Chapter 36: The Axe
Inside the alternate space, the Goddess of Fortune yawned. She sat on a beach chair, holding a glass of strawberry juice in her hand, a straw between her lips.
"So terrifying, a form identical to that woman... but, heh, Law Destroyers are all idiots when it comes to spatial matters. Hahaha."
The Goddess of Fortune laughed to herself, the thrill of dancing on the edge of death exhilarating.
"But where did this 'god' come from? A native 'god'? How provincial. Appearing before a Law Destroyer in the form of life energy—a brave but foolish hick. If it entered the void, it might get locked in a cage by those Demon Clan and kept as a pet."
The Goddess of Fortune took a sip of juice. Beside her, golden energy surged, forming a middle finger.
Su Xiao, of course, saw that middle finger in the alternate space. Only one being could make such a gesture, combined with that golden energy—no doubt about it, it was the Goddess of Fortune.
Su Xiao clenched his left hand. The white phantom wrapped in blue smoke writhed in agony. With the Blade Demon's energy dormant, Su Xiao could use the Devouring Core almost without limit, so he didn't have to worry about backlash. He could focus entirely on enhancing his Cyan Steel Shadow energy.
Although the Blade Demon's slumber carried significant risks, Su Xiao gained several benefits. First, he could devour life energy almost infinitely, provided his body could withstand it.
Moreover, when Su Xiao maximized the Devouring Core's activation, his entire body was enveloped in blue smoke, his vision altered. In this state, his perception could even penetrate space. Life energy within half a kilometer was undetectable to his senses, while other objects remained imperceptible.
This form didn't affect Su Xiao's mind. The only downside was that he looked terrifying—a humanoid figure wreathed in drifting blue smoke, with blood-red eyes, an utterly chilling sight.
Furthermore, the sensation of having one's life energy observed by Su Xiao was far from pleasant. When Su Xiao observed his assistant, even her courage faltered, her legs trembling uncontrollably.
[Due to absorbing energy converted by the Devouring Core, Cyan Steel Shadow ability has increased.]
[Cyan Steel Shadow has been upgraded to...]
[Cyan Steel Shadow has been upgraded to...]
[Cyan Steel Shadow has been upgraded to...]
Blue smoke surged, and the white phantom was devoured completely. The smoke gradually dissipated, and the red glow in Su Xiao's eyes faded.
Devouring the white phantom was equivalent to consuming over twenty [Dragon's Rebirth Essences]. Yet, even so, Cyan Steel Shadow only increased by five levels.
The higher the level of Cyan Steel Shadow, the more energy required for upgrades. As for using Soul Crystals (Large) to enhance it, Su Xiao didn't even consider it—Blade Grandmaster was already a massive consumer of Soul Crystals.
Inside the alternate space, the Goddess of Fortune held the straw in her mouth. She had no intention of getting involved in the grievances and grudges between Su Xiao and the Dawn God. She was just here out of boredom, watching the show.
After Su Xiao deactivated the Devouring Core, he could no longer see the golden energy in the alternate space. If he could 'bite' that thing, he wasn't sure if it would boost his Cyan Steel Shadow energy, but it might increase his Luck Attribute. Unfortunately, the Goddess of Fortune was too cowardly to leave the alternate space.
"This... impossible. How could a god be..."
An officer lying on the ground stared in disbelief. The deity they had summoned with their combined efforts had been devoured by two blue monsters—one ate the head, the other 'swallowed' the body.
"As it turns out, your god isn't reliable. The gun in your hand is the most dependable thing."
The assistant raised her gun, aiming at the four officers, who were already somewhat exhausted.
"You mortal, how dare you blaspheme divine might..."
*Clang!*
A blade aura flashed, and the four officers slowly fell. A notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared: Su Xiao gained 32 Reincarnation Paradise Merits.
A golden chest dropped to the ground. As he walked, Su Xiao used his longsword to scoop it up and stored it in his inventory.
[You have obtained a Chest (Gold Quality · War World Drop).]
This chest was slightly different from those he had obtained before. It was marked as a War World drop, so opening it might yield something unique.
Holding his longsword, Su Xiao strode toward the innermost part of the fifth floor. When he fully activated the Devouring Core, he sensed six people in the innermost room. One had powerful life energy, while the other five were slightly stronger than ordinary humans.
The assistant backed away slowly, keeping her gun raised to guard against any enemies from behind, though the possibility was slim.
Su Xiao arrived at the innermost door. The other doors were wooden, but this one was made of threaded steel.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Cuts appeared on the threaded steel door. Su Xiao delivered a straight kick.
*Boom!*
Shards of metal flew into the room, embedding themselves in the opposite wall.
Su Xiao stepped inside. The room was about a hundred square meters, furnished with a sofa, a desk, and most prominently, a display case made of rare wood. On it were antiques and several bottles of wine. One bottle's label read: "Produced in the Divine Calendar Year, Gift to Friend Dubois."
The room was tastefully decorated, but the pungent smell of cheap cigars ruined the atmosphere.
"So you're still alive, White Ghost."
Cigar smoke drifted. The speaker was a burly man sitting on the sofa. He was at least two meters tall, with messy yellow hair and an unkempt yellow beard.
The man took a deep drag of his cigar, inhaling the smoke like a cigarette. When he exhaled, he looked like a steam engine.
The powerful life energy Su Xiao had sensed earlier came from this man. There was no one else in the room.
The man wore a red short-sleeved shirt, his beer belly bulging like he was nine months pregnant. His arms showed no muscle, only fat. Yet Su Xiao could feel the surging power within this middle-aged man.
"Heh, I regret not felling you last time."
The man grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp metal teeth. From the gleam, these crude metal teeth were made of threaded steel.
"Barker."
The assistant stepped back, aiming her gun at the man.
"Little girl, that toy of yours is useless against me."
Barker stood up. On either side of his waist hung leather pouches containing two short-handled wooden axes. Nothing rare—just the kind used for chopping wood.
"Sir, I'll leave this to you. I'll go after the target."
The assistant assessed the situation. Dubois had already escaped. This man named Barker was covering his retreat.
"That way."
Su Xiao swung his blade sideways. The blade aura cut through the wall, revealing a hidden door. It didn't lead downward but upward.
Seeing the hidden door led upward, Su Xiao tossed the assistant a miniature signal transmitter.
"Swallow it."
Hearing this, the assistant tilted her head, caught the transmitter in her mouth, and swallowed it with a gulp.
After swallowing the transmitter, she dashed into the hidden door.
"You... use a sword?"
Barker, the burly man, pulled out his twin axes. The short-handled axes spun in his hands. Throughout, Barker's tone remained normal—no provocation, no hostility, as if he were just chatting with Su Xiao.