Chapter 1 Cold Spring Canyon, Stone Forest City

On the commercial street outside the City Lord's Mansion in Stone Forest City, Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong, greeted by Water Rose, arrived at the main entrance of the City Lord's Mansion. Just as Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong were about to enter, a group of hundred-level newcomers, just arrived in Stone Forest City, walked along the street in front of the mansion, discussing animatedly, their eyes full of shock and amazement.

"Are there usually this many Tier 3 experts on the streets?" A female Elementalist, reaching level 100, looked at the players walking on the street and exclaimed, "Stone Forest City is amazing!"

Tier 3 experts are currently the top combat power. Even first-rate guilds, who can dominate a kingdom, only have about a dozen Tier 3 experts. How many first-rate guilds are there in a kingdom or empire?

These experts are assigned to various NPC cities, and meeting one is usually a matter of luck. Even on the main street of an imperial capital, meeting a few is considered good. But in Stone Forest City, there are a dozen or two on any random street. It's simply unbelievable.

Such a sight is completely ordinary for players living in Stone Forest City, as if everything is as it should be. They go about their business, paying no mind to these Tier 3 experts.

"What's so surprising? What do you think Stone Forest City is?" The leader, a level 102 Tier 3 Shield Warrior, glanced at the female newcomer and said in a low voice, "Remember! Be careful here in the future. Even though our Hundred Flowers Palace is a first-rate guild in the Dark Night Empire, we can't guarantee your safety here, unless you reach Tier 3!"

Stone Forest City, as the only city in the hundred-level neutral map, its attraction to players is self-evident. However, apart from the forces cooperating with Zero Wing having some entry quotas, one can only enter Stone Forest City by renting private residences there.

Renting a private residence in Stone Forest City is both expensive and extremely scarce. Of course, this extreme scarcity is compared to the number of mainstream players in several kingdoms and empires, so players who can rent private residences in Stone Forest City are either rich or powerful.

It can be said that players who can live in Stone Forest City either have a powerful force behind them or possess extremely strong personal strength. Ordinary expert players can't even get in.

Because of this, none of the players living in Stone Forest City are simple.

If you accidentally offend someone, especially a Tier 3 expert, it's simply a nightmare.

It's a little better inside Stone Forest City, with the patrolling NPCs providing some deterrence. In addition, Zero Wing also has many experts maintaining order, and even Tier 3 professionals patrolling. The Tier 3 experts in the city are somewhat wary and dare not act recklessly. But outside Stone Forest City, it's a different story.

That's the world of Tier 3 professionals. Relying on the name of a first-rate guild won't do anything.

As the level 102 Tier 3 Shield Warrior finished speaking, the dozen or so talented newcomers from Hundred Flowers Palace nodded repeatedly, afraid to speak casually.

Because at this moment, they could clearly feel gazes and auras from all directions, especially from those Tier 3 professionals, some even carrying a hint of murderous intent, as if they were eyeing prey.

If it weren't for the level 115 or higher Tier 2 NPC knights patrolling, and some Zero Wing and Tianji Pavilion experts maintaining city security, plus the leading captain being a Tier 3 Shield Warrior, they had no doubt that those Tier 3 experts would find a chance to kill them and seize the excellent hundred-level weapons and equipment prepared for them by the guild.

"It seems that Stone Forest City is becoming more and more unstable." Yuan Tiexin glanced at several Tier 3 free experts and Tier 3 experts from major forces on the street, and his already bad complexion became even more solemn.

He felt that he had underestimated the development speed and management difficulty of Stone Forest City.

Although Zero Wing also has more than fifty experts who have advanced to Tier 3, which is comparable in number to ordinary super forces, compared to the number of Tier 3 experts in various kingdoms and empires, Zero Wing's number is too small.

Moreover, the number of Tier 3 experts in various kingdoms and empires will continue to increase, and the growth rate far exceeds Zero Wing's growth rate. Just like Stone Forest City now, Zero Wing used to rely on more than twenty Tier 3 professionals to overwhelm all Tier 3 professionals in Stone Forest City, but now…

Without exaggeration, the number of Zero Wing's current Tier 3 experts is not even a fraction of the number of resident Tier 3 players in Stone Forest City. In the future, this gap will become more and more exaggerated. After all, Stone Forest City is a paradise for development in the Cold Spring Grand Forest. More and more Tier 3 experts will gather here, wanting to live and develop better.

As the number of Tier 3 experts in Stone Forest City continues to increase, safety becomes a big problem.

With the current number of several hundred Tier 3 experts in Stone Forest City, Zero Wing's current number of Tier 3 experts, plus those Tier 2 NPCs, can barely maintain the safety of Stone Forest City. But after that, as the number of Tier 3 experts increases, even if their Tianji Pavilion sends many Tier 3 experts, it will probably be difficult to maintain the safety of Stone Forest City.

After all, players who become Tier 3 professionals are powerful figures no matter where they are placed. In those large NPC cities, they can forcefully take action and escape, let alone in a guild city.

Just like now, those Tier 3 professionals in Stone Forest City are no longer restraining their murderous intent, because they know that Zero Wing can hardly manage them anymore, and no longer has the absolute authority and force it once had in Stone Forest City. It's only a matter of time before they secretly take action in Stone Forest City.

But Shi Feng is fine with it, not thinking about how to stabilize the safety of Stone Forest City, secretly developing well, but instead wants to restrain the major super forces, forcing them to join forces to destroy Zero Wing...

Now that things have developed to this point, even if their Tianji Pavilion steps in, it will probably be difficult for Zero Wing to withdraw safely. After all, these super forces usually don't join forces at all, and even if several super forces join forces, it's useless. They can only watch Zero Wing drink wine, eat meat, and continue to grow stronger.

Now that they have found an opportunity to bite a piece of Zero Wing, this big fat piece of meat, they certainly won't let it go easily.

Yuan Tiexin didn't think too much and directly followed Water Rose into the gate of the City Lord's Mansion, because the most important thing now is to quickly persuade Shi Feng to give up the interests of the Elemental Twelve Pillars, otherwise it will be impossible to negotiate with other super forces afterwards.

Just as Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong, led by Water Rose, were about to enter the inner courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion, a regional system announcement suddenly came from their ears.

Cold Spring Grand Forest Regional Announcement: Congratulations to Stone Forest City for lifting the blockade and officially opening to the outside world. All players can enter the city for rest after paying the entrance fee.

The system announcement was repeated three times. Although the voice was cold and without any emotion, the shock it brought made Yuan Tiexin freeze on the spot.

"Is he crazy?" Yuan Tiexin looked at the system announcement, his eyes full of disbelief, even suspecting that he had misheard or misread.

Stone Forest City was already very difficult to manage under the blockade. If the city is directly opened, he can't even imagine what Stone Forest City will become.

You must know that the major super forces are now staring at Zero Wing, and may have already begun to secretly join forces.

Opening Stone Forest City at this time is simply handing Stone Forest City over to the major super forces.

"Vice President Water Rose, what exactly does your Guild Leader Black Flame want to do? Isn't he really planning to prioritize money over life?" Zi Qiong couldn't help but ask Water Rose aside as she looked at the regional announcement.

In her opinion, taking out treasures like the Elemental Twelve Pillars for mass sale was already incredibly crazy.

Now Shi Feng is even more ruthless, directly opening the unstable Stone Forest City. When a massive number of experts pour into Stone Forest City, I'm afraid Stone Forest City will be destroyed before the major super forces even take action.

At this time, not to mention Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong, all the players in the Cold Spring Grand Forest were stunned by this news.

Because no one thought that Zero Wing would actually open Stone Forest City.

You must know that the current Tier 3 players are not like before. They are no longer experts that ordinary NPC guards can suppress. A large number of Tier 3 experts pouring into Stone Forest City, at that time, Stone Forest City may be Zero Wing's, but whether Stone Forest City is controlled by Zero Wing is another matter.

After a brief surprise, everyone was filled with ecstasy.

The opening of Stone Forest City also means that they can freely operate in the Cold Spring Grand Forest in the future, without having to run back and forth, and can more easily advance to Tier 3 professionals. And all they have to spend is a small entrance fee.

"No, we absolutely can't let him mess around like this. Our Tianji Pavilion also has shares in Stone Forest City. We must immediately block Stone Forest City. If we wait until those experts from the Cold Spring Grand Forest pour in, then the entire Stone Forest City will be finished!" Yuan Tiexin felt that Shi Feng was really crazy, making one bad move after another. As he spoke, he was about to rush into the inner courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion, planning to go to the City Lord's office.

Because only in the City Lord's office of the City Lord's Mansion can the City Lord's butler open or block the entire city.

Just as Yuan Tiexin pushed open the gate of the inner courtyard and one foot was about to step onto the small plaza, a wave of oppressive force suddenly poured out from the opened gate, as if a tsunami was coming, filling people with fear and helplessness.

Both Zi Qiong and Yuan Tiexin, such Tier 3 experts, couldn't help but immediately leap back, instantly pulling a large distance away from the inner courtyard gate, and their faces were full of enemies, very vigilantly looking at the small plaza inside the courtyard, which was the size of a soccer field.

"Tier 3... NPCs?"

"What on earth is going on?"

Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong looked at the small plaza inside the gate, first blankly, and then couldn't help but gasp.

On that plaza, which was the size of a soccer field, stood rows of fully armed NPCs!

Not only was the entire small plaza filled, but these NPCs were all Tier 3 professionals above level 115. The power exuded from their bodies was more terrifying than the next. The two strongest even made Yuan Tiexin and Zi Qiong feel desperate.

This was simply like opening Pandora's box.

And the most terrifying thing was that these Tier 3 NPCs were all looking at them...