Star Moon Kingdom, White River City Library.
Shi Feng followed a Level 180 Tier 3 Sacred Knight as they made their way to the library's top-floor hall. Although this wasn't his first visit, he couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise when he saw Xia Lian seated upon the throne at the center of the great hall, draped in a magnificent crimson robe.
Compared to the past, a faint aura of divinity now permeated her being, radiating a subtle divine pressure. It was entirely different from the divine might that emanated from god-used artifacts — perhaps not as overwhelming in raw power as items that had been wielded by true gods, but far more refined and pure. And the closer one got, the more the oppressive force grew, climbing exponentially.
Even at ten yards from Xia Lian, Shi Feng found that despite his Tier 3 stats, he could not take another step forward.
Such power — a demigod couldn't be much stronger than this.
"You're here," Xia Lian said, watching Shi Feng approach with a warm, almost human smile, as though greeting an old friend. "Judging by your expression, you've come to advance to Tier 3, haven't you?"
"I have," Shi Feng nodded.
Zero Wing might be powerful now — strong enough to challenge the superpowers, and his personal combat strength alone could give those superpowers serious headaches and cause them no small amount of trouble.
But if he wanted to become a true power player in the Divine Realm, or genuinely rival those superpowers, Tier 3 was the bare minimum.
Becoming a Tier 3 Class wasn't just a straightforward boost in combat power. It also signified that one had become a true powerhouse in the Divine Realm — in a small kingdom city, one could even serve as a magistrate.
For players, reaching Tier 3 meant not only being able to roam freely and solo on Level 100 neutral maps, but also gaining the qualification to become a territory lord — to truly govern a stretch of land, no longer confined to a single town or city.
That was why it was called becoming a true power.
Once you became a proper territory lord, all the land within your domain was under your control. Outsiders would find it nearly impossible to interfere, much like having your own kingdom. It wasn't like now, where players from the various factions could run around freely anywhere outside guild towns, to say nothing of claiming the resources scattered across the maps.
But the moment you became a territory lord of even a modest domain, that territory would function like a guild town — the lord would hold the power of life and death, and could even hire NPC guards to protect and expel intruders.
Zero Wing's current strength was more than enough for self-preservation, but if it came to open-field confrontation with those superpowers, it would be like throwing eggs against a rock. A single superpower's roster of experts was beyond imagination. Zero Wing still had a long road ahead.
Not to mention that the channels to the various planes had now opened, and the intensity of competition was about to skyrocket. High-level maps were limited, neutral maps above Level 100 even more so. Even the superpowers would be fighting tooth and nail over them — gone were the days of playing nice.
Becoming a territory lord had thus become essential. Not only would self-preservation capability increase tenfold, but the guild's development speed would undergo a qualitative transformation.
"Since you've already made your preparations, I won't waste words," Xia Lian said with a faint smile, extending her hand. "Three hundred Magic Crystals and twenty units of Seven Luminaries Crystal Stone."
Shi Feng's lips twitched at the price.
What daylight robbery!
When he had advanced to Tier 2, he'd already burned through a considerable number of Magic Crystals, which was why he'd come prepared with over three hundred this time. As for the Seven Luminaries Crystal Stone, he'd only happened to have just under thirty units on hand, just in case something came up.
And Xia Lian had just asked for ninety percent of everything in his pockets in one breath…
"Here!" Shi Feng gritted his teeth and handed the items over.
Tier 3 was a critical watershed. Besides, he was a Blade Saint — his class advancement was genuinely different from other classes. He couldn't very well refuse to advance just to hold onto a few resources.
"Very good. With these, I can just barely sustain the activation of the magic array," Xia Lian said with a smile after receiving the Magic Crystals and Seven Luminaries Crystal Stone. "However, I must warn you — the place you're about to enter is a special domain, and its danger is far beyond your imagination. Don't even think about surviving there as you are now. Even a Tier 3 Class would struggle to stay alive in that place. As for how far you can push yourself once you're inside… that will depend on you."