Chapter 23: Personal Grudge
Many signs indicated that it was the Sanctuary Paradise’s Shenfu who had killed the other contractors. However, why had the 24 Sanctuary Paradise contractors, aside from Shenfu, remained completely silent in the World Contact Platform?
One possibility was that these 24 Sanctuary Paradise contractors were all Shenfu’s accomplices, which was why they said nothing, creating the impression that they were imprisoned or even unconscious, unable to activate their brands to send messages.
Assuming Shenfu really did this, and he planned to gain powerful strength through a “sacrificial stream” method, then the blood characters in the great hall should have been erased by him.
If Su Xiao were to do something like this, he would directly blow up the great hall, leaving no trace. Or perhaps, that great hall was very important to Shenfu, and he couldn’t easily destroy it?
For some reason, compared to Yueshitu, who might or might not be in this world, Su Xiao felt that Shenfu was actually more troublesome. If the other party really was using a “sacrificial stream” and had sacrificed over 200 contractors from the Sanctuary Paradise side, then the power he gained would be formidable.
As the saying goes, “Sacrifice your teammates, and your power knows no bounds.”
What was inexplicable was that this was a World War. Even sacrificing one teammate, let alone over 200, would cause Shenfu to be forcibly executed by Sanctuary Paradise.
Shenfu had clearly used some method to circumvent this. How exactly he did it was unknown.
But Su Xiao was sure of one thing: this old bastard was insidious. Last time, in the Primordial World, he summoned the insect race and crushed the enemy, causing only a few of them to benefit in the end. Shenfu was one of those beneficiaries. He never showed his hand throughout the entire process, yet he survived until the end.
Su Xiao pondered for a moment and decided to ignore Shenfu for now. No matter how the other party managed it, the ultimate goal was still to seize the World Core.
Paying the restaurant owner 510 Gulang, Su Xiao went up to the second floor. There was something he had been putting off, which had prevented him from fighting at full capacity recently.
The divine energy he had seized from the Sanctuary Divine Stick earlier had not been absorbed. He had suppressed it all within the Devouring Core. Fortunately, as his strength increased, the Devouring Core had also grown much stronger. Otherwise, suppressing so much divine energy would have caused problems within a few hours at most.
Previously, in Smoke City, Su Xiao seemed to have free time, but in reality, he had no chance to absorb the divine energy. That damned place, Smoke City, was unsafe even inside the Magic Association’s branch. If he were attacked while absorbing the divine energy, the consequences would be severe.
Bai Da City was far safer than Smoke City. Entering the guest room on the second floor, Su Xiao had Bubu Wang and Baha stand guard nearby.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Su Xiao sensed his body, activated the Devouring Core’s ability, and began to convert and filter the divine energy through it.
The long-suppressed divine energy was released from its restrictions. Su Xiao felt a slight swelling pain in his chest, which gradually subsided as he manipulated the Devouring Core.
The Devouring Core first converted the divine energy. The fluorescent blue divine energy slowly turned into a light blue color. Then it was filtered, stripping away all the characteristics of this energy, making it pure.
A stream of colorless energy appeared in Su Xiao’s body. The Azure Steel Shadow energy within him surged forward, devouring this colorless energy and then strengthening itself.
This process lasted nearly an hour. Su Xiao felt the last trace of divine energy in his body be converted, filtered, and finally devoured.
[Azure Steel Shadow skill has been upgraded to Lv.61.]
[Azure Steel Shadow skill has been upgraded to Lv.62.]
[Azure Steel Shadow: Lv.62 (Active/Passive Skill)]
Activation Condition: After activating the Azure Steel Shadow ability, consumes 210 mana points per minute (increased by 20 points).
Active Effect: Each melee attack burns 687 mana points from the enemy (increased by 30 points) and deals true damage equal to 1.6 times the burned mana (1099 true damage + 25% increase from Dragon-Slaying Flash = 1374 true damage). The enemy will suffer intense pain from the mana burn.
Passive Effect: When the enemy suffers mana burn, there is a 23% chance to trigger one of three abnormal statuses: Paralysis, Immobilization, or Stun…
Defense Form: Proud Song (Active)…
Combat Form: Extreme Shadow Blade (Passive). Due to the qualitative change in Azure Steel Shadow energy, when a weapon is imbued with this energy, its sharpness is increased by 45%.
Note: This ability only works on the Shadow of Law Destruction’s exclusive weapon (Dragon-Slashing Flash).
…
Su Xiao let out a slow breath. It was as if he had been carrying a heavy weight, and now that it was completely removed, he felt very relaxed.
That damned place, Smoke City, was the gathering point for the world’s high-end combatants. Living resources there were scarce, but it produced Black Crystals and Primordial Soul Energy. Anyone with strength and ambition would converge there.
After meditating in the room for ten minutes, the door was pushed open. It was Amu, who had come to rendezvous.
“Amu, hungry.”
As Amu spoke, he tore off a piece of the door and ate it. As for the food stored in the team’s storage space, he had already eaten it all. Ever since leaving the Canglong Continent, Amu’s appetite had grown.
With Amu’s combat power, he could certainly snatch food. During his solo journey, he strictly followed Su Xiao’s orders: don’t provoke trouble, but if anyone provokes him, kill them all, leave none alive.
Don’t provoke trouble = Can’t casually interact with others = No food = Hungry.
Leading Amu to over a dozen restaurants and spending a total of 80,000 Gulang, Amu was about 90% full and even burped.
Amu had successfully rendezvoused. As for Beini, she had run off somewhere. Every time she entered a mission world, she would go treasure hunting.
Buying a map, Su Xiao began searching for the location of Ganglu Dynasty’s Ancient Capital. Finding that place meant finding the Sun Temple.
Soon, Su Xiao found the location of Ganglu Dynasty’s Ancient Capital. Fortunately, Bai Da City had a rail train that could get near there.
Twenty minutes later, Su Xiao boarded a rail train. This steel beast was powered by Black Crystals and steam, manufactured by the Steam Alliance.
Pfft.
A large burst of steam sprayed from beneath the train as it started. There were almost no passengers on board. This train line was always like this, used more for transporting cargo. The passenger car was only one section long.
Inside the car, Su Xiao and Bubu Wang sat on the same row of seats. Across from them were Amu and Baha. In the diagonal seat sat a smiling young man. This was a contractor from their own side.
“The scenery in the Eastern Continent is still better. The Southern Islands are too remote.”
The smiling young man chewed something, always maintaining a smile that made his eyes look like they were closed.
“You guys just got back to Bai Da City in the Eastern Continent too? Got ripped off by the Magic Association for the teleportation fee, huh? Eastern Continent, Southern Islands, Northern Archipelago, three initial teleportation points. Lucky ones land in the Eastern Continent, unlucky ones in the Southern Islands or Northern Archipelago. By the way, I’m Kaqi.”
The young man calling himself Kaqi smiled. The Southern Islands and Northern Archipelago he mentioned were islands near the Eastern Continent. Centered on the Eastern Continent, quite a few contractors were teleported to those two places. Their danger levels were close to that of the Eastern Continent.
“Yeah, we just got back to the Eastern Continent. Looks like we’re pretty unlucky.”
Baha wasn’t lying. They had indeed just returned to the Eastern Continent.
“No problem, I’m very lucky,” Kaqi said, still smiling. “As long as you’re on the same vehicle as me, good luck will…”
Boom!!
A beam of light struck diagonally, tearing the entire car in two. The other cars that were still moving flew up over ten meters before crashing down onto the wasteland by the tracks.
Su Xiao walked out of the severed car. The steel at the break point was glowing red hot.
“Little bro, your luck isn’t so great either.”
Baha landed on Amu’s shoulder.
“Don’t interfere. This is my personal matter.”
Kaqi’s hand pierced through the car. Amid the screech of twisting steel, he emerged from the car.
Two men and one woman walked over from a distance. The leading man wore light armor and had earrings on his ears. These were three contractors from Death Paradise: a tank, an assassin, and a healer. Two kilometers away, there was also a contractor capable of ultra-long-range attacks.
“Blue Knight, are you dogs?”
Kaqi didn’t draw his weapon, but he was already prepared for a four-on-one fight.
“Found an accomplice? A summoner?”
Blue Knight glanced at Su Xiao out of the corner of his eye, but most of his attention was on Kaqi. The other party had killed one of his teammates.
Blue Knight didn’t sense any bloodlust from Su Xiao. In fact, unless someone was a perception-type or had strength comparable to Su Xiao’s, they wouldn’t easily sense him as long as he didn’t release his aura.
“Don’t misunderstand. Between you and me, it’s a personal grudge. Between you and him, it’s a hostile stance. So, you can fight me four-on-one first. After I die, it’ll be his turn.”
As Kaqi spoke, Su Xiao leaped onto the overturned car and sat on top. Based on his understanding of the madmen on his own side, if he made a move now, the madman on his side would most likely target him as well. This kind of thankless task was something he never did.
Seeing Su Xiao sitting on top of the car, Kaqi laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He said, “See? Only after I die will you have to deal with him.”
The moment Kaqi finished speaking, a beam of light as thick as an arm suddenly shot from afar, heading straight for Su Xiao’s chest.
With a loud boom, the overturned train shattered. Debris and mud flew everywhere. Su Xiao stood on the train wreckage, flames burning around him.
“That guy… Kaqi. Disappear within 10 seconds, or you die first.”
The crystal layer on Su Xiao’s chest shattered as he leaped down from the wreckage.
“Not good!”
Kaqi seemed to sense something. He sidestepped and leaped, his body turning into golden sand particles that gradually merged into the air.
Su Xiao drew Dragon-Slashing Flash. The situation had shifted from a hostile stance to a personal grudge.