# Chapter 60: The Correct Way to Use the Ouroboros Stone Tablet
Su Xiao checked the Soul Shop. After browsing for a while, he found that the newly available exchange items weren't particularly suitable for him. The good news was that the price of [Soul Scythe: Death Proclamation] had dropped.
If Su Xiao had waited until now to exchange for "Chiriyad Language," he could have saved about 10 to 20 Soul Coins. However, breaking the mechanisms on the city wall was based on Uchi's intelligence and Bubu Wang's abilities.
Walking along the city wall for about half a kilometer, Su Xiao spotted a sloping staircase leading down from the wall. Uchi, who was in the lead, was already waiting below.
Under the city wall, Uchi was making hand gestures, signaling: wait a moment, he would lure away the nearby creatures, then rendezvous with Su Xiao to go kill Rogash together.
Uchi seemed reckless and hot-tempered, but this guy wasn't stupid. As for dealing with Rogash, it was probably just something convenient for Uchi to do. He was simply too bored. Hearing that an old enemy had returned to the Holy Land, his eyes practically turned green with excitement. His reaction clearly said: "There's this? I have to kill him. I've been bored out of my mind anyway."
Su Xiao watched as Uchi gradually disappeared from sight. Teaming up with this guy to deal with Rogash wasn't exactly reliable, but he needed a guide, and that was enough.
Before long, roars came from beneath the city wall. Uchi charged at the front, with figures wreathed in flames following behind him—at least several hundred of them. These flame monsters had no rationality, leaping across buildings of varying heights.
Uchi was fleeing toward the city gate. This guy held grudges and planned to lure the monsters inside the royal city to the gate, trapping the Sun Warriors stationed there.
Ignoring Uchi, Su Xiao descended the sloping staircase from the wall.
[Notification: You have arrived at 'Chiriyad Royal City'.]
Buildings with pointed roofs of varying heights appeared in Su Xiao's field of vision. The royal city's architecture was solemn and majestic. In the distance stood two of the tallest buildings—one was a large clock tower, and the other seemed to be the royal palace.
Having advanced this far, Su Xiao was already very close to the central area of the Holy Land. He decided to go to the royal palace, where Guild Leader Hugh Grotto had been earlier.
Regardless, once there, the second ring of the promotion quest would be complete. Su Xiao guessed that the third ring might be related to the Dark Mask, though it could also be something else.
Su Xiao walked between the buildings. After traveling a few hundred meters, Uchi returned with a smile on his face.
"Uchi, you said earlier that the Ouroboros Stone Tablet is special?"
"Of course it's special. Among the five Holy Land keys, except for the 'Penitent Thorn Whip' which is useless, the others are all good stuff. Otherwise, how could they have been modified into keys? The Prophet Stone Tablet... no, the Ouroboros Stone Tablet is alive. Were you fooled by it?"
"Alive?"
Su Xiao walked into a building. It was very empty inside, with decayed tables and chairs collapsed into a pile.
"Yes, alive. I was fooled by it too."
Uchi also entered the building, thrust his greatsword into the ground, took out half an apple he'd been eating, and continued munching.
"How do you activate the Ouroboros Stone Tablet?"
Su Xiao tapped the Ouroboros Stone Tablet. He didn't sense any living creature's aura inside it.
"Hit it. Beat it to death."
"Oh?"
Su Xiao threw the Ouroboros Stone Tablet on the ground, drew his blade, and stabbed downward toward the center of the tablet.
"Don't break it! Use your fist..."
Before Uchi could finish speaking, the serpent on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet came to life. It didn't attack but instead shrank back into the tablet. A line of "Chiriyad Language" appeared on its surface.
'Destroy me, and you will be punished.'
Seeing this text, Su Xiao became interested in the Ouroboros Stone Tablet. He picked it up, and the writing changed.
'You are Bai Ye. You come from outside this world. You will die at the hands of Shenfu, devoured by an Ancient God. Even though you have hunted many Ancient Gods, you were careless, so you died.'
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow. Across from him, Uchi turned sideways—he wasn't interested in other people's secrets, just as others couldn't ask about his. This was mutual respect.
"Boss, this thing is a bit sinister. Is it a high-grade item?"
Baha's expression was somewhat serious, after all, the Ouroboros Stone Tablet had predicted death.
"Predicted death? Smash it."
As soon as Su Xiao finished speaking, the writing on the Ouroboros changed.
'You cannot destroy me. I am your chance to survive, your chance to defeat Shenfu. He devoured two of his kind and the power of an Ancient God. Follow my instructions, and you will become the final victor. First, kill the Sun Warrior across from you. He is a traitor, a subordinate of Rogash.'
Seeing these words, Su Xiao exchanged glances with Baha, then looked at Bubu Wang.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang meant: don't trust this thing. This happened to be Su Xiao's thought as well.
Uchi spoke up at this moment: "Not good. Is it telling you to kill me? Don't fully believe it. It has some prophetic ability. I was fooled by it too. The specific process... ahem, not convenient to disclose."
Uchi's expression was somewhat awkward. Just then, more text appeared on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet.
'Sun Warrior Uchi, you will be killed by Rogash. He abandoned you because you are useless. Rogash obtained everything. He took me from you and followed all my prophecies, so he won.'
Seeing this text, even Baha was speechless. This stone tablet specialized in cursing people to death and frantically boosting its own prestige, acting as if everyone must listen to it or die.
'First, you need to obtain the Sun Disc. Smash it, pour the powder onto the stone tablet, then find the Judgment Scepter, the Penitent Thorn Whip, and the Heart Flame. Let me fuse with them. I am the true Dark Mask. Only then can you, Kukulin Bai Ye, become my user.'
"Hahaha, this thing is too amusing. It's the Dark Mask? I'm Peppa Pig then."
Baha laughed heartily. This stone tablet was unexpectedly cheeky. To devour the other keys, it would stop at nothing—first scare, then tempt.
'Your wisdom makes it impossible for me to deceive you. I am the true Dark Mask. Whether to believe or not is your decision. You are very powerful, so you are qualified to use me.'
After producing this text, the Ouroboros Stone Tablet fell silent. The Ouroboros pattern reappeared on its surface.
"Did it say it's the true Dark Mask? That's the same excuse as last time. This damn stone ate my sword."
Uchi ground his teeth in hatred. As soon as he finished speaking, text appeared on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet again, this time with difficulty, as if it had consumed too much energy earlier.
'The Sun Disc is nearby.'
Boo~
A wave of energy spread out. Uchi, Bubu Wang, and Baha all became dazed for a moment. Moments later, footsteps approached. A black court dress fluttered, and the Red-Eyed Woman stood at the door, beside her was Death Shadow: Ovia.
'Because you didn't follow my prophecy, you died at the hands of Death Shadow: Ovia. Farewell, Kukulin Bai Ye.'
The Ouroboros Stone Tablet slipped from Su Xiao's hand and clattered to the ground. Su Xiao's head gradually drooped.
Black smoke spread from Death Shadow: Ovia's long dress, forming sharp spikes that shot straight toward Su Xiao.
Clang!
Blood splattered everywhere. The spatial fluctuations dissipated. Su Xiao was now in front of Death Shadow: Ovia. His long blade slashed through, trailing a chain of blood. Ovia's pupils contracted. Half an hour ago, she had seen Su Xiao and the others descending from the city wall and had been tracking them, waiting until now to strike.
Whoosh! Black smoke dragged Ovia into it and rolled toward the Red-Eyed Woman.
'Blade Path Sword: Time.'
The shockwave spread, slowing everything around them. The black smoke near Oivia began to move sluggishly. She couldn't understand one thing: why was Su Xiao so strong? In Ovia's view, she, Rogash, Shenfu, and Su Xiao were all on the same level. Due to the nature of her abilities, she should have been the strongest in single combat within the Sun Gate Squad.
In reality, Ovia was mistaken. She wasn't on the same level as Rogash. From the very beginning of their cooperation, Su Xiao, Shenfu, and Rogash had been suppressing their auras. What she thought was her strength was actually her weakness.
A surge of golden flame rushed forward, forming a large hand that grabbed Ovia in the black smoke, even sinking into her shoulder. It was Uchi's attack. His strength was considerable, actually slightly surpassing Ovia's.
Rip! The black smoke dissipated in large patches upon meeting the flame, suffering a counter.
'Blade Path Sword: Extreme.'
A flash of cold light passed by. If she had fought head-on, Ovia wouldn't have lost so quickly. Unfortunately, she mistakenly believed that Su Xiao had been affected by the Red-Eyed Woman.
Ovia's headless body fell with a thud. Beside her, the Red-Eyed Woman's body shattered like a mirror.
Su Xiao pressed one hand against his lower abdomen, blood seeping through his fingers. He had endured the enemy's attack head-on to secure a fatal blow. Ovia's strike was exceptionally vicious—she condensed the black smoke and pierced through Su Xiao's abdomen. Many of his internal organs were damaged.
Su Xiao's choice wasn't wrong. Killing Ovia as quickly as possible could avoid many problems, especially here in Chiriyad Royal City.
The appearance of Ovia and the Red-Eyed Woman might have been a coincidence, but Su Xiao felt it could also have been attracted by the Ouroboros Stone Tablet.
Holding his still-bleeding abdomen, Su Xiao walked toward the Ouroboros Stone Tablet on the ground. Just as he reached it, new text appeared on its surface.
'You cannot destroy me. You will die, you will die...'
'I was wrong. Please don't destroy me. I am not the Dark Mask. I am a key. I can help you find all the treasures in the royal city. Southeast, 135 meters, a church. Smash the stone statue inside the church. There is treasure inside. You must need it. You must need it.'
'You will not die. No, never.'
'My great and noble master, Kukulin Bai Ye, you need me. I will help you predict the future.'
PS: (Three chapters today. Aiming for four tomorrow.)