Dawnlight Ridge, Dusk Sky City.
Dawnlight Ridge, situated in the Revelation Empire just one map away from the level-100 neutral zone, had long since become a gathering ground for mainstream players. Numerous superpowers had established cities throughout Dawnlight Ridge, but among them, Dusk Sky City was the most popular, boasting over three million players—a number that rivaled any NPC city.
Dawnlight Ridge was a landscape of mountains, rivers, and hills, with certain areas bordering the sea. Dusk Sky City was built on a hillside not far from the coast, making it easy to travel across the water and quickly enter the level-100 neutral zone. This was incredibly convenient for players who frequently operated at sea.
On top of that, maritime transport was far more convenient than overland travel, and many merchant players loved coming to Dusk Sky City to trade. That only added to its popularity.
Beyond its convenient transportation, Dusk Sky City's greatest advantage was that it had originally served as the headquarters of the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion—the city the Pavilion had managed the longest. Its security far surpassed that of any other city in Dawnlight Ridge.
At that moment, inside the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's guild headquarters, flashes of light flickered one after another as Feng Qianyu and her companions stepped out of a teleportation magic circle. The Pavilion members on duty straightened with reverence at the sight, especially the young men and women who had only recently joined. Gazing at Feng Qianyu in her vivid crimson mage's robe, radiating a mysterious and alluring aura like a witch, they were utterly enchanted—some even driven to madness.
"The Guild Master is so amazing—not only is she incredibly charming, but she also completed a high-difficulty Tier 3 quest on her first try, and now she's reached Level 103. If only I could become one of the Guild Master's personal guards, I could follow her around every day!" A female Elementalist who had just reached Level 100 gazed at Feng Qianyu, eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Stop dreaming," the Berserker captain on duty beside her shot the newcomer a look. "For a fresh recruit to join the Guild Master's personal guard, you'd need to rank in the top few among all newcomers. You've seen those top-ranking monsters—given the same stats, even dozens of us together couldn't take them on."
Once upon a time, he'd harbored the same dream, but as he'd trained and grown, he'd only grown more desperate. The gap between him and those genius newcomers was far wider than any equipment difference.
For an ordinary guild, reaching the Entry realm was enough to become a core member. But for a top-tier guild like the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, it was merely the starting point of entering the inner circle. Only experts who had reached the Void realm could be considered true core members.
And among the thousand-plus recruits who passed the entrance exam each year, only those ranked in the top ten had any hope of reaching that level.
After all, as a veteran top-tier guild, the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's standards for internally cultivated newcomers were extraordinarily high. Anyone of their caliber would be called an expert on the outside—but within the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, they were nothing special.
Just as these two on-duty members were chatting quietly, a stir erupted in the guild hall. Over a dozen figures descended from the second floor, led by a stunning woman with Jiu Longhuang at her side.
The striking woman wore a deep blue leather outfit, and at the small of her back hung a gorgeous short sword as red as blood. Ancient magic runes were carved all over its scabbard, causing the ambient mana to gravitate helplessly toward the blade.
With this woman's arrival, the mana throughout the entire hall seemed to have found its master, as though it were completely under her control.
"A special bloodline inheritance?" Feng Qianyu's beautiful eyes flickered with surprise as she watched the woman approach.
As an Elementalist, she was exceptionally sensitive to magical elements—especially after her Tier 3 class advancement, which had given her an entirely new understanding of mana.
The stunning woman before her was clearly not a magic-based class but a Tier 3 Assassin, and yet her affinity for magical elements surpassed even Feng Qianyu's—as if she were mana's favored child.
Moreover, it wasn't just this woman—several others standing behind her shared the same quality, though to a lesser degree.
"Qianyu, you're here. Let me introduce you—this is the Vice Guild Master of the Illusory World Temple, Han Guang Shi Yin." Jiu Longhuang's face was beaming with undisguised joy as he watched Feng Qianyu emerge from the teleportation hall, and he eagerly stepped forward to make introductions.
The sudden visit of the Illusory World Temple's leadership had caught him completely off guard—he'd feared something terrible had happened.
After all, the Illusory World Temple was one of the Five Great Super Guilds.
The Five Great Super Guilds had reigned supreme in the virtual gaming world for years. No guild had ever managed to topple their position.
Rumors even circulated within the industry that these five guilds existed on an entirely different level from all other superpowers.
"I am Feng Qianyu, Guild Master of the Phoenix Pavilion," Feng Qianyu said, turning to introduce herself to Han Guang Shi Yin.
"I've heard of you," Han Guang Shi Yin replied with a smile. "The Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's current strength at sea is largely thanks to Guild Master Feng. You were even the first to cooperate with the then-unknown Zero Wing, acquiring a substantial share of the Candlefire Trading House. Now that the Candlefire Trading House spans multiple kingdoms and empires, its daily revenue is no small sum. Your foresight is something almost no one in the entire Divine Realm can match."
"Vice Guild Master Han flatters me," Feng Qianyu said evenly. "I wonder—what business brings the Vice Guild Master to our Dragon Phoenix Pavilion?"
The Illusory World Temple's arrival left her completely baffled.
The Illusory World Temple had always operated in the Western Continent. For them to suddenly cross over to the Eastern Continent seeking them out was utterly inconceivable—like a global conglomerate suddenly showing up at a small domestic company.
But from the Grand Pavilion Master's words, she'd gathered that the Illusory World Temple had come for her specifically. Something about it felt wrong, and Jiu Longhuang's current attitude only reinforced her suspicion that the Illusory World Temple's intentions were far from friendly.
"It's really nothing major," Han Guang Shi Yin said with a smile. "We at the Illusory World Temple wish to expand into the Eastern Continent and scout the territory first. Among other things, we've taken an interest in Zero Wing's Candlefire Trading House. But as you know, Zero Wing hardly ever sells off shares. So we'd like to purchase your shares in the Candlefire Trading House directly from you. As for the price, we're willing to pay double the market value. On top of that, the Illusory World Temple is prepared to supply the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion with Western Continent materials and goods on a long-term basis. It's a deal that benefits both sides."
"I've already discussed this with your Grand Pavilion Master. He said the Candlefire Trading House shares are yours personally, so it's entirely up to you. If you agree, the Grand Pavilion Master has no objections and is more than willing to cooperate with us. That's precisely why I've come to have a proper discussion with Guild Master Feng."
"Qianyu, this is the first opportunity for cooperation between our Dragon Phoenix Pavilion and the Illusory World Temple. Many of the guild elders are watching—don't let this chance slip away and disappoint them, or the Grand Pavilion Master." Jiu Longhuang urged Feng Qianyu with a grave, meaningful tone.
But Qing Huang, standing behind Feng Qianyu, regarded Jiu Longhuang with an icy expression, wishing she could deal with him right then and there.
Shares were ultimately a personal matter—one could sell or not sell as one pleased.
But there was clearly a reason Zero Wing refused to sell. If they parted with their shares, the relationship between them and Zero Wing would inevitably fracture.
Yet Jiu Longhuang was hiding behind the banner of guild interests to force Feng Qianyu's hand. Regardless of whether the deal went through, the outcome would only hurt their side.