Chapter 683

Chapter 683: Cooperation?

 

Chapter 683 – Cooperation?

Although Aqua Rose had been trying to explain, Glorious Echo acted as if he had not heard a word. With an unsmiling expression, Glorious Echo said coldly, “The conditions I offered are quite generous. You should know that, if not for your family, we would never offer the chance to become a Guild Elder. We also wouldn’t offer triple the price to purchase your shares of Zero Wing in addition to some of Twilight Echo’s shares!

“Or are you telling me that you can afford the severance fee?”

As a veteran first-rate Guild, Twilight Echo had very few loopholes in its management.

In the past, Aqua Rose had been an Honorary Elder of Twilight Echo. With a considerably high position in the Guild, it had only been natural to require her to sign a contract with the Guild. She was no exception to this rule even though her family sat on Twilight Echo’s Board of Directors.

Now that Aqua Rose had left Twilight Echo and joined another Guild, she was in severe violation of her contract.

If it were Aqua Rose of the past, the severance fee would not have been an issue with her family’s backing. Now, however, since Aqua Rose’s family hoped that she would agree to Glorious Echo’s conditions, they would not assist with the severance fee.

Since the Divine Colosseum had launched, the price of Magic Crystals continued to climb by the day. In contrast, however, the increased availability was insignificant.

As a Regional Dungeon that produced Magic Crystals, various Guilds throughout God’s Domain targeted the Stoneclaw Mountains.

However, the travel costs for Guilds outside of Star-Moon Kingdom were ridiculously high. Moreover, without a foothold in the area, these Guilds, at most, would be left with table scraps.

As the nearest town to the Stoneclaw Mountains, setting aside Stone Forest Town’s geographical advantage, the Coins and Magic Crystals it could earn each day was enough to make the various Guilds drool. Only, Level 150 guards patrolled the town, protecting the Guild that owned it. At the same time, there were also the NPC guards that Zero Wing’s members had recruited. Even a Super Guild had to stand by and watch, helpless against Zero Wing’s defense.

From Twilight Echo’s perspective, Aqua Rose was the only reason Zero Wing had any power today. Otherwise, it was impossible for a Guild without any background, financial strength, or nurturing methods to grow to such a scale within such a short amount of time.

Aqua Rose had initially been an Honorary Elder of Twilight Echo. She was well-known in the virtual gaming world, yet she had suddenly joined a nameless and powerless Guild. This Guild must have offered a relatively high price to recruit her. In addition, with Aqua Rose’s current importance to Zero Wing, she would undoubtedly wield a massive amount of authority.

Even giving away 90% of the town’s lands would be well within her authority, much less allowing Twilight Echo to establish a Guild Residence in Stone Forest Town.

As long as Twilight Echo obtained Stone Forest Town, the Guild would have the capital to rise in God’s Domain.

A veteran first-rate Guild had an abundance of manpower. Twilight Echo was no exception, with an army of elite players held in reserve. However, it was not easy to nurture a God’s Domain expert. This process required a large amount of Magic Crystals. If Twilight Echo could claim Stone Forest Town, then it could farm Magic Crystals, which would then allow them to nurture a large number of experts. At that time, Twilight Echo would have much higher chances of emerging victorious in the competition over the Storm Empire.

Hence, it was a must for Twilight Echo to secure Stone Forest Town.

Listening up to this point, Aqua Rose fell silent.

She had already had enough when her family had forced a marriage upon her. She had joined Zero Wing and wholeheartedly focused on managing the Guild, watching it grow slowly, because she wanted to prove her talents to her family and gain their approval. However, rather than gaining recognition, she was still treated like a tool.

“Glorious Echo, if you have nothing else to say, you can leave now. You are not welcome here!” Aqua Rose no longer bothered addressing Glorious Echo as “Guild Leader,” but referred to him by his character name instead. She made sure they knew how furious she was.

Since she had joined Zero Wing, she had been very happy. Her time here was completely different from her time in Twilight Echo. She had learned many things during her time in the Guild. Counter to other’s beliefs, it was Zero Wing that had made her stronger, not the other way around.

And they want her to sell out Zero Wing? Not in this lifetime!

Seeing Aqua Rose’s determination, Glorious Echo’s somber expression darkened.

“Right, I’ve forgotten to introduce this young lady beside me,” Glorious Echo’s expression suddenly changed. With a smile, he proceeded with the introduction, “This is Miss Exemplary Willow. She represents Open Source Corporation and is responsible for the Corporation’s affairs relating to God’s Domain.”

Exemplary Willow, who wore a purple robe, only smiled in response. She did not bother to offer a single word. It was as if she looked down on Aqua Rose.

“Why is someone from Open Source Corporation here?!” Aqua Rose’s shock was obvious.

Open Source Corporation was a Global 500 company. Moreover, it ranked very close to the top. To the Corporation, Twilight Echo was like an ant that it could squeeze to death at any given moment. They were from completely different worlds.

“You might not realize this, but Open Source Corporation has already invested in Twilight Echo, becoming the Guild’s largest shareholder. Although your parents were strongly opposed to the plan, their efforts were useless,” Glorious Echo sneered. “If our talks for cooperation fail today, I believe that Miss Willow will be quite disappointed. If Miss Willow is unhappy, Open Source Corporation might accidentally take everything from you and your family. So, I think you should consider your options carefully before you speak.”

So, that’s their game. Aqua Rose immediately came to a realization, a self-deprecating smile appearing on her face.

It was no wonder why her family had not opposed the Guild’s decision.

It would be child’s play for Open Source Corporation to suppress her family’s business. Facing such a monstrosity, her family would have no choice but to lower their heads.

“This is your best and only option. Why must you make life difficult for yourself?” Glorious Echo advised softly. “Besides, we’re not just taking Stone Forest Town’s land for granted. We are offering your Guild Leader a satisfactory price. If you can persuade him to hand over Stone Forest Town, then I assure you that, not only will you become a Director of Twilight Echo, but Black Flame will also receive shares of the Guild and become a Director with you. With OSC’s investment, Zero Wing will quickly become the number one Guild in Star-Moon Kingdom. Wouldn’t this be a better result?”

Taking a deep breath, Aqua Rose said resolutely, “Glorious Echo, stop dreaming. I will never agree to your offer.”

She would never betray the Guild.

Although she felt sorry for her family, she believed that, by relying on her own abilities, even if her family’s business went under, she could help her family flourish even more than before.

“Good, very good!” Glorious Echo applauded. However, his expression while doing so was exceptionally grim. With a chilling tone, he said, “Since you do not know what’s good for you, I’ll move this discussion to your Guild Leader. I believe he will be far more understanding. You better not regret your decision.”

No Guild could ignore the temptation of receiving OSC’s investments. As long as Black Flame was a reasonable man, he would beg to have Open Source Corporation become the major shareholder of Zero Wing.

“Are you looking for me?”

At this moment, Shi Feng pushed open the doors, smirking wickedly as he slowly entered the room.

Chapter 684: You Are Not Qualified

 

Chapter 684 – You Are Not Qualified

 

“Guild Leader.”

Startled, Aqua Rose turned to Shi Feng; guilt and embarrassment were written across her face.

Glorious Echo was also momentarily stunned. He had never expected Zero Wing’s Guild Leader to actually appear. He quickly recovered, smiled, and introduced himself, “Good day, Guild Leader Black Flame. I am Twilight Echo’s Guild Leader, Glorious Echo. This is Miss Exemplary Willow, Open Source Corporation’s God’s Domain Representative.”

Having been unprepared for Shi Feng’s sudden appearances, Glorious Echo intended to use Exemplary Willow’s identity to frighten Shi Feng a little.

Meanwhile, Exemplary Willow only glanced at Shi Feng indifferently. It was obvious that she was not interested in a conversation between ants. Rather, her interest in Aqua Rose grew.

Without much effort, one could predict this conversation’s outcome.

OSC was a major, international corporation. It was also a giant in New Energy trading. Its industries covered the entire world. Now that the corporation was moving on God’s Domain, there were countless people desperately trying to show off, vying for the corporation’s attention.

An upstart Guild like Zero Wing would definitely react in the same way.

Only, Aqua Rose’s decision had surprised her slightly.

Facing such pressure and temptation, Aqua Rose remain unmoved. Having an assistant like Aqua Rose by her side could be quite valuable.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng was unaffected by Glorious Echo’s introduction. Calmly, he asked, “May I know what business Guild Leader Glorious has with me?”

Regarding OSC’s financing of Twilight Echo, Shi Feng had expected this due to his memories of his previous life.

He was not at all surprised by this revelation.

He even knew plenty of major secrets that OSC had yet to discover.

Shi Feng’s cool reaction unsettled Glorious Echo a little.

Upon hearing the name “Open Source Corporation,” any Guild in God’s Domain would introduce themselves carefully to win Exemplary Willow’s favor. Yet, without offering a single greeting, Shi Feng forged ahead and asked for the reason behind his visit…

Does he not know about OSC? Glorious Echo was inwardly stunned. Immediately, he said, “Guild Leader Black Flame, Open Source Corporation is a major, international corporation. The Corporation has both funding and connections in abundance. Currently, the Corporation has taken a liking to Stone Forest Town and wishes to purchase it. Hence, we’ve sought out Aqua to discuss the conditions of the purchase. Since Guild Leader Black Flame has made a personal appearance, our negotiations will be much simpler.

“Guild Leader Black Flame, state your price. As long as it is appropriate, I believe that OSC will agree to your terms.”

Exemplary Willow nodded in conjunction with Glorious Echo’s words.

Although she had just come into contact with God’s Domain, she already had a relatively good understanding of Stone Forest Town’s importance. She had to admit that it was surprising that a mere upstart Guild had obtained such a town.

“I see,” Shi Feng laughed. He then looked at Glorious Echo, saying, “Then, Guild Leader Glorious, you may leave now.”

“Huh?” Glorious Echo was momentarily stunned. “What do you mean, Guild Leader Black Flame?”

“Isn’t OSC looking for me to discuss Stone Forest Town?” Shi Feng countered with a question. “Then, why are you still here, Guild Leader Glorious?”

Glorious Echo sputtered, utterly speechless.

From the side, Aqua Rose could not help but giggle.

To her family, OSC was the largest source of pressure, not Glorious Echo. If she could settle a deal with the Corporation, she could relieve that pressure on her family.

“Miss Willow has only recently been introduced to virtual reality games, and there are still many things she does not understand. As the Leader of the Guild under the Corporation’s management and someone who possesses a wealth of experience regarding the virtual gaming world, it is my responsibility to help Miss Willow with the negotiations,” Glorious Echo explained coldly.

“Since that is the case, I’ll just tell you my price for Stone Forest Town,” Shi Feng laughed. Raising his index finger, he said, “I’ll take a little loss on this trade and settle for 10% of Open Source Corporation’s shares.”

As Shi Feng’s words fell, the room became utterly silent.

Aqua Rose’s little mouth hung open as she stared at Shi Feng.

His demand had gone beyond greedy. This was outright insane!

Meanwhile, Glorious Echo as well had thought he had misheard for a moment.

As for Exemplary Willow, she snapped her frosty gaze towards Shi Feng.

“Guild Leader Black Flame, your joke is not funny at all,” Glorious Echo said in a somber tone.

Even 1% of Open Source Corporation’s shares could purchase multiple Zero Wings, much less 10%.

“Why do you say that, Guild Leader Glorious?” Pointing at Stone Forest Town through the window, Shi Feng said earnestly, “Stone Forest Town is the nearest town to the Stoneclaw Mountains. Meanwhile, the Stoneclaw Mountains is a Dungeon rich with Magic Crystals. I don’t believe I need to inform you of this item’s importance. Since you wish to purchase Stone Forest Town, this would be equivalent to cutting off Zero Wing’s path of development. I only want a few Open Source Corporation’s shares, so how is that excessive?

“Since Guild Leader Glorious doesn’t qualify to make this decision, please look for someone who does to speak with me. You should know that I am a very busy man. If I make an appointment with every random nobody to discuss business, I won’t even have any time to rest.”

Insulted, Glorious Echo’s vision went red as he even considered Shi Feng’s murder.

Shi Feng had actually dared to humiliate him publicly, calling him a “random nobody!” Even Super Guilds were not so bold!

Meanwhile, Aqua Rose could not hold back her laughter.

The Guild Leader of the almighty Twilight Echo had actually been humiliated to the point where he could not offer even a word of retaliation. This was the first time Aqua Rose had seen such an ashen expression on Glorious Echo’s face. This comic moment relieved much of her pent-up frustration.

However, Aqua Rose realized that Shi Feng was currently venting for her, and her heart could not help but warm at this sight.

“Guild Leader Black Flame, are you being serious?” Finally, Exemplary Willow spoke. However, her tone was extraordinarily cold. She could not believe that the Guild Leader of such a tiny Guild would actually dare to underestimate OSC.

Although Exemplary Willow had not said anything threatening, the room’s atmosphere grew heavy with tension. Even Aqua Rose struggled to breathe.

This was the aura of someone who had always stood at the top of the world. Despite being unimaginably weak, she could still make a top-tier expert like Aqua Rose feel anxious.

If Shi Feng answered poorly…

The consequences would be unimaginable.

At this moment, Aqua Rose was somewhat regretful. She should have stopped Shi Feng. At the very least, she could have prevented this.

However, as if Shi Feng was without a care in the world, he nodded leisurely and responded, “Of course. I am always a man of my word.”

Although Shi Feng was not loud, everyone in the room could hear him clearly.

Insane!

This person was insane!

Glorious Echo’s previous anger vanished, replaced by shock. With astonished eyes, he stared at Shi Feng.

Shi Feng had just intentionally provoked an international corporation just to help Aqua Rose get revenge.

Just how ignorant must one be to carry out such an action?

“Very well. I will convey your price to my superior,” Exemplary Willow said indifferently. She then turned to Glorious Echo, commanding, “Let’s go.”

Chapter 685: New Continent

 

Chapter 685 – New Continent

After Exemplary Willow and Glorious Echo left….

The tension in the room evaporated. However, Aqua Rose still wallowed in her guilt.

Exemplary Willow’s eyes as she departed had reflected her inner anger clearly. This matter definitely would not be resolved so easily.

“Thank you,” Aqua Rose muttered as she watched Shi Feng, who maintained his usual calm, with grateful eyes.

She was no fool.

Although Shi Feng’s actions had seemed foolish, she knew that he had been helping her.

Initially, OSC’s had focused on Aqua Rose, and it would not let her, or her family, off the hook for her refusal to cooperate. However, Shi Feng had come forth and provoked OSC intentionally, shifting the Corporation’s hatred towards himself. This way, the Corporation would not bother targeting her and her family.

If this were any other Guild, none of them would willingly make an enemy of OSC for a single Guild member.

In response, Shi Feng simply laughed and said, “Forget about managing the affairs of Stone Forest Town for now and focus on leveling up and improving yourself. I’ll have Melancholic manage the town for the time being.” He was not the slightest bit worried about what had just happened.

“But OSC…”

Aqua Rose understood that Shi Feng was letting her distance herself from the dispute this time. This way, she would not attract Open Source’s attention.

However, she was the main instigator of this issue. She couldn’t just watch the situation play out from a safe distance.

“Don’t worry about it. Stone Forest Town is simply too valuable. Even without Twilight Echo and Open Source, there will be other Guilds and corporations wanting a piece of the pie.” Shi Feng could see Aqua Rose’s guilt. However, things were not as simple as she thought. “In Star-Moon Kingdom, there has yet to be a single power capable of taking Stone Forest City from us. What do we have to fear?”

The intense competition in God’s Domain far surpassed every virtual reality game before it.

Although Shi Feng did not know the reason for God’s Domain’s popularity, as someone who had experienced it before, he was fully aware of the dangers that came with taking over Stone Forest Town. And sooner or later, these dangers would erupt. Hence, rather than sitting still and waiting for their deaths, they might as well take the initiative to land the first blow.

Even so, he had not expected to start a war with the Open Source Corporation.

Fortunately, Open Source’s economic influence would have little effect on him. If the Corporation wished to deal with him, they had to do so through God’s Domain.

However, God’s Domain was his home ground. It would not be so easy for Open Source obtain victory.

Both the Guild and I need to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Shi Feng’s hunger for obtaining Solomon’s Treasure increased.

If Solomon’s Treasure was related to Solomon’s Sword, he might actually be able to get his hands on the Legendary Weapon.

With his current strength, his effect in a massive war between Guilds was limited. Against an alliance of multiple Guilds, he was insignificant. However, if he had Solomon’s Sword, he could attempt to replicate Mage God Gaia’s achievement of hunting and butchering the various large Guilds.

Following which, Shi Feng passed on Stone Forest Town’s management to Melancholic Smile and Blackie while Aqua Rose led the Dark Gods Legion to grind in the Stoneclaw Mountains.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng retrieved a few Magic Scrolls and lifesaving items from the Guild Warehouse. He then traveled to the Top of the World to complete his quest.

In reality, the Top of the World was a new continent with a very high altitude.

The map engraved on the Elemental Core showed that Solomon’s Treasure was hidden on Mount Sogar, one of this new continent’s regions.

Fortunately, Mount Sogar was not a very high-level region. It was only a Level 40 to Level 60 map. Although Shi Feng was only Level 32, with the top-tier equipment he had, it was not impossible to explore the place.

In the snow-covered forest around Mount Sogar, space suddenly ruptured. In the next moment, a pitch-black figure jumped out of the spatial crack.

“Is this the Top of the World?”

Shi Feng took a deep breath as he observed his surroundings. The air was extremely thin here. Moreover, the gravitational pull was intense; the gravity here was at least 3 g. The temperature was also below 20 degrees Celsius. The environment was harsh.

After God’s Domain underwent its third evolution, the Gravitational System was only one part of the system upgrade. Air density and temperature would also affect a player’s combat power.

The effect of temperature on players was not significant as players only needed to acquire some Resistance to counteract the effects. As long as one had 20 points of Ice Resistance, they would not find the low temperature uncomfortable. If one could not withstand the cold, they also had the option of wearing some warm clothing. The thin air, however, would impact a player’s combat power significantly. In a low-oxygen environment, the more players fought, the more rapidly they would burn through their Stamina.

Players without Stamina had no combat capabilities at all. In other words, players would not be able to fight for a long time in a low-oxygen environment. It was highly possible that they would lose the ability to fight in the middle of a battle.

“Grauu!”

The powerful soundwaves immediately attracted the attention of the nearby Wild Beasts. A moment later, these Wild Beasts answered with their own deafening roars.

[Snow Lion] (Wild Beast, Elite Rank)

Level 42

HP 180,000/180,000

At this moment, a total of five, white-furred Snow Lions appeared around Shi Feng, surrounding him, their amber eyes radiating a fierce bloodlust.

These monsters sure are powerful. Despite being only Elite rank, their bloodlust is so strong. This place really isn’t meant for ordinary players. Shi Feng chuckled as he unsheathed the Abyssal Blade.

If any other expert stood in his place right now, the Snow Lions would likely devour them. Fortunately, Shi Feng was no ordinary expert.

“Grauu!”

At the sound of a low roar, a Snow Lion dashed forward and bit down at Shi Feng. Almost as if they had planned their attack, the other four Lions took the opportunity to circle to Shi Feng’s back.

“Scram!”

Shi Feng struck at the Snow Lion’s head, the Abyssal Blade colliding with one of the monster’s fangs.

Dang!

“So tough!”

Shi Feng felt his hand go numb when the Abyssal Blade stuck the Snow Lion’s fang.

However, the Snow Lion that attacked Shi Feng had not fared any better than Shi Feng as the impact sent it flying. Its ivory fang also sported a deep gash. The Abyssal Blade had nearly chopped off the Snow Lion’s fang.

However, the Snow Lion only suffered -424 damage from the attack. To its 180,000 HP, that damage was practically negligible.

Shi Feng then spun and sent a slash to his back, the black streak of light slashing at the four oncoming Snow Lions. The Snow Lions’ hides were far more tender than their fangs. Very easily, the Abyssal Blade sliced through the Lions’ hides, leaving behind a bone-deep gash. However, the attack only dealt slightly more than -1,200 damage to each of the four Lions.

“Why is their Defense so high?!” Shi Feng was surprised.

Previously, seeing as his attack had landed on the Snow Lion’s fang, he thought the low damage was reasonable. However, even after his blade bit into the monsters’ flesh, he had only managed to deal over -1,200 damage. These Snow Lions’ Defense was stronger than even a Great Lord.

“Do all monsters here have such high Defense?” Shi Feng muttered, feeling a slight headache begin to brew.

These Snow Lions were only Elite monsters. If he encountered a Chieftain or Lord, how was he supposed to defeat them?

He had already equipped the Abyssal Blade with a Magic Device. Without the Device, his damage would most likely be much lower.

After Shi Feng managed to repel four Snow Lions with a single attack, the Lions began to roar.

“Grauu!”

The sound of their deafening roars was powerful enough to echo over a thousand meters.

“What are they trying to do?

“Are they trying to scare me?”

Shi Feng could not help but smirk at the roaring Snow Lions. None of them showed any signs of attacking at this moment.

However, just as Shi Feng intended to finish these monsters off, he detected movement in the surrounding forest. The ground began to tremble, and soon, he noticed the towering trees fall, one after another. Suddenly, a massive Snow Lion that stood over five meters tall emerge from the forest, a long, sharp horn protruding from his forehead.

[One-horn Lion King] (Wild Beast, Lord Rank)

Level 45

HP 4,000,000/4,000,000

Chapter 686: Tattered Old Treasure Chest

 

Chapter 686 – Tattered Old Treasure Chest

“They summoned a companion?” Shi Feng frowned as he saw the Lord ranked One-horn Lion King.

Monsters at the Top of the World were already much stronger than monsters one normally found in Star-Moon Kingdom. In addition to the environmental effects, dealing with these monsters would be quite challenging.

In the current God’s Domain, there had yet to be a single player capable of soloing the Level 45 Lord ranked One-horn Lion King.

Even if Shi Feng activated Twofold Berserk, he would not have a shred of hope of defeating the Level 45 Lord.

Aside from its 4,000,000 HP, Shi Feng also had no information on the Boss’s Skills. If it summoned another Lord, it would even be difficult to escape with his life.

The One-horn Lion King gave Shi Feng no opportunity to consider his situation. Lifting one of its massive paws, the Lion King suddenly transformed into an afterimage as it dashed towards Shi Feng like a gust of wind; its speed could match Shi Feng’s when he had Windwalk activated. It took only an instant for the massive Lion King to cross more than 20 yards, its paws sending dirt and snow into the air.

So much destructive power. Shi Feng immediately used Abyssal Bind, not daring to be careless.

After the Abyssal Blade had evolved, all of its Skills had reached Tier 1. A Lord ranked monster was the equivalent of a Tier 2 class. With only a difference of one Tier, Abyssal Bind could exert a large fraction of its effects.

Xiu… Xiu… Xiu…

Twelve pitch-black chains appeared out of thin air, instantly binding the One-horn Lion King’s limbs, forcing the Lord to halt its charge. The Lion King bellowed in rage as it struggled against its bindings.

If Shi Feng had taken on this fight before the Abyssal Blade had evolved, the One-horn Lion King would have easily freed itself from Abyssal Bind. However, no matter how much strength it exerted, it could not move an inch. The most it managed was cause the chains to tremble slightly. Although the chains showed signs of breaking, it would still be some time before they would shatter.

“I can finally use Abyssal Bind again.”

Shi Feng was quite satisfied with this outcome. The stronger the monster was, the weaker the effects of Abyssal Bind would become. Hence, he rarely used Abyssal Bind in his fights anymore. Now that the Skill had regained its usefulness, he would have another card against powerful monsters.

However, Shi Feng did not dare to tarry any longer as he activated Windwalk and fled.

Initially, Abyssal Bind could prevent a target from moving for four seconds. Against the One-horn Lion King, however, he’d be lucky if the Skill lasted two seconds. If utilized properly, he could put quite some distance between himself and the Lord.

Sure enough, two seconds after Shi Feng activated Abyssal Bind, the One-horn Lion King broke free from its restraints. Without hesitation, the Lion King chased after its prey.

Like so, one man and one beast ran through the snowy forest.

Although Shi Feng had attracted the attention of several monsters during his escape, he easily threw them off with his speed.

The only monster he could not shake off was the One-horn Lion King. Fortunately, the Lion King was not a speed-type Lord. After activating Windwalk, Shi Feng’s speed was roughly equal to the Lion King’s. Hence, the Lion King could not close the distance he had created during his two-second head start.

It won’t do to continue running like this. I haven’t seen any flying-type monsters so far, so it should be fine to use Wind Rider. While Shi Feng fled, he searched for any movement in the air.

The ability to fly was a massive advantage against monsters. However, as players reached higher levels, many high-level maps would also contain flying-type monsters. If players encountered such a monster, escape would not be an option. They either defeated the flying monster chasing after them or said monster claimed their life. It would take a miracle to escape from a flying monster.

The Top of the World was known for being an area that only experts could challenge. One would find it difficult to survive even the low-level regions of this place.

Fortunately, Shi Feng also had the Seven Luminaries Ring. He considered himself to be someone who was quite good at escaping.

However, even Shi Feng did not dare to use his Skills at the Top of the World casually as a single misuse might get him killed.

After confirming that he saw no threat above him, Shi Feng activated Wind Rider and soared into the sky. Meanwhile, the One-horn Lion King could only roar in frustration as it watched its prey escape its clutches.

Although Shi Feng was only Level 32, the 220% increase in Movement Speed that Wind Rider provided made him faster than even a Level 45 Lord.

The location marked on the Elemental Core showed that Solomon’s Treasure was in Mount Sogar’s core area. Taking advantage of Wind Rider’s effects, Shi Feng flew towards the map’s core.

As Wind Rider only had a duration of 24 seconds, but a Cooldown of 2 minutes, Shi Feng was forced to stop every once in a while during his flight.

Shi Feng did not have the courage to brave the path on foot.

During his 24 seconds in the air, he had spotted at least three Lord ranked monsters. In addition, there were also plenty of Chieftains and Elites roaming around the snowy forest. Even if he used an Isolation Scroll, he would not escape detection from so many powerful monsters.

After more than an hour of flying and hiding, Shi Feng arrived at the base of Mount Sogar’s core area.

Luckily, I can fly. Otherwise, I really might not have made it here alive. Shi Feng could not help but inwardly celebrate as he looked at the snowy forest at the foot of the mountain.

On his way here, aside from Lords, Shi Feng had even spotted a Level 50 Great Lord.

With Shi Feng’s current standards, without flight, he would never escape a Great Lord.

After arriving at the foot of the mountain, Shi Feng refused to use Wind Rider to fly up the mountain itself.

The top of the mountain was flying-type monsters’ territory. If he accidentally caught the attention of one of these monsters, he would be in trouble big-time.

Following which, Shi Feng used an Isolation Scroll and carefully proceeded along the stone steps up the mountain.

After arriving at Mount Sogar’s heart, the monsters he encountered were Level 50 at the very minimum. Shi Feng was merely Level 32. With such a huge difference in levels, monsters could easily perceive his presence from a long distance away. Although he could reduce his presence with an Isolation Scroll, if he wanted to avoid detection, he would still have to maintain a distance of roughly 80 yards from these monsters. Fortunately, that distance was still well within his range of sight, so he could easily hide.

The path up Mount Sogar was very narrow and surrounded by steep cliffs. Not only was it very difficult to hike up the mountain, but there were also groups of Stone Apes patrolling the path. Unfortunately, there was only a single path up the mountain.

[Stone Ape] (Elemental Being, Elite Rank)

Level 50

HP 300,000/300,000

By itself, the Stone Ape was no threat to Shi Feng. In fact, he could easily handle three or four of these Elite Stone Apes simultaneously. However, when a Stone Ape Guard accompanied the group, the situation was largely different.

[Stone Ape Guard] (Elemental Being, Chieftain Rank)

Level 50

HP 2,800,000/2,800,000

On his way up the mountain, in order to avoid the patrolling Stone Apes, Shi Feng hurriedly hid inside a small cave on the steep hillside.

“Oh? A Secret-Silver Treasure Chest!” A light shone in Shi Feng’s eyes.

The small cave was only the size of a room. Meanwhile, a tattered Treasure Chest sat in the deepest part of the cave, giving off a faint silver glow from on top of a thorn- and moss-covered stone platform.

In God’s Domain, even Common Treasure Chests were a rare sight, not to mention Secret-Silver ranked ones.

The loot one could obtain from a Secret-Silver Treasure Chest was much better than even the loot from a Lord ranked Boss.

He was truly lucky to stumble upon one by accident shortly after arriving at Mount Sogar.

However, as a precautionary measure, Shi Feng activated Omniscient Eyes to search for traps inside the cave.

In the past, countless players had lost their lives by triggering a trap due to their momentary excitement of discovering a Treasure Chest.

Under the probing of Omniscient Eyes, Shi Feng noticed a magical fluctuation from beside the stone platform. Taking a closer look, he discovered a magic array carved into the cave wall. Only, the thorns and moss covering the wall had obscured the magic array. Fortunately, under the perception of Omniscient Eyes, these simple obstructions were no different than transparent glass.

“Sure enough, there’s a magical trap.” Shi Feng laughed as he activated Phantom Kill.

He then had his doppelganger stand at the cave’s entrance while he ran towards the Treasure Chest.

Chapter 687: Tier 3 Magic Scroll

 

Chapter 687 – Tier 3 Magic Scroll

There were many types of traps in God’s Domain, and any one of these traps could finish a player off easily.

The simplest traps were the ordinary, physical traps. Most players could resolve these traps.

A slightly more advanced trap was a magical trap. Even experts could lose their lives to these traps if they were not careful.

The most advanced traps were challenge traps. When triggered, challenge traps would seal players inside a barrier. Players were then required to undergo a challenge, and only after they cleared the challenge would they obtain the reward.

Although challenge traps were the most advanced of the three types, the former two were the most fatal when triggered. After all, players could simply choose to ignore the treasure if they did not wish to risk their lives, whereas the other two types would not offer players such a luxury. Hence, the physical and magical traps claimed the most lives.

Meanwhile, classes like the Assassin possessed Skills to disarm traps.

Hence, most solo Assassins could get by just fine in God’s Domain.

Although Shi Feng was a Swordsman without any Disarm Skills, he had Magic Scrolls that could do the job. This item had a very low drop rate. Moreover, it was only capable of disarming magical traps and challenge traps. Even with Zero Wing’s strength, the Guild had only managed to obtain slightly over 20 scrolls. Before coming to Mount Sogar, Shi Feng packed five of these Magic Scrolls with him. Although, he had not expected to use one so soon.

Walking up to the stone platform, Shi Feng did not hurry to open the Treasure Chest. Rather, he cleared away the thorns and moss covering the stone platform. He then took out a silvery-gray scroll, unfurling it and chanting the incantation recorded within.

This silver-gray scroll was none other than a Tier 1 Disarm Scroll. It was capable of disarming all magical and challenge traps of Fine-Gold rank and below Treasure Chests. However, the precondition was to locate the trap’s activation array. Otherwise, the scroll would be useless.

As the Disarm Scroll activated, gray smoke seeped into the trap’s activation array. The Mana within the activation array then began to corrode. Without any Mana to power the activation array, the magical trap could no longer be triggered.

“I wonder what items I will find this time?” Shi Feng shifted his gaze towards the Secret-Silver Treasure Chest once more.

Exchanging a Tier 1 Magic Scroll for a Secret-Silver Treasure Chest was a very profitable trade.

Moreover, he was in one of the maps at the Top of the World. This area was untouched by players thus far. In other words, the Treasure Chests throughout the Top of the World had yet to be opened even once. Their loot would naturally be somewhat more abundant. This was a similar phenomenon to obtaining the First Clear of the Dungeon, whereby the end rewards would be slightly buffed.

However, Shi Feng still did not hurry to open the Treasure Chest. He first activated Divine Providence.

Immediately, his Luck increased by an additional 32 points for 30 seconds.

Only now did Shi Feng open the Treasure Chest.

Following which, a loading bar appeared above the Treasure Chest, filling gradually. Twenty seconds were required to open the Secret-Silver Treasure Chest.

The activation time for this one sure is abnormally long. Shi Feng was a little concerned when he saw the required activation time.

A Treasure Chest’s activation time usually ranged from 3 to 10 seconds. Even Secret-Silver Treasure Chests didn’t usually require as long as 20 seconds.

The seconds ticked by slowly.

After the long and arduous 20 seconds, the tattered old Treasure Chest audibly clicked before its lid gradually opened. In the next moment, an array of colors escaped the Treasure Chest, illuminating the entire cave.

“There are so many items inside!”

After the rainbow brilliance dissipated, the Secret-Silver Treasure Chest’s contents were on full display before Shi Feng. Items filled the entire chest. This was definitely the fullest Treasure Chest Shi Feng had ever seen in his life.

He spotted more than ten Tier 3 Gemstones alone. There was also a large number of Magic Crystals and Silver Coins.

There were even three weapons and equipment inside the chest.

These items were all Level 50.

Level 50 was considered a major milestone in God’s Domain. Although part of the reason was that players could apply for their Tier 2 classes at this level, it was mainly due to the difference in equipment.

Level 50 equipment was a lot stronger than Level 45 equipment.

Originally, the Attributes on a piece of Level 40 Secret-Silver Equipment was roughly the equivalent of a piece of Level 45 Mysterious-Iron Equipment. Only, the latter had slightly higher Defense. However, the Attributes on Level 45 Secret-Silver Equipment were only the equivalent of Level 50 Bronze Equipment. That was a difference of two ranks.

Because of this, the Attribute gap between players widened significantly.

However, after reaching Level 50, players would quickly discover that high-quality Level 50 weapons and equipment would become far more difficult to obtain. Moreover, the number of weapons and equipment that dropped from Dungeons would decrease significantly.

Nowadays, ordinary players could collect a full set of Bronze Equipment so long as they put in the required effort. Many might even have a few pieces of Mysterious-Iron Equipment mixed into their sets. However, an ordinary Level 50 player walking around in a full set of Level 50 Bronze Equipment would be an impressive feat. Even Level 50 Mysterious-Iron Equipment would be rarely seen on a Guild’s normal members. Only elite Guild members could barely scrape together a full set of Mysterious-Iron Equipment. One could just imagine how difficult it was to obtain Level 50 equipment of high quality.

Currently, of the three pieces of Level 50 equipment inside the Treasure Chest, two were Secret-Silver rank, and one was Fine-Gold rank. He had truly hit the jackpot this time.

However, the item that demanded Shi Feng’s attention was a pale-gold scroll.

Even though the scroll sat quietly inside the chest, the frightening amount of Mana radiated distorted the surrounding Mana. If the scroll were activated, who knew what kind of power it could display?

This was an effect that only Tier 3 Magic Scrolls or above could display.

Tier 4 Magic Scrolls were as rare as a phoenix’s feather throughout God’s Domain. If sold, it could fetch for an astronomical price. However, nobody would be so foolish as to actually sell a Tier 4 Magic Scroll. Meanwhile, although Tier 3 Magic Scrolls could not compete with Tier 4 Magic Scrolls in terms of rarity, each scroll was still considered a strategic item to a Guild. Outside of an emergency, Guilds would never consider using their Tier 3 Magic Scrolls.

“I wonder what kind of Tier 3 Spell it contains?” Shi Feng eagerly picked up the pale-gold scroll and examined it.

[Magic Amplification Scroll] (Tier 3 Magic Scroll)

Forcibly upgrades the Tier of a Skill by 1 Tier up to a maximum of Tier 3.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Uses remaining: 30

After reading the introduction, Shi Feng was momentarily stunned.

A Magic Amplification Scroll was no less valuable than an Epic item.

To ordinary players, this scroll could forcibly improve their Skills by a single Tier. This scroll could provide a miraculous impact if used at a critical moment.

For example, in a battle between two players who could both use only Tier 1 Skills, if the losing player could suddenly amplify one of their Skills to Tier 2, it could turn the tide of battle.

When fighting Bosses, the control effects of a Tier 1 Skill was incredibly limited. However, the skill would display a marked difference at Tier 2.

And yet, this was still not the Magic Amplification Scroll’s greatest function.

Its true purpose lay in summoning!

It was particularly useful to the Summoner class. A Tier 1 Summoner could, at most, summon a Tier 1 monster to fight for them. After using Magic Amplification on their Skills, however, they could summon Tier 2 monsters. As for Tier 2 Summoners, they could summon Tier 3 monsters.

A Tier 3 monster was the equivalent of the Great Lord rank…

Whether it was out in the fields, a Dungeon, or a PvP battle, having a Great Lord ranked monster by one’s side would provide massive advantages. One such monster could easily decimate an army of ten thousand players.

Although I’m not a Summoner, I have the Bible of Darkness. I wonder if the Magic Amplification Scroll will have any effect on it? When Shi Feng thought about the possibility of summoning a Tier 3 Demon, he could not help but grow excited.

If he could summon a Tier 3 Demon, he would have a much easier time searching for Solomon’s Treasure.

With the assistance of a Tier 3 Demon, he could easily defeat even a group of Chieftain ranked Stone Ape Guards.

Chapter 688: Tier 3 Overlord

 

Chapter 688 – Tier 3 Overlord

Setting aside the Tier 3 Magic Scroll, Shi Feng stored the remaining items from the Treasure Chest in his bag. He then carefully took out the Bible of Darkness.

“You must succeed.” Shi Feng was not absolutely confident in being able to summon a Tier 3 Demon.

After all, the Bible of Darkness was a Fragmented Legendary item.

It was not an easy task to upgrade the Skill of a Fragmented Legendary item. Even with a Tier 3 Magic Scroll, the likelihood of success was low.

Unfurling the Magic Amplification Scroll, Shi Feng began to chant its incantation.

Suddenly, the Mana in the cave went berserk. An endless stream of Mana surged into the cave from outside, increasing the density within the cave to the point where it was visible to the naked eye. The dense Mana took the form of a multicolored haze that filled the cave, creating a beautiful sight.

Such dense Mana!

Shi Feng had become the heart of the cave as Mana surged into his body, forming a massive vortex.

“Emerge, Demon Gate!” Shi Feng activated Demon Summoning.

Rumble…

Suddenly, the cave began to tremble. In the blink of an eye, a massive pair of gates suddenly appeared out of thin air. This gate was twice as large as those that appeared when he summoned Tier 2 Demons. Shi Feng even struggled to move under the intense pressure this gate emitted.

Did I succeed? Shi Feng could not help his growing excitement as he watched the Demon Gate.

The combination of the Magic Amplification Scroll and the Bible of Darkness… If he could put this combination to use in a Guild War, it would definitely turn the tides of battle.

Regardless of the time or location, a Great Lord ranked monster was a massive threat to a player, not to mention a Great Lord that was under an enemy player’s control. The threat level of such a Great Lord would be increased by at least tenfold.

As the Demon Gate slowly opened, a humanoid Demon wearing crimson scale armor and wielding a pitch-black war axe hovered out of the darkness. However, although the Demon had the shape of a human, it was much larger. The Demon stood over three meters tall and had a pair of blood-red wings that allowed it to hover above the ground.

“Such a weak little ant actually dares to summon me, the Purgatory Demon?” the Purgatory Demon snarled, ridicule flashing its blood-red eyes as it looked down on Shi Feng. With a single flap of its wings, the Purgatory Demon crossed the distance of ten yards in an instant, its speed surpassing even that of a Great Lord. The Demon then swung its war axe down towards Shi Feng. “Die!”

The pitch-black war axe suddenly emitted intense shockwaves, destabilizing the surrounding space.

As the war axe descended, Shi Feng suddenly discovered that he could not move…

This is the Tier 3 Taboo Skill, Spatial Suppression! Shi Feng was aghast.

He had never imagined that the Demon he summoned would be so powerful.

There were many kinds of Tier 3 Demons. Moreover, Tier 3 Demons possessed very high intellect, so there was a small number who could learn Tier 3 Taboo Skills. Among Tier 3 Demons, these individuals were warlord-level existences.

Shi Feng was only a Tier 1 class. He had no hope of breaking free from the suppression of the Tier 3 Taboo Skill. He could not even use a Skill. He could only watch as the massive war axe descended on him.

Boom!

When the pitch-black war axe landed, the impact destroyed the entire cave.

“Hahaha! Such a weakling also dares to use the Bible of Darkness? With this, the Bible of Darkness now belongs to me,” the hovering Purgatory Demon could not help but laugh.

However, its laughter was short-lived as a serious expression suddenly appeared on the Demon’s face, its gaze focused on the ruins before it.

“Why are you still alive?!” the Purgatory Demon stared in shock as it watched Shi Feng slowly climb out of the rubble.

Shi Feng looked somewhat miserable as his entire body was covered in dust. However, his HP was still full; he had not received any damage from the Purgatory Demon’s attack.

“As expected of a Tier 3 Demon. If I hadn’t used Phantom Kill as a precaution for the magical trap, that hit really would have killed me,” Shi Feng said, smiling as he turned to the hovering Purgatory Demon while dusting himself.

The instant the Purgatory Demon had appeared, Shi Feng had noticed that he could not control it completely. Hence, he had immediately activated the Replace Skill, trading places with his doppelganger while he hid at the cave’s entrance. However, the shockwaves from the Demon’s Tier 3 Taboo Skill had still affected him. Fortunately, he was able to activate Defensive Blade in time, blocking the incoming damage.

“Lucky ant. But you won’t be so lucky the next time,” the Purgatory Demon revealed a sinister expression as it swung its massive waraxe at Shi Feng once more.

In response to the fast and destructive attack, Shi Feng simply smiled as he said coldly, “There won’t be a next time because your time is up.”

“Time?” Confusion flashed in the Purgatory Demon’s eyes. Immediately, however, panic appeared on its face as it shifted its gaze towards the Bible of Darkness in Shi Feng’s hands. Countless blue chains suddenly emerged from the Bible of Darkness. Like a pack of hungry wolves, the chains shot towards the Purgatory Demon. Defiantly, the Demon shouted, “No!”

The Purgatory Demon no longer bothered with its attack on Shi Feng. Instead, it was now fled from Shi Feng with all its might.

However, even if the Purgatory Demon was fast, it could not outrun the blue chains. The blue chains instantly pierced through the Demon and wrapped around its body, sealing its movements completely. It could only whimper and mourn painfully as it lay on the ground.

After a few seconds of whining, the Purgatory Demon’s spirited eyes dimmed. As if it had become a walking corpse, the Demon slowly stood up from the ground and looked at Shi Feng as if waiting for a command. The blue chains binding the Demon began to fade.

“That was close. Luckily I used my doppelganger to buy some time.” Shi Feng finally released out a sigh of relief as he saw the Purgatory Demon’s lifeless eyes. The Tier 3 Demon was finally under his control.

It was possible for a summoned creature to rebel. However, the chances of a rebellion were determined by the summoner’s strength. Currently, Shi Feng was merely a Tier 1 player. If he used a Tier 3 Magic Scroll to forcefully summon a Tier 3 Demon, the chances of a rebellion were quite high. Meanwhile, when a summoned creature rebelled, its first target would be its summoner.

Of course, there was also a method to end a rebellion. For example, the Bible of Darkness was capable of eliminating a summoned Demon’s consciousness. However, time was required to do so. After killing the summoned creature’s will, it would become a puppet without any trace of autonomy. This would make it very difficult to control the summoned creature, sharply reducing its combat power.

Normally, after a creature was summoned, the summoner only needed to transmit simple commands. The summoned creature would then carry out the commands automatically. However, after becoming a puppet, the summoner would have to split a portion of their consciousness to direct the summoned creature’s every movement. This would, in turn, impact the summoner’s own combat power.

Most importantly, after a summoned creature lost its consciousness, players would face great difficulties when using the monster’s Skills. When a monster was self-aware, it could achieve 100% of its Skills’ effects. For players who had never used any of the summoned creature’s Skills before, in addition to splitting their focus on controlling the monster, it would be a miracle if they exerted 50% of the summoned creature’s Skills’ effects.

However, Shi Feng couldn’t care less right now.

Compared to a turncoat Tier 3 Demon, a puppet Tier 3 Demon was far more useful. Although having to control the Demon manually would greatly reduce its combat power, it was better than nothing at all.

I wasn’t able to check its Attributes before because it wasn’t under my control. I wonder just what kind of Attributes the Tier 3 Purgatory Demon possesses? Shi Feng was very curious about the Tier 3 Demon’s Attributes. The fact that it could use a Tier 3 Taboo Skill showed that it was much stronger than ordinary Tier 3 Demons.

Chapter 689: Astonishing Leveling Speed

 

Chapter 689 – Astonishing Leveling Speed

“So many Skills!”

Upon opening the Purgatory Demon’s Attribute Panel, Shi Feng discovered a list of tens of Skills. Among them, there were three Tier 3 Skills, one being the Tier 3 Taboo Skill. The remaining Skills were all Tier 2 The Purgatory Demon had more Skills than an ordinary player. Moreover, the majority of its Skills were AOE Skills. The Demon could play a huge role in a group battle.

In addition, the Purgatory Demon’s HP and Level were similarly shocking.

[Purgatory Demon] (Demon)

Level 51

HP 13,000,000/13,000,000

Among Level 50 Great Lords, its HP might not be considerable, but compared to other Tier 3 Demons with high intellect and a large number of Skills, the Purgatory Demon’s HP was very high.

Moreover, an ordinary Tier 3 Demon’s combat power was generally higher than a Great Lord of the same Level. If it came down to a battle, the Tier 3 Demon would emerge victorious.

Its Strength Attribute is outrageous. It’s several times higher than my Strength. It should rival a Grand Lord of the same Level. The more Shi Feng examined the Purgatory Demon’s Attributes, the more shocked he became.

Currently, he was fully equipped with Tier 3 Strength-Attributed Gemstones. He even wore the Fragmented Legendary ranked Heavenly Dragon’s Breath. His Strength was no weaker than a Chieftain of the same Level, yet even if he activated Twofold Berserk, his Strength would not reach even half of the Purgatory Demon’s…

With such a powerful summon, his exploration of Mount Sogar’s core area would be much easier.

At the very least, he would not have to run and hide from monsters constantly.

Following which, Shi Feng began controlling the Purgatory Demon to venture deeper into the heart of Mount Sogar.

There were many groups of Stone Apes patrolling the trail up Mount Sogar. Not only did each patrol team have over a hundred Elite Stone Apes, but the teams were also led by one Lord ranked Stone Ape Guard.

Shortly after exiting the cave, a Stone Ape Guard discovered both Shi Feng and the Purgatory Demon. The Lord released a roar and immediately, over a hundred Level 50 Elite Stone Apes charged at the two intruders.

“You guys can serve as a test, then.” Shi Feng smiled calmly as he focused the majority of his consciousness into the Purgatory Demon while he hid as far away as possible.

However, the Purgatory Demon, which was over three meters tall, was like an immovable wall as it stood in the middle of the mountain trail. With its war axe held ready, the Demon managed to block the entire trail by itself.

When the Stone Apes arrived before the Purgatory Demon, the latter swept its massive two-handed war axe horizontally across the enemy group.

Suddenly, the six leading Stone Apes flew through the air, slamming into the mountainsides bordering the trail. Some of the Stone Apes’ rock bodies shattered when they met the massive war axe, damages of over -30,000 points appearing above their heads. If a player had received the Purgatory Demon’s attack just now, they would have died instantly.

“Such fierce damage.” Shi Feng was momentarily stunned. He had never imagined that the Purgatory Demon could deal such high damage.

Compared to the Snow Lions, the Stone Apes’ Defense was much higher. Previously, he could deal around -1,200 damage to the Snow Lions with his normal attacks. Yet, the Purgatory Demon dealt over -30,000 damage, destroying over one-tenth of the Stone Apes’ HPs with one swing of its axe. Moreover, it even shattered the Stone Apes’ rock bodies, wounding the Elites heavily and significantly reducing their combat power.

In the face of the Purgatory Demon’s Strength, the Stone Apes were no more than toys. They could not approach Shi Feng, who hid behind the Purgatory Demon, at all.

However, Shi Feng was also struggling to control the Tier 3 Demon. Shi Feng was already not used moving in the Demon’s massive body. Attacking only increased the complexity of his task. He could not exert his desired effects at all. At the moment, he was exerting less than one-third of the Purgatory Demon’s actual strength.

Suddenly, the Stone Ape Guard standing behind the group of Stone Apes jumped into the air and thrust its spear towards the Purgatory Demon. As if it were a venomous snake, the spear left behind three afterimages that struck the Tier 3 Demon.

With the Purgatory Demon’s usual standards, it could have dodged the Lord’s spear attack effortlessly. However, Shi Feng was unable to exert the Demon’s full strength, so the Demon received all three attacks.

-2,742.

-2,802.

-2,784.

Three consecutive damages appeared above the Purgatory Demon’s head.

However, compared to the Purgatory Demon’s 13,000,000 HP, these damages were practically negligible. The Demon’s battle recovery alone regenerated 130,000 HP every five seconds. Even if Shi Feng allowed the Stone Ape Guard to attack as much as it wished, it would not kill the Purgatory Demon.

“I wonder how this move will fare?”

Shi Feng did not want to waste any more time with these Stone Apes. He controlled the Purgatory Demon and activated the Tier 3 Skill, Garuda’s Flames.

Garuda’s Flames dealt flame damage within a cone to all enemies within 50 yards. At the same time, targets struck would be forced into a Fainted state for five seconds.

The Purgatory Demon swung its massive war axe and the Stone Apes before it drowned in a sea of fire. Even while standing behind the Purgatory Demon, Shi Feng could feel the scorching heat of Garuda’s Flames.

Against such a wide range attack, neither the Stone Ape Guard nor the Elite Stone Apes could avoid it. The Purgatory Demon’s attack swallowed every one of the Stone Apes. Suddenly, the hundred-plus Stone Apes lost their lives. Only the Lord ranked Stone Ape Guard still lived. However, the Lord’s body glowed bright red with heat, and of its original 2,800,000 HP, only around 2,100,000 remained.

Garuda’s Flames dealt nearly 700,000 damage to a Level 50 Lord. Meanwhile, Shi Feng had exerted less than 50% of the Skill’s effect. If the Purgatory Demon were still self-aware, Garuda’s Flames would probably have devoured over half of the Stone Ape Guard’s HP.

It’s a pity that this Skill’s Cooldown is somewhat long. Otherwise, grinding with this Skill would be exhilarating. Shi Feng sighed as he glanced at his experience bar. Shi Feng had been at 9% of Level 32. Now, his experience stopped at 20%. His experience bar had jumped by a full 11%.

After players reached Level 30, the amount of EXP they required to level up would increase tremendously. Even expert players had to grind for several days to gain a single level, not to mention someone like Shi Feng, who required twice as much EXP as ordinary players.

Any other player would have gained 22%. They would only have to defeat five Stone Ape patrol teams to gain a Level.

However, part of this was also because the monsters at the Top of the World provided much higher EXP than the monsters in Star-Moon Kingdom. Moreover, there was also the fact that the Stone Apes were Elite monsters and were 18 Levels higher than Shi Feng, providing him with ample amounts of bonus EXP. For an ordinary player, a Common monster that was two or three levels higher would be their limit, let alone an Elite monster.

Normally, a party of ordinary players was required to take down a single Elite monster. After splitting the EXP six-ways, each player would only receive a small amount. Meanwhile, Shi Feng enjoyed the EXP from more than a hundred Stone Apes by himself. His leveling speed would be as fast as flight.

Following which, Shi Feng directed the Purgatory Demon to attack the Stone Ape Guard with more Skills.

The Tier 3 Skills’ Cooldowns were simply too long. Shi Feng intended to use them sparingly, so he only used Tier 2 Skills to deal with the Stone Ape Guard. Even so, each Tier 2 Skill dealt over -100,000 damage.

In less than 30 seconds, the Stone Ape Guard lay at the Purgatory Demon’s feet. Meanwhile, Shi Feng’s experience bar had risen by an additional 6%. The Lord provided more EXP than half of the hundred-plus Elite Stone Apes.

Other than providing Shi Feng with an abundance of EXP, these Stone Apes had also dropped a large number of items. Equipment and materials littered the mountain trail before the Purgatory Demon. The drop-rate here was even better than in the Stoneclaw Mountains. However, this place was home to monsters that were Level 50 and above. If Shi Feng grinded in an ordinary high-level map in Star-Moon Kingdom rather than at the Top of the World, he would not enjoy such a lucrative drop-rate.

However, Mount Sogar possessed a large number of powerful monsters. This was one major difference between it and ordinary maps. Surviving here was already extremely difficult for Level 50 players, not to mention grinding for levels and items.

Moreover, Shi Feng was only able to eliminate the powerful monsters here due to the Purgatory Demon.

Chapter 690: Absurd EXP

 

Chapter 690 – Absurd EXP

The Top of the World is pretty nice. It’s no wonder why those experts in the past tried so hard to come here. Shi Feng sighed contently after he finished organizing the loot.

Among these drops, there were several dozen pieces of Level 50 equipment, two of which were Mysterious-Iron rank, 16 were Bronze rank, and the remainder were Common rank.

After reaching Level 50, even Elite monsters rarely dropped Bronze Equipment. Only Chieftains would drop Bronze Equipment with a 100% certainty and had the chance to drop Mysterious-Iron Equipment. As a result, players would have a far more difficult time obtaining Level 50 high-quality equipment.

To make matters worse, the Final Bosses of Level 50 Hard Mode Party Dungeons were only Chieftains. Only Hell Mode had Lord ranked Final Bosses. However, how many ordinary parties were capable of conquering Hell Mode Party Dungeons?

Moreover, Bosses drop-rates declined sharply after Level 50. A Boss that would drop six or seven items at lower levels would only drop one or two items after reaching Level 50.

Shi Feng could vaguely remember the time he had fought and grinded frantically, only managing to reach Level 50 after an arduous struggle.

Yet, what about Level 50 equipment?

After investing a ton of effort, he had only managed to obtain a full set of Level 50 Mysterious-Iron Equipment by the time he reached Level 50. If he had worn that quality equipment when he was Level 45, he would have been considered as an ordinary veteran player at best. Even so, he had been the envy of Blackie and many of his fellow Guild members.

Back then, wearing several pieces of Level 50 Mysterious-Iron Equipment into a 20-man Team Dungeon had been a luxury, not to mention a full set of Mysterious-Iron Equipment. After all, one obtained less than a handful of Level 50 Mysterious-Iron items after clearing a Level 50, 20-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon.

This was also the reason behind forgers’ suddenly popularity surge.

Although it might be very difficult for players to forge top-tier equipment, they had a relatively high success rate for producing Level 50 and above Bronze and Mysterious-Iron Weapons and Equipment. However, the required materials were not so easily obtained.

On the other hand, after defeating a single wave of Stone Apes, Shi Feng now had so many pieces of Level 50 Bronze and Mysterious-Iron Equipment. It was mind-blowing.

Shi Feng continued to explore Mount Sogar’s core area. During his journey, he defeated any Stone Ape patrols that he encountered for EXP and equipment.

Humans had yet to claim Mount Sogar, so there were many Stone Ape patrols wandering along the mountain trail. It did not take long before Shi Feng encountered another patrol team. For Shi Feng, this place was a leveling heaven.

Against the Stone Ape patrols, the Purgatory Demon’s strength was simply overwhelming.

In less than three hours, Shi Feng easily reached 74% of Level 33. If he wanted to, he could place in the top 20 of Star-Moon Kingdom’s Ranking List.

Previously, to obtain the First Clear of Level 30, 100-man Team Dungeons, the various Guilds had intentionally held back their levels. Meanwhile, some powerful independent experts or Workshop experts had not. Instead, they took the opportunity to level up rapidly, earning some fame for themselves. Hence, the current average level on Star-Moon Kingdom’s Ranking List was quite high, with the top three players at Level 34.

Meanwhile, the top 20 on Star-Moon Kingdom’s Ranking List were all Level 33 and above.

If not for the Purgatory Demon helping him grind on Mount Sogar, he might have struggled to catch up to the top 20 players.

Mount Sogar was massive. It was almost three times as large as an ordinary leveling map of the same Level. Hence, searching for Solomon’s Treasure was time-consuming. Shi Feng also encountered many powerful monsters throughout his journey, which slowed his progress further.

To explore Mount Sogar effectively, Shi Feng had used the Bible of Darkness and Magic Amplification Scroll once more to summon a Level 51 Tier 3 Curse Demon. Although the Curse Demon had similarly turned on him, Shi Feng had directed the Purgatory Demon to incapacitate the Curse Demon, allowing him to force it into submission.

Unlike the Purgatory Demon, however, the Curse Demon did not possess any Tier 3 Taboo Skills. It also only had 9,500,000 HP. However, as it was a magic-type Demon, its AOE capabilities were much stronger than the Purgatory Demon.

With two Tier 3 Demons under his control, Shi Feng could explore the area far more efficiently. He had no problems facing even two or three waves of Stone Ape patrols simultaneously. He no longer had to waste too much time hiding and killing monsters.

—

The Stoneclaw Mountains’ inner region:

“Cola, be careful of that Half-orc Lord’s Skills. Lure it away from the team first. Everyone else, focus fire on the Lord that Turtledove is tanking.” Fire Dance fought while commanding her team to deal with two Level 40 Half-orc Lords.

Currently, players crowded the Stoneclaw Mountains. To secure more resources for themselves, Zero Wing’s main force had no choice but to distance themselves from the crowd and push deeper into the Mountains.

They were lucky if they encountered a Lord in the outer region. However, after reaching the inner region, the number of Lords wandering about had increased significantly. From time to time, players would have to face two Lords simultaneously. This was a huge challenge for teams. Hence, the various Guild teams avoided this area.

To Zero Wing’s main force, however, this area was just difficult enough.

Zero Wing’s lead MT Cola wore a complete Tier 1 Set Equipment. He also had the Bluefire Shield. He had no problems handling a single Level 40 Lord by himself. As for Turtledove, she had recently obtained the Epic ranked Divine Frost Armor, so she, too, could tank a Lord without assistance. In addition, Ye Wumian similarly wore a complete Tier 1 Set Equipment for Shield Warriors. He was constantly ready to jump in when necessary.

If the MTs had no issues, there was no need to mention the team’s DPS. Whether it was Fire Dance, Rampant Blade, Shadow Sword, Minor Wind, or Violet Cloud, every one of them possessed superb Attack Power. They also wore equipment that allowed them to ignore more than ten of monsters’ Levels. Without any level suppression, their damage against Level 40 Lords would not be affected in the slightest.

Hence, the team was more than capable of taking down two Level 40 Lords simultaneously.

Currently, the members of Zero Wing’s main force were all at Level 32, leveling with impressive speed. There were a few reasons for their leveling rate. First, everyone’s experience bars had been frozen around 90% of Level 30 throughout their raid of the Frost Prison. After obtaining the First Clear of the Hell Mode Frost Prison, everyone promptly turned their attention to grinding in the Stoneclaw Mountains. They also managed to accumulate the Double EXP buff by resting in the Guild Residence’s Private Rooms while they had been offline. While they had focused on raiding the Frost Prison, they had accumulated more than one Level’s worth of the Double EXP buff. Thus, the moment they returned to leveling, they rapidly climbed to Level 32.

In less than 20 minutes, the team had dealt with their latest Half-orc enemies, resulting in everyone’s experience bars rising significantly.

“Fire Dance, our Guild members have been ambushed in the Stoneclaw Mountains. Be careful.” Aqua Rose suddenly contacted Fire Dance to warn her.

“Someone’s ambushed our Guild members?” Fire Dance was slightly surprised. “Which Guild is it?”

Stone Forest Town was Zero Wing’s territory now. For someone to dare target Zero Wing’s members in the Stoneclaw Mountains, they were simply asking to be banned from the town.

“I don’t think that it’s a Guild. The ambushed members reported that their attackers had not worn any Guild Emblems. After watching the videos they recorded, the ambushers didn’t seem like any Guild experts I’ve encountered. However, the enemy is moving in relatively large groups. The smaller groups have around a dozen or so players, while the largest one is a 50-man team. I’ve researched that team already. They do not belong to any Guild. Rather, the team belongs to a Workshop.” Aqua Rose was similarly surprised when she received the report on these assailants. After all, every player currently grinding in the Stoneclaw Mountains should know Zero Wing’s reputation. Yet, there were still people who dared to ambush their members. “In any case, your team should be on the lookout as well. I’ll try to learn more as soon as possible.”

If this really were the doing of a Guild, then she would destroy that Guild’s foothold in the Stoneclaw Mountains.

“Alright, I’ll make a note of it.” Fire Dance nodded.

There would not be any other players in the Stoneclaw Mountains’ inner region. After all, the danger here was much higher than in the outer areas. Ordinary players could not set foot here and survive.

However, as soon as Fire Dance disconnected the call, she heard Minor Wind’s anxious voice through the team chat.”A large group of players is approaching!”

Chapter 691: Red List

 

Chapter 691 – Red List

In God’s Domain, not only did Rangers possess both melee and ranged combat capabilities, but their perception and scouting abilities were also superior to other classes.

Particularly, out in the dangerous fields, if a party had a Ranger among its members, the party could avoid many potential dangers.

As the number one Ranger of Zero Wing, not only did Minor Wind wear excellent equipment, but he had also learned some Rare Skills thanks to Shi Feng’s guidance, particularly Scouting and Perception Skills. Some of these Skills could strengthen a player’s five senses, even allowing them to see a blade of grass that was over 100 yards away. If they could detect a powerful monster approaching, they could avoid unnecessary battles. As a Ranger expert, Minor Wind could reach even greater heights with these Skills.

If an enemy did not possess Skills like the Assassin’s Stealth, Minor Wind would easily discover them as they shifted through the grass, even from 150 yards away.

“Are they Guild players?” Fire Dance asked.

This was the Stoneclaw Mountains’ inner region. Not only were the monsters very high-leveled, but they were also much stronger than ordinary monsters of the same Level. Generally, only large Guilds’ main forces were capable of grinding here.

“No. None of them are wearing any Guild Emblems. Moreover, they all are Red Names,” Minor Wind reported and shook his head after observing them carefully with Eagle Eyes. “Based on how they’re moving, it is clear that they are coming straight for us.”

“They’re charging at us?” Cola could not help but laugh. “Do these Red Names think that we are easy targets?”

The others also began laughing.

With their team’s skills and equipment, even an army of 1,000 elite players would not be a problem, much less a small team. Other players should celebrate their peaceful coexistence. Yet, now, an unknown group of players intentionally sought them out to cause trouble. These people did not understand the difference between life and death.

“Alright, enough. Everyone get ready,” Fire Dance commanded. She felt that this matter was not as simple as it seemed. She then directed a question to Minor Wind, asking, “Roughly how many of them are there?”

“There should be around 300 people. Among them, there’s one person I’ve seen before. He’s an expert ranked on Star-Moon Kingdom’s Red List,” Minor Wind could not help his surprise after he could observe more details about the approaching enemies.

The Main God System had not comprised nor did it handle the Red List. Rather, players had established it to keep a record of powerful Red Names.

Star-Moon Kingdom’s Red List only kept a record of the top 100 Red Names in the kingdom.

Every one of these Red Names was an expert. Among these Red List experts, there were even a few that Guilds would not casually provoke. Fortunately, however, these experts also avoided provoking the various large Guilds. Hence, the relationship between them had always been relatively peaceful, each minding their own businesses.

Yet, now, an expert on the Red List had actually come to challenge them.

This was certainly unexpected.

“Since they want to target Zero Wing, make sure their visit is a one-way trip.” Fire Dance glowered. She felt there was more to this than what appeared on the surface. Although she did not know what it was, dealing with the approaching Red Names took priority over all else.

Immediately, Fire Dance led the team to welcome their aggressors.

—

“Big Brother Traceless Blood, it seems that we’ve been discovered,” a sharp-faced male Ranger in tight, gray leather clothes hurriedly reported to the male Assassin beside him. This Assassin had eyes like a venomous snake, and he hid his face behind a black scarf.

Although this male Assassin had a thin body, among the nearly 300 Red Names present, not a single person dared to underestimate him.

It was because this man was an expert ranked within the top ten of Star-Moon Kingdom’s Red List.

Although there was more than one Red List expert among the crowd, none of them could even hope to hold a candle to Traceless Blood. After all, Traceless Blood had once massacred a third-rate Guild’s main force. Moreover, even though said third-rate Guild had attempted to corner Traceless Blood many times, they had never once successfully killed him. On the contrary, the Assassin had claimed their Guild Leader’s life multiple times. For a time, that Guild had been a laughingstock.

From that moment on, no Guild out there dared to underestimate Traceless Blood.

Aside from Guilds, Traceless Blood had also killed many of Star-Moon Kingdom’s experts. His most notable assassination attempt so far was his assassination of the Star Alliance’s Guild Leader, Galaxy Past. In the end, although he had failed to kill Galaxy Past, he had escaped the Star Alliance’s many experts. This outcome had angered Galaxy Past greatly, and the man had even ordered a bounty on Traceless Blood, rewarding 50 Gold each time someone manages to kill him.

If converted to Credits, 50 Gold was the equivalent of more than 100,000 Credits. This was sufficient to tempt many people.

Unfortunately, until this day, not a single person had managed to kill Traceless Blood even once. On the contrary, Galaxy Past’s bounty had only served to boost the Assassin’s fame, becoming an infamous Red Name on Star-Moon Kingdom’s Bounty List.

“Good, then. I’ve wanted to experience the skills of Zero Wing’s experts for a while now. You guys should be careful. Although we have the numerical advantage, our coordination is definitely no match for theirs. Try to split their members up as much as possible,” Traceless Blood commanded. He then activated Stealth and vanished before the crowd.

Everyone nodded in response. In truth, however, they all looked down on Zero Wing.

They were all PvP experts. Hundreds, if not thousands, of players had died at each of these Red Names’ hands.

Particularly in field battles, the various large Guilds’ experts were no different from pampered, flowers. These experts mainly focused on raiding Dungeons. When it came to PvP in the fields, such experts were nothing to them.

“I heard that the equipment of Zero Wing’s main force is superb. We’re going to make a fortune.”

Many Red Names drooled when thinking about Zero Wing’s equipment.

“Someone’s charging towards us,” a Red Name Ranger shouted.

Immediately, every Red Name went on alert, focused on the group of players charging towards them.

“Hahaha! Sure enough, they’re just a bunch of noobs that don’t know what a real battle is! Rather than attacking from a distance first, they’ve decided to jump into their graves!”

Many of the ranged Red Names began to launch attacks at Zero Wing’s three MTs.

These three were none other than Cola, Ye Wumian, and Turtledove.

Facing more than a hundred ranged attacks, the three MTs immediately utilized the trees as cover, avoiding the oncoming attacks while advancing. Even when an attack landed, they only received a few hundred damage. All three MTs had over 10,000 HP, so this damage was barely a scratch. A single heal from the rear line healers was all they needed to recover.

“Such high Defense and HP. However, do you really think you can win by relying on your equipment?” a few melee Red Names could not help but curse disdainfully as they watched the three MTs. They then readied their weapons and charged to meet Zero Wing in battle.

Equipment was only one of the many aspects of battle. Even if their HPs and Defenses were higher, they could not live if they could not move.

Suddenly, dozens of melee players surrounded the three MTs, halting their advance.

Knowing that Cola and the others had superior equipment, these Red Names did not take them head-on. Instead, they used Skills to restrict the trio, creating opportunities for the ranged players to chip away their HPs.

Turtledove was only a Guardian Knight. Even if her dodging capabilities were more powerful, against more than a dozen players, she was bound to be hit sooner or later. Red Name’s normal attacks usually dealt around -400 damage to her. If a powerful Skill stuck her, she would receive more than -1,000 damage. She would not last long even if she cast Protection Blessing on herself.

“I can finally test out this move.” Turtledove smiled calmly as she activated Freezing Air.