Chapter 31: The Seed
The scheming woman crouched on the ground, placing a small mirror on her knee.
A gust of wind pressure swept in, and a figure appeared beside her. After applying her lipstick, the scheming woman pressed her lips together and nodded in satisfaction.
"Are you going to kill me? If so, I'd be grateful."
The scheming woman looked at Su Xiao, a full smile on her face. She no longer cared about the rumbling sounds around her or the slightly trembling ground.
"How did you do it?"
Su Xiao glanced around. It was early dawn, with the sky just beginning to lighten.
Around the valley, a tide of beasts surged toward it, like a black wave rolling in from all directions. There were at least tens of thousands of these beasts, and they weren't all the same species.
For so many beasts to gather without attacking each other was abnormal.
Could it be that the scheming woman had controlled them?
Su Xiao dismissed that idea. It was impossible. If she could command a force of this scale, she could dominate most places except for the deep black forest.
Hearing Su Xiao's question, the scheming woman's smile grew even brighter.
"Earlier, when I ventured deep into the red soil area, I discovered a secret. As for what that secret is…"
The scheming woman looked at Su Xiao with a sly smile. She wouldn't reveal that secret.
The surrounding beasts charged closer, their target clearly the scheming woman.
"Roar!"
A furious roar echoed from afar. Under that roar, some of the charging beasts' legs went weak.
Su Xiao had seen the giant centipede he encountered when first landing on the island among the beast army. This showed just how dire the situation was.
There was no escape. Unless Su Xiao could fly.
Unfortunately, flight abilities were extremely rare. Aside from certain bloodline traits, the Reincarnation Paradise didn't provide flying vehicles.
In some derivative worlds, being able to fly meant near-invincibility, so there were very few flight vehicles certified by the Paradise.
"Bubu."
Su Xiao called Bubu Wang over.
"Can you infiltrate the enemy?"
Hearing Su Xiao's question, Bubu Wang raised its dog head high, its expression clearly saying, "Of course, no problem."
"Find a way to escape on your own. We'll meet near the Yasenman tribe."
Bubu Wang stood still, not moving.
"…"
Su Xiao stared at Bubu Wang. After a few seconds, Bubu Wang turned and charged down the slope. No matter the situation, it would never disobey Su Xiao's orders.
"You're sending your dog to die first. Heartless bastard."
The scheming woman taunted.
Su Xiao suddenly turned, raised his blade, and struck.
Puchi. The scheming woman's head flew into the air, blood spurting from her severed neck.
Her head, still mid-air, showed a hint of surprise. In her view, the beasts still needed some time to charge up the slope. She thought Su Xiao would waste more time talking, at least asking about her precise plan, allowing her to look down on him with her intellectual superiority.
Unfortunately, Su Xiao had no habit of wasting words with enemies. He had asked once, but the scheming woman spoke in circles. He chose to simply cut her down.
The headless corpse fell. Su Xiao quickly stepped forward and began searching her body.
The sound of tearing fabric came. Su Xiao wasn't looking for a quick thrill; he was searching for the reason the beasts were charging so frantically.
After a thorough search, he found several black seeds inside the scheming woman's undergarments.
There were three black seeds, each about the size of a longan, with uneven surfaces.
Holding the three black seeds in his hand, Su Xiao felt a sudden tremor inside him. He checked the seeds' information, but there wasn't much to go on.
[Primordial Seed]
Quality: Purple
Type: Unknown
Rating: 1～150
Description: O faith of the sun, you grant us radiance, please burn away all evil with your flames.
…
Su Xiao frowned. What kind of description was that? The sun again, burning away evil.
Even stranger was the rating: 1～150. What did that mean?
Though confused, Su Xiao noticed that the beasts charging up the slope had shifted their gazes, all fixed on the [Primordial Seed] in his hand.
"Roar!"
A three-meter-long leopard was the first to reach the top of the slope, charging recklessly at Su Xiao.
This leopard wasn't among the strongest beasts, but it was still no pushover.
Su Xiao put away the black seeds. Throwing them away now was useless; the horde had already surrounded him.
Su Xiao gripped his blade in his right hand, staring unblinkingly at the leopard.
The leopard dug its claws into the soil, then leaped at Su Xiao.
Su Xiao lowered his body, took a deep breath, and slashed at the leopard.
The edge of Dragon-Slaying Flash first cut through the leopard's skin, which split instantly, then through muscle and bone.
Puchi. One slash cleaved the leopard in two. Su Xiao grabbed the leopard's upper half and hurled it down the slope.
Before being completely surrounded by beasts, Su Xiao had already found a high ground. The beasts had to charge up the slope to reach him.
Without this advantageous terrain, he would have been dead.
But from the current situation, Su Xiao was still doomed. Even if he could kill a thousand beasts, it wouldn't matter. The surrounding horde numbered at least tens of thousands.
The beasts at the front were mostly fast runners, smaller in size, and easier to deal with.
Su Xiao kicked away a furry rabbit. Even a little rabbit was joining the fray, showing how fatally attractive the black seeds were to beasts.
A small antelope-like beast charged at Su Xiao, its sharp horns aimed at him.
He slashed vertically, cutting off the charging horns.
Beasts surrounded him on all sides. Su Xiao was momentarily overwhelmed.
Blood splattered. Beast limbs scattered everywhere. Every beast that dared charge up the slope was slain by Su Xiao.
A few drops of beast blood splashed onto Su Xiao's face. Though trapped in this seemingly hopeless situation, he didn't give up.
Su Xiao was waiting for a suitable beast to appear. He had already preliminarily chosen a target.
The sounds of running, beast screams, blade cutting flesh, and blood gushing mixed together. Su Xiao's perception was affected by the sheer number of beasts around him.
"Grrr…"
A low growl came from behind. A burning pain and heavy pressure hit Su Xiao's back. A lion had pounced onto his back, digging its claws into his flesh while its jaws aimed for his throat.
Dragon-Slashing Flash reversed in his hand. Before the lion's jaws could close, the blade pierced into its mouth.
Puchi.
This strike directly penetrated the lion's brain. A green treasure chest dropped.
Su Xiao ignored the green chest. As soon as he pulled Dragon-Slashing Flash from the lion's mouth, he drove it into another beast's heart.
This couldn't go on. Su Xiao would eventually be overwhelmed.
Flicking the blood off Dragon-Slashing Flash, Su Xiao sheathed it.
The slashing suddenly stopped. The surrounding beasts roared and surged forward. Over a dozen beasts of various kinds leaped at Su Xiao, their bloody maws opening wide.
Su Xiao's right hand gripped the hilt. His breathing gradually steadied.
The beasts closed in around him. Just as the crisis peaked, a flash of blue light appeared at the center of the beasts.
Zheng.
A circular blade aura expanded outward, cleanly cutting through the surrounding beasts.
This was a technique Su Xiao had devised in a flash of inspiration. Though not exceptionally powerful, it was highly practical when surrounded.