Chapter 1: Old Acquaintance
After reviewing the general information about the new world, Su Xiao learned two things: the next world would involve high-intensity continuous combat, and the level of danger it presented.
The size of the Primordial Continent: Hunting Grounds was still unclear, but this was a world with supernatural characteristics, and it was home to multiple overlord-level creatures.
Su Xiao had encountered overlord-level creatures before. Such beings were extremely powerful and had strong territorial instincts. Some similar overlord creatures would inhabit the same area; if they were a male and female pair, they might even reproduce offspring.
Compared to the terrain of the Primordial Continent, Su Xiao was more concerned about the faction division: Survivors and Hunters.
These two identities could not be detected by any means of reconnaissance; they could only be observed or negotiated. However, once one did so, they would have to bear considerable risk.
Survivors hoped to know each other's identities to form alliances, while Hunters wished to conceal their identities, infiltrate Survivor groups, and kill them one by one. Once five were killed, their mission would be complete.
What Su Xiao wanted to know was whether the imprint aura of contractors from various paradises would be shielded. If not, five groups of contractors would form five factions, each mixed with Survivors and Hunters, making it essentially no different from a world war.
But if the imprint aura was also shielded, that would be too interesting. Everything would rely on observation. In such a scenario, friendly fire among contractors could occur, and the Primordial Continent would become a paradise for old schemers.
Of course, the chance of killing contractors from other paradises was several times higher than accidentally harming one's own. Moreover, each paradise's contractors had distinct styles, and Reincarnation Paradise was easy to identify.
When encountering someone who seemed a bit off or outright abnormal, there was no doubt—this was likely a contractor from Reincarnation Paradise.
Besides these, there were the old schemers with kind smiles. Reincarnation Paradise had plenty of these as well.
As for those who suddenly shouted praises to the gods when a fight started, no need to think—they were the divine sticks from Sanctuary Paradise. Almost no one else would do that.
For female contractors, three-fifths were likely from Holy Light Paradise, one-fifth from Apocalypse Paradise, and the remaining fifth was split among Reincarnation, Death, and Sanctuary Paradises.
"Boss, I feel like acting skills will be important in the next world."
Baha spoke. This guy had no sense of tension about entering the new world; instead, his eyes were full of anticipation.
"Finding people is actually more important."
"Uh~, true."
Baha had no retort. At this point, Su Xiao's combat power was vastly different from what it was in the Source World. After digesting the massive gains from the Source World and the rewards from the Empty Seat Banquet, Su Xiao's strength had surged significantly.
Su Xiao didn't wait long before a prompt from Reincarnation Paradise appeared again.
[Transmission about to begin. Converting space-time energy.]
[Hunter is about to participate in the Paradise Trial. You have been granted Universal Language Lv.60 for free. This is a five-party certification ability (Reincarnation, Apocalypse, Holy Light, Death, Sanctuary).]
[Transmission begins. Transmission location: Space Transfer Station.]
Space fluctuations occurred. After Su Xiao's vision went dark, his consciousness blurred for an instant.
When his vision returned, Su Xiao was standing on a pitch-black surface. The substance beneath his feet felt like biological tissue—soft yet resilient.
Dim light shone down from above. Su Xiao looked around. Nearby, several hundred contractors were either standing or sitting. Their attire varied; some looked worried, while others coldly scanned their surroundings.
Su Xiao tried to sense a female contractor a few meters away. He immediately detected the life force within her, which leaned toward light and holy characteristics. No need to guess—this was a girl from Holy Light Paradise.
Whether she was a Survivor or a Hunter was impossible to tell. As for her paradise imprint aura, he couldn't sense a trace of it. It was completely sealed or shielded.
This meant one thing: upon entering the Primordial Continent, determining whether a contractor was a Survivor or a Hunter, and which paradise they belonged to, would rely entirely on observation and speculation.
Confirming this, Su Xiao's confidence in completing the hunting mission and competing for the [Life Dragon Essence] greatly increased.
The shielding of paradise imprint auras was advantageous for his side. It prevented a four-against-one scenario, especially since this trial was certified by the Void Tree. Shielding the imprint aura was only natural.
"Hey, everyone, I'm from Apocalypse. Any Apocalypse teammates? Let's move together once we enter the world."
A little girl with a chubby face raised her hand. She looked about twelve years old, with a small, round face that made you want to pinch it.
"What a coincidence. I'm from Apocalypse too."
A wind chime-like sound rang out as a smiling young man walked over.
"Is that so? Then let's team up."
"Sure."
"Anyone else?"
The chubby-faced girl looked around, but no one else approached them.
"Two lunatics from Reincarnation Paradise... please stop amusing yourselves."
A healer girl sighed. She was already too tired to complain about these madmen's behavior because she knew they were deliberately messing with them. These two lunatics didn't care at all whether their identities were exposed.
"I have no grudge against you two, so why are you treating me like an idiot?"
A man with a cross hanging around his neck spoke. His smile was incredibly warm. What was even more absurd was that he had a halo floating above his head, complete with special effects, as if he were about to ascend to heaven.
"And... what is this thing on my head? Everyone, let me explain. I think the Void Tree is targeting me. I'm not from Sanctuary Paradise..."
The Ascending Brother reached for the halo on his head but grabbed nothing.
"Brother, last time in the war world, you violated the Void Tree's regulations, right? The kind that wouldn't get you instantly killed?"
"Uh~, seems like it."
The Ascending Brother, as if meeting a savior, quickly approached the burly man who had spoken.
"Then that's it. This halo on your head—I've had it for six worlds. Unfortunately, I have to tell you, its color changes with the world's characteristics."
The burly man's words made the Ascending Brother's expression change. The next world was the Primordial Continent. Just from the name, it sounded like a world full of lush vegetation and vibrant life.
"Yes, you guessed right. The ring on your head will soon turn green. This is actually a mark. Brother, don't make that face. You'll get used to it slowly. You still have five more worlds to endure."
As the burly man finished speaking, a hint of green appeared on the mark halo above the Ascending Brother's head. The Ascending Brother immediately felt terrible. He hesitated whether to chop off his head first, temporarily stash it somewhere, and pick it up before the world ended. With a halo on his head, and green at that, he really couldn't afford to lose face.
"It suits your temperament."
A female voice came. Hearing this, the chubby-faced girl, the burly man, and the Ascending Brother all turned their gazes. Seeing the newcomer's appearance, their expressions changed slightly, and their wariness was undisguised.
"Battle Angel, Molei."
The chubby-faced girl spoke. She clearly had a grudge against Molei.
"What are you looking at? Stare all you want, you're still no match for me."
Molei was in a good mood. In fact, she felt like she had been reborn. In the previous world progress, she had encountered Gray Gentleman in the Flame Spirit Star. The experiences during that time had made her start to doubt life.
At that time, Molei thought she was dead, or would become Gray Gentleman's puppet. Her heart had even been ripped out. Just as she thought she was done for, Apocalypse Paradise's rescue arrived.
In an instant, the 127 abnormal states Molei was suffering from were lifted. Her heart regenerated, and her consciousness returned to clarity.
Only then did Molei remember that a few worlds ago, she had spent 150 Angel Emblems in the Covenant Shop to purchase a privilege. When she was 'corrupted' or 'assimilated' by an anomaly, this privilege would trigger.
Back in Apocalypse Paradise, Molei lay stiff on the floor for a few minutes. She thought she was finished, but who would have thought that her earlier caution had allowed her to escape from Gray Gentleman.
This made Molei sigh. The Flame Spirit Star was truly a battlefield of gods. The arrival of the seventh-rank strongest violator, Feishi, the hunter commanding hundreds of thousands of troops—who had even gone to attack the Secret Kingdom—and Gray Gentleman lurking in the shadows.
Recalling that scene of gods fighting, Molei suddenly felt despair. Feishi was dead and wouldn't be encountered again. As for Hunter Kukulin Bai Ye and Violator Gray Gentleman, Molei never wanted to meet them again, not even in death. Let those two terrifying bastards go to hell. She, Molei, was just a Battle Angel, not on the same level as those monsters. This wasn't even about combat power anymore.
How twisted Gray Gentleman was, Molei had experienced firsthand. At the time, she felt like she was in a horror movie, and she was the weak, helpless female lead.
As for Kukulin Bai Ye, Molei seriously suspected that if she were in the same world as that monster and hostile to him, she might not even get to see his face before being toyed to death. Was Feishi strong? The answer was very strong, but Feishi died miserably too—ambushed and killed as soon as he descended.
Molei felt that she probably wouldn't encounter those two monsters again, nor did she want to!
Seeing the wary looks from the three in front, Molei felt a bit smug inside, but she couldn't show it.
"Molei, long time no see."
A hand landed on Molei's shoulder from behind. Hearing this voice, Molei felt her scalp tingle and go numb, and a chill spread from the soles of her feet upward.