Hei Zi and the others had been in the God's Trial for several days already. If this continued, who knew when they'd be able to go to the Demon Castle to get the Demon's Heart.
That was why Shi Feng needed to ask about their progress. If things were truly stuck, he might have to seek help from Bai Qingxue.
However, he didn't want Bai Qingxue to know too much, so unless it was an absolute last resort, he wouldn't ask for her help.
"Oh right, I was so happy I forgot to tell you." Hei Zi slapped his forehead. The studio had left him so stunned that it had slipped his mind. "Brother Feng, I have no idea where you found that amazing girl, but she's ridiculously strong. The trial, which was supposed to be super dangerous and had us on the verge of despair, became easy because of her. We're now heading to the top floor to claim our rewards."
"An amazing girl? You mean Huo Wu? You've seen how strong she is, haven't you?" Shi Feng asked, puzzled.
"Not Huo Wu, it's Ziyan! Thanks to her, we finally passed the test. She's just too strong," Hei Zi sighed with emotion. "At first, Sister Ziyan was just healing, and she got better and better with each cast, her timing impeccable. But as the trial monsters got stronger and more numerous, healing alone wasn't enough. Then she started fighting. At first, her combat skills were a bit rusty, but as the battle went on, her level skyrocketed. In just one day, she surpassed Huo Wu."
"I feel like Sister Ziyan was born for the Gate of Trials. Inside, each cleared floor gives rewards based on completion rank. Ever since then, she's been getting A-rank or higher every time. Her gear and skills keep upgrading. Even with my Mephisto's Guard, I can barely out-damage her. If she had an Epic staff, she'd probably leave me in the dust."
"Sister Ziyan is the most talented Divine Realm player I've ever seen. Brother Feng, if you'd seen her terrifying growth, you'd be shocked too."
When it came to Ziyan Liuyun, Hei Zi launched into a non-stop monologue, as if she were the strongest Divine Realm expert in the world, beyond compare.
Of course, Hei Zi was talking about her talent, not her current strength. Ziyan Liuyun's rate of improvement was simply terrifying. With that kind of growth, she was bound to become the strongest sooner or later.
"I'm glad you passed. But Hei Zi, you were too busy watching Ziyan. She's a Priest, and you're a Warlock. You even have an Epic staff in hand. If you actually lose to her in damage, the Mephisto's Guard might just have to go to her," Shi Feng said with a sigh of relief, joking.
He had to admit, Ziyan Liuyun truly deserved her title as a Divine Priest; her talent was no joke.
Perhaps back when she was only made to be a healer, her real talent hadn't been able to bloom. But after leaving the Snake of the Body, she stopped just healing and started fighting her own battles. That was when her terrifying talent truly emerged.
Just like in this trial, healing alone wasn't enough, so Ziyan Liuyun had to join the fight, and her talent exploded.
"Maybe this is what a legendary genius is. A realm mortals can't even touch," Shi Feng mused with a sigh. In his past life, his skills had been decent, but compared to the current Ziyan Liuyun, they were worlds apart. No wonder she became a Divine Priest. But in this life, he wouldn't waste time neglecting his physical training again.
After that, Shi Feng and Hei Zi spent the whole day finally getting the studio mostly set up.
The current studio could easily accommodate over a hundred people. It also featured private quarters for high-class professions, fully furnished with high-end goods. The credit points for a single set of furniture were enough to make the old Shi Feng look up in envy. Besides the private quarters, they had also set up a dedicated fitness room for basic physical training.
Conquering the Divine Realm wasn't an easy task. It wasn't a casual game you could become the lord of by pulling a few all-nighters. It was a long-term war that required a balance between work and rest, especially with physical conditioning.
"Brother Feng, the school social mixer is the day after tomorrow. Should we buy another fancy car to drive there? Then let's see who dares look down on the Zero Wing Studio," Hei Zi said excitedly.
"Forget the fancy car. I can't afford it," Shi Feng shook his head and smiled.
He hadn't considered it to keep up appearances, but funds were tight, and they were already deep in credit point debt. It was better to be practical.
After that, Shi Feng and Hei Zi spent the whole day finally getting the studio mostly set up. The remaining problem was that the studio had too few members; they needed to recruit a large number of new members with potential.
That night, Shi Feng logged into the Divine Realm again.
He had just spawned in the Forging Room when a low chime sounded in his ear—the system notification alert.
It chimed continuously for over ten minutes before finally stopping.
Shi Feng opened the system messages. There were several thousand of them, all addressed to the ID 'Black Flame'. He skimmed through a few; they were all requests to purchase Basic Mana Armor Plates. Aside from guilds in White River City, others from different cities wanted to meet him. Shi Feng just smiled, because the effect he wanted had already been achieved.
That effect was fame—not the fame of 'Star Mark', but the fame of 'Black Flame'. And as long as the Basic Mana Armor Plates existed, the Star Mark Trading Company's business would be thriving.
According to Anna's report, the Star Mark Trading Company was now earning over nine hundred gold coins per day. But this was just the beginning. As more Forgers and Alchemists were recruited, the daily output would increase, and so would the daily earnings. Reaching thirty thousand gold was just a matter of time.
However, there was a more important problem to solve.
So Shi Feng directly contacted Bai Qingxue.
"Miss Bai, could I ask you for a favor? I'd like to buy a few Advanced Whetstone blueprints from you," Shi Feng asked.
"The drop rate for Advanced Whetstone blueprints is extremely low. Even our Snake of the Body doesn't have many. But since we're old acquaintances, I can sell you a few. However, I'd like to trade using the Basic Mana Armor Plates," Bai Qingxue said with a slight smile, clearly happy that Black Flame was asking her for help. This way, she could directly request the Mana Armor Plates.
After the Basic Mana Armor Plates appeared, she had sent people to investigate and found that these items weren't common drops. They seemed to be special blueprints obtained through quests and couldn't be farmed. The only way to get Mana Armor Plates was from Black Flame himself.
"Alright. How do you propose we trade?"
"One Advanced Whetstone blueprint for twenty Mana Armor Plates. I have three on hand."
"Fine. Just have your subordinates take the blueprints to the Star Mark Company for exchange."
Shi Feng didn't hesitate over Bai Qingxue's high price. After finalizing the deal, he ended the communication and headed to the Star Mark Trading Company with the newly crafted Mana Armor Plates.
Shi Feng wasn't planning to use these Advanced Whetstone blueprints himself. They were for Black Frost Cocoa and Melancholic Smile. After all, he still had many things to do and couldn't spend all his time forging. In the future, they would be the main force, which was why he was buying the blueprints.
"Brother Feng, we've made it out. When are we going to the Demon Castle?"
Just after Shi Feng had finished handling these matters, Hei Zi sent another message. (To be continued...)