Chapter 4: Divine Emperor
After leaving the Trade Market, Su Xiao returned to his Exclusive Room. He sat on the sofa, took out a bottle of Elemental Brew, and took a sip. The cool liquid slid down his throat, soothing his somewhat tense nerves.
The information he had obtained from the Trade Market was more valuable than he had anticipated. The Divine Emperor Adventure Group, the Blood Gate Adventurers, the Apocalypse Sisters... these names were not unfamiliar to him. They were all top-tier forces within the Reincarnation Paradise, and each of them had a presence that could not be ignored.
"Boss, are we really going to get involved in this mess?" Baha flapped its wings and landed on the back of the sofa, its tone carrying a hint of worry.
Su Xiao didn't answer immediately. He set down the Elemental Brew, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the sofa. The Divine Emperor Adventure Group was a well-known powerhouse in the Reincarnation Paradise. Their leader, the Divine Emperor, was a top-tier powerhouse who had already reached the Ninth Rank, and his strength was unfathomable. Getting involved with such a force was undoubtedly a risky move.
But the information about the Eternal Light World was too important. That world was sealed by the Void Tree, and within it lay the remnants of the Second Era: Alchemical Civilization. If he could obtain those inheritances, his strength would surely reach a whole new level.
"Bubu Wang, what do you think?" Su Xiao turned his head to look at Bubu Wang, who was lying on the carpet.
Bubu Wang raised his head, let out a low "woof," then continued lying down, looking completely unconcerned.
"Looks like you don't have any objections," Su Xiao said with a slight smile. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the starry sky of the Reincarnation Paradise.
The Eternal Light World was a war world, and entering it meant facing countless dangers. But danger also meant opportunity. The remnants of the Alchemical Civilization, the Origin Stone fragments, and the Black Maple Tree saplings—any one of these was enough to make any contractor go mad.
"Boss, I heard that the Divine Emperor Adventure Group has already gathered quite a few people," Baha said, flapping its wings and flying to Su Xiao's shoulder. "Besides the Divine Emperor himself, there are several other Ninth Rank powerhouses. If we go in alone, we might end up being cannon fodder."
"Alone?" Su Xiao shook his head. "Who said we're going alone?"
"Huh?" Baha was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized something. "Boss, you mean..."
"Go find some old friends," Su Xiao said, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "It's been a while since we last met, and I miss them quite a bit."
Baha shuddered instinctively. Every time Su Xiao smiled like that, it meant someone was about to be in trouble.
...
A few hours later, in a bar within the Reincarnation Paradise.
The bar was dimly lit, with only a few contractors scattered around, drinking in low voices. Su Xiao sat in a corner booth, quietly waiting.
The door of the bar was pushed open, and a man wearing a black robe walked in. He had a pale face and a faint, strange smile on his lips.
"White Night, long time no see." The man sat down opposite Su Xiao, signaling the bartender for a drink.
"Grey Gentleman, you're still as punctual as ever," Su Xiao said, raising his glass in a toast.
The Grey Gentleman chuckled lightly, took a sip of his drink, and then said, "I heard you've been looking into the Eternal Light World?"
"News travels fast," Su Xiao replied without surprise. The Grey Gentleman was one of the top intelligence dealers in the Reincarnation Paradise, and it was only natural that he would know about this.
"Of course, I have to pay attention to anything involving you, White Night," the Grey Gentleman said, setting down his glass. "But I have to remind you, the Eternal Light World is no joke. The Divine Emperor Adventure Group has already set their sights on it, and there are several other forces lurking in the shadows."
"I know," Su Xiao nodded. "That's why I came to find you."
"Oh?" The Grey Gentleman raised an eyebrow, looking interested.
"I need information, the more detailed the better," Su Xiao said, looking directly into the Grey Gentleman's eyes. "Of course, the price won't be a problem."
The Grey Gentleman was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "White Night, you're still as straightforward as ever. Fine, I do have some information here, but the price..."
"Name your terms," Su Xiao said calmly.
"One Black Maple Tree branch," the Grey Gentleman said, his smile growing even more meaningful.
Su Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. The Black Maple Tree branch was extremely precious, and even he only had a few in stock. But for the information about the Eternal Light World, this price was acceptable.
"Deal," Su Xiao agreed without hesitation.
The Grey Gentleman nodded in satisfaction, took out a scroll from his bosom, and placed it on the table. "All the information I have about the Eternal Light World is here. But I have to warn you, some of it might be outdated, so you'll have to verify it yourself."
Su Xiao took the scroll, scanned it briefly, and nodded. "Enough."
"By the way," the Grey Gentleman suddenly lowered his voice, "I heard that the Divine Emperor Adventure Group has already found a way into the Eternal Light World. If you want to get in, you'd better act fast."
"Understood." Su Xiao stood up, ready to leave.
"White Night," the Grey Gentleman called out to him, "be careful. The Eternal Light World isn't as simple as it seems on the surface."
Su Xiao paused for a moment, then nodded slightly before turning and walking out of the bar.
...
Back in his Exclusive Room, Su Xiao unfurled the scroll and carefully examined the information. The Eternal Light World was a war world sealed by the Void Tree, and within it lay the remnants of the Second Era: Alchemical Civilization. According to the information, there were still many intact Alchemy Laboratories within that world, as well as a large number of Alchemy inheritances and resources.
But the most important thing was that there was a sapling of the Black Maple Tree in the Eternal Light World. If he could obtain it, his strength would undoubtedly skyrocket.
"Boss, are we really going?" Baha asked, flapping its wings.
"Of course," Su Xiao said, rolling up the scroll. "But before that, we need to make some preparations."
He opened the storage space and took out a pile of materials. These were all the resources he had accumulated over the years, and now it was time to put them to use.
"Bubu Wang, go find Amu and have him come over," Su Xiao instructed.
Bubu Wang let out a "woof," then disappeared in a flash.
Su Xiao sat down at the workbench and began to tinker with the materials. He needed to prepare enough Alchemy bombs and recovery potions to ensure he could handle any situation in the Eternal Light World.
Time passed minute by minute. When Amu arrived, Su Xiao had already finished preparing a batch of potions.
"Boss, you're looking for me?" Amu asked in a deep voice, his tall figure standing like a small mountain.
"Mm, we're going to a dangerous place this time, so I need you to be ready," Su Xiao said, handing a bottle of potion to Amu. "This is a high-grade recovery potion. Keep it with you."
Amu took the potion, nodded, and didn't say much. He had always trusted Su Xiao's decisions.
"Boss, what about me?" Baha asked, flapping its wings anxiously.
"You're in charge of reconnaissance," Su Xiao said, glancing at Baha. "Your speed and vision will come in handy in the Eternal Light World."
"Leave it to me!" Baha said, puffing out its chest.
Su Xiao nodded, then turned to look at Bubu Wang. "Bubu Wang, you're in charge of guarding the rear. If there's any danger, notify me immediately."
Bubu Wang let out a "woof," indicating he understood.
After arranging everything, Su Xiao began his final preparations. He checked his equipment, confirmed that all skills were in a usable state, and then took out a scroll from his bosom.
This scroll was the key to entering the Eternal Light World, obtained from the Grey Gentleman. According to the information, as long as he activated the scroll, he could open a passage to the Eternal Light World.
"Ready?" Su Xiao looked at his three companions.
"Ready!" Baha, Amu, and Bubu Wang answered in unison.
Su Xiao nodded, infused his mana into the scroll, and a dazzling light burst forth, enveloping the four of them.
When the light faded, they had already disappeared from the Exclusive Room.
...
The Eternal Light World.
This was a world shrouded in darkness, with a dim sky and barren earth. In the distance, the ruins of an ancient civilization could be faintly seen, exuding an aura of desolation.
Su Xiao and his group appeared on a desolate plain. As soon as they landed, they felt a strange energy fluctuation.
"Be careful," Su Xiao warned, his hand already on the hilt of his Dragon-Slaying Flash.
"Boss, there's something ahead," Baha said, its sharp eyes spotting a black shadow in the distance.
Su Xiao squinted, and through the Apostle's Eye, he saw that the black shadow was a massive creature, covered in black scales, with blood-red eyes—clearly an Abyss Spawn.
"Abyss Spawn," Su Xiao said in a low voice. "It seems this world is more dangerous than we imagined."
"Boss, what do we do?" Amu asked, gripping his giant axe tightly.
"Kill it," Su Xiao said calmly, drawing his Dragon-Slaying Flash. "Since we're here, let's take this opportunity to test the waters."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered and disappeared from the spot. The next moment, he appeared in front of the Abyss Spawn, the Dragon-Slaying Flash in his hand slashing out with a streak of blade light.
Blade Path: Azure Demon!
The azure blade light tore through the air, striking the Abyss Spawn's body. With a tearing sound, the Abyss Spawn's scales shattered, and black blood splattered everywhere.
"Roar!"
The Abyss Spawn let out an angry roar, its massive claws swiping at Su Xiao.
Su Xiao's figure flickered, easily dodging the attack, and then the Dragon-Slaying Flash in his hand transformed into a rain of blades, madly slashing at the Abyss Spawn.
After a few breaths, the Abyss Spawn collapsed to the ground, its body covered in wounds, black blood flowing like a river.
"Not bad, this world's Abyss Spawn aren't very strong," Baha said, landing on Su Xiao's shoulder.
"Don't let your guard down," Su Xiao said, wiping the blood off his blade. "This is just the beginning."
He looked into the distance, where the ruins of the Alchemical Civilization lay. There, the true danger awaited him.
"Let's go," Su Xiao said, sheathing his Dragon-Slashing Flash and leading his companions toward the ruins.