“S-rank?”
“Mysterious Moon’s Nightingale barely managed to keep her HP at 80% even when she’s fully equipped in Epic Equipment. How can a Tier 3 newbie like him take no damage whatsoever? Could he be some Super Guild’s bigshot here to experience the life of a newbie?”
“I doubt that’s the case. I heard that the various superpowers’ bigshots are currently preparing to go up against the Outerworld’s apex experts. How would any of them have the time to retrain an account?”
“He must be a superpower’s bigshot. Otherwise, how can he execute Miracle Dragon’s Six Extreme Slashes with such proficiency?”
Shi Feng’s performance had dumbfounded the spectating players in the hall. Everyone was also curious to find out Shi Feng’s true identity. They were more interested in his identity than the fact that he had just gotten an S-rank evaluation in the Colosseum’s Epic Challenge.
However, when Shi Feng got teleported out of the arena, he paid no attention to the crowd talking about him. Instead, he calmly made his way to the NPC manager managing his arena to retrieve his rewards.
“Your performance was outstanding. You are the first to have completed the challenge unharmed in Hundred Flow City’s Colosseum in the past few decades,” the Tier 4 NPC said, a hint of respect appearing in his eyes as he looked at Shi Feng. Then, he retrieved an exquisite crystal box from the container beside him and handed it to Shi Feng, saying, “Here is your reward. Apart from the Demon God’s Blood necessary to construct an Epic Mana Body, there is also a Colosseum Master’s Insignia for Hundred Flow City inside. From now on, you are a VIP of Hundred Flow City, and you will get to enjoy the privileges of a noble in the city.”
A noble’s treatment?
Shi Feng was slightly surprised when he took out the golden lion insignia from the crystal box.
The process of becoming a noble in the Miniature Ancient World’s NPC Cities was much more tedious compared to the outside world’s NPC Cities. The average city here required players to accumulate 500 Contribution Points through completing quests, and each quest only awarded around three to five points.
Meanwhile, after becoming an NPC City’s noble, players could enjoy certain privileges such as the right to buy Land and Shops. This privilege was especially important since players without noble status could not purchase Lands and Shops in the Miniature Ancient World. This restriction was also why despite many Guilds and adventurer teams entering the Miniature Ancient World, nobody had managed to acquire any Land or Shops in Hundred Flow City even until now.
This saves me a lot of trouble.
Shi Feng couldn’t help but smile when he looked at the Colosseum Master’s Insignia.
In his current state, he would have difficulty competing with the various large Guilds for resources even in the newly-opened Miniature Ancient World. After all, there was strength in numbers. The various large Guilds also had numerous experts under their command.
Meanwhile, if one did not have sufficient resources in God’s Domain, let alone advancing through the tiers, even leveling up quickly would become a problem.
The resources one consumed increased with each subsequent tier they advanced in God’s Domain. For this reason, most independent experts without powerful backers would choose to join a Guild after struggling by themselves for a certain period. Otherwise, they could kiss their progress goodbye.
Needless to say, hardly anyone in God’s Domain would refuse to make progress when given the opportunity. After all, one’s status and standing in God’s Domain would improve dramatically with each tier one ascended.
If a player managed to become a Tier 6 God-ranked expert, they could receive VIP treatment from even world-class corporations in the real world. In God’s Domain, they would become existences capable of vaporizing an entire city with a single attack. Even flattening a kingdom consisting of several hundred cities wasn’t out of the question.
However, Shi Feng currently had nothing in both the real world and in the world of God’s Domain. The current funds he had were also far from enough to let him improve his physical fitness in the real world, let alone helping him return to Tier 6 in God’s Domain.
Thus, acquiring resources in God’s Domain became a must for Shi Feng.
Originally, Shi Feng had been pondering how he could go about becoming a noble in Hundred Flow City as quickly as possible and securing himself a Shop in Hundred Flow City before the various Guilds. Now, he no longer had to worry about these problems.
Whether in the real world or God’s Domain, real estate was the mother of wealth.
Now that countless players had swarmed into the Miniature Ancient World, so long as he could secure some Land and Shops in Hundred Flow City, he wouldn’t have to worry about making money in the future.
Subsequently, Shi Feng wore the Colosseum Master’s Insignia and approached Wu Lingling, who stood nearby.
Currently, Wu Lingling had her eyes glued to the S-rank evaluation displayed above Arena No. 3, an indescribable sense of joy and excitement coloring her eyes. Meanwhile, Gan Yuan, the gray-robed middle-aged man standing beside her, wore a complicated look on his face. Even until now, he still hadn’t recovered from the shock of witnessing Shi Feng’s battle.
Gan Yuan dared not and could not believe this outcome.
According to the intelligence report Gan Yuan received, Shi Feng was nothing but the abandoned Guild Leader of Shadow, a second-rate Guild. Moreover, even at his peak, Shi Feng had only reached Tier 3.
Yet, now, not only did Shi Feng come out unscathed after clashing with ten powerful Sea Giants for one minute, but he had even shown astonishing mastery over Miracle Dragon’s Six Extreme Slashes. No matter how Gan Yuan looked at it, Shi Feng should be a mighty expert that shouldn’t be underestimated.
If speaking solely based on technique standards, Shi Feng would be unmatched in Dazzle Wave, a first-rate Guild.
Yet, a Guild like Shadow had banished such an expert because he was too weak?
Did we get the wrong person?
Gan Yuan couldn’t help but harbor such a thought.
However, before Gan Yuan could snap out of his daze, Shi Feng approached them and looked at Wu Lingling apologetically, saying, “Sorry for the wait. You seemed to be in a hurry to look for me, Wu Lingling. Do you have some urgent business with me?”
Upon hearing Shi Feng’s words, Wu Lingling glanced at Gan Yuan before carefully saying, “It’s nothing big actually, Instructor Shi. Uncle Gan is just hoping to talk with you.”
Wu Lingling didn’t wish to bring up the matter of Gan Yuan replacing Shi Feng as her instructor. After all, it was too disrespectful toward an instructor of the Academy. Moreover, she felt that learning from Shi Feng wasn’t a bad idea, either.
Six Extreme Slashes was the trademark move of Miracle Dragon, the person she idolized. It was also a combat technique she had constantly been thinking of learning. Now that Shi Feng had shown himself to have incredible mastery over the technique, this was undoubtedly the best opportunity for her to learn it.
However, her elder sister had gone out of her way to get Gan Yuan to train her, and she couldn’t simply ignore her elder sister’s decisions. Thus, she decided that it was best to let Gan Yuan bring up the troublesome matter instead.
“Talk with me?” Hearing Wu Lingling’s words, Shi Feng turned toward Gan Yuan and narrowed his eyes. Then, he smiled and asked, “May I know what business Brother Gan has with me? Are you perhaps here to discuss Wu Lingling’s future education with me?”
Wu Lingling’s talents were clear for all to see. There was no way the Guild Wu Xiaoxiao belonged to wouldn’t be interested in such a talent. Although recruiting Wu Lingling shortly after she joined the God’s Domain Academy would be going against the Academy’s rules, the benefits far outweigh the risks. If Dazzle Wave could recruit Wu Lingling before she developed, not only could the Guild better-develop her potential, but doing so would also increase Wu Lingling’s loyalty to the Guild.
Meanwhile, as soon as Shi Feng spoke up, Gan Yuan’s expression immediately turned awkward. He didn’t think that the person before him was the Instructor Shi he was looking for. To make matters worse, Shi Feng had even seen through his thoughts. For a time, Gan Yuan was at a loss for words.
Originally, Gan Yuan had planned to simply greet Shi Feng and forget about Wu Lingling’s matter. After all, offending a Tier 3 expert with no background and offending an expert who had acquired an S-rank evaluation in the Colosseum’s Epic Challenge were two entirely different things.
Right now, Gan Yuan wanted nothing more than to beat up the person responsible for collecting information on Shi Feng!
However, Gan Yuan was an executive of a first-rate Guild. He had experienced many crests and troughs during his career in God’s Domain. Although he felt very embarrassed on the inside, he behaved as if nothing had happened on the outside. With a bright smile on his face, he said, “You jest, Instructor Shi. All academies associated with God’s Domain have a common rule prohibiting organizations from poaching talents in advance. Although Dazzle Wave isn’t a superpower, it is still a first-rate Guild in God’s Domain, so we strictly abide by the rules. I am only here this time because I have long since heard of your great name. I never got the opportunity to meet you, so I asked Lingling to introduce me. Please don’t misunderstand my intentions, Instructor Shi.”
Wu Lingling couldn’t help but be dumbfounded when she heard Gan Yuan’s words. She looked at the man as if she was meeting him for the first time.
“I see.” Shi Feng nodded. Then, his expression brightened up a little as he said, “However, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, Brother Gan. I am merely a Tier 3 player that Shadow has banished. How can I possibly enter the eyes of a first-rate Guild like Dazzle Wave?”
Gan Yuan awkwardly laughed when he heard Shi Feng’s words. He also quietly wiped the sweat dripping down from his forehead.
Although Shi Feng hadn’t said anything hostile, Gan Yuan felt as if he was standing in front of a ferocious beast capable of seeing through all lies. When he looked at Shi Feng’s faint smile and calm eyes, he saw no signs of a downtrodden man in his thirties whatsoever.
Is he only the ex-Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild? Gan Yuan wondered as he looked at Shi Feng. In Gan Yuan’s opinion, Shi Feng’s insightfulness and the oppressive feeling he gave off far superior to those of even Dazzle Wave’s Guild Leader. When standing in front of Shi Feng, Gan Yuan felt no different than a child.
When Gan Yuan was about to say something, a group of players wearing Mysterious Moon’s Guild Emblem suddenly approached Shi Feng.
Why are they here? Gan Yuan couldn’t help but be surprised when he saw these players.
Out of the dozen or so Mysterious Moon members standing before him, every one of them was fully equipped in Level 150 Epic Equipment. Moreover, the dense killing intent they radiated deterred even the many experts present in the hall from approaching them. At a glance, Gan Yuan could tell that these Mysterious Moon members were battle-hardened experts, and he couldn’t help but feel frightened when standing in their presence.
Zhuo Yalin, the leader of the group, gave off an especially bone-chilling aura. Gan Yuan felt as if he was standing within a cave made out of ice when he stood beside her, and he dared not loosen his guard even for a moment.
Before Gan Yuan could react to the situation, Zhuo Yalin stepped closer to Shi Feng and started scrutinizing him with an enchanting smile on her face. Then, she enthusiastically introduced herself, “Hello, I am Nightingale from Mysterious Moon. Your performance just now has truly amazed me. Can I ask for the opportunity to treat you to a drink?”
Zhuo Yalin’s voice was as beautiful as an oriole’s, and her actions carried both a lady’s charm and bold enthusiasm. Many of the male players present were instantly captivated by her, and they couldn’t help but look at Shi Feng with eyes full of envy.
Meanwhile, Wu Lingling gaped in shock in this situation, her eyes filled with disbelief as she switched her gaze between her idol Zhuo Yalin and Shi Feng.
Zhuo Yalin was the prided genius of Mysterious Moon, a first-rate Guild. She was also the vice commander of Mysterious Moon’s main force. She was even being nurtured as a potential Vice Guild Leader candidate in the Guild. There was no doubt that she was a core executive in Mysterious Moon.
As icing on the cake, Zhuo Yalin also possessed an enchanting body and exquisite face. Many young talents from the various superpowers had once sought to pursue Zhuo Yalin. However, the number of invitations Zhuo Yalin accepted numbered less than a handful.
Yet, now, Zhuo Yalin was taking the initiative to invite Shi Feng out for a drink. Even the Vice Guild Leaders and Guild Leaders of other first-rate Guilds were unlikely to receive such treatment.
“Hello, Miss Nightingale.” Shi Feng smiled as he looked at Zhuo Yalin. He had somewhat an impression of the woman before him since she was quite the celebrity in God’s Domain’s Professional League. Many superpowers had tried recruiting her before, but she had refused all invitations and chose to remain in Mysterious Moon. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I will have to turn down your invitation since I am very busy right now. If you wish to have a drink, we can do so on another day. Of course, if you wish to discuss business with me, I very much welcome it.”
“You are as great as I imagined you to be, Mister Black Flame.” Zhuo Yalin’s smile deepened. She wasn’t at all surprised to hear Shi Feng refusing her invitation. “I’ll get straight to the point, then. I highly admire your skills. Thus, I would like to invite you to join me in besieging the Darkmoon Outpost ten days later. As for remuneration, feel free to name your price!”
Besieging the Darkmoon Outpost? Realization dawned upon Gan Yuan when he heard Zhuo Yalin’s offer.
The Miniature Ancient World was filled with a type of hostile energy that corroded players’ bodies. This energy was much more hostile than ones found on the main continent, thus reducing the amount of time players could spend outside the safety of NPC cities even further. To make matters worse, Mounts originating from the main continent couldn’t be used here, so players could only travel across maps by foot. This greatly restricted players’ range of activity and exploration progress of the Miniature Ancient World.
Fortunately, there was a solution to this problem. Mana Outposts were located all across the Miniature Ancient World, and players could use the environment and facilities in these outposts to dispel the hostile energy in their bodies. Although the effectiveness of these outposts wasn’t comparable to NPC Cities, players could still use these outposts to increase their range of activity by a significant margin.
Thus, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that whoever controlled these Mana Outposts controlled the Miniature Ancient World.
Meanwhile, a battle for control over these Mana Outposts would be hosted once a month, and among the many Mana Outposts out there, the Darkmoon Outpost was located closest to Hundred Flow City. Hence, practically every Guild based in Hundred Flow City had their eyes set on the Darkmoon Outpost.
However, there was a participation limit for the battle over the Darkmoon Outpost. To participate in the battle, players had to acquire a Permission Token dropped by specific targets scattered across the wild, and only 5,000 of such tokens would drop each month. If every Guild in Hundred Flow City competed for these tokens, each Guild could only acquire a small amount.
Meanwhile, in such a small-scale battle, the role a powerful expert could play was massive.
After pondering for a moment, Shi Feng smiled at Zhuo Yalin and said, “I am interested in your offer. However, I have two conditions.”
Zhuo Yalin was a little surprised by Shi Feng’s response. She didn’t think that Shi Feng would agree so readily. Then, she revealed a seductive smile and generously said, “Please speak, Mister Black Flame.”
“For my first condition, if we win, I hope to acquire the rights to a Large Shop in the Darkmoon Outpost,” Shi Feng stated in a definitive tone.
“This…” Zhuo Yalin hesitated a little when she heard Shi Feng’s condition.
Immediately, the tall and robust man standing behind Zhuo Yalin glared at Shi Feng and said, “Our vice commander is sincerely extending an invitation to you, Mister Black Flame. You are only participating by yourself, so don’t you think you’re asking a little too much? A Mana Outpost only has six Shops, and only one of them is a Large Shop!”
The other Mysterious Moon experts also nodded in agreement. They also felt that Shi Feng was going too far in his demands.
However, Shi Feng didn’t mind their reactions and continued, “This brings us to my second condition. I won’t be participating alone. Instead, I hope you can prepare 31 slots for us.”
“Thirty-one slots?” Zhuo Yalin was a little surprised, not expecting Shi Feng to already have his own team. However, after thinking it over, she found this situation to be reasonable. After all, how could such a powerful expert not have a team to support him? Immediately, she nodded and said, “Alright. If you can help Mysterious Moon achieve victory, I can agree to give you a Large Shop, Mister Black Flame.”
Afterward, Shi Feng signed a contract with Zhuo Yalin via the Main God System. So long as Mysterious Moon acquired the Darkmoon Outpost, Shi Feng would gain the rights to the outpost’s largest Shop.
As their interaction had attracted a lot of attention, Zhuo Yalin didn’t continue chatting with Shi Feng after signing the contract. Immediately, she left the Colosseum together with her team, leaving Shi Feng, Gan Yuan, and Wu Lingling behind.
When Wu Lingling could no longer see Zhuo Yalin in the hall, she quietly asked Shi Feng, “Instructor Shi, about the 31-man team you mentioned… Don’t tell me you’re talking about me and the other new students?”
Wu Lingling had a rough idea of Shi Feng’s situation. So, when she heard the headcount of 31, she couldn’t help but grow worrisome.
“What do you think?”
In response, Shi Feng gave Wu Lingling a look and chuckled before leaving the Colosseum as well.
