Chapter 57: Those Madmen
Inside the rest area, Su Xiao didn't immediately match an opponent, though he felt some anticipation for the upcoming competition.
The Dragon-Slaying Flash had been fully strengthened. Now, with seven gems embedded and a reinforcement level of +13, it was Epic rank. Su Xiao had done everything possible to perfect the Dragon-Slaying Flash, as it couldn't be upgraded in quality anytime soon. Epic-rank blade weapons were rare, and the [Living Creature Box] could only produce three Epic-rank blades, far from enough to advance the Dragon-Slaying Flash's tier.
Dragon-Slaying Flash +13 (Blade Edge Value 0%)
Origin: Shadow of Law Destruction
Quality: Epic
Category: Longsword
Durability: 185/185 (Increased by 15 points)
Attack Power: 313~396 (Increased by 17~22 points)
Equipment Requirement: Inheritor of the Shadow of Law Destruction
Supreme Blade Effect 1: Sharpness +76
Supreme Blade Effect 2: Bloodthirsty Praise (Passive), when attacking with Dragon-Slaying Flash, 46% of the damage dealt is converted into healing for self (Conversion rate increased by 6%).
Supreme Blade Effect 3: Demon Blade (Active), unchanged.
Reinforcement Bonuses:
+5 Additional Effect: Weapon sharpness permanently increased by 8 points.
+8 Additional Effect: Weapon durability permanently increased by 20 points.
+10 Additional Effect: Weapon attack power lower limit permanently increased by 40 points.
+12 Additional Effect: Weapon toughness permanently increased by 18.
+13 Additional Effect: Penetration permanently increased by 10%.
Embedded Effects: 7 Gems
Spirit Cat +13, Soul Severing Shadow Stone·Incomplete ×3, Mad Knight, Elegy, Moon's Grace.
Rating: 700+ points (Epic equipment rating ranges from 530 to 700).
Description: Loss, Encounter, Battle Together, Rebirth, Growth, Legend, Awakening.
Price: Untradeable.
...
Reinforcing Epic equipment consumes Soul Crystals (Large), but the effects gained are permanent. From this perspective, the value of growth-type weapons multiplies several times over.
When the Dragon-Slaying Flash advances to a higher tier, the reinforcement effects don't disappear; instead, they build on the existing foundation, further enhancing the potential of growth-type weapons.
Most of Su Xiao's gains from the Pirate World had been converted into combat power. He wanted to test his current strength. Of course, this was his first time entering the "Paradise Arena," so his ranking was very low, and the opponents he matched with should be mediocre.
[Matching opponent...]
[Matching successful. Opponent rank: 175512 (Fifth Rank).]
A sense of teleportation surged, and a metal mask covered the lower half of Su Xiao's face, also altering his voice, giving it a dull, metallic quality when he spoke.
His vision blurred, then cleared. What met his eyes was yellow sand. The sand arena had a diameter of about 200 meters, was circular overall, and was bordered by black wooden fences six to seven meters high.
Above, there was a circular audience stand. Spectators in various outfits sat on tiered seats. Judging by their attire, most were Workers or Contractors. Workers willing to spend 1,000 Paradise Coins per hour to watch the battle were at least Second Rank, or even above Third Rank.
"He's here. These are two close-combat powerhouses. Audience, welcome them with your cheers."
At the edge of the sand arena, a Feather Race stood on a black wooden platform. He wore small round sunglasses and had a gorgeous feathered cloak draped over his back.
By the Fifth Rank, Contractors would all come into contact with the Void. The threshold for Workers was much lower, as their world progress was very slow.
"Two competitors, I don't know if you're familiar with this place, but there's one thing I need to tell you in advance: the battles here are... bloody and brutal! Except for not dying, you can use any method to defeat your opponent here. This is the backyard of the strong, a playground for certain madmen, hahaha. Everyone knows which madmen I'm talking about."
The Feather Race commentator on the platform laughed heartily. Most of the Workers in the audience stood up. In the front row, a female Worker with a plump figure and camouflage paint on her face even tore open her clothes, generously offering a free show to Su Xiao and his opponent on the field. It was unclear which Paradise this female Worker belonged to, but she was certainly uninhibited.
When Su Xiao matched his opponent, he received a prompt: inside the Paradise Arena, except for not dying, fighting until limbs were severed was common. Fortunately, returning to the rest area allowed recovery by spending Paradise Coins. This increased the cost of competition but also accumulated combat experience.
Moreover, Su Xiao could not only come to the Paradise Arena but also enter the Fifth-Rank arena within Reincarnation Paradise, which was the original mode. However, the rewards for the top ten were far inferior to those of the Paradise Arena, and matching opponents was very slow.
Bloodstains could be faintly seen on the yellow sand. Su Xiao tried clenching his fist. The tactile sensation told him that his entire body had been teleported here. Except for not dying, it was no different from real combat.
"Big brother with the blade, I'm counting on you."
A childish voice called out. Su Xiao looked toward the source. It was a little girl under ten years old, wearing a high-tech steel helmet. Judging by her aura, she was a Worker. She had bet 50,000 Paradise Coins on Su Xiao's victory. Her rank wouldn't be low.
[Competition, Start!]
Golden large characters appeared in the sky. Su Xiao looked at his opponent this time. It was a burly man in his thirties, bare-chested. On his chest was tattooed a goat's head with curved horns covered in black patterns.
"Rugulu, na a qili."
The burly man spoke, but what he said was completely incomprehensible. His eyes gradually turned dark red, as if flames were burning within his pupils.
"Lower-level ability of the Demon Race, but not the language of the Demon Race."
Su Xiao hadn't understood a word his opponent said. Clearly, the Paradise Arena didn't provide language-related permissions. But that didn't matter. Su Xiao was in a bad mood from strengthening Devouring Annihilation, and his opponent looked very durable.
"Fight to the death, battle on, powerhouses."
The Feather Race on the commentary platform got excited. Although he didn't belong to any Paradise, hosting competitions brought benefits, and he was neutral enough, coming from the Void.
Su Xiao gripped the hilt of the Dragon-Slaying Flash. The yellow sand beneath his feet crackled.
Boom!
Like a cannonball landing on the sand, most of the Workers in the audience were dumbfounded. They all looked up at the arena.
A virtual screen appeared, displaying the number 105, indicating that Su Xiao's previous movement had been slowed down 105 times.
On the screen, Su Xiao drew the Dragon-Slaying Flash while crouching low, then lunged forward.
Thud!
A roar came from the sand arena. Sand surged like waves in all directions.
Without knowing what had happened, the bare-chested burly man was already on one knee. His entire right arm flew through the air, and his body was covered in dense slash marks, a bloody mess.
With a "wah," the burly man spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"You are, Reincarnation Paradise..."
Bang!
A leg kicked the burly man's neck. He flew sideways, crashing heavily into the black wooden fence. Blood splattered across the fence.
"This ferocious combat style is definitely a madman from Reincarnation Paradise! Audience, cheer!"
The Feather Race on the commentary platform roared. Most of the Workers in the audience were indeed cheering, but a large portion of the Contractors had grim expressions, as if recalling some painful experiences.
Blood dripped from the Dragon-Slaying Flash. Su Xiao flicked the blade and walked slowly toward the burly man.
"Madman Paradise."
The burly man held his severed arm with one hand. This time, he switched languages. After just one exchange, he was stunned. His opponent's speed was too fast, ridiculously fast.
'One of the five unwritten traditions of the Paradise Arena: When encountering a Contractor from Reincarnation Paradise, if you can fight, fight; if not, surrender as soon as possible.'
As soon as the burly man finished speaking, a terrifying sense of crisis appeared, causing his muscles to spasm involuntarily. A weapon resembling a hiltless rapier was already pressed against his chin. If not for a layer of golden light clinging to the skin under his chin, he would have been pierced through the head, becoming a corpse.
The burly man's cheek twitched. Space twisted behind him, teleporting him away.
[Hunter has won this competition. Return to rest area or continue competing? If continuing, the Hunter's rank will increase based on consecutive wins × battle evaluation.]
[Current rank: 175480. If winning five consecutive matches, the Hunter will advance to within 100,000. If winning ten consecutive matches, the rank will advance to within 50,000. If winning twenty consecutive matches, the rank will advance to within 10,000.]
Su Xiao was in a good state now, and most of his frustration had dissipated. If he fought a few more rounds, he should be able to selectively forget the unlucky experience of strengthening Devouring Annihilation.
As soon as Su Xiao made his choice, the Feather Race on the commentary platform shouted through the amplification device:
"This competitor from Reincarnation Paradise has chosen to continue competing. Then... let's welcome the next victim to the stage."
As soon as the Feather Race finished speaking, a woman appeared. She wore a long white dress, her black hair reaching her waist, and held a slender staff. She was a stunningly beautiful female mage with a gentle and soft temperament. Seeing her, many in the audience were stunned.
"That madman down there, if you dare to cut our Apocalypse Paradise's goddess, I'll fight you to the death!!"
"Idiot, big shot from Reincarnation Paradise, cut her. This is the arena."
The female mage in the long white dress frowned slightly upon hearing the commotion in the audience. Although she was staring at Su Xiao from a distance, she felt as if a massive blood beast was grinning at her.
"Are you a Contractor from Reincarnation Paradise?"
The female mage in the long white dress spoke, her voice soft.
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. Cyan Steel Shadow energy clung to the Dragon-Slaying Flash. This opponent was the type he was best at dealing with: a mage. If he couldn't finish her within a minute, he wouldn't deserve to be called a Shadow of Law Destruction.