Chapter 57: Opportunity
A dark purple soul and a crystal appeared in Su Xiao's hands. These were the complete soul of the Dark Crow and the [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt].
The prompts for defeating the Dark Crow, along with rewards like Golden Skill Points, undoubtedly signified one thing: once a battle within the Greedy Chapter began, even if Su Xiao's spiritual body 'died' and exited, the Nightmare Blood Shadow within the battle scenario would still persist.
Moreover, due to its automatic nature, after Su Xiao's spiritual body 'died' within the Greedy Chapter, it would not affect the Blood Shadow. Although this thing attacked indiscriminately, there were only three parties within the battle scenario: Su Xiao, the Dark Crow, and the Blood Shadow. After Su Xiao 'died' and exited, the Blood Shadow could only fight to the death with the Dark Crow.
Su Xiao ran his thumb over the wooden-textured front cover of the [Greedy Chapter]. He had come to realize that the correct way to use this item had long since changed, and he could infer this from its place of origin.
The [Greedy Chapter] originated from the Abyss Dead Silence City. Thinking differently, Su Xiao speculated that this item might have come from the peak era of the Transcendent World, Gloomy Continent, and was one of its secret treasures.
Originally, the [Greedy Chapter] indeed used a special 'Soul Imprint' to construct its own 'Soul Spirit Manifestation', then selected the characteristics of this 'Soul Spirit Manifestation', and finally, the user's spiritual body would enter it.
However, some unknown previous owner, a scoundrel, after being unable to defeat the subsequent 'Soul Spirit Manifestations', had a bold idea: to let the [Greedy Chapter] be eroded by Abyss Energy, thereby granting it extreme enhancement, to see what changes would occur. Since they couldn't beat the later 'Soul Spirit Manifestations' anyway.
The result was that after that scoundrel owner, the [Greedy Chapter] was not only damaged into several pieces but also became even harder to challenge. Previously, both sides wore similar equipment and competed in combat skill. Now, the opponent had a full six-item build, while the challenger didn't even have equipment. If they hadn't mastered a special Soul Imprint, they wouldn't even have a 'Soul Spirit Manifestation'. How could they possibly fight?
Realizing this, Su Xiao finally understood why his previous challenges against the [Greedy Chapter]'s Life Butcher, Soaking Maiden, and Dark Crow had left him with an increasingly grave expression.
After that scoundrel owner, subsequent owners were all beaten to a pulp by the Abyss Energy-extremely-enhanced [Greedy Chapter], doubting their own existence. Through their repeated, agonizing contemplation and 'improvements', the [Greedy Chapter] became impossible to challenge in a normal way.
It was like programming: once the code runs in an inconceivable way, never, ever touch it.
Unfortunately, several owners of the [Greedy Chapter] failed to follow this principle. They were initially confident, but as they modified it, their expressions gradually became bewildered. Ultimately, they chose to give the [Greedy Chapter] to a 'lucky' 'fated one'.
For a long time, each owner of the [Greedy Chapter] desperately wanted to kill the previous owner.
Interestingly, after that scoundrel owner used Abyss Energy to extremely enhance the [Greedy Chapter], it was still barely beatable. But after the 'painstaking improvements' of the subsequent few, it became completely unbeatable.
Su Xiao had already found a countermeasure. Since the conventional method was completely unworkable, he would use the Nightmare Blood Shadow, which had the characteristics of an ancient battlefield, to directly clash with the 'Soul Spirit Manifestations' within the [Greedy Chapter].
He also noticed one thing: a circular blood mark had appeared on the front of the [Greedy Chapter]. This most likely represented the Nightmare Blood Shadow.
Su Xiao tried to inquire using his Hunter authority and learned that this circular blood mark was similar to the core, or the origin, of the Nightmare Blood Shadow.
Within the [Greedy Chapter], the Nightmare Blood Shadow could cut Su Xiao down in two strikes. But in the real world, Su Xiao only needed to press his thumb firmly across the front of the [Greedy Chapter] to erase the Nightmare Blood Shadow.
Confirming this, Su Xiao felt more at ease about using the Nightmare Blood Shadow to clear the [Greedy Chapter]. Although this thing would definitely be a future hidden danger, as long as it was controlled properly, it wouldn't easily go berserk. Moreover, if he could clear the [Greedy Chapter], the total of 55 Golden Skill Points was worth the risk, not to mention the other benefits.
Besides this, Su Xiao also confirmed one thing: as long as the blood mark on the [Greedy Chapter] remained, even if the Nightmare Blood Shadow died in battle within the [Greedy Chapter], it could be 'revived', though at a certain cost.
The rewards for defeating the Dark Crow were substantial. Among them, the [First Witch: Soul of the Dark Crow] was different from the strong souls he had obtained before. This was a complete strong soul. Given a suitable body, the Dark Crow could even be resurrected to a certain extent.
Su Xiao had no interest in resurrecting the Dark Crow, but he was very interested in using it to create a Devourer. He didn't yet have a Devourer with Witch characteristics.
Speaking of the generations of Devourers, Su Xiao was somewhat curious about how the latest generation Devourer in his Exclusive Room's laboratory was developing. If all went well, it should be almost fully cultivated by the time he returned.
This was the fifth-generation Devourer, with Soul Crystal characteristics. To make it more versatile, Su Xiao had also added the cells of the Fairy Maiden. Therefore, the fifth-generation Devourer was named Crystal Maiden.
How Crystal Maiden would perform in other aspects was still unknown, but one thing was certain: its controllability would be excellent.
Su Xiao felt that as the Devourer series developed, each generation's characteristics and instinctive style were quite unique.
First-generation Devourer: Black A. This was a filial son, always thinking about rebelling against Su Xiao to break free. Although it had 6A stats, if there were a controllability stat, this rebellious son would definitely be E-.
Second-generation Devourer: Boiling Red. This was the beloved daughter. High controllability, and its attached Spirit Shadow Puppet ability allowed Su Xiao to forcibly control Boiling Red's host over extremely long distances. Moreover, Boiling Red never disobeyed Su Xiao's spiritual commands, treating them as its highest instinct.
Third-generation Devourer: Dark Sun. This was a simpleton. When Su Xiao found a host for it, he had to choose one with a relatively agile mind. Otherwise, a simpleton parasite plus a simpleton host would result in a low survival rate. However, Dark Sun's flame-based abilities were formidable. It was like it had allocated all its 'skill points' meant for intelligence into its abilities. Although it wasn't a filial son like Black A, it could sometimes be a rebellious one.
Fourth-generation Devourer: Sun Apostle. This was filial son number two, but not as reckless as Black A. It pretended to treat Su Xiao's commands as its highest instinct, but it was actually a smiling, sneaky troublemaker.
The 'personality' of the not-yet-fully-cultivated fifth-generation Devourer, Crystal Maiden, was still unknown. However, Su Xiao had an idea: what would happen when all five Devourers completed their parasitism and encountered each other?
Although Black A had a 6A daddy-level stat panel, that didn't mean it could completely overwhelm the other generations. The first generation was made without restrictions, but Su Xiao had made various improvements in each subsequent generation.
Therefore, nothing was more convenient for collecting relevant data than having the five Devourers fight and scheme against each other.
A long time ago, after learning about the existence of Alchemical Creatures like the Mining Duo, Su Xiao had a clear ultimate goal for creating the Devourer series: to develop a Perfect Body Devourer to serve as a guard for the Mining Duo, maximizing the efficiency of resource acquisition.
But now, Su Xiao's plan for cultivating the Perfect Body Devourer was no longer as urgent. In the final analysis, the Perfect Body Devourer was just a powerful puppet. Although it had no weaknesses, it also lacked the corresponding strengths that the previous Devourers had, despite their many flaws.
Black A was a filial son, but its growth potential was heaven-defying. Boiling Red wasn't good at direct combat, but it allowed Su Xiao to interfere in battles thousands of miles away. And as the 'beloved daughter', it regarded Su Xiao as its creator, even showing some dissatisfaction with the filial son behavior of its 'elder brother' Black A.
Dark Sun was a flame simpleton, but its explosive combustion was like an angry Son of the Sun. When angry, even Black A had to back off.
Sun Apostle was a smiling filial son, but it possessed the cunning and decision-making of an old schemer.
These different Devourers gave Su Xiao an idea: after Crystal Maiden was fully cultivated, could he form a resource mining team? The members would be: Black A, Boiling Red, Dark Sun, Sun Apostle, Crystal Maiden, Silent Servant, and Tunnel Servant.
Then, instead of entering the same world as Su Xiao himself, he would find a way to send this mining team into resource-rich worlds to mine and collect resources.
This way, Su Xiao would have an expedition team capable of obtaining massive resources. Every world progress, they could bring back a large batch of resources. He could then sell these resources for Soul Coins, thereby alleviating his poverty... ahem, easing his financial strain as a Triple Technique Grandmaster.
The more Su Xiao thought about this idea, the more feasible it seemed. A Perfect Body Devourer could never achieve this. Only Devourers with their own distinct personalities could make it possible.
As for whether the Devourers would be willing, except for Boiling Red, the other three had been trapped in sealed glass pillars. Being able to enter a Primordial World and be free for one world progress, they wouldn't refuse.
This plan couldn't be accomplished by Su Xiao alone. Getting the Devourer team to independently enter a Primordial World was a problem in itself. This couldn't be done with items like World Keys. Without a Reincarnation Mark, entering a Primordial World, especially a resource-rich one, was extremely difficult. Therefore, this matter required others to join in to solve this aspect of the problem.
Putting away the [Soul of the Dark Crow], Su Xiao picked up the [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt] beside him. This was the exclusive upgrade material for [Wild Hunt Night].
Su Xiao estimated that even if he used this item on [Wild Hunt Night], the long leather coat wouldn't reach Origin Rank. Just as Lide had said: 'This broken armor of yours, Immortal Rank is its limit.'
When Lide said that, a genuine, happy smile spread across his stubbly face. He truly didn't believe that Su Xiao would ever discard this damned long leather coat.
Even with the [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt] now, theoretically, it wouldn't upgrade [Wild Hunt Night] to Origin Rank.
After checking the attributes of [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt], Su Xiao confirmed one thing: he could consume Soul Crystals or Soul Crystal Cores to enhance the characteristic strength of [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt]. Then, using this exclusive item, [Wild Hunt Night] could have the potential to advance to Origin Rank.
Note, it was potential, not a guarantee solely by using [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt]. At the very least, he would also need to sacrifice an Origin Rank armor piece to achieve this.
No matter how he looked at it, this was a loss. Just consuming a massive amount of Soul Crystals or Soul Crystal Cores to enhance the strength of [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt] was an unwise choice.
Su Xiao's idea was to enhance the characteristic strength of [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt] in another way. Previously, in the Root: Dead Silence City, he had obtained a total of 3354 Soul Residues and 332 Large Soul Residues.
Soul Residue was essentially a Soul Crystal (Complete) that had been stored for too long. Large Soul Residue was a Soul Crystal Core that had been stored for too long or in improper conditions.
Using these Soul Residues to enhance [Will Crystal: Wild Hunt] would obviously not be a loss. Keeping these Soul Residues would serve no other purpose.
As for consuming an Origin Rank armor piece, that was also fine. Although Origin Rank armor was precious, any type of Origin Rank armor would do. Compared to finding a suitable Origin Rank armor piece, obtaining any random one was much easier.
Thinking this way, the probability of [Wild Hunt Night] being upgraded to Origin Rank was actually not low. As the saying goes, one shouldn't be too happy too early. Su Xiao wondered if Lide's blood pressure would spike in a straight upward line when he saw the Origin Rank [Wild Hunt Night].
Putting aside Lide's future feelings for now, Su Xiao took out a Soul Crystal Core. To meet the second 'Soul Spirit Manifestation', he first needed to activate it with a Soul Crystal Core.
[Greedy Chapter]
Origin: Abyss Dead Silence City
Quality: World Rank
Type: Special Item / Medal Equipment
Effect: Consume one Soul Crystal Core to activate one 'Soul Spirit Manifestation'.
Note: Before defeating the activated 'Soul Spirit Manifestation', you cannot activate and challenge the next 'Soul Spirit Manifestation'.
Soul Spirit Manifestations Defeated: 1.
Total Soul Spirit Manifestations: 10.
Soul Spirit Manifestation Position 1: The First Witch in History: Dark Crow (Defeated).
Soul Spirit Manifestation Position 2: Day King.
Selling Price: Cannot be sold until all challenges are completed after activation.
...
As Su Xiao activated it, the Soul Crystal Core in his hand shattered, transforming into an extremely pure stream of Soul Energy that merged into the [Greedy Chapter].
Almost simultaneously, Su Xiao felt a certain consciousness within the [Greedy Chapter] awaken. He tried to enter it with his spiritual body.
This entry was different from before. He didn't invest his entire spiritual being but maintained a state of incomplete entry. After all, he didn't need to fight inside. If his spiritual body fully entered the battle scenario, it would most likely get cut down.
Gray mist dispersed before his eyes. After a moment, Su Xiao's vision began to clear. He felt as if he were observing an image, or rather, in a first-person perspective, positioned diagonally above the battle scenario within the [Greedy Chapter].
On the vast battlefield, the Nightmare Blood Shadow stood like a statue, its black longsword pointing diagonally at the ground.
As if sensing something, the Nightmare Blood Shadow's crimson eyes opened, scanning its surroundings. It didn't find Su Xiao's spiritual observation. But the next moment, an arched, luminous door appeared several dozen meters in front of the Nightmare Blood Shadow.
A figure walked out from this luminous door. Its body seemed to be composed of light elements. Although it was humanoid overall, there was a circular defect in the center of its chest. At the central point of this defect was a tiny black sphere compressed to the extreme. Although this black sphere was only the size of a marble, the power it radiated was chilling.
The one who appeared was the Day King. Dozens of incandescent white orbs floated around him.
Su Xiao initially thought the Day King's strength would be about 50% to 80% stronger than the Dark Crow. But upon seeing the Day King, he knew his guess was wrong.
After the [Greedy Chapter] passed through the hands of those scoundrel owners and their 'salvage' efforts, it had reached an inhuman difficulty. In layman's terms: 'This game is so hard, it's not even for humans anymore.'
Based on Su Xiao's long-developed keen perception of enemies, he estimated that the Day King standing there was over ten times stronger than the Dark Crow.
Inside the battle scenario, the moment the Day King appeared, the Nightmare Blood Shadow lunged forward. But when it was still over a dozen meters from the Day King, the Day King raised his hand, palm forward, and a blinding white light bloomed.
Woom! The dazzling white light enveloped the entire battle scenario, even causing the surrounding upward-flowing gray mist walls to crackle and sizzle from the heat.
The Nightmare Blood Shadow, which had just cut down the Dark Crow in a few strikes, now hissed all over. It was like snow being scorched by the sun, its entire body beginning to melt. More accurately, it was being disintegrated by the blinding light.
With a sizzling sound, a blazing white beam sliced through the Nightmare Blood Shadow's body from bottom to top. This caused the Nightmare Blood Shadow to lose its form, turning into dark red blood energy that burst with a pop. Finally, these dark red blood energies were scorched to nothing under the light, as brutal as a scorching sun.
Then, an even more dazzling light spread outward from the Day King, turning everything before Su Xiao's eyes into a blinding white. When he opened his eyes again, he had already exited the [Greedy Chapter]. This meant that even entering as an observer, he couldn't escape the Day King's light attack.
Su Xiao leaned back against the headboard. As he had expected, without some unconventional methods, the [Greedy Chapter] was unbeatable. Even with unconventional methods now, it was still a struggle.
The Nightmare Blood Shadow was still not strong enough. In Su Xiao's view, injecting his own blood energy into the [Greedy Chapter] for the Nightmare Blood Shadow to absorb and enhance its strength was a very inefficient method.
The best way to enhance the Nightmare Blood Shadow was to let it absorb ancient battlefield blood energy. That unfiltered, primal blood energy was more suitable for the Nightmare Blood Shadow's characteristics.
Otherwise, if the second-position Soul Spirit Manifestation, the Day King, was already this strong, without making the Nightmare Blood Shadow absurdly powerful too, there would be no way to fight the remaining eight Soul Spirit Manifestations.
Another point was that Su Xiao realized his judgment was wrong. The current [Greedy Chapter] actually had a 'tutorial'. The Dark Crow was the 'tutorial'. The Day King was where the real battle began.
Su Xiao was certain that letting the Nightmare Blood Shadow absorb ancient battlefield blood energy would make it a future hidden danger. However, he had a countermeasure. At worst, he could just discard this thing. If that didn't work, he could give it to Kaisa, using the [Serpentine Tail Stone] as a precedent.
Su Xiao tried to activate the blood mark on the [Greedy Chapter]. He sensed that although the blood mark had fallen silent, there were no signs of it dissipating. A prompt from Reincarnation Paradise immediately appeared.
[Do you wish to reawaken the Nightmare Blood Shadow? Requires Soul Crystal (Complete) x 8. (This awakening cost will increase based on the Nightmare Blood Shadow's comprehensive combat power.)]
For now, the cost to reawaken the Nightmare Blood Shadow was moderate. Fundamentally, it was just a special Soul Spirit Manifestation within the [Greedy Chapter]. An initially high awakening cost would be abnormal.
Putting away the [Greedy Chapter], Su Xiao planned to visit an ancient battlefield after returning to Reincarnation Paradise this time, to give the Nightmare Blood Shadow a massive power boost, allowing it to fight several 'Soul Spirit Manifestations' in a row.
Soon after, Su Xiao lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. Aside from everything else, before his identity was exposed, Arcane Eternal Star was a very safe place.
When Su Xiao woke up, it was already 1 PM. Not having rested this well in a long time, he felt refreshed. After washing up and eating breakfast, or rather, lunch, he sat on the single sofa in the living room. The window was open, and a gentle breeze blew in, stirring the inner sheer curtains, giving a feeling of a pleasant midsummer afternoon.
However, on the table in front of Su Xiao were several dozen books. Some of these books were half a meter long and over 10 centimeters thick, larger than a pillow.
On a small round wooden stool opposite him, Green Wei sat properly, having changed back into her clothes from the 'Midday Academy'.
"Holy Flame Teacher, I'm ready..."
Su Xiao raised his hand to interrupt Green Wei, telling her not to call him teacher.
"Then should I call you Holy Flame Sir? Or Holy Flame Lord?"
When mentioning the latter title, for some unknown reason, a strange surge of anger welled up in Green Wei's heart, as if she wanted to slap herself. But she had felt this way many times since childhood and was used to it.
Green Wei tentatively asked, "Holy Flame Sir, are you showing me these to tell me that the foundation of Alchemy is reading?"
After speaking, Green Wei looked at the dozens of books on the table with lingering fear.
"No, you need to memorize all the content in these books. Keep it firmly in your mind."
"This..."
Green Wei picked up a book, opened the first page, and looked at the tiny, flyspeck-like characters and the complex patterns that made her head spin. Her brain was already buzzing.
Memorizing text content was not too difficult for Green Wei. The key was that these books contained at least several hundred patterns. These patterns were as intricate as magical energy patterns. This reminded Green Wei of her experience a few years ago, spending a month memorizing a few magical energy patterns.
At this moment, Green Wei finally understood why there were so few Alchemists in the Void and why Alchemists were respected and welcomed wherever they went. Becoming an Alchemist seemed harder than becoming a Spellcaster.
"I'll give you three days to memorize these 592 patterns."
"Ah~?"
Green Wei let out a trembling 'ah', looked up at Su Xiao with a bewildered expression, her pitiful eyes seeming to say that she really couldn't do it.
"This is a potion to help you get started. Drink it."
"Haha, I knew it. This kind of thing definitely needs assistance to be possible."
Green Wei took the potion and chugged it down. Then she said, "Holy Flame Sir, this potion tastes great. It has a watermelon flavor. Worthy of a master Alchemist. But speaking of which, will this potion improve my memory?"
"No, it won't."
"Then what is it?"
"A potent slow poison. It will take effect in about 70-plus hours. If you can firmly memorize these patterns in three days, I'll give you the antidote."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Green Wei, holding the empty potion bottle, was petrified like a stone. The expression on her face was, well, a girl with great acting skills.
"Holy... Holy Flame Sir, if I die in three days, it will also bring shame upon you. You can't do this."
"You won't die. You'll just sprout."
"Sprout..."
Green Wei's expression was indescribable. Although she didn't know what 'sprouting' specifically meant, she was sure it wasn't a good thing.
"Work hard. You have great talent."
Su Xiao gestured for Green Wei to go to the study and diligently study the basics of Alchemy. Green Wei could only carry a pile of books and go to work hard.
After the study door closed, Su Xiao picked up the only remaining book on the table and flipped through it. First, he didn't think Green Wei could memorize several hundred patterns in three days. Second, what he had given her was a crystal bottle of watermelon juice. He did know how to brew a slow poison that made people sprout, but the materials for that were very expensive.
Having successfully dealt with the unstable element of Green Wei, Su Xiao picked up a ring on the table. Wisps of magical energy drifted out from it, forming an image of a figure sitting in a dim environment.
"Holy Flame, your offer is too low. Even a hundred bottles of this potion aren't worth seven ancient texts, let alone texts treasured on the fifth floor of the Great Library."
The man opposite spoke. His voice was deep yet carried a sense of approachability. It was the Fierce Wind King, the most approachable of the four faction leaders of Arcane Eternal Star.
If not for their opposing stances, Su Xiao estimated that he probably wouldn't be hostile to the Fierce Wind King and his son, the Wind Prince.
"Discuss this with my third son. He has my full authority. See you."
Leaving this sentence, the Fierce Wind King on the other end ended the communication. This was to avoid having two leader-level figures negotiate with Holy Flame Alchemist at the same time, which could further fracture the already strained relations between the four factions.
The discord among the four factions within Arcane Eternal Star was no secret. Fundamentally, this was both a weakness and a sign of strength. Even with internal discord, Arcane Eternal Star remained firmly in the position of the Void's overlord force, demonstrating its overall power.
Su Xiao didn't wait long. The door was knocked on, and the Wind Prince entered. Behind him followed a woman with a slightly petite figure and somewhat pointed ears. Her aura was gentle, and she had natural eyeshadow-like coloring at the corners of her eyes.
There were many races in the Void. Su Xiao wasn't sure which branch of the humanoid race this was. However, given the Wind Prince's eternal homebody lifestyle, the chances of a romantic encounter were slim. This woman was most likely sent by the Fierce Wind King.
"Holy Flame Sir, I came this time to discuss..."
Just as the Wind Prince began, Su Xiao took out a contract, one notarized by the Void Tree.
The Wind Prince picked up the contract. Seeing it was notarized by the Void Tree, his expression became more serious. Seeing the content, his prepared speech was mostly thrown into disarray. Originally, it was 20 bottles upfront, with a promise to concoct 80 more later, in exchange for a to-be-determined number of ancient texts from the Great Library. Now, the offer had increased from a promise of 80 more bottles to 130 more bottles.
Moreover, this was a contract notarized by the Void Tree, impossible to circumvent. Unless the person in front of him wasn't Holy Flame Alchemist. But the unique golden flame pattern on the signature represented his identity.
"It's like this, Holy Flame Sir. Taking seven ancient texts from the fifth floor of the Great Library at once, even if our Element faction agrees, the other factions will have objections. Logically, the Great Library is the shared knowledge wealth of our four factions."
"Then reduce it to three ancient texts."
Su Xiao's words caused the Wind Prince, who had just taken a sip of iced tea, to cough lightly. The Wind Prince was a bit confused by this negotiation. From start to finish, the other party had been giving in too easily. He felt embarrassed to push for a lower price.
Just as the Wind Prince was weighing the pros and cons, a shout suddenly came from the study, followed by the sound of banging on a table.
"Holy Flame Sir, what is this?"
The Wind Prince felt the shout from the study sounded familiar, like Green Wei.
"Green Wei is learning Alchemy from me."
As Su Xiao spoke, the sound of a forehead hitting the wooden table in the study became more pronounced.
"Is that so? But what is she shouting about?"
The Wind Prince was somewhat worried. Green Wei was one of his few friends.
"She might be too happy to have the opportunity to learn Alchemy."
As Su Xiao spoke, he took a light sip of cold tea. Upon hearing this, the Wind Prince's smile became somewhat stiff. The sound of a forehead hitting the wooden table in the study became even more obvious.
"You look promising. Why don't you learn Alchemy from me too?"
Hearing Su Xiao's words, the Wind Prince inwardly gasped. The goofy Green Wei was already wearing a 'pain mask' in the study. The Wind Prince sincerely felt that learning Alchemy from this Holy Flame Alchemist was not a good thing.
"No, I don't have talent in this area. Here are five ancient texts. You can choose three from them."
The Wind Prince brought out five ancient texts. As Su Xiao had expected, the Fierce Wind King wasn't going to let him freely choose from the fifth floor of the Void Great Library.
Among the five ancient texts, one was related to Alchemy. This was clearly a gesture of goodwill from the Fierce Wind King's side. Of the remaining four, one wasn't from the Void Great Library at all. It was probably a personal treasure of the Fierce Wind King. Su Xiao could tell this by discerning the completion level of the [Travel Mission: Ocean of Knowledge].
Su Xiao selected three ancient texts. The Wind Prince took the contract and left. Staying here was making him uneasy, as Green Wei inside the study had started scratching at the door from the inside. However, after Su Xiao opened the door and stared into Green Wei's eyes for over ten seconds, she backed down, returned to the desk, and continued studying the patterns.
Looking at the bite marks on the book, Su Xiao frowned. This goofy girl was really hard on books when she read them.
After locking Green Wei back in the study, Su Xiao used the three ancient texts as proof to complete the [Travel Mission: Ocean of Knowledge]. A prompt immediately appeared.
[You have completed the Travel Mission: Ocean of Knowledge.]
[You have received the mission reward: Ancient Scholar (Title).]
[Ancient Scholar]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Quality: ★★★★★★
Category: Title
Title Effect: While wearing this title, increases reading efficiency by 62.7%, and moderately increases knowledge mastery efficiency.
Description: Knowledge contains wealth, power, and many coveted things.
Selling Price: Unsellable.
...
Seeing the characteristics of [Ancient Scholar], Su Xiao decisively opened his title list. Previously, in the Gloomy Continent, he had obtained 14 six-star titles. Although their attributes weren't suitable for him, they could now be used as secondary titles for title refinement.
Activating the Title Refinement Disk, he mentally pushed it further away to avoid burning his face. When he first used this thing, the start of the title refinement almost singed his hair.
After embedding [Ancient Scholar] in the center and five six-star secondary titles on the surrounding disk, Su Xiao paid 1000 Soul Coins to begin the title refinement.
He dismissed the refinement disk. Just then, the ring on the table floated up. This was a means of communication within Arcane Eternal Star, but due to the magical energy aura on it, Su Xiao wasn't used to wearing it on his finger.
The magical energy released by the ring formed an image of Sefeiliya. Su Xiao had just concluded a deal with the Fierce Wind King and signed a contract, and Sefeiliya contacted him immediately. Su Xiao didn't believe this was a coincidence.
A few minutes later, the ring absorbed the released magical energy back into it, and the upper body image of Sefeiliya faded.
The content of the conversation was actually very simple. The first few minutes were useless probing. The key was the last few dozen seconds. Sefeiliya proposed to commission Su Xiao to concoct a potion. She would provide the formula and materials.
As a reward, Sefeiliya would take Su Xiao to the Soul Forest within the range of the 'Dark Ring River' to drink the Spirit Spring. This was a natural resource that could enhance Soul Power and was very precious. However, the Spirit Spring couldn't be preserved. Once placed in a container, it had to be drunk quickly or it would slowly evaporate.
Going to the Soul Forest to drink the Spirit Spring wasn't the main point. The key was that the route would pass by the 'Black Maple Manor'.
From the beginning, Sefeiliya didn't believe that Su Xiao simply wanted to 'take a look' at the 'Black Maple Manor'. She thought he wanted to obtain the byproducts of the Black Maple Tree. After all, the act of 'taking a look' at the 'Black Maple Manor' was suspicious in every way.
In reality, Su Xiao had done this intentionally. Sometimes, being meticulously flawless invites suspicion. Normal actions wouldn't be flawless in every detail. Only deliberate planning would result in such perfection. Deliberately showing small flaws made it seem more genuine.
Furthermore, for this trip to the Soul Forest to drink the Spirit Spring, there were also two siblings from the Feather Race. It was said that their elder was an old friend of Sefeiliya. They would cross the 'Rock Bridge' together, heading to the Soul Forest while conveniently passing near the 'Black Maple Manor'.
Upon hearing this, Su Xiao first recalled his relationship with the Feather Race. Overall, it wasn't good. Most of the time, they were hostile. Even when there was cooperation, it was the old immortals of the Feather Race trying to scheme against him.
Thinking this way, this trip to the 'Black Maple Manor' even came with scapegoats. It was a godsend opportunity.
Su Xiao checked the time. The agreed departure time was an hour and a half later. Arcane Eternal Star had always been 'caring' towards him, sending people or hiring assassins to kill him whenever possible. Now that he was here, he naturally had to leave some souvenirs for Arcane Eternal Star.