Chapter 591

Chapter 591: New Changes

Just after Shi Feng came online, he suddenly felt his body grow heavier.

It’s been quite some time since I experienced the Gravitational System. It really is somewhat difficult to adapt to. Shi Feng stretched and absorbed the sights, sounds, and smells of his surroundings. Based on what his senses experienced, the gravity in this region should be around 1.5 times that of normal gravity.

After God’s Domain evolved the third time, combat and environmental effects in the game had been optimized. Not only could players detect changes in temperature more acutely, but depending on the region one was in, they would also experience a gravitational shift. This change would easily throw players off balance, particularly in battle. This gravitational shift would significantly impact a player’s display of their combat power.

A weapon that initially weighed 5kg might become lighter or heavier depending on the area’s gravity. It would cause players, who had already grown accustomed to the weight of their weapons, to feel uncomfortable. This would cause deviations when these players activated their Skills, resulting in significant declines in Skill Completion Rates.

Shortly after Shi Feng logged into the game, the members of District One also began to load into the game, one after another.

“What’s going on? Why do I suddenly feel sluggish?” A Shield Warrior very quickly discovered that something was amiss.

“It’s true. It feels somewhat awkward when I try to swing my greatsword.” A Berserker on the same team clearly felt the problem with his body as well.

Although the other classes were similarly affected, the impact to their performance was not as significant as it was for the plate armor classes.

“The gravity must have changed.” As one of the top-tier experts in District One, Blue Frost immediately pinpointed the cause of their current predicament. “Since gravity has changed, let’s not move unnecessarily for now. We’ll leave this place after we adapt.”

Everyone else on the team suddenly understood upon hearing Blue Frost’s words, and they began to familiarize themselves with their new weight.

Currently, it was still nighttime in the Dark Den. There were a lot of monsters hunting for food in the fields.

Although Shi Feng and the others had logged into the game in a safe location, a pack of Level 40 Elite ranked Demonic Light Jackals quickly discovered them. These Light Jackals maneuvered their way through the forest swiftly, rapidly approaching Shi Feng and the District One team.

“Not good! A pack of Jackals is approaching!” a Ranger with sharp senses shouted.

Demonic Light Jackals were this area’s tyrants. At night, these monsters usually moved in packs of seven to ten. Moreover, a Chieftain and multiple Special Elites usually led these packs.

Facing such a group of monsters was normally extremely difficult. Even death was a possibility. Unfortunately, they were not only missing members, but the gravitational change also affected their combat power significantly. Fighting these Demonic Light Jackals as they were would be a big problem.

“Prepare for battle!” Blue Frost frowned. Hurriedly, he said, “MTs, just focus on pinning down the Jackals. Don’t make any rash movements.”

The team from District One had not yet fully adapted to the gravitational shift. This sudden change greatly affected the plate armor classes in particular, and it would be quite challenging for them to serve as reliable combatants. The team could only rely on the magical classes for now.

“Yes, sir!”

Under Blue Frost’s command, everyone on the team fell into formation, prepared to welcome the approaching battle.

Sure enough, after the team took up their positions, Demonic Light Jackals began to emerge from the dark forest, one after another. These Jackals split up into groups of three to five, each group setting their eyes on a single target. Meanwhile, among these groups of Demonic Light Jackals, there were also the larger Special Elite ranked Demonic Claw Jackals and Chieftain ranked Black Demonic Jackals.

[Demonic Claw Jackal] (Demonic Creature, Special Elite)

Level 40

HP 360,000/360,000

[Black Demonic Jackal] (Demonic Creature, Chieftain Rank)

Level 40

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

“Our luck is really bad. There are eight Demonic Claw Jackals and two Black Demonic Jackals in this group.” Evening Lotus’s expression turned grim when she saw the pack of Jackals. “Are there two packs here?”

Normally, each pack only had one Chieftain and three to five Special Elites. Now, the numbers had doubled.

“All Elementalists, use Ice Wall! Try to split them up as much as possible and don’t give them any chances to use group tactics!” This was not the first time Blue Frost had fought these Jackals, so he was very familiar with their attack methods.

Upon receiving the command, the dozen or so Elementalists in the team began chanting incantations, casting Ice Walls in an attempt to separate the Jackals. Even if they could not separate them, they could still slow their Movement Speed should the Jackals attempt to gang up on a player.

“Aooo!” the two Black Demonic Jackals howled.

Suddenly, the eighty-plus Demonic Light Jackals began to take action.

Under the command of the Black Demonic Jackals, the Demonic Light Jackals split into two groups. More than thirty mounted a frontal attack, while the remaining 50-plus rounded to the side for a pincer attack.

“Damn!”

Four of the Demonic Light Jackals launched themselves towards one of the Level 29 Shield Warriors simultaneously. Although he tried to defend himself with his shield, due to the change in gravity, his movements were somewhat slow. As a result, he suffered the bites of all four Jackals, instantly losing more than half of his HP.

The other melee players faced similar situations. Only the magical classes standing in the center of the team had an easier time.

“What’s up with these Jackals?”

“Are they actually players in disguise?”

After fighting for some time, everyone quickly discovered that something was off.

The Demonic Light Jackals had actually torn a small hole in their formation, and the moment they did, the Demonic Claw Jackals and Black Demonic Jackals charged through that hole, dashing towards the team’s healers.

Using Fierce Gale, one of the Black Demonic Jackals instantly arrived before a Tier 1 Oracle. Before this Oracle could use Mantra Resist, the Chieftain’s attack sent him flying, his body transforming into particles of light.

“Something’s wrong. These monsters have become smarter! Melees, hold them off as much as possible! We’re retreating immediately!” Blue Frost’s complexion paled. Even a fool could tell that these monsters had changed.

In the past, while players had pinned them down, these Jackals had not bothered the healers in the rear line at all. Now, the Chieftain and Special Elite ranked Jackals sent their underlings to keep the MTs busy, whereas they set their sights on the team’s healers. To player teams, this sudden transformation was fatal!

At this moment, one Demonic Light Jackal had managed to locate a gap and pounced on Shi Feng.

[Demonic Light Jackal] (Demonic Creature, Elite Rank)

Level 40

HP 140,000/140,000

Just as this Elite Jackal’s glistening claws were about to sink into Shi Feng’s back, he suddenly took half a step to his left and tilted his body. As the Jackal’s claws glided past Shi Feng, the Elite monster exposed its body.

The Demonic Light Jackal was as tall as a player, and pitch-black fur covered its entire body. There was also a horn on top of its head. Even if a player wore a Mysterious-Iron Breastplate, this horn could still easily penetrate the armor, breaking through the player’s defense. These Jackals were natural-born killers of the night.

Shi Feng then unsheathed the Abyssal Blade, sending a Tier 1 Chop at the Jackal before him.

Three silver moons bloomed from the Demonic Light Jackal’s body. Immediately, the Elite monster released an agonizing scream. Its body then slammed into a massive tree, frightening damages of -3,076, -4,622, and -9,254 appearing above its head.

System: Chop Completion Rate 92%, resulting in 125% of Skill’s effect. Skill Proficiency +4.

With just one Skill, the Demonic Light Jackal lost over 12% of its HP.

“Hmm. Sure enough, the 1.5 times of gravity has caused my Completion Rate to drop significantly.” Shi Feng frowned, disappointed with his attack.

As for the increase in these monsters’ intelligence, Shi Feng was not one bit surprised.

As God’s Domain evolved, the monsters in the game would grow increasingly smarter. Currently, these Jackals were only targeting the healers of a team. In the future, they would target the team’s commander instead.

However, Shi Feng had no intention of letting these Jackals flaunt their arrogance in front of him.

Adjusting his footwork, he transformed into a shadow as he dashed towards a Level 40 Black Demonic Jackal.

 

Chapter 592: Players’ Advantage

Destroy the leader, and the gang will collapse.

This was a law of the war.

The Elite ranked Demonic Light Jackals were like soldiers on a battlefield. The Chieftain ranked Black Demonic Jackals directed their actions completely. Hence, as long as Shi Feng could defeat the Black Demonic Jackals quickly, this pack’s fierce assault would crumble.

However, taking out the enemy commander in a field battle was a most difficult task.

As a Chieftain ranked monster, beyond being the strongest among this pack of Jackals, the Black Demonic Jackal’s sensitivity towards danger was also the highest.

While Shi Feng was still some distance behind one of the two Level 40 Black Demonic Jackals, the Chieftain had already noticed Shi Feng’s presence. Immediately, it stopped attacking the District One healers and turned to face Shi Feng. Baring its sharp fangs, the Black Demonic Jackal released a low growl, seemingly issuing a command.

After this Black Demonic Jackal’s growl, two of the nearby Special Elite ranked Demonic Claw Jackals moved to stand before the Chieftain. The two Jackals then pounced on Shi Feng, brandishing their claws at the Swordsman.

The players a short distance away were stupefied when they witnessed the attack.

In the past, these Jackals had been bloodthirsty and reckless monsters. Back then, the Chieftain ranked Black Demonic Jackal would usually be the first to dive into battle, tearing its enemies apart, yet, now, it called upon its underlings to serve as its guards while the Chieftain itself continued massacring their team’s healers.

Even an Elite party of the same Level would struggle against two Demonic Claw Jackals with 360,000 HP, not to mention current players that were of much lower Level than these Jackals. Players could only rely on equipment with the Ignore Level Attribute to have a fighting chance.

“Brother Ye Feng, let me help you.”

Noticing the importance of killing the Black Demonic Jackals as well, Blue Frost led two parties over to assist Shi Feng.

“No. You guys handle these two Special Elites. I’ll deal with the two Black Demonic Jackals,” Shi Feng immediately countered.

Under normal circumstances, with the strength of the District One members, a single party would be more than enough to deal with one Black Demonic Jackal. However, due to the gravitational shift affecting their combat power, they would most likely require a very long time to defeat just one Black Demonic Jackal. Hence, it would be far more efficient for these parties to deal with the Demonic Claw Jackals first.

“But… There are two Black Demonic Jackals,” Blue Frost said, slightly worried. However, when he recalled how Shi Feng had defeated a Great Lord by himself, even if the gravitational shift affected the Maverick’s combat power, he should have no problem pinning down two Black Demonic Jackals. Immediately, Blue Frost said gratefully, “I’ll have to trouble Brother Ye Feng, then.”

Blue Frost then led his two parties to deal with the two Demonic Claw Jackals.

Using the footwork for Void Steps, Shi Feng instantly disappeared. Even the Special Elite ranked Jackals lost sight of him, surprise coloring their expressions as they searched for the Swordsman. However, no matter how hard they tried, they simply could not discover any trace of Shi Feng.

“What kind of Skill is this? Don’t tell me the Swordsman class can actually turn invisible?” the female Cleric, Evening Lotus, stated in surprise.

“No, that’s not a Skill. Invisibility Skills have a slight activation delay. Even an Assassin’s Vanish Skill is no exception to this rule. He must’ve used some sort of technique.” Blue Frost was very knowledgeable, so he quickly realized that Void Steps was not a Skill available in the game, but a technique. “However, this technique is truly amazing. The Mavericks I’ve seen before have only wielded techniques that increased their attack or dodging speeds. This is the first time I have seen a technique that allows its user to vanish from everyone’s sight.”

Both shock and admiration filled Blue Frost when he saw Shi Feng’s Void Steps.

Such a technique was practically a Lifesaving Skill. Whether the technique was used to escape or assassinate, it could yield miraculous effects.

“With such strength and techniques, he is definitely not someone we should provoke or make an enemy of.” At this moment, Blue Frost rejoiced over the fact that he had befriended Shi Feng and had not become enemies with him. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Shortly after Shi Feng disappeared, the nearby Black Demonic Jackal howled painfully.

“Aooo!” the Black Demonic Jackal called out for the other Black Demonic Jackal to help as it glowered at Shi Feng, who had suddenly appeared beside it. At this moment, there was also a hint of fear within its eyes.

Shi Feng had suddenly appeared by its side, his sword easily cutting through its iron-like skin, leaving behind a very long gash. The wound still bled.

Although its Defense is not as high as the Dark Magic Serpent, its reaction speed is truly frightening. It actually managed to react the instant I stopped using Void Steps. Shi Feng was quite surprised as he observed the Black Demonic Jackal’s wound.

Although there was a wide slice across the Chieftain’s body, the wound was not particularly deep. It would not affect the monster’s mobility.

After the third evolution of God’s Domain, not only had the Gravitational System appear, but the Monster Combat System had also changed, making battles against monsters even more realistic.

This also created a new weakness.

In the past, monsters would only lose some HP after being wounded. Even when their vital points had been struck, the attack would only deal a little more damage than usual. Their movements had not been affected whatsoever. However, after the third system upgrade, monsters’ injuries would affect their movements and attacks. Naturally, the same held true for players. However, unlike monsters, players had healers to help them recover from these injuries quickly, maintaining full HP. This was a huge advantage.

When the two Black Demonic Jackals grouped up, rather than pouncing on their enemy, they circled Shi Feng, looking for his weak point to land a fatal hit.

Even an MT of the same Level would die instantly under the combination of a Level 40 Chieftain’s Attack Power and a super-high damage Skill, not to mention Shi Feng, who was only Level 33 right now. The Black Demonic Jackals were precisely Chieftains with such Skills. Unlike the Dark Magic Serpent, which utilized its Vicious Venom Skill to exhaust its enemies to death, the Black Demonic Jackals used the horn on their heads to tear apart all enemies before them. The horn attack of a Chieftain ranked monster would even pierce Secret-Silver Equipment.

At this moment, the players of District One focused all of their attention on Shi Feng and the two Black Demonic Jackals’ every action.

This battle would determine the life and death of either side.

“Aoo!”

Following the howl, the two Black Demonic Jackals launched their attacks simultaneously. A large amount of Wind Mana also began to gather around their pitch-black horns. Immediately, the two Chieftains transformed into miniature tornados as they flew towards Shi Feng.

“Crap! Dodge it quickly!” Blue Frost shouted anxiously.

These miniature tornadoes were no trivial matter. If they struck a player, there was zero chance of survival.

However, Shi Feng did not bother to dodge the oncoming attacks. His lips curling up slightly, he activated Heavenly Dragon’s Power.

After logging out of the game for ten hours, not only had his Weakened debuff worn off, but the Cooldown for all his Skills had also completed. Otherwise, he would have had to activate Space Movement in order to dodge the attacks.

After activating Heavenly Dragon’s Power, Shi Feng’s Strength doubled. He then met the Black Demonic Jackals’ attacks with a Thunder Flame Explosion.

System: Thunder Flame Explosion Completion Rate 91%, resulting in 120% of Skill’s effect. Skill Proficiency +4.

Although his Completion Rate was significantly lower than before, 120% of the Skill’s effect was still impressive.

The Tier 1 Thunder Flame Explosion’s effective range of 10 yards immediately increased to 12 yards. When lightning and fire made contact with the two Black Demonic Jackals, the two Chieftains’ Movement Speed immediately and sharply dropped, becoming only one-seventh of their initial Attribute. As a result, Shi Feng easily dodged the two oncoming miniature tornadoes.

With a speed reduction of nearly eight seconds, the two Chieftain ranked Jackals could only receive a one-sided beating from Shi Feng.

During these eight seconds, each Black Demonic Jackal lost roughly 10% of their HP. Just as the Movement Speed Reduction debuff was about to wear out, Shi Feng swung the Abyssal Blade and summoned his doppelganger. The doppelganger then followed up with its own Thunder Flame Explosion, instantly devouring over 10,000 HP from both Chieftains and reducing their Movement Speeds once more.

With the doppelganger assisting him with dealing damage, Shi Feng’s total damage output nearly doubled. Shi Feng and his doppelganger then each fought one Black Demonic Chieftain, significantly reducing the difficulty of the fight.

Thundering Flash!

Earth Splitter!

Skywheel Sword!

Firestorm!

Flame Burst!

When Shi Feng activated Flame Burst, every one of his attacks dealt over -20,000 damage. His doppelganger also dealt over -10,000 damage with its attacks. In addition to the frequent critical hits, the two managed to destroy close to half the HP of one Black Demonic Jackal.

In less than 20 seconds, one of the Chieftains fell. The remaining Black Demonic Jackal was also heavily injured, covered in such severe wounds that one could easily see bone. As a result, the Chieftain’s mobility was incredibly limited. Even without the doppelganger’s assistance, with Heavenly Dragon’s Power’s duration of two minutes, Shi Feng finished off the last Black Demonic Jackal very easily.

“This burst power is invincible!” Evening Lotus’s jaw dropped when she saw the two dead Black Demonic Jackals. She was so shocked that she had even momentarily forgotten to heal her team’s MTs.

Although everyone had witnessed Shi Feng defeat a Great Lord, watching two Chieftains die in such a short time and at such a close distance, still astounded them. They were still not used to Shi Feng’s terrifying damage.

 

Chapter 593: Promising Newcomer

When the two Chieftain ranked Black Demonic Jackals died, the entire pack suddenly fell into chaos, their attacks becoming monotonous.

Moreover, after such a long battle, every Jackal had received some form of injury. Those that were heavily injured had even lost a detrimental amount of mobility. In contrast, although Blue Frost’s team had lost over a dozen players in this fight, as their team had healers to keep them alive, the survivors were all in perfect condition; their combat power had not been affected at all. On the contrary, after fighting for a time, they had begun to adapt to the new gravity.

Suddenly, the tides changed.

Blue Frost’s team immediately gained the advantage as they began killing off the Elite and Special Elite Jackals.

As expected of a team from District One. Their members’ capabilities are impressive. They can deal with these Jackals so quickly. After Shi Feng picked up the loot that the two Black Demonic Jackals had dropped, he had not bothered to help Blue Frost and the others. He simply glanced at their intense battle.

Currently, the melee players of the team had begun striking at the Jackals’ limbs, particularly the monsters’ powerful hind legs. That way, they could greatly hamper the monsters’ mobility, making the battle far easier.

At this point, the outcome of the battle was already clear. Shi Feng began to arrange the drops he obtained from the two Chieftains.

He was already Level 33. Despite having killed two Level 40 Chieftains, his experience bar had not increased by much.

Meanwhile, after using Divine Providence, his harvest from the two Black Demonic Jackals was very bountiful.

The two Chieftains had dropped a total of six Soul Crystals. Unfortunately, the other items were not worth mentioning. The rest was just a bunch of Level 40 Mysterious-Iron Equipment and materials.

With six Soul Crystals, I should be able to trade them for a Tier 1 Taboo Skill. Shi Feng smiled with satisfaction.

It was not easy for players outside of the Dark Den to obtain Tier 1 Taboo Skills. If he could have every Zero Wing core member learn a Tier 1 Taboo Skill, they would have no problems with conquering a 50-man large-scale Team Dungeon.

Against a Level 28 Great Lord ranked Boss, even if they could not kill it with one series of attacks, they could severely injure it. At that time, the team only needed to expend a little more effort to defeat the Boss.

After the battle ended, Blue Frost immediately walked up to Shi Feng, gratefully saying, “Brother Ye Feng, I really have to thank you for your help. If not for you, this might have been our team’s grave today. If you need help with anything in the future, just tell me.”

“Can you help me trade for some Tier 1 Taboo Skills?” Shi Feng had long since considered this request.

Although Discipline Paradise was the leader of District Five’s Third Party, he could only get his hands on a limited number of Tier 1 Taboo Skills. On the other hand, as the leader of District One’s First Party, Blue Frost definitely had access to plenty of Taboo Skills. It would be much easier for Shi Feng to trade with Blue Frost.

“You want to obtain a Taboo Skill?” Blue Frost could not help his surprise. With Shi Feng’s abilities, he should have long since obtained a Tier 1 Taboo Skill for himself. However, although Blue Frost was curious, it would not be proper to ask about it. Immediately, he nodded, saying, “That is a simple request. No need to trade. If Brother Ye Feng wants a Tier 1 Taboo Skill, I can just give you one.”

“I don’t want just one Taboo Skill.” Shi Feng shook his head. “I wonder if Brother Frost can obtain twenty Tier 1 Taboo Skills for me?”

“Twenty?!” Initially, Blue Frost intended to agree with Shi Feng immediately. However, upon hearing that Shi Feng required twenty, he was shocked. Laughing bitterly, he said, “Brother Ye Feng, as a Maverick, you might not know this, but each Tier 1 Taboo Skill requires about five Soul Crystals’ worth of Contribution Shares in trade. Even the First Party of a Shelter needs four Soul Crystals to trade for one. If they are for someone else, each Skill Book will cost an additional Soul Crystal. Moreover, I can only trade for three Taboo Skills per day.

“If it were in the past, I might have barely been able to trade for twenty Taboo Skills. However, after I purchased the Demon Suppressing Barrier, the maximum number of Taboo Skills I can gain right now is ten. If Brother Ye Feng wants them, I won’t try to profit off you. Ten Taboo Skills for 50 Soul Crystals.”

“Ten?” Shi Feng was surprised.

He had simply mentioned twenty to discover Blue Frost’s bottom line. He had not expected that Blue Frost could purchase as many as ten Tier 1 Taboo Skills. Sure enough, the title of District One’s First Party was well deserved.

“So be it. I want all of them. May I know when Brother Frost can obtain all ten?” Shi Feng did not particularly mind the issue of the Soul Crystals. He just needed to kill some Level 40 Chieftains to increase his stock.

“I can have them ready in a day.” Blue Frost was shocked to hear Shi Feng’s decisive agreement.

Even their First Party required a long time to obtain one Soul Crystal. Currently, their party only had about a dozen or so in their Warehouse. After including the Contribution Shares they had stocked up, Blue Frost still needed to borrow many Soul Crystals from other parties. Yet, a Maverick like Shi Feng could spend 50 Soul Crystals so casually.

Following which, Shi Feng followed Blue Frost to District One.

On the way back, the group had been ambushed by Chieftain ranked monsters many times. As a result, Shi Feng had gained another nine Soul Crystals by the time they reached District One’s Shelter.

The Shelter Blue Frost and the others resided in occupied the heart of a high-level area. The monsters surrounding the Shelter were all Level 35 and above. That was five Levels higher than the monsters surrounding District Five.

Currently, the monster assault on District One had ended. Corpses of Level 35 monsters littered the surrounding area outside of the Shelter’s walls. There were over ten thousand dead monsters outside of the Shelter. Among them, there was no lack of Elite, and even Chieftain, ranked monsters. One could just imagine how intense the battle must have been.

Moreover, even after God’s Domain had undergone its third evolution, District One still managed to defend its Shelter successfully. It went to show how strong a foundation the players of District One possessed.

The moment Blue Frost and his team entered the Shelter, the players inside immediately sent them reverent gazes. Many female players even shrieked when Blue Frost’s glance swept over them.

In District One, Blue Frost was practically a celebrity. He attracted attention wherever he went, and almost everyone in the Shelter knew of him.

“Leader, you’ve returned. Did you finish off the Great Lord Noya?” a skinny and youthful Level 29 Berserker asked excitedly as he ran up to Blue Frost.

When Shi Feng saw this skinny Berserker, he involuntarily stiffened.

He recognized this Berserker.

The youth’s name was Wind Chaser. He was also one of the most powerful experts who had worked under Fantasy Extinguisher in the past. Back then, he had successfully learned a Tier 5 Taboo Skill, and his strength was only inferior to those Tier 6 God-ranked players.

“Great Lords and High Lords are monsters on entirely different levels. It was useless, even with the Demon Suppressing Barrier,” Blue Frost said, shaking his head. He could not help his fear as he remembered how powerful Noya had been. “Fortunately, we had Brother Ye Feng’s help. Otherwise, we really wouldn’t have returned with our lives.”

When Wind Chaser heard Blue Frost mention Shi Feng, the Berserker shifted his gaze towards Shi Feng, his eyes containing a hint of awe and fighting spirit.

“Chaser, don’t have any foolish ideas. Brother Ye Feng is a guest that I’ve invited. Not to mention, in front of Brother Ye Feng, those weak combat techniques of yours are not worth mentioning. If you want to fight, go look for Blue Bull.” Blue Frost glared at Wind Chaser.

He had personally witnessed how powerful Shi Feng was.

Setting aside the fact that Shi Feng had defeated the Great Lord Noya by himself, just the number of Chieftains Shi Feng had killed on their way back had left him speechless.

Wind Chaser most likely would not survive a single move against Shi Feng.

Meanwhile, Blue Bull, the person Blue Frost had mentioned, was none other than their District One’s number one Berserker. Blue Bull was extremely powerful, and within their First Party, Blue Bull’s position was only beneath his. However, as the operation against Noya had mainly relied on magical classes, and defending the Shelter against the monsters’ assault was also very important, Blue Bull had not been selected to participate in the raid. Meanwhile, Wind Chaser often liked to test himself against Blue Bull. Although Wind Chaser lost terribly every time, the Berserker never grew bored of challenging Blue Bull.

After Blue Frost’s reprimand, Wind Chaser was a little satisfied. However, after hearing his leader’s suggestion, he immediately turned around, planning to look for Blue Bull to test his skills against him once again.

At this time, however, Shi Feng suddenly said, “No worries. It’s good to be impulsive sometimes. As a guest of District One, I have not prepared any gifts. I don’t mind sparring with Wind Chaser to liven things up a little.”

 

Chapter 594: Powerful Secret

Hearing Shi Feng accept Wind Chaser’s challenge, those who knew just what kind of power Shi Feng wielded were confounded.

Although PvPs were frequent occurrences in Shelters, these fights were usually meant to help each other improve.

Take Blue Bull of First Party for example. If not for his notice of Wind Chaser’s potential, he would not have bothered sparring with the youth, offering pointers of how the other Berserker could improve his techniques.

Not to mention, Shi Feng was a Maverick that had zero relations with their District One at all.

“Since Brother Ye Feng is willing to give Chaser a few pointers, this could not have worked out better.” Blue Frost was naturally quite pleased with Shi Feng’s offer. He turned to his subordinate, immediately instructing, “Lotus, go to the Lions Bar and make the arrangements, particularly for the Hundred Berry Wine. Today, we’re reserving all of it.”

“Consider it done.” Hearing Blue Frost’s command, Evening Lotus turned and ran towards the Lions Bar.

However, this scene had left many of those who had come forth to greet Blue Frost speechless.

“Who is this Ye Feng? Leader Blue Frost is actually being so generous, renting out the entire Lions Bar!”

“I recall that renting out the Lions Bar costs 3 Gold.”

“You think Coins alone are sufficient? You also need plenty of Contribution Shares to rent out the Lions Bar. Moreover, the cost only a trivial matter compared to the Hundred Berry Wine. Not only does each bottle cost 1 Gold, but it also requires 200 Contributions. I have to complete ten Contribution Quests just to collect 200 Contribution Shares. Also, only 20 bottles of Hundred Berry Wine are available each day. That’s a total of 20 Gold and 4,000 Contribution Shares. This is worth far more than one Soul Crystal.”

Everyone shifted their gaze towards Shi Feng, awe and curiosity filling their hearts.

The Lions Bar was the best bar available in District One’s Shelter. Even Blue Frost’s First Party would feel a sting from their wallets when they visited the bar, not to mention renting out the entire place and spoiling everyone with Hundred Berry Wine. Not even the visiting First Party leaders of other Shelters would warrant such a grand welcome.

Following which, Blue Frost led Shi Feng on a stroll towards the Lions Bar, introducing him to District One’s situation on their way.

Wind Chaser tagged along in high spirits. He really wanted to know just how powerful Shi Feng was to earn such high respect from Blue Frost.

Shi Feng’s five senses were far superior to ordinary players. Naturally, he could detect Wind Chaser’s fiery fighting spirit.

His personality is still the same as it was then, constantly challenging every powerhouse he met. It was no wonder he become someone who was only inferior to Tier 6 classes in the past. Shi Feng inwardly sighed.

In the past, both Blue Frost and Wind Chaser had become extremely famous experts throughout God’s Domain.

Fantasy Shrine, Fantasy Extinguisher’s first-rate Guild, had only surpassed a powerful Guild like Ouroboros due to these experts.

In this life, however, Fantasy Extinguisher would not have the chance to receive the Epic Quest Darkness Descends, so it could not lead him here where he could recruit these people. Instead, that opportunity had fallen into Shi Feng’s hands in this life.

If he could recruit Blue Frost and his team, Zero Wing would certainly grow more powerful for it.

Soon, Shi Feng and the others arrived before the Lions Bar.

The Lions Bar was different than other bars in the Shelter. This bar that could only be constructed once a Shelter had developed up to a certain degree. The NPCs guarding the bar were extremely powerful, with the weakest at Level 150, the bouncers being Level 180 Tier 2 NPCs, and the proprietress was a Level 200 Tier 3 NPC. These NPCs even qualified to guard a small city. Even if monsters invaded the Shelter, the Lions Bar would not fall.

Aside from consuming alcohol at the Lions Bar, players could also engage in PvP battles inside. The PvP battles here operated in a similar fashion to the battles held in the Underground Arenas found in the outside world in that other players were allowed to place bets on the fights. Hence, many players of District One frequented the Lions Bar.

At this moment, however, Blue Frost had reserved the entire establishment, so not many players occupied the three-story-tall bar right now.

Upon entering the Lions Bar, Shi Feng discovered that the place resembled the Colosseum of Ancient Rome. There was an arena in the establishment’s center. There were also spectator stands surrounding the arena that allowed players to consume alcohol while watching the matches.

When Shi Feng arrived before a large private room, he discovered that the room already held plenty of players. Every one of these players possessed frightening auras, and they all wore dazzling equipment. The lowest-leveled player among them was Level 28, and one could easily tell that they were not ordinary players.

“Brother Ye Feng, let me introduce you. These people are the party leaders and vice-leaders of our District One’s top ten parties. They have heard about your arrival, so they wished to make your acquaintance.” Blue Frost began introducing theses leaders, one after another.

“Hello, I am the party leader of Second Party, Best Reincarnation!”

“Hello, Big Brother Ye Feng. I am the leader of Third Party, Shallow Moon.”

…

These players did not even show a hint of arrogance as they introduced themselves to Shi Feng. On the contrary, they treated Shi Feng as if he were an old friend.

In truth, even without any introduction, Shi Feng already knew who they were.

In the past, every one of these players had been upper managers of Fantasy Shrine.

Encountering Blue Frost and Wind Chaser had already surprised Shi Feng. Now, even the many upper managers of Fantasy Shrine appeared before him. Shi Feng began to suspect whether or not District One had been Fantasy Shrine’s main headquarters.

After exchanging pleasantries, Shi Feng finally understood why Blue Frost had invited all of these players.

Unlike the other Shelters, the parties of District One were fiercely ambitious.

They did not care about holding the title of District One in this region. Rather, they hoped to step out of this region and become the number one Shelter in all regions. Hence, the parties in District One were all united, unlike the parties in other Shelters, which treated each other as enemies rather than allies.

It was also due to this that the Shelter in District One had managed to construct the Lions Bar so quickly. On the other hand, the other Shelters in this region had yet to construct a single advanced establishment like the Lions Bar.

As the conversation continued, Blue Frost also revealed Shi Feng’s victory over the Great Lord Noya and his slaughter of the many Chieftains they had encountered on their way back, shocking everyone present.

The various parties present had all been helpless against Noya. Only the First Party had a small chance of defeating the Great Lord. They had not expected to hear that Shi Feng had actually defeated Noya by himself. Even though the Great Lord had been weakened, it was still an astonishing feat.

“Brother Frost, you are too insincere. You did not record a video for us to take a look!”

“That’s right! This will definitely become a legend throughout God’s Domain.”

Everyone voiced their complaints, greatly disappointed that they had not personally witnessed Shi Feng’s performance. At the same time, their reverence of Shi Feng grew even more intense.

“Hahaha! I had been completely stupefied by Brother Ye Feng’s performance! By the time I thought of it, the battle was already over!” Blue Frost scratched his head in embarrassment. “However, you are not without a chance to watch him fight. In a moment, Brother Ye Feng is going to give Chaser a few pointers, so you guys will get to see how powerful Brother Ye Feng is.”

“Leader, can I drink a bottle of the Hundred Berry Wine before the match begins?” Wind Chaser hurriedly asked Blue Frost in embarrassment. Initially, he had thought Shi Feng was only an ordinary Maverick. He never expected that Shi Feng was actually capable of defeating a Great Lord by himself. Immediately, Wind Chaser had treated Shi Feng as if the Swordsman were the strongest expert he had ever encountered.

“If you were sparring against anyone else today, I wouldn’t let you waste a bottle. Here, take this.” Blue Frost laughed as he shook his head. He then took a cyan bottle of wind and handed it to Wind Chaser.

“Thank you, leader!” Wind Chaser hurriedly accepted the Hundred Berry Wind.

The youthful Berserker was like a hungry wolf looking at fresh meat when he saw the bottle of Berry Wine in his hands. With just a few gulps, he emptied the entire bottle. Wind Chaser’s cheeks suddenly flushed, clearly having become drunk already.

“Hahaha! He’s drunk after just one bottle! It seems that Chaser still needs training!” The others could not help but laugh.

Although Wind Chaser had gotten himself drunk, Shi Feng could clearly tell that the feeling the Berserker gave off had changed.

If he had been an unsheathed blade before drinking the Wine, he was now a hidden blade. The blade might seem harmless while sheathed, but once it was revealed, it would definitely take its target’s life.

Though everyone else had similarly detected the change in Wind Chaser, it did not surprise them whatsoever. On the contrary, they all thought it was natural.

What’s going on here? Shi Feng could not help his surprise. Is this related to the Hundred Berry Wine?

 

Chapter 595: Frightening Wine

Shi Feng glanced at the bottle of Hundred Berry Wine on the table, confirming that it was identical to the one he had drunk in the past.

However, when he had enjoyed the Hundred Berry Wine, he had not experienced any particular changes to his body like Wind Chaser had. He only considered it incredibly delicious, so much so that it was hard to stop drinking. Yet, seeing Wind Chaser’s sudden transformation, it was obvious that the Hundred Berry Wine had some hidden effect.

Does the Hundred Berry Wine possess some sort of effect that I do not know of? The more Shi Feng thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.

Aside from satisfying thirst and hunger, some food and beverages in God’s Domain could increase a player’s Attributes or provide some other temporary benefits. Take the Black Steel Beer for example. Players that consumed it could gain the Ignore Levels effect, allowing them to challenge monsters of a higher level without suffering any penalties.

Although one could ignore more Levels as they consumed more bottles of Black Steel Beer, there were also side-effects.

One side-effect was the Drunken effect. With this debuff, one’s vision would turn blurry, and their senses would numb, resulting in a decrease in combat power. One might even lose the ability to fight at all if they consumed too many Black Steel Beers.

Meanwhile, the Hundred Berry Wine clearly possessed a similar effect.

In the past, I only drank a cup of Hundred Berry Wine at a time. On the other hand, Wind Chaser drank the entire bottle at once. These changes must only happen after a player drinks an entire bottle. Shi Feng’s interest in the Hundred Berry Wine grew. He then jumped onto the arena. Smiling at the drunken Wind Chaser, he said, “Let’s get this started!”

Shi Feng intended to test Wind Chaser properly.

The Hundred Berry Wine’s effect should not be limited to increasing a player’s Attributes if it was able to cause a person’s aura to change to such a degree.

The PvP battles held in the Lions Bar’s arena were slightly different.

Most arenas would not usually limit a player’s Attributes. The Lions Bar’s PvP arena, on the other hand, would adjust both parties’ Attributes to be on equal footing. Hence, items that increased Attributes were useless in this arena, making the fight a competition of techniques only.

As the countdown timer above the arena began to tick down, Blue Frost and the others, who watched from the spectator stands, revealed smiles, though the intentions hidden behind each smile were different.

“Brother Frost, who do you think will win?” the Oracle, Shallow Moon, asked. Smiling, she continued, “In this match, both sides possess equal Attributes. However, while Big Brother Ye Feng is a Swordsman, Wind Chaser is a Berserker. In terms of classes, Berserkers possess an innate advantage over Swordsmen. Moreover, Wind Chaser drank a bottle of Hundred Berry Wine, increasing his combat power significantly. Even Big Brother Blue Bull would struggle against Wind Chaser with these conditions.”

“Although I believe that Brother Ye Feng is very strong, while both of them possess the same Attributes, Wind Chaser should have a higher chance of victory, right? After all, he did drink the Hundred Berry Wine,” a Guardian Knight commented.

Everyone nodded, agreeing with this Guardian Knight’s estimation.

Everyone present was quite familiar with Wind Chaser’s techniques. Among the melee classes in the First Party, other than Blue Bull, no one could defeat Wind Chaser in terms of techniques. Meanwhile, against a Great Lord, players relied more on Attributes rather than techniques. Despite Blue Frost’s mention of how mysterious and godlike Shi Feng was, in their opinion, they only thought of Shi Feng as just someone who was slightly stronger than Blue Bull.

On the other hand, when Wind Chaser consumed a bottle of Hundred Berry Wine, not even Blue Bull could win against the youthful Berserker. Naturally, Shi Feng would not fare any better.

“Since none of you have a high opinion of Brother Ye Feng, why don’t we place a bet?” Blue Frost suggested.

“This is my favorite part! What are we betting?” Best Reincarnation, the leader of Second Party, suddenly grew interested.

“Simple. We’ll bet on the outcome of the battle. The wager will be Soul Crystals, and I’ll be the bookkeeper. If Brother Ye Feng wins, the payout ratio will be 1-to-2, while Wind Chaser will be 1-to-1. You may only bet on one player.” Blue Frost could tell that everyone doubted Shi Feng’s strength. After all, without having witnessed the battles personally, even he would find it unbelievable. Now, it just so happened he could take advantage of the situation to make a little profit, making up for the cost of the feast he that he hosted.

“Okay, I’ll bet two Soul Crystals on Wind Chaser. That brat has improved quite a lot recently. Brother Frost, you better not regret your decision.”

“I’ll bet one Soul Crystal on Wind Chaser as well.”

…

In a short moment, the various party leaders and vice-leaders had all placed bets on Wind Chaser winning this match. One could tell just how little trust everyone had in Shi Feng’s strength. Only the Cleric, Evening Lotus, had bet on Shi Feng winning.

“Leader, can I use credit on this bet? I only have two Soul Crystals with me, but I wish to bet ten Crystals on Big Brother Ye Feng,” Evening Lotus asked as she gave Blue Frost a pitiful look.

Immediately, Blue Frost rolled his eyes at his party’s Cleric. Resolutely, he said, “No.”

If he allowed Evening Lotus to use credit, he wouldn’t make any profit.

As the battle in the arena began, everyone’s gazes locked on Shi Feng and Wind Chaser.

The moment the battle began, Wind Chaser instantly used Charge. Like an agile and powerful cheetah, the Berserker dashed towards Shi Feng. However, despite this, Shi Feng did not try to evade Wind Chaser’s attack, allowing the youth’s Charge Skill to connect.

Huh? He isn’t using Parry?

When Wind Chaser was only five yards away from Shi Feng, he noticed that Shi Feng had still not moved, the Swordsman seemingly having no intentions of defending against his Charge.

Wind Chaser then abruptly swung his greatsword.

At almost the same moment as his body crashed into Shi Feng’s, his silver greatsword also struck Shi Feng’s head. Wind Chaser’s actions were both simple and swift.

Hua!

The silver greatsword sliced through Shi Feng’s body and smashed into the ground, creating a long and deep crevice.

An afterimage?

Sensing that something was amiss, Wind Chaser used Whirlwind Slash, a Skill capable of causing massive damage to enemies within a three-yard radius.

The silver greatsword was like a wooden pole in Wind Chaser’s hand. With little effort, the Berserker transformed into a silver tornado that engulfed everything in its wake.

Boom!

As Wind Chaser used Whirlwind Slash, a loud boom echoed throughout the arena, followed by a figure flying away from the Berserker.

Close one! Wind Chaser could not help but sigh with relief when he saw that the figure he had sent flying was none other than Shi Feng.

If he had not used Whirlwind Slash at the first sign of danger, the sword in Shi Feng’s hand would have bitten into his body by now.

“Such impressive dodging speed! I couldn’t even see what he did just now!” the Level 29 Shield Warrior, Best Reincarnation, exclaimed in shock.

“It is no wonder why Leader Frost praised Brother Ye Feng so highly. With such an amazing dodging speed, it will be very difficult for Chaser to land a hit, though an Assassin might have a chance.” Everyone was similarly shocked by the skill Shi Feng had displayed.

Although a few among them could similarly produce an afterimage, they definitely could not achieve it as silently as Shi Feng. Only after Wind Chaser’s greatsword landed had everyone realized that he had missed.

“Hehe, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Big Brother Ye Feng hasn’t even warmed up yet!” Evening Lotus giggled.

On their way back to the Shelter, Shi Feng had frequently used Void Steps to kill Chieftains. That mysterious style of footwork of his was simply unstoppable. In comparison, the technique of using an afterimage to dodge an attack was a trifling matter.

The others began laughing when they heard Evening Lotus’s words; nobody believed her at all.

In the arena, Wind Chaser finally became serious. Every one of his attacks began targeting Shi Feng’s vital points or blind spots. Of the Berserker’s many attacks, his Skills contained the most power. Wind Chaser was also extremely proficient in using his Skills in conjunction with his ordinary attacks. It was as if the Berserker’s Skills had been tailored for Wind Chaser.

So, that’s the case. I didn’t think that the Hundred Berry Wine possessed such a wonderful effect. It is no wonder the drink is so rare. While Shi Feng dodged Wind Chaser’s attacks, he also carefully observed the Berserker’s every action.

Although Wind Chaser did have significant physical control, he should still not be able to use his Skills so smoothly. In Zero Wing, only Fire Dance and Violet Cloud had achieved this standard. The two were only a thread away from taking half a step into the Refinement Realm. On the other hand, Wind Chaser was still far from reaching that level.

The only explanation Shi Feng could come up with was that the Hundred Berry Wine increased a player’s compatibility rate with their weapons.

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng involuntarily shivered.

Improving compatibility rate… This was something that countless experts dreamed of. Otherwise, nobody would bother wasting so much effort to obtain weapons and equipment that fit their styles.

 

Chapter 596: Unbalanced Fight

After seeing the Hundred Berry Wine’s true function, Shi Feng finally understood why Blue Frost and the others could achieve such high Skill Completion Rates.

Unfortunately, the wine’s supply was simply too low, lowering the number of potential experts who could be nurtured with it.

At most, there was just enough for everyone present. Any more and there wouldn’t be enough of the beverage to go around.

For the next three minutes or so, Wind Chaser continued hacking and slashing his greatsword at Shi Feng.

The more Wind Chaser fought Shi Feng, the more he grew frightened.

Aside from his first Whirlwind Slash, none of his other attacks had touched Shi Feng.

Every time he thought that his greatsword was about to connect with Shi Feng’s body, his weapon was always off its mark just slightly. After a dozen or so times, he could chalk it up to a coincidence. However, if over a hundred attacks had the same result, there was definitely no coincidence.

Just what is going on? Why can’t I hit him? This was the first time Wind Chaser had encountered such a situation.

In his past PvP battles, both sides had always suffered some form of damage. It was only a matter of how much, or how little, damage each side suffered.

The side with the better techniques would naturally deal more damage, and as the battle dragged on, they would become the victor.

However, this battle, in which he could not even hit his opponent, was simply driving him to madness.

Is the gap between us really that big?

Wind Chaser had already used all of the Skills he could, yet, no matter what he did, he could not even scratch the corner of Shi Feng’s armor. This failure dealt him a huge psychological blow.

“Big Brother Ye Feng’s dodging techniques are brilliant. This is my first time seeing such techniques.” Shallow Moon, the leader of District One’s Third Party, grew excited as she watched the battle between Shi Feng and Wind Chaser progress. She desperately tried to absorb whatever information she could regarding Shi Feng’s dodging techniques.

Shallow Moon wasn’t the only person with such thoughts. The other leaders also wore stern expressions as they focused on Shi Feng’s every action. They even recorded the battle for future reference.

“If I can grasp just half of Brother Ye Feng’s dodging techniques, it will become much easier to kill Lord ranked monsters in the future.” Best Reincarnation sighed.

“You don’t say? Lords have extremely high Attack Power. If an MT can evade 50% of a Lord’s attacks, this will significantly reduce the burden on healers. Unfortunately, nobody within our District One has managed to reach such a standard yet.” As a Cleric, Evening Lotus had the most say on this matter. She was the number one Cleric on District One’s First Party. Every time the party’s MT tanked a Lord, the MT’s HP would fall as quickly as flowing water. As a result, Evening Lotus was forced to heal their party’s MT constantly. If she were not careful, she could easily draw the Lord’s aggro.

“It really makes you wonder just how Brother Ye Feng learned such techniques. If the melee players in our parties can learn from him, our District One’s First Shelter can unlock the next stage very quickly.”

As long as their melee players could grasp this brilliant technique, they could easily hunt Chieftains and Lords out in the field. Their Soul Crystal farming efficiency would also rise significantly. At that time, they could upgrade their Shelter swiftly and catch up to the several Large Shelters in other regions.

Although District One was the top Shelter in the Evil Ghost Domain, it was only a Medium Shelter. Although their Shelter was the only Medium Shelter among the Evil Ghost Domain’s Districts, other Domains already possessed Large Shelters. Their strength was several times greater than District One’s. The gap between them would only widen further as more time passed.

“Leader Frost, is there no way to convince Brother Ye Feng to join our District One?” Blue Bull asked. Although Blue Bull was the First Party’s number one Berserker, Shi Feng’s techniques left a deep impact. These techniques shattered the concept of their past combat methods. If they could persuade Ye Feng to join District One and become one of the Shelter’s residents, it could lift the Shelter to a whole different level.

Hearing Blue Bull’s suggestion, the other party leaders also turned to Blue Frost.

“You guys…” Blue Frost was rendered speechless. “Although I want that as well, Brother Ye Feng is a Maverick. You all know how Mavericks behave, right?”

“It really is a pity.” The others sighed dejectedly when they recalled Mavericks’ play styles.

The Shelter was like their home. Naturally, they wanted to see their Shelter grow stronger. Unfortunately, Mavericks did not like restrictions.

As the conversation came to an end, Shi Feng stopped dodging Wind Chaser’s attacks.

I have most of the information that I need. Let’s end this match.

Shi Feng had already obtained a thorough understanding of Wind Chaser’s strength and the Hundred Berry Wine’s effect. There was no reason to prolong this battle. Immediately, he used Void Steps and vanished before everyone’s eyes.

He disappeared?

Wind Chaser gaped at his surroundings in disbelief. Looking to his left, right, and even above him, he could not find any trace of Shi Feng.

Where is he? Wind Chaser could not even sense Shi Feng’s presence.

Normally, when an Assassin snuck up to him, even if he could not see the Assassin, he could, more or less, sense that someone was nearby. Now, he could not detect even the slightest indication of Shi Feng’s presence. The Swordsman’s technique was far more powerful than an Assassin’s Stealth.

Everyone in the spectator stands was similarly stupefied.

A live human had actually vanished into thin air…

No Swordsman should possess any stealth-related Skills.

Once a match began, players could only exit the arena after a victor had been determined. The victor’s portrait would also be displayed above the arena after the match ended. If one of the fighters suddenly logged out of the game, the system would automatically determine them as the loser, thereby concluding the match. However, the system had yet to declare the outcome of this match; thus, the only possibility was that they were really unable to see Shi Feng.

However, before everyone could recover from their shock, Shi Feng appeared beside Wind Chaser. He then swung his sword, sending three silver moons towards the Berserker’s body, intersecting as they struck.

Such a fast attack!

Although Wind Chaser tried to defend himself with his greatsword, Shi Feng’s sword was simply too fast. The attack landed before he could even react…

The force behind Shi Feng’s Chop sent Wind Chaser flying backward. Although they both possessed the same Attributes, Shi Feng’s Chop had achieved a 95% Completion Rate. The Skill effect he displayed instantly extinguished over 50% of the youthful Berserker’s HP.

Is he really a Swordsman?! Wind Chaser was terrified when he saw how much HP he had lost.

When he had fought other Swordsmen with the same Attributes as his own in the past, their Chop only managed to devour close to 20% of his HP. Now, however, Shi Feng’s Chop had obliterated over half of his HP. This disparity was insane. Wind Chaser even wondered if the system had made a mistake.

What Wind Chaser did not know, however, was that the Abyssal Blade Shi Feng wielded had a 50% chance to deal 200% damage. Adding in his 95% Skill Completion Rate, his total damage was astounding.

“It’s over!” Shi Feng looked at Wind Chaser, whom he had thrown backward, and used Dragon Breath.

Dragon Breath was a Skill he had gained from a Fragmented Legendary item. Not only did the Skill possess frightening power, but it also required no casting time. The Skill’s Attack Speed was also extremely high.

In the next moment, a green ray of light devoured Wind Chaser.

Inflicting six times Shi Feng’s damage, Dragon Breath depleted Wind Chaser’s HP to zero.

“It’s over?” The spectating crowd was dumbfounded.

Although they had long since realized that Shi Feng could defeat Wind Chaser easily, they had not expected him to be capable of finishing off the youthful Berserker instantly. How was it possible for a Swordsman to instantly kill a plate armor class?

 

Chapter 597: Zero Wing Guild Branch

Even if everyone found it inconceivable, the appearance of Shi Feng’s portrait above the arena was irrefutable proof that he had won this match.

“If he can defeat Wind Chaser so easily, despite having the same Attributes, it is no wonder how he can solo a Great Lord.” Best Reincarnation and the others were shocked.

With their standards, even if they fought an ordinary player with the same Attributes, it was impossible for them to defeat their opponent instantly.

Yet, Shi Feng was fully capable of exactly that. The gap between them was simply unimaginable.

If before they had treated Shi Feng as an expert, now, they treated him like a monster. They were people living in completely different worlds.

Meanwhile, Wind Chaser, who had revived below the arena, was still stuck in a daze.

“Chaser, didn’t I tell you earlier? With your weak skills, you are simply flaunting your incompetence before an expert. Why haven’t you thanked Brother Ye Feng for his pointers yet?” Blue Frost laughed when he saw Wind Chaser’s stunned expression.

He was the slightest bit surprised by Wind Chaser’s crushing defeat.

Compared to the battle with the Great Lord Noya, this match was child’s play to Shi Feng.

Hearing Blue Frost’s words, Wind Chaser hurriedly thanked Shi Feng.

After this match, Wind Chaser finally realized understood the extent of his strength.

Following which, the leaders also turned to ask Shi Feng for advice on their combat techniques.

Bombarded with questions, Shi Feng’s response to the situation was not miserly, graciously teaching them, one after another.

Before anyone knew it, three hours had passed. Even so, none of them could get enough of Shi Feng.

His’s guidance was targeted towards improving everyone’s individual weaknesses, allowing them to see immediate improvements to their combat power. This result furthered everyone’s admiration of Shi Feng.

Not only did Shi Feng possess monster-like strength, but his teaching skills were also on point.

In reality, though, Shi Feng had only made a few suggestions to remedy their bad combat habits and teach them how to control their foundations. They were unlike Fire Dance and the others, who Lei Bao had personally trained to control their bodies properly.

“May I know if Brother Frost would be willing to sell me Hundred Berry Wine for the long-term?” The Hundred Berry Wine sorely tempted Shi Feng.

Although the residents of District One had the Hundred Berry Wine to improve their compatibility rates, they did not possess the foundations necessary to display its full effects. If he had some of the wine for Fire Dance and the others to consume, they would most likely see massive improvements immediately.

“Brother Ye Feng, you should know that the Hundred Berry Wine is a specialty of the Lions Bar, and its supply is very limited. If it is only a few dozen bottles, I I have no problems with giving them to you. However, you saw the Hundred Berry Wine’s effects for yourself. It can help us improve our Skill Completion Rates, making it easier for us to understand our Skills. If we sell it long-term, it will weaken our Shelter’s players significantly,” Blue Frost explained.

“I understand this, of course. However, what if I have a different method to improve the Shelter’s strength?” Shi Feng smiled.

“Improve the Shelter’s strength?” Everyone present was suddenly interested.

The competition between Shelters was very intense. Moreover, as players reached higher levels, the intensity would only grow as fewer high-level maps and resources would be available. Naturally, the areas where players could station Shelters would also decrease.

Naturally, those with sufficient strength would have priority over the high-resource locations, whereas weaker players would be chased away.

Their District One had already competed with other Shelters many times.

In higher leveled maps, however, the Shelters they had to compete with would become more numerous and powerful, so upgrading their Shelter’s strength was of utmost importance.

“Join my Guild, Zero Wing,” Shi Feng said.

“Join your Guild?” Everyone was stunned.

They all knew what a Guild was. There were a countless Guilds in the virtual gaming world. In fact, members of Guilds had formed many of the Shelters. Only, as there was no Guild System available in their location, nobody could officially establish a Guild here. Rather than joining a Guild, it was more like joining a Guild’s forces.

Many Shelters that lacked strength would usually choose to subordinate themselves to a Guild’s influence, gaining protection and assistance from said Guild Forces. In return, however, these Shelters were required to supply various resources and money to these Guilds.

Every Guild Force they knew of was extremely powerful with a plethora of experts.

For example, all Large Shelters were apart of a Guild Force. Medium Shelters, like District One, stood no chance against them. These Guild forces also had plenty of funds and consisted mostly of professional gamers.

After considering it for a moment, Blue Frost said, “If we join you, what can Brother Ye Feng’s Guild provide? How are you going to help us increase the Shelter’s strength?”

In truth, Blue Frost had thought of joining a Guild Force before. Many Guild Forces had come to recruit their District One. However, if they joined one, it would have to be a formidable Guild Force. That way, they could strive for much more resources for themselves. Otherwise, they would be better off running the Shelter without a Guild.

“If you join Zero Wing, we will provide you with Teleportation Magic Arrays so that you can save on travel time. Zero Wing will also provide you with funding and equipment and will train you all to be true experts,” Shi Feng said.

“Teleportation Magic Arrays?! You guys actually managed to obtain that kind of item?!” Shock swept through the small crowd as they stared at Shi Feng, their jaws practically hitting the floor.

As far as they knew, teleportation arrays weren’t available in this area; even Large Shelters didn’t have any.

If their Shelter had teleportation arrays, they could save so much time. With that advantage, it’d be difficult for their Shelter not to grow stronger, even if they tried.

“Brother Ye Feng, are you telling us the truth?” Blue Frost asked excitedly.

“Don’t believe me?” Shi Feng laughed. He then retrieved the Teleportation Magic Array Design from his bag, placing it on the table for all to see. “Here; have a look at it yourselves.”

“Wah! It’s really a Teleportation Magic Array Design!” Evening Lotus’s eyes shone as she examined the forging design on the table.
This item was more tempting than any weapon or piece of equipment.

“You’ve seen it for yourselves now. If you all are willing to join Zero Wing, we will provide your Shelter with teleportation arrays. At that time, your Shelter will develop at never-before-seen speeds. Becoming an Advanced Shelter will become possible, not to mention a Large Shelter,” Shi Feng said confidently.

Just like the towns and cities in the outside world, the Shelters in the Dark Den were categorized into ranks.

There were Small Shelters, Medium Shelters, Large Shelters, Advanced Shelters, and more. As a Shelter climbed the ranks, they would have access to more functions. However, it was not easy to upgrade a Shelter’s rank, as doing so required a large number of Soul Crystals.

“I understand. Since Brother Ye Feng has such an optimistic view of District One’s Shelter, my First Party will join Zero Wing,” Blue Frost said after considering the opportunity for a long moment.

“Since Blue Frost has agreed, my Second Party will join as well,” Best Reincarnation said as he nodded.

“My Third Party will also join!” Shallow Moon agreed.

…

In just a short moment, the top ten parties of District One all agreed to join Zero Wing.

They were not fools.

To put it simply, teleportation arrays were like strategic weapons to a Shelter. If news of this got out, countless Shelters would vie to join Zero Wing.

Moreover, after seeing how powerful Shi Feng was, they realized that the Guild behind him would not be any ordinary existence.

 

Chapter 598: Gaining Control Over District One

After gaining everyone’s agreement, Shi Feng handed out contracts to each party leader and vice-leader.

Not one of them was an ordinary player. They all were players at the top of District One. Naturally, they would not join Zero Wing as normal members, but middle managers at the very least. And since they were going to become Zero Wing’s middle managers, they needed to sign contracts.

By the time Shi Feng had arrived at this Shelter, he had already considered establishing a Zero Wing Guild Branch here.

The Dark Den was different from the outside world. Players here had a much easier time obtaining Gemstones and Tier 1 Taboo Skills, as well as the specialties unique to various Shelters. It was especially true for District One’s Hundred Berry Wine. This was an extremely rare item that could help improve a player’s compatibility rate.

If this beverage were introduced to the outside world, it would help Zero Wing immensely in the future.

Correspondingly, the development of Life classes within the Dark Den was very slow. There were practically no players producing advanced products here. Particularly, Consumables that players normally required to survive out in the fields were extremely hard to come by. These advanced Consumables would certainly bolster the Shelter’s strength if he could supply them.

The reason Fantasy Shrine had been able to develop so quickly in the past must be due to their trades with the Shelter. Shi Feng suddenly thought about the first-rate Guild, Fantasy Shrine, which was located in the Black Dragon Empire.

In the past, Fantasy Extinguisher had accepted this Epic Quest and turned Fantasy Shrine into one of the Black Dragon Empire’s giants. Back then, even the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion’s Branch Guild could not afford to provoke Fantasy Shrine casually.

One could just imagine how helpful the trades between the two were to a Guild.

After everyone had looked over the contract Shi Feng had provided, surprise colored their expressions.

This Zero Wing sure is rich. It’s offering a wage that’s twice what other Guilds offer. Just what kind of Guild is this?

Blue Frost had encountered many Guild Forces before. He had also heard of these Guilds’ reputations, and many of them were second-rate Guilds. Unfortunately, although the wages these Guilds offered District One’s top ten parties were tempting, they required far too many Soul Crystals in return. Submitting to these Guilds would only hinder their Shelter’s development. In the end, they rejected all the offers they had received.

In comparison, not only was Shi Feng offering wages that would allow them to play God’s Domain full-time, but he also intended to supply various advanced products to hasten their development. Most importantly, he did not require any Soul Crystals at all. This was astounding.

Soul Crystals were the foundation of Shelters. It was one of the resources required that players required to grow stronger.

If they could gain so many benefits without having to contribute any Soul Crystals, they’d willingly join as normal members, much less middle managers.

“If there aren’t any issues, you can sign the contract.” Shi Feng involuntarily laughed as he saw everyone’s dazed expressions.

He had written this contract after taking into account the best interests of Blue Frost and the others. Not a single Guild Force could afford such an offer.

Soul Crystals might be important to Blue Frost and the others, but to Shi Feng, these items held no value whatsoever.

After Shi Feng’s reminder, everyone hurriedly signed their contracts.

With the top ten parties of District One joining Zero Wing, his Guild would have control over the entire Shelter.

Previously, Shi Feng had learned about Shelters’ development model.

The top ten parties of every Shelter had special privileges. Aside from being able to purchase the Shelter’s specialties, these parties also had a say in the Shelter’s construction; they had the right to vote on which establishments they wanted to construct first. Take the Lions Bar for example. Over half of the top ten parties needed to agree before the Lions Bar could be constructed.

Meanwhile, in order to construct special buildings such as the Lions Bar, players would have to use the Soul Crystals accumulated by the Shelter. These accumulated Soul Crystals were what players normally exchanged for Contribution Shares.

Hence, taking control of the top ten parties of a Shelter was the equivalent to taking control of the entire Shelter.

With District One as the center, Shi Feng could then popularize the Candlelight Trading Firm’s products to other Shelters. Soon, the entire Evil Ghost Domain would become Zero Wing’s resource warehouse. At that time, Zero Wing’s development speed would soar.

“Brother Frost, as the leader of First Party, you should be the most familiar with the Shelter. Do you know of any methods to increase the Hundred Berry Wine’s production?” Shi Feng asked as he turned to Blue Frost.

In the past, although the Hundred Berry Wine had been extremely rare, Shi Feng had still managed to procure some for himself. However, if District One could only produce twenty bottles per day, how could Fantasy Shrine have possibly afforded to sell it?

The only possibility was that the supply of the Hundred Berry Wine was not limited to this amount.

However, the specialties available to every Shelter were random. It was extremely rare for a Shelter to obtain a Specialty such as the Hundred Berry Wine. Moreover, even with ten Shelters producing them, the total still wouldn’t be enough to sate a single first-rate Guild’s demands, much less others’ demands.

“I do know of a way to increase the Hundred Berry Wine’s production. Currently, the Lions Bar is only a 1-star Bar. If we promote it to a 2-star Bar, then the production will increase to fifty bottles a day; one hundred bottles a day if we can upgrade the bar to 3-stars. However, that will require a lot of Soul Crystals. With our Shelter’s current stock, it is impossible for us to promote the Lions Bar.” Blue Frost also wanted to increase the Hundred Berry Wine’s production. However, the Soul Crystal requirement was staggering.

“I see. It seems that it won’t be possible in a short time.” Shi Feng frowned slightly.

“In truth, there is another method,” Blue Frost suddenly said. “Only, this method is very costly, and nobody is willing to do it.”

“Let me hear it,” Shi Feng said.

“The Lions Bar independent promotion. Through this method, the number of Soul Crystals required will decrease significantly. However, that would require spending your own money for everyone else’s benefit. Also, the Soul Crystals spent will not gain you any Contribution Shares,” Blue Frost explained. “If we use the Soul Crystals that everyone has contributed, we will need 10,000 crystals to upgrade the Lions Bar to 2-star status. Independently, only 500 will be required. However, even combining the Soul Crystals of all ten parties, we still don’t have 500 crystals.”

“How many are you guys missing?” Shi Feng asked after giving the situation some thought.

“Based on our previous calculations, our parties only have slightly more than 300 Soul Crystals right now; we are short by almost 200,” Blue Frost said, smiling bitterly.

“That’s quite a lot. However, it is not an impossible task.” Shi Feng nodded and continued, “Let’s do it this way. Frost, you try to buy as many Soul Crystals as possible for now. I’ll try to obtain some myself as well. It is of utmost importance that we upgrade the Lions Bar to 2-stars.”

“Okay; I’ll try my best.” In truth, Blue Frost had considered upgrading the Lions Bar independently as well. Only, before today, the ten parties had not been of one mind. There would still be a few among them who would hold back some of their crystals, afraid that they would suffer if they lost too many. However, now that the top ten parties of District One had become members of Zero Wing, they had become a family. With this, it would be much easier to do things like this.

From this point onward, District One’s Shelter would truly be united.

After Shi Feng finished arranging the matters relating to District One’s Shelter, he departed from District One, heading towards District Five.

 

Chapter 599: Great Demon

It had only been a day since Shi Feng had left District Five.

However, when Shi Feng arrived at District Five’s Shelter once more, a massive change had occurred.

“What happened to the Shelter?” Shi Feng was shocked when he saw the sight before him.

The originally flourishing Shelter of District Five had become a pile of ruins. The tall walls which had surrounded the Shelter were no more, and collapsed houses littered the area within what little walls remained. He could find no sign of anyone inside the Shelter.

The rotting corpses of various monsters decorated the spacious streets. Moreover, these monsters were all Level 40 or above, far exceeding the level of this region. Among these monsters, a majority were Elites. There were also plenty of Special Elites and Chieftains as well.

A Lord! After entering District Five’s Shelter, on the second street Shi Feng crossed, he discovered the corpse of a three-story-tall black bear.

[Nightmare Bear] (Demonic Creature, Lord Rank)

Level 40

HP 0/2,800,000

Even in the Evil Ghost Domain, Lord ranked monsters were extremely rare. Based on Shi Feng’s understanding, the monster armies that assaulted Shelters every night almost never had any Lords. The strongest monsters in these assaults were usually Chieftains.

Yet, right before him, Shi Feng could see the corpses of four Lords on the street. One could just imagine how intense this monster assault on District Five had been.

“Just what happened here?” Even after running down several streets, Shi Feng still failed to discover any other players. It was as if District Five had become a ghost city overnight.

Normally, even when a Shelter had been invaded, players would not retreat from the region so quickly.

When Shi Feng arrived at District Five’s central street, players’ screams reached his ears.

This was not the first time Shi Feng had heard such screams of pain. However, he had only heard them in the past. This was his first time hearing such a desperate and painful wail in this life.

Shi Feng then activated Windwalk and dashed towards the source of the cries.

However, when Shi Feng was 200 yards away from the source, his body suddenly felt extremely heavy. It was as if he had just jumped into a quagmire.

Crap! This is a Domain! Shi Feng immediately jumped backward, retreating from the Domain’s range.

Domain… It was something only high-tiered creatures were capable of using. Take Weissman, who was the Magistrate of White River City and a Tier 4 Great Wizard, for example. He was capable of summoning a Magic Domain that would empower himself and suppress his enemies. If someone without a Domain faced someone with one, unless they were far stronger than the latter, escape and death were the only available options.

Meanwhile, one had to be at least Tier 4 to use a Domain. In other words, there was at least a Tier 4 monster at the heart of this screaming.

Since it was a player screaming, one could easily conclude that the Tier 4 creature was an enemy.

“Why would a Tier 4 creature be here?” Shi Feng was greatly surprised.

Based on players’ current levels, encountering such a creature should be impossible, not to mention in such a low-level region.

Shi Feng hurriedly jumped onto a collapsed rooftop and looked towards the origin of the screams.

At this moment, three players were still alive on the central street. Discipline Paradise, someone Shi Feng was familiar with, stood in the lead. The other two were a Level 28 Assassin and a Level 28 Berserker. At this moment, however, all three of their HPs were very low. All sorts of Level 40 monsters surrounded them, making escape impossible. Worst of all, a pitch-black Demon with bat-like wings and blood-red eyes hovered high above them.

[Knettel] (Demonic Creature, Great Demon)

Level 60

HP 50,000,000/50,000,000

“What is a Tier 4 Great Demon doing here?” Shi Feng was astonished when he saw Knettel.

Demons were enemies to the human race. As long as a Demon appeared within God’s Domain, the armies of various countries throughout the continent would set out to exterminate them immediately. Hence, encountering a Demon was rare, not to mention a Great Demon.

Although Knettel was only a Level 60 Great Demon, to current players, he was invincible. He was something players simply could not afford to provoke.

“Despicable human, I’ll give you one last chance to live. Surrender the Moloch’s Ring that you stole and submit!” Knettel glared down at Discipline Paradise and said coldly, “Otherwise, I will give you a taste of Soul Fire, destroying your soul just like your companions.”

Shi Feng immediately sucked in a breath of cold air when he heard Knettel’s words.

To players, their souls were very important, and damage would bring about severe consequences. It was just like when Shi Feng collected the Immortal Souls of players he killed, and as a result, said players were unable to log into God’s Domain for a short time. However, what he collected was only a small portion of a player’s Immortal Soul. If Soul Fire burned a player’s soul completely, the consequences would be unimaginable.

This penalty would not be limited to being unable to play the game for a few days. If a player’s soul were burned by Soul Fire, their account would be crippled. They would have no choice but to restart an account and obtain a new Immortal Soul.

“Just what kind of quest did Discipline Paradise take on for it to have such a frightening penalty?” Shi Feng’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the black flame in the Great Demon’s hand.

Tier 4 creatures, particularly a Tier 4 Great Demon like Knettel, would not come here for no good reason. The only explanation Shi Feng could come up with was a quest. Meanwhile, Discipline Paradise must have failed to complete this quest on time, and as a result, incurred such a punishment. This penalty was similar to the penalty of Shi Feng’s Epic Quest, Darkness Descends.

“You want me to submit? Not in a million years! I’ll fight you to the end!” Discipline Paradise shouted as he threw his shield at the Great Demon Knettel.

Before the golden shield hit Knettel, however, the Great Demon effortlessly caught the flying shield with a single hand. Knettle lightly clenched his fist.

Peng!

With just a squeeze, a Level 25 Fine-Gold Shield was crushed…

To a Tier 4 creature, it was an easy task to destroy Fine-Gold Equipment. Only Dark-Gold Equipment could withstand its power for some time.

The two players standing by Discipline Paradise’s sides were immediately terrified.

“Since you aren’t willing to become my servant, you can die!” Knettel sneered. With a light wave of his hand, black flames rained down on Discipline Paradise.

Discipline Paradise’s group of three had no hope of defending against the rain of Soul Fire.

Not only did their HPs rapidly deplete, but they also released agonizing wails due to the burning pain. The black flames devoured the trio for over a dozen seconds. Only when all three had turned to ash did the black flames disappear.

“This is going to be troublesome.” A headache began to plague Shi Feng.

He had only managed to obtain the Chapter of Darkness after much difficulty. Yet, now, Discipline Paradise had accepted a horrible quest that was impossible to complete and was even forced to recreate his account. How was he supposed to go to the Dark Den right now?

“Huh? What’s that?” With his extraordinary vision, Shi Feng discovered a flashing black light amidst Discipline Paradise’s ashes. “A ring?”

Suddenly, Shi Feng recalled the Morlock’s Ring that the Great Demon Knettel had previously mentioned.

That ring should be an item that would trigger a quest. Since it was a quest item, it naturally would not disappear with Discipline Paradise. Instead, it would remain and wait for the next player to come along.

“Is that ring somehow related to the Dark Den?” Shi Feng could not help but wonder.

Before this, he had asked Blue Frost about the Dark Den. However, Blue Frost did not know anything. He had not known that the Chapter of Darkness could open the gate leading to the Dark Den either.

No matter how one looked at it, it was impossible for the leading figure of District One to possess less information than Discipline Paradise. The only explanation was that Discipline Paradise had obtained this information through some special means.

Moreover, Discipline Paradise had been very eager to get his hands on the Chapter of Darkness.

Now, a Great Demon had appeared to retrieve a ring.

If one were to claim that the ring and the Chapter of Darkness were unrelated, who would believe it?

“I can only give it a try.”

Shi Feng gritted his teeth. He then dashed forward towards the ring with intense speed.