Chen Hui's public invitation left every member of War Soul Unfalling who was present gasping.
Only now did they understand why Chen Hui, the guild's vice master, had chosen to betray War Soul Unfalling — and why he wasn't worried about violating the guild contract.
Every guild imposed strict contracts on its upper management. To leave cleanly and keep your game account, there were only two ways: either the guild voluntarily released you, or you paid a hefty penalty fee. Even for a vice master who had worked in the guild for over a decade, that sum was no laughing matter — it was enough to turn you into a pauper in an instant.
Now, not only was the Star Navigation Consortium willing to pay the penalty, but they would also offer even higher compensation. And with the Star Navigation Consortium as their backer, the future was boundless.
"Of course, I imagine you're not interested in any of that. So let me mention something you might be interested in — obtaining Dream Stars! That's something War Soul Unfalling could never get their hands on. What do you think — won't you reconsider?" Chen Hui looked at the not-so-young Immortal Warheart and smiled faintly.
Everyone present lit up at the new condition Chen Hui had proposed.
Dream Stars!
They were a special mineral that humanity had barely discovered during the interstellar age. It served only one purpose: as long as you wore one, it would gradually help a person maintain their youth for extended periods — though it didn't increase lifespan. Combined with the products sold by the Green God Company, one could extend their youth by ten or even twenty years without any exercise whatsoever. In other words, a middle-aged man or woman in their forties or fifties who possessed a Dream Star could look as young as someone in their twenties.
For professional players who made a living on their youth, this went without saying. Although performance inside the Divine Realm wasn't directly affected by an aging body in the real world, older players simply couldn't match the reaction speed of younger ones — no matter how much they exercised to stay fit. As for improving further, that was even more unlikely.
But Dream Stars didn't just keep the body young — they kept the brain young too, allowing a person to remain in the peak state of their life.
That was why they were called Dream Stars. Their value was so high that even wealthy families could go bankrupt trying to afford one. Moreover, Dream Stars were extremely rare — money alone couldn't buy them. You needed status and connections.
And the Star Navigation Consortium was one of the few organizations that could obtain Dream Stars on their own.
It was entirely possible that what Chen Hui had said was true.
"Dream Stars? No wonder he'd betray us." Shi Feng looked at Chen Hui, who appeared to be around forty, and gained some understanding. For the vice master of a top-tier guild, money wasn't all that important anymore — but youth was something everyone pursued. With Dream Stars, Chen Hui could return to his prime. Combined with his rich combat experience and skills, pushing even further wasn't out of the question.
Mu Lingsha, standing nearby, couldn't help but glance at Immortal Warheart with growing anxiety. As one of the guild's three pillars, if Immortal Warheart, the first vice master, was also poached, the blow to War Soul Unfalling would be devastating.
"What an admirable sentiment — people flow upward and water flows downward! So for the so-called Dream Stars, you'd betray the brothers who fought alongside you all this time? I, Immortal, misjudged you! From this moment on, you and I are irreconcilable enemies!" Immortal Warheart glared at the man carrying the white bone greatsword and the ever-smiling Lu Xingluo beside him. "Just wait! War Soul Unfalling will drive you out of the Dark Night Empire and reclaim its former glory!"
The members of War Soul Unfalling, whose morale had plummeted after the third vice master Chen Hui's betrayal, now burned with renewed fighting spirit upon hearing Immortal Warheart's words, and they began to shout.
"Reclaim its former glory?" Chen Hui looked at Immortal Warheart and the shouting crowd, and burst out laughing. "What does War Soul Unfalling have to reclaim it with now? You, old man Immortal Warheart? Or that naive young lady Mu Lingsha over there? Or your pitiful partner, the Zero Wing Guild?"
"Open your eyes! War Soul Unfalling is finished — it's nothing but a bunch of useless old fossils! We've already recruited over fifty experts who've mastered intermediate magic arrays. Not a single Bard slot will go to your War Soul Unfalling!"
"Actually, I should say — you won't even be able to enter the Sea Forest!"
With that, Chen Hui raised his hand, and instantly all the Star Ring Guild members surrounding Purple Night Square sprang into action. Each one produced a silvery crystal stone and began chanting incantations.
Suddenly, silvery magic arrays appeared around the perimeter of the square. Their silver-white light bloomed and merged into one vast magic barrier, sealing everyone present — except the Star Ring members — inside, completely cut off from the outside world.
"Just have fun inside this magic barrier. It isolates everything, making everyone inside feel as though they're in a separate dimension. It'll cost two hundred and eighty-eight players — all above level fifty — five levels each, but you won't be able to get out for eight hours. We'll be going on ahead." Chen Hui flashed a smile at Immortal Warheart inside the barrier, then took out a key and activated the teleportation entrance to the Sea Forest on the square.
War Soul Unfalling and the Scarlet Emperor members could only watch helplessly as the Star Ring group entered the teleportation entrance one by one and vanished from the center of the square. No matter how they attacked the magic barrier, they couldn't damage it in the slightest — even the surrounding NPC guards ignored it entirely.
"Damn it! The Star Ring Guild actually had this up their sleeve!" Immortal Warheart swung his warblade wildly at the ethereal magic screen, but every attack landed as uselessly as slashing at empty air.
The only route to the Sea Forest was through the central magic array in Purple Night Square of the Dark Night Empire. Now, with the magic barrier blocking them, even if they had the key, they couldn't reach the teleportation gate.
If what Chen Hui said was true and they really couldn't leave for eight hours, it meant they would fall eight hours behind. By then, the Star Ring people would have completed at least a third of their class-change quests. How could they possibly catch up if they went in later?
Mu Lingsha, staring at the blocking barrier, went pale with fury. War Soul Unfalling had just barely secured the first clear of the Dark Night Empire's level-50 team dungeon and caught its breath. If Star Ring now took all the Bard slots, the consequences for War Soul Unfalling would be unthinkable.
After more than two minutes of sustained attacks, War Soul Unfalling and the others finally gave up trying to break through the barrier and prepared to wait quietly. It was then that Shi Feng began walking toward the barrier step by step, pulling a magic scroll from his inventory. His steps were light, as though he were merely a tourist come to admire the scenery of Purple Night Square.
"Huh? What's that man doing? Is he going to try the barrier too?"
"Even if he tries, it's pointless. All those experts from War Soul Unfalling and the Scarlet Emperor Guild couldn't do anything — what can one guy from Zero Wing accomplish?"
Everyone present watched Shi Feng with bewilderment as he approached the barrier. Immortal Warheart and Mu Lingsha, standing before it, were equally puzzled. They had even tried precious fourth-order magic scrolls, and not one had the slightest effect on the barrier.
Even if Shi Feng used a fourth-order magic scroll, it would be meaningless.
Shi Feng walked up to the barrier and unfurled the Direct Subordinate Guard Summon Scroll in his hand.
In an instant, a stunningly beautiful woman in sacred robes with lustrous golden hair appeared beside him.
"Destroy this magic array!"