By the time Shi Feng finished speaking, the female Warlock and the others who had entered the reception room finally snapped back to their senses. One by one, they shed every trace of contempt they had held toward Zero Wing.
Though Zero Wing might not rival the major superpowers in terms of top-tier experts, Shi Feng's magic domain alone was enough to elevate a team's combat power by a significant margin. Moreover, without the means to counter a magic domain, no number of Tier 3 powerhouses would amount to anything more than a joke.
"Guild Leader Black Flame is certainly direct. Then let me introduce myself—I am Mu Xin, Vice Guild Leader of Frost Sword. I'm here on behalf of my guild to invite Zero Wing to join our Frost Sword alliance." Mu Xin looked at Shi Feng and spoke at a measured pace.
"Your alliance?" Shi Feng regarded Mu Xin with a hint of surprise.
In his memory, Frost Sword had always operated independently, without any alliance.
"That's right—essentially an alliance for dealing with the Sacred Sculpture monsters together," Mu Xin nodded. "Once you join, several of our superpowers will form a mutual defense pact and share intelligence—particularly information on Sacred Sculpture monster movements. That way, no matter what the Sacred Sculpture army tries to pull, we can prepare in advance."
"Then what are the conditions for joining?" Shi Feng asked without hesitation.
A mutual defense pact held little importance for Zero Wing in its current state, but Sacred Sculpture activity reports were exactly what he wanted most. Though Zero Wing's members could gather a fair amount of intelligence on their own, it paled in comparison to what several superpowers could collectively compile.
With that kind of intelligence, he could better track the Sacred Sculpture monsters' movements and allow Zero Wing to prepare ahead of time. After all, dealing with the Sacred Sculpture army was not something that could be accomplished in a short period—for a considerable stretch of time, it would remain one of the biggest challenges Zero Wing faced.
"Guild Leader Black Flame is overthinking it. There are no conditions for joining the alliance." Mu Xin offered Shi Feng a faint smile. "If anything, the only requirement is earning the recognition of our Frost Sword."
"Then has Zero Wing earned that recognition?" Shi Feng asked curiously.
"Absolutely. And it's not just our Frost Sword's recognition—I'd also like to invite Zero Wing to take part in a classified operation on behalf of the alliance." Mu Xin nodded, her expression turning quite serious.
"A classified operation? Is participation mandatory?" Shi Feng noticed the slight excitement flickering across Mu Xin's face and couldn't help but ask.
"Not mandatory, but if Zero Wing is willing to contribute, I can personally offer very generous compensation—such as fifty bottles of the S-grade Nutrient Solution that every superpower is currently scrambling to get their hands on." Mu Xin spoke with a straight face.
The moment those words left her lips, the female Warlock standing at Mu Xin's side and the others couldn't help but turn to stare at Mu Xin, their faces drained of color in undisguised shock and bewilderment.
"Mu Xin, what are you thinking? This is a strictly classified operation—even within the alliance, only two factions are qualified to participate. If you invite Zero Wing, even if the guild elders approve, those two will have serious objections," the female Warlock whispered to Mu Xin.
She hadn't been surprised by Mu Xin agreeing to let Zero Wing join the alliance—Silverwing City spoke for itself, and Shi Feng's magic domain demonstration more than justified a seat at the table.
But directly inviting Zero Wing to join the classified operation? That was going too far.
This classified operation was no ordinary affair. To secure this opportunity, several of the superpowers had paid an enormous price, and now Mu Xin wanted to hand Zero Wing an invitation on a silver platter. In the female Warlock's eyes, Mu Xin had completely lost her mind.
"Don't worry. I'll cover Zero Wing's share from my own allocation—that way those two won't have any grounds to complain." Mu Xin responded with a careless whisper.
"You really have lost it. If Uncle Hong and the others find out and get angry, don't come crying to me." The female Warlock shook her head, watching Mu Xin with a look of helpless resignation.