The moment Shi Feng finished speaking, the entire hall fell deathly silent, every jaw hanging wide open.
"This Black Flame has lost his mind!"
Everyone turned to look at Shi Feng with expressions of utter disbelief.
Who was Nine Dragons Emperor?
He was the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion within the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion — a man of such towering status that a single word from him could render a second-rate guild unable to survive in the virtual gaming world.
Moreover, Nine Dragons Emperor was infamous for his ruthlessness.
There had once been an ordinary first-rate guild whose Vice Guild Master had the audacity to compete with Nine Dragons Emperor for an item at an auction. In a fury, Nine Dragons Emperor had issued a formal notice to that first-rate guild, demanding the Vice Guild Master kneel and apologize while returning the item — otherwise, he would make the guild pay dearly.
How could an ordinary first-rate guild possibly withstand the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion? Let alone the fact that they had no shortage of competitors — with just one word from Nine Dragons Emperor, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger before countless other first-rate guilds would band together to carve up what remained. In the end, the Vice Guild Master was forced to apologize and surrender the item. Yet even so, the guild was ultimately destroyed by the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion and had no choice but to migrate to a different virtual game entirely.
Now, though Shi Feng hadn't outright refused to sell, the price he had quoted was nothing short of slapping Nine Dragons Emperor across the face.
Though Nine Dragons Emperor was the Pavilion Master, his personal stake didn't exceed ten percent — the vast majority still belonged to the Grand Pavilion Master.
Shi Feng had demanded sixty percent, the implication being that he wanted to become the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's supreme boss — to become Nine Dragons Emperor's superior.
"As expected of this Black Flame — just as the rumors say, he fears no one!" Xinghe Wangxi couldn't help but voice his admiration.
Across the entirety of the Divine Realm, apart from the Super Guilds and a handful of guilds backed by enormously powerful financial conglomerates, there was truly no guild that dared provoke the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion. As for someone who would openly slap this Pavilion Master in the face — even the higher-ups of a Super Guild would think twice before doing something like that.
Virtual games were, at the end of the day, games. But wherever there were people, there was a jiangshi — a world of power and politics.
Nine Dragons Emperor represented the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's face. Even if he had been using his position to bully others, people would have simply brushed it off so long as they were unwilling to fight. But to have someone walk up and slap him repeatedly across the face? For the sake of its reputation alone, the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion would have no choice but to go all out.
That was precisely why Xinghe Wangxi admired Shi Feng's nerve.
"He's just satisfying a momentary urge for a sharp tongue. If he were capable of biding his time, enduring hardship in silence, I might have thought a little more of him. But to charge in blindly like a reckless fool — Zero Wing is finished." Zitong shot Shi Feng an exasperated look, then turned toward Shuishui Qiangwei with a hint of pity. "It seems Shuishui Qiangwei made the wrong choice after all. A small guild is just a small guild. They might project strength in the short term, but they can't sustain it."
"Your Guild Master has gone mad. That's the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion he's disrespecting like this, openly provoking Nine Dragons Emperor — what is your Guild Master thinking? Even if Nine Dragons Emperor himself doesn't care about something like this, once this word gets out, the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion will have to mobilize everything it has to destroy Zero Wing, just to restore its reputation." Inside the VIP suite, Bai Qingxue was visibly stunned. She turned toward Melancholic Smile, unable to conceal her bewilderment.
From what she knew of Shi Feng, he was never the sort of man to act out of ignorance. His decisions were always far-sighted and deliberate.
But to offend the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion like this — she truly couldn't fathom what Shi Feng was after.
"I… I don't know either." Melancholic Smile shook her head, then added, "But honestly, hearing our Guild Leader say that felt pretty satisfying. Are we supposed to just take it every time they push us around? Don't we have the right to push back?"
Bai Qingxue was left speechless.
The words weren't wrong — but saying them came with a price.
And pushing back required sufficient strength to back it up. Zero Wing was certainly a decent guild, but compared to a colossus like the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, it was an egg hurled against a stone — a death sentence in the making.
Down in the first-floor reception hall, Nine Dragons Emperor had been stunned into silence for a long moment, never having imagined that Shi Feng could be quite this foolish.
His stupidity had reached a level that could make even God laugh.
Yet Nine Dragons Emperor himself couldn't manage a smile. His expression had turned slightly dark, a flash of killing intent flickering through his eyes — though it vanished in an instant, replaced by a radiant, spring-like smile.
"Since Guild Master Black Flame has no intention of selling, I won't linger any longer. Good day." Nine Dragons Emperor smiled politely, then turned and left the reception hall with his entourage.
The crowd could only stare at one another in mutual dumbfounded silence.