At that moment, in the gently breezing forest clearing within the desert, Shi Feng had only removed his black cloak, yet the surrounding space seemed to freeze entirely, filling the air with an indescribable stillness. Only the fluttering of the cape on Shi Feng's body indicated that time had not truly stopped.
"He actually… is truly… Black Flame!"
Mad Bull stared at Shi Feng in the trees, his eyes nearly popping from his head, his whole body trembling so hard he couldn't form a single word for a long while.
Black Flame!
A name every major superpower knew without exception.
He had created miracle battles time and time again, a figure who left every great superpower utterly helpless. Among the masses of free players, he was nothing short of a living legend.
Though he had disappeared from the Eastern Continent for a time, his reputation alone had been enough to shield Zero Wing from any faction's interference across the turbulent Divine Realm. Not even a dominant superpower like the Hand of the Saints, which could cover the sky with one hand, dared act rashly—they could only wait quietly as the Sacred Sculpture monsters grew ever stronger, hoping those creatures would deal with Zero Wing for them, never daring to strike directly at Zero Wing's guild cities.
And it was precisely because of Black Flame's name that, aside from a handful of superpowers like the Star Ring Guild who dared to obstruct Zero Wing's economy, all the others merely watched from the sidelines, never daring to make a move.
"He's back… He's finally back…"
Nearby, Purple Pupil watched Shi Feng, who no longer concealed his identity, her gaze brimming with excitement, yet her heart also carried an indescribable bitterness.
Although the gap between the Star River Alliance and Zero Wing had only widened over time, she had never given up on improving her own strength, harboring the hope that one day she would surpass Watercolor Rose and Bai Qingxue, and that the Star River Alliance could grow into a true powerhouse of the Divine Realm.
But when the Hand of the Saints had appeared so suddenly, her strength had proven utterly insignificant. She could only watch helplessly as the Star River Alliance's guild headquarters was destroyed, unable even to fend off the Sacred Sculpture monsters' assault.
After a brief silence, the members of various superpowers watching through magic water mirrors in the distance, as well as the Hand of the Saints forces present, suddenly broke into laughter.
"Black Flame? The guild master of Zero Wing?"
"And what difference does it make that he's back now?"
"He's been gone from the Eastern Continent for so long. Does he really think things are still the way they used to be?"
Shi Feng's sudden appearance had indeed surprised them, but it was little more than a momentary startle. After all, Shi Feng and his group had vanished from the Eastern Continent for far too long—they had no idea what the current state of the Eastern Continent truly was.
"So you're the guild master of Zero Wing, Black Flame. No wonder you had the strength to break through their five-person combination attack." Thousand Eyes watched Shi Feng calmly, clapping his hands together with a cold sneer. "But what good does coming back do now? Legendary-tier Sacred Sculpture Devourers have already been born within the Sacred Sculpture army, and more and more will follow. They are unstoppable in the Divine Realm now. Did you really think your return could change anything?"
He was no stranger to the name Black Flame—it was the name the guild master had repeatedly warned them to be wary of.
Had this been a few days ago, he might have shown even Shi Feng a degree of caution. But now, facing Shi Feng directly, forget wariness—he didn't even consider him a threat.
"Boss Thousand Eyes, let's stop wasting words with him. Since he really is that Black Flame, we should let this old relic who's been left behind by the times know that this is no longer his era!" Stepping forward from the crowd was Iron Tooth, once the number-one Shield Warrior of Sin Domain, the former top guild of the Bauhinia Kingdom. He fixed his gaze on Shi Feng with a mocking sneer.
He had long wanted to destroy the Zero Wing Guild.
Back then, Sin Domain had been no match for them. But after joining the Hand of the Saints, he understood that crushing Zero Wing was merely a small step in the Hand of the Saints' campaign to dominate the entire Eastern Continent of the Divine Realm.
"Fair enough." Thousand Eyes nodded and looked at Shi Feng with a cold, detached expression. "Since you're the guild master of Zero Wing, then today I'll make an exception and let you witness the true power of our Hand of the Saints!"
With that, Thousand Eyes glanced at Iron Tooth beside him.
Immediately, Iron Tooth rushed forward in excitement, running several steps to the Sacred Sculpture Devourer protected by dual magical arrays. His eyes were fixed on the creature, filled with indescribable excitement and elation.
"What is he doing?" Purple Pupil watched the eager Iron Tooth, a faint sense of wrongness stirring within her.
"Nothing much—I'm just giving people like you a glimpse of the power of the new era!" Thousand Eyes glanced at Purple Pupil and smiled faintly.