Before Shi Feng could even step inside the towering grand hall, he was stopped by the NPC guards stationed on either side of the main entrance.
"The Seven Luminaries Holy Temple! Unauthorized personnel are not permitted entry!" The two mechanical puppet guards wielding greatswords crossed their blades, blocking Shi Feng's path outright.
If any players saw these two mechanical puppets, they would be more than a little startled.
Both of them were Level 200 Legendary monsters—figures that would serve as regional guardians in any kingdom. Moreover, these were no ordinary puppets. They were Magic Armament Puppets, possessing not only high intelligence but also Domain capabilities—fourth-tier Legendary monsters that had mastered Domain.
Even a fourth-tier NPC who had grasped Domain would be no match for a Magic Armament Puppet.
And these two were merely the gatekeeping puppets of the Seven Luminaries Holy Temple. Inside the temple, even more powerful guardians awaited. As far as Shi Feng knew, even sixth-tier God-tier players wouldn't dare cause a ruckus inside the Holy Temple, or they'd be cut down all the same.
It could be said that among all of the Divine Realm, the Ancient City ranked among the very top safest cities. No player or monster would dare cause trouble here—they'd be obliterated in the blink of an eye.
Shi Feng wasn't the least surprised by the puppets' attempt to block him.
The Seven Luminaries Holy Temple was one of the core structures of the Ancient City, and it served as the place to exchange contribution points. Only players who had become adventurers of the Ancient City were allowed inside—every other player was barred.
To become an adventurer of the Ancient City, one first had to visit the Adventurer's Guild and accept an Ancient City adventurer quest, which would award an Ancient City Adventurer's Badge. Only then would one qualify as an ordinary adventurer of the Ancient City, entitled to its benefits.
But since Shi Feng was pressed for time, he hadn't gone to the Adventurer's Guild to take on the quest.
Without a word, he equipped the City Prodigy Badge.
"Is this acceptable now?" Shi Feng pointed to the badge on his chest and asked.
The City Prodigy Badge was equivalent to a Bronze-rank Adventurer's Badge of the Ancient City—that was why he'd skipped the guild. He could always go do the quests later and obtain a proper Adventurer's Badge when he had more time.
"City Prodigy Badge confirmed. Identity verified. You may enter!"
After scanning the City Prodigy Badge, the two Magic Armament Puppets returned to their original positions, ignoring Shi Feng and allowing him to walk into the Seven Luminaries Holy Temple.
The main hall of the Seven Luminaries Holy Temple was like a vast plaza. Not only was the scenery beautiful and elegant, but there were also places where one could rest and chat at any time—even open-air restaurants and bars where players could eat and drink.
The food and wine here were exclusive to the Ancient City and could not be carried out, yet the taste was unforgettable. Even those accustomed to the finest delicacies would want to dine here every single day. However, very few players could afford it.
Every expense here was paid in Ancient City contribution points, not real currency or Magic Crystals. A simple meal cost 100 contribution points. Of course, players would receive benefits commensurate with those 100 points—an enhancement to perception and focus that lasted two hours.
During that time, players could rent training rooms inside the Seven Luminaries Holy Temple to practice combat techniques exchanged from the temple.
Renting a training room also required contribution points: a basic training room cost 10 points per hour, an intermediate room 30 points per hour, and an advanced room 100 points per hour.
For players who found it difficult to earn contribution points, these were astronomical figures.
The first time a player entered the Ancient City, they were granted some contribution points, but the second time they received nothing. The first choice was therefore critically important—unless one became the first player to clear a challenge and received the system reward, there was no other way to earn contribution points within the Ancient City.
Shi Feng didn't linger. He walked straight to the exchange counter inside the Seven Luminaries Holy Temple.