As soon as Jiu Long Huang spoke without the slightest reservation, every Dragon Phoenix Pavilion member in the guild hall erupted into an uproar.
"No way — Illusory World Temple actually wants to cooperate with us, Dragon Phoenix Pavilion?"
"Illusory World Temple is one of the five great super guilds. If we can form a partnership with them, Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's influence and strength will leap forward. By then, even the other super guilds will have to show us some respect."
"More than that — all these extra-dimensional forces have been showing up in the Revelation Empire lately, fighting us for resources. If word gets out that Illusory World Temple is cooperating with Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, those dimensional factions will think twice before ambushing us in the field."
To ordinary players, the name "Illusory World Temple" was nothing more than that of a famous super guild. But to the members of Dragon Phoenix Pavilion — especially its inner circle — it was far more than just a super guild.
It was something practically out of reach.
The five great super guilds had existed since the very dawn of virtual gaming, each boasting a history spanning over a century. Even the world-class virtual professional leagues were founded and operated by these five guilds.
To become an inner member of any one of them, you generally needed to have achieved notable results in those professional leagues just to receive an invitation. Ordinary experts didn't even dare to dream of it.
Although the arrival of Divine Realm had loosened the internal recruitment criteria of the five great super guilds considerably, the baseline requirement to become a formal inner member was still reaching the Einherjar level — which gave you some idea of how terrifying these five guilds' strength and foundations truly were.
And now Illusory World Temple had come to partner with their Dragon Phoenix Pavilion. It was almost unimaginable.
While the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion members in the hall buzzed with discussion, every pair of eyes gradually converged on Feng Qianyu.
Because Jiu Long Huang had made it crystal clear: whether the cooperation with Illusory World Temple happened or not depended entirely on Feng Qianyu's decision. Naturally, everyone was watching closely to see what she would choose.
"Sister Qianyu, Jiu Long Huang is doing this on purpose!" Qing Huang looked around at the eager gazes of the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion members and clenched her teeth at Jiu Long Huang.
Whether someone could become the Grand Hall Master in Dragon Phoenix Pavilion was ultimately decided by the Elder Council and the current Grand Hall Master, but the opinion of the broader membership also mattered enormously — it was a question of popular support. If the vast majority of Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's members opposed or disliked a given Grand Hall Master, that position simply couldn't be held for long.
Shares in Zero Wing's Candlelight Trading Company versus a partnership with Illusory World Temple — for the members of Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, this wasn't even a real choice. Only an idiot would pick those few shares in Candlelight Trading Company. After all, cooperating with an industry giant like Illusory World Temple brought far too many benefits. Simply flying the Illusory World Temple banner would deter every major power and super guild in the Revelation Empire from casually provoking Dragon Phoenix Pavilion.
And since Illusory World Temple operated on the Western Continent, they could supply Dragon Phoenix Pavilion with all manner of precious materials from that region. The profits generated from that alone would dwarf any dividends from Candlelight Trading Company.
If Feng Qianyu chose to retain the Candlelight Trading Company shares right now, it would absolutely trigger dissatisfaction across the entire guild.
That was exactly right.
This was Jiu Long Huang's plan.
He knew Feng Qianyu's character — she was someone who valued contracts and personal bonds. He knew she would never abandon the Candlelight Trading Company shares, which was precisely why he had deliberately brought Han Guang Shi Yin down to the first-floor hall the moment Feng Qianyu arrived at the headquarters. On the surface, he'd been about to walk with Han Guang Shi Yin to the council chamber to talk. In truth, it was all a stage to confront Feng Qianyu before the assembled membership.
"Hall Master Feng, if you feel our Illusory World Temple's terms aren't satisfactory, feel free to make a counterproposal. Within the scope of my authority, I'm open to considering it." Han Guang Shi Yin smiled and spoke when Feng Qianyu remained silent for a long while without responding. "We can even offer the Battle Demon Runes — something you haven't been able to obtain here on the Eastern Continent — as part of the deal."
As Han Guang Shi Yin finished speaking, a towering, powerfully built giant of a man standing behind him stepped forward. In an instant, silvery-gray runes surfaced across his equipment, and the surrounding magical energy surged toward him like a flood, elevating his aura to an entirely new height. Even the Peak Tier 2 expert standing nearby serving as a host was forced to take a step back, staring at the giant with undisguised terror.
"How did he become so much stronger all of a sudden?" Qing Huang, a Tier 3 expert, stared at the giant, her eyes filled with shock.
Moments ago, she had sensed the man was dangerous but had felt she could still put up a fight. Now, facing him directly, she felt an inexplicable sense of powerlessness — and that powerlessness didn't stem from a gap in stats. It came from an overwhelming disparity in mental and spiritual pressure.
"So this is the legendary Battle Demon Rumors from the Western Continent?"