Chapter 58: Talisman Gloves
Returning to the inn, Su Xiao found that Beini had already categorized the various items into two types: those that could be taken out of this world, and those that could not.
Su Xiao stood before a wooden table, collecting the items on it into his storage space.
[You have obtained Soul Crystal (Complete) ×46.]
Given the strength of the Kodo School, this reserve of Soul Crystals was quite small. However, considering that Crystal Resin was made by shattering large amounts of Soul Crystals, mixing them with even more impure Soul Stones, and finally adding the Mother God's divine flesh and blood, it was normal for the Kodo School to have only this much Soul Crystal stockpile.
Su Xiao had just asked Archbishop Noah about the secret of Crystal Resin, and Archbishop Noah no longer tried to hide it.
So-called Crystal Resin was actually a mixture of Soul Energy + Divine Flesh and Blood + Life Force Crystals. The Soul Energy was extracted by shattering Soul Crystals, the Divine Flesh and Blood was provided by the Mother God, who had her body severed dozens of times for this matter, continuously regenerating, all of which she willingly did.
The final Life Force Crystals were remnants of a previous civilization, discovered by the Kodo School. Originally abundant, only a small amount remained, treasured by the Kodo School.
It was precisely because of the inclusion of Life Force Crystals that the Soul Energy and Divine Flesh and Blood were perfectly combined, making it impossible to sense either of them independently.
What truly prevented corruption was mainly the Divine Flesh and Blood. The Life Force Crystals allowed the Divine Flesh and Blood to undergo a qualitative change, turning it into a substance similar to body fat but with ore-like characteristics.
The effect of Crystal Resin was actually limited; it only worked in low-corruption areas, but it was still very useful.
Su Xiao put away the Soul Crystals. Compared to Soul Crystals, he had obtained even more gems.
[You have obtained Love's Comfort (Immortal Rank Gem · 1337 Rating): When set into accessory-type equipment: True Charm Attribute +5, Charm-type control ability judgment correction +10, control duration increased by 16%.]
[You have obtained Heart of Steel (Immortal Rank Gem · Rare · 1420 Rating): When set into defense-type equipment, equipment defense rank +1.]
[You have obtained Inferno Eye (Immortal Rank Gem · 1026 Rating): When set into a weapon, fire-type damage dealt will carry an internal burning effect, thereby reducing the healing effects received by the enemy.]
...
Three Immortal Rank gems obtained. In addition to these three, there were also seven Holy Spirit Rank gems and fifteen Epic Rank gems.
[You have obtained Divine Bone ×1 (Holy Spirit Rank).]
[You have obtained Power · Talisman ×1 (Pending Identification).]
[You have obtained Defense · Talisman ×1 (Pending Identification).]
[You have obtained Valor · Talisman ×1 (Pending Identification).]
[You have obtained Howl · Talisman ×1 (Pending Identification).]
[You have obtained Pride · Talisman ×1 (Pending Identification).]
[You have obtained Talisman Gloves (Special Equipment · Bone Gloves): This equipment has no initial attributes. It can be set with up to five talismans. Only one talisman's derived effect can be activated at a time. Talisman effects can be switched during combat.]
[There are a total of sixteen types of talismans: Power, Defense, Valor, Howl, Pride, Rebirth, Hive, Life, Sacrifice, Blood Surge, Metal, Despair Abyss, Blade Maiden, Grave Keeper, Phantom Flame, Silver Heart (Strongest Talisman).]
...
Su Xiao picked up the Talisman Gloves. Although made of bone, they didn't look bulky when worn. On the back of the hand were five slots of varying sizes, and in the center was a circular wheel with a pointer on it.
The user could control the rotation of this wheel. The pointer, infused with supernatural energy, would point to which talisman, activating it, while the other talismans would temporarily lie dormant.
The functionality of this equipment was very powerful, but for Su Xiao, there weren't many times he could use it. He held his blade in his right hand and wore the Black King Bracer on his left.
As for wearing the Talisman Gloves on his sword-wielding hand, let's spare the equipment. Currently, when Su Xiao clashed blades with enemies of the same rank, the immense recoil force would cause even an Immortal Rank glove to explode. Gloves and bracers were different; the former were functional and relatively fragile, while the latter were defensive.
The Black King Bracer absolutely could not be removed. Immunity to a near-death state was far more powerful than the Talisman Gloves.
That said, the Talisman Gloves were still very valuable. This equipment had no wearing requirements and no binding effect after being worn. Anyone could use it, even a First Rank contractor.
Su Xiao suspected that if a First Rank contractor obtained this item and was given any one talisman, they could easily crush their way from First Rank to Third Rank, unless the user was too stupid.
There were a total of 16 talismans. The most powerful, the Silver Heart · Talisman, was not obtained by Su Xiao, which spoke volumes.
The Talisman Gloves were crafted by the Kodo School, consuming many resources. They abandoned the project after discovering it couldn't deal with the Ancient Gods.
Logically, the Talisman Gloves were still there, and at least 10 of the 16 talismans should have been preserved. Yet Su Xiao only obtained 5.
This indicated one thing: before Su Xiao went to the Kodo School's material warehouse, Archbishop Noah had someone move some of the materials there out in advance, probably about half. The old fox's skin wasn't so easy to peel, but Su Xiao had also left a backup plan.
Putting away all the obtained items, Su Xiao checked the [Sky-Rend] and [Soul Sever] gems in his storage space. He had already obtained two Immortal Rank gems suitable for Dragon-Slaying Flash, and needed one last one.
On the Apocalypse Paradise side, the Kodo School, as well as the trade routes of Gem Street and the Insect Kingdom — Su Xiao had used all these channels, but he was still one gem short. He had two final methods left: the Ouroboros Stone Tablet and [Prison Rice].
[Prison Rice: This item can be used at any location except Reincarnation Paradise. When used, scattering this rice on the ground will attract a 'Luck Monkey'. After the 'Luck Monkey' eats all the Prison Rice, it will be willing to help you accomplish one thing.]
[Hint: The Luck Monkey is an extremely special energy creature. It is very mischievous and lacks patience, but it can accomplish certain things that are absolutely impossible.]
Don't underestimate [Prison Rice]. If Su Xiao sold this item to Reincarnation Paradise, he could obtain 1 Paradise Coin and permanently increase his Luck Attribute by 2 points. The selling price alone indicated how marvelous the 'Luck Monkey' was.
Using the 'Luck Monkey' to get the last Immortal Rank gem was essentially trading it for [Prison Rice]. The origin of the gem was not limited to this world; the 'Luck Monkey' could likely reach other worlds to steal an Immortal Rank gem.
Unless absolutely necessary, Su Xiao was reluctant to use [Prison Rice]. He decided to try the Ouroboros Stone Tablet first. Back in the Dream World, he had already summoned the Ouroboros Stone Tablet using [Dark Redemption].
Taking the Ouroboros Stone Tablet out of his storage space, it immediately began to transform into a stone ring, trying to slip onto Baha's leg.
"I'll fuck your mother!"
Baha was scared half to death. He had been educated by the Ouroboros Stone Tablet before and had a healthy respect for this thing.
"Stone Tablet, help me find an Immortal gem similar to these two gems."
Su Xiao held [Sky-Rend] and [Soul Sever] between his fingers. The Ouroboros Stone Tablet floated in mid-air. After a moment, a line of text appeared on it.
'What you seek is right before your eyes.'
A prophecy appeared on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet, no, this should be considered a hint.
"Speak in human language."
'My existence is not human.'
"You have one more chance, Stone Tablet. I want to know, Reincarnation Paradise..."
Before Su Xiao could finish his sentence, the text on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet changed.
'White Town, Blacksmith, inside the forge, 137 gems set.'
"You go take them?"
'I would be smashed by the blacksmith's hammer, my existence completely erased.'
The rank of the Ouroboros Stone Tablet was indeed high, but compared to the Demon Blacksmith, it was nothing.
The prophecy of the Ouroboros Stone Tablet made Baha very unhappy. He said, "Stone Tablet, aren't you just farting? You know the Demon Blacksmith can't be messed with, and you want us to pry gems out of his forge? Have you lost your mind?"
'Feathered beast, your intelligence is insufficient to understand my prophecy.'
"Stop struggling. You can't kill us. Just tell us where the Immortal gem we need is."
Baha looked like he saw through everything, but in reality, that was exactly the case.
All along, the Ouroboros Stone Tablet wanted to control its holder, making them obey it completely. Unfortunately, after Su Xiao became its holder, he had it figured out. It spent most of its time locked in the storage space, and when occasionally let out, it was asked questions that could get it shattered.
'What you desire lies at the Western Extremity.'
Another useless prophecy appeared on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet. The meaning of 'Western Extremity' was easy to understand — in the west. And then what?
"Get me the Immortal gem. What do you want?"
Su Xiao guessed a possibility: the Ouroboros Stone Tablet had changed its strategy. Instead of trying to kill him, it wanted to grow stronger and then break free from his control.
Asking so many questions this time, the Ouroboros Stone Tablet hadn't increased its revival value. This was a big problem, and the Ouroboros Stone Tablet no longer prophesied danger.
This thing was a double-edged sword. If you didn't give it a chance to grow, it wouldn't bring you any help. But if you let it grow too much, it might exceed your control and escape. The growth rate of such beings was unreasonable; upon meeting certain conditions, their danger level would suddenly skyrocket.
'Container's Face Mask.'
Seeing the words on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet, Su Xiao confirmed his previous guess.
"Deal."
'Tomorrow. White Town. Immortal gem.'
The Ouroboros Stone Tablet fell to the ground, gradually merging into it. The deal was made. The Ouroboros Stone Tablet wanted the Container's Face Mask. As payment, it would obtain the Immortal gem Su Xiao needed.
The third gem was secured. Su Xiao could have opened the seal long ago. All he needed to do was take the Divine Maiden · Shatai back to White Town, first sever the Soul Chain, then kill the Light King, and the seal would be broken.
The reason Su Xiao hadn't done this yet was that he wanted to set three Immortal Rank gems on Dragon-Slaying Flash first. This would give him a higher chance of victory in his battle with the Ancient God.
The matters that needed to be dealt with were mostly finished. It was time to return to White Town.
Su Xiao went down to the first floor of the inn and began to set up the teleportation array. Seeing the array pattern gradually being drawn on the ground, Yue Ling, who was enjoying a large breakfast nearby, stiffened. The delicious food in her mouth suddenly lost its flavor. She could almost hear her stomach wailing.
The Divine Maiden · Shatai and the Old Knight both stood up and silently walked out of the inn. After a while, the two returned.
"Everyone, get on board. Let's roll!"
Baha looked calm. Bubu Wang and Amu were the same. From now on, this kind of teleportation would be unavoidable. Although the Demon Clan's teleportation was bumpy, it was safe. Since it couldn't be stable, they might as well get used to the feeling.
Boom!
The teleportation array activated. A large hole suddenly appeared in the ceiling of the inn, and a piece of the roof flew off, spinning and landing on the street, causing passersby to exclaim in surprise.
Light and shadow flickered before Su Xiao's eyes. When the tearing sensation around him disappeared, he was already inside his residence in White Town.
The Old Knight lay on the ground, motionless. The Divine Maiden · Shatai supported herself against the wall with one hand. Yue Ling knelt on the ground, her expression solemn, negotiating with her stomach.
"Ugh~"
The negotiation failed. The breakfast Yue Ling had just eaten left her.
Su Xiao lit a cigarette, dragged a chair over, and sat by the empty street. Now he just had to wait for the Ouroboros Stone Tablet to return. As for Umbrella Brother and his team, they were all in a state of self-isolation. The occupation of the Dream World might fail.
Su Xiao wouldn't go after his own Blood Qi Projection. Different trades required different expertise. He hadn't invested resources in this area, and besides, he couldn't enjoy Umbrella Brother's spiritual world immortality ability. If he went in and died there, the loss would outweigh the gain.
The occupation of the Dream World wasn't strictly necessary; it was just more convenient for handling matters.
[Hint: The Deep Dive Team has successfully resolved the time stagnation phenomenon in the Dream World.]
[Reincarnation Paradise has notarized the Dream World.]
Seeing this prompt, Su Xiao was a bit surprised. Umbrella Brother had really impressed him this time. Earlier, he was complaining about being in a state of self-isolation, and now he had actually succeeded.
Umbrella Brother and his two teammates had died 1,159 times in the Dream World before discovering all the patterns of the Blood Qi Projection. After consecutive spatial movements, the Blood Qi Projection's perception range would briefly shrink drastically.
The 7th spatial movement, the 16th spatial movement, the 27th spatial movement, the 39th spatial movement...
At these times, the Blood Qi Projection's perception range would shrink. As long as they stood still, the Blood Qi Projection would ignore them, and they could wait for it to move again.
The Blood Qi Projection never walked. In the spiritual world, the Blood Qi Projection didn't have the 'ability' to walk. It could only use spatial movement for searching and hunting.
What Umbrella Brother and his team had to do was take advantage of these opportunities to move towards the Misty Zone. Sometimes, they couldn't even take a step; moving their foot a few centimeters forward was considered good progress.
Think that's all? No. The Blood Qi Projection also had 'certain death' properties. It wasn't that the Blood Qi Projection would die, but that Umbrella Brother and his team would die instantly if they used the following abilities. The Blood Qi Projection would instantly appear behind them and decapitate them with one slash. This was certain death, undefendable and unavoidable.
Forbidden abilities included: Charm-type abilities, Control-type abilities, Tank-type abilities, Soul-type abilities, Technique-type abilities, and Buff-type abilities — a total of 12 types.
Besides these, there was one more thing: never make eye contact with the Blood Qi Projection. This would cause instant death.
When moving, never face the Blood Qi Projection, or it would instantly appear in front of you and pierce your head with one slash.
There were a total of 42 such certain-death properties. The little detective was in tears.
The funny thing was, every time Umbrella Brother and his team died, they had to leave a node in the spiritual world for the next entry. Umbrella Brother shaped the spiritual nodes into tombstones to warn himself that even if he wouldn't really die, he still had to be vigilant.
If you went to look in the spiritual world, you could see a trail of graves from the Grand Cathedral to the Misty Zone. The secret was inside the mist. Smashing the Dream Clock, which was stopped at 6 o'clock there, would resolve the time stagnation phenomenon in the Dream World.
What made Umbrella Brother sad was that, in the end, they couldn't dispel the Blood Qi Projection. The method to dispel it was actually simple: after entering there, you would see a blade. Use that blade to slash the Blood Qi Projection three times. The Blood Qi Projection = Unlimited Spatial Movement + Space Penetration + Grandmaster Instinct + Devouring Spirit + Dark Hole + Blood Qi Convergence.
The fact that the Blood Qi Projection wasn't dispelled also meant that others might enter this spiritual world to suffer in the future.
[Hint: The Deep Dive Team has returned to Reincarnation Paradise.]
[Because Reincarnation Paradise has notarized the Dream World, you have received the following rewards.]
[You have obtained 10% World Source.]
[You have obtained Dream Clock Fragment · Small Piece (World-Specific Item).]
[Forcibly seizing notarized area...]
[Seized area: The Last Green Land.]
[Blocked by Holy Light Paradise. Correcting...]
[The Last Green Land, notarization completed.]
...
[Seized area: Ruined City · Sentinel Light.]
[Blocked by Holy Light Paradise and Apocalypse Paradise. Re-correcting...]
[Ruined City · Sentinel Light, notarization completed.]
...
[Seized area: Dunk City.]
[Blocked by Apocalypse Paradise. Correcting...]
[Dunk City, notarization completed.]
...
[Seized area: White Town.]
[Blocked by Holy Light Paradise and Apocalypse Paradise.]
[Notarization failed.]
[Second forced notarization in progress...]
...
In the sky, dark clouds formed a vortex. Blood-red lightning flashed within the cloud vortex. Su Xiao looked up. It lasted for about ten minutes before the cloud vortex and blood-red lightning dissipated.
[White Town has completed notarization.]
[Related area notarization in progress... notarization completed.]
[Current world notarization parties: Reincarnation Paradise, Apocalypse Paradise, Holy Light Paradise.]
[Notarized area range: Reincarnation Paradise (40.75%), Apocalypse Paradise (30.25%), Holy Light Paradise (29%).]
[Warning: Hunter has been key marked/recorded by Apocalypse Paradise and listed as an ultra-high-risk unit.]