Chapter 70: Seal and Awakening
Inside the Blade Demon Energy Sealing Device, Su Xiao surveyed his surroundings. The setup resembled a teleportation array, though the patterns beneath him differed. Around him stood metal pillars arranged in a circle, arcs of electricity surging between them.
Each pillar was engraved with intricate patterns. Just glancing at these patterns made Su Xiao feel as if his consciousness was being drawn into them.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed in Su Xiao's ears, and his chest felt as if struck by a hammer. The Blade Demon energy had burst out of the Devouring Core. Though this energy lacked subjective consciousness, it sensed the impending crisis.
Su Xiao pressed a hand to his chest. This was the first time he had felt the Blade Demon energy so violent. Yet... it was ultimately useless. It was just a surge of energy, at most rampaging within his body.
Confirming the Blade Demon Energy Sealing Device was functioning, Su Xiao retrieved dozens of transparent crystals from his storage space. These were [Consciousness Conduction Crystals]. To obtain them, he had spent over a million Paradise Coins.
Su Xiao placed 1,000 grams of Consciousness Conduction Crystals into the slot beneath the Blade Demon sealing device. The surrounding arcs vanished, replaced by finger-thick blue light pillars converging from all directions onto a single point.
Drawing the Dragon-Slaying Flash from his waist, Su Xiao thrust it into the slot beneath the device. The slot was somewhat wide, but that didn't matter.
Su Xiao stepped back several paces to the point where the hundred-plus light pillars converged. Regarding the Blade Demon sealing device, Ma Wen Hua'er had explained it in detail. This device was a separator, stripping the Blade Demon energy from Su Xiao's body and sealing it into the Dragon-Slaying Flash. Of course, not all Law Destroyers did this—not because they dared not, but because they couldn't. It required many prerequisites, such as having Cyan Steel Shadow energy stronger than the Blade Demon energy within the body.
When the hundred-plus blue light pillars converged on Su Xiao, dizziness struck his mind. Ma Wen Hua'er had mentioned that if he couldn't maintain consciousness at this moment, he would instantly transform into a Blade Demon. Fortunately, this process was reversible.
Whoosh!
Blood Qi erupted from Su Xiao's body surface, and his pupils turned blood-red.
In the void, at the lowest depths of the Black Abyss, amidst a sea of living beings flowers beneath a towering Black Maple Tree, a pair of equally blood-red eyes opened.
"A kindred spirit... is born."
The figure beneath the Black Maple Tree rose, but after a moment, it sat back down.
"A kindred spirit... has failed."
...
Boom!
A thunderclap seemed to explode in Su Xiao's mind. The blood-red light in his eyes faded. In that instant, he had transformed into a Blade Demon. The feeling was... unrestrained, yet far from pleasant.
In that moment, Su Xiao's consciousness felt imprisoned in a cage. Though he could perceive his body, he couldn't control it. This only strengthened his resolve to strip the Blade Demon energy from within. He wouldn't leave a time bomb inside himself. Once the Blade Demon energy was sealed into the Dragon-Slaying Flash, he could freely use the Devouring Core. Moreover, the Dragon-Slaying Flash would undergo its Blade Awakening. From then on, the Blade Demon energy would serve Su Xiao.
The blue light pillars converged on Su Xiao, all sinking into his body. His internal Cyan Steel Shadow energy visibly depleted. Once it was exhausted, the Blade Demon energy would win. If he could strip the Blade Demon energy from his body before that, Su Xiao would be victorious.
Su Xiao's right hand clenched in the air, forming threads of Cyan Steel Shadow energy. These threads all sank into his body, linking to the homologous blue light pillars.
Su Xiao clenched his right hand over his chest, making a pulling motion outward.
Hum~
The Blade Demon Sealing Device fully activated, sending ripples of energy spreading outward. Nearby, Amu stumbled back several steps before collapsing stiffly to the ground, rolling its eyes and kicking its legs.
Crack, crack, crack...
Fine cracks spread across the surrounding ice cave walls. With Su Xiao's pull, the iceberg beneath seemed ready to split apart.
As Su Xiao's right arm pulled outward, his expression grew more pained. It felt like he was dragging his own muscles and bones. That troublesome mentor Ma Wen Hua'er had never mentioned it would hurt this much.
When Su Xiao's right hand had pulled out a few centimeters, the converging blue light pillars were yanked from his chest. At the convergence point, a mass of dark blue energy writhed—this was the Blade Demon energy.
"Finally met."
The veins on Su Xiao's neck bulged. Just as he prepared to fully pull the Blade Demon energy from his body, a wave of weakness washed over him. The light pillars and Blade Demon energy retreated back into his body.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
Su Xiao gasped for air. He checked his mana—5,490 points remaining. That meant his Cyan Steel Shadow energy was still ample. Stripping the Blade Demon energy wouldn't be a one-time affair. Each pull would weaken it further.
After a moment's rest, Su Xiao exerted force again, continuing the struggle with the Blade Demon energy. At that moment, not far away, Amu slowly regained consciousness.
The moment Amu woke, it scrambled away from Su Xiao. The sensation from before was like having its skull pried open and a hammer smashed into its brain—indescribably excruciating.
With nothing else to do, Amu went to the ice cave entrance to guard for Su Xiao. As it sat down, its stomach growled loudly. Checking the team storage space, it found all the food had been cleared.
Amu sneaked a glance at the purple crystal inside the ice cave. That thing... seemed incredibly delicious.
Back to Su Xiao, his bent right arm stretched outward. With the motion, the veins on his neck bulged. This was a long tug-of-war.
Five minutes later, sweat dripped from Su Xiao's face. He felt as if he had been fighting Morisha + Moi Nora + the Uncrowned Lord for days on end. He checked his mana—3,100 points remaining.
Seeing the remaining mana, Su Xiao knew he had won. If the Blade Demon energy had once been a fierce tiger, now it was at most a well-built cat.
One last time!
Su Xiao took a deep breath and pulled his right arm outward. This wasn't about his physical strength, but the intensity and quality of his Cyan Steel Shadow energy.
Hum~
A shockwave spread. Before the purple crystal, Amu shuddered. It hugged the crystal and tentatively licked it. That single lick made Amu tremble all over. It was damn delicious!
On Su Xiao's side, his right hand clenched tightly. After a few deep breaths, he exerted force again.
With a crack, something inside Su Xiao seemed to snap. This brought him an unprecedented sense of relief.
Finger-thick light pillars converged in Su Xiao's hand, a mass of dark blue energy twisting within. Ever since Su Xiao had acquired the Devouring Core ability, the Blade Demon energy had appeared and remained inside him.
Su Xiao took a step forward, moving toward the Dragon-Slaying Flash. That single step seemed to drain most of his strength, nearly causing him to collapse.
Now, the stripping of the Blade Demon energy was complete. The next phase was the Blade Awakening.
Su Xiao stopped and started as he reached the Dragon-Slaying Flash. He pressed the Blade Demon energy toward the sword's hilt. In that instant, the entire Dragon-Slaying Flash was enveloped in dark blue smoke, transforming into a demonic blade.
Su Xiao pressed his left hand onto the Blade Demon Sealing Device beneath. Cyan Steel Shadow energy scattered.
Click, click...
The Blade Demon Sealing Device locked, entering the final sealing phase. The blue light pillars turned black, converging at the Dragon-Slaying Flash's hilt.
Success. All that remained was to wait.
Su Xiao sat inside the Blade Demon Sealing Device, waiting for the Blade Awakening to complete. He glanced sideways at Amu and saw a sight that made his eyes twitch. Amu was hugging the purple crystal and licking it like candy. From the looks of it, the crystal had already been licked down a layer.