"Boss!"
"Boss..."
Several Martial Alliance players watched in utter shock as Iron Sword Mad Lion was taken down so effortlessly. They had witnessed his power firsthand — killing other players was as easy as chopping vegetables for him. Yet Shi Feng had dispatched him in just a few moves. It was incomprehensible.
The executives of other guilds watching from a distance were equally dumbfounded. Only Ci Xin understood — from the moment Iron Sword Mad Lion had provoked Shi Feng, the Martial Alliance's presence in Red Leaf Town was already finished.
But the others had no idea.
After all, Iron Sword Mad Lion had built quite a reputation in Red Leaf Town. People had only heard that he'd been caught off guard by Shi Feng's sneak attack before and accidentally killed. In a head-on fight, Iron Sword Mad Lion was surely the stronger one. No one had expected that in a fair, open confrontation, he'd be finished after just a handful of exchanges.
Rumors really couldn't be trusted. Seeing the speed and precision of Shi Feng's sword strikes — eight phantom blades from a single swing — even they had to admit they couldn't block it. Coupled with Shi Feng's absurdly high attack power, Iron Sword Mad Lion never stood a chance.
This Swordsman Shi Feng was definitely no ordinary player. No wonder the Ice Snow Goddess had stood up for him.
"I originally thought Iron Sword Mad Lion would be a serious competitor. Turns out he's just some nouveau riche from a minor game. Can't believe he's this braindead — biting anyone he sees."
"Heh, the Martial Alliance is done for this time. First they went around provoking top-tier experts like rabid dogs, then arrogantly declared war on the Ice Snow Goddess. Do they really think surviving in the Divine Realm is that easy?"
"There are already plenty of braindead people in the real world, and now they come to the Divine Realm to show off. Clearly a bunch of small-game veterans who don't know their place. The Martial Alliance is about to be wiped off the map in Red Leaf Town."
Every day, studios and guilds entered the Divine Realm, and just as many disappeared. Such was the norm.
With Iron Sword Mad Lion dead and no one left to command them, the entire Martial Alliance fell into chaos, scattering in a mad scramble to flee.
Shi Feng naturally wouldn't let this opportunity to devastate the Martial Alliance slip away. He quickly picked up Iron Sword Mad Lion's drops, activated Wind Walk, and gave chase.
He ignored the level-three or so newbies and focused exclusively on hunting down the Martial Alliance elites. Each one he killed dropped a piece of Bronze Equipment, dealing significant losses to the guild.
"Ximen Piaoxue, we meet again."
Shi Feng cut off the escape route of several Martial Alliance elites, holding the Abyssal horizontally. He spotted one particularly familiar face — none other than Ximen Piaoxue, the same man who had harassed Ziyan Liuyun and caused trouble for him that day.
Ximen Piaoxue jumped in fright, pointing a trembling finger at Shi Feng. "Yefeng, you shameless bastard — ganging up on four people by yourself. Some expert you are."
Without a word, Shi Feng stepped forward, both swords swinging to carve out eight phantom blades that shot straight for the four players' lives.
One Shield Warrior immediately activated Shield Wall, bracing to tank the attack head-on. Another Berserker charged at Shi Feng. The Warlock launched a Shadow Arrow, and Ximen Piaoxue steeled himself, swinging a slashing attack at Shi Feng as well.
Seeing how well the four coordinated, Shi Feng knew a head-on clash wouldn't benefit him. He activated Phantom Kill, placing a clone before him, then pivoted sharply, executing an ethereal footwork that left trails of afterimages behind him.
The phantom clone continuously blocked the four's attacks, taking some damage in the process. However, once Shi Feng himself dodged to the side, he swung the Abyssal with devastating force. Three bolts of lightning from Wind Thunder Flash struck the three melee fighters engaged with the clone, instantly obliterating Ximen Piaoxue and the Berserker. The Shield Warrior, protected by Shield Wall, barely survived — but the clone seized the opening and finished him off with a clean slash. Only the Warlock remained, still desperately chanting a spell.
Shi Feng lunged forward with Wind Chasing Sword, fast as a gale. The Warlock panicked and tried to flee, but Shi Feng's slash caught him across the spine, dealing 1,156 critical damage and instantly killing him.
The gap in equipment and combat skill allowed Shi Feng to end the fight swiftly. He picked up their drops and continued hunting the remaining elites.
After a little over ten minutes, every last Martial Alliance elite was dead. The damage dealt was nearly catastrophic — competing with other guilds for dominance over Red Leaf Town was no longer possible.
"Miss Bai, thank you for your help today. Without it, we would have suffered heavy losses." Shi Feng said, looking at Bai Qingxue with gratitude.
Fighting the Martial Alliance, even if he could kill quite a few and escape in the end, the others would surely have died.
"It's nothing — just a small favor." Bai Qingxue said softly. "The Martial Alliance may have taken heavy losses in Red Leaf Town, but they still have members in other small towns. Once everyone reaches level ten and converges on White River City, the Martial Alliance won't be this easy to deal with. You seem to be a solo player without a guild. Without a major guild's protection, you'll be an easy target for the Martial Alliance. Why not join Snake of the Body?"
"That's right, Big Brother Yefeng! With Snake of the Body's strength, even first-rate guilds won't dare mess with us once we reach White River City. Plus, our guild benefits are excellent!" Xiaoyue'er added.
"Thank you for your concern, Miss Bai. But I'm used to my freedom, and I have no plans to join a guild right now." Shi Feng politely declined.
Snake of the Body was good, but it came with just as many problems. Look at Bai Qingxue — she was the First Vice Guild Master, yet she still ended up leaving Snake of the Body. Just as he himself had been casually kicked out of Shadow in the end. It was always best to keep the initiative in one's own hands.
"Since that's how you feel, I won't push. If you ever change your mind, Snake of the Body will always welcome you." Bai Qingxue naturally saw through Shi Feng's reasoning, but everyone had their own path. She couldn't force the matter. For now, maintaining a good relationship was enough.
Shi Feng then led Hei Zi and the others out of the Dark Moon Cemetery, planning to return to town first to regroup before taking everyone to grind levels properly. He hadn't had time before, but now that most matters were settled, it was the perfect chance to power-level everyone to ten.
Zhao Yueru watched Shi Feng's retreating figure, feeling a vague sense of familiarity. She couldn't explain why, but a nameless sense of loss tugged at her heart.
"Qingxue, why didn't you try harder? If you'd told him about the God-Slaying Army, maybe he would have joined." Zhao Yueru asked.
Bai Qingxue smiled. "Weren't you the one who didn't want him joining? What changed your mind?"
Zhao Yueru's cheeks flushed slightly, and she declared with righteous conviction, "It's all for your sake. He's a top-tier expert, after all. If you bring him into Snake of the Body, he becomes one of our faction. If he does well in the God-Slaying Army later, it'll give you a lot more influence."
"If he hadn't shown such extraordinary talent, I would have tried my hardest to bring him in. But he's too outstanding — like a true dragon. Right now, he's merely a dragon lurking in the deep. Sooner or later, he'll soar into the sky. Someone like that can't be held down. For all we know, he may become one of Snake of the Body's most troublesome rivals in the future." Bai Qingxue chuckled softly.
"A rival?" Zhao Yueru fell into deep thought.