Bright moon, few stars. Night had fallen in the Divine Realm.
As the largest city in the Star Moon Kingdom, the Star Moon Royal Capital was aglow with lights. Magic Lamps illuminated every street, making the entire city as bright as day.
"As expected of the Star Moon Royal Capital, its population is nothing a border city like White River City can compare to," Shi Feng remarked as he walked through the bustling streets, teeming with players.
Player levels were now quite high, and many could afford the teleportation fees between cities.
The Star Moon Royal Capital boasted a player population of nearly five million—over two million more than White River City. Controlling this city would provide an immense boost to any guild's development, far surpassing the gains from managing four or five major cities.
Moreover, the resource-rich surroundings of the Royal Capital meant the local power structure was a complex mix. Besides the three top-tier guilds, other kingdoms and empires had sent their own elite guilds to establish a foothold, and numerous second-tier guilds were also rooted here, making competition fierce. It was completely unlike White River City, and even the average player level here was noticeably higher.
Before long, Shi Feng arrived at the Royal Capital's City Hall via carriage.
Awaiting him at the entrance was a commanding figure—broad-backed and dragon-waisted. This was none other than the "Ghost of Guides," Dao Yusheng.
Dao Yusheng's level was already 26, on par with Shi Feng's.
Upon seeing Shi Feng, Dao Yusheng first froze, then let out a bitter smile.
While Shi Feng's outward appearance hadn't changed, the difference within was night and day. The last time they met, Shi Feng had seemed utterly ordinary, unremarkable in every way. Now, every movement carried an indefinable naturalness, and the pressure he exuded was like facing a Lord-class monster.
Their last meeting had involved many discussions on combat techniques, from which Dao Yusheng had benefited greatly. Shi Feng had also provided quests that boosted his reputation, quickly elevating him to the Noble rank. This had brought immense convenience to his team's development, leading to his current success. Dao Yusheng was therefore very grateful to Shi Feng.
Over this period, he had tackled many team dungeons—even some Hell Difficulty ones—and engaged in countless open-world PvP battles. He believed his own strength had improved significantly, yet compared to Shi Feng, the gap felt as vast as heaven and earth.
"Brother Ye Feng, I've handled what you asked," Dao Yusheng said as Shi Feng approached, a hint of worry in his voice. "However, that plot of land you mentioned is too far from the city's prosperous district. Even if purchased, it would be a losing proposition. For the same amount of money, you could buy a plot in a prime area. It's really not a cost-effective deal."
"It's fine. I want somewhere a bit more secluded," Shi Feng replied with a smile.
The Star Moon Royal Capital was vast, with no shortage of available land plots. But their prices were no lower than in White River City. Even a standard plot in the outskirts started at 2,000 gold coins—enough to buy a decent-sized plot back in White River City. Plots in the central district exceeded 6,000 gold, and those in the prime golden district were over 14,000 gold, more than double the price in White River City.
This was why every guild in the Royal Capital was tearing its hair out.
Spending over 2,000 gold on a useless plot was pointless. Raising 6,000 gold would take considerable time, to say nothing of the prime district plots. As a result, no one had yet made a move on the Royal Capital's land.
But the numerous guilds in the Star Moon Royal Capital had overlooked one point.
If land in the Royal Capital was so expensive, weren't guilds developing here at a severe disadvantage in the early stages?
Setting aside the exorbitant cost of the land, there was also the difficulty of earning reputation. By all appearances, it was unfavorable for early-stage guild development. But that wasn't necessarily true—it was just that no one had deeply understood the commercial land of the Star Moon Royal Capital.