Chapter 66: Empty Seat
After obtaining [True Power: Plunder], Su Xiao stood up and walked out of the cold drink shop. Too much interaction with outsiders would increase the risk of exposing his identity as Holy Flame Alchemist.
Holy Flame Alchemist had two distinguishing features: first, his attire, and second, a cat—namely, Beini. It could be said that Beini played a 50% role in establishing this identity.
This was his first time profiting from Black Maple Tree branches within Reincarnation Paradise. The price was higher than expected, and it was only a very small piece. To put things in perspective, Arcane Eternal Star had a towering Black Maple Tree, but they wouldn't easily let its yield flow out—internal consumption alone wasn't enough.
Compared to the Void, contractors in Reincarnation Paradise actually had access to resources from more channels. Many items produced by the Paradise were nonexistent in the Void.
It was precisely for this reason that the black-robed stall owner, the moment he saw the Black Maple Tree branch, thought of selling it to the Void, where the price of Black Maple Tree branches could reach its peak.
He couldn't sell too much, or major problems would arise sooner or later. [True Power: Plunder] was a cautionary example. Compared to a Black Maple Tree, this item couldn't compare at all, but the miserable fate of its previous owner was still fresh in memory.
Interest struggles within the Paradise were even more brutal. In the Void, there might be some consideration for interracial relations, but not in Reincarnation Paradise.
If outsiders ever deduced that Su Xiao possessed a Black Maple Tree, every time he entered a world, a large group of people would track him using various methods. He'd be fighting nonstop, with no time to explore the world or complete tasks.
Before his strength reached a top-tier level, he could use the Black Maple Tree for moderate profit, but he couldn't push it too hard, lest people connect the dots to a Black Maple Tree existing within Reincarnation Paradise.
After returning to his exclusive room, Su Xiao changed out of his Holy Flame Alchemist attire. He sat on the sofa, brewed a cup of maple leaf tea, and took out [True Power: Plunder] from his storage space.
[You have used True Power: Plunder (Authority-type Scroll).]
[You have obtained a permanent authority. After killing Lord or Overlord-rank units, you will receive 1 to 3 Golden Skill Points during world settlement.]
Su Xiao let out a long breath. His rate of becoming stronger had increased, but he had become poorer. He now had only 151 Soul Coins left. His original plans to master another combat-type passive skill and find a Holy Spirit-rank equipment suitable for him would have to be postponed. He could only hope for gains in the next world.
He took out 90 Soul Crystals (Complete) from his storage space and exchanged 14 Soul Coins for 2.1 million Paradise Coins. Then, he began to upgrade Blade Grandmaster.
[Yes/No upgrade Blade Grandmaster Lv.46. Upgrading this ability requires Soul Crystal·Complete ×30 + 700,000 Paradise Coins.]
Su Xiao chose to upgrade three consecutive levels. With a crackling sound, all the Soul Crystals he had taken out shattered. His vision drastically changed. After a strong sensation of being pulled backward, the scene before him became much clearer.
Darkness and light, the two intersected and then overlapped.
The sky was filled with slash marks. Orange-red flames burned on the ground. Corpses lay everywhere as far as the eye could see.
A mutilated corpse in armor knelt on one knee. He was the World Child, but now his head was separated from his body. Around him lay the bodies of various strange beasts.
On a towering pile of corpses that reached the sky, a figure stood. The hem of his long robe was torn into strips, with many holes, fluttering in the wind. A long sword, stained with blood and its blade covered in notches, pointed diagonally downward. More than half of the world's creatures had been slaughtered by this blade.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled in the sky. A pitch-black lightning bolt struck down from the high altitude, hitting the figure atop the corpse pile. It was the final struggle of this world.
A pair of pale blue eyes stood out vividly amidst the surging dark thunder. The next moment, these eyes appeared right in front of Su Xiao. At the same time, several long swords formed from Soul Crystals pierced through Su Xiao's chest.
Everything before Su Xiao vanished abruptly. He was still sitting on the sofa, gasping for air, his clothes soaked with sweat.
...
At the deepest level of the Black Abyss, beneath the Black Maple Tree, a pair of pale blue eyes suddenly opened. It was the Blade Demon.
"Going to slaughter living beings again?"
A figure sitting on the Black Maple Tree spoke. From her dangling calves, she was female. After she spoke, she was met with silence.
"The Empty Seat Banquet is about to begin. As a member of the Starry Sky Seat, you're still not coming this time?"
"..."
"Actually, it doesn't matter if you don't come. We're used to it. The main thing is the Black Maple Tree. If you don't come, I can't very well go rob the Black Maple Tree from Arcane Eternal Star again, can I? Although stolen things are very 'sweet,' the Supreme Being is ridiculously strong. If he finds out, it'll be bad."
The woman sitting on the Black Maple Tree was a bit annoyed. Unfortunately, her words didn't sway the Blade Demon. He would still be absent from this Empty Seat Banquet.
...
Inside the exclusive room, Su Xiao leaned back on the sofa. The pair of eyes he had just seen felt both familiar and unfamiliar to him. Familiar because, when he fully activated his Devouring Core, his own eyes would turn into a similar form.
Putting these thoughts aside for now, Su Xiao checked the notifications from Reincarnation Paradise.
[Blade Grandmaster has been upgraded to Lv.47.]
[Blade Grandmaster has been upgraded to Lv.48.]
[Blade Grandmaster has been upgraded to Lv.49.]
After three consecutive levels of Blade Grandmaster, Su Xiao tried to upgrade again. A notification appeared, stating that upgrading Blade Grandmaster from Lv.49 to Lv.50 required a full 100 Soul Crystals (Complete) and 3 million Paradise Coins.
Reaching Lv.50 in Blade Grandmaster was a qualitative change. At that point, he would be able to meet 'Forge Light' again and obtain something very important from him.
[Blade Grandmaster: Lv.49 (Passive Skill)]
Skill Effect: Increases blade-type weapon attack power by 679% (increased by 30%), neural reflex speed by +233% (increased by 18%), immune to mental-type control, immune to mind-type seduction, inducement, etc.
Lv.10 Ultimate Ability: Rhythm of All Things (Passive) ++++++ (Broke through the upper limit of six ranks, has reached the limit).
Lv.20 Ultimate Ability: Soul Blade (Passive)
Lv.30 Ultimate Ability: Blade's Extreme (Passive/Active)
Lv.40 Ultimate Ability: Heart·Soul·Blade (Passive)
...
After completing the Blade Grandmaster upgrade, Su Xiao opened his personal skill list and began using Golden Skill Points to upgrade Azure Shadow King.
[Yes/No upgrade Azure Shadow King (Ultimate Skill) Lv.1. Upgrading this ability requires Golden Skill Point ×1.]
Su Xiao had a total of 5 Golden Skill Points. He chose to use all of them.
[Azure Shadow King upgrading...]
Su Xiao didn't see this notification. It was instantaneous; he nearly passed out. The sensation of upgrading Azure Shadow King was very intense.
The Azure Steel Shadow energy within Su Xiao was activated to its limit. He could feel a certain hidden trait within his body gradually increasing. Along with it, his body coordination, neural reflex speed, dynamic vision, and so on, also improved.
A full hour passed before the Azure Steel Shadow energy within Su Xiao calmed down. He raised his hand, and Azure Steel Shadow energy appeared in his palm, forming a miniature long sword. The next moment, the long sword dissolved into the shape of Bubu Wang, then changed into Amu, Baha, and Beini.
Su Xiao realized that his control over Azure Steel Shadow energy had made a leap-like improvement. What puzzled him was that the skill description of Azure Shadow King didn't contain such a description.
Su Xiao felt that everything around him had slowed down. This would take some time to get used to, as it was caused by a significant increase in his body speed.
[Azure Shadow King: Lv.6 (Ultimate Skill)]
Passive Effect 1 (Swift Shadow): Permanently increases body speed by 1.0 times (increased by 0.5 times).
Body speed includes: movement speed, attack speed, neural reflex speed, etc.
Note: The bonus of this ability will increase with the skill level (Azure Shadow King gains one bonus to this ability for every Lv.1 upgrade).
Passive Effect 2 (Azure Shadow King): When the Azure Steel Shadow ability is activated in combat, each time Azure Steel Shadow energy successfully burns the enemy's mana, it can awaken the Blade of Law Annihilation...
Note: The bonus of this ability will increase with the skill level (a qualitative change occurs for every Lv.10 upgrade).
...
After mastering the Azure Shadow King ability, Su Xiao gained stable growth in terms of speed. He was very much looking forward to what changes would occur when Azure Shadow King reached Lv.10.