The top-floor conference room on the seventh level of the Candlelight Trading Company.
The moment Shi Feng stepped into the conference room, several gazes locked onto him — all coming from Feng Qianyu's group, who had been waiting in the room for quite some time.
This time, Feng Qianyu had brought not only Qing Huang but also three men draped in black cloaks.
Their levels, equipment, and game names were completely hidden. Although nothing could be seen, the fact that Feng Qianyu had selected them to come along was proof enough of their extraordinary abilities — otherwise, she wouldn't have wasted a legacy slot on them.
"So this is Feng Qianyu's hidden trump card. The Phoenix Pavilion's reserves really are impressive." Shi Feng swept his gaze over the three men, unable to hide a flicker of surprise.
The reason for his surprise was entirely because the three men's auras were far too calm, almost like plants, and under his observation and perception, he couldn't find a single weakness in any of them.
This rarely ever happened. Even Qing Huang, standing right beside them, showed two or three weaknesses under his scrutiny.
There were only two possibilities for someone whose weaknesses he couldn't spot. Either their realm was higher than his, or they had been tempered through countless battles until their weaknesses had been hammered out of existence.
Either way, that made them terrifyingly skilled.
What Shi Feng didn't know was that as he studied the three men, they were studying him in return, and after their own observation, all three secretly clicked their tongues in astonishment.
"Is this the Ye Feng Qianyu mentioned?"
"He's even more impressive than Qianyu described. I didn't expect a newly risen guild to have a young expert like this."
"Remarkable. It's been a long time since a young one gave me a sense of crisis."
……
The three men watched Shi Feng, murmuring quietly among themselves.
While they exchanged whispers, Qing Huang smiled slightly and said, "Sister Qianyu, the elders seem to be shaken by Ye Feng."
These three men were not actually members of the Phoenix Pavilion. They were elders belonging to the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's Elder Council, who normally answered only to the Grand Master.
To earn a seat on the Elder Council, one needed not only to have made significant contributions to the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion but also to possess formidable strength — otherwise, there would be no way to command the respect of those beneath them.
Though the council elders only took orders from the Grand Master, in their day-to-day affairs, the Grand Master had little say over what they chose to do.
And these three elders were the reinforcements they had recruited for the battle over Thunder Island.
One of the conditions, of course, had been the secret technique.
Feng Qianyu smiled faintly at this.
Bringing three elders along served a dual purpose. First, to secure the secret technique, and second, to win the three elders over to her side. After all, the fight for Thunder Island wasn't a one-time affair — there would be many more to come, while the agreement only covered this single battle.
The Phoenix Pavilion and the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion were evenly matched in overall strength, and the contest for the Grand Master's seat was essentially a coin flip.
That made the neutral elders the ideal targets for recruitment. They were powerful, influential within the guild, and every single one they brought to their side would be a tremendous boost.
The elders were well aware, of course, that the next Grand Master would emerge from the two pavilion masters. Choosing a side early was important, but which side to choose depended on their respective strength.
Strength could be demonstrated in many ways, and one of them was the caliber of one's allies — the stronger the ally, the greater the assistance.
Previously, quite a few elders had been critical of her, but after Zero Wing's defeat of the Black Water Guild and the Shura Team's complete victory over the Evil Flood Dragon Team, some of the elders in the council had begun to change their views.