Finishing Candlelight's Preparations

Point out any errors I made in the chapters, as I'm very lazy and sometimes can't be bothered to reread them. Also give your opinions on something I should change or add

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Feeling refreshed after having settled things with Aqua, Feng logged back into God's Domain, and immediately went back to forging Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. 

During his absence, the members of Candlelight had spent their time arduously forging Light Stones of various ranks, with the many unrestored Intermediate Apprentice Forgers, whose Forging rank had been upgraded to Advanced Apprentice Forger using the Books of Gold, making basic ones, the unrestored members who had become Forgers being entrusted with the creation of Advanced Light Stones, and restored members with lower ranks who weren't given any important Forging Designs handling the Peak Light Stones. 

Normally, it wouldn't be possible for inexperienced Forgers like these to make the Light Stones they were assigned to with their ranks in the volume necessary for Candlelight, but thanks to the restored members giving them some tips and tricks, they were able to cope with the duties bestowed upon them. 

Of course, the restored Candlelight members didn't teach them anything excessive, mostly basic knowledge about Forging which would become common after a bit anyway in order to increase their efficiency and the profit Candlelight could make from them. 

Only the unrestored members who Melancholic knew would stick around, like those who Feng hadn't restored the memories of yet or was unable to due to him not having had the chance to see their souls in the previous timeline, mostly because many weak people among them had died after not being able to adapt fast enough, had received proper teaching and instructions on how to improve in their mastery of Forging. 

Aside from those members, the players employed by Starstreak, as well as the NPCs, who weren't members of the Horizon Alliance were still making basic necessity items and commodities, despite the Starstreak Trading Firm not selling any of them and making the players wonder if the Trading Firm had become bugged. 

Nevertheless, since they were still making good money for their work, the players didn't bother questioning it. Though, them and the NPCs still being payed while Starstreak was pulling in zero profit naturally caused the firm to lose large sums of Gold Coins every day, causing Anna to start pulling out her hair due to Feng's negligence. 

But that was of no concern to Feng, who merely used his own stash of coins to offset the loses made during this time. 

He still possessed plenty of the Gold Coins remaining from the original Dragonclaw Set sales left remaining after purchasing Land, along with the amount gained from the following Sets forged by Cocoa with the materials Melancholic managed to gather, whose earnings, although had dropped significantly already, were still large, with each Equipment Set being bid for around five hundred Gold Coins. 

There was also the money obtained from Candlelight selling its products and the hundreds of thousands of items Feng had looted from the slaughtered Overwhelming Smile members, which was by no means small. There was even some money the Guild had earned through Guild Quests. Thus, Feng had no problem compensating Starstreak for its losses. 

However, out of everyone, the one who had worked the hardest was definitely Black Flame, who had not moved from his forging table ever since returning from slaying the Infant Silver Dragon; having spent the entire time Feng was logged out forging Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. 

Black Flame hadn't done that because he was just so excited and willing to do nothing but forge without taking a single break, though, and he merely had no choice in the matter after Feng had put him in charge of dealing with the huge number of Intermediate Mana Armor Kits that they needed. 

Feng wasn't so heartless as to make his sentient clone do all the boring work while he simply enjoyed himself, as he was planning on helping out with the Mana Kit creation during this time, before letting Black Flame have some fun and blow off steam on a certain arrogant annoyance. 

---

Coldstar City, Threading Trading Firm:

"Master Aspiration, may I know if you are satisfied with the Threading Trading Firm's Advanced Alchemy Room?" Youlan asked softly as she watched the white-haired old man standing beside the workbench. Currently, this old man held a purple glass bottle and gently swirled it around.

Youlan was extra careful when dealing with this old man, Master Silent Aspiration, treating him with more respect than even Feng Xuanyang.

Although this white-haired old man was already past 70-years-old, even Underworld's upper management had to show this man great respect, much less a young woman like herself.

Before Youlan had even been born, this old man had explored virtual reality games for many years. And throughout all these years, he had focused fully on the art of alchemy.

In this day and age, nobody in the virtual gaming world's alchemy industry did not know the name Silent Aspiration.

Old Man Silent Aspiration was already a Basic Alchemist. Meanwhile, if Feng could see the potion this old man was concocting right now, he would find it familiar.

The potion in the glass bottle was a Fire Resistance Potion. However, it was not just any Fire Resistance Potion. It was a modified variation. In the past, this potion had been known as the Fire Dragon Potion, and it had been extremely famous throughout God's Domain. Not only did it provide more Fire Resistance than a Basic Fire Resistance Potion, but its duration was also much longer. Most importantly, the Fire Dragon Potion increased a player's Strength by 10 points during its duration. The Fire Dragon Potion's effects could also stack to a maximum of 50 Strength and 100 Fire Resistance.

To an ordinary player, 50 Strength was a significant increase, not to mention experts.

"Not bad. I never expected that you, little girl, could actually obtain such a good bottle. This has finally allowed me to complete my newly-developed potion," Silent Aspiration smiled at the red liquid inside the purple bottle. Satisfied, he said, "Sure enough, it is as I surmised. Not only will the Fire Resistance stack, but the Strength bonus will also stack. Seeing as the Basic version of the potion already possesses such wonderful effects, let's call this the Fire Dragon Potion. Little girl, consider yourself lucky."

"Master Aspiration, you truly are amazing. You are actually capable of producing such a powerful potion. May I know the success rate for this Fire Dragon Potion?" Youlan's eyes lit up with joy when she saw the Fire Dragon Potion's effects.

In order to convince Master Silent Aspiration to come to Coldstar City and help the Frosty Thread Guild, she had to go through much difficulty to obtain this set of Mysterious-Iron Alchemy Equipment.

However, compared to the value of this Fire Dragon Potion, a set of Mysterious-Iron Alchemy Equipment was nothing considerable.

"Relax. If this old man crafts the potions personally, my success rate is 50%, and though the success rate of other Alchemists might be below 30%, the materials I've used to concoct this potion are all common. It won't do much harm to waste some," Silent Aspiration laughed.

To develop the Fire Dragon Potion, he had invested a lot of time. Otherwise, he would have long since become an Intermediate Alchemist by now.

"Many thanks for Master Aspiration's help. Now that we have the Fire Dragon Potion, as long as we nurture a large number of Alchemists, the Candlelight Trading Firm will no longer be a problem," Youlan said confidently.

As the creator of the Fire Dragon Potion, Silent Aspiration could distribute its recipe to as many people as he wanted. It would be extremely easy for the Threading Trading Firm to develop a small army of Alchemists.

Moreover, the Threading Trading Firm would have exclusive rights to sell the Fire Dragon Potion. It was far more precious than any rare forging design or recipe. It was impossible for anyone outside the Trading Firm to produce it. With this potion, who could possibly challenge the Threading Trading Firm?

"I've already produced what you requested. Little girl, if you wish to keep me here, you need to remember the Secret-Silver Equipment you promised me," Silent Aspiration reminded her.

To this old man, nothing was more valuable than refining his alchemy. In particular, the alchemy in God's Domain was unbelievable. If possible, he would've immersed himself in research every day. Unfortunately, his equipment was not good enough. Otherwise, he would not have bothered helping Youlan.

"Master Aspiration, please rest assured. I have already found some clues leading to the set. I believe that it won't be long before we obtain a set of Secret-Silver Alchemy Equipment for you," Youlan guaranteed. "In the meantime, however, I will have to trouble Master Aspiration to produce a few more Fire Dragon Potion Recipes. That way, I can earn the money required to buy the Alchemy Equipment quickly."

"This is a simple task," Silent Aspiration laughed.

---

As time passed by, the various Guilds throughout God's Domain no longer competed over Dungeons. Instead, they had shifted their focus to competing in trade. This competition only grew fiercer as more time passed.

This shift had occurred because everyone had seen just how profitable the Candlelight Trading Firm was.

After just two short days, many Guilds had opened their own Shops. Even Ouroboros had opened a Shop in Star-Moon City, though the Shop was nowhere near the central district. However, Gentle Snow had not had much choice. She had seen just how much money the Candlelight Trading Firm raked in every day.

By the time Ouroboros collected enough Reputation points and Coins to purchase a golden Land, she would have already fallen too far behind the Candlelight Trading Firm, who has mostly monopolized Star-Moon City's trade by now. So, she made the decision to set up a Shop in the city's outer district first. At the very least, the Guild could gain a small income of Coins this way.

"Young Master Feng, everything has been prepared. At noon, we should have a sufficient stockpile of the Fire Dragon Potion. At that time, our men will announce the sales of the potion throughout White River City. Even if the Threading Trading Firm is not situated in the golden areas, everyone will still swarm the Shop. Moreover, the Candlelight Trading Firm only has three people capable of producing the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits. When the time comes, it will fall to the Threading Trading Firm."

"Excellent! Youlan, you've done splendidly this time! You were actually able to obtain something as valuable as the Fire Dragon Potion. With this potion, the Threading Trading Firm will lure a large number of players. We'll reduce the prices for the other products as well. I want to see just how the Candlelight Trading Firm plans to compete!" Feng Xuanyang said gleefully.

Underworld had money and manpower. They could easily obtain a large stock of materials. In addition to Silent Aspiration's unlimited supply of Fire Dragon Potion Recipes, each additional Basic Alchemist they nurtured would be one more capable of producing the Fire Dragon Potion. Currently, the Threading Trading Firm already possessed six Basic Alchemists. As more time passed, that number would only increase. On the other hand, the Candlelight Trading Firm had no way to increase the number of Forgers who could craft Basic Strengthening Armor Kits, no matter how many Basic Forgers they hired. Meanwhile, Candlelight's unsatisfied customers would naturally run to the Threading Trading Firm.

After all, many Level 25 Dungeons required players to have Fire Resistance. One could say that the Fire Dragon Potion was more valuable to players than the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits. Moreover, every player only possessed limited funds. As the Fire Dragon Potion was cheaper than the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, when comparing the benefits one could gain from the two, players would prioritize the Fire Dragon Potion.

---

While Feng Xuanyang fantasized about monopolizing White River City's trade with the Threading Trading Firm, Candlelight has been in full work mode the entire time, until Feng got a report that the Threading Trading Firm was starting to make its move. 

Many items were churned out by the Lifestyle players during these two days, with the number of Light Stones having been forged reaching a stunning amount that satisfied Feng; at least for now. 

The Forging ranks of every player had also been upgraded from them working this entire time with minimal breaks, all of the original Intermediate Apprentice Forgers becoming Advanced Apprentice Forgers, with some even becoming Forgers, and the Advanced Apprentice Forgers becoming real Forgers, greatly increasing their proficiency and efficiency. 

As the Books' effects had no longer been affective on the Candlelight members, and the two day duration had run out yesterday, Feng had chosen to use more of the Books of Gold on Apprentices and upgrade them to Forgers in order to boost the Light Stone production. 

Even with Melancholic and the Shops having recruited players on a large scale, only a bit over ten thousand players have joined, with not every one of them being eligible for forging Light Stones, so only a tenth or so of Feng's Gold Book stock was previously used up, and many more were left to be used. 

Considering their current man power and personnel, regular and Advanced Light Stones were no longer an issue, and even when they opened up Shops in the Empires where Feng had purchased plots of Land, their production capability would be enough to handle it for a long while until more players joined Candlelight. 

Peak Light Stones were a different case, as their complexity was a bit much for the current unrestored members, while the materials needed for them were several times greater than the Advanced ones, so it would be an unfavorable loss to let them try their hand in forging the Peak Light Stones. 

Thus, only the limited number, of the already limited, restored Lifestyle players who don't have any urgent items assigned to them could be left with the Peak money making rocks. Of course, with the production being more difficult, the Peak Light Stones' effects were much greater as well; with their range and duration being a few times greater, reducing dark-type creatures' attributes greatly and players within its range doing extra light damage. 

With such a cap on the amount of Peak Light Stones that could be produced, they'll have to limit the number which was sold per day, unlike the Basic and Advanced versions which could be sold without restrictions, as well as only selling them at Shops in cities with a high player population. 

Aside from the Lights Stones and Dragonclaw Sets which had been created by the restored members of Candlelight, many other great items had been prepared for the upcoming sale from the Designs and Recipes previously obtained by the Main Force both during the Mythic Hunt and other sources. 

The restored Zero Wing members have also been at work during this time, going out to raid powerful bosses, obtain rare items and complete Quests, grabbing all the best and most valuable resources before the other players of God's Domain could. 

They were sometimes joined by Feng or Black Flame, who'd then lead them to much more powerful opponents which they couldn't normally take down on their own, often using Twofold Berserk to finish the job along with activating Divine Providence, before going back to forging during their Heavily Weakened state and leaving Icarus's Heart with one of the Main Force members; usually Fire as she is the highest damage dealer in Zero Wing after Feng and his perfect clone. 

Celestina had also recovered from using her Primordial God-ranked Mana Technique at one point during these two days, and under Feng's instructions went on to help the Zero Wing members with monsters, Quests and other things they couldn't achieve on their own; allowing the players' gathering of everything and anything to be many times more efficient and profitable. 

This wasn't limited to just completing tasks of higher ranks, but also of levels due to Celestina currently being Level 99, so she could assist Feng's guildmates in tasks that require taking down monsters above Level 100, as long as their rank wasn't too high, and easy passage in Level 100 and above maps, where the true treasures of God's Domain are. 

Surprisingly enough, the Demon Empress made no protests to going around following after and fighting for some humans, deciding to use the chance in order to obtain more information about the current state of God's Domain and the Elementary one she was currently trapped in, as well as to gather more souls for her contractor to feed her. 

Feng didn't particularly care about her reasons for being compliant, as, with their contract in place, he wasn't concerned about what Celestina does, or investigates, when he wasn't around, the restrictions placed on her making it impossible for the Demon Goddess to do anything that goes against his wishes. 

As such, he merely let her do her own thing and save him the trouble of helping his guild members and gathering souls for fulfilling his part of the contract, killing two birds with one stone, focusing on forging as many Intermediate Mana Armor Kits as possible, only stopping now and deciding to start selling the Light Stones since the Threading Trading Firm, Underworld's puppet, has finished its preparations. 

"Begin selling the regular Light Stones and the the other basic items in the Shops." Feng decided it was finally time for his plans to be brought to fruition.

"Guild Leader, how much should we sell them for?" Melancholic Smile asked. Although she knew how much they had sold them for in the previous timeline, things were no longer exactly the same as then. 

The materials used to produce the Light Stones were very common. A 20-piece stack of Basic Light Stones cost less than 3 Silver to craft. Factoring in the Forgers' success rate, which was just slightly below 70%, the total cost would be around 4 to 5 Silver per stack.

"Simple. Sell each piece for 1 Silver and each stack for 19 Silver." Feng stated directly, feeling no need to change the prices, with him simply deciding on new, higher ones for the Advanced and Peak Light Stones.

Unlike the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, which were considered luxury items to most ordinary players, Light Stones were commonly-used items. So, its price was also very low.

In the past, the starting price for Light Stones had also been roughly 1 Silver per piece. Any higher and players would begin to feel cheated. However, as the number of players who could produce the item increased, the Light Stone's price would eventually fall to 50 Copper per piece and 10 Silver per stack.

Following which, Melancholic Smile began to prepare.

Meanwhile, the Threading Trading Firm had also begun selling the Fire Dragon Potions.

"This Fire Dragon Potion is awesome! It can stack Attributes and Fire Resistance! With this potion, raiding Level 25 Team Dungeons will be a breeze!"

"The only downside is the price. Each bottle actually costs 10 Silver. The MT alone will require five bottles per run. Everyone else in the team will have to drink at least one bottle as well."

"What can you do about it? The Threading Trading Firm is the only place that sells this potion. However, if we can successfully raid 10- and 20-man Hard Mode Team Dungeons, we will more than earn back the cost."

Frosty Thread's advertising had been very well-timed. As the Fire Dragon Potions went on sale, people began to promote the potion at the various lively locations throughout White River City. As a result, many teams, who had struggled with the Level 25 Dungeons that required high Fire Resistance, grew interested, and they had promptly run towards the Threading Trading Firm to purchase the Fire Dragon Potion.

---

Shortly after the Fire Dragon Promotion went up for sale, some of the players visiting the Candlelight Trading Firm to purchase daily necessities discovered that something had changed.

There were several new counters in the hall on the first floor. Initially, due to the recent increase to Candlelight's space, the first floor had felt relatively empty. Now, however, it was slightly fuller. 

"What is this?" Curious players quickly flocked around the new counters.

"Hello, sir, this is our Candlelight Trading Firm's newest product, the Light Stone. With this item, you won't have to worry about not being able to grind at night..." the NPC beauty slowly explained.

To ordinary players, nothing was more of a headache than grinding at night. At night, not only was monsters' vision unaffected, but there was also a certain increase to monsters' combat power. On the other hand, players' vision was considerably limited during night-time, significantly affecting their combat power. However, this was still not the biggest problem. At night, because of the vision problem, it was much easier for monsters to ambush parties. Hence, ordinary players were normally afraid of grinding monsters in the dark.

Meanwhile, the Light Stone just happened to brightly illuminate a large area, allowing players to see as if it were daylight. With this item, not only would monsters' strength remain unchanged, but it was also easier for players to avoid ambushes. Since players would be able to see as normal, they could also fight with their usual combat power, so grinding monsters would be as easy as it was during the day.

"Crap, there's actually such a good item available? How much is it?" a player asked.

"As this is a new product, we are selling each Light Stone at the low price of 1 Silver Coin. You can also buy a stack of 20 at a discounted price of 19 Silver Coins," the NPC beauty smiled brightly as she spoke.

"It's so cheap! I want one stack!"

"Wait, I want two stacks!"

...

Suddenly, the players inside the hall began to purchase Light Stones madly. Although ordinary players did not make a lot of money, they normally formed parties when grinding in the fields. If they split the cost of 19 Silver between each party member, they could easily afford the Light Stones. Moreover, each stack of Light Stones could last a party up to two nights.

As long as one casually tallied up the accounts, the majority of the independent players would not miss out on this opportunity.

An ordinary party could definitely earn more than 19 Silver Coins from two nights of grinding, not to mention an elite party.

Very quickly, news of the Light Stones spread. Players who received the news immediately disregarded whatever they were currently doing and hurried to the Candlelight Trading Firm.

For a time, the Light Stones became far more popular than the Fire Dragon Potion.

"What? You're saying that the Candlelight Trading Firm is selling Light Stones in large quantities?" Feng Xuanyang was baffled when he heard this latest report from his subordinate. "How is that possible?! We even have to limit the number of Fire Dragon Potions we sell each day! How could they possibly afford to sell Light Stones in large quantities?! Where are they finding so many people to produce them?!"

He had spent more than 50 million Credits just to poach the three people capable of producing the Light Stones from the Candlelight Trading Firm, yet, now, the Trading Firm was still able to offer so many Light Stones. How could he possibly believe such a ludicrous report?

Wasn't that item extremely rare and precious?

How could there be so many Light Stones suddenly popping up? Even if the three Forgers of Candlelight focused on producing Light Stones without rest, it would not be possible to produce so many!

"Young Master Feng, this information has been verified. It is real. Based on our initial estimates, more than 1,500 stacks of Light Stones have already sold. Even so, the Candlelight Trading Firm continues to sell them without limit. Now, many of the Threading Trading Firm's customers have already run to the Candlelight Trading Firm to shop."

"Shit! Shit! They scammed me of more than 50 million Credits! They will pay for this!" At this moment, Feng Xuanyang finally came to a realization. The previous three Advanced Forging Apprentices had been a trap set by the Candlelight Trading Firm.

He had lost over 50 million Credits, just like that. Moreover, it had all been his own money.

"Instruct someone purchase Light Stones immediately! Buy as many as you can! I don't believe that they have an unlimited supply!" Feng Xuanyang commanded furiously. 

---

Under Feng Xuanyang's command, Youlan, who was currently in Coldstar City, gave a new command.

Reduce their prices further!

"Miss Youlan, we won't earn much money if we reduce our prices any more than this," a female assistant cautioned.

"I don't want this, either." Youlan shook her head helplessly. "The Candlelight Trading Firm's new move is simply too effective. It actually obtained such a valuable product. Both ordinary players and elites require this Light Stone. Although our Fire Dragon Potions are also very useful, only elite teams and various Guilds can afford to buy them. Meanwhile, our stock of Fire Dragon Potions is very limited. As a competitive edge, it stands no chance against the Light Stone at all." 

If they wanted to lure players to the Threading Trading Firm, their only option was to do so with their common products. 

"Right, from this moment onwards, halt all sales of the Fire Dragon Potion in White River City," Youlan said after giving it some more thought. 

Their supply of Fire Dragon Potions had already been insufficient to meet the demands of Coldstar City. With them selling the potion in White River City as well, their stock had stretched even thinner, further reducing the Threading Trading Firm's competitive edge. Moreover, there was a city tax imposed for selling the Fire Dragon Potions in White River City. This was also a considerable expenditure. So, now, their best option was to maintain the Threading Trading Firm's competition in Coldstar City above all else. 

"Understood," the female assistant then left the meeting room. 

Threading Trading Firm's price reduction on its common goods had indeed attracted more ordinary players. 

Common items such as Whetstones and Advanced Whetstones, various food and beverages, Regeneration Potions and Mana Recovery Potions, basic scrolls and more were must-have items when grinding in the fields. Now that the Threading Trading Firm offered a 40% discount on these items, many ordinary players ran to its Shops to purchase these items.

For a time, the weakened Threading Trading Firm in Coldstar City suddenly seemingly stood on equal footing with the Candlelight Trading Firm. 

The Candlelight Trading Firm had the Basic Strengthened Armor Kits, Light Stones and multiple other amazing products which sold nowhere else. 

The Threading Trading Firm possessed the Fire Dragon Potion and discounts on common goods.

This situation overjoyed Coldstar City's players. 

While the Candlelight Trading Firm did not possess too large of an advantage in Coldstar City, in other cities, however, it was an entirely different story. The Trading Firm was like the sun at high noon in these cities. Because of the Light Stones, a large number of players swarmed the Candlelight Trading Firm's Shops. Most of these players might have initially arrived with the intention of only purchasing the Light Stones. However, upon seeing the wide array of products the Trading Firm offered, they fell prey to temptation and bought other items as well. 

Suddenly, Candlelight Trading Firm's income exploded. 

Meanwhile, the Trading Firm's most exaggerated sources of income were still Star-Moon City and White River City. As the Candlelight Trading Firm had set up its Shops on these two cities' golden Lands, it had instantly become an unshakable player-owned trading firm there. The traffic other player-owned trading firms enjoyed was nothing compared to what the Candlelight Trading Firm saw. 

Star-Moon City and White River City were Star-Moon Kingdom's first and second most populated cities, respectively. Naturally, the income they could offer was astonishing. 

In just an hour, the Candlelight Trading Firm had earned over a thousand Gold. 

And this was only the income from six cities. If they set up a Shop in every city where they had Land... 

---

Currently, Feng Xuanyang sat at one of the open-air tables in a high-class restaurant. He held a Light Stone in his hand, admiring it. 

"This item's effects are truly impressive. If we buy out all the Candlelight Trading Firm's stockpile, they will have no choice but to limit the amount they sell. At that time, it will be the Threading Trading Firm's time to shine," Feng Xuanyang laughed coldly. 

It would be just like the Basic Mana Armor Kits. Back then, the supply of the Basic Mana Armor Kits had been too limited. As a result, the kit's price had risen from 20 Silver to 40 Silver when other players resold it. Even then, plenty of people still purchased them. 

As soon as the Candlelight Trading Firm began limiting the amount of Light Stones it sold, he could turn around and sell the Light Stones he bought at an increased price. At that time, even if he sold them at 1.5 times the original price, a large number of players would still buy them. He would not have to fear a lack of customers. 

"Young Master Feng, after using all the Coins we bought with Credits, as well as the Coins earned through the Threading Trading Firm, we've purchased over 4,000 stacks of Light Stones. However, the Candlelight Trading Firm shows no signs of limiting its sales," the slightly chubby middle-aged man reported worriedly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. 

"What are you worried about? Now that we've purchased so many, they can't possibly have much left in their inventory. It won't be long before it is our time to shine," Feng Xuanyang comforted the man, utter confidence filling each word. 

He had already asked the three Advanced Forging Apprentices he had previously poached, so he knew that Advanced Forging Apprentices had less than a 30% success rate for producing the Light Stones. Moreover, each stone required more than a dozen seconds to craft. Even if the Candlelight Trading Firm had over a dozen people forging Light Stones constantly, it could not accumulate a large stock over a few days. After they had purchased so many stacks, even if the Candlelight Trading Firm was not currently at its limit, it soon would be. 

Now, all he had to do was wait. 

Inside the Candlelight Trading Firm's serene and quiet Special Forging Room, after spending a long time planning for the Trading Firm's future, the sound of his communicator ringing suddenly entered Feng's ears.

The person contacting him this time was none other than Everlasting War, the person who had invited him to participate in the Dark Arena before.

"Ello. Looks like you've geared up since the last time we talked." Feng simply greeted as he looked at Everlasting War. 

Although he could not see Everlasting War's current Level through the screen, judging from the change in the other party's equipment, he could tell at a glance that Everlasting War had undergone quite an improvement.

The last time Feng saw the Guardian Knight, Everlasting War was geared in a mix of Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold Equipment, with the latter numbering only three or four pieces. Now, however, the majority of his equipment was giving off the glow effect of Dark-Gold Equipment. One could easily imagine how much his combat power had increased.

"Everything I am wearing right now came from the corporation. As long as Brother Ye Feng officially joins the battle team, the corporation will naturally give you their full support as well," Everlasting War laughed.

He was delighted with the equipment he was wearing right now. Otherwise, he would not have purposefully revealed their special effects. 

In reality, his objective in showing off his equipment was to display to Feng the strength of the corporation sponsoring their battle team. Such strength was indeed not something the Guilds that one could find in the game could compare with. Take Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment for example. In the current God's Domain, such an item was scarce, and every piece could sell for an astronomical amount. 

Moreover, even if one could afford it, there was no guarantee that they would have a chance to buy one. Even first-rate Guilds only possessed several pieces. On the other hand, the majority of Everlasting War's equipment was Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment. The force backing him was evidently powerful. 

"The time and venue for the test have already been set. It will be held four days from now in the Beast Empire's Capital City, Beast City. At that time, you only need to come to the Underground Arena of Beast City. I will be waiting for you there," Everlasting War said, his expression suddenly turning serious. "I hope that Brother Ye Feng treats this matter seriously. During these four days, try to improve your equipment's quality as much as possible. I've heard that the higher-ups of the corporation have also found quite a few experts to participate in the test this time around. Among them, a few even possess powerful backers themselves, and they are mostly apex experts of the virtual gaming world. The competition this time is sure to be very intense. However, as long as you manage to pass it, the treatment you will receive will surely exceed your imagination." 

"Sure. I'll be there on time." Feng laughed, not bothering to add anything else.

As for Everlasting War's advice for him to upgrade his equipment, Feng had previously thought about doing so before. However, how could Legendary Equipment that Tier 1 players could equip possibly be that easy to obtain? 

Just as Feng went back to forging Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, Melancholic Smile called him.

"Guild Leader, he finally ran out of money and stopped buying Light Stones in bulk. Do we begin now?" Melancholic Smile asked with a hint of anticipation. 

Everything that they had done up to this point had merely been preparations for their real plan, and now that the annoyance has depleted his funds, it was finally time to start the beginning stage of Feng's plan. 

"Okay. Since we've wrung them dry, begin selling the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits for 5 Gold Coins per kit and the Advanced Light Stones with each piece for 2 Silver and 30 Coppers, and each stack for 45 Silver, then." Feng nodded. 

Since the Advanced Light Stones had double of the Basic ones' effects as well as decreased the attributes of dark-type creatures, which was a large amount of the ones that lurked during the night, he couldn't just sell them at 2 Silver Coins, but if he set the price too far above a regular Light Stone, the players would not be as willing to purchase them, simply settling on buying more of the basic and cheaper version. 

The reason why he chose not to sell the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits and Advanced Light Stones until now was his concern that some people would intentionally purchase them in bulk. Then, when the Candlelight Trading Firm's supply of the kits ran out, these people could take advantage of the situation to deal with the Candlelight Trading Firm, as well as earn a fortune while they were at it; while Feng didn't want them to have a large stock of the Advanced Light Stones for either themselves or selling them at a price that would inconvenience Feng. 

Hence, Feng planned to utilize the Basic Light Stones first, to deplete the funds of these losers.

Soon, two more new counters appeared simultaneously in the first-floor halls of the various Candlelight Trading Firms. 

"Why were more counters added to the Candlelight Trading Firm?" a Berserker, who had come to purchase Light Stones, asked curiously.

"Hello, sir, this here are our Candlelight Trading Firm's latest products, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit and Advanced Light Stone. This Mana Armor Kit will greatly increase your Attributes. Moreover, you can equip up to three kits at a time. The Advanced Light Stones, on the other hand, not only possess double the effects of our original basic option, but can also help in your hunt for creatures of darkness by greatly decreasing their attribute." The beautiful NPC saleswoman explained. 

"What? This is the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit?!" The Berserker was stunned. 

The Basic Mana Armor Kits had long since become a legend in the city. Currently, each kit sold for 50 Silver. Even so, many still wished to buy it. Unfortunately, there just was no supply for the item. Now that the Intermediate version of the kits had suddenly appeared, how could this not be surprising? 

After the Berserker read the item description of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit multiple times, he was finally sure that he was not hallucinating. 

"Such powerful Attributes! Just a single Intermediate Mana Armor Kit is equal to three pieces of the Basic version!" The Berserker's eyes shone dazzlingly, his drool nearly leaking out of his mouth. 

The Attributes of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit were simply too shocking. 

As long as one could equip three of these kits, it would be equivalent to wearing an additional piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment! 

Currently, despite the high demand for Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment, supply for it was practically nonexistent. Countless people could not buy one even if they wanted to. If he could equip three Intermediate Mana Armor Kits right now, it would be equivalent to having an additional piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment. Just imagining it exhilarated the Berserker. 

Battles in God's Domain relied on two things: the player's techniques and the player's Attributes.

At this stage of the game, even if one had passable techniques, they would still have to consider the Attributes of their equipment before they could try raiding a Dungeon. 

To an ordinary player, even being fully geared in Mysterious-Iron Equipment was a dream, not to mention owning a piece of Dark-Gold Equipment. The Attributes of a single piece of Dark-Gold Equipment could easily rival that of multiple pieces of Mysterious-Iron Equipment. If an ordinary player could equip three Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, it would no doubt result in a massive increase in strength. 

"Crap! I was only missing just that bit of Attribute to qualify for that 20-man Team Dungeon last time. If I can equip three of these Intermediate Mana Armor Kits right now, the team leader will definitely beg me to join them!" The Berserker could not help but fantasize. 

However, when he laid his eyes on the price of the kits... 

Each Intermediate Mana Armor Kit actually cost 5 Gold. Suddenly, the Berserker was dumbfounded... 

Although ordinary players could not afford to buy the kit, news about it still spread like lightning. The kits became the headline news on the official forums right away, followed by the reveal of the new and improved Light Stones. 

Shocking Emergence of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits!

The appearance of the Intermediate Armor Kits immediately caused a commotion.

News about the Candlelight Trading Firm spread like a pandemic throughout the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. In just a dozen minutes or so, the initially fading hype over the Candlelight Trading Firm surged once more. Players throughout the kingdom were behaving even more wildly than before. 

The Light Stone was merely common goods. Although it was of significant help to players, it did not provide any direct improvements towards a player's strength. It belonged to the category of support items. However, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit was different; this was an item whose sole purpose was to increase a player's Attributes. Moreover, it provided a considerable increase. 

Upon receiving news regarding this matter, many elite parties and teams that were out in the field immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed back to their respective cities. They made a straight dash to the Candlelight Trading Firm to purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. If they were even a little too slow, other players would no doubt buy out the kits. It would be just like the Basic Mana Armor Kit, which had already passed into legend. 

According to the legend, many players who had managed to purchase the Basic Mana Armor Kits when they were initially released had already become experts by now. Some ordinary teams had also become top-tier teams capable of challenging Hard Mode, and even Hell Mode, Team Dungeons. However, Hell Mode was only limited to 10-man Dungeons. 

To the majority of independent players, 20-man Team Dungeons were simply too difficult a challenge. The requirement of such Dungeons on a player's equipment foundation was just too high. The requisite level in combat techniques was also extremely high. Only a small number of Guild elite teams could clear such Dungeons. 

"Team Leader, I've just received news that the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits are selling for a fraudulent price of 5 Gold per kit! We can't afford them even if we want to buy them!"

"They are indeed expensive. Even so, we still have to buy them. We must obtain them even if we have to borrow money to do so. I have deeply regretted not getting the Basic Mana Armor Kits. You should know our performance inside Team Dungeons as well. We are always short of just that small amount of damage and Defense. Unfortunately, no matter what we do, we aren't able to upgrade our equipment any further. In the end, those teams that had the luck to buy three Basic Mana Armor Kits managed to brute-force their way through the Bosses. 

"Right now, a single Intermediate Mana Armor Kit could match up to three Basic Mana Armor Kits. As long as we get our team's MT three of these kits, we will be able to defeat the Bosses of the Team Dungeon. At that time, won't it be easy to earn back the money we spent?"

... 

Many independent teams out in the field maps began taking action, using all means to collect money.

To elite teams, collecting 5 Gold was still relatively easy. However, it would be very difficult if they wished to obtain 15 Gold. Even so, they still endured the hardship as they tried to amass 15 Gold. 

After all, the effects of having an additional piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment on an MT was quite significant. 

Normally, 20-man Normal Mode Team Dungeons dropped Mysterious-Iron rank; Secret-Silver Equipment only dropped if one possessed heaven-defying luck. Meanwhile, there were only three or four Bosses inside a Team Dungeon, and each Boss dropped just two or three pieces of equipment. On average, one could get roughly ten Mysterious-Iron Equipment with each Dungeon run. After factoring in the money and items obtained from the Dungeon monsters, a team earned around 4 Gold to 5 Gold each time they raided a 20-man Normal Mode Team Dungeon. 

There was also the need to factor in the team's various expenses, loss of EXP, and such, which further reduced the team's profits. 

Not to mention, the team's twenty members would split this profit. In the end, each member of the team would receive only a meager amount of money. 

However, the income one could obtain from a Hard Mode Team Dungeon was significantly higher. The Bosses inside such a Dungeon would drop at least one Secret-Silver Equipment with nearly a 100% certainty. There was even the possibility of Bosses dropping two or three pieces of Secret-Silver Equipment at the same time. Even the monsters of the Dungeon had a fixed chance of dropping Mysterious-Iron Equipment. Another point was that only Hard Mode Team Dungeons dropped certain necessary raw materials. After adding up the various types of income, a team would typically earn at least 10 Gold from every Dungeon run—more than double that of Normal Mode Team Dungeons. 

If a team managed to clear a Normal Mode Team Dungeon, they would be able to sate their hunger at most. However, if they succeeded in raiding a Hard Mode Team Dungeon, they would be able to dine like kings. 

Every time inside bars, there was bound to be some amazing teams celebrating their successful raid over a Hard Mode Team Dungeon, earning the envy of the surrounding players.

Now that everyone received such an opportunity again, the players naturally had to make a desperate effort for it. 

For a time, players swarmed the Candlelight Trading Firm. However, a majority of the players who came were only here to act as a placeholder for now. 

That was right—a placeholder.

The teams backing these players were currently still in the midst of collecting money. As soon as they gathered enough, they would immediately purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits from the Trading Firm, afraid that the kits would sell out. 

Although few independent players could afford the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, it was an entirely different story for Guilds. Guilds were already willing to invest thousands of Gold in a single Shop, not to mention spending several hundred Gold to equip their core teams with Intermediate Armor Kits. If Guilds could fully outfit their core teams with Intermediate Armor Kits, the combat power of these teams would rise to a whole new level. There was no question that it was a worthwhile investment. 

All the Guilds that had received news regarding the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits immediately hurried over to the Candlelight Trading Firm. Moreover, these Guilds were incredibly ambitious, each and every one of them asking to buy 100 or more kits without hesitation. 

"What did you say? Why aren't you selling it to me?" a Guild representative shouted angrily. "Have a good look! I don't lack the money to pay for them!" 

"Sir, my apologies, but since the supply for the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits is too limited, we are only selling it in limited quantities. Ordinary players are allowed to buy at most one kit each time. As you are representing a Guild, you will only be allowed to buy a maximum of nine kits. If you are from one of the Guilds partnered with the Candlelight Trading Firm, you will be allowed to purchase up to 21 kits at a single time." The beautiful NPC saleswoman smiled faintly, paying no heed to the actions of the angry player before her.

"Damn! Give me nine for now, then!" The Guild representative was helpless about the situation as the Guild he belonged to was not a partner of the Candlelight Trading Firm. He had no choice but to buy nine kits for now and have the Guild send more members to make additional purchases. Only, they would have to waste a lot of time using this method. There were just too many players coming to buy the kits, and even lining up was extremely troublesome and time-consuming.

Although the Candlelight Trading Firm had only set up Shops in a few cities, when players and Guilds of other cities heard of the news regarding the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, they had promptly made their way over to cities that housed the Candlelight Trading Firm.

Among them, the number of players running over to White River City was the highest.

The Candlelight Trading Firms based in White River City had the largest allocation of Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. That number was practically the total of all of the branch Shops. Hence, many players from the various major cities and Guild representatives all came over to White River City. 

Moreover, this allocation was something Feng had deliberately instructed Melancholic Smile to do. He had done so with the intention of increasing White River City's population. Once everyone realized the uniqueness of White River City, some players would surely consider developing themselves here instead, out of convenience. Meanwhile, this would indirectly increase Zero Wing's strength.

At this moment, the Guilds that had previously chosen to partner themselves with the Candlelight Trading Firm were celebrating in joy. Previously, most, if not all, of them felt that they had taken a huge loss by partnering with Candlelight. Now, however, they had become the envy of all the other Guilds. Being able to purchase 21 kits at a single time had saved them plenty of trouble. 

Right now, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits were priceless. Currently, people were offering to buy the kits for 8 Gold Coins, and this price was still rising. Even so, nobody was willing to sell their kits. Moreover, under the oversight of the system, independent players could purchase only one Intermediate Mana Armor Kit. Nobody wished to waste this precious opportunity, so they would not readily sell the kits they had obtained.

--- 

Just as many Guilds were fighting to purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, silence filled Frosty Thread's Guild Residence in White River City.

Inside the Guild Residence's meeting room, several veins were bulging on Feng Xuanyang's forehead. He was very nearly at the point of erupting. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

Feng Xuanyang violently slammed his fists down on the wooden table, and after a few consecutive blows, even the wooden table shattered.

"Young Master Feng, you must calm down!" 

"Calm down?! How do you want me to calm down?!" 

Feng Xuanyang's eyes had already turned blood-red by now. If possible, he wished he could devour the Candlelight Trading Firm whole, right this instant. 

In order to purchase the Light Stones in large quantities, he had invested another 100 million of his own money. Meanwhile, he had done so with the intention of earning back the 50 million he had previously lost. He had even thrown in all the earnings of the Threading Trading Firm into the mix. But all he had accomplished was purchasing a bunch of goods that had a seemingly endless supply, with an even better version of them appearing. The most infuriating part was that, upon receiving news regarding the Candlelight Trading Firm, his superiors had immediately ordered him to buy 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

However, where was he supposed to get so many Coins? 

Three hundred kits would cost 1,500 Gold. Previously, he had indeed possessed this amount of money. Now, however, it was already gone. 

"Young Master Feng, if there really is no other way, then let's sell the Light Stones we bought cheaply. This way, we can get back most of the money we lost."

"Sell them cheaply?" 

Feng Xuanyang pondered. He had indeed thought about this method before.

However... 

Who would want to buy them?

Currently, everyone had their eyes on the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, throwing everything they had into accumulating money. Since the appearance of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, even the exchange rate for Coins had risen significantly. How could anyone possibly bother to buy Light Stones? Not to mention that Candlelight was currently offering the Advanced Light Stones, a version, which possessed better effects than the Basic Light Stones, that he didn't have, so who'd bother buying regular ones from him. 

Even if someone were to buy his Light Stones, just how many could he possibly sell?

He had a full 10,000 stacks piled up in his hands right now! 

"Forget it. If I have to make a loss, so be it. I have to complete the task the higher-ups gave me. Sell the Light Stones at a 20% discount, then. Sell as many as you can. Even if we can't sell them all, we can at least make some trouble for the Candlelight Trading Firm," Feng Xuanyang sighed.

The management of Underworld was extremely strict. If he did not complete his assignment, the consequences would be very severe. He had only managed to reach this position in the organization after many difficulties. Naturally, he could not fall short after coming this far.

These 10,000 stacks of Light Stones had cost him 1,900 Gold, more than half of which came from Underworld and the Threading Trading Firm. Although he would lose a significant sum of money by selling the Light Stones at a 20% discount, at least he could earn back Underworld's and Frosty Thread's shares of the money. He would also have the 1,500 Gold required to purchase the 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits.

Sometime later, the Threading Trading Firm also began selling Light Stones. Moreover, due to Underworld's connections, Feng Xuanyang managed to quickly get in touch with the various Guilds around Star-Moon Kingdom. Light Stones were still not available in many cities around the kingdom, which left the demands of many players unsated. So, selling the Light Stones at a 20% discount prompted many players to fight to purchase them. Only, for every stack of Light Stones sold, Feng Xuanyang would feel a painful sting in his heart. 

--- 

Just as the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits were selling hotly in White River City, Star-Moon City had also gone into a frenzy. Currently, upper managers of the various large Guilds based in the capital stood in front of the counter inside the Candlelight Trading Firm, their eyes bloodshot.

"I am the Vice Leader of the Wind God Guild. Call out your boss for me. I have a big business proposal that I wish to discuss with him." 

"I am an Elder of the Rainbow Guild. Why aren't you calling your upper management to come to greet me yet?" 

Various Guilds in Star-Moon City were thinking of ways to contact the upper management of the Candlelight Trading Firm. Unfortunately, no matter what words they used, the NPCs hired by the Candlelight Trading Firm completely ignored them, leaving them restless. 

---

"Guild Leader, I've received information stating that the Candlelight Trading Firm's main branch is in White River City. Although the Firm has set up a Shop in the capital, its management seems to be based at White River City," a graceful and elegant female Elementalist reported to the strong and dignified-looking man beside her. 

Meanwhile, inside a coffee shop a short distance away from the Candlelight Trading Firm, many male players had promptly shifted their gaze to this tall beauty upon noticing her.

In this day and age, with the popularity of nutrition and fitness, one could easily find handsome men and beautiful women. However, it was still extremely difficult if one wished to have a top-tier beauty accompany them inside the game. Not to mention, that beauty appeared to be that man's young secretary.

"Bro, when do you think we can live like that guy?" a Level 24 Guardian Knight muttered enviously.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" the Level 25 Ranger beside the Guardian Knight scoffed. "Do you know who that man is?"

"Isn't he just a little rich? What's there to be proud of? If I had that kind of money, beauties would surely throw themselves at me. I could also look for a group of little secretaries to play God's Domain with me," the Guardian Knight replied with disdain.

"Look at yourself. It's no wonder you've been in this pitiful state all your life." The Level 25 Ranger slowly explained, "Let me tell you, that man is not just some useless Prince Charming. He is someone who has achieved success due to his own efforts. Moreover, he's only 34 years old. I am also certain that you have heard of his name before."

"What's he called?" the Guardian Knight asked curiously.

"He's the Star Alliance's Guild Leader, Galaxy Past!" the Ranger laughed. He then looked towards the woman standing beside Galaxy Past, adding, "That beauty is also no ordinary person. She is Purple Eye. She was ranked 931st in the latest God's Domain Ranking List. Although her rank is lower than Red Feather's, her strength is even superior to his. Do you think you can hire such a beautiful expert as your secretary just because you have money?"

The Guardian Knight fell silent, no longer daring to speak another word.

Star Alliance was currently one of the two top Guilds in Star-Moon City. However, as Ouroboros recently had a change in leadership and was facing problems with internal strife, Star Alliance had more or less become Star-Moon City's number one Guild.

He would simply be seeking his own death if he dared to fool around with Galaxy Past's little secretary inside Star-Moon City. He might even end up returning to Level 0 in the very next day.

"Guild Leader, do you think they are talking about you?" Purple Eye laughed.

"How could it possibly be me? They are clearly talking about the great beauty at my side," Galaxy Past laughed. "Alright, ignore them. We have more important matters to address. Now that the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit has appeared, nobody in Star-Moon Kingdom can afford to sit still and do nothing. It seems that we'll have to make a trip to White River City."

"Star-Moon Kingdom's Eastern Region has always been secretly controlled by that mysterious organization named Underworld. We have always minded our own business. If we head over to their territory right now, I'm afraid that it would bring about negative effects," Purple Eye warned. 

"I don't care. If we let Underworld monopolize the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, what will we do about our development, then?" A cold glint flashed across Galaxy Past's eyes as he said, "In reality, Underworld has long since been an eyesore. Unfortunately, the organization's strength is altogether too massive and extensive. It has spread its influence across multiple kingdoms, and even into the Black Dragon Empire. So, before this, I would only avoid looking for trouble with Underworld if possible. However, if Underworld thinks it can monopolize the Intermediate Mana Armor kits, they can think again!"

The impact of the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits was too massive.

Just being able to have every member of their core team receive the Attributes of an extra piece of Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment was already very frightening. Moreover, these kits would not drop upon death. If they could equip even their Guild's elite members with these kits, their Guild would practically be invincible.

--- 

Meanwhile, inside Ouroboros's Guild Residence... 

"Snow, are you really going to go?" Zhao Yueru asked, her brows knitted together. "We've just managed to stabilize the situation over here recently. If you head over to White River City, it would be troublesome if someone tries something in Star-Moon City while you are away." 

"Yueru, you should know that I don't wish to leave at such a time, either. However, I must make a trip there personally for this matter." Gentle Snow shook her head. "I'll leave this place to you for now. I'll try to return as quickly as possible." 

At the same time, the upper managers of the various large Guilds in Star-Moon City had also begun bringing along their men to White River City. 

White River City had become the focal point of Star-Moon Kingdom. Many upper managers from first-rate and second-rate Guilds had arrived in White River City. 

"What's going on? Why are so many Guilds in White River City? I've never seen many of them before." 

"I heard that they've come to partner with the Candlelight Trading Firm. There are even Guilds from the surrounding kingdoms, including the Black Dragon Empire who have shown up, let alone Star-Moon Kingdom's Guilds." 

"Weren't others saying how empire players were much stronger than kingdom players? That doesn't seem to be the case to me. In the end, haven't they still come over to our White River City for some advantage?" 

"They've only come here because of the Candlelight Trading Firm. Look at the other kingdoms. Which one of them possesses a Shop that sells Intermediate Mana Armor Kits? Right now, nobody has any Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment for sale at all. Meanwhile, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits are even more powerful than Level 25 Dark-Gold Equipment, and the Candlelight Trading Firm can produce it in large quantities. Having it and not can make a huge difference to Dungeon-raiding progress and PvP fights. Naturally, these Guilds realize how important such an item is." 

The players filling White River City's streets and alleyways discussed the large number of Guilds gathering in White River City, and a sense of pride bloomed in their hearts. No one would have thought that a Lifestyle Guild could possess so much influence. 

"Damn! Why have so many people come here?!" At this moment, Feng Xuanyang watched the growing number of Guild representatives enter the Candlelight Trading Firm, wrathful flames burning in his eyes.

To collect the required 1,500 Gold, he had gone through a lot of trouble to sell the Light Stones; he also had to add in a large sum of his own Credits. Meanwhile, it was obvious that the reason many Guilds had come here today was none other than to purchase the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. 

The Candlelight Trading Firm did not offer a large supply of Intermediate Mana Armor Kits. It had been a huge challenge for him to buy 300 kits for himself. Now that more competitors had appeared, his chances of fulfilling that quota had shrunk further.

Among the Guilds that had arrived, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion from the Black Dragon Empire was the most powerful. It was the first-rate Guild that was the closest to becoming a Super Guild. Unfortunately, the Pavilion was younger than those true Super Guilds, having been established later. Otherwise, it would have joined the Super Guilds' ranks by now.

Meanwhile, the force and financial prowess backing the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was no less than that of an organization like Underworld. Currently, the Pavilion was the Black Dragon Empire's number one Guild. Other first-rate Guilds stood no chance against it.

The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion had sent one of its two Pavilion Masters, the Dragon Pavilion Master, as its representative. In the Guild, the Dragon Pavilion Master's status was only below that of the Great Pavilion Master.

The Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's management style was different from other Guilds. Normally, a Guild's management personnel consisted of the Guild Leader, Vice Leaders, Elders, and so on. On the other hand, the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion could be split into two Pavilions: the Dragon Pavilion and the Phoenix Pavilion. Each Pavilion was the equivalent of a single Guild, and both Pavilions developed themselves independent of each other. Meanwhile, a Pavilion Master governed each Pavilion. One could say that the Pavilion Masters were the equivalents of the Guild Leader of a Guild. Moreover, the influence each Pavilion wielded equaled that of a top-tier first-rate Guild. With both Pavilions merged, one could just imagine how powerful the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was. 

The Great Pavilion Master managed the coordination between the two Pavilions. This Great Pavilion Master was extremely mysterious and secretive. Even until now, there had yet to be anyone who knew the Great Pavilion Master's identity. However, the fact that this person was capable of managing two first-rate Guilds at the same time showed how capable they were. 

"Young Master Feng, we should be celebrating!" the slightly chubby man beside Feng Xuanyang said, smiling. 

"Celebratory Alcohol, what are you trying to say?" Feng Xuanyang frowned, saying, "With so many competitors here right now, how will I possibly be able to buy 300 Intermediate Mana Armor Kits?" 

"Young Master Feng, hasn't our initial goal been to defeat the Candlelight Trading Firm and establish our own trade empire in White River City?" Celebratory Alcohol slowly explained, "If only little fish and shrimp visit the firm, it would indeed be a good thing for the Candlelight Trading Firm. However, those who have arrived are all tigers and leopards; this is not good news for the Trading Firm. 

"Think about it; the people that have shown up are either here to purchase the Candlelight Trading Firm or seek a partnership. However, who doesn't want to monopolize the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits for themselves? It is especially true for the people from the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion. In order to become a true Super Guild, the Pavilion has ignored all costs and recruited a large number of experts. They even managed to recruit five of last year's top ten newcomers to the virtual gaming world, not to mention experts who have already been famous for many years.

"Currently, the Intermediate Mana Armor Kit is the perfect item for the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion to advance itself. Naturally, the Guild will not let go of this chance to obtain the kit for itself. The other Guilds should feel the same. 

"However, Young Master Feng, you have personally seen the personality of the Candlelight Trading Firm's manager. One can just imagine what kind of response these newly arrived Guilds will receive. At that time, things will definitely end on a sour note, and the Candlelight Trading Firm will make enemies of the various Guilds. At that time, not only will we have the opportunity to complete the task given by the higher-ups, but we can also take the opportunity to deal with the Candlelight Trading Firm."

When Celebratory Alcohol finished speaking, realization dawned upon Feng Xuanyang.

"You're right! We'll have a good show to watch this time!" Feng Xuanyang began laughing madly.

On the surface, although this seemed like a grand gathering, in reality, it was a festival of murder.

If the Candlelight Trading Firm offended the Guilds that had arrived, these Guilds would hold nothing back to suppress the Candlelight Trading Firm. If Underworld added fuel to the fire, who would dare to supply the Candlelight Trading Firm? Who would dare sell their materials to the Candlelight Trading Firm? Any Guild or Workshop that did would lose any hope of succeeding in God's Domain. Even if the Candlelight Trading Firm were only a Lifestyle Guild and could not be dealt with like a Combat Guild, it could not survive without materials, forging designs, recipes, and other such items. Sooner or later, the items that were highly sought after now would become obsolete. At that time, the Candlelight Trading Firm would be finished.

--- 

"Big Sis Melancholic, there are so many Guilds in the first floor's hall today that I nearly lost count. There are over a hundred Guilds who registered to meet with us to discuss business. Among them, there are over a dozen first-rate Guilds. It also seems that they have come with bad intentions. What should we do?" one of Melancholic Smile's female assistants asked nervously. 

No ordinary player would ever have dreamed such a scene. 

Star-Moon Kingdom only had several first-rate Guilds. Now, not only had every one of these first-rate Guilds arrived, but there were even first-rate and second-rate Guilds from other kingdoms and empires as well. 

"Just have the NPCs welcome them. I'll deal with the trouble makers." Melancholic payed the visiting guild representatives no heed, completely disregarding them. Unlike in the last timeline, she didn't care what intentions they had, since they were all irrelevant, and were merely a means to an end which Feng had hooked in. 

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