Even though Zhan Wuji had spoken up, several of his companions frowned slightly.
They never expected Shi Feng to haggle.
A competition of this caliber was something countless people would kill for. Many top experts from the Arcane Pavilion's leaderboard had been turned away. The fact that they were willing to invite an expert with no reputation like Shi Feng was already bending over backwards.
Countless experts in the Divine Realm—even many well-known fighters from the martial arts world—dreamed of participating in this competition. Simply being allowed to attend was an unparalleled honor: not only could they earn vast sums of money, but they would also stand in the spotlight of millions. If they made a name for themselves in a single battle, it would be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate—instantly becoming world-renowned winners in life.
Forget about a dominant guild in White River City—even the ruler of the entire Star Moon Kingdom couldn't compare. This was a world stage.
Siyu Qingxuan and Qingzhu, standing nearby, gasped at Shi Feng's words, staring at him in disbelief.
Competition among guilds in the Divine Realm was fiercely intense, with numerous corporations and conglomerates funding each guild behind the scenes. But even the forces backing a first-rate guild were worlds apart from a world-class financial group—to them, such guilds were nothing more than ants that could be crushed with a single slap.
Although the virtual gaming industry's annual output had been climbing year after year, it still lagged far behind other top industries. If a guild could secure investment from such a conglomerate, it would instantly surpass any first-rate guild and leap into the ranks of a super guild.
An opportunity like this, and Shi Feng still had conditions...
But Shi Feng didn't care what others thought. He took a sip of his tea, looked at Zhan Wuji, and said slowly, "My condition is simple. I've heard that each team in the Dark Arena consists of ten people, and you already have six. I'd like to invite three more people to join—that would perfectly form a complete team. What do you think?"
"Are you out of your mind? Just inviting you alone is already the absolute limit of what the captain can offer, and now you want to randomly invite three more people? Do you think the team is your family business?" A black-armored young man behind Zhan Wuji laughed in exasperation.
The others also felt a surge of irritation, but Zhan Wuji regarded Shi Feng with a grave expression.
The number of people per team in the Dark Arena had only recently been confirmed—very few people knew about it. How could a mid-level executive of a small guild like Shi Feng's know something like this?
In that moment, Zhan Wuji felt that the Shi Feng before him had suddenly become mysterious.
"The conglomerate behind you formed this team for one purpose—to win. Naturally, the stronger each fighter, the better. I can guarantee that anyone I invite will be very strong," Shi Feng explained calmly.
He had never participated in the Dark Arena, but he knew a great deal about it. After all, it would become the pinnacle battlefield of the Divine Realm in the future. He had learned countless techniques from it—Void Step, for instance, had been learned from combat videos of the Dark Arena.
If the guild's experts could enter the Dark Arena and fight there, it would be tremendously helpful for improving their techniques.
"Brother Ye Feng, I'm afraid I truly can't help with this. The team spots are limited. Although I'm the captain, I only have one invitation for a trial run—not an actual team slot. Originally, I intended to use it to see if your guild leader, Black Flame, was qualified. But even if he were, a guild leader would be too busy managing guild affairs to have the time, even with the ability. That's why I wanted to invite you instead, Brother Ye Feng." Zhan Wuji said with a bitter smile.
Competition among these world-class financial groups was extremely fierce. A single team slot was incredibly precious. It wouldn't be given away lightly just because someone like them asked for it.
"I figured as much. Fine, I'll accept. When do we go for the trial?" Shi Feng nodded. He naturally knew the slots were precious—being invited at all was already an unexpected bonus. But he wanted to find out just how much authority a team captain actually had. If he could truly secure one more slot, it would be a win.
"The unified trial date hasn't been set yet. Let me add you as a friend first. Once they confirm the time, I'll contact you immediately, Brother Ye Feng." Zhan Wuji promptly sent Shi Feng a friend request.
After Shi Feng accepted, the two chatted for a while about matters related to the Dark Arena. Qingzhu listened with her mouth agape, never having imagined that Zero Wing was impressive enough to be invited by a world-class conglomerate. If they could secure investment from such a group in the future, the guild's potential was beyond imagination.
This solidified Qingzhu's resolve to join Zero Wing.
After chatting for over half an hour, Zhan Wuji and his group took their leave.
"Wuji, there are countless experts in the Divine Realm. Black Flame aside, you gave the invitation to Ye Feng so quickly—if he fails the trial, the higher-ups will think poorly of you. Why don't we go to Star Moon Royal City to look around? There might be other, even more powerful experts," suggested a female Elementalist in crimson robes, her figure graceful and her appearance striking.
"I know. The higher-ups gave me one invitation this time to test my judgment—to see if I'm suited to be captain. If I perform poorly, they'll definitely replace me. I won't be careless about it. But this Ye Feng is genuinely impressive. He looks so young—barely in his early twenties—yet every move he makes is flawless, with no wasted motion whatsoever. He's clearly entered the Domain of Subtlety, and he's far from a novice at it. I didn't step into the Domain of Subtlety until I was nearly twenty-seven. This Ye Feng is simply incredible—a true young genius."
"I've studied Black Flame's combat videos extensively. Black Flame is powerful, but the strength he's shown is only half a step into the Domain of Subtlety—he relies entirely on superior equipment and skills to dominate."
"Top-quality equipment? With the forces behind me, acquiring that wouldn't be difficult at all. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen Ye Feng directly. Experts in the Domain of Subtlety are incredibly rare across the entire Divine Realm. Running into one by chance is already good luck. Even if we went to Star Moon Royal City to search, we might not find a second one. Let's head back and level up."
When the others heard Zhan Wuji's assessment, they were all inwardly shocked. They hadn't expected him to rate Ye Feng so highly. But they had to admit—experts in the Domain of Subtlety were genuinely extraordinarily rare. Even they themselves had only placed half a foot into it.
After Zhan Wuji departed, Shi Feng finally turned to Siyu Qingxuan and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you so much today, Miss Siyu. Without your introduction, this wouldn't have happened. If you'd like to purchase equipment for yourself, I can offer you a fifty percent discount."
"Really?" Siyu Qingxuan knew that top-quality equipment on the market was far from cheap—and not always available. Fifty percent off a single piece would save tens of thousands of Credit Points, and an entire set would save millions. Moreover, the equipment on the market couldn't possibly match Zero Wing's.
"Of course," Shi Feng said with a smile.
"That's wonderful! I'd like to buy a set. My good friend Qingzhu has been very interested in Zero Wing, but she hasn't been in virtual gaming for long and her skills aren't quite there yet. Would it be possible to let her join Zero Wing?" Siyu Qingxuan asked quietly.
"I'm afraid I really can't help with that. Even as a senior member, I can't bend the guild's rules," Shi Feng said, shaking his head. "However, I can have your friend train alongside our elite squad for a while and learn proper Divine Realm combat techniques. Once her skills are up to par, she can become an official member of Zero Wing. Would that work for you?"
"I'll do it! I'll do it!" Qingzhu had been deeply disappointed when she first heard she couldn't join, but the offer to train with Zero Wing's elite squad was a fantastic opportunity. (To be continued.)