Chapter Sixty-Six: The Gray Zone—Ancient Stone Forest

After the six members of Ye Yu's group exited the 138 Auction House in an orderly fashion, Qu Zheng couldn't help but say, "You know, honestly, when you and that guy were exchanging those sly smiles earlier, it just looked a bit sleazy to me."

At that, Ye Yu could only shrug helplessly, choosing not to respond.

"Setting such a high price for the materials obtained from Ancient Heaven and Earth—tens of thousands of Huaxia coins—these rich folks really are willing to spend. But, Third Brother, can you really sell them at that price?"

Tan Cong, usually the quiet one, spoke up, "The buyback price isn’t nearly that high. If you’re selling for so much more, there’s no guarantee they’ll sell."

"Those people who shout about low prices are just trying to trick new players. The experienced veterans would never sell like that," Ye Yu replied with a faint smile. "Trust me, as long as there are buyers, it means there are wealthy people collecting these materials. High-level experts inevitably need these kinds of top-tier sacred equipment. If someone is just short one or two materials, they’ll pay whatever it takes to get them. That’s why you can sell the first one or two at a high price—there are so many servers, it’s impossible that nobody needs them. Pricing them at eighty thousand is already conservative; breaking a hundred thousand is entirely possible."

Ye Yu’s explanation came from witnessing, on the forums, a sacred-grade piece of equipment going for hundreds of thousands, nearly a million. Such a price could make someone rich overnight.

"In that case, what about the rest of them?"

"They’ll sell too. If the players’ needs drop off, the price will go down, but you can still sell several. After all, we’re the only ones holding these materials right now."

"I get it now. Impressive, Brother," Huang Hong gave Ye Yu a thumbs-up. "I didn’t realize you knew the trade this well!"

"Actually, money isn’t the main point. The reason I’m having him sell one per day is mostly to advertise for our Purple Void Mirage. When people join the Xuantian server, they’ll start to notice us, and new players will see our guild’s name on the forums. Right now, we’re in a good position, with the advantage of Ancient Heaven and Earth, and if we complete the commission, our reputation will skyrocket. Most players with the qualifications to join our guild are just looking for a team to help them clear dungeons. Sometimes, having a conscience is the real key."

As Ye Yu finished speaking, he noticed the other five hadn’t responded. He turned around to see them all staring at him in a daze.

"What is it?"

"Third Brother, I didn’t expect you to think this deeply. Weren’t you just saying you wanted to be a hands-off leader? If ‘Knows the Warmth of Others’ heard this, he’d probably be moved to tears," Luo Feng teased with a grin.

Ye Yu just shook his head with a bitter smile. "In this ever-changing society, sometimes a game can create legendary friendships, don’t you think? Besides, Divine Ruin mirrors reality in so many ways—it’s a world where only the strong survive, regardless of gender."

"And right now, our rivals are right in front of us. If we don’t work harder, we’ll have a tough time holding our ground," Ye Yu added quickly, realizing he might have gotten a bit too serious.

…

The six of them left the Divine Ruin Auction House and returned to Relic City. Mounting their Abyssal Nightmares, they rode toward a gray zone on the Ancient Forest map.

"The gray zones in Ancient Forest aren’t exactly safe. Aside from being unexplored, they’re outside the protection of the safe areas. These are places where malicious players attack others, and a lot of questlines require you to reach these gray zones," Luo Feng explained, clearly familiar with the concept.

"You’ve really thought this through, Fifth Brother," Huang Hong remarked, glancing at Luo Feng. Nonetheless, he started to pay more attention to his surroundings. Although they were among the top players on the Xuantian server, if a rival group organized a malicious attack in the gray zone, things could get troublesome.

"These areas are gray zones because of the harsh terrain—thick fog that blocks vision, bone-chilling winds, or regions overrun by magical chaos. The roads are treacherous and dangerous, so ambushes are common, and many players suffer environmental damage here," Ye Yu responded, clearly noticing the worry in Huang Hong’s eyes.

By this time, the six had reached the edge of the Ancient Forest’s gray zone. Before them appeared the words: Relic Stone Forest.

This place was a stone forest of shattered cliffs, where countless massive boulders stood crowded together like a different kind of “forest.” There were countless places to hide, and most of the monsters here were nocturnal, making it easy for them to wait in ambush and catch players off guard.

"Monsters in gray zones actively attack players, and the AI isn’t nerfed for beginners, so stay alert and stick together. Second Brother, you’ll handle the rear guard," Ye Yu instructed.

Luo Wei nodded and took the position at the back, summoning his Bronze Puppet just in case.

Ye Yu’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing in his dark gaze. He was keenly aware they were being watched, but whoever was tailing them didn’t seem intent on an ambush yet—just following. Since they’d been tracked all this way, it was time to settle things here.

A slight smile curled at Ye Yu’s lips. Let’s see if my chosen talent tree lives up to its reputation.

Thanks to the contributions of their guildmates, all six of them had reached level 39. Ye Yu estimated that by completing the upcoming main quest, they’d hit level 40—the server’s current cap—within the day.

As the group entered the Relic Stone Forest, just beyond the entrance, several figures emerged from a secluded grove, their eyes filled with murderous intent.

"They’ve entered the gray zone. What now?"

"Inform the guild leader: after leaving the Divine Ruin Auction House, they went straight to the main quest. They’re all level 39 now."

…