Chapter 40: Strangulation
The long blade cut through the air, emitting a terrifying howl, and directly slashed across Xi's nape.
The long blade passed through, but Xi's head did not fly off. The moment the blade cut through her neck, she deactivated her crystallization. If a vital point like the neck were severed, Xi would die instantly.
The moment this slash was unleashed, the subsequent three slashes followed. They appeared ordinary, but in truth, they were three slashes concealing deadly intent.
In Xi's vision, the surrounding world suddenly turned pitch black. In her eyes, there were only these three slash marks, slashes rushing toward her.
*Thump~*
Even space seemed to distort. The surrounding world grew even darker. The three blue slash marks in front of Xi suddenly split apart, transforming into a large expanse of slashes.
‘Blade Path: Absolute Abyss.’
*Clang!*
The slashes chimed sharply. Xi was instantly shattered. Starting from her arm, her body rapidly returned to normal. The damage her crystallization could withstand had reached its limit.
"God… Weeps!"
At this life-or-death moment, Xi chose to use an ability she couldn't yet fully control.
Su Xiao swung his blade forward, aiming straight for Xi's neck. Xi wasn't ignorant of close combat, but she instantly judged that this slash couldn't cut through her throat. The tip of the blade was still about five centimeters from her throat. As for the blade aura it would release, she had a way to deal with it. As long as she wasn't struck by this Holy Spirit-grade longsword, she'd be fine. The lethality of this blade was simply too terrifying. The true damage was so high it made Xi feel a bit of despair.
*Whoosh!* Xi's body stiffened, her ability forcibly interrupted.
Warm blood gushed from Xi's neck. Her eyes were filled with confusion until she saw Su Xiao's right hand gripping the sword.
At this moment, Su Xiao's right index and middle fingers were bent, pinching the end of Dragon-Slaying Flash. It wasn't that his sword had grown longer. Instead, while unleashing this slash, he had released the hilt, bent his index and middle fingers, and used those bent fingers to clamp the end of the hilt.
This way, including the length of the hilt, Dragon-Slaying Flash just barely cut open Xi's throat!
"Can you… hold the sword like that?"
Xi staggered back a few steps, one hand covering her spurting throat.
Su Xiao flicked his arm. Dragon-Slaying Flash was tossed slightly into the air, then caught with a *smack* in his hand.
Su Xiao took a step forward while unleashing a slash.
‘Blade Path: Azure Demon.’
An extremely fast blade aura shot out. Xi forcibly crystallized her head. The azure-blue blade aura slashed through.
*Bang!* Su Xiao burst through a layer of air, suddenly appearing in front of Xi.
The long blade pierced through flesh, entering from Xi's chest and directly penetrating her heart.
Su Xiao gripped the sword with both hands and pinned Xi to the ground.
*Boom!*
The ground beneath Xi cracked. Her eyes began to dim. Her arm slowly rose, pressing down on Su Xiao's hand holding the sword.
*Crack~*
A small patch of crystal spread across the back of Su Xiao's hand, then stopped. Xi's fair hand slid off Su Xiao's hand. She was too weak to continue fighting.
"It won't… end like this."
"…"
Su Xiao didn't speak. Instead, he pulled the long blade from Xi's chest and thrust it through her throat.
"You… can't kill me. Even if I die a thousand times, ten thousand times, I will still return…"
Before Xi could finish, she found Su Xiao releasing the longsword and taking out a precisely constructed metal rod.
The metal rod extended in Su Xiao's hand. He let go, and the intricate metal device rapidly deformed in midair.
*Click!* The metal mechanism attached itself to Xi's body.
*Thump~* A spatial pulse radiated out. Dense black chains surged behind Su Xiao. Seeing these black chains, Xi instinctively felt fear.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
The black chains pinned into the ground around Xi. A blood-red vortex appeared high in the sky.
[Space-Time Power transmitting…]
[8,000 ounces, 17,000 ounces, 25,000 ounces, 49,000 ounces transmitted.]
[Aggregate Spatial Hub constructing… Construction complete.]
[Verification complete. Target locked. Location: Void · Tianji Star Sea.]
[Forced Reverse Teleportation activating…]
[Blocked. Correcting…]
[Reincarnation Paradise correction complete. Forced Reverse Teleportation activated.]
[10%, 37%, 65% transmitted…]
[Interrupted again.]
[Correction complete.]
[Successfully reverse-teleported 'Void Eye' to designated location.]
[Space-Time Power seizing…]
[Seizure complete. Adjudicating…]
[Due to Void Eye violating 193,427 initial regulations, forced execution is about to commence.]
[Forced execution in progress…]
The blood-red vortex in the sky spun. Red lightning surged. A massive eyeball appeared faintly within the vortex. From the eyeball came a deafening wail, the sound of countless voices overlapping. This was the unknown existence behind Xi.
One black chain after another shot into the sky, piercing the massive eyeball. Then came a roar like the apocalypse.
In less than half a minute, the blood-red vortex in the sky gradually dissipated. The massive eyeball slowly evaporated. The unwillingness, even from a distance, Su Xiao could feel it.
That massive eyeball was an extremely powerful existence. It had once saved Xi from certain death and sent her to train in various worlds. It was called the Void Eye.
From start to finish, Su Xiao's mission wasn't simply to eliminate Xi. The existence behind her was the key. Without eliminating that existence, who knew if Xi would appear again.
…
Void · Shattered Continent · Blazing Fall City · Mamon Mord Fortress.
This was a fortress of the Demon Race, responsible for guarding an entrance to the Black Abyss. For any race, an entrance to the Black Abyss was a money tree. The defensive strength of Mamon Mord Fortress was unimaginable.
At the top floor of the fortress, in a dimly lit room, candle wax piled high on the candlestick. An old demon sat at a wooden table. His form was withered. The goat horns on his head were completely curled, covered in mysterious patterns.
"The Void Eye meets its end. Who did it have to provoke? Challenging the rules of Reincarnation Paradise. Even if it wanted to die, it didn't have to be so thorough."
The old demon chuckled lowly, removing his monocle.
"Old thing, how much longer do we have to keep fighting?"
A voice appeared. It was very loud, carrying authority without anger.
"How long? Until Arcane Eternal Star lets its guard down. The Demon Race and the Feather Race have always been sworn enemies. Fighting like this, everyone benefits. Feed them first. In the end, whatever they've swallowed, they'll have to spit out tenfold, a hundredfold."
"Hmph, old thing, be careful. My direct descendants will soon attack Mamon Mord."
The authoritative voice snorted coldly. Clearly, this was the ruler of the Feather Race.
"Oh? Are you here to plead?"
"…"
"I understand. I'll let him leave safely then."
"Good. Did you get the Black Maple Tree Branch? Without that thing, you won't live much longer."
"No."
The moment the old demon finished speaking, the candles in the room went out. His eyes, which seemed to have magma burning inside them, became especially conspicuous.
…
Abyss World, Divine Kingdom, Grassland.
Black ash fell from the sky like snowflakes. Before long, it had completely scattered.
Su Xiao stood before Xi. He raised his hand and gripped the hilt of Dragon-Slaying Flash. Cyan Steel Shadow Energy spread, flowing along the blade into Xi's neck.
"You… bastard."
Xi lay on the ground, muttering to herself. She looked at the azure sky above. Her eyes gradually lost their luster. She hadn't expected Su Xiao to drag out the existence behind her, forcibly execute it through Reincarnation Paradise, and directly cut off all her support. This time, she would face true death.
"Twice… I've lost to you… both times… so unwilling."
Xi's eyes completely lost their luster. No spatial fluctuations appeared, because the existence behind Xi had already had its Space-Time Power seized by Reincarnation Paradise and was then executed. All of this was accomplished using Xi as a coordinate. And she, acting as the coordinate, had not even the slightest chance of survival.
Su Xiao pulled the long blade from Xi's neck. He flicked the blood off the blade. The longsword slowly sheathed. Strangling the hidden danger, complete.
Once upon a time, Su Xiao had needed terrain advantages and Apollo to blow up Xi. Xi's talent was undeniable.
But now, there was no such need. With the long blade in his hand, Su Xiao could cut down Xi. This was the charm of constantly growing stronger.
[Tip: You have killed Unnumbered Contractor · Xi.]
[Main Mission 2: Purge (Completed).]
[Mission reward evaluating…]
[You have received Adventure Group Rank Promotion Certificate.]
[You have received Diamond Honor Medal ×19.]
[You have received Scarlet Chest (Xi). This is a unique reward.]