Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 608

Chapter 608: Tier 2 Taboo Skill

 

Originally, Serena had anticipated seeing a look of horror on Shi Feng’s face. However, even after she had revealed the contents of the test, Shi Feng did not evince any shock. On the contrary, it seemed as if he felt that the test was totally reasonable.

“Don’t you feel surprised that the final test actually requires you to defeat me?” Serena asked, a perplexed expression on her face as she looked at Shi Feng.

A Tier 1 human against a Tier 5 Fallen Angel.

With such a massive gap, even a person with a stable mentality would feel despair. And if not despair, then at the very least, anger, as this was obviously not a fair contest.

Yet, Shi Feng remained unfazed by this revelation, so how could she not be surprised?

“Since the rewards are so bountiful, I naturally prepared for the worst. Not to mention, I really don’t have a choice, do I?” Shi Feng laughed, a helpless smile on his face.

There were no free lunches in God’s Domain.

Not to mention, the rewards of the test were of such a frightening caliber.

“It seems that you understand the rules of the world quite well, so it wasn’t just luck that prompted you to pick the second option.” Serena squinted her aquamarine eyes slightly as she looked at Shi Feng. At this moment, she no longer looked down at the human before her. Curling her blood-red lips into a seductive smile, she continued, “If you had chosen the first option, then the Bible of Darkness you would have received would have been a replica. As for the second option, while you may fail the test, you will still obtain the real Bible of Darkness regardless.”

Although Shi Feng had guessed that this was the case, he inwardly felt relieved to hear these words directly from the Fallen Angel herself.

When all was said and done, the Bible of Darkness was a treasure left behind by the Lord of Destruction. How could it possibly be that easy for players to acquire it?

“Since you are already clear on the situation, I will explain the rules of the test.” Serena raised her brows slightly and continued in a low tone, “The rules are very simple. You will not die while inside this area. Both our strengths will also be suppressed to Tier 1. It will be your win as long as you are able to defeat me in the remaining time you possess.”

“Both suppressed to the standard of a Tier 1?” Shi Feng frowned.

Although both their strengths would be suppressed to the standard of a Tier 1 class in the upcoming test, Fallen Angels were Higher Beings. Not only were they born much stronger than other beings, but they also wielded many more Skills.

Even at Tier 1, Serena’s combat power would most likely be at the peak of an ordinary Tier 2 class or above. She was stronger than even a High Lord of the same level. There was actually a possibility that her combat power approached that of a Great Lord.

“If there are no problems, you may begin attacking as much as you want.” Serena smiled faintly as she sent Shi Feng a teasing look. “Rest assured, I’ll make sure to hold back plenty. I also won’t use any Tier 3 or Tier 4 Skills.”

Despite Serena’s reassurance, Shi Feng had no intention of attacking her just yet.

Even without using Tier 3 or Tier 4 Skills, a Tier 1 Fallen Angel can still kill me easily using Tier 2 Skills. He smiled bitterly as he took in Serena’s leisurely attitude.

Shi Feng had a very clear understanding of his own strength. Although he had grasped plenty of powerful Skills, they were all Tier 1 Skills. As for Tier 2 Magic Scrolls, while he had quite a few on him right now, his opponent had Tier 2 Skills, which she could use indefinitely. The only trump card he had was Twofold Berserk. If he activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power and Blade Liberation simultaneously, he would gain the ability to contend against a High Lord for a short period of time.

However, engaging a Tier 1 Fallen Angel in melee combat was simply suicidal.

I have close to ten hours left. It would be pointless to charge into battle right now. My only option is to wait for the Cooldown of Dragon’s Power to end. Shi Feng was in no hurry. He then sat on the ground, resting as he quietly observed the Fallen Angel before him.

Earlier, when he was entering the Shrine, he was forced to use Heavenly Dragon’s Power to resist the intense pressure.

If he fought Serena, a Fallen Angel who had the Attributes of a High Lord, without Twofold Berserk, he would just be seeking his own death.

Fortunately, the condition to clear the test was only to defeat Serena, not to kill her. There was a massive difference between these two conditions.

Defeat meant that he was only required to cause a certain amount of damage to Serena. After all, even if Serena simply stood still and allowed him to attack her freely, he would not be able to kill her within 20 seconds. Currently, although Serena was only Level 32, she had a total of 5,000,000 HP.

Tier 1 Skills are definitely useless against Serena. In terms of combat techniques, she is also far superior to me. If I wish to defeat her, my only option is to rely on Tier 2 Magic Scrolls. Although Shi Feng had his ultimate Skill, Flame Burst, this Skill was meaningless if his weapon could not connect with his opponent. Not to mention, in a direct clash of power, Serena would trounce him.

Having thought up to this point, Shi Feng suddenly stood up. He then replaced the Aura of Wind with the Aura of Fire and cast Firestorm at Serena.

The platform he currently stood on only had an area of 40 yards. Firestorm certainly covered most of it. At Level 7, Firestorm’s might could easily rival a Tier 2 large-scale destruction spell.

A tsunami of flames descended from the sky. However, just as the flames were about to engulf Serena, her finger suddenly moved. In the blink of an eye, she had finished writing the runes required to cast Frost Storm, a Tier 2 large-scale destruction spell.

In the next moment, fire and ice clashed, filling the space around the platform with steam. Meanwhile, Shi Feng’s Firestorm did not even manage to touch the Fallen Angel.

Fallen Angels with high intelligence are really difficult to handle. Shi Feng was not surprised.

In the virtual reality games of the past, there would only be two possible outcomes when a player used a Skill: either the Skill hit, or missed. There was no third possibility. In God’s Domain, however, one would encounter various scenarios when attacking using a Skill. Aside from hitting or missing, it was also possible for the Skill to be blocked, offset, or unraveled. Blocking a Skill would result in one taking a small amount of damage, and normally, this was an action that most Lords were capable of. However, offsetting or unraveling a Skill was a feat that was doable only for high-tiered monsters and NPCs. Meanwhile, the method Serena had used to deal with Shi Feng’s Firestorm was to offset it using a Skill of her own. When one successfully offset a Skill, they would not receive any damage whatsoever.

If even Firestorm is useless against her, my Tier 2 Magic Scrolls would most likely yield similar results. Shi Feng felt a huge headache when he looked at Serena, who was currently hovering in midair. It would be great if Kite were here right now.

Kite was a Dark-Gold ranked Personal Guard. With his strength as a Tier 2 Sword Master, he could not overcome a Great Lord, which was equivalent to a Tier 3 class, but he could still pin it down for some time. His strength should not be below that of the Tier 1 Fallen Angel Serena.

“Invincible within the same Tier?” A sudden inspiration came to Shi Feng as he looked at Serena’s smiling face.

Taboo Skill!

Taboo Skills possessed the power to transcend Tiers. Meanwhile, although Serena’s strength was currently suppressed to Tier 1, her frightening Basic Attributes and arsenal of Tier 2 Skills made her invincible even against ordinary Tier 2 classes. However, if a Tier 2 player managed to grasp a Tier 2 Taboo Skill, they would similarly become an invincible existence among other Tier 2 classes.

Thank goodness I did not store Instant Strike inside my warehouse. As long as I manage to learn it, even if I cannot kill Serena, I still have a chance to defeat her. Shi Feng’s eyes glowed. Immediately, he retrieved the Skill Book of the Tier 2 Taboo Skill from his bag and began poring over it carefully.

After half an hour passed, Shi Feng felt that he was ready.

If he wanted to learn the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike, the first way to do so was to collect 100 Thunder Crystals, which was obviously impossible. The second option was to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate.

Previously, it had indeed been impossible for him to achieve a 100% Completion Rate for Instant Strike. However, after the Abyssal Blade was upgraded, his compatibility with the Magic Weapon had increased significantly. With the help of the Hundred Berry Wine, which he had obtained from Blue Frost, he definitely had a chance to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate right now.

Hence, Shi Feng drank a bottle of Hundred Berry Wine and began rehearsing the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike.

“Trying to learn a Tier 2 Taboo Skill?” Serena revealed a faint smile. “Not a bad idea. Unfortunately, the time you have left isn’t enough for you to do so.”

Taboo Skills required long periods of bitter training. There were no shortcuts available. Even a gifted person would require several days or over a dozen days to learn a Tier 2 Taboo Skill.

Shi Feng did not have much time left. It was simply impossible for him to succeed in learning the Taboo Skill in such a short period of time.

Chapter 609: Instant Strike

 

While Shi Feng was continuously rehearsing the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike, a great upheaval rocked the Evil Ghost Domain.

The entire District Five was destroyed overnight, and over half of the District’s players had disappeared.

To the players in the Evil Ghost Domain, this was an inconceivable situation. Just what could actually wipe out the Evil Ghost Domain’s fifth-ranking Shelter?

Not a single Shelter in the Evil Ghost Domain would be capable of going up against such a frightening power.

Suddenly, a strong sense of crisis filled the air of the entire Evil Ghost Domain.

—

District One’s Shelter.

“Leader Frost, what are we supposed to do now?” Best Reincarnation, the leader of the Second Party, asked worriedly. “Based on the information we discovered, it seems that the assault on District Five comprised of a large number of powerful monsters—all Level 40 and above. There were actually numerous Lords participating in the monster assault as well.

“However, this is still not the scariest part. When our players went to investigate the situation at District Five, they encountered some survivors from the Shelter. According to the survivors, the ones responsible for annihilating their District Five were not actually those Lords. Instead, it was the doing of a much more powerful monster. However, as they had been too far from the monster at the time, they did not get a clear look at what that monster was. They only know that that monster had annihilated hundreds of players with just a wave of its hand using black flames. It instantly killed even District Five’s strongest player, Punishment Day.

“If we remain in this area, it is quite likely that we will encounter that monster as well.

“Although District One is a lot stronger than District Five, against that rank of monster, we simply stand no chance at all.”

Everyone present fell silent at Best Reincarnation’s words.

The enemy that obliterated District Five was just too terrifying.

It had not been easy for them to raise their Shelter to the rank it had today. If it was destroyed, then their Shelter’s rank would also fall by one, dropping from a Medium Shelter to a Small Shelter. If that happened, the advantage of the Hundred Berry Wine they had possessed all this time would vanish as well. There was also no telling whether they would be able to obtain the Hundred Berry Wine again the next time they upgraded their Shelter to a Medium Shelter.

Yet, if they moved their Shelter to a low-level area, the distance they had to travel every day would be extremely long and time-consuming. They would most likely have to spend the entire day running just to commute between their leveling spots and the Shelter. This would greatly impact the development of the Shelter.

“Everyone, listen to me. This is an opportunity for our District One,” Blue Frost said after pondering for some time, an excited smile on his face.

“Opportunity?”

“What opportunity?”

Everyone could not understand what was going through Blue Frost’s mind.

“I believe that you guys have heard of this as well. After the incident with District Five, many Shelters that previously refused to join a Guild Force began changing their minds one after another. They are all trying to gain the protection of Shelters run by Guild Forces. In the worst-case scenario, they can also migrate directly to the Large Shelters of the Guild Forces and develop themselves there,” Blue Frost said. “Meanwhile, our District One has also joined Zero Wing. However, unlike the other Shelters, the Guild we joined is very strong.

“You guys must have seen the Teleportation Magic Array Design for yourselves. Brother Ye Feng has also stated that, so long as we manage to gather the necessary materials, he will construct a Teleportation Magic Array for our Shelter. If we manage to annex the other Shelters right now, our position in Zero Wing will also rise. I believe that nobody present wishes to remain as just the party leader of a Shelter, right?”

All the party leaders expressed their agreement with Blue Frost’s words. The things Zero Wing had revealed so far were already enough to show just how powerful the Guild was, particularly the frightening combat power Shi Feng had displayed as well as the funds that he had transferred to them. Zero Wing had even provided them with a training facility. As long as they made contributions to Zero Wing and raised their positions within the Guild, they would be able to head to Jin Hai City’s Big Dipper Training Center and undergo special training for their combat techniques.

Every city had their own martial arts dojos and training centers. If one wanted to improve their combat techniques, it was definitely better to have someone guiding them.

They had previously conducted some investigations in the real world regarding the Big Dipper Training Center. The moment they checked, however, they were shocked.

The Big Dipper Training Center actually had a martial arts master overseeing it. Currently, the Big Dipper was already a famous training center, and many professional fighters from the surrounding cities had gone there to train. It was no longer a place that ordinary people could enter.

Moreover, the amount one had to pay in order to become a member there was also not something ordinary people could afford.

Although their knowledge regarding first-rate Guilds was lacking, they knew full well just how precious a martial arts master was. A martial arts master was the ultimate force of humans. If they could receive pointers from a martial arts master, their combat techniques in God’s Domain would definitely improve by leaps and bounds.

Meanwhile, Zero Wing would allow them to undergo special training directly at the Big Dipper. The Guild’s financial prowess and influence had thoroughly shattered their perception of ordinary Gaming Guilds.

Although they had earned quite a lot of money from playing God’s Domain, they were still far from being able to afford establishments like the Big Dipper Training Center.

If they could climb their way up to Zero Wing’s upper management, they would not have to worry about earning enough to support themselves in the future.

“I’m sure everyone clearly understands what a Teleportation Magic Array represents. What we need to do now is annex the other Shelters and obtain the materials required for the Teleportation Magic Array as soon as possible. Even if we retreat from this area, we can simply rely on the teleportation array to return here in the future.”

After listening to Blue Frost’s explanation, everyone nodded in agreement one after another.

Previously, they had found it simply too difficult to gain control over the other Shelters in the Evil Ghost Domain. However, that changed after the incident with District Five. If they had a teleportation array, the amount of money and resources they could earn would be endless.

Hence, the various party leaders began arranging workforces to collect the materials required for the Teleportation Magic Array. At the same time, they also tried persuading the other Shelters to subordinate themselves to District One’s Shelter. That way, the members of these Shelters would get to use the teleportation array of District One.

—

Inside the Darkness Shrine, Shi Feng had already been rehearsing Instant Strike for five hours continuously now.

After just five hours of practice, it was as if Shi Feng was a veteran who had been practicing Instant Strike for many years. His movements when executing the Taboo Skill were practically the same as the holographic video provided by the Skill Book.

I’m still off by a little. Sure enough, a Tier 2 Taboo Skill is not that easy to master.

Although Shi Feng had already given his all to trying to raise his Completion Rate, his best record was 95%. Right now, he could not increase it by even an additional percent.

Moreover, he had only managed to achieve this result because of the Abyssal Blade and the Hundred Berry Wine. Otherwise, he would have taken several days to reach a 95% Skill Completion Rate with Instant Strike.

He did not have much time left to practice. Each bottle of Hundred Berry Wine lasted only one hour—and he had just three more bottles on hand. They would not last him till the very end.

“Human, you should give up. The might of a Tier 2 Taboo Skill is simply too immense. It is not that I am trying to look down on you. However, if you wish to grasp a Tier 2 Taboo Skill, you will need another ten days of hard work at the very least.” Serena could discern Shi Feng’s current progress in a single glance. “Presently, you have already grasped the motions of the Taboo Skill completely. Unfortunately, your comprehension of the Skill is lacking. With the remaining five hours you have, you would be fortunate to raise your Completion Rate by even just another 1%.”

“Lacking comprehension?” Shi Feng thought so as well. It was just like when he had achieved a 101% Completion Rate with Chop. That feeling had gone by in a flash, and he could not grab hold of it even if he wanted to.

Comprehension?

Compatibility?

Does the comprehension Serena is speaking of refer to compatibility?

Shi Feng did not give it too much thought. He did not have much time left—not enough to wait out the 10-day Cooldown to challenge the World Summit again. He then took out all the Hundred Berry Wine in his bag and consumed all three bottles in rapid succession. Even with Shi Feng’s willpower and mental power, he still grew dizzy.

The Hundred Berry Wine was just like the Black Steel Beer. The more one drank, the better the effect. Correspondingly, however, the side effects also grew stronger. It was best if players drank just one bottle at a time to maintain a clear mind, as players could steadily improve their Completion Rates and look for any shortcomings in their movements throughout the beverage’s effective duration. Consuming too many bottles at once could result in players losing themselves to the alcohol.

Now, Shi Feng downed three bottles in one go. His compatibility rate instantly soared.

This feeling is really great.

At this moment, Shi Feng felt as if he had become one with his sword. When he drew the Abyssal Blade and executed Instant Strike, each and every one of his movements felt light and natural. There was no excess power in any of his actions at all.

Then, Shi Feng’s initially smooth movements suddenly changed. The afterimages of the Abyssal Blade, which were originally created due to Shi Feng’s overly fast speed, suddenly vanished. The Abyssal Blade in Shi Feng’s hand also became clear and visible. In the next moment, faint blue electric arcs manifested around Shi Feng’s body, filling the air with crackling sounds. The places these electric arcs touched also charred.

System: Instant Strike Skill Completion Rate 100%.

Chapter 610: Higher Realm

 

Arcs of electricity continuously sparked around Shi Feng. Although the electric arcs were tiny, the destructive power they contained was practically equivalent to a Tier 2 lightning spell.

“He actually succeeded!” A shocked expression appeared on Serena’s beautiful face.

Learning a Taboo Skill was an enormous challenge. It was the same for both players and NPCs with high intelligence. In order to learn a Taboo Skill, one had to go through long periods of arduous training as well as achieve a certain degree of comprehension regarding the Taboo Skill.

Serena wasn’t the only one who was shocked by this result. Even Shi Feng himself was quite shocked.

It was extremely difficult for a Tier 1 class to learn a Tier 1 Taboo Skill, not to mention a Tier 2 Taboo Skill.

Moreover, Instant Strike’s requirements were exceedingly high even for a Tier 2 Taboo Skill.

Achieving 100% Completion Rate on a Taboo Skill was a feat Shi Feng had never managed, despite having been a Tier 3 Sword King in the past.

In this life, however, he had actually done so while he was still a Tier 1 class. This was simply a dream.

Ninety-nine more times to go. I need to hurry up. Although Shi Feng was currently somewhat drunk, he was still able to maintain a relatively clear consciousness. To make sure he did not forget the feeling from before, he hurriedly continued with his rehearsal.

Unfortunately, none of his next three tries managed to achieve a 100% Completion Rate at all. The highest he reached was 97%.

He had only managed to achieve the 100% Completion Rate before due to luck. On this point, Shi Feng was very certain.

However, now that there was a first, achieving 100% again would become much easier.

Following which, Shi Feng continuously tried to recall the feeling he had felt before. His Skill Completion Rate gradually increased as well, and soon after, he managed to maintain a stable 99%. He was only a thread away from 100%.

Not only do I have to control my own body, but I also have to learn how to adapt to the external environment around me and constantly adjust to the environment. As Shi Feng reviewed his memories, he did not only think about when he achieved a 100% Completion Rate with Instant Strike but also when he had achieved a 101% Completion Rate with Chop.

Whether it was the Refinement Realm or the Flowing Water Realm, both pursued internal control.

Before, the Tier 5 Fallen Angel Serena had stated that he had already done very well in terms of movement and that he was only missing a little comprehension.

If it was said that comprehension was compatibility, and that compatibility was adaptation, then what he needed to do was adapt to the environment. If he used the same methods to execute a Skill in different environments, the results would naturally be different.

This was just like how going from an ordinary environment to a high-gravity one would greatly affect a player’s Skill Completion Rate. However, what if this change to the environment was extremely subtle?

It was highly possible that ignoring this minor change was the reason why players would never able to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate, regardless of how perfect their movements were.

Just as Shi Feng continued drawing his sword and adapting to the surrounding air flow, the friction between his sword and the air suddenly generated a small spark. This small spark immediately attracted countless arcs of electricity to circle around Shi Feng’s body.

System: Instant Strike Skill Completion Rate 100%.

Sure enough, the progression in control goes from internal to external. Is this what the higher realm feels like? Shi Feng finally discovered the direction he needed to take to advance.

With a clear direction in mind, Shi Feng no longer focused his concentration on his own body but instead shifted it towards his environment.

As Shi Feng grew increasingly familiar with his surroundings, the 100% Skill Completion Rate of Instant Strike grew more frequent as well.

Currently, Shi Feng was achieving a 100% Skill Completion Rate about once every four times he executed Instant Strike. Moreover, during the process of swinging his sword, Shi Feng was also constantly making minor adjustments to better adapt his movements to the external environment.

After training for another half an hour, Shi Feng’s improvement was undeniable. He was able to achieve a 100% Skill Completion Rate practically every other time he executed Instant Strike.

Before an hour had even passed since drinking the three bottles of Hundred Berry Wine, he had already executed a hundred Instant Strikes with a 100% Completion Rate.

After Shi Feng completed an Instant Strike that achieved a 100% Completion Rate for the hundredth time, electricity purified his entire body, his skin becoming glossier and the muscles all over his body growing denser and more powerful.

System: You have learned Instant Strike. Obtained Basic Lightning Physique.

“Why does my body feel a lot lighter?” Shi Feng was greatly shocked when he saw the faint blue electric arcs coursing around his body. Carefully feeling out the changes to his own body, he exclaimed, “This Lightning Physique really is mysterious. The gravity my body is under should still be 3 g. Yet, the effect the increased gravity has on my body has clearly decreased significantly even though none of my Attributes have changed. Right now, the effect feels like the equivalent to a gravity of 1.5 g.”

After the third evolution of God’s Domain, the Gravitational System had impacted the combat power of players significantly. Meanwhile, now that Shi Feng’s body had undergone such changes, it would become much easier for him to adapt to his environment. The current state he was in was similar to being under the effects of the Hundred Berry Wine. Although the Lightning Physique’s effects were very much inferior to the Hundred Berry Wine’s, the fact that it was always active was a huge advantage.

This Instant Strike is simply fantastic. It is actually able to improve a player’s Physique as well. No wonder it was so difficult to learn!

In the past, Shi Feng had heard of some Taboo Skills in God’s Domain that when successfully learned, would provide players with additional rewards. However, these Taboo Skills were usually high-tiered ones. He never expected that the Tier 2 Instant Strike was one such Taboo Skill.

Physique was a kind of Hidden Attribute in God’s Domain. If a player’s Attributes reached a certain level, they would be able to trigger an extraordinary Physique, allowing them to carry out feats that were definitely impossible in the real world. This kind of Hidden Attribute could not be viewed by players, so it was extremely difficult to alter or improve it.

However, this kind of Hidden Attribute would have a significant impact on a player’s combat power.

After resting for a while and recovering his mental state, Shi Feng walked up to Serena, smiling as he said, “Miss Serena, sorry for the long wait. Let us begin now.”

Currently, not only had he mastered the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike, but he had also obtained the Basic Lightning Physique. Not only did his body feel lighter right now, but its flexibility had also increased significantly. Shi Feng even felt that his reflexes had sped up. However, his reaction speed was still a far cry from that of a gifted talent like Soaring Snake.

“Not bad. Despite being a mere mortal, you have actually managed to grasp a Tier 2 Taboo Skill while still being at Tier 1. Come, give me your best shot. Hopefully, you are able to entertain me for a little while,” Serena said, licking her lips as she looked at Shi Feng.

The moment Serena was done speaking, the surrounding magma started roiling. The ground also began trembling as the Fallen Angel released a frightening aura.

Is this the power of a Tier 1 Fallen Angel? Shi Feng gulped down a mouthful of saliva.

He knew that Serena had finally gotten serious. Just her aura alone was enough to render him breathless.

Heavenly Dragon’s Power, activate!

Blade Liberation, activate!

Shi Feng was unwilling to lag behind. After activating Heavenly Dragon’s Power and Blade Liberation, his Strength Attribute was now equivalent to a High Lord of the same level.

The instant Shi Feng activated Twofold Berserk, he tilted his body forward slightly. He then activated Phantom Kill and had his doppelganger get ready as well.

Shi Feng’s sudden increase in strength surprised Serena somewhat. She had not thought the little human before her was capable of reaching such a level. She then stretched out her right hand. Instantly, a golden holy sword appeared in her hand. Countless wind blades wrapped around her weapon.

She cast a Tier 2 Skill, Storm Blade, at Shi Feng right away. Countless swords of light instantly surged towards Shi Feng and his doppelganger.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng and his doppelganger also simultaneously activated the Tier 2 Taboo Skill Instant Strike.

Shua!

Both Shi Feng and his doppelganger disappeared from where they stood to instantly appear beside Serena. Both Swordsmen then began brandishing their swords at the Fallen Angel.

Instant Strike, when activated, increased its user’s Attack Speed by 500% for a short period of time.

Originally, Shi Feng’s Attack Speed was already terrifying. Now, Shi Feng and his doppelganger sent out dozens of sword lights in the time it took to take a single breath. Moreover, these sword lights had appeared practically simultaneously, with none ahead or behind the others.

“Such a fast attack!” Serena’s gaze sharpened as another golden holy sword appeared in her other hand. She then parried the barrage of attacks sent at her.

Peng… Peng… Peng…

Serena’s sword technique was flawless. Every movement of hers was utterly efficient as she blocked dozens of attacks continuously.

However, even if Serena’s defense were more perfect, there was still a limit to her Attack Speed. In the end, Shi Feng managed to cut Serena’s arm with the Abyssal Blade, causing -1 damage to the Fallen Angel.

When Shi Feng saw the compulsory -1 damage he dealt, his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

“Such a powerful Tier 2 Taboo Skill. You were actually able to break through my defense.” Serena looked at the bloody cut on her arm. Gently moving her finger across the wound, she instantly returned her skin to its unblemished state. Then she looked at Shi Feng, saying, “Although I don’t want to admit it, since you were able to injure me, it is your win. You may take these items and leave.”

Chapter 611: Shrine Rewards

 

After Serena was done speaking, the Fallen Angel suddenly vanished. At the same time, the volcanic hell that surrounded Shi Feng transformed into a golden Shrine with an altar before him. Three Rainbow Treasure Chests were stacked up one upon another on the altar, and placed on top of these Treasure Chests was a thick and heavy black leather book.

“Victory at last!” Shi Feng breathed out a sigh of relief.

Serena was just too powerful.

Whether it was in terms of techniques or Basic Attributes, he was far inferior to the Fallen Angel.

Shi Feng and his doppelganger had sent out over a hundred attacks within the three seconds of Instant Strike’s duration. Yet, Shi Feng had only managed to land a hit on Serena at the very last second. The Fallen Angel’s strength was simply terrifying.

Most likely, even Kite would not be a match for Serena, who had suppressed her strength to Tier 1.

If Serena had suppressed her strength to Tier 2 instead of Tier 1, he would not have stood a chance against her at all.

Although Shi Feng had only managed to get through the test after immense difficulty, his harvest was similarly huge.

During his three seconds of frantic attacking, Shi Feng had thoroughly experienced Serena’s perfect sword defense technique firsthand. He had seen for himself the sword technique of an NPC standing at the peak of God’s Domain. This was not something just any player would get to enjoy, as normally, they would have killed with a single hit.

After Shi Feng reviewed his memories of the previous battle a few times, he walked up to the altar and carefully picked up the black leather book.

As soon as he did so, he felt a hard stare.

Moreover, this feeling was not just limited to one person staring at him. Instead, he felt the gazes of a vast number of people. Every one of these gazes felt cold and violent. It was as if his body had submerged in a chilling, icy hell.

“Sure enough, the Bible of Darkness is not an ordinary item.” Shi Feng activated Omniscient Eyes and appraised the black leather book.

[Bible of Darkness] (Fragmented Legendary Item)

The Bible of Darkness had been destroyed during the Great Destruction. However, the Power of Darkness contained within the Bible is extreme. If one can gather the other fragments, they can restore the Bible’s power, gaining dominance over all Demonic Creatures and become the Lord of Demons.

“It’s actually a Fragmented Legendary item? I heard that the Bible of Darkness Fantasy Extinguisher had was an Epic item. Was the one he obtained a replica?” Shi Feng muttered, feeling rather surprised as he looked at the quality of the Bible of Darkness in his hands.

However, after giving it some thought, Shi Feng felt it was possible.

With how powerful Serena was, Fantasy Extinguisher should not have been able to injure the Fallen Angel at all with the strength he had at that time. It was highly possible that he had chosen the first option instead.

Meanwhile, Fantasy Extinguisher had managed to become a peerless expert in the Black Dragon Empire thanks to the Bible of Darkness.

With the help of the Bible of Darkness, Fantasy Extinguisher managed not only to become exceedingly powerful himself but also to increase the strength of his Guild significantly. Only afterward did Blue Frost and the others from District One shine brightly.

Back then, countless Guilds had looked at Fantasy Extinguisher enviously.

There was nothing remarkable about owning a single Epic item. However, the Bible of Darkness was no ordinary Epic item, as it held the power to increase the overall strength of a Guild.

The Bible of Darkness was capable of strengthening players with the Power of Darkness. Not only could players receive a huge boost in Attributes, but they could also obtain an Enhanced Skill corresponding to their classes.

This was the reason why the Fantasy Shrine had managed to form the invincible Black Demon Legion in the past, allowing the Guild to become one of the tyrants of the Black Dragon Empire. Back then, even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s Blood Legion had not been a match for the Black Demon Legion.

If Fantasy Extinguisher had gained such achievements by relying on a replica, what would have happened if he had obtained the real Bible of Darkness? Most likely, the entire Black Dragon Empire would have fallen into the Fantasy Shrine’s hands. Shi Feng inwardly grew excited as he looked at the Bible of Darkness in his hands.

He had finally completed one of the steps required to become an overlord in God’s Domain.

Whether it was the Magic Weapon Abyssal Blade or the Fragmented Legendary ranked Heavenly Dragon’s Breath, both were items that focused on increasing his personal strength. They were of little use in raising the overall strength of his Guild. However, the Bible of Darkness was different. It was an item focused on increasing the overall strength of many players.

With the Bible of Darkness in hand, he would be able to form a group of Black Demon Guards. With his special training plan, he would be able to quickly establish a Black Demon Legion that surpassed even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s Blood Legion. At that time, who—in Star-Moon Kingdom—would be able to compete with him?

After some fantasizing, Shi Feng then stored the Bible of Darkness and shifted his gaze towards the three Rainbow Treasure Chests.

“I have really made a killing from the Epic Quest this time. Not only did I get a Fragmented Legendary item, but I also obtained a Chapter of Shelter and a Magic Device Design,” Shi Feng laughed.

He quickly tucked the contents of all three Rainbow Treasure Chests into his bag.

The first Rainbow Treasure Chest contained 188 Soul Crystals. Though Shi Feng himself had no use for these things, he would be able to upgrade the Lions Bar to a 2-star Bar with this many Soul Crystals. At that time, the production volume of the Hundred Berry Wine would increase to a level barely enough to supply the upper echelons of both District One and Zero Wing.

The second Rainbow Treasure Chest contained the Chapter of Shelter.

Before coming to the World Summit, Shi Feng had asked Blue Frost about Large Shelters in detail.

If a Small Shelter was akin to a small village, then a Medium Shelter was a small town, while a Large Shelter was a large town.

Why were so many Guild Forces madly accumulating resources and were adamant in upgrading a Shelter to a Large Shelter? It was because Larger Shelters possessed a certain degree of self-defense.

The number of players a Shelter could hold was not unlimited. If players wished to become a resident of a Shelter, they had to register themselves with said Shelter. Meanwhile, the number of players a Shelter could register was limited. If there was no cap to registration, players within the Dark Den would have long since migrated to the best Shelters available to develop themselves.

It was also precisely this limitation that severely restricted the development speed of a Shelter.

A Small Shelter could register a maximum of 10,000 players, which was roughly equivalent to the member count of a small Guild.

Medium Shelters could register up to 30,000 players, which was roughly equivalent to the player population of a small town. Aside from having a larger population, players could also construct some Specialty Buildings such as the Lions Bar in a Medium Shelter. The overall strength of a Medium Shelter was significantly higher than a Small Shelter’s.

Meanwhile, when a Medium Shelter was upgraded to a Large Shelter, the number of players the Shelter could register would undergo a qualitative change, directly increasing to 100,000. That number could practically rival the member count of a second-rate Guild. Moreover, the functions of the Shelter would also increase notably. The increase was not limited to just the Skill Books and Specialties supplied; players of the Shelter would also be able to tame Mounts.

Mounts could be said to be the lifeblood of players residing within the Dark Den.

With no Teleportation Magic Arrays in the Dark Den, players could only rely on their own two feet to travel to their desired destinations. With a Mount, the mobility of players would improve significantly, and as a result, their strength would also rise much faster than before.

Hence, the various Guild Forces were desperately accumulating resources in order to create a Large Shelter of their own. This was also why plenty of independent Shelters subordinated themselves to Guild Forces. As long as they joined a Guild Force, they could head to the Large Shelter controlled by said Guild Force and purchase Mounts. Otherwise, they would have to wait until their own Shelters were promoted into Large Shelters or try their luck in large-scale Team Dungeons.

Now that Shi Feng had the Chapter of Shelter, he could directly promote the Shelter of District One to a Large Shelter. The players inside the Shelter could then begin to accumulate funds and resources. As soon as they reached a sufficient Level, they would be able to purchase a Mount of their own. Compared to the players of other Shelters, the players of District One would be able to save up on plenty of time.

“Although I’ve obtained the Chapter of Shelter, I still don’t have a way to return to the Shelter right now. It seems that I can only wait until the Cooldown of the Position Teleportation Scroll ends before making another trip to District One’s Shelter.” Shi Feng suddenly recalled that he had arrived at the central area of the Dark Den through a teleportation gate. As for the method of returning to the Evil Ghost Domain, he had no idea whatsoever.

With the items he came for in hand, Shi Feng did not continue idling around inside the Lord of Destruction’s Shrine. He took out a Return Scroll and began chanting the incantation required to teleport back to White River City.

After twenty seconds passed, Shi Feng transformed into a streak of light and disappeared from the Shrine.

Chapter 612: Winds have Changed

 

White River City Teleportation Hall:

Due to Zero Wing’s evergrowing fame and the Candlelight Trading Firm’s wide array of high-end products, many players were attracted to White River City. Currently, one could see plenty of players forming Dungeon-raiding parties in the wide and spacious Teleportation Hall,

The prosperity and liveliness here were far more intense than in Star-Moon City.

The moment Shi Feng stepped out of the Teleportation Hall, he could feel the hustle and bustle that filled the city.

Other than a large number of independent players who filled the city streets, there were also plenty of Guild players. These Guild players’ average levels were very high. Although they could not compare to the players in the Dark Den, most of these Guild players were still Level 27 or 28. That was still quite high in the current God’s Domain. These Guild players also wore Fine-Gold and Secret-Silver equipment. They were the envy of ordinary players.

“That Guild is amazing! Its members’ equipment looks so amazing! They should be catching up to the powerful Guilds in White River City.”

“I’ve heard of that Guild before. It’s called Heaven’s Burial, and it’s one of the newly-established White River City Guilds. Although it is a new Guild, it is very powerful. So far, Heaven’s Burial has already raided many 20-man Hell Mode Team Dungeons and is in the midst of planning to raid 50-man Team Dungeons. I also heard that the Guild has a very powerful backer.”

“A strong backer isn’t the only thing Heaven’s Burial has. A few hours ago, one of Heaven’s Burial’s experts managed to break into the fourth floor of the Divine Colosseum. It is the tenth Guild in White River City to set foot on the Divine Colosseum’s fourth floor.”

“I’ve been to the newly-launched Divine Colosseum as well and paid one Magic Crystal to challenge it. The challenges are insanely difficult. I only managed to reach the second floor after exhausting myself. And I died the moment I set foot on the second floor. In the end, I only got 1 Silver as a reward. It was a serious loss.”

“Heaven’s Burial is amazing. Even Zero Wing, the most powerful Guild in White River City, has only advanced to the Colosseum’s fifth floor.”

The Divine Colosseum, which had recently appeared in God’s Domain, drew the interest and attention of many players, and every conversation was related to it in one way or another.

After God’s Domain had undergone its third evolution, combat in the game had become more difficult for players. The Divine Colosseum was a very good place to train their combat techniques. Only, training there was too expensive. Moreover, the Colosseum only accepted Magic Crystals as currency. This had caused the price of Magic Crystals to skyrocket overnight. Since the third system upgrade, the price of Magic Crystals had doubled.

“Sure enough, that which should arrive, will arrive.” Shi Feng was frustrated as he swept a glance over the members of Heaven’s Burial.

Before the third evolution of God’s Domain, international corporations had only prepared to invest in God’s Domain. As for other smaller corporations, they had not paid much attention to this particular investment route. However, with the launch of the Divine Colosseum, God’s Domain’s popularity began to show signs of overtaking the fighting competitions in the real world. This situation drove corporations—both big and small—around the world towards the game. With a potential gold mine in sight, these corporations began to increase their investments in the game.

For a time, countless new Guilds emerged throughout God’s Domain, all wishing to take a bite of the pie known as God’s Domain.

Among these corporations, several major investors looked to Star-Moon Kingdom. Some bought shares of long-standing Guilds, while others chose to establish their own Guilds. Among these newly-established Guilds, three stood out: Cloud Nine, Yin Yang Court, and Heaven’s Burial.

In the past, Heaven Burial had started developing itself in Star-Moon City. The Guild was clearly ambitious. While Ouroboros and the Star Alliance had been busy fighting each other, Heaven’s Burial had taken advantage of the situation and solidified its position in Star-Moon City in one fell swoop. In the end, it had even forced the two first-rate Guilds to suffer quite a few hardships.

Shi Feng had never expected that, after White River City began to show signs of becoming the number one city in Star-Moon Kingdom, Heaven’s Burial would run to White River City to develop itself.

Moreover, of the newly-established Guilds Shi Feng had seen so far, Heaven’s Burial wasn’t the only one of the top three newbies to establish itself in White River City. He also saw members of both Cloud Nine and Yin Yang Court.

Interesting. Everyone’s has come to White River City trying to take a bite out of the fat piece of meat that I cooked up. Do they really think that Zero Wing is some kind of pushover? Shi Feng could not help but smile.

Zero Wing indeed possessed plenty of enemies. In the dark, Underworld lurked and spat like a viper. In the light, they had also provoked the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion.

As Shi Feng made his way to White River City’s Library, he discovered that, despite having only been away from the city for a short time, many players had acquired their own NPC guards.

NPC guards had become beacons of hope for many powerless players. At the same time, these NPC guards had also received attention from the various large Guilds. As a result, these NPCs’ development speeds were unusually fast. Players who were trying to become merchants were especially interested in these NPC guards.

In God’s Domain, players’ activities were not limited to killing monsters out in the fields. Players could also take on all sorts of quests. Many merchant players, who did not possess any combat power, could rely on NPC guards when carrying out special quests. However, the majority of the quests did not allow the assistance of ordinary guards, only Personal Guards.

Just as Shi Feng arrived before White River City’s Library, the sound of his system communicator rang by his ears, and the caller was none other than Everlasting War.

“Brother Ye Feng, you’ve finally come online. I’ve been trying to contact you for a while. How are preparations coming along?” Everlasting War asked, slightly worried.

Shi Feng was the expert he had recommended. If Shi Feng did not pass the selection test, it would stain his reputation.

“There are no issues. I can participate in the selection at any time. Seeing as Brother Everlasting is contacting me, has something happened?” Shi Feng asked.

The selection held in Beast City was tomorrow morning. There was still quite some time before the selection began. Something must have happened for Everlasting War to contact him.

“It’s nothing major. Only, the higher-ups have changed the requirements for the selection. Now, after you pass the selection, you are required to sign a contract and become a member of the company if you join the battle team. Of course, you will receive far more benefits as well. For example, you will be entitled to 5% of the wagers made on the matches you win,” Everlasting War explained. “If Brother Ye Feng joins the battle team, with your strength, you will easily make more than a dozen times the Credits the Guild Leader of a first-rate Guild would normally earn. Once the battle team becomes famous, your status in the world will become even greater than any Leader of a first-rate Guild. What do you think, Brother Ye Feng?”

Everlasting War and his group did not particularly care about signing the new contract as they had originally been employees of the company. However, Shi Feng was different. He was affiliated with Zero Wing. Moreover, he was one of Zero Wing’s core members. He had definitely signed a contract with the Guild. If he joined the battle team, unless the company allowed it, he would not be able to be part of any Guilds in the future.

To put it bluntly, the company was restricting the freedom of the team members instead of cooperating with them.

“Of course, if Brother Ye Feng is selected to become one of the members of the battle team, the company will take full responsibility of the breach of agreement with your Guild. Brother Ye Feng can rest assured on this.” Everlasting War was very confident in Shi Feng’s strength, and he desperately hoped that Shi Feng would join their battle team.

In his opinion, what did a Guild in a virtual reality game amount to?

How could it possibly hope to match up against an international corporation?

Chapter 613: Peak of Star-Moon

 

The benefits Everlasting War had mentioned were quite tempting.

The Dark Arena was a place where the various international corporations around the world could secretly compete.

The resources and funding involved were on an entirely different level than ordinary arenas. Even just 5% of the gambling rewards was sufficient to make someone a tycoon overnight.

Moreover, as one’s battle record in the Dark Arena grew, the bets on their matches also increased. The income one could potentially earn through the Dark Arena could even tempt international fighters. To virtual reality gaming experts, that was an astronomical number.

However, that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Based on what information Shi Feng had, in the past, any players who signed a contract with a battle team held extraordinary positions in the corporation that owned the team. If it were a famous player such as Everlasting War, even the upper echelons of international corporations would treat them with respect.

The Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild did not even qualify to fawn over such players. They were from entirely different worlds.

The third evolution of God’s Domain arrived too soon. I did not expect these international corporations to discover the importance of expert players so quickly. Shi Feng frowned, feeling disappointed. It would have been great if these international corporations had only discovered this fact a few days after the selection tests.

However, since these international corporations had discovered the truth, he could not do anything to change it.

He was the Guild Leader of Zero Wing. Moreover, in this life, he had sworn that he would not be controlled by others ever again.

“Brother Everlasting, since the higher-ups have made this decision, you will have to forgive me for not participating in the selection,” Shi Feng directly refused.

Although he could no doubt earn a lot of money, fame, and status in the Dark Arena, in the era of God’s Domain, a player could similarly obtain all of these things so long as they had the ability.

Since he could not earn a large sum of Credits through the Dark Arena, he just had to look for some other way.

As a reincarnator, he did not believe that he could not earn Credits from other avenues.

Particularly, from his trip to the Dark Den, he had obtained the Teleportation Magic Array Design and Magic Device Forging Design. These two items were practically money-printing machines. As long as he had enough raw materials, the money he could make would be astronomical.

Everlasting War was slightly stunned by Shi Feng’s reply. He had not thought that Shi Feng would refuse his offer so decisively. However, when he thought about Shi Feng’s skill, he hurriedly advised, “Brother Ye Feng, won’t you reconsider? At the end of the day, a Gaming Guild is only a Gaming Guild. It is nothing compared to a major corporation that can affect the world’s economy. With your skills, I guarantee that you’ll at least become vice-leader of the battle team.”

The team’s strength did not rely on a single person. After all, each battle team could include up to ten members. Naturally, the more experts there were in a team, the higher the team’s chances were of obtaining victory.

In Everlasting War’s opinion, Shi Feng could most likely rank within the top three within their battle team.

If they lost a top three expert, it would wound the battle team’s overall strength.

“Brother Everlasting, don’t waste your time trying to persuade me. Moreover, I have many matters that I need to attend to. Not being able to join is a good thing. Anyways, I still have something to do, so I’ll talk to you another time.” Shi Feng disconnected the call. He then entered the Library.

—

Meanwhile, Everlasting War could not help but sigh as he said, “Truly disappointing.”

“Disappointing? What’s there to be disappointed about? Isn’t he just a core member of a small Guild? How strong could he be? He must have realized how weak he actually is. Do you know how many experts of God’s Domain and professional fighters are trying to join the Glorious Battle Team? Even if he shows up, he will never be selected.” A luxuriously dressed middle-aged woman standing across from Everlasting War disdainfully dismissed his concern.

Four bodyguards in black stood next to this woman. All four radiated intimidating auras that were capable of making Everlasting War, someone who had once been a professional bodyguard, anxious. Particularly, the rugged-looking man among these bodyguards was very famous in the bodyguard industry. He was known as the Steel Guard, and even some international fighters were no match for him.

“Director Hua, Ye Feng is no ordinary expert. If you can restore the recruitment conditions to what they were before and allow him to join the Glorious Battle Team, our chances of beating our next opponent, the Midday Wolves, will be much higher. This will also greatly benefit the company,” Everlasting War carefully suggested.

The changes in the battle team’s recruitment conditions were all due to this woman, Hua Qiushui, standing before him. Although he did not understand why Hua Qiushui had suddenly changed the conditions, this last-minute adjustment troubled him, the leader of the battle team. However, despite his annoyance, Hua Qiushui’s position was extraordinary. A single word from her could easily leave him jobless. Hence, he did not dare speak too boldly in front of her.

“Naturally, I have considered these changes carefully. You only need to focus on how you’re going to defeat your next opponent. He is merely a nameless expert. Do you think that, just because we are missing one nameless expert, you’re going to lose against your next opponent?” Hua Qiushui questioned, her voice low and dangerous. “He is just one less nameless expert participating in the selection. There are plenty of God’s Domain experts coming to take the test. Among them, many are well-known in the industry. These people’s standards are far beyond his. I think that Vice-Leader Journey Leave should administer the test this time around. You should take this time to think of a strategy to deal with the Midday Wolves.”

Everlasting War’s words had clearly dissatisfied Hua Qiushui. Without hesitation, she had stripped him of his duties for a few days. Helpless, Everlasting War could only agree with the lady director.

—

Inside White River City’s Library:

After entering the Library, Shi Feng headed towards the building’s top floor.

Two Level 180 Tier 2 White Robe Knights stood by the doors. Normally, ordinary players would not dare approach the Star-Moon Hall. However, Shi Feng had long since become a frequent visitor of this place. Without hesitation, he walked past the Knights and opened the doors to the hall.

Sharlyn, who sat beside a table, looked at Shi Feng, mildly stating, “You’re here.”

Hearing Sharlyn’s intimate greeting, Shi Feng could not help but tense up.

Crap! I forgot to store the Coins in my bag! Seeing Sharlyn’s intimate smile, Shi Feng suddenly thought of the precious Coins he had in his bag. This reaction was practically instinctual now.

Although Sharlyn was an NPC, she seemed more realistic than a real person. Though she always appeared friendly, her actions said otherwise.

If not for a few tricks he hid up his sleeves, she would have bankrupted him long ago.

“Hahaha! Come over here; let me see what you’ve brought this time!” Sharlyn waved her hand at Shi Feng. Suddenly, a huge force tugged at Shi Feng’s body, sending him flying towards Sharlyn.

Shi Feng was shocked at this sudden development.

After not meeting for some time, Sharlyn’s strength had increased once more.

Sharlyn, who had been a Tier 4 Great Divine Official, had now become a Level 200 Tier 5 Red Official.

At this point, Sharlyn was many times stronger than Weissman, White River City’s Magistrate. She stood at the peak of Star-Moon Kingdom.

Although Shi Feng had long since known that Sharlyn was not an ordinary NPC and that her strength would increase significantly every time they met, her improvement speed was simply mind-blowing. Even he, someone who had played God’s Domain for more than a decade, found it astonishing.

Just who is Sharlyn? Questions filled Shi Feng’s heart.

Chapter 614: Demon Gate

 

Just as Shi Feng pondered Sharlyn’s identity, a hint of shock surfaced in the Red Official’s golden eyes.

“You have actually obtained it!” Sharlyn could not help but reevaluate her opinion of Shi Feng. “And here I thought you would bring me a replica to help you solve your problem.”

Hearing this, surprise appeared on Shi Feng’s face.

He had only discovered the truth about the replica from the Fallen Angel Serena. He had not expected Sharlyn to know about it as well.

Sharlyn could see the question floating in Shi Feng’s mind. Smiling, she explained, “The Bible of Darkness is not an ordinary item. The Lord of Destruction crafted this item, and it is a treasure used to gain dominance over all Demonic Creatures. Even though the Bible has been destroyed, it still holds boundless power. There are countless powerhouses who wish to obtain it. In the past, plenty of strong people tried going to the Dark Den to obtain the Bible of Darkness. In the end, however, they only managed to return with replicas.

“Even so, a replica of the Bible of Darkness still possesses a certain degree of power. There are no problems with using it to solve your Great Demon problem. Only, at the end of the day, a replica is still a replica. While it might be useful to a weak little Adventurer like you, to high-tiered powerhouses, it is hardly worth anything.”

It is no wonder why Fantasy Extinguisher stopped using the Bible of Darkness after he became a Tier 4 class. Shi Feng came to a realization after listening to Sharlyn’s explanation.

In the past, Fantasy Extinguisher had made a name for himself by relying on the Bible of Darkness and had even enabled the Fantasy Shrine to overwhelm the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s Guild Branch. However, after Fantasy Extinguisher became a Tier 4 Spirit Emperor, he stopped using the Bible of Darkness. Back then, everyone had thought that Fantasy Extinguisher had dropped the Bible of Darkness and lost it after someone had killed him.

Epic items, particularly special Epic items like the Bible of Darkness, an item that would take effect even when inside a player’s bag, would not lose its worth with the passing of time. Even a Tier 5 expert could continue to use it. After all, Fragmented Legendary and Legendary items were simply too rare. Even Tier 6 God-ranked players would not necessarily own such items. Owning a unique Epic item was still quite impressive.

As Shi Feng reexamined the situation, he realized that it was highly possible that the replica of the Bible of Darkness could only display its worth up until Tier 3. If it were not helpful to Tier 4 classes, Fantasy Extinguisher would not have continued to use it.

“Take it out, then,” Sharlyn said softly, her eyes smiling.

Shi Feng carefully retrieved the Bible of Darkness from his bag and placed it on the table beside him.

“Mhm. Sure enough, it’s the real deal. You really are quite the capable fellow. Do you know just how many powerhouses are trying to retrieve the Bible of Darkness? In the end, everyone only returns with a replica. If they knew that a little fellow like you had the real thing, they would most likely go crazy from anger.” Sharlyn nodded, smiling as she scrutinized the Bible of Darkness. She then continued, “Since you brought me the genuine article, I’ll give you two options.

“The first option is free of charge. For this option, you’ll be able to solve the problem of the Great Demon descending on you.

“The second option will cost you 1,500 Gold and 100 Soul Crystals. For this option, you can be done once and for all, destroying the Great Demon that targets you.”

Sure enough… Shi Feng could not help but send Sharlyn a contemptuous gaze. Currently, he had a little over 1,600 Gold in his bag. This was the money the Candlelight Trading Firm had made while he had been absent. If he gave it all to Sharlyn, he would become a pauper once more.

However, even so, Shi Feng gritted his teeth and handed over the money.

If he had chosen the first option, although it might seem like he had dealt with the Great Demon, in reality, Sharlyn would only weaken the descended Great Demon to a level that he could cope with. He would still have to deal with the Great Demon’s will descending on him every so often until he could defeat and kill it.

In the past, the darkness’s descent plagued Fantasy Extinguisher, requiring him to deal with a weakened Great Demon every-so-often and throwing his Guild, Fantasy Shrine, into chaos.

The fact that he had a second option was considerably lucky.

This might be the difference between a replica and the genuine product.

Sharlyn received the Coins and Soul Crystals with a saintly smile. Nodding with satisfaction, she said, “Alright, step back.”

Following Sharlyn’s request, Shi Feng moved more than thirty yards away from her.

Meanwhile, Sharlyn held up the Bible of Darkness. After flipping through a few pages, she began chanting a series of incantations, her hand continuously tracing out a line of runes in the air.

As the line of runes grew longer, the Power of Darkness filling the Star-Moon Hall grew denser and denser, to the point where Shi Feng could even see faint black mist appear. This black mist desperately gathered in front of Sharlyn, forming a fourfold magic array. The surrounding space began to blur as well. The powerful Mana was even capable of suppressing the space within the hall.

This Mana is simply too powerful. I can’t move at all! Shi Feng was shocked as he stared at the fourfold magic array suspended in midair.

A magic array was actually capable of forming its own space… Chances were that only Tier 5 existences like Sharlyn were capable of forming such an array.

After Sharlyn finished writing the runes, she casually scattered the 100 Soul Crystals before her. Immediately, all 100 Soul Crystals transformed into gray smoke. This gray smoke then formed a pair of silvery-gray gates. There were countless images of Demons engraved on these ancient gates, and every one of these Demons was quite famous throughout God’s Domain. These were existences that even ordinary Tier 4 powerhouses would not dare provoke.

“Are you trying to summon a Demon?” Shi Feng frowned at the gray gates. He could clearly feel how frightening their power was. If the gates opened, horrific creatures would most likely crawl out.

“You’ve guessed correctly. I am trying to summon a Demon. Moreover, I am summoning the Great Demon that targets you. Otherwise, how you going to get rid of it?” Sharlyn rolled her eyes at Shi Feng. Her golden eyes then shifted back to the gray gates. “In the name of Darkness, I summon thee! Emerge, Great Demon Kildred!”

The moment Sharlyn finished speaking, the gray gates abruptly opened.

“Who dares to summon me?” a cold, dark voice boomed through the gray gates.

Following which, a figure pushed through the gray gates. This figure sported a large pair of black bat wings and two pitch-black goat horns on his head. Pitch-black scaled covered his entire body, and killing intent filled his blood-red eyes.

The moment Kildred appeared, he surveyed his surroundings with his blood-red eyes, and he could not help but sneer at what he saw.

“And here I wondered who had summoned me. It turns out that it’s just you, little Divine Official, and that foolish Adventurer,” Kildred said disdainfully as he flapped his wings. “I did not expect that little ants like you could actually obtain the real Bible of Darkness. As your reward for summoning me, I’ll collect your souls and the Bible.”

Is this Great Demon stupid? Shi Feng frowned at Kildred, confused.

Kildred was a Level 180 Tier 4 Great Demon. On the other hand, Sharlyn was a Level 200 Tier 5 Red Official. No matter how he looked at it, they were on entirely different levels. Moreover, the Great Demon had actually called Sharlyn a ‘little Divine Official.’

Did Kildred believe that he was a Tier 6 Demon God?

“Huh? Wait a minute…” Shi Feng immediately discovered the problem. For some reason, the Sharlyn before him had somehow fallen from being a Tier 5 Red Official to a Tier 3 Divine Official.

“Little Brother, stop daydreaming. Right now, your task is to kill him,” Sharlyn instructed as she looked at Shi Feng. She paid no attention to the Great Demon Kildred’s provocation.

“You wish to kill me, the Great Demon Kildred?! You two must be insane! I’ll show you what the consequences are for summoning a Great Demon!” Kildred revealed a malicious grin upon hearing Sharlyn’s words. Suddenly, black flames appeared in his hand.

Chapter 615: Tier 5 Curse

 

The raging black flames quickly transformed into a ferocious beast that bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it pounced on Sharlyn.

Boom!

At the sound of an explosion, the black flames in the air suddenly began to collapse, dissipating into nothingness.

“You!?”

The Great Demon Kildred’s malicious expression suddenly changed, and he no longer looked down on Sharlyn. Rather, he gazed at the Tier 3 Divine Official with solemn eyes.

Even Tier 4 classes would find it difficult to deal with Soul Fire, yet, Sharlyn managed to disperse it without moving in the slightest. One could just imagine what kind of power she contained.

No! It wasn’t the Soul Fire that was defeated! My Mana!” Kildred was horrified as he quickly discovered the true problem.

His Mana rapidly leaked from his body. Due to the lack of Mana, he had lost control of the Soul Fire he had summoned, causing it to disappear.

Standing at a distance, Shi Feng was also shocked by Sharlyn’s counterattack.

The Great Demon Kildred’s Level plummeted, as did his Tier.

Level 180… Level 170… Level 160…

In a short moment, the Great Demon Kildred had become a Level 35 Tier 2 Evil Spirit. He was no longer a Level 180 Tier 4 Great Demon.

“What have you done?!” Kildred asked, gaping at Sharlyn in abject horror.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just used God’s Twilight, a Tier 5 Curse,” Sharlyn said, smiling. “While inside God’s Twilight’s effective area, all beings above Tier 2 will be forcefully suppressed by two Tiers. Naturally, their Levels will lower as well.”

Upon hearing these words, Kildred instantly paled.

Shi Feng was similarly astonished.

A Tier 5 Curse!

This was a spell that could rival the power of a Tier 6 God-ranked spell.

“Kildred, you can only escape this situation by defeating the Adventurer before you. Otherwise, you will die here.” Although Sharlyn’s voice sounded pleasing to the ears, her words caused even a Great Demon like Kildred to shudder in fear.

Realizing that was his cue, Shi Feng unsheathed the Abyssal Blade and Purgatory’s Shadow.

This should be the final test. Shi Feng licked his lips as he stared at the Great Demon Kildred, who hovered in the air.

He had always known that it would not be so easy to obtain the Fragmented Legendary ranked Bible of Darkness.

In God’s Domain, there was an abundance of Epic items. However, Fragmented Legendary and Legendary items, items that were above Epic rank, were extraordinarily rare. If players wanted to obtain one, they would have to pay an unimaginable price. The fact that he had grasped a special Fragmented Legendary item such as the Bible of Darkness with so little trouble could already be considered a miracle.

In the past, to obtain a single Fragmented Legendary item, the various large Guilds throughout God’s Domain would have to be busy for at least one to two months, possibly three to four months. Unless one were extremely lucky and encountered special locations such as the Star River Valley, they would have to rely on quests to obtain a Fragmented Legendary item.

“Little ant, a Tier 1 Swordsman like you dares to draw your sword against me, the Great Demon Kildred? You are indeed courageous. However, just because I have been suppressed to Tier 2, you think you have a chance of defeating me?” Kildred laughed angrily as he felt the sting of a deep wound to his pride.

“How will I know if I don’t try?” Shi Feng laughed. He then approached the Great Demon one step at a time.

[Kildred] (Evil Spirit [Great Demon])

Level 35

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

A Tier 2 Evil Spirit was the equivalent of a Lord ranked monster. However, due to Kildred’s intelligence, his combat power was definitely much higher than an ordinary Lord. His HP, though lower than an ordinary Lord, was also much higher than a player’s.

As Shi Feng approached Kildred gradually, he suddenly discovered something fortunate.

While he was under the effects of God’s Twilight, all of his Skills’ Cooldowns had not only been refreshed, but they had also been reduced by half.

It seems my test this time is to defeat a Tier 2 Evil Spirit while at my peak.

Shi Feng had initially been worried that he would not be able to use Blade Liberation. Now, however, it seemed that his worries were for naught.

“Die!” the Great Demon Kildred roared. Suddenly, a black spear appeared in his hand. He then swooped down and jabbed the spear towards Shi Feng in rapid succession. In the next moment, streaks of black light rained down on the Swordsman.

Tier 2 Skill, Black Rain Annihilation!

Shi Feng did not dare to hold back. Immediately, he activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power and Blade Liberation. He then used the Aura of Wind’s Activatable Skill, Wind Rider, and leaped into the air.

With a 280% increase to his Movement Speed, Shi Feng’s speed could rival that of a Great Lord. Very easily, he escaped the effective area of Black Rain Annihilation. Moreover, due to his ability to fly, he had no need to fear the Great Demon Kildred’s ranged attacks from the air.

After avoiding Kildred’s Black Rain Annihilation, Shi Feng proceeded to activate the Ice-Blue Devil Flame, Phantom Kill, Nine Dragons Slash, Black Emperor, and Purgatory Power, instantly pushing his combat power to its peak.

Immediately, both sides began a fierce and deadly dance.

With Wind Rider active, Shi Feng held an absolute advantage in terms of speed. As a result, he was able to dodge all the Great Demon’s attacks easily. Kildred could not even make contact with Shi Feng’s body.

On the other hand, sword lights bombarded on the scales covering Kildred’s body, easily penetrating the Great Demon’s armor.

Chop!

-25,641.

Thunder Flame Explosion!

-47,156.

Thundering Flash!

-14,527, -18,546, -24,716.

Every Skill Shi Feng executed had a Completion Rate of 95% or above, allowing his Skills’ effect to increase significantly.

The Great Demon Kildred’s 1,000,000 HP decreased at a rate visible to the naked eye. After a measly five seconds, the Great Demon only had 70% of his HP remaining.

However, Shi Feng suddenly discovered that, as he relentlessly attacked the Great Demon, his opponent’s Strength and speed began to rise.

Originally, when he had activated Twofold Berserk, his Strength should have rivaled even a High Lord of the same level and overwhelmed the Great Demon Kildred. After a short period of intense battle, however, Kildred’s Strength was already equal to his. The Great Demon’s speed also quickly caught up.

This can’t continue. Although I don’t know whether he is growing stronger due to the length of battle increasing or his HP decreasing, I need to finish him off as soon as possible! Shi Feng used Flame Burst.

Suddenly, two miniature suns appeared and illuminated the Star-Moon Hall.

Twenty-four consecutive strikes!

Both Shi Feng and his doppelganger used Flame Burst at the same time.

Twenty-four sword lights cut across the space of the hall, striking the Great Demon Kildred. Every sword light from Shi Feng dealt over -20,000 damage to the Great Demon. His doppelganger caused over -10,000 damage with each attack as well. When critical hits were achieved, the damage of the attacks doubled.

When the attacks ended, the Great Demon Kildred suffered a total damage of over -500,000.

“This…” Shi Feng was stupefied when he saw the Great Demon that he had attacked.

At this moment, the Great Demon Kildred had only 40% of his HP remaining. Meanwhile, a faint, black light radiated from Kildred’s body.

Tier 2 Skill, Dark Shield… It was a spell that could absorb a relatively large amount of damage.

“Damn it!” Shi Feng frowned.

Flame Burst was his ultimate Skill. Yet, the Great Demon had actually managed to negate a portion of its damage.

Currently, the Great Demon Kildred had grown more formidable after the attack. Meanwhile, there were less than 10 seconds left on Blade Liberation’s duration.

“Hahaha! My Strength has completely surpassed yours now! Die, human!” Kildred snorted. He then threw his spear at Shi Feng.

Kildred’s spear was extremely fast, and even Shi Feng only barely managed to block it with his swords.

Peng!

Shi Feng was immediately struck down from the air, his body colliding heavily with the floor and shattering it. A damage of close to -1,100 points appeared above his head.

This was the damage he received after blocking the Great Demon’s attack. If he had failed to block the attack, he would have lost far more than a little over 1,000 HP.

However, the Great Demon Kildred was not finished. Suddenly, Kildred split into two copies of himself. These two Kildreds looked exactly the same, and their Attributes were equally frightening. In the next moment, one Kildred charged at Shi Feng’s doppelganger while the other charged at Shi Feng.

Chapter 616: Promotion to Count

 

Two identical Great Demon Kildreds attacked Shi Feng and his doppelganger.

Shi Feng, who had been at a disadvantage in terms of Strength, had no choice but to dodge the Great Demon’s attacks.

Although Shi Feng had entered the Flowing Water Realm and could predict the trajectories of Kildred’s attacks, the Great Demon’s spear was like a venomous snake that consistently sent fatal blows towards his blind spots.

If any other player stood in his place, not to mention dodging, even blocking the attacks would be difficult.

Facing the unavoidable attacks, Shi Feng had no choice but to block with his swords.

However, the Great Demon Kildred’s Strength was simply too intense. Each of his attacks managed to push Shi Feng back by several steps and inflict slightly more than -1,000 damage. Fortunately, Heavenly Dragon’s Power had increased Shi Feng’s Defense and HP by 300%. With over 30,000 HP, Shi Feng could endure the Great Demon’s assault for quite some time.

Only, Shi Feng’s Twofold Berserk state could only last for twenty seconds. Once these twenty seconds were over, he would enter a Weakened state and would lose all power to resist the Great Demon.

A short moment later, the other Great Demon Kildred defeated Shi Feng’s doppelganger.

“Hahaha! Human, you are quite amazing. A mere Tier 1 Swordsman like yourself has actually managed to damage me, the Great Demon Kildred, to such an extent. As a reward, I’ll let you become my puppet, and you can follow my orders for the rest of your life!” Kildred sneered at Shi Feng, who desperately tried to defend against his attacks.

Standing at a distance, Sharlyn frowned slightly as she watched the battle. Sighing, she muttered, “Was it still too soon?”

Now, Shi Feng no longer had his doppelganger. His ultimate Skill, Flame Burst, was also on Cooldown. Even though he was under the effects of God’s Twilight, reducing his Cooldowns by half, Flame Burst still had a Cooldown of 1 minute, 30 seconds.

Most importantly, he had to face two Great Demon Kildreds who had the same Attributes and 40% HP remaining.

Shi Feng had no chance of winning.

It would be Shi Feng’s end once the two Great Demon Kildreds launched a pincer attack.

“Human, be at ease and become my slave!”

In the blink of an eye, the two Great Demon Kildreds appeared in front of and behind Shi Feng, both Great Demons revealing a ferocious expression.

“This is just the Twin Life Technique. Do you really think that I have no way of unraveling it?”

At this moment, Shi Feng’s previously stern expression suddenly vanished. On the contrary, he revealed a disdainful and victorious smile.

Hearing Shi Feng mention the words “Twin Life Technique,” Kildred’s expression turned grim.

Twin Life Technique was a Special Skill that did not possess any Tiers. It was a Skill that utilized the aid of a treasure to produce a doppelganger with the same capabilities as the original, though both the doppelganger and the original shared the same HP. However, unlike the original, the damage the doppelganger received would be increased by 300%. While Twin Life Technique boosted its user’s combat power, it also increased the damage they took. The Skill was a double-edged sword. If used correctly, it could display boundless power. If used badly, one would cut their own lifeline with this Skill.

“So what if you know about the Twin Life Technique? Can you tell which one is real and which is fake?” Kildred did not believe that Shi Feng could differentiate the true Kildred from his doppelganger. The doppelganger the Twin Life Technique had created was exactly the same as the original. It was impossible to tell the difference by sight alone. “Even if you identify the doppelganger, will you be able to block the attacks from both of us?”

Shi Feng did not reply to the Great Demon. Instead, he pointed the Abyssal Blade towards the hall’s ceiling. Suddenly, countless golden divine swords appeared above them.

When these golden swords descended, two different damages appeared above the two Great Demons’ heads. The Great Demon in front of Shi Feng received over -5,000 damage, while the one behind Shi Feng received over -15,000 damage. At this point, it was obvious which was real and which was fake.

However, Shi Feng was not finished with his attacks. Tightening his grip around the Abyssal Blade, he swung the Magic Weapon downwards.

Abyssal Curse!

Suddenly, the space within 30 yards around Shi Feng took on the effects of a quagmire. The two Great Demon Kildreds were unable to move.

Although Kildred was immune to Fainted effects and other control conditions, the Abyssal Blade was as powerful as an Epic weapon. Even if Abyssal Curse could not restrict the Great Demon for a full five seconds, to Shi Feng, two or three seconds were more than enough.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Shi Feng activated Silent Steps and appeared behind Kildred’s doppelganger. Suddenly, the Abyssal Blade in Shi Feng’s hand released a dazzling flame.

“This… How is this possible! How can you still use that Skill?!” Kildred’s originally calm expression abruptly changed.

The Skill Shi Feng currently used was none other than Flame Burst, the Skill that had previously inflicted massive amounts of damage. However, Shi Feng had used that Skill recently. Now, the Swordsman used it against his doppelganger once more!

“Die!”

Shi Feng did not bother explaining anything to the Great Demon. In truth, while Kildred’s doppelganger faced-off against his doppelganger, he had used up the 30 stacks of Death Aura on Flame Burst. Each stack of Death Aura could reduce the Cooldown of a Skill by three seconds, and thirty stacks just happened to grant him 90 seconds. Once his doppelganger died, he pretended to struggle against one of the Great Demon’s attacks, allowing the two Great Demon Kildreds to launch a pincer attack and giving him a good opportunity to deal with the Great Demon’s doppelganger.

Twelve consecutive strikes bit into the Great Demon’s immobile doppelganger.

Even when Shi Feng had used Flame Burst on the real Great Demon Kildred, each of his attacks had dealt over -20,000 damage. Now that the damage was amplified by 300%, each strike dealt over -60,000 damage against Kildred’s doppelganger, or -120,000 damage with a critical hit. Against such frightening damages, Kildred’s doppelganger died instantly.

“No!” Kildred released a frustrated scream.

Unfortunately, Twin Life Technique made it so that both doppelganger and the original shared the same HP. The doppelganger’s death meant the original’s death. The Great Demon Kildred would never have guessed that Shi Feng was a reincarnator. Not only was Shi Feng extremely familiar with many of the Skills in God’s Domain, but he also knew the weaknesses of the various Skills.

After Shi Feng killed the Great Demon Kildred, a golden glow appeared around his body. Moreover, this golden glow appeared twice in a row.

Shi Feng’s level immediately jumped from Level 32 to Level 34.

“Such an abundant amount of EXP!” Shi Feng said in shock.

As the class he possessed was the hidden class Blade Saint, the EXP he required to level up was double of what other players required. Now that he had leveled up twice in a row, not only had he earned back the level he had lost at the World Summit, but he also gained a level beyond that.

System: Epic Quest “Darkness Descends” completed.

Quest rewards: “Demon Slayer” title, Star-Moon Kingdom Reputation +50, White River City Reputation +500, automatically promoted to the status of Count in White River City.

System: Congratulations on becoming a Count of White River City. You can now employ 100 guards, including four Personal Guards. You can also enjoy a 20% discount on all expenditures in White River City.

“As expected of an Epic Quest. I’ve been promoted to a Count after completing a single quest. I can lessen my cost significantly when I head to the Divine Colosseum,” Shi Feng said, smiling.

If a Viscount was considered a major noble, then a Count was a top figure among major nobles.

In God’s Domain, the highest social status a player could attain in a city like White River City was Marquis. Only in a capital city like Star-Moon City could players become Dukes. Thus, becoming a Count of White River City was quite impressive.

To players, the largest difference between a Count and a Viscount, aside from the difference in status and the number of guards they could employ, was the Divine Colosseum.

The Divine Colosseum was a location where players could raise their combat power. Meanwhile, the Colosseum required Magic Crystals as currency. However, Viscounts or below would not receive any discounts at the Divine Colosseum. Only Counts or above would enjoy that benefit. This was also one of the reasons why many players had strived to increase their Reputation and become Counts. That way, one could lessen the burden on their wallet.

Compared to ordinary players, a Count’s title held far more importance to players who owned private Lands because Counts possessed much greater authority. This authority was also the capital that a player required if they wished to rise and succeed in a city.