A Vast Guild, a First Visit

Its massive body collapsed and slowly sank into the endless lava, leaving no trace.

In the center of the hall, light converged, and a treasure chest symbolizing victory slowly emerged.

Upon opening, another necklace, shimmering with moonlight, suddenly came into view.

The system notification arrived as expected. "Congratulations to the player for successfully clearing the 'Middle Hall the Barbarian God Hall', and you have obtained 10 Honor Jade and 1 Moonshadow Necklace."

Immediately, a server-wide announcement appeared. "Congratulations to player 'Chongxing' for achieving the first clear of the 'Middle Hall Barbarian God Hall', achievement points +1000."

Another Moonshadow Necklace.

The attributes are basically the same as the one obtained previously, only the additional affixes are different.

"Moonshadow Necklace (Platinum): Intelligence +1500, Spirit +800, Critical Hit +300, Combo +300"

"Abundant - When health is above 80%, all damage dealt is increased by 10%."

"Bloodspill - When casting spells, there is a chance to cause splash damage, dealing half of the damage to surrounding enemies."

Their combat strength has increased again, and everything seems to be over.

But a sense of unease welled up in Zhang Mingzhen's heart.

Is that all?

He surveyed the hall.

Lava slowly seeps into the cracks in the rocks, obsidian pillars stand silently, and nothing else is worth noting.

This week's Barbarian God Hall raid has come to an abrupt end.

Even with the spoils from the previous Secret Realm and the acquisition of three suitable pieces of equipment, Zhang Mingzhen still frowned.

If this pattern continues, a maximum of two items per week will be allowed, and duplicates or items that are not suitable for the profession will need to be deducted... To fill the twenty slots in the equipment inventory (excluding growth-type items), seventeen more items are still needed.

Oh, I forgot, his talent is sealed, so we only need to fill ten vacancies.

That's great news...

Grass.

Not to mention, the equipment attributes may not be as satisfactory as desired.

It seems we have to find another way.

After changing into his new equipment, he stepped out of the palace gate.

At the precipice and broken bridge, the Teleportation Array was glowing faintly.

The moment he stepped in, the clouds swirled and dispersed, carrying him back to the previously shrouded, misty ridge.

With nothing else to do, he decided to try using the Honor Jade.

Twenty-five pieces of warm, lustrous jade lay in my travel bag; I wonder how much experience they could be exchanged for.

The moment one was crushed, a pale golden trail unfolded on the map—not a straight line, but a winding path like a snake slithering through a mountain.

He summoned his spirit pet, which was undergoing training, and ordered it to follow the line.

At first, I thought it would be just a simple guide, but I didn't expect the actual trek to take so long.

The trajectory was constantly adjusted as the distance increased, and monsters occasionally lurked in the places it passed through, inevitably leading to entanglements and struggles.

Xiong Yi was right; the journey itself was a test.

About twenty minutes later, a silhouette appeared deep in the forest.

A lizard-like monster covered in scales and with a long tail that dragged on the ground stood still, with a sign that read "Chongxing Exclusive" hanging above its head.

This is clearly similar to a quest monster in a game.

Its hideous face was half-hidden in the shadows, and only the one who held the jade could see it.

Recalling that Xiong Yi had said that such demons were weak, Zhang Mingzhen made no extra preparations and struck out with a raised hand.

Before the monster could even roar, it had already turned into light fragments and vanished.

A system notification quietly appeared. "Demon-Slaying Quest complete."

It is indeed simple; no wonder it is called the path to advancement for ordinary people.

"Experience points increased, two million at a time."

This is quite generous for the average player.

If we calculate based on the ninety-nine coins given to the official by the Orc Race, the total amount approaches two hundred million experience points, which Critical Strike anyone to make a trade.

However, finding the way takes too long.

Even if he were only dealing with the twenty-five precious stones in his hands, it would still take him more than eight hours.

Zhang Mingzhen then realized the reason why this item could be completed in a team: in a team of up to five people, only the Captain could search for it while the others rested.

Once found, you can head there quickly.

However, given the inherent nature of the God's Domain, with so many people, the distribution will inevitably be thin, and each person will receive little.

Moreover, while clearing out monsters in the wild yields equipment and materials, this Demon-Slaying Quest only provides "experience."

For him, exchanging two million experience points for half an hour was neither worthwhile nor worth giving up.

As they weighed whether to continue their search for the demon or venture into the wilderness, the communication talisman lit up again.

The message in Red Garment jumped out at me:

"Congratulations on achieving another first clear, sir! Um... I heard that the Blind Man obtained Honor Jade when he tackled the prerequisite Secret Realm with you."

"Our Starlight Army is quite interested in this item and would like to discuss a transaction with you."

"I suppose you had some savings after clearing the Barbarian God Hall, sir?"

The Honor Jade obtained from previous trades with the orcs, after repeated testing, revealed that their experience gain was directly linked to the number and level of the team members—the higher the level of the team members, the more experience each member would receive.

At the same time, the smaller the team size, the more experience each individual gains.

This was originally a closely guarded secret within the Legion Guild, but the news of Chongxing and the Blind Man's successful conquest of the dungeon spread rapidly, and all the major guilds were quick to react, turning their attention to the Honor Jade.

Faced with pressure from all sides, the Legion Guild had no choice but to compromise, promising to assist other guilds in uniformly allocating gem resources for their core combat forces.

They not only acquired the Blind Man man's inventory, but also, upon learning that Chongxing also possessed several precious jades, the guild sent someone to negotiate.

"Right now, I can practically represent all the mainstream guilds in the God's Domain."

"Feel free to state any conditions you have; don't hesitate to do so."

Zhang Mingzhen naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony.

"Please pass on my message to all the guilds: ask them to show me all the Pet Skill Book they have, and I will select three from them."

"The guilds I select will gain trading privileges."

Even if I don't have enough precious jade on hand, I'll still have a stable way to obtain it every week from now on.

I currently possess twenty-four precious stones.

While searching for directions, he read a message on the forum that some players had confirmed that each pet could have a maximum of three skills.

Once all three skill slots are full, no matter how much you level up, you will not learn any new skills.

This conclusion is repeatedly confirmed by those exceptionally lucky players—whose pets stop progressing after learning three skills.

Of course, there are also cases where people are dissatisfied with the skills they have already mastered.

It has been discovered that pets can forget their existing skills to make room for new ones.

This method of relying on repeated trials to discover patterns is something that players with bad luck like Zhang Mingzhen can hardly experience firsthand.

Although Nine Yin Candle Dragon inherited the Lethal Strike skill of Wildsea Candle Dragon and gained a new Powerful skill, Zhang Mingzhen still felt it was not enough.

In his view, while these skills are not bad, there should be Skill Book that better suit the characteristics of Nine Yin Candle Dragon and can fully unleash its potential.

If he could exchange information with guilds worldwide, he believed he would soon find a suitable candidate.

Never underestimate those guild players whose combat power seems "ordinary"—they often reap unexpected rewards through various rare means, whether special missions or serendipitous encounters.

With a large number of people, all sorts of low-probability events are more likely to occur.

Can you believe that there are players overseas who have won jackpots of hundreds of millions of US dollars?

"Understood. I'll inform all parties as soon as I get back."

"Honestly, master, the speed at which you level up is just too fast. No matter how hard we try, we can never catch up."

"If we don't take some special measures, I'm afraid we'll really have to watch ourselves fall far behind you."

We will do our best to provide the best options for the Skill Book you need.

The Legion Guild had a large number of members and had indeed accumulated several Skill Book.

Furthermore, I've recently heard that the research institute is also focusing on research and development in pet skills, and I expect to see promising results soon.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mingzhen remembered that he seemed to have made an agreement with the Legion Guild to visit their research institute.

Now is the perfect time.

"Perfect timing, I'm also quite interested in pet skills."

"I'd like to visit your research institute. You can arrange it."

The Red Garment paused for a moment, then remembered that there was indeed such an appointment. "Okay, I'll immediately check with my superiors to confirm the visit time."

After a brief contact, the Red Garment quickly reported back, "Master, the leadership has instructed that you are welcome to visit at any time, and I will accompany you."

"Let's do it now. Where is the research institute? Is it at the guild headquarters?" Zhang Mingzhen asked.

"Naturally, it's in the guild headquarters; there's no safer place in the God's Domain than the guild headquarters."

"The research institute is located within the headquarters; it's the only functional department of our guild located there."

"Each guild's headquarters is protected by the God's Domain System, boasting the highest level of security."

"Outsiders wishing to enter other guilds' premises must obtain permission from the guild's management."

Even if entry is granted, facilities such as the Council Hall, forging workshop, Pet Breeding Room, and Trading House are usually subject to exclusive access restrictions and are off-limits to non-members.

"Therefore, although the higher-ups haven't explicitly stated it, granting you permission to visit the core research institutes within the compound demonstrates the extremely high level of importance they place on you," the Red Garment said, seizing the opportunity to ingratiate herself.

"Please wait a moment while I ask the administrator to send you an invitation. You can confirm it once you've done so."

The words had barely left his mouth when a system notification appeared before him.

[System: The Legion Guild invites you to their headquarters. Do you agree?]

"Agreed." Zhang Mingzhen knew that the Legion Guild was originally a large cross-server organization, but now that all servers have been merged into one, the guilds have naturally merged as well.

In an instant, he found himself inside the Legion Guild.

While there may be no definitive answer as to which guild in the God's Domain is the strongest in terms of combat power, the Legion Guild undoubtedly takes the crown in terms of scale and number of members.

In terms of membership size, action efficiency, and team cohesion, they can be considered the top force in the God's Domain.

Of course, there are also huge drawbacks, namely, a serious bureaucratic style, with the overall situation encroaching on personal interests, and some people always feeling that players should provide them with services free of charge.

It's fair to say that if it weren't for the mysterious aliens acting as the mastermind behind the scenes, most of the Dragon Han players would have become cheap labor for the Legion Guild.

Zhang Mingzhen was no exception.

Don't be fooled by Zhang Mingzhen cheat codes; he's just a lone individual, working 24/7 with limited experience. If someone targets him a few times, he'll be finished.

A honey trap, a brotherhood trap, a money trap, an ambition trap... there's bound to be one that suits you.

Don't overestimate your abilities; it's always a battle between organizations.

Situations where individuals confront organizations only occur in the supernatural world.

Therefore, in terms of the speed of guild leveling up, Legion Guild have always been far ahead - as guilds develop to the later stages, leveling up no longer depends solely on guild war points, but also requires members to complete various daily guild tasks.

These tasks are often tedious and repetitive, making it difficult for many guild players to complete them daily.

This Legion, mainly composed of government personnel, found carrying out these kinds of missions much easier.

After all, there are mandatory orders.

That is why what Zhang Mingzhen is standing in front of right now is the headquarters of the first guild on Blue Star to reach level seven.

The guild's maximum capacity has exceeded 500 million!

They are incomparable to gaming guilds.

The entire guild space is almost like a miniature planet, with lifelike mountains and rivers.

However, it's not a long-term residence; players can't stay here indefinitely, as there's a time limit each day.

Otherwise, it would be almost indistinguishable from real life outside.

Players no longer need to live in constant fear within various fake "Safe Zone".

The Legion's base is mostly occupied by researchers and Life Profession players, who are the logistical backbone that keeps the entire Legion running.

"Welcome to our Legion Guild, Chongxing! We've long admired your name, and today we finally get to meet you."

Zhang Mingzhen in Red Garment, but also by more than ten people who appeared to be high-ranking members of the guild.

"Hello, Mr. Chongxing."

"My name is Lu Zheng, and I am currently the overall person in charge of the Legion." A robust middle-aged or elderly man was the first to extend his hand in greeting.

Although Lu Zheng looks like an old man, his physical abilities, enhanced by the God's Domain, are in no way inferior to those of Ordinary Player —this is one of the magical changes brought about by the God's Domain, allowing many elderly people to regain their youthful vitality.

This is naturally terrible news for young people.

If the elderly don't hang them up, how will they rise to power?

Of course, once they came to power, they hoped to regain their youth.

"Nice to meet you."

"I would like to see your research progress on Summoned Beast."

Zhang Mingzhen raised his hand and shook hands with him, never expecting to meet this Legion leader whom he had only heard of but never seen in person.

He was indeed an old man.

He had initially assumed the other person was a middle-aged man.

"Of course, this is what we agreed upon beforehand, and we won't refuse."

"Later, the woman in Red Garment will take you to the research institute. You are free to visit any area; we will not hide anything from you," Lu Zheng nodded.

The Red Garment in red then stepped forward. "Great Master, please follow me."

Zhang Mingzhen nodded slightly to the other managers and then followed the Red Garment toward a building.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Lu Zheng asked in a low voice, "What's the current situation at that Garrison Zone?"

A manager behind him responded in a low voice, "Please rest assured, everything has been handled."

"The Garrison Zone is now in stealth mode and will not be detected by him."

"Master, this is our research institute."

"Please take this token with you; it is one of the necessary credentials for entry."

The Red Garment handed over a metal tag engraved with "Temporary Pass".

Even though his privileges had already been adjusted to that of a temporary guild guest, he still needed physical identification, which further confirms the security level of this research institute.

Data can be hacked, but physical documents are difficult to modify.

Of course, there's nothing you can do if you lose it.

Zhang Mingzhen looked up at the unassuming building—the entire research institute resembled a giant egg cast in steel, covered with an unknown metal, and even the entrance was difficult to discern.

After seeing Chongxing put away the token, the Red Garment walked to the front of the building, took out a crystal and pointed it at a certain spot on the wall.