A bar in a slum district of the Star Moon Kingdom capital.
A middle-aged man in a silver robe turned to scan his surroundings. Once he confirmed no one was following, he walked directly into the bar.
Inside, besides the bartender NPC, only one person was present: a young man with striking white hair, clad in finely crafted black leather armor. He sat quietly at the counter, sipping a bottle of vodka. Sensing the silver-robed man enter, he turned and greeted him with a smile. "You finally made it. Looks like the Black Flame didn't go easy on you. How did the task I asked you to do go?"
The silver-robed middle-aged man was none other than Xiao of the Seven Deadly Sins, the first Void Realm expert Shi Feng had personally defeated with his own strength.
Xiao held a high position within the Seven Deadly Sins, already at the executive level. Ordinarily, members would feel both reverence and fear upon seeing him, desperate to avoid offending his eccentric nature. Yet this white-haired young man spoke to him with casual ease.
If any member of the Seven Deadly Sins witnessed this scene, they would be utterly shocked.
"Just as you guessed, he can strip players of their Immortal Soul, but I didn't find that item on him. Still, this cost me dearly—three days offline, falling behind in levels, and losing a top-tier pair of boots. How are you going to compensate me?" Xiao asked, a bit resentful as he looked at the gloating young man.
"Fine, it's just a pair of top-tier boots. How about this?" The white-haired young man smiled, pulling a pair of Dark-Gold Combat Boots, Level 35, from his inventory.
Currently, the mainstream level in the server was only around Level 30. Elite players were perhaps Level 33, and top experts reached Level 35 at most. Yet the young man casually produced a Level 35 Dark-Gold item for Xiao. If the guild leaders of other major guilds saw this, their eyes would pop out.
Even Level 30 Dark-Gold equipment was extremely hard to come by right now, let alone Level 35.
"That's more like it. Otherwise, it would damage your Silver reputation." Xiao didn't seem surprised, accepting the boots calmly. "But you are truly strange. Why didn't you go after him yourself? Asking me to test his strength and check for the item was a waste of time. With your level, finding a good opportunity to eliminate him should have been easy."
"You don't understand. There's only one chance to get that item. If I alert him, I might never get another shot."
"Though I'm glad I didn't go. Based on the situation, killing him would have been difficult for me back then, especially since he wasn't carrying the item. Even if I killed him, it would have been useless." Silver shook his head lightly. "But I'm not in a rush about this. Besides that item he got, there are several other places I need to check. But you need to keep an eye on him and report his situation to me at all times."
"As for the reward you mentioned, I'll arrange it soon. But don't forget one thing: only you and I know this information. If I find out it's been leaked... you know the consequences!"
Xiao shuddered slightly under Silver's gaze. "I understand."
Silver was a true executive within the Seven Deadly Sins. In the organization's history, he was the youngest person ever to reach the executive level, a testament to his formidable strength and methods. Offending Silver would mean not only being unable to make a name for oneself in the Divine Realm, but likely in the real world as well.
...
Fire Dragon Empire, Imperial Capital, Yanlong City.
The number of empires within the Divine Realm wasn't small, but among them, four great empires stood far above the rest. One of them was the Fire Dragon Empire.
The population of the Beast Tamer Empire's capital was merely in the tens of millions, but the player population in Yanlong City was even higher, reaching thirty million. The Beast Tamer capital simply couldn't compare. Yanlong City was also one of the four primary venues for the Dark Arena.
Yanlong City itself was vast beyond measure. Compared to it, the Star Moon Kingdom capital and White River City were like small towns.
Currently, a large number of players had gathered outside the underground arena in Yanlong City.
These players were either of high status or influential figures within the Divine Realm. Not a single one was someone to be trifled with.
Ordinary players couldn't enter here, as the area had been completely cordoned off by several super guilds. Any player causing trouble here would face complete and permanent removal from the Divine Realm. Thus, apart from those explicitly invited, no other players dared to approach.
"Sister Qianyu, time is almost up, and those people still haven't arrived. Should we have the others prepare?" a graceful young woman in magnificent purple mage robes asked Feng Qianyu softly.
"We still have time. Waiting a little longer won't hurt. If they really don't show, then we'll have them step in," Feng Qianyu said with a smile, glancing at the young woman beside her. "Qinghuang, I know you look down on Zero Wing deep down, but Black Flame is an expert who defeated Long Wu. Moreover, he recently killed Xiao of the Seven Deadly Sins. His strength now stands at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm."
Qinghuang's reputation within the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion was no less than Long Wu's. She was one of the pinnacle combatants the Pavilion had cultivated at great expense. However, Long Wu had comprehended the Domain earlier, giving him an edge within the Pavilion. Still, Qinghuang was an expert at the pinnacle level of the Divine Realm.
Originally, Feng Qianyu had planned to let Qinghuang lead the team she was assembling for the upcoming tournament, hoping to make a substantial profit.
It was only because Black Flame had suddenly emerged that Feng Qianyu decided to let him lead instead. This way, she could better remain hidden in the background without anyone suspecting the team's connection to her.
"But that Black Flame is too arrogant! This team slot was something you worked so hard to secure, Sister Qianyu. The tournament start date is approaching, and they're still not here. It's clear they don't take this matter seriously at all. How can people like that possibly give their all in the tournament?" Qinghuang said indignantly.
Just as Feng Qianyu waited quietly, a stunningly beautiful woman in an alluring purple robe, exuding an aura of nobility, appeared before her.
"Well, isn't this Miss Qianyu? To think that after all these years, you're still just a minor Pavilion Master. If you had agreed to my brother's conditions back then, you wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state," Liu Shishi said with a chuckle, though her eyes held a mocking glint.
"Oh, I wondered who it was. Isn't this Miss Liu Shishi, who was just defeated by the upstart guild Zero Wing?" Feng Qianyu giggled, covering her mouth.
Provoked by Feng Qianyu's words, Liu Shishi bristled like an angry cat, gritting her teeth in fury.
"Feng Qianyu, don't be smug. Sooner or later, I'll make you see that all your efforts are futile. Your fate was sealed long ago and cannot be changed. The Dragon Phoenix Pavilion can't help you in the least, let alone when you're just a minor Pavilion Master!" Liu Shishi snorted coldly and stomped away.
After Liu Shishi left, however, Feng Qianyu's expression also turned somewhat grim.
...
"Sister Qianyu, time is up. The organizers are already pressing us. What should we do now?" Qinghuang asked.
The official subscription is on Qidian under Yuewen. You can read the latest chapters first (To be continued.)