Chapter 79: Forging
Inside the study of the ancient castle, a wave of chilling aura receded. The lights in the study flickered before stabilizing, illuminating the room brightly.
Baha pushed open the window, letting the cool night breeze flow into the room. The only feeling in Su Xiao's heart was relief, immense relief.
If it weren't for the Blood of Fate, he wouldn't have set up so much. He would have just cut them down one by one, much simpler, and he would have gotten treasure chests and World Sources as well.
Even so, all this preparation was absolutely worth it. The [Blood of Fate] was the third World-class item Su Xiao had obtained, excluding World-class treasure chests.
World-class was a very special rank. Items of this rank either held great significance or involved World Force and the like.
The first two items Su Xiao had obtained were [World Tree Ring] and [Withered Sound Greatsword]. The former had already been consumed, and it was through this opportunity that Su Xiao became a Law Destroyer. As for the [Withered Sound Greatsword], it was the 'key' to entering the true Dead Silence City.
Due to his limited strength, Su Xiao wasn't ready to court death just yet. He would only venture into the true Dead Silence City when he had few rivals in the Eighth Rank.
The last time he went to the 'branch area' of Dead Silence City, he had to stay hidden the entire time. Among the enemies he could see, there were very few he could actually defeat.
He was able to defeat the Black King mainly because the Black King couldn't leave the Birth Hall. After using Apollo and the rare item [Soul Shackles] against him, Su Xiao, along with the old divine stick Ken Lahan and Amu, besieged the Black King. They were almost killed in a counterattack but barely managed to win.
Su Xiao wanted to play it safe this time. He wasn't lucky enough to always encounter trustworthy and powerful teammates like Ken Lahan. Although he felt that even if he reached the top tier of the Eighth Rank, he would still have to proceed cautiously in Dead Silence City, as long as he didn't have to stay hidden, it would be fine.
Su Xiao looked at the sealed vial, nearly 10 centimeters high, in his hand. The golden-red blood inside seemed alive. He tried to check its attributes but failed. The [Blood of Fate] was in a sealed state.
This didn't stump Su Xiao. He took out [Light Water (Holy Spirit Rank)] from his storage space. This item had been enhanced using the Golden Balance. Its characteristics hadn't improved much, but its range of use was broader.
He poured the [Light Water] onto the sealed vial. A hissing sound spread, and something resembling obsession dissipated. The seal seemed insignificant but was actually very troublesome. If he tried to forcefully break the seal, he would likely be rejected by this world. So Su Xiao avoided its sharp edge, endured the heartache, and took out a Holy Spirit rank item.
The seal on the Blood of Fate was successfully removed. Su Xiao checked the attributes of the [Blood of Fate].
[Blood of Fate]
Origin: No specific world of origin. This item appeared due to multiple factors.
Quality: World-class
Category: Rare Item/Material/Permanent Enhancement Item/Special Equipment.
Material Effect: This is a miracle blood that transcends the original. It can draw down World Thunder.
Equipment Effect: Carrying this item increases Luck Attribute by +5 and slightly raises fortune.
Permanent Enhancement Item Drinking Effect: This miracle blood can be consumed. After drinking, there is a 3.15% chance of absorbing the 'miracle' contained within, thereby becoming a World Child (Contractors and Hunters who become World Children will not receive the blessing of World Force but will instead obtain 'Class Inheritance: Chosen One'. This class inheritance has an S+ potential).
Rating: None
Introduction: Thank friendship. It is that steadfast friendship that allowed this miracle blood to appear.
Selling Price: World-class Treasure Chest x1.
...
At first glance, the [Blood of Fate] had three uses: carrying it for luck, drinking it, or selling it for a World-class Treasure Chest.
In Su Xiao's view, the [Blood of Fate] had an even greater use: using it as a material to inscribe a mark onto an item in the form of an imprint.
Su Xiao had already chosen the item. He took out a tangled mass of dark green tree roots from his storage space. This item was called [Wood Spirit], obtained by Su Xiao after killing Hashirama Senju in the Naruto World. Later, after being baptized by curse power in the Demon Sea, all the characteristics of this item were washed away, but its quality actually improved.
[Wood Spirit]
Origin: Naruto
Quality: Holy Spirit Rank
Category: Adaptive
Durability: 155/155 points
Equipment Requirement: Adaptive.
Equipment Effect: No characteristics.
Rating: 930 points (Holy Spirit rank equipment rating 700~1000 points.)
Introduction: This equipment has extremely strong ductility, and can develop in multiple directions such as darkness, life, and curse. Once the characteristics are selected, they cannot be changed.
Selling Price: Soul-bound after equipping.
...
The current [Wood Spirit] was a good carrier, but it wasn't enough. Su Xiao took out several items from his storage space and placed them on the desk in front of him, including various engraving tools, [Starfall Furnace (Immortal Rank)], 7 Holy Spirit rank gems, and 15 Epic rank gems.
Su Xiao planned to use the Blood of Fate as a material to imprint a mark onto the [Wood Spirit], but this still wouldn't achieve the level he wanted. The [Starfall Furnace] would be the best medium.
[Starfall Furnace]
Origin: Apocalypse Paradise (Exclusive)
Uses: 1/1
Usage Effect: Can perform a second smelting on Epic to Holy Spirit rank equipment. During the smelting, Epic to Holy Spirit rank gems can be invested into the Starfall Furnace. The quality and quantity of the invested gems will directly affect the result of the second smelting.
Tip: The second smelting can upgrade equipment to a maximum of Immortal rank.
Warning: This item can only enhance metal-type equipment. Using it on other types of equipment has a high probability of causing the equipment to be destroyed or its quality to drop.
...
Wood Spirit was clearly not a metal-type equipment. Directly using the [Starfall Furnace] to enhance it wasn't feasible, but that didn't mean it was completely impossible.
The azure flame inside the [Starfall Furnace] was the key. Investing gems was meant to make this flame more vigorous.
Su Xiao picked up the 7 Holy Spirit rank gems and 15 Epic rank gems on the table. These were all Soul Coins, but he felt that this investment probably wouldn't be a loss. After all, the Blood of Fate was a World-class item.
He invested all the gems into the [Starfall Furnace]. The azure flame surged up. Su Xiao reached his hand above the furnace. With his manipulation, the azure flame inside the [Starfall Furnace] gradually dimmed, and a wisp of azure flame appeared in his hand.
A Soul Crystal (Complete) floated up from the table. Upon closer inspection, it was hollow inside, forming the shape of an imprint.
Kingsley's lightning-summoning secret technique used the blood of a World Child to draw the 'Holy Father' imprint. Using Alchemy and a certain degree of Ancient God knowledge, Su Xiao improved the 'Holy Father', naming the improved imprint 'Thunder Sacrifice'.
The Blood of Fate surged into the specially made Soul Crystal, forming an imprint according to the hollow shape inside. With a whoosh, azure flame appeared around the Soul Crystal, using Soul Energy as fuel. It burned slowly while beginning to refine the Blood of Fate inside the Soul Crystal.
This wasn't the end. Su Xiao activated the Wood Spirit and wrapped it around the Soul Crystal. As soon as it touched, the Wood Spirit was burned by the azure flame, sizzling.
Crack~
The root-like Wood Spirit pierced through the shell of the Soul Crystal and began to grow inward. Before long, it had occupied the interior of the Soul Crystal.
Inside the fist-sized Soul Crystal, the center was the 'Thunder Sacrifice' imprint formed by the Blood of Fate. Surrounding it was the Wood Spirit. On the outermost layer, the azure flame slowly burned, attached to the exterior of the Soul Crystal. The three achieved a balance.
Crack!
A thunderclap struck from above. Lightning hit the top of the ancient castle. Rubble and sparks fell into the study.
Su Xiao looked at the large hole in the ceiling, then at the [Wood Spirit] in his hand, which was transforming inside the Soul Crystal. This would evolve into a new piece of equipment, completely different from the original characteristics of [Wood Spirit].
"Boss, this should be... a coincidence, right?"
Baha said something even he didn't believe.
"Woof~"
Bubu Wang stepped back, pressing against the wall.
Su Xiao looked up at the sky. The starry sky filled his view. Getting struck by lightning on a cloudless night couldn't be a coincidence.
[Tip: Wood Spirit is transforming. Estimated time to complete this transformation: 76 hours, 49 minutes.]
Lightning gathered in the sky. Su Xiao wasn't concerned. As long as it wasn't golden lightning or other supernatural lightning, getting struck by lightning wasn't a big deal. It could even improve his lightning resistance.
...
On the endless sea, a wooden plank drifted with the waves. A streak of light slid across the sky, illuminating the dark sea surface.
On the wooden plank in the sea, a cat sat crouched, rising and falling with the waves. It was Beini. Her gaze was calm. She was used to it!
Beini yawned leisurely. In the pitch-black night, a flash of lightning streaked by. Suddenly, Beini saw 'archipelago' ahead.
"Meow!!"
Beini cried tears of joy. What a pity, the 'archipelago' ahead was pitch black. But even if it was an uninhabited island, it was better than drifting at sea. She wasn't a message in a bottle.
Beini lay on the wooden plank, paddling with her four little paws. The closer she got to the 'archipelago' ahead, the more she felt something was wrong. Those islands seemed to sink a little under the pounding of the huge waves?
This made Beini incredulous. She stared ahead and began to observe carefully. Half an hour later, a huge wave swept over. As expected, one of the reef islands in the archipelago sank.
Confirming this, Beini's tears immediately flowed out. She had drifted at sea for so long and finally encountered an archipelago, only for it to be sinking.
In reality, this wasn't an archipelago at all. It was the mostly sunken Western Continent. Seen at night, it did indeed look like a dense archipelago.
Just as Beini was about to break down in tears, lights shone from behind. A steel warship appeared not far away.