Shi Feng's words landed like a paralyzing spell. Both Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong froze mid-motion, their minds temporarily unable to catch up, as though they had short-circuited entirely.
"Black Flame, is what you're saying true?"
Once Yuan Tiexin finally recovered, the barely concealed excitement in his gaze as he looked at Shi Feng was unmistakable. His breathing had quickened, too—as if he had just laid eyes on a peerless beauty. Gone was all the composure and steadiness befitting a senior executive of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.
Right now, every major superpower in the Divine Realm was pouring everything into conquering the level-100 neutral maps. This was, after all, directly tied to the third-class job change—no one could afford not to go all in. The problem was that the environment on those level-100 neutral maps was far too hostile. Relying on potions alone was no longer enough to sustain prolonged exploration, and most critically, the maps were extraordinarily dangerous.
This had given every major superpower endless headaches when it came to the level-100 neutral maps, and they had been able to accomplish precious little exploration.
They had also considered relocating towns to the level-100 neutral maps, but obtaining a Town Relocation Token for those zones was essentially impossible. According to their intelligence, the only way to acquire such a token was by clearing one of the super-large team dungeons on a level-100 neutral map.
With the major superpowers already struggling to survive on those maps, challenging a level-100 super-large team dungeon was nothing short of a pipe dream.
And yet now Shi Feng had casually announced that Stone Forest City had been relocated to a level-100 neutral map. To Yuan Tiexin, it was almost inconceivable.
If it was true, their future operations on the level-100 neutral maps would become vastly more convenient.
"Of course." Shi Feng smiled. "So does the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion have any interest in reconsidering my terms?"
"That's..." Yuan Tiexin shook his head. "Black Flame, you need to understand that this matter is no small thing. Expelling Star Ring from the Heavenly Mystery Trade Association would be tantamount to severing all ties with them. Star Ring's scale today is nothing like what it was before—they can even operate across two continents now. Plenty of superpowers are desperate to cooperate with them. Even if you offered a larger share of Stone Forest City, our Pavilion Master and the others would almost certainly refuse. Please pick a different condition."
Perhaps Zero Wing, with its absolute control over Stone Forest City, could choose to keep it closed to the public, generate no revenue, and deny the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion any benefits from the city's existing advantages. But the benefits Stone Forest City could bring were ultimately limited to making the Pavilion's movements on the level-100 neutral maps more convenient.
Even if Stone Forest City could now yield greater profits on those maps, it was still just a guild city. How could it possibly compare to a full-scale superpower?
One had to understand that revoking the Heavenly Mystery Trade Association's premium membership and outright expelling a regular member were two entirely different concepts. Revoking premium status would merely reduce Star Ring's profits—it wouldn't significantly affect the Trade Association itself. But expelling them as a member altogether meant losing a superpower's resources and connections.
There was no way the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion would abandon the resources and channels of an entire superpower just because it couldn't operate as conveniently on the level-100 neutral maps for a short while.
"Is that so? What a shame, then." Shi Feng showed no surprise at the response, his tone perfectly level. "I actually happen to be heading to Stone Forest City right now. Elder Yuan, would you care to come take a look?"
"Nothing would please me more." Yuan Tiexin nodded, his interest visibly piqued.
Seeing that Yuan Tiexin was willing to go along, Shi Feng pulled up Stone Forest City's system interface and began unlocking temporary teleportation access for Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong. Meanwhile, Zi Qiong had quietly started a private conversation with Yuan Tiexin.
"Uncle Yuan, are we really going?" Zi Qiong asked in a low voice.
She saw Shi Feng's invitation for what it was—an attempt to let them see Stone Forest City first and then reconsider. But in her eyes, it was nothing more than a futile gesture.
Partial benefits from a guild city versus an entire superpower—there was no contest to be made. And this particular superpower was none other than Star Ring, the organization currently drawing the most attention of all.
"Going! Why wouldn't we go?" Yuan Tiexin said with a chuckle. "Black Flame's method is rather childish, but Stone Forest City has genuinely been relocated to a level-100 neutral map. It's always worth taking a look. I simply won't react to anything, and Black Flame will naturally understand that this is impossible."
Zi Qiong considered this and had to admit he had a point. A flicker of sympathy for Shi Feng stirred within her.
Shi Feng apparently believed that showing Uncle Yuan the city would change his mind, not realizing that Uncle Yuan was simply playing along—letting Shi Feng see for himself just how pointless his struggle truly was.
While Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong were quietly conversing, Shi Feng finished unlocking temporary teleportation access to Stone Forest City for both of them.
"All set. Let's head over now." Shi Feng produced a teleportation scroll for Stone Forest City's guild headquarters from his inventory and immediately began channeling it.
Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong likewise retrieved their own teleportation scrolls—this one for the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's temporary outpost in Stone Forest City—and teleported along with Shi Feng.
Three flashes of white light flickered across the hall and vanished. The trio was gone entirely.
Cold Spring Gorge, Stone Forest City.
Two pillars of light descended onto the teleportation array at the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's temporary outpost within Stone Forest City, and Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong materialized inside.
But the moment the two of them set foot in the outpost, they both froze.
"This... this is impossible!" Yuan Tiexin nearly cried out.