100-man team had been annihilated.

I’ve wasted too much time. They should have already contacted their Guildmates by now. It will probably be more difficult to find other members now. Shi Feng sighed as he looked at the loot scattered across the ground. He still had a long way to go to collect 5,000 Life Force points.

Just as Shi Feng finished gathering the drops and was about to search for the next batch of Life Force points, he received a call from Melancholic Smile.