The Kabric Wasteland stretched out in every direction — yellow earth, scattered rocks, and the ruins of abandoned farmland and pastures. Crows circled overhead, cawing intermittently.
Level 10 White-Fang Boars, Great Bison, and Vultures roamed the area, all extremely aggressive.
A level 10 monster zone was a dangerous place for most players at this point, but in one of the pastures, a twenty-man team was grinding White-Fang Boars in a group.
"The mobs here are almost cleared out. Xiao Ying, go pull some more over," a handsome young man in golden armor, gripping a great sword, ordered.
"Yes, sir." The level 9 assassin called Xiao Ying answered respectfully, then turned and went to pull more monsters.
If ordinary players saw this, they would probably be stunned.
A proper level 9 assassin, decked out in Iron Rank equipment — by any measure, a Divine Realm expert.
Such a level 9 expert would be upper management in any major guild, yet here was one willing to play the role of a lackey — and without a trace of resentment or anger in his eyes. He even seemed proud of it.
"Hmm? Qingxue." The golden-armored young man glanced at an incoming communication request, visibly surprised. He accepted and spoke softly, "Qingxue, it's been so long. How have you been? I really don't see what's so great about staying in a guild like Snake of the Body. Wouldn't it be better to join me and grow in the Underworld?"
"Feng Xuanyang, I've already told you — I won't join the Underworld. I'll carve out my own path. I'm contacting you today because I need a favor." Bai Qingxue replied indifferently.
"Just say it. Whatever you ask of me, Qingxue, I'll give it my all." The golden-armored young man immediately broke into a grin. This was the first time Bai Qingxue had ever asked him for anything. She'd always kept her distance before. This was the perfect chance to impress her.
"It's nothing major. It's about that message you sent me before — the one telling me not to get involved. I looked into it and found out what happened. It was just a minor conflict, and that Ye Feng is a friend of mine. I hope you can let it go, for my sake." Bai Qingxue said.
"Ye Feng?" Feng Xuanyang, the golden-armored young man, furrowed his brows slightly. He hadn't expected Bai Qingxue to be asking him about this.
"Yes, Ye Feng. What do you think?" Bai Qingxue asked.
"If you say so, Qingxue, then of course there's no problem. Don't worry, I'll talk to my people." Feng Xuanyang replied with a smile.
After that, Bai Qingxue ended the call.
"Qingxue, why are you so concerned about this Ye Feng? You've never gone out of your way for anyone else like this. Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to that guy." Zhao Yueru, standing beside her, grinned at Bai Qingxue with a look that screamed "I know something's going on between you two."
"You're overthinking it." Bai Qingxue rolled her eyes at Zhao Yueru, then chuckled, "Besides, have you forgotten whose alchemy recipe not only made you an intermediate alchemist but also earned you a fortune? You've been counting silver coins happily every day."
"Fine, I admit he helped quite a bit. So it's only right to return the favor this time." When Bai Qingxue said this, Zhao Yueru bristled like a startled kitten whose sore spot had been poked.
"And Ye Feng's help goes far beyond that. Thanks to him helping us clear the Hell Difficulty Dark Moon Cemetery, my standing in Snake of the Body has soared. Many guild elders have changed their stance and chosen to side with me. That saved me a lot of trouble. I haven't even had a chance to thank him properly yet, so this small favor is nothing." Bai Qingxue continued, "If the Underworld still won't let go and keeps trying to target Ye Feng, then I'll have no choice but to use that move. But Feng Xuanyang has already agreed, so it should be fine."
On the other end, after ending the call, Feng Xuanyang's face turned livid, his eyes burning with fury.
Feng Xuanyang couldn't understand what kind of relationship Ye Feng had with Bai Qingxue that would make her speak up for him like this. He'd been pursuing Bai Qingxue for so long, and she'd always been cold and distant. Yet now, the moment the Underworld wanted to put Ye Feng in his place, she called to intervene. Her concern for Ye Feng was far from ordinary.
It had reached a level that made even Feng Xuanyang jealous.
He had power, wealth, and good looks — in every respect, he was a hundred times better than Shi Feng. Yet Bai Qingxue was so focused on Shi Feng. Something had to be going on.
However, Feng Xuanyang knew Bai Qingxue's daily life well. A nobody like Shi Feng couldn't possibly meet her in person. The only possibility was that something had happened in the Divine Realm that made Bai Qingxue so friendly toward Shi Feng. If Shi Feng was still active in the Divine Realm, the two might develop their relationship further.
The more Feng Xuanyang thought about it, the more convinced he became.
Feng Xuanyang's gaze turned cold as ice. He refused to let years of pursuit go to waste. "I can't let this Ye Feng exist any longer."
He absolutely could not tolerate continued contact between Shi Feng and Bai Qingxue. He had to eliminate Shi Feng now. As long as Shi Feng vanished from the Divine Realm, there would be no chance for the two of them to get closer.
"Young Master Feng, do you have any orders?" Nan Lang asked respectfully.
"I want you to drive a wedge between Ye Feng and Bai Qingxue. Find a way to turn them against each other, then make him disappear from the Divine Realm. But it can't look like the Underworld was behind it. Understood?" Feng Xuanyang said coldly.
"Understood. I'll handle it, Young Master Feng. But I'd appreciate a few more helpers — it would make things easier." Nan Lang replied with a grin.
"Fine. I'll dispatch a squad of Underworld Guards to assist you. Make sure you do it cleanly." Feng Xuanyang said.
At the mention of the Underworld Guards, Nan Lang was taken aback. He had no idea what Shi Feng had done to anger Young Master Feng so much that he would deploy the Underworld's core fighting force — and an entire squad at that.
"Don't worry, Young Master Feng. I'll make sure it's airtight." Nan Lang assured him.
The Star River region.
The Abyssal in Shi Feng's hands suddenly erupted with billowing black flames. These flames instantly engulfed the Gold-grade great sword and ten Silver Dawns, radiating searing heat as they began to melt the weapons.
The temperature of the black flames far exceeded even the Ice Blue Demonic Flame. In the blink of an eye, the Gold-grade great sword was reduced to a molten mass, its essence continuously absorbed by the Abyssal.
After consuming everything, the entire Abyssal ignited with massive black flames. The flames seemed alive, coalescing into a black dragon — its body as imposing as a mountain two or three hundred meters tall, covered in pitch-black scales harder than steel. Then it unleashed an earth-shattering roar. The thick dark clouds in the sky scattered instantly, and the dragon's cry shook the entire Star River region. Even the Golden Fish froze in place, completely stunned.
"A Magic Artifact!" Faust, hovering in midair, saw the black dragon emerging from the Abyssal and immediately understood what had happened. Even he, always so composed, was now shocked. "Such a young age, yet he can wield a Magic Artifact without being devoured by it? How is this possible?"