Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 600

Chapter 600: Ring of Legends

 

After Shi Feng crossed about a dozen yards or so, the Great Demon Knettel sensed his presence.

“Why is there still an ant? Go, finish him off,” Knettel, who hovered in the air, commanded five Level 40 Chieftains to deal with Shi Feng.

In the Great Demon’s eyes, a Tier 1 player like Shi Feng meant too little for him to take action personally.

He had only killed Discipline Paradise personally due to the Moloch’s Ring. Otherwise, he would have let his subordinates finish off the Guardian Knight and the others.

When 100 yards stood between Shi Feng and the Moloch’s Ring, five massive Black Demonic Bears surrounded him.

“Just in time.” Shi Feng smiled faintly. He then used Silent Steps on one of the Demonic Bears.

Shi Feng crossed a distance of 20 yards instantly.

He then activated the Aura of Wind’s Activatable Skill, Wind Rider, his speed abruptly increasing by 220%. Transforming into a fierce gale, he easily shook off the five Black Demonic Bears and continued his way towards the Moloch’s Ring.

“Not bad for a little ant.” Knettel frowned. He stretched out his left hand.

A ball of black flame bloomed in Knettel’s black-scaled palm.

Although this ball of black flame did not radiate any scorching heat, Shi Feng could clearly feel how formidable it was. If the flame so much as touched him, he would instantly lose his life.

“You should feel honored to die by my, the Great Demon Knettel’s, hand.” Knettel then lightly waved his hand at Shi Feng. Suddenly, a tidal wave of black flame washed down from the sky.

Agonizing screams tore from the throats of any monster that encountered these black flames; the raging fire turned them into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

Not daring to be careless, Shi Feng soared into the sky, avoiding the black flames by the skin of his teeth.

“Despicable ant, you actually to dare dodge my attack!” Knettel bellowed. In the next moment, countless black arcs of lightning appeared in his hand; each arc was as thick as a person’s thigh. The Great Demon then pointed at Shi Feng, shouting, “Turn to ash!”

Immediately, the arcs of lightning formed a giant web that flew towards Shi Feng faster than when he had Wind Rider activated.

This was the Tier 4 Skill the Great Demon Knettel was most proficient with, Dark Vortex. Not even a Tier 4 NPC could dodge this Skill; they could only attempt to block it. As for players, they would die instantly.

Is there a need to be this serious? Shi Feng was rendered speechless as he saw the black electric net that had already surrounded him. I have to use my trump card.

Shi Feng no longer tried to dodge the black lightning, opting to charge towards it instead.

“Trying to kill yourself now that you know escape is impossible?” Knettel smiled with satisfaction as he watched Shi Feng’s suicidal action.

Boom!

A thundering explosion occurred as Shi Feng collided with the black electric net. It was as if the end of the world had arrived. Not even a Level 40 Chieftain could survive such a frightening attack.

Just as the Great Demon was about to turn away, he suddenly discovered that something was amiss.

A golden figure flew towards him.

“How is he still alive?” Knettel stared at the unscathed Shi Feng.

While the Great Demon was surprised, Shi Feng arrived at Discipline Paradise’s ashes. His hand snatched Moloch’s Ring swiftly and placed the item in his bag.

“Despicable thief! You have truly angered me this time!” A cold glint flashed in Knettel’s crimson eyes.

Suddenly, a blood-red battle axe with a thorn-covered handle appeared in Knettel’s hands. With a flap of his wings, the Great Demon instantly appeared in front of Shi Feng, swinging his battle axe down at the Swordsman.

Explosions shook the air as the axe descended. It was as if Knettel’s powerful attack shattered space itself, and not even Shi Feng could dodge or defend against the attack in time.

Boom!

When the blood-red axe struck Shi Feng’s body, he suddenly felt disembodied. After a fraction of a pause, the attack sent him crashing into a four-story building over 30 yards away.

“What Strength and speed!” Shi Feng exclaimed as he climbed out of the rubble. The Great Demon Knettel’s strength was definitely at Upper-rank Tier 4. If he had not switched the Aura of Wind to the Aura of Earth and activated Absolute Defense in time, even if he were a Level 60 Tier 2 Sword Master, that single hit would have obliterated him.

Currently, although Shi Feng had not received any damage, his entire body was numb. Even moving was difficult for him.

The strength of a Tier 4 Great Demon was simply too terrifying.

Moreover, Knettel’s strength wasn’t just limited to his Attributes. His techniques were similarly frightening. Knettel’s simple swing had not contained any excess movements at all. The Demon was operating at the same level as a top-tier expert.

Against an opponent who possessed the Attributes of a Tier 4 class and the skills of a top-tier expert, even in his prime, Shi Feng could only turn tail and run.

Knettel could not help his surprise when he discovered that Shi Feng was actually still alive.

A tiny little ant had actually survived three of his moves. He had never encountered this in the past.

Before the Great Demon could recover from his shock, Shi Feng activated Phantom Kill. Suddenly, he turned and fled at maximum speed.

“You want to escape? Do you really think you can run from me, the Great Demon Knettel?” Knettel revealed a malevolent smile. To the prideful Great Demon, the fact that Shi Feng had provoked it repeatedly was humiliating. If others heard of this, he, the Great Demon Knettel, would watch his reputation in the Dark Den whither.

Spreading his wings, Knettel transformed into a black streak of light as he chased after Shi Feng.

So fast. As expected of a winged Tier 4 Great Demon. Glancing at the rapidly approaching Great Demon, Shi Feng inwardly prayed that it would not discover his plan.

Wind Rider only had a duration of 24 seconds. From the time he had activated Wind Rider until now, nearly seven seconds had passed. He had also used up Absolute Defense already. If he wished to escape from the Tier 4 Great Demon, his could only rely on diversions.

At this moment, Shi Feng’s doppelganger hurriedly activated Blade Liberation and Windwalk. The doppelganger then dashed in the opposite direction of Shi Feng. None of the surrounding Level 40 Chieftains could keep up with the doppelganger’s speed. In just a short moment, the doppelganger had shaken off all its pursuers.

Roughly five seconds later, Knettel also caught up with Shi Feng.

“Despicable human, I admit that you are very skilled. A little Tier 1 Swordsman like you has actually forced me, the Great Demon Knettel, to expend so much effort to deal with you. As a reward, I will grant you endless torture! You will become my puppet for the rest of eternity!” Knettel shouted, a ferocious grin appearing on his face as he watched the currently motionless Shi Feng.

“Oh, really? You’ll have to catch me first,” Shi Feng replied disdainfully.

“Catch you?” The Great Demon Knettel’s expression sank as he suddenly discovered that the Shi Feng before him had changed. Although the Shi Feng before him had become stronger, his eyes were that of a puppet’s. There was not the slightest sign of anger within those eyes. “Damn! It’s a doppelganger!”

Saying so, Knettel abruptly jumped into the air and returned to District Five.

However, roughly four seconds after the Great Demon Knettel turned to fly back to the Shelter, the originally emotionless Shi Feng suddenly wore an angry expression. Shi Feng had swapped positions with his doppelganger once more.

The Abyssal Blade’s Phantom Skill could be an extremely powerful Lifesaving Skill. As long as his doppelganger was still alive, Shi Feng could swap positions with it indefinitely. With this move, even a Tier 4 Great Demon should not think of killing him easily.

Shi Feng then changed directions and flew towards District One.

Even after Wind Rider’s duration ended, the Great Demon could not find any trace of Shi Feng.

“Finally safe.” Shi Feng, who currently hid in a forest, breathed a sigh of relief. “Fortunately, the Great Demon does not know my trump card. Otherwise, I really would have died. Hopefully, this Moloch’s Ring is worth all I went through to get it.”

Shi Feng carefully retrieved the pitch-black ring, which was engraved with innumerable inscriptions, from his bag.

Omniscient Eyes!

Shi Feng examined Moloch’s Ring. Immediately, a shocked expression appeared on his face.

“Impossible!” At this moment, even Shi Feng did not dare believe his own eyes.

Moloch’s Ring was actually a Legendary item!

Chapter 601: Legendary Quest

 

Even after a long look, Shi Feng still did not dare believe that what he was seeing was real.

Legendary items were as rare as a phoenix’s feather in God’s Domain, and not even Tier 5 players would necessarily possess one.

Any player who owned a Legendary item had the power to challenge opponents of a higher Tier.

Take Shi Feng’s Fragmented Legendary ranked Heavenly Dragon’s Breath for example. When he activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power, he could contend with a Lord, which was the equivalent of a Tier 2 class, for a short time.

If he possessed a Legendary item, he could definitely contend with a High Lord.

A Lord ranked monster was merely the Boss of a 20-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon. Meanwhile, a High Lord was the Boss of a 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon. The difference in power was immense.

If he could equip a Legendary item now, not to mention a 50-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon, he could even lead a team in a 50-man Hell Mode Team Dungeon. He could even give a 100-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon a try.

A Team Dungeon tested the overall strength of a team, while a Legendary item was capable of increasing the overall strength of a team significantly. This was the why Legendary items were so frightening. They could break the limits of conventional strength.

Unfortunately, although the information Shi Feng had obtained regarding the Moloch’s Ring stated that it was a Legendary item, it turned out that the Ring was sealed.

[Moloch’s Ring] (Ring, Legendary Rank)

Sealed by the Lord of Balrogs, legend has it that this ring contains all of the Lord of Balrog’s secrets and power. By wearing this ring, one can obtain this power. After Moloch’s Ring had been sealed away, the Great Demon Knettel stood guard over the item. The Ring holds the Great Demon Knettel’s mark, allowing the Great Demon to sense its location periodically.

System: Legendary Quest “Lord of Balrog’s Fall” activated.

Quest details: Lift the seal on Moloch’s Ring.

Quest rewards: Unknown.

“A Legendary Quest!” Shi Feng smiled bitterly. “No wonder the penalty Discipline Paradise received was so severe.”

Just the penalty for failing an Epic Quest could half-cripple a player’s character, not to mention a Legendary Quest.

“However, I’ve never heard of this Legendary Quest before. The clues the quest provides are so limited, too. It says that I need to lift the seal on the ring, but it doesn’t tell me how to do that. The ring doesn’t provide any clues, either. It is no wonder Discipline Paradise failed the quest.” Shi Feng knew very well just how frightening a Legendary Quest was.

A single Epic Quest had already given Shi Feng such a huge headache, not to mention a Legendary Quest.

However, God’s Domain was fair in all regards. If he could complete this Legendary Quest, the reward he could obtain would definitely be incredible. In God’s Domain, if a player wished to obtain a Legendary item, they would have to do so by completing a Legendary Quest. However, a majority of the players that took this path normally ended up plunging themselves into a dark abyss. This was also why Legendary items were so rare.

If possible, Shi Feng would rather not accept a Legendary Quest right now.

“After going through so much to get this ring, in the end, it still doesn’t help me get to the Dark Den.” Shi Feng sighed. Currently, as long as he held onto this ring, a Great Demon would hunt him. Moreover, there was no definite time as to when the Great Demon Knettel would make his appearance again. This was far more dangerous than his Epic Quest, which provided a clear time limit.

Shi Feng stored Moloch’s Ring in his bag. Right now, completing the Darkness Descends quest was of the utmost priority.

Just as Shi Feng was about to leave his hiding spot, the sound of a system notification reached his ears.

System: Moloch’s Ring has detected the presence of the Power of Darkness. Do you want Moloch’s Ring to devour the Power of Darkness?

“Devour the Power of Darkness?” Shi Feng was stunned. Giving it some thought, he could not recall there being anything important in his bag. He then clicked “Agree.”

In the next moment, the dozen or so Soul Crystals inside his bag disappeared.

Meanwhile, due to having devoured the Soul Crystals, the inscriptions on Moloch’s Ring glowed slightly.

System: First seal on Moloch’s Ring lifted.

“It’s lifted, just like that…?” The sudden development rendered Shi Feng speechless. He then examined Moloch’s Ring again.

[Moloch’s Ring] (Ring, Legendary Rank)

Sealed by the Lord of Balrogs, legend has it that this ring contains all of the Lord of Balrog’s secrets and power. By wearing this ring, one can obtain this power. After Moloch’s Ring had been sealed away, the Great Demon Knettel stood guard over the item. The Ring holds the Great Demon Knettel’s mark, allowing the Great Demon to sense its location periodically.

First seal lifted. A fragment of its power has been released. Power of Darkness required to lift the second seal: (6/100)

All Attributes +10%

Fire Resistance +30

Additional Skill-

Gate of Darkness: Opens a teleportation gate to the central area of the Dark Den.

Duration: 10 minutes

Cooldown: 24 hours

“Sure enough, the Dark Den and this ring are related,” Shi Feng stated, laughing. “With this, I can head to the central area of the Dark Den.”

After Shi Feng equipped Moloch’s Ring, he activated Gate of Darkness.

Boom!

The ground suddenly trembled as dark smoke slowly emerged from the forest floor. After a moment, the black smoke formed a pair of gates that was over five meters tall. There were countless golden runes engraved on the gates, radiating a frightening pressure.

“So powerful. This pressure can rival even that of a Tier 5 NPC.” At this moment, Shi Feng even found it difficult to breathe. He felt as if he were only an ant in front of these gates.

However, when Shi Feng tried to push apart open the gates, he suddenly discovered that they were locked. Rather, he noticed a small groove in the center of the gates. It seemed like a keyhole.

“So, that’s the case.”

Originally, Shi Feng had thought Discipline Paradise had been trying to trick him. Now, however, it would seem that he really did need the Chapter of Darkness to enter the Dark Den. He then placed the Chapter of Darkness into the groove.

When Shi Feng placed the black slate tablet into the groove, the golden runes on the gates suddenly linked with each other, releasing a golden brilliance. The gates began to open slowly.

The instant the gates opened, Shi Feng felt as if something were emerging from within the gates. His body suddenly felt incredibly heavy, and even taking a step forward was an extremely difficult task.

“Just what kind of place is this Dark Den? The pressure from behind these gates alone is enough to suppress my combat power to one-tenth.” Shi Feng had not felt such fear when he was in the God’s Grave. “Is there a God on the other side?”

However, Shi Feng couldn’t care less. Gritting his teeth, he gradually pushed his body forward, advancing to the other side of the Gate of Darkness. He did not have much time left. If he did not complete his quest soon, only a dead end awaited him.

After Shi Feng entered the Gate of Darkness, it seemed as if he had entered an entirely different space.

A mountain, so tall that he could not even see its peak, loomed before him. He could also see many magnificent temples on the mountainside. These temples grew larger as one approached the top of the mountain. The temples at the foot of the mountain were merely ten meters in height. The largest temple that Shi Feng could see was over a hundred meters in height. Other than their massive sizes, these temples also radiated a powerful Divine Might.

While Shi Feng was still overwhelmed by the sight before him, a figure suddenly flew down from the peak of the mountain. The figure descended with lightning speed, and in the blink of an eye, it appeared before Shi Feng.

“My luck can’t be that rotten, right? It’s actually a Tier 5 Fallen Angel.” Dread gripped Shi Feng’s heart as looked up at the enchanting woman, who had three pairs of pitch-black wings on her back, hovering above his head.

Chapter 602: Time Limit

 

Fallen Angels were considered Higher Beings in God’s Domain, and they were born far stronger than Ordinary Beings. They were also known to be invincible against Ordinary Beings of the same Tier.

Even a Tier 5 expert with a Tier 5 Taboo Skill could only run when facing a Tier 5 Fallen Angel.

I’m dead for sure this time.

Shi Feng could only reveal a bitter smile as he looked at the Fallen Angel hovering in the sky.

He might have been able to escape a Tier 4 Great Demon, but against a Tier 5 Fallen Angel, he had no hope of resistance. Within a Domain established by a Tier 5 being, even the Seven Luminaries Ring’s Space Movement would be useless, not to mention his other Skills.

As for competing in terms of speed, if he was not even a match for a Tier 4 Great Demon, how was he supposed to outmatch a Tier 5 Fallen Angel?

In front of a Tier 5 Fallen Angel, even the Tier 4 Great Demon Knettel was an insignificant speck of dust.

“Human, it seems that you are quite courageous. Despite being only a Tier 1 Swordsman, you have actually dared to steal Moloch’s Ring from Knettel,” the Fallen Angel said, wearing a mischievous expression. She looked like a child who had just gained a new toy to play with.

Before Shi Feng could react, the Fallen Angel disappeared from the sky. By the time Shi Feng realized what had happened, the charming Fallen Angel stood before him, her flawless white hand piercing Shi Feng’s heart.

Instantly, Shi Feng’s HP, which was over 10,000, fell to zero.

Is this the power of a Tier 5 Fallen Angel? Shi Feng stared at his rapidly decreasing HP, shock filling his heart.

Regarding both speed and power, the Fallen Angel was far more powerful than any Tier 5 players Shi Feng had ever encountered. However, the Fallen Angel’s combat standards were by far the most frightening. They were impeccable. There was not the slightest excess movement her actions. It was no wonder many experts in the past had paled whenever they spoke about Fallen Angels.

Although Shi Feng had already reached the Flowing Water Realm, the second stage of the Refinement Realm, he was still far from reaching a state of perfection with his physical control. Only when he achieved a Domain[1] could he strive for such perfection.

However, just how many players could achieve a Domain in God’s Domain?

At this moment, Shi Feng felt quite fortunate as the Fallen Angel had not used any special moves to kill him. Rather, she had only needed an ordinary attack to finish him off. With this, he would only lose one Level and some Skill Proficiency at most. Moreover, other than some items that would drop upon death, players would not drop any of their equipment when killed by monsters.

“What’s going on here?” When Shi Feng opened his eyes, he discovered that he was still in the Dark Den after coming back to life. However, he had revived much further away from the towering mountain. If he wanted to head towards the mountain, he would have to run for more than half an hour.

Normally, when a player died in a special map, they would revive back in a city. Since the Tier 5 Fallen Angel had killed him, logically, that should have been where he revived, in a city, yet he had revived out in the fields.

Shi Feng then hurriedly called up his Attribute Panel, checking his Attributes and the contents of his bag.

Good. I only lost a Level and some Skill Proficiency. Shi Feng released a sigh of relief. Regardless if he were Level 33 or Level 32, it did not matter too much to Shi Feng. Just what is going on?

Looking around, Shi Feng suddenly discovered a golden avenue paved through the endless plains. There were also a countless monsters moving along this avenue towards the towering mountain.

The monsters’ Levels varied greatly, with the lowest being Level 10 and the highest being over Level 100. A single glance told Shi Feng that there were tens of thousands of monsters moving along the golden avenue.

Moreover, these monsters consisted of a wide variety of races; the majority were not linked to the forces of darkness. Shi Feng even spotted human NPCs. These NPCs also did not belong to the dark forces, and they looked more like Adventurers. Like the monsters, the NPCs’ Levels ranged from Level 10 to over Level 100.

Why are there so many human NPCs here? Shi Feng was shocked. However, his shock did not stop him from quietly approaching the golden avenue.

As a precaution, Shi Feng activated Phantom Kill, sending his doppelganger ahead of him.

Surprisingly, however, even after these monsters and NPCs noticed Shi Feng’s doppelganger, they showed no signs of aggression. When the doppelganger stepped onto the golden avenue, Shi Feng received a system notification stating that he could not attack anyone while inside this region.

There was no danger.

With this, Shi Feng relaxed. He then advanced towards the towering mountain along the golden avenue as well.

He had only arrived at the Dark Den’s central region after much difficulty. There was more than an 80% possibility of the Bible of Darkness being somewhere on the mountain.

Shi Feng had completed quite a few Epic Quests before.

The Tier 5 Fallen Angel had only killed him with a normal attack. This proved that he had yet to fail the quest. It was possible that he had only incurred a punishment because he had used an incorrect method to enter the Dark Den.

Otherwise, he would have truly been finished.

If a Tier 5 Fallen Angel were guarding the Bible of Darkness, unless he were a Tier 6 God-ranked player, completing this Epic Quest would be impossible. Moreover, the fact that Fantasy Extinguisher had managed to complete this quest in the past proved that there was definitely some other way to scale the mountain and steal the Bible of Darkness.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Shi Feng discovered that the golden avenue led towards a massive altar. Above the altar, countless monsters fought viciously, tearing each other apart. Occasionally, victors would emerge from the ceaseless battles, holding a golden key. These victors would then scale the mountain, reaching Shi Feng’s original arrival point.

Sure enough, my entry was flawed. After watching the situation for awhile, Shi Feng did not discover any high-tiered monsters guarding the mountain. There were also no Tier 5 Fallen Angels patrolling the sky.

Very quickly, Shi Feng arrived before the altar. The instant he set foot onto the altar, a system notification sounded out by his ears.

System: Defeat all enemies before you, and you will be given entry into the World Summit.

System: You will gain 1 minute for every Common Monster killed, 10 minutes for every Elite Monster killed, 30 minutes for Special Elites, 100 minutes for Chieftains, and 500 minutes for Lords.

System: You may choose 10 monsters to serve as your opponent. If you fail to defeat all of your opponents, you will die.

System: You have 19 minutes to decide. Failure to do so will result in automatic forfeiture. You will die if you forfeit.

I see. There is a restriction for entering the World Summit. It seems that I’ll have to choose who my opponents carefully. Shi Feng finally understood the gameplay here. However, if I only kill ten Common Monsters, ten minutes won’t be long enough to explore all of the World Summit. I will most likely run out of time after traveling a short distance.

No matter how he looked at it, an item like the Bible of Darkness would not be easy to find.

It might even be at the very top of the mountain. He would not reach the top of the mountain even if he spent ten hours traveling. However, if he chose monsters that were too powerful, he’d be at a disadvantage. On the off chance that he could not kill the opponents he selected, he would have truly dug his own grave.

A Lord was equivalent to 50 Special Elites or 5 Chieftains. However, although a Lord provided the most time, it was also the most difficult monster to take down. Moreover, if he had to face more than one Lord simultaneously, the difficulty of the challenge would increase manifold.

Yet, if he did not challenge high-ranking monsters, he would not have enough time to explore the World Summit.

While standing on the massive altar, Shi Feng pondered for a very long time.

System: You have 1 minute to consider. Please make your decision as soon as possible.

TL Notes:

[1] Domain: This is… slightly different from the Domain mentioned in Chapter 599. The Domain Shi Feng is referring to in this chapter is a martial arts thing, while the Domain mentioned in Chapter 599 that Weissman had used [Magic Domain] in the Mechanical Slayer arc is an in-game mechanic [It is something like a Skill].

Chapter 603: S-rank

 

Time passed quickly, and Shi Feng’s head was spinning.

This was a test meant to determine a player’s understanding of themselves and their abilities.

If a player overestimated their strength and skills, they might bring about their own deaths due to choosing monsters that were too strong. On the other hand, if they chose monsters that were overly weak, they might fail their quest due to having insufficient time.

In other words, the more a player understood of their own strength, the more benefits they could obtain through this test.

With Berserk Skills such as Heavenly Dragon’s Power and Blade Liberation, although it was possible for Shi Feng to kill a Lord of the same Level, the same did not true for a group of Lords. Hence, Shi Feng could not make this decision lightly.

System: You have 30 seconds to consider. Please make your decision as soon as possible.

“I choose one Lord and nine Chieftains,” Shi Feng said, finally deciding.

System: Opponents confirmed. Based on the analysis of your combat power, this test’s difficulty is A-rank. Once victorious, you will obtain a key that can be used to open Shrine Gates that are Dark-Gold rank or lower. Do you wish to confirm your choice?

Dark-Gold rank? Shi Feng immediately felt that something was amiss. Hurriedly, he said, “I wish to change my selection to two Lords and eight Chieftains.”

His quest was Epic rank. It was clear that he would not be able to obtain the Bible of Darkness if he could only visit Dark-Gold Shrines. He needed to be able to enter Epic Shrines. Otherwise, even if he won this battle, he would still fail his quest.

System: Opponents confirmed. Based on the analysis of your combat power, this test’s difficulty is A-rank. Once victorious, you will obtain a key that can be used to open Shrine Gates that are Dark-Gold rank or lower. Do you wish to confirm your choice?

Crap! Even with two Lords, it’s still hasn’t reached S-rank? Shi Feng inwardly cursed. “Change my selection to three Lords and seven Chieftains.”

Shi Feng should be at his limit with two Lords. There was only a 50% chance that he would emerge victorious from such a battle. If he faced three Lords, based on his estimations, his success rate would be less than 20%.
System: Opponents confirmed. Based on the analysis of your combat power, this test’s difficulty is S-rank. Once victorious, you will obtain a key that can be used to open Shrine Gates that are Epic rank or lower. Do you wish to confirm your choice?

“Confirm!” Shi Feng shouted, gritting his teeth. Hopefully, the line-up of these Lords won’t be too powerful.

A moment later, ten monsters appeared before Shi Feng on the altar; three of them were Lords, and seven were Chieftains. All ten monsters were combat puppets of the same shape and size as an average player. In terms of Attributes, however, they were leaps and bounds above Shi Feng.

[Golden Puppet] (Lord Rank)

Level 32

HP 1,600,000/1,600,000

[Silver Puppet] (Chieftain Rank)

Level 32

HP 550,000/550,000

Good, my luck isn’t that rotten after all. These puppets are all melees, and their HPs are quite low as well. I shouldn’t have too many issues if I fight them from a distance. Shi Feng released a sigh of relief.

When the battle started, the ten puppets began moving. Step by step, they slowly approached Shi Feng, lacking the dexterity of a living creature. However, Shi Feng did not dare to be careless. Immediately, he activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power, increasing his Strength by 100% and Defense and HP by 300%. Instantly, Shi Feng’s HP broke through the 30,000 threshold.

Sure enough, Lords were not that easy to deal with.

The instant Shi Feng activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power, the combat puppets dashed towards him, much faster than an ordinary Chieftain and Lord.

The ten combat puppets crossed the distance of 50 yards in the blink of an eye. The first to attack were the Silver Puppets, who thrust their spears at Shi Feng. Following closely, the Golden Puppets unsheathed the twin swords slung over their backs.

Without hesitation, Shi Feng activated the Ice-Blue Devil Flame and Black Emperor, holding nothing back. Deep blue flames covered Shi Feng’s entire body, raising his fire and ice damage by 40%. Shi Feng then used Skywheel Sword, sealing the movements of all ten combat puppets within a fixed perimeter. He followed up with a Firestorm.

Ice-blue flames devoured the ten combat puppets, dealing over -20,000 damage, or -40,000 damage with a critical hit, to all ten puppets every second for five seconds. When the spell’s duration ended, the ten combat puppets had received over -100,000 damage each. Shi Feng fully displayed the devastating might of the large-scale destruction spell.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng collected 30 stacks of Death Aura from this single attack.

“I’ll get rid of one of you first.”

Shi Feng then took out a bottle of Hundred Berry Wine from his bag, drinking it. Instantly, his compatibility rate with his swords soared. Moving towards a Silver Puppet with less than 300,000 HP remaining, he used Phantom Kill, followed by Flame Burst.

Twenty-four consecutive strikes!

Twenty-four swords of light illuminated the altar. The Silver Puppet faded out of existence.

Although Shi Feng killed one Silver Puppet, the remaining six Silver Puppets and three Golden Puppets caught him in a pincer attack.

With his most powerful Burst Skill exhausted, Shi Feng used Thunder Flame Explosion to slow the remaining combat puppets, as well as deal over -10,000 damage to each. Due to his compatibility rate rising, he managed to achieve a 95% Completion Rate on Thunder Flame Explosion, reducing the Movement Speed of these combat puppets for over 10 seconds. Following which, he switched to the Aura of Wind, turning around and fleeing with his doppelganger.

Facing two Lords at the same time was already enough to overwhelm Shi Feng, not to mention three Lords and six Chieftains simultaneously.

With the Aura of Wind’s Movement Speed Increase and Thunder Flame Explosion’s Movement Speed Reduction, the Silver Puppets were unable to catch up with Shi Feng. As for the Golden Puppets, although their speed allowed them to keep up with Shi Feng, their occasional attacks caused their speed to drop sharply as well. As a result, it became impossible for them to surround Shi Feng.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng activated Nine Dragons Slash, the twelve Abyssal Blade phantoms constantly assaulting the distant Silver Puppets. From time to time, Shi Feng would also attack with the Blazing Meteor. Although damage from his ranged attacks caused was not as high as the Abyssal Blade, each attack still dealt around -2,000 to -3,000 damage. Occasionally, Shi Feng would also use Thundering Flash to inflict the Damage Amplification effect on the remaining nine combat puppets.

Shi Feng also constantly expended the Death Auras he accumulated to reduce the Cooldown of Thunder Flame Explosion, Thundering Flash, and other Skills. Among them, he reduced the Cooldown of Flame Burst the most.

In such a way, Shi Feng reduced the Movement Speed of all combat puppets while exterminating the Silver Puppets. From time to time, he would use Flame Burst to instant-kill a Silver Puppet.

In less than two minutes, Shi Feng had annihilated all of the Silver Puppets; only three Golden Puppets remained.

However, these three Golden Puppets were inseparable. Shi Feng could not find a chance to take them on one-on-one. Moreover, even though so much time had passed since the battle began, the three Golden Puppets were still at full HP thanks to their battle recovery.

Even when Shi Feng activated Wind Rider and managed to single out one of the Golden Puppets with his overwhelming speed, the remaining two would quickly catch up. As a result, Shi Feng could only land a few hits before he was forced to retreat.

This is troublesome. Although the Golden Puppets do not have any Skills, the three of them are like a single entity, attacking and defending as one. Shi Feng, who hovered in the air, frowned at the three Golden Puppets.

The Golden Puppets were too powerful when working together. Moreover, the Heavenly Dragon’s Power’s duration would end soon. At that time, even a battle of attrition would be difficult against the three Golden Puppets.

“Do I have no other choice?” Shi Feng muttered as he reluctantly retrieved an aqua-blue Magic Scroll from his bag.

This was his greatest trump card, one that he never thought of using.

Watching the remaining seconds of the Heavenly Dragon’s Power’s duration tick by, Shi Feng had no choice but to unfurl the aqua-blue Magic Scroll.

Chapter 604: Time is Money

 

Shi Feng had prepared extensively to obtain the Bible of Darkness.

His preparations included this aqua-blue Magic Scroll.

Although Lords were powerful, in the end, they were only Tier 2 monsters. It was only their high HP and damage, which were far superior to ordinary players’, that made them so difficult to deal with.

When Shi Feng activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power, his Attributes were no longer below that of a Lord of the same Level. With his superior dodging techniques and powerful Skills, he could easily defeat a Lord of the same Level. However, with three Golden Puppets working seamlessly together, all Shi Feng could do was dodge.

As Shi Feng unfurled the aqua-blue Magic Scroll, the surrounding Water Mana surged towards the paper. In a moment, the Mana formed a massive, six-star magic array.

“Go!” Shi Feng pointed at the three Golden Puppets.

Suddenly, water surged from the six-star magic array and swept over the bodies of the three Golden Puppets. In the blink of an eye, a small lake formed within an area of 50 yards. Although the water only reached the Golden Puppets’ knees, the lake itself seemed to possess life as it formed dozens of water whips to bind the three Lords.

The three Golden Puppets desperately struggled to break free of these water whips.

Facing a Lord’s power, these water whips snapped easily. However, the whips were seemingly endless; the moment one broke, another would immediately rise from the lake to take its place. As a result, it became extremely difficult for these Golden Puppets to move.

“Give it up. You guys are only Lords. Against a Tier 2 Domain Skill, Binding Current, you don’t stand a chance,” Shi Feng growled, annoyed at the loss of the Tier 2 Magic Scroll.

Zero Wing possessed quite a few Tier 2 Magic Scrolls. Yet, even among them, Binding Current was somewhat special. Binding Current was a Domain Skill, far rarer than even large-scale destruction spells. Although the Skill did not have any Attack Power, it was capable of restricting enemies. Shi Feng only possessed one such Magic Scroll. Once it was used, it would be very difficult to obtain another.

Binding Current had a duration of ten minutes. During these ten minutes, all enemies within the Domain would be bound by water currents, their movements greatly affected. Even Lords’ strength would be significantly restricted while inside this Domain.

“Die!” Shi Feng immediately struck a Golden Puppet.

With the endless currents, the three Golden Puppets could no longer work in sync. This allowed Shi Feng to focus his attacks on a single Golden Puppet safely.

Chop!

Thunder Flame Explosion!

Thundering Flash!

Shi Feng used one Skill after another on the Golden Puppet. Due to Black Emperor, Shi Feng could decrease his Skills’ Cooldowns significantly. Shi Feng’s Chop was practically without a Cooldown. In addition, Shi Feng the bottle of Hundred Berry Wine allowed his Skill Completion Rates to remain above 95%. Every time Shi Feng used Chop, he obliterated nearly 30,000 HP from the Golden Puppet. As a result, the Golden Puppet’s 1,600,000 HP decreased at a rate visible to the naked eye.

When the Golden Puppet’s HP fell to 30%, Shi Feng suddenly sensed danger. Hurriedly, he retreated by several steps.

Boom!

After backing up, a powerful impact slammed into Shi Feng, sending him flying over a dozen yards backward.

“This is… Absolute Domain!” Shi Feng was shocked.

At this moment, a faint gray membrane surrounded the Golden Puppet with only 30% of its HP remaining. When the countless water whips collided with his gray membrane, they were immediately repelled, unable to enter the Domain.

Without the currents binding it, the Golden Puppet recovered its speed fully. In the blink of an eye, the Golden Puppet arrived before Shi Feng and brandished its twin swords. The puppet’s swords were like whips as they viciously assailed Shi Feng.

“Just in time.”

Shi Feng involuntarily smiled. As if he had long since seen through the Golden Puppet’s intentions, he nimbly bent his body, allowing the whip-like swords to move over his body unhindered. The puppet’s swords slid against Shi Feng’s body as they passed. However, they did not truly connect with Shi Feng.

Flowing Water Realm!

Shi Feng was like flowing water as he received the Golden Puppet’s barrage, evading the countless sword lights smoothly. He would also occasionally strike back at the Golden Puppet, his attacks targeting the monster’s joints.

If the Puppet were capable of using any other Skills, Shi Feng might really be in a predicament. However, since it could only use Absolute Domain, a Skill that dispelled all Control Skills targeting its user, the Golden Puppet was no threat at all.

In terms of power, he was not one bit inferior to a Lord. As for speed, although he was slower than the Golden Puppet, he could make up for the gap with his dodging techniques. Moreover, even in the event that dodging was not possible, he could confront the Puppet directly. He was not afraid of facing the Lord in melee combat.

After roughly a dozen seconds, Shi Feng finally defeated one of the Golden Puppets.

With the death of one Golden Puppet, Shi Feng’s concerns had gone out the window. His chances of victory instantly increased to more than 50%. He then proceeded to deal with the second Golden Puppet.

When Heavenly Dragon’s Power’s duration finally ended, Shi Feng used the Tier 2 Magic Scroll, Scorching Saber, to finish off the second Golden Puppet.

Shi Feng glanced at Flame Burst’s Cooldown before shifting his gaze towards the final Golden Puppet. Smiling faintly, he muttered, “I can finally end this.”

After roughly two minutes of exhausting battle, Shi Feng finally managed to wear down the Golden Puppet’s HP to 1,000,000.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Shi Feng activated Blade Liberation, increasing both his Strength and Agility Attributes by 90%. He then proceeded to torture the last Golden Puppet to death.

Compared to when he had activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power, his attacks dealt slightly less damage. However, due to his increased Attack Speed, his total damage was higher than before.

When the Golden Puppet was about to activate its Absolute Domain, Shi Feng activated his ultimate Skills, Flame Burst and Dragon Breath, killing the Golden Puppet, which only had 30% HP remaining, instantly.

When the battle ended, the sound of a system notification rang out by Shi Feng’s ears.

System: You have completed the S-rank difficulty test. Rewarding Epic Shrine Key. You have received 2,200 minutes.

After the test ended, Shi Feng did not rush towards the mountain. Instead, he chose to rest for a moment.

When Blade Liberation ended, he would enter a Weakened state for three minutes. Moreover, he had no idea of what to expect on the mountain.

Since he had already qualified to enter the World Summit and was not in a hurry, he could take the chance to recover his mental state. After all, high-intensity battles were very taxing on the mind. He could also take this opportunity to wait for the Heavenly Dragon’s Power’s Cooldown to end.

“This test alone has forced me to use so many of my hidden cards. Just what awaits me on the mountain?” Shi Feng could not help but shudder whenever he recalled the Tier 5 Fallen Angel that had appeared before him.

Three hours passed quickly. Holding the purple-gold key, Shi Feng arrived before the gates to the World Summit.

The moment Shi Feng set foot on the World Summit, the time he had obtained through the test began to count down.

“No monsters?” Shi Feng muttered, confused.

He was not in a hurry. Examining his surroundings, other than the ten-meter tall Shrines, nothing hindered his path.

Shi Feng then activated Windwalk and ran towards the nearest ten-meter tall Shrine.

The stone doors in front of the dazzling golden Shrine were shut tightly. When Shi Feng touched the stone doors, the sound of a system notification reached his ears.

System: Epic Shrine Key detected. You are qualified to open the doors of this Bronze Shrine. Do you wish to spend 50 minutes to open them?

“Crap! Opening the Shrines requires time?” Originally, Shi Feng thought he would have sufficient time to search for the Bible of Darkness. With this new development, however, that notion had changed.

However, Shi Feng had no idea as to what was inside these Shrines. He needed a better understanding so that he could face any future developments.

“Open the doors!” Shi Feng said, gritting his teeth.

Chapter 605: Player’s Paradise

 

After Shi Feng confirmed his decision, the heavy stone doors slowly parted.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng’s remaining time in the World Summit instantly decreased by 50 minutes.

When he entered the Shrine, he was greeted by a staircase that led to the top of the Shrine. Engraved runes and pictures decorated the staircase’s walls. Among them, there were even images of Gods before the Great Destruction.

Shi Feng ascended the Shrine’s staircase, step by step.

In the beginning, Shi Feng had not felt anything out of the ordinary. However, by the time he was halfway to the top, he felt something off.

“Why has the gravity here increased?”

Shi Feng’s physical control was quite strong. As he took another step up, he felt the gravity increase by 10%. Although the gravity had only increased from 1 to 1.1 g, this small change would affect his Skill Completion Rates, resulting in a decrease in his combat power.

However, since Shi Feng had already entered the Shrine, he had no intentions of leaving.

If he could not even overcome a single Bronze Shrine, obtaining the Bible of Darkness would be a pipe dream.

Shi Feng continued to ascend, step by step. However, he was no longer as fast as before, as with every ten steps, the gravity increased. And with each change, Shi Feng needed some time to adapt.

By the time Shi Feng reached the top of the Shrine, the gravity had shifted to 2.4 g.

Exposed to such an intense shift, even Shi Feng was significantly affected.

The room at the top of the Shrine was not large. It was roughly the size of a basketball court. Aside from a black stone coffin in the room’s center, the area was empty.

Shi Feng approached the center of the room. When he was ten yards away from the stone coffin, golden runes suddenly emerged on its black surface. A moment later, a golden magic array began to expand from the stone coffin, enveloping Shi Feng with it.

“A barrier?”

Shi Feng glanced at his surroundings. Golden, translucent walls enclosed the area around him, trapping him with the stone coffin.

Just as Shi Feng considered his escape options, a semi-transparent figure materialized inside the barrier.

This figure was actually Shi Feng himself. Both the figure’s appearance and apparel were exactly like his own.

[Shrine Guard]

Level 32

HP 20,000/20,000

“Am I supposed to defeat him?” Shi Feng frowned at the Shrine Guard, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

Shi Feng only required one critical hit to finish off the Shrine Guard’s 20,000 HP. However, he did not dare to casually approach the Shrine Guard because, currently, his intuition warned him that, should he approach the Guard, only death awaited him!

Shi Feng was a player that was capable of defeating a Lord by himself, yet, against this Shrine Guard, who only had 20,000 HP, he was utterly helpless.

“Are you too scared to approach me?” the Shrine Guard asked, laughing.

Shi Feng could not help his shock when he heard the Shrine Guard’s humanlike speech and behavior.

In his memories, only high-tiered NPCs were capable of such performances. He had never heard of a Common Monster behaving like this. It was obvious that the Shrine Guard was an extraordinary existence.

“I don’t have a death wish.” Shi Feng shook his head, growing more certain of his intuition’s warning.

“Not bad. You have actually discerned the gap in strength between us. However, rest assured, since you have already made it here, there is no danger. On the contrary, I have a reward for you,” the Shrine Guard said, laughing.

“Reward? What kind of reward?” Shi Feng did not think that an NPC would trick him, and there was no need to do so. This NPC was certainly far stronger than himself. The Shrine Guard could simply kill him if he wanted to.

“I will help you become stronger.” The Shrine Guard then explained, “I can offer you guidance on one Swordsman Skill. How much you learn depends on you, of course. However, you don’t have much time left. You only have 49 minutes remaining.”

Guidance on a Swordsman Skill! Shi Feng was surprised. When he thought back to the price required to enter the Bronze Shrine, he immediately understood. Hurriedly, he said, “I would like you to give me pointers on Chop.”

Shi Feng had plenty of Swordsman Skills. However, there were some he used frequently and some he only used occasionally. Among them, he used Chop most often. Although his Magic Weapon had allowed his Skill Completion Rate to rise significantly, he was still far from achieving a 100% Skill Completion Rate.

“You’ve made a wise decision. Watch me carefully, then.”

The Shrine Guard nodded. He then began to flow through the motions of Chop.

The Shrine Guard’s body leaned forward and swung the Abyssal Blade in his hand. The Abyssal Blade then began to blur. In the next moment, it was as if the space in front of the Shrine Guard broke as a faint spatial crack appeared. The Shrine Guard’s Chop was completely different than Shi Feng’s.

“How is this possible?” Shi Feng was at a loss for words.

His Skill Completion Rate with Chop was over 95%, and he was extremely close to reaching perfection. However, whenever he used Chop, it always appeared in the form of three sword lights resembling full moons that gathered at a single point. However, these three sword lights did not appear when the Shrine Guard used Chop. From the beginning, there had only been a single sword light. Moreover, the Shrine Guard’s swing had not been particularly fast, so Shi Feng could see the Skill being executed very clearly.

However, the most frightening aspect was the power the Shrine Guard’s Chop had displayed…

Shi Feng could sense that the Shrine Guard’s Strength and constitution and his own were exactly the same. The only difference was that the Shrine Guard had slightly more HP. Yet, the Shrine Guard’s Chop could tear apart space itself. Although the spatial crack that had formed seemed very small, the might it contained was sufficient to kill him instantly.

Despite the Shrine Guard’s speed and power being ordinary, he was actually able to display such frightening power.

“Confused?” the Shrine Guard asked, smiling.

“Mhm.” Shi Feng nodded and admitted shamelessly.

No matter what was said or done, he was a top-tier expert in God’s Domain who had reached the Flowing Water Realm. Although he still could not compete with those apex experts in the past, he was not that far away from reaching their level. Yet, the Chop the Shrine Guard had executed shattered his conception of the Skill known as Chop.

“If you don’t understand, I will display the Skill a few more times. You can also experience it for yourself. Rest assured; while inside this barrier, you will not receive any damage.” The Shrine Guard spoke like a teacher who guided his student carefully.

Hearing this, Shi Feng quickly sought the Shrine Guard’s guidance.

If one wished to improve on their techniques, the fastest way to do so was through actual combat. Previously, he had kept a distance between himself and the Shrine Guard, worried that the NPC would kill him. Now that he knew the NPC intended to help him improve his ability with the Skill, he would not hold back. Immediately, he displayed his best Chop and began battling the Shrine Guard.

Since Shi Feng attacked him, the Shrine Guard replied with a Chop of his own.

When the two swords collided, sparks flew into the air around them.

Peng!

In one moment, Shi Feng sent a Chop at the Shrine Guard, and in the next moment, his body left an imprint on the barrier’s wall. There was even a faint spatial crack lingering in Shi Feng’s original position.

“This… is this a super-perfect Skill?” Shi Feng stared at the Shrine Guard with a stupefied expression. His mind replayed the Shrine Guard’s sword swing.

Regarding speed, Shi Feng was definitely the victor. Moreover, he had prepared to dodge the NPC’s attack beforehand.

However, before he had any chance to dodge, the Shrine Guard’s sword had collided with his own. He instantly felt a tremendous power flow into his hand. In the next moment, he had been thrown backward.

Shi Feng was still badly shaken by the Shrine Guard’s attack. Fortunately, this was only a lecture. Otherwise, the NPC’s attack might have really killed him. He and the Shrine Guard were worlds apart from each other.

“Perfect?” the Shrine Guard laughed. “Nothing is perfect in this world. It is only because your vision is limited, and you are confined to your own world.”

“Nothing is perfect?” Shi Feng thought about the Skill Completion Rate’s limit of 100%. Yet, the Shrine Guard had said that nothing was perfect. “Could the Skill Completion Rate possibly exceed 100%?!”

The more Shi Feng thought about it, the more he felt it was possible. Otherwise, why would his Chop, which neared a 100% Completion Rate, be so inferior to the Shrine Guard’s?

Following which, Shi Feng faced-off against the Shrine Guard again and again.

Although every exchange ended in Shi Feng’s utter defeat, the more Shi Feng fought, the more his excitement grew. He felt as if he had caught onto something, something that he had never noticed before.

He had laced too much importance on his body, trying too hard to replicate a Skill’s template motions that had been provided by the system; he had forgotten to think outside of the box.

As Shi Feng traded blows with the Shrine Guard, his Skill Completion Rate continued to rise.

96%… 97%… 98%…

“It should feel like….” Shi Feng leaned forward. He no longer pursued ultimate speed as he swung his sword along the air’s resistance.

Suddenly, a spatial crack appeared before him.

Chop’s Skill Completion Rate reached 101%.

Chapter 606: Epic Shrine

 

“This is a really wonderful feeling.” When Shi Feng looked at the black fissure before him, he could not help but recall the sensation he felt when he drew his sword before.

Unfortunately, he had only achieved this super-perfect Completion Rate accidentally. Trying to grasp this feeling was akin to trying to catch a dream.

Just as Shi Feng was about to commence another bout with the Shrine Guard, the sound of a system notification suddenly entered his ears.

System: Active duration of the Shrine has ended. Player will be sent out of the Shrine in three seconds.

“Time’s up already?” Shi Feng could not help his surprise.

He felt as if he had fought against the Shrine Guard for only a short while. He still had many questions he wished to gain answers to. Yet, before he realized it, 50 minutes had already elapsed.

By the time Shi Feng snapped out of his daze, he was already back outside the gates of the Bronze Shrine.

“This…”

Shi Feng still wanted to enter the Shrine again. However, the system notified him that he had already opened this Shrine once before and that he would have to wait another seven days before he could open it again.

Truly a pity. If I were to practice there for a few more hours, I might be able to grab ahold of that feeling, Shi Feng silently lamented.

In God’s Domain, whether it be a player’s combat techniques or Skill usage, both were learned through self-experimentation. There was no teacher to guide players on these topics. The system only provided a holographic video of the template motions of a Skill. The rest was up to the players themselves to experiment and practice.

Having someone specially teaching them how to use their Skills was definitely a heaven-sent opportunity.

After all, having a guide was far more efficient than groping for answers in the dark. The learning speed would definitely be more than ten times faster. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many players who couldn’t achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate.

“I wonder what kind of rewards the other Shrines have?” Expectations welled up inside Shi Feng.

Just a single Bronze Shrine had provided him with such a guidance reward. What would the Mysterious-Iron, Secret-Silver, Fine-Gold, Dark-Gold, and Epic ranked Shrines have in store for him?

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng no longer wasted any more time. He immediately activated Windwalk and dashed towards the peak of the World Summit.

Shi Feng could determine the rank of a Shrine based on its location on the World Summit. The higher the rank of a Shrine, the closer to the pinnacle it lay.

However, the World Summit was simply too massive. It was many times larger than White River City. Despite continually alternating between Windwalk, Wind Rider, and Speed Scrolls, Shi Feng had reached only the middle section of the World Summit after running for three full hours. He still couldn’t see the peak of the mountain from where he stood. On the other hand, the Shrines at the foot of the mountain were no more than little dots in his eyes now.

I have managed to reach the area of the Fine-Gold Shrines only after three hours; that’s six Special Elite kills gone. Even if an expert player were to come here, they would not be able to obtain the reward of the Fine-Gold Shrines. Shi Feng had tried checking one of the Fine-Gold Shrines earlier, and it required him to spend 200 minutes just to open it.

It should be known that the current elite players of God’s Domain were only capable of contending against an Elite monster of the same level, while ordinary experts were capable of opposing up to a Special Elite of the same level. Only first-rate experts could fight a Chieftain of the same level. As for top-tier experts, they were capable of contending against a Lord of the same level.

In order to arrive at this place and open the doors of a Fine-Gold Shrine, a player would need to defeat two Chieftains and eight Special Elites, obtaining 440 minutes, at the very least.

In other words, an extremely powerful first-rate expert would barely be able to open the doors of a Fine-Gold Shrine and obtain the reward stored within it.

I have only reached the middle section of the mountain. Just how long do I have to continue running to reach the Epic rank section? Shi Feng grew somewhat worried.

Shi Feng discovered that the distance between Shrines also grew wider the further up he went.

He had only reached the edge of the Fine-Gold Shrine area right now. He still had to traverse the Dark-Gold area to arrive at the Epic area. He also had to spend time searching for the right Epic Shrine. Moreover, he had obtained the Epic Shrine Key by the skin of his teeth. He had no idea how much time was required to open the doors of an Epic Shrine. In the off chance that he did not have enough…

This place really is damnable. I can’t use the Aura of Space’s Spatial Movement here. Only the Aura of Wind’s speed increase and Wind Rider are of some help. The rules of the World Summit were thoroughly exasperating. If Shi Feng could use Spatial Movement here, he could travel a distance of 400,000 yards in just one second, saving him hours in travel time.

Time passed by quickly. After running for another five hours, Shi Feng finally arrived before a Shrine that was over 300 meters in height. The Shrines around this area were completely different from the ones he had seen before.

“This is an Epic Shrine?” Shi Feng muttered as he looked at the mountain-like Shrine.

The Shrines he encountered before were all inanimate objects. On the other hand, the Epic Shrines here had frightening auras. Shi Feng even began to wonder whether terrifying monsters lived in these Shrines.

Done admiring the Shrine before him, Shi Feng walked up and touched its doors.

System: Epic Shrine Key detected. You are qualified to open the doors of the Epic Shrine. Do you wish to spend 1,000 minutes to open them?

“A thousand minutes?” Shi Feng breathed out a sigh of relief. “I still have slightly more than 1,600 minutes right now. I will have plenty of time remaining even after I open an Epic Shrine. I should be able to locate the Shrine storing the Bible of Darkness within 600 minutes.”

The World Summit had a large number of Shrines, and the same held true even for Epic Shrines. Shi Feng counted nine Epic Shrines just within his range of vision. There were also plenty more up above. He guessed that the total number of Epic Shrines on the World Summit exceeded a hundred.

These Shrines were different from each other. There was a huge difference just in terms of the elemental mana surrounding these Shrines. Some Shrines released bright and dazzling elemental mana, and others released flaming elemental mana. Even Shrines that released the same type of mana would have different images engraved on their doors—images of Angels, Demons, and many other races. Some Shrine doors even depicted Gods. Hence, Shi Feng would not have difficulty looking for the Shrine that contained the Bible of Darkness, so long as he had sufficient time.

“The Bible of Darkness is a treasure of the Demon race. It should be stored in one of the Demonic Shrines of the darkness element.” Although Shi Feng had little understanding of the World Summit, he knew quite a lot regarding mana.

A curse was categorized as a darkness Skill. Since it was a Great Demon who had cursed him, the Great Demon knew how to cast darkness spells. This meant that the Bible of Darkness had to be related to a Shrine of the darkness element.

With a target in mind, Shi Feng quickly began his search. Very easily, he had managed to locate five Darkness Shrines. Among them, only two belonged to the Demon race. Meanwhile, of these two Shrines, one belonged to the Lord of Destruction, while the other belonged to the Lord of Nightmares.

The Bible of Darkness was a descriptive record of all Demons written by the Lord of Destruction. Rumor had it that as long as one managed to control the Bible of Darkness, they would become the Lord of Demons with all Demons obedient to their commands.

Without hesitation, Shi Feng opened the Lord of Destruction’s Shrine.

When the black stone doors parted, an ancient aura washed over him. Shi Feng could feel the origin of destruction contained within this aura. The pressure he felt coming from within the Shrine was far more powerful than what he had felt from the Tier 5 Fallen Angel he encountered before.

“Amazing. It is only a Shrine. There is clearly no living being inside, yet it gives off such an overwhelming pressure. As expected of the Lord of Destruction’s Shrine,” Shi Feng exclaimed. “Heavenly Dragon’s Power, activate!”

The immense pressure made even walking a difficult task for Shi Feng. However, after activating Heavenly Dragon’s Power, the weight pressing down on him lessened significantly. He was then able to enter the Shrine with relative ease.

Chapter 607: Magic Device

 

The moment Shi Feng stepped into the Shrine, it was as if he had arrived in another world.

He could hear the chirping of birds and smell the fragrance of flowers. Verdant trees and grass filled his vision. Instead of a Shrine, this place looked more like a garden.

“Fallen Angel!”

Inside the garden, Shi Feng immediately discovered the Fallen Angel that had killed him previously.

Three pairs of pitch-black wings, a perfect, enchanting body, long and slender legs, as well as that jade-white skin and flawless face… Of all the women Shi Feng knew, only the Great Divine Official Sharlyn was a match for this Fallen Angel. Any other woman standing before her would simply pale in comparison.

“Human, you sure are fast,” the Tier 5 Fallen Angel giggled as she looked at Shi Feng with her aquamarine eyes. “You Adventurers are truly blessed by the heavens, being born with an Immortal Soul. Even we would find it difficult to thoroughly kill you Adventurers.”

Even until now, Shi Feng still got chills whenever he thought back to how the Fallen Angel had killed him instantly.

Most likely, only a few players throughout the entire God’s Domain could rival that near-perfect combat technique.

If he had not known that only rewards—and no punishments—awaited him inside these Shrines, he would have long since fled this Shrine.

“My name is Serena. Come over. You entered the World Summit normally this time, so I won’t kill you,” Serena laughed as she beckoned Shi Feng with her hand. “Since you’ve managed to make it to this place, it shows that you indeed possess some ability. I can give you two options.”

“Two options?” Shi Feng asked curiously.

“Though I say options, in reality, they are just two reward methods.” Serena nodded lightly. “The first option is obtaining the Bible of Darkness that is stored in this place directly. The second option is undertaking a small test. Through the second option, you will not only obtain the Bible of Darkness but also have a chance to win these items.”

Serena waved her hand lightly.

Suddenly, three Rainbow Treasure Chests appeared in midair.

The first Rainbow Treasure Chest contained a large number of Soul Crystals. A simple glance told Shi Feng that there were over a hundred crystals at the very minimum.

In the Dark Den, the Soul Crystal was the foundation of all development. A sudden infusion of more than a hundred Soul Crystals would definitely increase a Shelter’s strength significantly.

The second Rainbow Treasure Chest contained a black stone tablet that looked similar to the Chapter of Darkness. However, the name displayed was Chapter of Shelter. It could be used to immediately promote a Shelter by a single rank, up to a maximum of Large Shelter.

There’s such a good item available as well? Sure enough, the rewards of an Epic Shrine are astonishing. Shi Feng grew very excited when he saw these two rewards.

Promoting the Shelters found inside the Dark Den was extremely difficult. Besides the astronomical number of Soul Crystals required, players also needed to complete a series of quests in order to promote a Shelter. The manpower and resources necessary to do so were extremely daunting. Even the Shelter at District One had yet to be promoted to a Large Shelter until now. One could just imagine how difficult a feat it was. Only a Shelter supported by a large Guild was capable of becoming a Large Shelter after amassing all the resources collected by the multiple Shelters controlled by said Guild.

Once he obtained the Chapter of Shelter, he could immediately upgrade a Medium Shelter to a Large Shelter. This would be of immense help for District One’s Shelter, which was under Zero Wing’s control.

However, when Serena opened the third Rainbow Treasure Chest, Shi Feng was thoroughly stupefied.

“Magic Device Design!” Shi Feng’s eyes turned bloodshot as he looked at the dilapidated design inside the treasure chest. He could not help but wish he could snatch it up right away.

“Oh? I did not think that a human like you would know about this item. Since you know about Magic Devices, then you must know what a Magic Device Design represents. Its value is only slightly lower than the Bible of Darkness’s. You humans, however, would probably appraise the Design more highly.” The Fallen Angel Serena smiled in satisfaction upon seeing Shi Feng’s reaction. “Say it, then. Which reward do you choose?”

At these words, Shi Feng fell silent.

A product of God’s Domain’s magical civilization when it was at its peak, the Magic Device represented the pinnacle of alchemy, forging, and engineering combined—as well as the end of the era of the gods. Even the lowest ranked Bronze Magic Device boosted a player’s strength to a whole new level, not to mention a Magic Device Design.

Even the lowest ranked Bronze Magic Device Design could provoke a war between Guilds.

In the past, when a Mysterious-Iron Magic Device Design had appeared, over a dozen countries and more than a hundred Guilds had fought over it. Multiple Super Guilds had also participated. The death toll for that war was innumerable. A rough estimation had pegged it at five million. In the end, a Super Guild had emerged victorious.

As for Shadow, which had been a second-rate Guild back then, it had not dared to even participate in the war. It could only stand on the sidelines and watch.

Now that a Magic Device Design appeared right in front of him, how could Shi Feng not grow excited?

Magic Devices were similar to the Mana Armor Kits. In the Magic Device’s case, however, it did not increase any Basic Attributes. Instead, it was mounted on a weapon to increase the weapon’s strength. Every weapon could only mount one Magic Device.

After God’s Domain underwent its third evolution, whether it was a battle against players or against monsters, an injury would reduce a player’s combat power. And while players could rely on heals to recover from their injuries, the deterioration of their weapons was inevitable. It was especially true when players fought against high-ranking monsters. Unless one’s weapon was of high quality, players would have great difficulty injuring a Lord and reducing its combat power since Lords had skin that was as hard as steel.

Meanwhile, a Magic Device could be used to strengthen a weapon. Not only could it make a weapon sharper, but it could also bestow special effects such as Reduced Weight, Increased Weight, Hardness, Mirage, Paralysis, and other effects that could improve a player’s combat power significantly.

Most importantly, Magic Devices were not Consumable items. Like inlaid Gemstones, they could be taken off the weapons they were mounted on. Whether it was a Level 1 Common Weapon or a Level 200 Epic Weapon, players could freely transfer their Magic Devices between them.

This was the reason why players were so attracted to Magic Devices.

However, Magic Devices were extremely difficult to produce; hence, production volumes were very low. Even after reaching Level 100, most players still did not have their own Magic Devices. In the past, as the Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild, Shi Feng owned only a Mysterious-Iron Magic Device, even after he was over Level 100. As for other independent experts, they possessed only Bronze Magic Devices.

If he could obtain a Magic Device Design right now, it would definitely become one of Zero Wing’s trump cards.

“Have you come to a decision?” Serena asked, smiling as she flourished the Magic Device Design in her hand. “Time waits for no one. You only have three minutes to decide. If you do not give me an answer, I will take it as you picking the first option, and you may leave once you obtain the Bible of Darkness.”

“To hell with it.” Shi Feng looked at the Fallen Angel, a passionate flame burning in his heart. “I choose the second option.”

Both the Chapter of Shelter and the Magic Device Design were items that were not easily acquired. The difficulty of obtaining the Magic Device Design was even above that for an Epic item. Otherwise, Magic Devices wouldn’t have been so rare in the past.

“Good. I knew you were a smart man. Let’s begin, then.” Serena smiled in satisfaction.

She then waved her hand. The entire garden promptly vanished, and replacing it was a volcanic hell. Molten magma surrounded a 40-yard area of solid ground. The ambient temperature was scorching hot; any ordinary player would most likely broil to death slowly. Only someone like Shi Feng, who possessed high Fire Resistance, could stay in this place for long periods of time. Meanwhile, the gravity here had also increased to 3 g, which would greatly affect a player’s mobility.

“Come, then. If you can defeat me, you win,” Serena said, smiling as she looked down at Shi Feng from midair.