Chapter 58: Grand Event
Although the fruit of the Void Tree was tempting, now was clearly not the time to compete for it. There might be an opportunity in the future.
Putting away the obtained items, Su Xiao picked up the [Alek's Box]. As a treasure chest dropped by a World Child, he had high expectations for it.
[You have opened Alek's Box.]
[You have obtained the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God.]
[Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God]
Origin: Doom Star
Quality: Special
Type: Bloodline Item / Functional Item / Lethal Item
Effect 1: After consuming the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God, you will be eroded by Divine Power (Ancient). If you do not die within 3 hours and maintain your sanity, your True Strength, True Agility, and True Stamina will be greatly increased.
Note: Consuming the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God will cause irreversible mutations, such as growing tentacles or partial deification of the body.
Effect 2: Infuse your mental energy into the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God to engage in a brief mental exchange with the Underworld God (Ancient God).
Warning: Given the Hunter's current mental and soul strength, mental exchange with the Underworld God carries extreme risks. It will inevitably cause irreversible mental and soul damage, intermittent berserking (irreversible, permanent), and a high probability of mental contamination by the Underworld God, resulting in being dragged into Doom Star.
Note: If the exchange with the Underworld God is successful, you can trade with the Underworld God by consuming Soul Crystals or Soul Coins. This is an extremely unequal trade.
Effect 3: Throw the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God at an enemy. If it touches the enemy's skin, the enemy will be affected by 'Filthy Whispers,' resulting in instant death or partial bodily collapse.
Note: After use, the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God must be destroyed within 10 minutes.
Destruction Method: Sheep feces + Distilled water + Acidic chitin powder + Undead powder + Sacred oak root.
Description: Do not spy on the Underworld God, do not communicate with it, do not listen to its voice, do not look upon its form, do not recite its divine name.
Selling Price: Unsellable. Can be discarded or traded.
...
A withered umbilical cord fell to the ground. Su Xiao hadn't touched it with his hands earlier because he sensed danger.
He took a charcoal box from his storage space and used tweezers to pick up the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God from the ground, placing it inside the box.
Don't underestimate this charcoal box. Su Xiao had made it by burning dry branches of the Black Maple Tree to obtain wood ash, which he used as the base material.
This item was specifically designed by Su Xiao to store dangerous objects. It had excellent isolation properties. The roots of Dibamu, the heart of the White Goat Shabu, and others had once been stored inside, but since both were worthless, Su Xiao had destroyed them.
With a snap, Su Xiao closed the charcoal box, and the sense of danger dissipated. He was always vigilant against Ancient Gods. While killing them brought considerable benefits, they were equally powerful.
Whether it was the Moon God or the Dark Source Azathoth, both had nearly killed Su Xiao. Describing those battles as a narrow escape from death was no exaggeration.
As for the Nightmare God he had encountered recently, its abilities were countered by Su Xiao. Otherwise, this entity would have been even more unsolvable. The moment they met, Su Xiao would have had to find a way to retreat; being dragged into the dream world meant certain death.
The Underworld God was an even stronger Ancient God. This deity was so terrifying that just looking at it could contaminate one's mind. Even the umbilical cord it abandoned at birth could not be touched.
The Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God had many uses, but the methods of using it were very limited. Su Xiao would never eat it or infuse his mental energy into it.
The only way to use it was to trap others. Its terror far exceeded that of potent poison. If an enemy merely touched it with their skin, they might die instantly. If it were ground up and the enemy 'accidentally' drank it, the consequences were unimaginable.
Even more dangerous was that after an enemy touched this item, the Umbilical Cord of the Underworld God had to be completely destroyed within 10 minutes, or there would be severe consequences.
Wrapping the charcoal box with metal wire, Su Xiao stored it in his storage space, placing it in a corner away from other items.
The harvest was considerable, but unfortunately, it didn't significantly enhance Su Xiao's own strength. He wasn't disappointed and began his daily meditation.
Since most participants were still in the Viking Sea, the fourth round of the Strongest Warrior Tournament couldn't start. Su Xiao wasn't in a hurry. He could use this opportunity to adjust his state. The fourth round was an arena mode, testing pure strength.
This arena mode was actually what Su Xiao excelled at. The reason was simple: Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha were all his followers. Including Su Xiao himself, it would be a four-on-one beatdown, crushing the enemy until they doubted their existence.
The waiting time wasn't long. Besides daily meditation and sword technique practice, Su Xiao could pass the time with puzzle games.
Unknowingly, a few days passed. Su Xiao's condition improved more and more. Compared to Void races, Su Xiao, who frequently executed missions in various worlds, was better at adjusting his state in such situations.
[Tip: The fourth round of the Strongest Warrior Tournament is about to begin.]
[Location for this round: El Star · Baro Arena (One of the three major arenas in the Void).]
[Number of participants: 167.]
[This round uses an elimination points system, tallied by the Void Tree.]
[If the Hunter defeats an opponent, points will be awarded based on battle duration, consecutive wins, etc.]
[The top ten in points will advance to the fifth round of the Strongest Warrior Tournament (i.e., the Ten Strongest Warrior Tournament).]
[The points leaderboard is public.]
[The Baro Arena is open for viewing, with a capacity of 300,000. Spectators are limited to the same race or close relations of the participants. Others are not eligible for entry.]
[Teleportation is about to begin.]
...
A flash of light appeared before Su Xiao's eyes. When his vision returned, he was standing on a sandy ground. The sand area was about 300 meters in diameter, surrounded by a completely transparent barrier in a cylindrical shape.
Beyond the barrier was a tiered circular spectator stand. At this moment, the stands were already full. Demon race, Feather race, Star race, spellcasters from Arcane Eternal Star, and even some half-orc races were present.
Cheers surged like a tidal wave, mixed with many shouts.
Su Xiao stood on the yellow sand field. Nearby were other participants, 167 in total. Some were waving toward certain sections of the upper stands. Especially participants from medium-sized races were quite excited. Reaching the fourth round, regardless of the outcome, their races would receive substantial resources. Even if they died in this round, they would be heroes of their race.
Shang Yue's gaze swept around. Soon, she spotted a middle-aged Feather race man in a black feather robe on the stands. This was her father.
On the stands, the middle-aged Feather race man nodded slightly, his expression still stern, but his fists were clenched. It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried, but that was how the Void worked. If you weren't strong enough, you couldn't control your own destiny. There were too many powerhouses here, and no force could completely rule this place.
"Everyone, I understand your feelings, but please stop cheering for now."
A Devil race man stood on a high platform beside the arena. This was the highest point in the arena, offering a clear view of the stands behind.
The Devil race man on the high platform paused, waiting for the stands to fall completely silent before starting to warm up the crowd.
Su Xiao looked around and soon found the seating area for participants, a separate isolated section.
After taking a few steps, Su Xiao vaguely heard someone calling him.
"Look here, yes, yes, right here."
The Succubus Lilim was waving from the stands. Beside her sat her sister Lilith.
Lilith was not a Succubus; she was a combat-type female Demon with great potential, just not very bright. Last time, in the shallow layers of the Black Abyss, she had cooperated with Su Xiao. After repeated intellectual crushing, this Demon girl had begun to doubt her life.
Su Xiao shifted his gaze to the nearby seating area, where spellcasters from Arcane Eternal Star were seated.
Scanning this area for a moment, Su Xiao found a spellcaster. Coincidentally, the other was also looking at Su Xiao. Their eyes met. This spellcaster was named Mage Sage Seraphilia.
PS: (Recommending a friend's book, title: The Last Swarm.)