Deep within the inner zone of the Cold Spring Great Forest, along a narrow woodland path, a hundred-man team clad in magnificent top-tier equipment and composed entirely of expert players above Level 107 marched swiftly toward
Every member of this team rode a mount of at least Mythril Rank, and their thunderous advance down the road forced players from every faction to clear a path — none dared so much as slow them down.
The team's imposing presence alone was enough to command deference, but more importantly, each member bore the guild emblem of the Crimson Emperor Guild — not the kind of power any ordinary force would dare provoke.
"Huanyu, the elders have given their orders. Once we reach Stone Forest City, don't do anything unnecessary." The fierce-looking man riding a six-clawed War Bear at the head of the formation swept a glance over the silent Huanyu and offered the reminder.
He didn't understand why Huanyu was so confident that
"I have that much common sense. I'm only going to take a look. There's no need to be so tense," Huanyu replied with a smile.
She wasn't exactly optimistic about Zero Wing — she simply had a vague feeling that they wouldn't be wiped out so easily. This trip was merely to confirm her hunch.
Just as Huanyu finished speaking with the fierce man, a beautiful, sharp-featured short-haired female Swordsman who had been trailing behind her — notably without any Crimson Emperor emblem — caught up to the group.
"Vice Guild Leader Huanyu, is it really all right for you to bring us along this time?" the short-haired female Swordsman couldn't help but ask.
If
"Rest assured, we're only going to observe. It's not a classified operation. Now that your Aurora Haven has formed an alliance with our Crimson Emperor, the Cold Spring Great Forest will likely become the main battlefield between us and the Dark World players before long. Sooner or later, you'll need to expand into the Divine Realm's mainland, and it does no harm to get an early look. After all, quite a few superpowers have gathered at Stone Forest City right now — a spectacle you'd rarely see under normal circumstances," Huanyu said with a smile.
"That puts my mind at ease," Jun Ya nodded, letting out a quiet breath of relief.
For newcomers like them, the Dark Cavern was already an insignificant backwater within the Divine Realm. It wasn't until they had entered the Crimson Emperor Guild's territory that they truly understood what a superpower was — and what a veteran, peak-tier guild looked like. It was even more exaggerated than what Purple Thunder Rakshasa had described.
The meager strength of their Aurora Haven was laughably small on the Divine Realm's mainland — not even remotely on par with a first-rate power.
Forming an alliance and cooperation with the Crimson Emperor Guild was truly an incredible stroke of luck.
That much was evident from how every expert player they encountered along the way behaved. Not a single player had dared harass them, and none had even dared approach. Among those they passed were expert teams that even she found intimidating — yet the moment they spotted Huanyu and the others, they parted to the side without a word.
"Jun Ya, I told you before that Sister Huanyu is very kind to people. It was all thanks to her guidance that I improved so quickly. With her leading you on this trip, your strength will surely take a big leap. Once you return to the Dark Cavern, the experts from the other Havens won't be much of a problem anymore," Purple Thunder Rakshasa whispered with a grin to the still-nervous Jun Ya.
"I have to admit, though — I never expected Zero Wing, the guild Qing Shuang belongs to, to be this impressive. They actually managed to kill Zhutian Luanshi and even forced the Demon Heart — the one all the superpowers are wary of — to play its trump card against them," Jun Ya murmured in quiet astonishment.
She didn't know exactly how powerful Qing Shuang's Zero Wing truly was, but if they could accomplish feats like that, the future of the Dark Cavern's number-one Haven was practically guaranteed.
"Zero Wing is impressive, sure, but right now they're only a quasi-superpower — nowhere near the Crimson Emperor. Now that Aurora Haven is cooperating with us, there's absolutely no need to worry about your Haven's future development," Purple Thunder Rakshasa understood Jun Ya's concerns all too well and smiled reassuringly. "Besides, Zero Wing is about to face players from an entire major world. Even if they survive, their guild will be half-shattered. After that, the number-one Haven won't have much hope of growing."
Originally, the Aurora Haven had been ranked in the top ten within the Dark Cavern. Who could have imagined that Qing Shuang's number-one Haven was backed by a Zero Wing with such formidable strength? Jun Ya's worry about being surpassed was perfectly understandable.
But now that Zero Wing's Stone Forest City had all but lost its position, they would hardly be able to help Qing Shuang and the others in the future — let alone the number-one Haven. Meanwhile, with the Crimson Emperor Guild's backing, their own Aurora Haven could well rise to become one of the top three Havens in the Dark Cavern.
While Jun Ya and Purple Thunder Rakshasa chatted, the team had, almost without noticing, arrived at the forest surrounding Stone Forest City.
"Stone Forest City isn't far ahead. Once you enter, be careful. The city is a real mixed bag right now — many superpowers are hiding within its walls. If you accidentally cross someone, it'll cause a lot of trouble," Huanyu couldn't help but warn Jun Ya and Purple Thunder Rakshasa.
"That's Zero Wing's stronghold up ahead?" Jun Ya perked up, her gaze following the direction Huanyu had indicated with open curiosity. "Now I'll finally get to see what Zero Wing — the guild behind Qing Shuang — is really like!"
She had been deeply shaken by the scene back in the Dark Cavern when she witnessed Shi Feng resist the
She genuinely wanted to know what kind of guild Shi Feng had built.
Shortly after Huanyu spoke, a colossal city materialized among the distant trees — as grand and magnificent as the NPC cities of the Ten Sacred Empire. What was especially striking was the towering pillar of mana radiating from Stone Forest City, making it feel less like a city and more like an enormous mine carved from magic crystals…
"Is this… Zero Wing's guild city?" Jun Ya stared at the mana-drenched Stone Forest City before her, momentarily stunned into silence.
This was the guild city that all the factions claimed only held a geographical advantage?
She had seen her share of major NPC cities in the Ten Sacred Empire. Those cities were certainly impressive and imposing in their own right, but compared to Stone Forest City, they were pale imitations. And as for their own Aurora Haven — it was little more than a shack in comparison.
It wasn't just Jun Ya who was dumbstruck — even Huanyu stood there with her jaw hanging open.
It wasn't as though she had never seen Stone Forest City before. She had been here more than once.
But what was this?
A height rivaling that great NPC cities, and mana so overwhelming it could be felt from over a thousand yards away — this was nothing like the Stone Forest City she remembered. It was practically a holy city hidden within the Cold Spring Great Forest!
At the main gate of Stone Forest City, a massive queue was clearly visible — hundreds of thousands of players long and still growing. Some players had even begun scalping their spots in line…
Beyond the throngs of players, numerous NPCs could be seen queuing as well, including members of other races. It looked nothing like a mere guild city — it was every bit a fully-fledged, neutral NPC metropolis.
"Huanyu… you didn't bring us to the wrong place, did you…?" The fierce man turned to Huanyu beside him, unable to contain the question.