"The War Dragon Legion?" Dragon Blood gasped when he heard the name.
The Dragon Phoenix Pavilion was divided into two halls — the Heavenly Dragon Hall and the Phoenix Hall. Each of these two halls commanded its own strongest legion.
The Heavenly Dragon Hall's strongest legion was the War Dragon Legion.
The Dragon Phoenix Pavilion had specially cultivated experts within its ranks, but only the cream of the crop among them were permitted to join the War Dragon Legion.
It could be said that the War Dragon Legion was the ultimate force established specifically to rival those super guilds.
And Dragon Blood himself had once been a member of the War Dragon Legion.
Now that Nine Dragon Emperor was dispatching the War Dragon Legion, how could anyone not be shocked?
"Guild Master, this is just a small guild we're dealing with. There's no need to mobilize such a massive force, is there?" The beautiful woman standing beside him, Baihua Luanwu, tried to dissuade him as well. "In truth, just relying on Dragon Blood's Blood Legion would be more than enough to handle Zero Wing. If we reveal the War Dragon Legion's strength now, won't we be losing one of our trump cards when the time comes to deal with those super guilds?"
"It doesn't matter," Nine Dragon Emperor said, a teasing smile playing on his face. "Our Dragon Phoenix Pavilion hasn't made much of an impression since entering the Divine Realm. Everyone is watching us right now, and this is the perfect opportunity to make a statement. Besides, Zero Wing's reputation isn't small — taking them down quickly will intimidate the lesser powers and let everyone know that our Dragon Phoenix Pavilion is no longer what it used to be. We are a true super guild now."
"Understood. I'll notify the War Dragon Legion right away." Baihua Luanwu immediately began relaying the orders.
Time trickled by.
While the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion was preparing to deal with Zero Wing, the other guilds weren't sitting idle either, each one mobilizing their forces.
In an instant, White River City was swarming with experts.
The streets, broad as they were in broad daylight, had more players on them than at night. Among the crowd were not only people dispatched by the major guilds but also a great number of ordinary players who had rushed over from other cities.
Now that the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion was going after Zero Wing, every player in the Divine Realm knew about it.
Although it was expected to be a one-sided affair, many players still wanted to witness the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's might with their own eyes, so droves of ordinary players had come to watch the show.
But precisely because of this, Candlelight Trading Firm's business was booming more than ever. The sales of Stone of Light were the most impressive of all, bringing the firm's revenue nearly back to its peak — close to a thousand gold coins per hour.
It kept Melancholic Smile and the others run off their feet.
"Number Five, I heard that you and Number Six joined forces and still lost to Black Flame. That's really put the higher-ups in a bad mood toward us Seven Ghost Gods. This time the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion is going after Zero Wing, and we absolutely need to handle our part properly." A tall, thin man with bronze-colored skin spoke up in a serious tone.
"Don't worry, Third Brother. I won't let the Seven Ghost Gods lose face again this time." A cold killing intent flickered in the Fifth Ghost's eyes.
Last time he and the Sixth Ghost had teamed up, they were still killed. They had lost all their equipment and been unable to log into the Divine Realm for over two days, becoming the laughingstock of the Underworld.
To restore the prestige of the Seven Ghost Gods, they naturally wanted to get their revenge and complete the task assigned from above.
"As long as you feel that way, good. Our mission is simple — help Young Master Feng obtain three hundred Intermediate Magic Energy Armor Plates. Getting even more equipment and Intermediate Magic Energy Armor Plates on top of that would be ideal, of course, but since this operation is being led by the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, we should play it safe. Secure those three hundred Intermediate Magic Energy Armor Plates first." The tall, thin Third Ghost spoke up. "To ensure we complete the mission this time, I've even called in Number Four and Number Seven. With the five of us brothers, taking down Black Flame shouldn't be a problem at all. The only thing we need to worry about is the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, so we'd better plan this out carefully."
"Rest assured about that, Brother Third Ghost. I've already done my reconnaissance," Feng Xuanyang explained with a smile. "The ones making the move this time won't be Dragon Blood's Blood Legion — it'll be the War Dragon Legion. Every member of the War Dragon Legion is arrogant and high-minded; they've never put anyone in their eyes. They won't be paying attention to us. To be on the safe side, I've also had a large contingent of elite members from Maple Leaf City come over. With this much force, Black Flame won't have a choice but to comply."
"Right now, Zero Wing is already up against the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion — that's like an egg against a rock. If they also have to face us, it'll be certain death times ten over. No matter how powerful he is, Black Flame will have to think twice about it. When that time comes, he'll definitely hand over three hundred Intermediate Magic Energy Armor Plates." The Fifth Ghost gave a sinister laugh. "And if he dares refuse, I'll make him experience what true agony feels like."
In White River City, besides Yixiao Qingcheng, every major guild was harboring similar schemes to kick Zero Wing while it was down and shake them for everything they were worth.
Meanwhile, in an upscale bar not far from Zero Wing's guild headquarters, the higher-ups of numerous guilds had gathered.
All three floors of the building were packed with players. The premium rooms on the third floor had been claimed by first-rate guilds, giving them a clear view of every move at Zero Wing's headquarters.
"Guild Master, don't you find Zero Wing a bit strange? It's come to this, and they're still so relaxed, showing no signs of preparation at all. Is this Black Flame really stupid, or just pretending?" Purple Eyes looked out the window toward Zero Wing's headquarters, her slender brows furrowed.
"That's not strange at all, because Black Flame has no idea what kind of person Nine Dragon Emperor is," Xinghe Wangxi said, taking a sip of his Flaming Beer with a smile. "Look at the people in this bar — aren't the vast majority of them from first-rate guilds? Zero Wing is a newly established guild, and Black Flame himself is a newcomer. Naturally, he doesn't know about Nine Dragon Emperor's operating style, which is why he's being so relaxed. Nine Dragon Emperor is very high-profile and doesn't play by the rules. The fact that they secretly mobilized the War Dragon Legion — their strongest force — for this is a complete overreaction. The only logical conclusion is that they intend to destroy Zero Wing's guild headquarters."
"A guild headquarters isn't like a private shop, where the manager inside is invincible. With a guild headquarters, the only troublesome part is dealing with the hired guards stationed inside, and with the patrol guards on the streets, it becomes even harder. With players' current levels and equipment, nobody can handle the patrol guards yet, so no guild would go attacking another guild's headquarters."
"But then again, the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion is no ordinary guild, so you can't measure them by normal standards. And Nine Dragon Emperor isn't stupid — I have a feeling he must have some kind of method up his sleeve. Otherwise, he wouldn't have deployed the War Dragon Legion, his ultimate ace reserved for dealing with other super guilds!"
"What we need to do now is wait for the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion to make their move. Once they do and put Zero Wing in a desperate situation, we can begin our own action."
Purple Eyes nodded silently.
This time, their Star River Alliance had also sent a considerable number of experts and elites. They weren't worried about Zero Wing refusing to comply — the only question was how much they'd be able to take.
But none of the major guilds, including the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, knew one crucial thing. Shi Feng was a reborn person, and moreover, the guild master of a second-rate guild. To survive in the harsh world of the Divine Realm, he had poured untold effort and hardship into his craft.
When it came to understanding a big shot like Nine Dragon Emperor... even Nine Dragon Emperor himself might not have known himself better than Shi Feng did.
(To be continued.)