Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 542

Chapter 542: Manager

White River City, inside the Candlelight Trading Firm’s first-floor reception hall…

Currently, the upper managers from various Guilds occupied the large reception hall. Among the Guilds present, the weakest were second-rate Guilds, while the strongest Guild was close to becoming a Super Guild. Some of these Guilds were allies, while others were enemies. Hence, the reception hall’s atmosphere was extraordinarily intense.

Even the NPC beauty receiving these people felt uncomfortable.

“I didn’t think Guild Leader Snow would show up as well. It is indeed a rare sight,” Galaxy Past said, laughing as he glanced at Gentle Snow sitting a short distance away. “I heard that you have a mountain of work to do back at Ouroboros and that Cao Chenghua is trying to split up the Guild. Cao Chenghua has many of his supporters stationed in Star-Moon City. Guild Leader Snow, is it really a good idea for you to be here right now?”

“There is no reason for Guild Leader Galaxy to worry. Ouroboros is getting by quite well right now. Otherwise, why would I come here?” Gentle Snow did not reveal a trace of weakness as she replied. “On the contrary, aren’t you, Guild Leader Galaxy, having a bad time right now? I’ve heard that Star Alliance’s branch in the Lion Kingdom has suffered a major loss, losing over 10,000 people in a single Guild War. In the end, you even allowed others to profit.”

First-rate Guilds would usually develop themselves in several major regions. Naturally, the Star Alliance was no exception.

The Lion Kingdom was west of the Star-Moon Kingdom. Though the kingdom only occupied half as much area as the Star-Moon Kingdom, the kingdom’s player population was still significant. Two first-rate Guilds and multiple second-rate Guilds constantly fought over the Lion Kingdom. The Star Alliance was one of the two first-rate Guilds. However, in order to fight over a treasure, many of the Guilds in the Lion Kingdom had gone all-out. In the end, the Star Alliance had suffered heavy losses. To make matters worse, the other first-rate Guild had snatched the treasure.

Despite Gentle Snow striking a sore spot, Galaxy Past did not grow angry. Instead, he laughed and said, “As expected of Guild Leader Snow; you really are well-informed. You truly do possess some of your brother’s aura from when he controlled Ouroboros. Unfortunately, the Ouroboros of today is not the Ouroboros of the past.”

Purple Eye, the beautiful female Elementalist sitting beside Galaxy Past, on the other hand, radiated an intense killing intent as she glared at Gentle Snow.

“You want to make a move?” Gentle Snow laughed. Suddenly, a frightening aura surged forth. Smiling at Purple Eye, she said, “I heard that the Star Alliance possesses five great experts, and they are Galaxy Past, Red Feather, Flourishing Willow, Flying Jade, and Purple Eye. Among them, Flying Jade is the most mysterious, and Purple Eye is the strongest. I really want to know if this rumor is true.”

“Let’s put it to the test, then!” Purple Eye provoked, showing no intention of backing off.

For a time, it felt as if the temperature in the reception hall had fallen by a few degrees.

Ouroboros and the Star Alliance were known enemies. Both Guilds had competed against each other for over a dozen years, and at this point, their rivalry would not stop until one of them was wiped out of existence. Hence, the stand-off between the two Guilds did not seem out of place to anyone watching.

The many Guild representatives promptly moved to the side, hoping to watch the fight between the two beauties.

Meanwhile, sitting at the forefront of the reception hall, a robust man resembling Zhang Fei[1] suddenly turned to the handsome and dashing youth seated beside him, respectfully saying, “Pavilion Master, this subordinate will go and remind them of where they are lest they ruin Pavilion Master’s good mood.”

Saying so, this robust man strode towards Gentle Snow and Purple Eye. Suddenly, however, a single hand halted his advance.

“Forget it. Doing nothing but waiting here is quite boring. Watching them fight will be a nice change of pace,” the dashing youth said, smiling faintly.

“Understood.”

The robust man returned to his seat.

Everyone present had seen the handsome youth’s actions. And though that high and mighty attitude of his displeased the other Guild representatives, nobody felt that the youth’s attitude was inappropriate.

This handsome youth was one of the two Pavilion Masters of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. The Pavilion had possessed the strength of a Super Guild for a long time now. It lacked a stage to display its might. Meanwhile, in the eyes of Super Guilds, first-rate Guilds were nothing but children. It was only natural that the handsome youth thought little of the others.

Just as Gentle Snow and Purple Eye were about to face-off, a loud shout suddenly echoed through the hall.

“Everyone, stay your hands!”

A clear, crisp voice swept through the crowd. When everyone turned to look at the owner of this voice, they discovered another great beauty. Unlike Gentle Snow and Purple Eye, this beauty did not possess a frightening aura. However, although she seemed somewhat ordinary, every Guild representative took her seriously.

This beauty was the Candlelight Trading Firm’s manager, Melancholic Smile.

“This is the Candlelight Trading Firm, not the arena! All forms of fighting are prohibited here. If someone wishes to challenge the rules of the Candlelight Trading Firm, then I will have no choice but to send you on your way!” Melancholic Smile scolded.

Nobody doubted Melancholic Smile’s power. Inside a private Shop, the manager was invincible. The manager of the Shop could teleport someone out with a single thought and bar that person from entering the building ever again.

Sure enough, she is indeed formidable! It is no wonder why she can ignore even Underworld! Galaxy Past could not help but focus on Melancholic Smile.

The upper managers of the other Guilds were similarly surprised.

They had not expected Melancholic Smile to be so fearless.

Every player here was an overlord in their own right; their status and identities were extraordinary. It was especially true for the first-rate Guilds present. Yet, Melancholic Smile had not left any room for argument. Her mighty attitude was exactly as the information they received stated, so much so that she appeared even more overwhelming than before.

At Melancholic Smile’s appearance, Gentle Snow and Purple Eye glanced at each other before turning away.

Everyone had come here today to do business. Nothing good would come from provoking the Candlelight Trading Firm.

Peace returned to the reception hall, and everyone began to observe Melancholic Smile. Although she did not emit any sort of aura, there were not many people who had the courage to reproach two first-rate Guilds.

After all, the Candlelight Trading Firm was but a single Lifestyle Guild. Without any combat power of its own, it would have no choice but to purchase its materials from Combat Guilds. One could say that the Trading Firm’s survival relied on Combat Guilds. Moreover, as the game progressed, the Trading Firm would require more precious materials. At that time, the Firm’s reliance on Combat Guilds would grow stronger. Hence, it was not a good idea for the Firm to offend powerful Combat Guilds.

At this moment, the Dragon Pavilion Master seated at the forefront of the hall opened his mouth and said, “Miss Melancholic, since you have arrived, shouldn’t it be about time to begin our discussion?”

Everyone nodded their agreement to the Dragon Pavilion Master’s words.

They had waited for quite some time now, and they had only waited for so long out of respect for the Candlelight Trading Firm’s prestige. Now that its manager had arrived, it was only natural that they began discussing business.

“Certainly. However, a manager like myself does not have the power to make the decisions you are all looking for.” Melancholic Smile shook her head.

“What are you trying to say?” various representatives asked, curious. “Are you saying that you’re not going to do business with us?”

What a joke! They had come from so far and had spent a significant sum on teleportation fees. Now that they were told that there was nothing to discuss. Was the Candlelight Trading Firm just toying with them?

Suddenly, the temperature in the reception hall dropped sharply.

Not a single person present was someone that should be easily offended. Not only were they powerful experts, but the influence they commanded was also frightening. Standing by the side, Melancholic Smile’s assistant felt her legs grow weak, her complexion paling. To an ordinary player like herself, this pressure was immense.

Fortunately for the female assistant, everyone focused not on her, but on Melancholic Smile instead. However, even Melancholic Smile did not feel too well right now. This was her first time experiencing such an immense pressure, so much so that even her hand trembled slightly.

She found it astonishing. This was merely a virtual reality game, yet, she could still feel such intensity. She nearly lost her breath.

“I am only the manager of the Candlelight Trading Firm. Only my boss can make decisions regarding the business you wish to discuss. If you are really interested in working with us, then you’ll be able to meet my boss if you wait for a little while longer.” After Melancholic Smile finished speaking, she turned and left the reception hall.

For a time, silence overtook the reception hall.

Although they had long since guessed that Melancholic Smile was not the Candlelight Trading Firm’s proprietor, hearing her statement had surprised them.

Since Melancholic Smile had been able to establish such a powerful trading firm, the force backing her would naturally be extraordinary. Moreover, nobody present had yet to uncover the tiniest bit of information about this hidden backer. One could just imagine this mysterious backer’s power.

TL Notes:

[1]Zhang Fei (张飞): a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China.

Picture:

http://www.sgcha.cn/sanguochaphoto/image762.jpg

Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Fei

Chapter 543: The Boss Behind the Scenes

Just as everyone inside the reception hall pondered the identity of the Candlelight Trading Firm’s true boss, Shi Feng finally arrived in White River City.

Overwhelming Smile’s reaction this time was really fast. I just ambushed one group, and it immediately became difficult to find any players. Shi Feng had originally intended to collect more Life Force points after Melancholic Smile had contacted him. However, he never expected Overwhelming Smile to have such decisive precautions. In the end, he had to give up on his endeavor.

It was indeed possible for a single top-tier expert to delay the development of an entire Guild. However, it was not possible for a person to single-handedly annihilate a large Guild, particularly a cautious Guild. Otherwise, many Guilds would have long since fallen into ruin.

After returning to White River City, Shi Feng noticed that both the number and quality of players had increased significantly.

“I wonder what has happened to Zero Wing’s recruitment?” Shi Feng then called up the Guild System.

Shi Feng had busied himself with the Candlelight Trading Firm; he had paid no attention to Zero Wing. He had left the Guild’s management to Aqua Rose and Blackie. If the two of them had not encountered any major issues, they normally would not contact him. So, Shi Feng was not all that worried that anything had happened to the Guild while he had been away.

Currently, Zero Wing was White River City’s publicly acknowledged number one Guild. It stood at the very forefront in every aspect.

Although Zero Wing continued to wage war on Overwhelming Smile, and plenty of battles still occurred between both Guilds every day, with the Candlelight Trading Firm’s financial support, this kind of expenditure was practically negligible. On the contrary, the ongoing war had stimulated Guild members’ motivation, allowing them to improve their combat techniques continuously. They had even made a huge profit through killing their enemies, killing two birds with one stone.

Upon opening the Guild’s System Panel, Shi Feng suddenly noticed that the Guild’s population had greatly increased.

Previously, the member count had balanced around 40,000. Now, however, there were already more than 50,000 players in Zero Wing. Moreover, this number continued to rise.

Throughout this time, Zero Wing had never changed its recruitment standards. On the contrary, the minimum requirements had been raised further in order to increase the quality of the new players. However, instead of seeing a decline in the number of players joining the Guild, the opposite had happened.

Fifty thousand people? Shi Feng pondered the situation.

During the initial stages of God’s Domain, a Guild with 50,000 members could definitely be considered a large Guild. Normally, such Guilds would split its members and develop themselves in multiple cities. Even for a major city like White River City, having 50,000 members at a time was about the limit. As for why there was a limit?

It was because there was a limit to the number of high-resource areas available. Once the player population reached a certain level, the high-resource areas would reach full capacity. Any increase in the player population would result in the decrease in their development speed. Hence, large Guilds would usually assign their members to various cities, allowing their members to develop quickly.

Zero Wing already had 50,000 members. Moreover, the players Zero Wing recruited all had strong techniques. Even if they had not reached the standards of an elite player, they were not too far. Overall, Zero Wing was stronger than second-rate Guilds and only slightly inferior to first-rate Guilds. Not even first-rate Guilds could match Zero Wing’s top combatants. Naturally, Zero Wing required more resources to strengthen itself.

It seems that I have to begin development in other cities earlier than expected.

Shi Feng had never expected for Zero Wing to develop so quickly.

His initial plan to expand Zero Wing to other cities would not have begun for another month. He had also expected for Zero Wing’s member count to reach 50,000 only two or three weeks after that. Now, however, he had to initiate his plan ahead of time.

For now, however, I need to deal with the Candlelight Trading Firm’s problem. Shi Feng then contacted Aqua Rose.

“Guild Leader, do you need something? I’m quite busy at the moment,” Aqua Rose asked pleasantly, smiling.

She had been extremely busy while Shi Feng had been away. Fire Dance and the others had focused on their special training, so all important matters regarding the Guild had been left to her to handle. However, thanks to Shi Feng’s massive daily shipments of top-tier equipment, particularly Level 30 Fine Gold and Dark Gold Equipment, and the flood of enthusiastic players who wanted to join Zero Wing, she was quite happy with her work.

Currently, Aqua Rose dared to pat her chest and guarantee that no elite members of other Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom were better equipped than Zero Wing’s members. As for Zero Wing’s core members, the equipment they wore consisted of a mix of Level 25 Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold Equipment, with Dark-Gold Equipment being the majority.

If other Guilds discovered this, their eyes would pop out of their sockets.

“Someone’s here to make trouble. What do you think we should do?” Shi Feng laughed.

“Who’s the blind fool? They actually dare to cause trouble in White River City?” Aqua Rose was initially surprised. However, very quickly, she laughed and said, “Where are they? This lady will annihilate them this instant!”

Although Aqua Rose was very busy, her Level had not lagged behind the other core members whatsoever. It was the same for her equipment. Currently, she was Level 27 and fully equipped with Dark-Gold Equipment. The staff she wielded was also a staff exclusive to Elementalists that Shi Feng had obtained from the Twilight Treasure Chests. Although the staff’s Attributes were inferior to Blackie’s Epic ranked staff, her weapon’s Attributes were very well-suited for Elementalists. In PvP battles, it was in no way inferior to an Epic ranked staff.

“The Candlelight Trading Firm.”

When Shi Feng uttered those four words, a realization instantly struck Aqua Rose.

“Guild Leader, are we really going to do this?” Aqua Rose could not help but ask.

Currently, all players in White River City knew of the gathering of the many upper managers of first-rate and second-rate Guilds at the Candlelight Trading Firm. Presently, however, no one had discovered just who stood behind the Candlelight Trading Firm. Only a few core members of Zero Wing knew. After all, it wasn’t just Guilds that were capable of setting up a Shop; individuals could do so as well. Many of the Shops set up in minor cities were mostly set up by Workshops that focused on Lifestyle classes. Not to mention, Shi Feng had also set up the Candlelight Trading Firm under the name of the Horizon Alliance, making it nearly impossible to trace back to Zero Wing.

“Everybody will learn the truth sooner or later. This is just a little sooner than we had planned.” Shi Feng had never bothered hiding the fact that he had established the Horizon Alliance. It was far more convenient to manage a Shop through a Lifestyle Guild. After all, Combat Guilds and Lifestyle Guilds had completely different specializations, and the specialization of Lifestyle Guilds made them more suitable to develop Shops.

In the past, after discovering this matter, many large Guilds had promptly established a Lifestyle Guild to manage their Shops. Shi Feng had only established a Lifestyle Guild ahead of time.

“Guild Leader, leave it to me.” Aqua Rose also grew excited.

—

Inside the Candlelight Trading Firm’s reception hall…

Due to Melancholic Smile’s statement, everyone inside the hall had begun to make their guesses of who might be the Candlelight Trading Firm’s owner.

However, even if the boss behind the scenes was impressive, what could he possibly do against so many large Guilds?

As everyone occupied themselves with their discussions, time slowly ticked by.

“This Candlelight Trading Firm sure knows how to treat its guests. They’ve already made us wait for such a long time. Do they really think we are easily bullied?” a representative of a second-rate Guild complained.

Everyone was greatly displeased with the situation. Who were they?

They were the overlords of God’s Domain.

Moreover, they had brought both money and sincerity with them.

Yet, the Candlelight Trading Firm actually dared make emperors like them wait so long. Whoever was behind the Firm must truly be tired of living.

Meanwhile, seated in a corner of the hall, Feng Xuanyang watched the souring situation with a smile.

The Candlelight Trading Firm might have been able to get away with angering the various small Guilds of White River City, but if it angered all of these large Guilds, who would dare supply the Firm?

Without materials, the Candlelight Trading Firm would not produce a single product.

However, Feng Xuanyang’s smile had not lasted long as the doors to the reception hall suddenly slammed open. In the next moment, a large group of players, roughly one hundred, marched into the hall.

These players all radiated imposing auras. Not a single one looked ordinary, and they were all Level 26 or above. Judging from the dazzling glow effect on their equipment, the most inferior equipment they had was Fine-Gold ranked, with the majority of their equipment consisting of Dark-Gold rank.

On their chests, every player wore a six-winged silver emblem. This was none other than Zero Wing’s Guild Emblem.

“Sorry I made you all wait for me.” Shi Feng suddenly crossed the reception hall’s threshold, smiling. Sweeping a glance over everyone present, he laughed and said, “I’m the owner of the Candlelight Trading Firm, Black Flame.”

Chapter 544: Devour Everything

Zero Wing’s arrival had silenced the reception hall. At this moment, practically every Guild representative in the hall focused on Shi Feng.

“Why does it have to be him?”

“So that’s the case. It is no wonder the Candlelight Trading Firm set up its headquarters in White River City.”

Everyone suddenly came to a realization.

However, at the same time, the upper managers of the various large Guilds reevaluated their impression of Zero Wing.

The majority of the people present had not understood Zero Wing’s true strength. They had only read some reports about the Guild.

Before arriving in White River City, each Guild had investigated the various Guilds residing in White River City.

The reports had contained a lot of information about Zero Wing. Moreover, after the Guilds’ intelligence agents’ detailed investigation of the number one Guild in White River City, they had quite the high evaluation of Zero Wing.

Practically every agent had evaluated Zero Wing as a Guild that was above a second-rate Guild, but below a first-rate Guild. Meanwhile, Zero Wing’s Guild Leader, Black Flame, was even Star-Moon Kingdom’s number one expert. Up till today, Black Flame had yet to suffer a single defeat. Even Overwhelming Smile, the Guild secretly supported by Underworld, could only hold the position of number two in White River City.

When everyone had received these reports, they had simply laughed it off and placed no particular importance on Zero Wing.

Now, however, the upper managers of the various large Guilds even considered firing those intelligence agents of theirs.

Just what had they investigated?

“How can Zero Wing be so powerful?” Galaxy Past’s expression became grim when he saw the members of Zero Wing.

“Guild Leader, the woman standing beside Black Flame, isn’t she Aqua Rose?” An indescribable bitterness welled up in Purple Eye’s heart when she saw Aqua Rose.

They were old acquaintances. In the past, Aqua Rose had once invited her to join Twilight Echo. However, she had rejected the offer.

She had been greatly shocked to find out that Aqua Rose had left Twilight Echo.

Twilight Echo was an even stronger Guild than the Star Alliance. However, Aqua Rose had left it without hesitation. Moreover, she had even joined a newly-established and unknown Guild after the fact.

When Purple Eye had received this news, she even thought she had heard wrong.

She had also felt it was somewhat unfortunate. A capable gamer such as Aqua Rose had taken such a foolish route.

Now, however, it would seem that Aqua Rose’s decision had not been the wrong one at all.

A Guild with a single expert was not particularly frightening. However, it was a different story if said Guild possessed a large group of experts. Moreover, looking at the nearly one hundred people who had entered the hall, each one of them wore equipment that could rival the best equipment the Star Alliance had to offer, so much so that the best-geared members of the Star Alliance were even inferior to some of Zero Wing’s core members. Furthermore, the Star Alliance could only scrape together, at most, enough equipment to gear a team of 20 players. It was absolutely impossible for them to equip a 100-man team.

One could just imagine how powerful Zero Wing’s background was.

Moreover, Aqua Rose’s current equipment actually consisted of only Dark-Gold Equipment. As for the dark-red staff in her hand, Purple Eye could not even begin to imagine its rank. However, judging from the amount of pressure it emitted, it was most likely above Dark-Gold rank.

Now that Zero Wing had displayed its strength, even Gentle Snow, who was very familiar with Zero Wing, was surprised, not to mention the Star Alliance, which was also a Star-Moon Kingdom Guild.

Regarding this revelation, Gentle Snow could only reveal a bitter smile. She did not know whether she should rejoice or lament right now.

Previously, when Shi Feng had offered to annex Ouroboros, she had thought that he was being wildly arrogant. However, looking at this dazzling and imposing 100-man team, there might not be a second Guild in all of Star-Moon Kingdom capable of building up such a team.

With the two first-rate Guilds of Star-Moon Kingdom reacting in such a way, there was no need to mention the Guilds that had come from a foreign country.

“Pavilion Master, this Zero Wing seems quite amazing! It has actually obtained so much Dark-Gold Equipment. Every one of these players also seem extraordinary, with a few even radiating dangerous auras!” a blue-haired girl with bright eyes and slender eyebrows sitting beside the Dragon Pavilion Master exclaimed, giggling. Contrary to her words, her actions made it seem as if she did not take Zero Wing seriously at all.

“As expected of the number one Guild of White River City. It really does possess an impressive number of experts. The equipment it possesses is even more surprising. Only, it is a pity that such good equipment is actually being wasted on these people,” the handsome youth stated, his gaze revealing a hint of greed.

He could not help but admit that the equipment worn by Zero Wing’s members was indeed amazing. Even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion did not have so much top-tier equipment, much less first-rate Guilds.

If he could snatch all of it away…

At that time, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion would definitely become a bona fide Super Guild. It might even become even more powerful than a few current Super Guilds.

“Pavilion Master, should I secretly rob them all?” the robust man named Blood Dragon asked softly.

“Let’s discuss it first.” The handsome youth waved his hand. Faintly smiling, he said, “Whether it is the Candlelight Trading Firm’s Intermediate Mana Armor Kits or Zero Wing’s equipment, it seems that my trip to White River City has not been wasted. If I deal with this matter properly, the Great Pavilion Master will definitely be pleased.”

“Pavilion Master is truly wise. At that time, I want to see just how the Phoenix Pavilion plans to contend with our Dragon Pavilion,” Blood Dragon laughed.

Even after silence had gripped the reception hall for some time, Shi Feng had not hurried to dive straight into business. Instead, he waved his hand and signaled Melancholic Smile.

At this moment, Melancholic Smile opened her mouth and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, if you are here to purchase Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, please follow me. As our stock is limited, the Candlelight Trading Firm intends to hold a small-scale auction exclusively for you.”

Saying so, Melancholic Smile led the way out of the reception hall.

In response, however, the Guild representatives only turned to look at each other, showing no signs of leaving their seats.

Who among them was not here to purchase the Candlelight Trading Firm, hoping to earn a massive profit through the transaction? How could they possibly come all the way here just to purchase a few measly Intermediate Mana Armor Kits?

Particularly, the Dragon Pavilion Master from the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion looked utterly uninterested in the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

With the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion taking the lead, everyone would naturally follow.

However, among these people, one person stood up from their seat and followed Melancholic Smile.

“Has Gentle Snow gone insane?” Galaxy Past watched Gentle Snow’s departing figure.

There were so many Guilds putting pressure on Zero Wing right now. Even if Zero Wing were strong, it would have no choice but to tread carefully when faced with so many large Guilds. Offending so many large Guilds at once would be tantamount to suicide. Anyone who had a brain would definitely choose to stay. After all, they could take advantage of the situation to rake in even more profit for themselves, and that was not something a few measly Intermediate Mana Armor Kits could hope to compare with.

Yet, Gentle Snow had actually chosen to leave…

“Don’t tell me that no one else here is interested in the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits?” Shi Feng asked as he glanced at the seated guests.

At this moment, Feng Xuanyang stood. Righteously, he said, “Guild Leader Black Flame, many of us here have journeyed from far away. We have already shown the Candlelight Trading Firm sufficient respect. If you turn us away empty-handed, our reputations will suffer.”

“That’s right, Guild Leader Black Flame! Let’s prosper together! Wouldn’t it be better if we invest into and develop the Candlelight Trading Firm together? That way, everybody can profit!” Many among the crowd began advising Shi Feng as they laughed merrily.

Among those present, aside from the upper managers of a few first-rate Guilds, everyone promptly voiced their agreement.

“Are all of you of the same opinion?” Shi Feng calmly asked.

“You could say that,” the Dragon Pavilion Master, Nine Dragons Emperor, suddenly said. “However, aside from my interest in the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, I am also very interested in the equipment you all wear. Why don’t you state a price? I’ll buy all of it.”

Although Nine Dragons Emperor wore a lukewarm smile, his tone indicated that he would not take no for an answer.

Suddenly, the entire venue fell silent. Many of the Guild representatives sucked in a breath of cold air.

Initially, they had thought that the conditions they had proposed were sufficient. They had never expected that this Dragon Pavilion Master would be even greedier than they were. He actually wanted to devour both the Candlelight Trading Firm and Zero Wing.

Chapter 545: Super Guild

Although Nine Dragons Emperor’s words were quite arrogant, all of the various Guild representatives present knew that this handsome youth before them had certainly earned his arrogance.

The fact that the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was hailed as a super-first-rate Guild, which was the closest existence to a Super Guild, was not without reason. Great strength had built that reputation.

In today’s era, virtual reality had long since integrated into everyone’s life. Practically everyone would come into contact with virtual reality games in some form. Meanwhile, there were countless virtual gaming Guilds.

Any Guild that the public officially recognized became a third-rate Guild. Even though third-rate Guilds were nowhere near the top of the gaming industry, they still stood out among the countless Guilds in the virtual gaming world. Not only did a third-rate Guild possess a certain degree of financial support, but it also possessed a large number of members. Normally, third-rate Guilds had also earned some form of achievement in some virtual reality games.

Standing above third-rate Guilds were second-rate Guilds. Not only did second-rate Guilds possess abundant capital, but they also possessed quite a number of experts. These experts were normally those who held some fame in the virtual gaming world. As for a second-rate Guild’s member count, there was no need to even mention that. Normally, a second-rate Guild would develop itself in multiple cities simultaneously.

As for first-rate Guilds, they were normally Guilds that had been crowned as overlords in at least a dozen large-scale virtual reality games. Such Guilds generally had over a decade of history, having overcome countless, painstaking trials. First-rate Guilds had perfected expert training programs and a large network of contacts. Most importantly, these Guilds had recruited a large number of experts over the years.

Practically all up and coming experts of the virtual gaming world would be split between these first-rate Guilds. With more experts joining the Guild every passing year, there would always be a large number of experts present to support, to battle for, and to bring endless glory to the Guild.

They were existences far above second-rate Guilds.

As for Super Guilds?

They were the titans of the virtual gaming world. There were even many virtual reality games that these Super Guilds had produced personally. They also had their own research teams that were set up to study and improve a person’s gaming skills. Super Guilds had no shortage of ordinary experts. Aside from recruiting some experts who possessed extraordinary talents, they would usually nurture their own army of experts.

As for the various major competitions held in the virtual gaming world, these Super Guilds organized practically all of them. Meanwhile, the majority of the top-tier experts that had emerged from these competitions every year were usually experts that these Super Guilds had nurtured.

Take Purple Eye and Aqua Rose for example. Both had been nurtured by the same Super Guild. After undergoing the sharpening of various major competitions and emerging victorious, both had become rookies of the year. They had then separated from the Super Guild they had belonged to to develop themselves separately.

In fact, this wasn’t just limited to the two of them. Many well-known experts in the virtual gaming world had originated from Super Guilds.

This was the amazing part about Super Guilds.

With this aspect alone, Super Guilds were already leaps and bounds above first-rate Guilds.

Take the financial prowess backing Super Guilds for example. All Super Guilds already stood at the peak of the virtual gaming industry. In a society where virtual reality was so well-developed, the economic value of the virtual industry constantly rose. Whether it regarded financial prowess or influence, Super Guilds were not one bit inferior to international corporations. There were some Super Guilds that were even stronger.

Although the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was not a Super Guild, in reality, it was not far from becoming one. Only, the Pavilion was somewhat young. However, that was only true when compared to actual Super Guilds. When compared to other first-rate Guilds, the Pavilion’s history was a lot longer than many first-rate Guilds in the virtual gaming world.

“This should be fun,” Galaxy Past said as he looked at Shi Feng standing near the door, a meaningful grin appearing on his face.

“Guild Leader, you still have the heart to make jokes? If the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion really buys out the Candlelight Trading Firm, wouldn’t we have come here for nothing?” Purple Eye asked as she frowned at Galaxy Past. She had come from a Super Guild, so she knew full well just how powerful a Super Guild’s background could be.

Although Black Flame was very strong, his strength only mattered in Star-Moon Kingdom. If he were in a Super Guild, he would be considered average.

As for the other experts of Zero Wing, a Super Guild had armies of such individuals.

Not to mention, Super Guilds also possessed plenty of old monsters. Those players were no longer considered human. Only, these old monsters would not normally appear in the public eye, so not many people knew of them.

A single flick from a Super Guild could easily annihilate Zero Wing.

If it came down to a fight, Zero Wing wouldn’t even be powerful enough to resist.

In reality, even an amazing first-rate Guild would stand no chance against a Super Guild, much less Zero Wing. At most, it could only provide a momentary struggle. This was also one of the reasons why there was only a small number of Super Guilds, despite there being a large number of first-rate Guilds in the virtual gaming world.

The only reason why Super Guilds did not go out of their way to compete with first-rate Guilds, only contending with opponents of the same level, was because they did not like bullying the weak. It was the same concept as for how an adult would not participate in a fight between children. Doing so would only harm to their reputation.

“It seems that Gentle Snow’s decision was correct. If I had known something like this would happen, I would have gone along to purchase some Intermediate Mana Armor Kits,” Galaxy Past sighed ruefully.

Once the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion purchased the Candlelight Trading Firm, it definitely would not sell the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. Rather, it would use those kits to strengthen itself and challenge those Super Guilds.

If he wanted to buy the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, now was his only chance to do so.

Meanwhile, sitting in the corner of the reception hall, Feng Xuanyang was thoroughly dumbfounded. The situation left him utterly speechless.

The higher-ups of Underworld had instructed him to purchase 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. If the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion bought the Candlelight Trading Firm, how was he supposed to buy the kits?

—

Melancholic Smile entered the reception hall on the second floor with Gentle Snow behind her.

The location Melancholic Smile had led Gentle Snow to was still inside the reception hall. Only, it was situated on the building’s second floor. It could be considered a VIP room of sorts. And while the occupants of the first floor could not see the occupants on the second floor, the reverse did not hold true. Not only could one see everything that went on inside the reception hall on the first floor, but one could also hear the first floor’s ongoings clearly.

“Why have you brought me here?” Gentle Snow asked, surprised.

“Miss Snow, please wait a moment,” Melancholic Smile said. “Guild Leader knows that you want a large number of Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. However, the supply for the kits is truly too scarce. As the demand for it is very high, he plans to hold an auction for the kits. Meanwhile, the auction will be held right here. As soon as he sends away the Guild representatives below, the auction will begin.”

“Send them away?” Gentle Snow could not help but glance at the Nine Dragons Emperor.

She had seen the Nine Dragons Emperor many times before, so she knew this man’s temper. He was the very definition of the word “hypocrite.” If both sides were on equal footing, then there wouldn’t be a problem with discussing business. However, if the other side’s strength were inferior to his, only a painful slaughter awaited them.

Nine Dragons Emperor was also willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goals, and that included unscrupulous means. Hence, very few people were willing to deal with him. However, it was also this personality that had allowed him to reach the position of Pavilion Master.

In a super-first-rate Guild, it was not easy for one to reach the position of Pavilion Master. Knowing a few tricks was far from enough. One also needed strength and ability. Otherwise, one would not be able to secure their position even if they did manage to obtain it. The fact that Nine Dragons Emperor had held his position firmly for so many years spoke volumes about his strength.

“Hopefully, he wouldn’t do anything stupid,” Gentle Snow said somewhat worriedly as she glanced at Shi Feng.

—

Inside the reception hall on the first floor, silence filled the venue. Everyone had focused on Shi Feng, waiting for his reply despite having already guessed what the outcome would be.

“You want to buy the Candlelight Trading Firm and Zero Wing?” Shi Feng laughed. Smiling at the Nine Dragons Emperor calmly, he said, “Sure, but I want 60% of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s shares.”

Chapter 546: Even Dragons Have to Bow

Immediately after Shi Feng finished speaking, silence overtook the venue. Every Guild representative in the hall was stupefied.

Black Flame has gone insane!

They all stared at Shi Feng with dropped jaws.

Who was the Nine Dragons Emperor?

He was the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion. He stood at the very top of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. With a single word, he could easily bring an end to the existence of any second-rate Guild in the virtual gaming world.

Moreover, the Nine Dragons Emperor was famed for being vicious and merciless.

There was once a Vice Leader of an ordinary first-rate Guild who had competed against the Nine Dragons Emperor in an auction for an item. Enraged, Nine Dragons had sent a notice to the first-rate Guild and demanded that the Vice Leader in question grovel and apologize to him, as well as return the item in question. Otherwise, he would take action against this first-rate Guild.

How could an ordinary first-rate Guild possibly hope to contend with the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion? Furthermore, the first-rate Guild in question had many competitors. Nine Dragons had only needed to give the word, and many other first-rate Guilds would have joined hands to take out the offending Guild. Having no other option, the first-rate Guild sent for the Vice Leader in question to apologize and offer the item. In the end, however, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion still annihilated the first-rate Guild, forcing the Guild to migrate to a different virtual reality game.

Currently, although Shi Feng had not outright stated that he refused to sell, the price he demanded was the same as slapping the Nine Dragons Emperor in the face.

Although Nine Dragons was one of the two Pavilion Masters of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, he only possessed less than 10%. The majority of the Pavilion’s shares remained in the Great Pavilion Master’s hands.

Shi Feng’s demand of 60% of the Pavilion’s shares was no different than demanding ownership of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion and a position above even his, the Nine Dragons Emperor’s.

“This Black Flame is exactly as the rumors made him out to be! He is simply fearless!” Galaxy Past could not help but voice his admiration.

Throughout God’s Domain, other than those Super Guilds and a few Guilds with extremely powerful corporations backing them, there were no Guilds that dared provoke the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. Even the upper echelons of Super Guilds would consider their options carefully before humiliating this Pavilion Master.

Although a virtual reality game was only a game, where there were people, there was bound to be conflict.

The Nine Dragons Emperor was the face of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. Even if Shi Feng refused to give in to Nine Dragons’ coercion, he should have handled the situation with a more delicate hand. Yet, Shi Feng had thrown all pretenses out the window and made a mockery of the Nine Dragons Emperor. Even if it were just for his reputation’s sake, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion would now go all-out to destroy him.

Hence, Galaxy Past truly admired Shi Feng’s courage.

“He should have shown some restraint and refrained from such an impulsive comeback. If he could have endured the humiliation he has suffered today in order to retaliate another day, he would have gained more of my respect. However, with him acting like a boorish fellow, Zero Wing is truly finished this time,” Purple Eye said as she glanced at Shi Feng. She then turned to look at Aqua Rose, silently lamenting as she said, “It seems that Aqua Rose has still made the wrong decision. In the end, a small Guild will only ever be a small Guild. Though it might triumph temporarily, it could not make it last.”

—

Meanwhile, in the second-floor reception room…

“Your Guild Leader has gone insane! That’s the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion! Moreover, that’s the Nine Dragons Emperor he is provoking! Just what is going through your Guild Leader’s head? Even if Nine Dragons doesn’t take offense, if word spreads, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion will definitely try to annihilate Zero Wing with everything it has to restore its reputation!” Gentle Snow exclaimed as she stared at Melancholic Smile.

Based on what she understood of Shi Feng, the man was not ignorant. On the contrary, he was quite shrewd with great foresight.

Yet, now, he had actually offended the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. She had no idea why Shi Feng had done such a thing.

“This… Even I don’t know what he is trying to do.” Melancholic Smile shook her head. She then said, “However, after hearing the Guild Leader’s words, I can’t help but feel proud. Why are they allowed to bully us, while we are not allowed to resist?”

Gentle Snow failed to think of a response.

Although he was not in the wrong, there was a price to pay for those words.

Similarly, the precondition for resisting was to have sufficient strength. Although Zero Wing was relatively powerful, it was still far from a titanic existence like the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. Challenging the Pavilion at this point was simply suicide.

—

Meanwhile, back in the first-floor reception hall, even the Nine Dragons Emperor himself was stunned. He had never expected Shi Feng to be so foolish.

Even the heavens would laugh at such folly.

However, Nine Dragons could not find it in himself to laugh. Instead, his expression shifted slightly as a cold, killing intent flashed in his eyes. However, this killing intent quickly disappeared. In the next moment, a bright, dazzling smile appeared on the Nine Dragons Emperor’s face.

“Since Guild Leader Black Flame has no intentions of selling, I won’t overstay my welcome. Goodbye.” The Nine Dragons Emperor smiled. He then left the reception hall with his subordinates.

Everyone else in the reception hall turned to look at each other.

What had just happened?

That’s it?

Wasn’t he supposed to warn Zero Wing and teach them a lesson?

“Purple, let’s leave as well, then.” At this moment, Galaxy Past smiled faintly as he prepared to leave the building.

“Guild Leader, are we not going to negotiate with Zero Wing? Are we just leaving?” Purple Eye asked curiously.

It had taken quite some effort to embark on this trip. After all, Galaxy Past was the Guild Leader of the Star Alliance. If he left White River City without obtaining even the tiniest harvest, he would become a laughingstock.

“It will be meaningless. If even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion has been treated in such a way, do you think Black Flame will agree to sell the Candlelight Trading Firm to us?” Galaxy Past shook his head. He then explained, “Also, a war is going to begin in White River City, so don’t you think we should return quickly?”

“War?” Purple Eye suddenly came to a realization.

Although Nine Dragons Emperor had left the building peacefully and had not made any vicious remarks, in reality, killing intent filled his heart. It would have been foolish of him to reveal his thoughts inside the Candlelight Trading Firm.

Inside this Shop, Black Flame’s words were law. Anyone who dared spout profanities inside the building would only be sentenced to death. Only a brain-dead fool would risk that just to sate his pride.

Most likely, the Nine Dragons Emperor would notify his subordinates, instructing them to annihilate Zero Wing the moment he returned to the Black Dragon Empire. He would not give Black Flame the chance to react.

“Hahaha! Black Flame, so even you will have such a day!” Feng Xuanyang grinned like a drunk fool.

At this point, there was no doubt that the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion would obliterate Zero Wing. However, based on the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s prestige, it would abhor remaining in a small location like White River City. Once Zero Wing was annihilated, Overwhelming Smile would automatically become the number one Guild of White River City without even needing him to expend any effort.

Afterward, the various Guild representatives promptly left the Candlelight Trading Firm. Not a single Guild chose to stay behind.

At this moment, Aqua Rose turned to Shi Feng, wearing a grim expression as she said, “Guild Leader, now that you have provoked the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, the Pavilion will not let us off the hook. The Pavilion’s background is also not something first-rate Guilds like the Star Alliance and Ouroboros could hope to compare with. They have countless experts in their midst. They also have plenty of great experts who are famous in the virtual gaming world.

“If they dispatch a large number of experts to ambush our Guildmates, the resulting death count will far surpass that of our war with Overwhelming Smile.”

Even Underworld was already capable of dispatching over 200 battle-experienced experts, not to mention the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. The Pavilion most likely had plenty of top-tier experts as well. It was simply not an existence that Zero Wing could contend with.

“Within the region of White River City, even a dragon has to bow before Zero Wing. You should prepare. There will be fun to be had soon,” Shi Feng laughed. He then left the first-floor reception hall and headed to the VIP room on the second floor.

Naturally, Shi Feng had his own reasons for slapping the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s face.

The first reason: it had felt awesome!

He was an expert who had set foot into the Flowing Water Realm. He was even geared with a complete Tier 1 Set Equipment and Fragmented Legendary and Epic ranked rings. He even wielded a Magic Weapon. So, how could he possibly concede to a Pavilion Master of a super-first-rate Guild?

In the past, even a real Super Guild had to cower in fear when facing the Midnight Tea Party, a 20-man independent team. Currently, he was in possession of weapons and equipment that were far superior to anyone else’s. He also had several large-scale destruction spells. Not to mention, White River City was his home ground.

Why wouldn’t he challenge a super-first-rate Guild?

As for the second reason, it was to forge the Guild.

If one wanted to improve on their skills, they only needed to do one thing.

Fight!

Experts were not nurtured through Dungeon raids, but through live battles against other players.

Overwhelming Smile was no longer a challenge, so they had to choose a stronger opponent to pit themselves against. In any case, Zero Wing did not lack money. They could afford to fight the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion.

Chapter 547: Shocking God’s Domain

Aqua Rose revealed a bitter smile as she watched Shi Feng’s departing figure.

However, when she considered the situation from a different perspective, Shi Feng’s decision was not necessarily a bad thing.

In the past, other than Super Guilds, there really weren’t any Guilds that had dared provoke the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion.

Now that Zero Wing had made a fuss, even if they were defeated, it would be a glorious defeat. Moreover, suffering defeat in God’s Domain did not equal annihilation.

God’s Domain was not as simple as other virtual reality games. Thoroughly annihilating a Guild was easier said than done. It was similar to Zero Wing’s efforts to chase Overwhelming Smile out of White River City. Despite having massacred Overwhelming Smile’s members, not only did the Guild still reside in White River City, but it was also getting by quite well. Only, the Guild was forced to maintain a low profile, and its development had slowed significantly.

Although the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had a lot of experts, and its financial prowess was enormous, it would not be able to extinguish Zero Wing in White River City easily.

Not to mention, Zero Wing also had the Candlelight Trading Firm supplying it with Coins.

“Alright, let’s head back and prepare. White River City won’t be so peaceful from now on.” Saying so, Aqua Rose left the Candlelight Trading Firm with Zero Wing’s core members.

—

Meanwhile, inside the VIP room on the second floor, Shi Feng had already begun to discuss business with Gentle Snow.

“Guild Leader Black Flame, this move of yours is truly incomprehensible,” Gentle Snow said, confusion plastered on her snow-white face. She could not help but ask, “Guild Leader Black Flame, you should know that there are a total of seven first-rate Guilds competing over the Black Dragon Empire. Although two of them are not based in the empire, they have invested a significant sum into the branch’s development. Yet, despite there being so many first-rate Guilds in the empire, only the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion has a Branch Guild set up in the imperial capital. None of the other first-rate Guilds have set up their Branch Guilds there yet. Do you know why?”

“The imperial capital isn’t a nice place to live.” Shi Feng laughed.

Gentle Snow rolled her eyes. He was clearly pretending to be stupid. Helpless, she explained, “That is because the Branch Leader there is Blood Dragon, one of Nine Dragons Emperor’s most formidable generals. Blood Dragon is a violent man, and he loves battles more than anything. He also has a group of experts under him called the Blood Legion. If any Guilds refuse to submit to the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion and dare to reside in the imperial capital, then this Blood Legion will come forward.

“The Blood Legion will secretly target these Guilds, going as far as to ambush the upper echelons even while still within the city limits.

“None of these first-rate Guilds wish to drop all pretense of cordiality with the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion and allow others to take advantage of the situation. Hence, they had no better option but to withdraw from the imperial capital and develop in other cities.

“If the Pavilion sends the Blood Legion to White River City, it won’t be a good thing for Zero Wing.”

Shi Feng simply revealed a faint smile in response to Gentle Snow’s words.

Naturally, he knew all of this information. Moreover, his understanding of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was even more thorough than Gentle Snow’s.

The Blood Legion’s fame was not one bit exaggerated. The Blood Legion was also known as the Assassination Legion, comprised of a group of Assassins that the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion had carefully nurtured. Anyone who opposed the Heavenly Dragon Legion would oftentimes find themselves killed back to Level 0 the following day. The result would not change even if one hid inside a city.

It was not an easy feat to kill players inside a city. It was especially so for a major city. Even if one managed to kill a player, the city guards would still kill them and deliver a severe punishment. In mild cases, this punishment would be a jail sentence of several days. In severe cases, it was highly possible that the guards would first execute the player multiple times, then jail them for a dozen days or so, and finally, chase them out of and bar entry to the city. If this player dared show their face in the city, the guards would execute them on the spot.

Unless that player did not mind losing a few Levels and being locked up for a few weeks, or they no longer wished to reside in the city any longer, they normally would not take action inside an NPC city.

During the initial stages of God’s Domain, the various large Guilds already wished they could split in two to hasten their development. One could just imagine how much of a loss it would be for a Guild to have its experts locked up for days or weeks.

Every Guild treated its experts like treasures. Losing an expert for a single day could cause immense damage to a Guild, not to mention a jail sentence of a few days.

However, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion paid these consequences no mind. They had plenty of experts to go around. This was the Pavilion’s strength.

“Forget it. I’ve already told you about the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. Since you made me wait so long, may I know how many Intermediate Mana Armor Kits Guild Leader Black Flame intends to sell to me?” Shi Feng’s unperturbed attitude left Gentle Snow utterly speechless. At this moment, however, her own situation did not look too well, either, so she could not be of any help even if she wanted to.

“Miss Snow, how many do you want?” Shi Feng simply laughed off Gentle Snow’s worries, not bothering to offer her any explanation. However, he knew that Gentle Snow sincerely wanted to help him. He also understood that she was currently powerless to help him.

Hearing Shi Feng’s question, Gentle Snow pondered for a moment before asking softly, “Do you have enough to gear a 50-man team?”

Everybody knew how precious the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits were. Even partnered Guilds were only allowed to purchase 21 kits at a time. That amount was only sufficient to gear nine players at most. Beyond that, it was extremely difficult to obtain any more kits, as all those who had managed to purchase them refused to part with them.

It was impossible for any Guild, other than Zero Wing, to obtain a sufficient number of Intermediate Mana Armor Kits to gear a 50-man team fully.

“Okay, but the Candlelight Trading Firm requires a large amount of rare materials. In the future, I will require Ouroboros to sell the majority of the materials it obtains to the Candlelight Trading Firm,” Shi Feng said.

Currently, Zero Wing was still capable of meeting the Candlelight Trading Firm’s demand. However, as the Firm developed, the materials it required would increase. At that time, Zero Wing alone would not be enough to satisfy the demand of the Candlelight Trading Firm. However, if a first-rate Guild like Ouroboros supplied the Firm, there would no longer be any problems.

“Once I return, I’ll instruct my subordinates to send you the materials.” Gentle Snow nodded in agreement. In any case, she was tight on money right now. If she could convert some of the Guild’s materials into Coins, it would help her greatly.

—

After Shi Feng and Gentle Snow concluded their trade, the matter of Zero Wing’s Guild Leader, Black Flame, provoking the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had already spread throughout God’s Domain.

As a super-first-rate Guild, any minor matter relating to the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion would receive the attention of the various large Guilds in the virtual gaming world, not to mention a major incident such as a Guild openly insulting them.

For a time, everyone began to pay attention to the Star-Moon Kingdom, to Zero Wing, and to Black Flame.

“Crap, Black Flame must’ve gone insane! He actually dared to slap the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion in the face! Does he not want to play God’s Domain anymore?”

“What do you know? Black Flame is super amazing! He is a titled expert on the God’s Domain Ranking List! He has his own pride, naturally, so how could he possibly hand over the Candlelight Trading Firm he had built by himself?”

“I wonder what the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion will do?”

“Isn’t it obvious? If Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion does not flatten a Guild like Zero Wing, will it still qualify to be called a super-first-rate Guild?”

News and talk of the conflict between the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion and Zero Wing filled God’s Domain’s forums. As for Super Guilds, they, too, had fun watching from the sidelines.

—

Currently, while all of God’s Domain was in an uproar, the atmosphere inside one of White River City’s high-class restaurants was extremely awkward.

“Pavilion Master, leave this matter to this subordinate. I will give Black Flame more than what he bargained for,” the robust Blood Dragon requested respectfully.

“I never expected to encounter such a blind fool in this far-off city. Now, every player in God’s Domain knows of this incident. The Great Pavilion Master has even sent me a message personally, telling me to deal with this matter as visibly as possible and show those Super Guilds that the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion is no longer just a super-first-rate Guild. Rather, it is a Super Guild that stands on equal footing,” Nine Dragons Emperor said, a bone-chilling glint flashing in his eyes. Curling up his lips, he said, “Since the Great Pavilion Master has issued the command, we cannot take this matter lightly. Notify the War Dragon Legion and have them meet us here immediately. I want to destroy Zero Wing’s Guild Residence personally!”

Chapter 548: War Dragon Legion

“The War Dragon Legion?” Blood Dragon could not help but suck in a breath of cold air when he heard this name.

The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was divided into two Pavilions: the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion and the Phoenix Pavilion. Both Pavilions had their own strongest legions.

The Heavenly Dragon Pavilion’s strongest force was the War Dragon Legion.

The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion nurtured its own experts internally. Among these experts, only the best of the best were allowed into the War Dragon Legion.

One could say that the War Dragon Legion was the strongest legion specially established to contend with Super Guilds.

Blood Dragon had also come from the War Dragon Legion.

Who wouldn’t be shocked by the Nine Dragons Emperor summoning the War Dragon Legion?

“Pavilion Master, aren’t we just dealing with a small Guild? Is there really a need for such a commotion?” Chaos Dancer, the beautiful woman seated beside Nine Dragons Emperor, advised, “In fact, we can rely on the Blood Legion to get rid of Zero Wing. If we expose the strength of the War Dragon Legion right now, won’t we waste a trump card that we could use against those Super Guilds in the future?”

“It doesn’t matter. Since joining God’s Domain, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion has yet to achieve anything significant. Now that everyone is watching the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, it is a good opportunity for an excellent performance,” Nine Dragons Emperor said, smiling playfully. “Moreover, Zero Wing’s reputation is not insignificant. If we can finish off Zero Wing swiftly, it will serve as a shock to some of those weaklings and let everyone know that the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion is no longer a super-first-rate Guild, but a true Super Guild.”

“Understood. This subordinate will notify the War Dragon Legion immediately.” Chaos Dance then began contacting the War Dragon Legion.

—

Time passed little by little.

While the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion prepared to deal with Zero Wing, other Guilds did not idle and do nothing. Every one of them gathered their members in White River City.

For a time, experts swarmed White River City.

Despite it obviously being daytime, the number of players filling the streets surpassed even night-time. Among all these players, aside from those that large Guilds had sent, there were plenty of ordinary players who had hurried over from other cities.

Players throughout God’s Domain knew about the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s intentions to take out Zero Wing.

Although this was clearly a one-sided battle, many players still wanted to witness the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s strength. Hence, many ordinary players had hurried to White River City to watch the show.

However, it was also this reason that boosted the Candlelight Trading Firm’s business. Among the items sold by the Firm, Light Stones were the most popular. The Candlelight Trading Firm’s income had practically recovered to its peak, earning nearly a thousand Gold in one hour.

As a result, Melancholic Smile and the others at the Candlelight Trading Firm focused fully on their work.

“Old Five, I heard that Black Flame defeated you and Old Six even after you two cooperated. This incident has not impressed the higher-ups, and they’ve started to look down on our Seven Ghosts. When the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion deals with Zero Wing, we need to deal with this matter properly,” a thin, middle-aged man with bronze skin said seriously.

“Brother Three, rest assured; I will not damage our reputation,” Fifth Ghost said, killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Previously, even though he had worked with Sixth Ghost, Black Flame still defeated them. Moreover, they had even lost all of their equipment they upon dying and had been barred from entering the game for two whole days. By now, they had both become laughingstocks in Underworld.

This time, in order to restore the Seven Ghosts’ reputation, they needed to avenge themselves properly and complete the tasks the higher-ups had given them.

“All is well as long as you know it. Our task is very simple this time: assist Young Master Feng in obtaining 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. It will be even better if we can obtain even more equipment and kits. However, since the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion is spearheading this matter, it is best if we keep a low-profile. So, first, let’s focus on getting the 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits,” the thin man, Third Ghost, said. “This time, to ensure we complete our task, I have even called Old Four and Old Seven to help us. With the five of us, we should be able to take down Black Flame easily. The only thing we have to worry about is the Pavilion itself. It is best if we form a proper plan.”

“On this point, Brother Third Ghost, please rest assured. Based on my investigations, the Blood Dragon’s subordinates, the Blood Legion, will not be involved this time; the Nine Dragons Emperor has called in the War Dragon Legion instead. Every member of the War Dragon Legion is proud and arrogant, and they usually look down on everyone else. They should not pay any attention to us should we move against Zero Wing,” Feng Xuanyang explained, smiling faintly. “As insurance, I have even had a large group of elites come over from Maple City. With such a powerful force, Black Flame will have no hope of survival.”

“Having the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion deal with Zero Wing is already overkill. Adding us into the mix, Black Flame will die with a 100% certainty. Even if he is even more powerful than we suspect, he will have to consider his options carefully. At that time, he will willingly hand over the 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits,” Fifth Ghost laughed coldly. “If he refuses, then I’ll give him a taste of what it feels like to wish for death.”

All of White River City’s various large Guilds, including Overwhelming Smile, considered and prepared to strike against Zero Wing while it was down, taking the opportunity to benefit from the Guild’s downfall.

—

Meanwhile, in a high-class bar a short distance from Zero Wing’s Guild Residence, many upper managers of Guilds had gathered.

The entire three-story building was packed full of players. Among them, first-rate Guilds fully occupied all of the private rooms on the third floor. From these rooms, one could clearly see every movement around Zero Wing’s Guild Residence.

“Guild Leader, don’t you think that Zero Wing is acting strangely? Even now, they are still so carefree. They have not taken any precautionary measures at all. Is this Black Flame pretending to be a fool, or is he actually one?” Purple Eye frowned as she watched Zero Wing’s Guild Residence through the window.

“There’s nothing surprising about this. Black Flame simply does not understand the Nine Dragons Emperor’s character. Look at the people inside the bar for example. Aren’t most of them members of first-rate Guilds? Meanwhile, a newly-established Guild like Zero Wing and a newcomer to the virtual gaming world like Black Flame don’t know Nine Dragons’ style of conduct. Thus, he continues with his carefree manner,” Galaxy Past said, laughing. Downing a mouthful of Flame Beer, he continued, “The Nine Dragons Emperor is someone who conducts himself with a lofty tone and does not play his cards according to common sense. This time, he has even secretly mobilized the War Dragon Legion to deal with Zero Wing, making a fuss over a minor incident. Naturally, the only reason why he would mobilize such a powerful legion is to destroy Zero Wing’s Guild Residence.

“A Guild Residence is different from a private Shop. While inside the Shop, the manager is invincible. However, it is a different story for a Guild Residence. It is slightly troublesome to deal with the Residence’s hired guards, and there are also the city guards who patrol the streets. With current players’ Levels and equipment, it is still impossible to resist the patrolling guards. Hence, no sane Guild would attempt to attack another Guild’s Residence.

“However, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion is no trivial existence. One cannot measure by the strength of an ordinary Guild. Moreover, the Nine Dragons Emperor is no fool. I keep getting the feeling that he has some sort of trick up his sleeve. Otherwise, he would not have sent the War Dragon Legion, a trump card that he had prepared for facing Super Guilds!

“What we need to do now is wait for the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion to make its move. Once they take action and Zero Wing falls, we can begin our operation as well.”

Purple Eye nodded silently.

This time, the Star Alliance had sent quite a number of elites and experts. They were not afraid that Zero Wing would not fall today. Instead, it was only a matter of how much profit they could gain.

However, the various large Guilds, including the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, was ignorant of one point.

Shi Feng was a reincarnator. Moreover, he had also been the Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild in the past. In order to survive in God’s Domain’s harsh conditions, he had endured relentless pain and suffering.

As far as understanding massive existences like the Nine Dragons Emperor…

The Nine Dragons Emperor, most likely, did not have a better understanding than Shi Feng.

Chapter 549: Leave None Alive

Inside the meeting room in Zero Wing’s Guild Residence…

Zero Wing’s core members filled the large meeting room; everyone could feel the tension in the air.

War was imminent.

Although Zero Wing had succeeded in suppressing Overwhelming Smile in White River City, their current enemy, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, was a lot stronger than Overwhelming Smile. The two Guilds were on entirely different levels.

Every player present fully understood how severe of a situation they were in. They also knew that it was highly unlikely that they would overcome this hurdle.

Seated on the Guild Leader’s throne, Shi Feng suddenly asked, “You must think that I am a fool, right?”

However, the only answer he received was silence.

Not a single person answered his question. Everyone only stared at their Guild Leader, who was shrouded in mystery, quietly.

“I know the answer even without you saying a word,” Shi Feng laughed. Casual and relaxed, he said, “Everyone must think that I have gone insane, that I overestimate myself by challenging a super-first-rate Guild like the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion.

“Until now, aside from Super Guilds, not a single Guild dares to make an enemy of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. Do you know why?

“The reason is very simple: they are simply too strong. They are strong enough that other Guilds despair at the thought of them as an enemy!

“I believe that you should know all that, at this time, many Guilds have already begun to prepare to take advantage of our misfortune. Every one of them is closely eyeing us like prey. There is not a single Guild out there that thinks we might come out of this on top. They all believe that we will lose without a doubt and that our names will soon be wiped from God’s Domain.

“Do you know why?

“I’ll tell you why! Since the very beginning, whether it is the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion or the various other first-rate Guilds, none of these people have seen us as equals. Since the very beginning, they have thought of us as weak. So, they have come to bully us, to drink our blood and eat our flesh, to destroy us!

“However, I will warn them now. They will be disappointed.

“Since there has never been a Guild courageous enough to challenge the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, then, today, we will be the first to make history! We will show everyone that Zero Wing is not a Guild they can afford to provoke! If they wish to plunder our corpses, they’ll have to seek permission from the swords in our hands first!

“The battle is to the strong! Today, let us teach the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion a lesson!”

The moment Shi Feng finished his speech, everyone suddenly felt their blood boil.

None of them had ever thought that such a day would come.

Throughout the virtual gaming world, other than Super Guilds, there had never been a Guild daring enough to provoke and challenge the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. However, Zero Wing dared.

Moreover, Zero Wing’s Guild Leader himself led this challenge.

“Isn’t it just a super-first-rate Guild? I’ve long since grown tired of looking at their faces. Today, I’ll use them to release some stress!” Cola laughed excitedly.

“Hahaha! Guild Leader, I’ve been waiting for you to say that! I’m bored of battling Overwhelming Smile constantly. The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion has arrived at just the right time. It just so happens that I can use them to test my recent improvement!” Blackie licked his lips, revealing an eager grin.

“Guild Leader, tell us how we should deal with the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion! I want to be the first one to have a go at them!” Flying Shadow said excitedly.

“This is seriously insane.” Aqua Rose shook her head helplessly. In the next moment, however, she smiled and said, “But I like it!”

For a time, every Zero Wing member in the meeting room talked and laughed with one another, the heavy atmosphere from before vanishing.

The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was indeed strong. However, they were not a bunch of weak and powerless noobs, either. Since the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion dared to oppress them using force, they would show the Pavilion that it had chosen a wrong opponent. They would let the Pavilion know that the opponent it was about to face was not a weak, little cub, but rather, it was a ferocious beast with sharp fangs and claws.

“If I am not mistaken, it is highly possible that the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion will strike once the sun sets. Fire Dance, how are the preparations going on your side?” Shi Feng asked as he turned to the sharp and mesmerizing Fire Dance.

Based on Shi Feng’s understanding of Nine Dragons Emperor, there was an 80% chance that he intended to destroy Zero Wing’s Guild Residence.

If a Guild Residence were destroyed, it could not be repaired within ten days’ time. Moreover, if a Guild Residence were destroyed, all members of the corresponding Guild within the city would receive a penalty.

Not only would all members lose a Level, but their EXP gain would also be halved for the following ten days. The Guild’s Popularity would drop by 50,000 points as well. Moreover, after the destroyed Guild Residence was reconstructed, the quality of the Guild Quests the Guild would receive would be significantly affected.

The best time to destroy a Guild Residence was at night.

Players’ greatest foe when trying to destroy an enemy Guild Residence was not other players, but the patrolling NPC city guards. These city guards were no trivial matter; they were all Level 150 NPCs. To players, they were nightmares. These NPCs only needed one hit to finish off the current players of God’s Domain.

However, the number of patrolling city guards would change depending on the time of day.

During the day, these NPCs always patrolled in groups of twenty. By the time night arrived, however, that number would decrease to ten. If a Guild attacked an enemy Guild Residence at night, it could notably lessen its losses. That way, the Guild would have more combat power to spare for destroying the enemy Guild Residence.

Meanwhile, since Shi Feng dared to provoke the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, he had naturally prepared.

If one wished to destroy a Guild Residence, aside from the city guards, there were also the hired guards inside the Guild Residence to contend with. Although the hired guards were not as powerful as the Level 150 city guards, they were still genuine Level 50 NPCs.

Meanwhile, depending on the employed NPC’s strength, the asking price of said NPC would vary. Tier 0 guards cost 5 Silver per day, whereas Tier 1 guards cost 30 Silver per day. When hiring these guards, one had to prepay ten days of their services.

Shi Feng was a Viscount, and all this time, he had been hiring a mix of 50 Tier 1 and Tier 0 guards to defend Zero Wing’s Guild Residence. However, seeing as the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion led this assault, he had not hesitated to replace all of his guards with Tier 1 NPCs. In any case, what he had was money.

In addition, since early on, Shi Feng had told everyone in the Guild to focus on raising their Reputation. Hence, at this moment in time, there were also many people within the Guild who had high Reputation.

For example, Fire Dance, Aqua Rose, Blackie, and several other core members of Zero Wing did not lack Reputation Points Although they had yet to become Viscounts like Shi Feng, they were Barons, and every one of them was capable of hiring ten Level 50 Tier 1 NPCs.

In total, they had over 200 Tier 1 NPCs employed right now. This was a very powerful force.

“It’s done. They all are hiding and lying in wait.” Fire Dance nodded, a playful smile appearing on her face.

—

Time slowly ticked by.

While everyone waited for the start of the battle, night arrived in God’s Domain.

Currently, players clogged the streets neighboring Zero Wing’s Guild Residence.

“Pavilion Master, all 1,000 men from the War Dragon Legion are in position,” a valiant and extraordinary-looking youth reported to Nine Dragons Emperor.

The War Dragon Legion was the strongest force in the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion’s arsenal. As of today, it had never been used to deal with any Guild less than a Super Guild. The legion consisted of 1,000 players, and every one of these players wore Level 25 Fine-Gold Equipment. A few even had Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment. These legionnaires’ Levels also ranged from Level 27 to Level 28. These players were definitely at the peak of God’s Domain in terms of levels. Every member also radiated a sharp and penetrating aura.

Although the War Dragon Legion consisted of 1,000 members, they felt like an army of tens of thousands that was capable of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, among these players, the man reporting to Nine Dragons Emperor was even more extraordinary. He was the War Dragon Legion’s Commander, Martial Dragon. He was a Level 28 Berserker, and the majority of his equipment consisted of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment. The greatsword he wielded was also of indiscernible quality. However, judging by the blade’s capability of even tearing apart air, one could tell that it was an exceptional item with a single glance.

Aside from the War Dragon Legion’s 1,000 players, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had also dispatched close to 10,000 elite players. These elite players were all Level 25 and above. It was a truly shocking sight. Only a first-rate Guild would be capable of dispatching so many elite players. Were it not for the transportation fees, this number would have most likely been several times higher.

Many players involuntarily trembled when they saw the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s war formation from afar.

This was the power of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. Regarding both financial prowess and manpower, ordinary first-rate Guilds simply could not compare to the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion.

“Hahaha! Zero Wing is truly finished this time!” Sitting in a third-floor private room of a high-class bar, Feng Xuanyang felt indescribable joy well up in his heart when he saw the Pavilion’s army.

“It’s as expected of Martial Dragon, the Commander of the War Dragon Legion. I can feel that terrifying aura of his even from such a distance.” Fear filled Fifth Ghost’s heart when he looked at the valiant Martial Dragon.

“Martial Dragon is a true mutant. He is not human at all. Even our Boss has said so. Otherwise, he would not be capable of becoming the War Dragon Legion’s Commander. If we encounter him, it is best that we avoid provoking him,” Third Ghost reminded his brothers in arms.

Meanwhile, standing on the street, Nine Dragons Emperor swept a glance over the army before him. In the next moment, he waved his hand and pointed at Zero Wing’s Guild Residence. Very calmly, he said, “Go! Leave none alive!”