Zhan Shen Ba Dao came with good news.
"Feng Ge, a few of us just cleared the Level 25 Hell difficulty dungeon!"
Lin Feng was a bit surprised.
He glanced at the level rankings.
Apart from Luo Luo at Level 25, the others were all Level 20 and had dropped out of the top ten.
Were they stopping their leveling to farm rewards?
Still, clearing a Level 25 dungeon at Level 20 showed some skill.
He looked at the combat power rankings again.
Combat Power Rankings (Huaxia Server)
1. Yang Jian Qing Ming Combat Power: Confidential
2. Luo Luo Combat Power: 8265
3. Zhan Shen Ba Dao Combat Power: 7621
4. Wang Zhe Fen Shao Combat Power: 4955
5. Zhan Shen Ao Tian Combat Power: 3432
6. Bo Si Mao Combat Power: 3012
7. Bu La Ge Zhan Tian Combat Power: 2666
8. Cai Ji Da Shi Combat Power: 2235
9. Huang Zu Rong Yao Combat Power: 1958
10. Bu La Ge Ye Feng Combat Power: 1752
Luo Luo, wielding a Level 40 transcendent weapon, was deservedly second on the combat power list. Zhan Shen Ba Dao, with the Level 35 transcendent weapon Lin Feng gave him, followed closely. But how had Wang Zhe Fen Shao climbed to fourth?
Lin Feng flipped through the treasure rankings. The top ten were mostly occupied by items he possessed or items on Huang Jin Li Shi. Further down were the pieces he had given to his teammates. Positions 17 to 22 were all Wang Zhe Fen Shao's Level 20 transcendent weapons and equipment, including two items he had casually tossed into the treasure vault. Each of these treasures had a "Reinforced +3" description.
Lin Feng realized. It seemed this kid had employed some "cash power." Bu La Ge Zhan Tian's ability to outrank Cai Ji Da Shi was due to two "Reinforced +2" treasures on the treasure list. Besides them, reinforced treasures were rare. Luo Luo and Zhan Shen Ba Dao's weapons were reinforced to +3, while Bo Si Mao had several +2 items. These rankings seemed reasonable.
However, seeing Cai Ji Da Shi only ranked eighth made Lin Feng's expression darken. That lazy little fatty! It seemed as the game progressed, many players were investing more. The "氪金" (pay-to-win) warriors were closing in on players who could dominate the rankings with just one or two exceptional items.
Lin Feng prepared to open the quest log. "The Lost Guardian" was a large, sequential quest. He had only completed the first part and received a growing celestial artifact. Subsequent quests would surely yield even greater rewards, but also greater difficulty.
[The Lost Guardian]
Quest Progress: Second Stage
Quest Description: Find the mysterious key in the Lost Ruins of Hui Province.
Lin Feng's eyes lit up. Hui Province? Wasn't that where Zhan Shen Ba Dao and the others were heading? It seemed his teammates had good luck.
He gave a word to Star Miner and returned to the city. Star Miner was naturally extremely grateful, promising to gather rare materials for Lin Feng as soon as possible. After returning to the city, Lin Feng first replied to Zhan Shen Ba Dao, then took the teleportation array to Hui Province. Although teleportation cost 1 gold, for Lin Feng now, killing any boss could cover several teleports; it was no pressure.
Let's go!
"What did Big Brother say?"
"Did Brother Yang Jian praise us?"
"Did Feng Ge reply?"
Facing his teammates' expectant gazes, Zhan Shen Ba Dao looked up with surprise. "Feng Ge said he'll be here in Hui Province shortly."
"Wow, that's great! We'll get to see Brother Yang Jian again!"
"Big Brother is finally here, I'll have someone to watch my back!"
Their reactions varied, but all were filled with anticipation for Lin Feng. Just then, someone in the world chat sent a voice transmission message. This was a special message costing 1 gold to send, and all online players would see it unless they had blocked it.
[World][Voice Transmission][Bu La Ge Ye Feng]: Bu La Ge guild is recruiting high-end players. We currently have two players in the top ten of the combat power rankings. The guild has ample funds and professional management. High-end players are welcome to join.
[World][Voice Transmission][Wang Zhe Fen Shao]: In 20 minutes, I will lead a team to achieve the first clear of the Level 20 Nightmare difficulty dungeon. I am also recruiting permanent teammates. Experts in the top thirty of the combat power rankings are welcome to join.
These two voice transmissions stunned the online players.
"Holy crap, is this the legendary voice transmission? It costs 1 gold per message! This price is so outrageous, yet someone sent it. So many rich people!"
"Is the Bu La Ge guild that powerful? They already have two top-ten combat power experts. They're probably the strongest guild in our Huaxia server!"
"The guy upstairs is a shill for Bu La Ge. Didn't you see that the Zhan Shen guild also has two people in the top ten, and their rankings are even higher than Bu La Ge's?"
"I think you're the shill for Zhan Shen guild. Everyone knows those two only got on the list through luck, brought up by Yang Jian Qing Ming. Now that Yang Jian Qing Ming is playing in high-level maps, their rankings will probably be overtaken soon."
"Then I'll say all of Bu La Ge's achievements are bought with Fen Shao's money, probably only temporary."
The debate between the two attracted many players who watched with amusement. Of course, some players were tempted by the voice transmissions.
"My combat power ranking is 2046. Can joining Bu La Ge guild get me into the top 100?"
"You must be dreaming!"
Some players began explaining. "To get into the top 100 now, you need at least 1000 combat power, either from a transcendent player or at least a few transcendent items above Level 15. Do you think the Bu La Ge guild is a charity?"
Some players took the opportunity to promote themselves. "Combat power ranking 9527, looking for a guild to play with. My strength is decent, I talk a lot of trash, I'm handsome and can drive."
"The user above, you're probably being perverted."
Besides those just watching and chatting, there were naturally those who deliberately exaggerated. "Fen Shao is about to first clear the Level 20 Nightmare difficulty dungeon. This progress is probably the first on the server! Fen Shao is mighty!"
"Fen Shao's leveling speed is too fast. He went from tenth to fourth in half a day. He'll probably reach the top soon."
"Didn't you see the treasure rankings? All six of Fen Shao's items are reinforced to +3! Simply lavish!"
"This young lady graduated from the Imperial Capital Dance Academy, I'm soft, beautiful, and easy to push over. Fen Shao, do you need a sidekick teammate?"
While there were mindless sycophants, there were also those who couldn't stand it. "Stop blowing smoke. Didn't you see that even with a full set of reinforced +3 equipment, none of it entered the top ten on the treasure list? You still want to reach the top of the combat power rankings? You're probably countless levels below the great Yang Jian."
"He can first clear Nightmare difficulty dungeons? It's just that Great Yang Jian disdains to clear them, otherwise, what chance would he have?"
"Besides, Nightmare difficulty dungeons aren't that simple. I suspect they'll all wipe out in 20 minutes."
"Didn't Zhan Shen Ba Dao's team perform quite well? Can they just watch their opponents clear the dungeon first?"
A player's question made many other players confused.
"That's right."
"Weren't Zhan Shen Ba Dao and the others often on the broadcast with Yang Jian Qing Ming, frequently getting world announcements?"
"Why have they suddenly gone quiet?"
Zhan Shen Ba Dao looked at the players' confusion in the world chat and sighed. When they had leveled up to Level 20 and surpassed it, the first thing they challenged was the Level 20 dungeon. The previous few difficulties were very easy and they cleared them quickly. It was only in the final Nightmare difficulty dungeon that things went wrong.
The final boss in the Nightmare difficulty dungeon was a rare, extremely strong control-type boss. Moreover, it seemed to have a very high level of intelligence. As soon as the battle began, it controlled Luo Luo directly. Slow, stun, entangle... negative status effects piled on one after another. With Luo Luo controlled, the remaining players struggled to cope. After two consecutive failures, they lost the will to clear the Nightmare difficulty dungeon. Instead, Luo Luo reached Level 25 first, and then led them to challenge the Level 25 dungeon.
Currently, although they had reached Hell difficulty in the Level 25 dungeon, they still felt apprehensive facing Nightmare difficulty. They feared encountering another boss of that type. Luo Luo was already Level 25 and could no longer enter Level 20 dungeons. Without Luo Luo's support, with their four players, even with any other player added, they had no confidence to challenge the Level 20 Nightmare difficulty. They could only watch Wang Zhe Fen Shao flaunt his success on the world chat.
Despite the reality, Zhan Shen Ba Dao still felt unwilling. "Are we just going to stand by and watch our old nemesis achieve the first clear?" Zhan Shen Ba Dao gritted his teeth, feeling distressed.