Chapter 63: Enemies Meet
In the dead of night, Su Xiao sat by the wide-open window, enjoying the night breeze that rustled the sheer curtains.
Today was the second day of the Arcane Celebration. Before midnight tonight, the "Void Great Library" would be exceptionally open to the public. Su Xiao didn't go. The auction tonight and the subsequent maneuvering confirmed one thing for him: the Four Leaders had begun to suspect him.
Su Xiao had prepared for this situation. Unfortunately, the countermeasures he had planned failed to take effect at the critical moment.
Before coming to Arcane Eternal Star, Su Xiao had gone to the Ashen Bunker and arranged for an assassin to kill him there.
Logically, the other party should have made a move today. But now, it was almost 11 PM, and there was still no movement. This could only mean that the assassin from the Ashen Bunker had already been dealt with by the spellcasters.
This showed how sophisticated Arcane Eternal Star's defensive measures were. Su Xiao had anticipated this long ago, which was why he had cultivated the Holy Flame alias to deal with such defensive forces.
Su Xiao's original idea was: since he couldn't infiltrate, he would make Arcane Eternal Star invite him. As it turned out, this idea was very correct.
Looking back, the initial creation of the Holy Flame alias wasn't to deal with Arcane Eternal Star, but a false identity used in the Primordial World. Back then, using the Holy Flame alias, Su Xiao only changed clothes and restrained his aura, unlike the current flawless title disguise.
Su Xiao activated his Reincarnation Paradise mark and checked the items in his storage space. A wooden box, pitch black as if drenched in crude oil, was placed in the innermost corner, isolated as far as possible from other items.
Inside this black box was the "Necronomicon" sealed by "Fierce Winter." Speaking of which, the wooden box made by Sefeiliya was truly impressive. Su Xiao thought it was better than the charcoal box he had made himself.
Although Su Xiao mastered "Alchemy Lv.69," his expertise leaned more toward pharmaceutics and explosive manufacturing.
If each level of Alchemy granted 1 branch skill point, then Su Xiao had invested at least 60 of his 69 branch skill points into pharmaceutics, with the remaining 9 all dumped into explosive manufacturing.
As a combat-oriented hunter, Su Xiao had limited time to invest in Alchemy, so he had to make choices. Moreover, he initially developed Alchemy to enhance his own strength and acquire resources.
Su Xiao's original idea was to use his physique and blade techniques as his combat core. Therefore, permanent enhancement potions that could boost himself were the top priority. Additionally, potions were both valuable and easy to sell, so he mainly developed pharmaceutics. Looking back, this decision was very correct.
Because of this lopsided development, even now, the secret treasure "Mysterious Eye" he obtained from deciphering the "Alchemy Codex" hadn't been perfected beyond 30%.
Previously, Su Xiao thought he had perfected it over 70% and tried to activate it based on the Alchemy Codex's records.
When Su Xiao woke up, several hours had passed. Looking at the Mysterious Eye fragments scattered everywhere, he realized that the so-called 70% perfection was an illusion. The Alchemy Codex clearly stated that if activated below 20% perfection, it would explode.
According to the Alchemy Codex's records, this was a peak creation jointly made by several Second Era Alchemy Grandmasters. The original text said that the Mysterious Eye had miraculous growth potential and adaptability. Although it wasn't a world-destroying divine artifact, its growth potential and adaptability were absolutely top-notch.
During subsequent refinements in spare time, Su Xiao was astonished to find that he had assembled this thing into a universal key. Just stick it to a keyhole, and the Mysterious Eye would automatically attach itself. Its internal precision mechanical structure would transform into countless hair-thin metal tendrils that probed into the keyhole to unlock it.
When he witnessed this scene, Su Xiao sat there puzzled for at least ten seconds. He had no idea how this thing worked, but one thing was certain: if he dared to disassemble it, what he would reassemble next time was entirely up to fate.
Although Su Xiao felt that the current Mysterious Eye was like having four legs but moving forward at high speed using its belly like a caterpillar track, the four legs being completely decorative, it still worked, didn't it? Even if its running posture was both absurd and bizarre, its speed was undeniable.
Given Su Xiao's indescribable manufacturing skills, the last time he completed the Tuanzhang's commission to build a space stabilization device, he had to study it slowly, relying on the vast knowledge reserves of the Alchemy Codex to build it bit by bit.
Just as Tuanzhang said, why do you always ask how the stabilization device is running every time we meet? You should have confidence in your own work.
If it came to mixing potions, Su Xiao had full confidence. But item manufacturing...
Su Xiao observed the pitch-black wooden box in the corner of his storage space. This thing was both finely crafted and sturdy. Its main body was carbonized Black Maple Tree branches. Due to incomplete carbonization, its hardness was greatly increased. The outer layer, which looked like it had been drenched in crude oil, was a solidified substance with Abyss characteristics. This showed that Sefeiliya had deep research into Abyss power.
Su Xiao had taken a liking to this wooden box before and wanted to make a larger one. Unfortunately, making this thing would take at least a few days. Sefeiliya meant she would only make it after the Arcane Celebration.
Regarding this, Su Xiao had given up hope. After the Arcane Celebration, when Sefeiliya thought of him, she would only hate him to the point of grinding her teeth, unable to sleep even when thinking about it before bed. There was no way she would help him make this Abyss box.
Su Xiao checked the other side of his storage space. The "Bloodthirsty Battle Armor" and "Dark Blade" were almost fused together. The battle armor, resembling a combination of metal and biological structure, tightly wrapped around the Dark Blade. Judging by this momentum, the "Bloodthirsty Battle Armor" would win out in time.
When that happened, this Abyss box would be very useful. He could stuff the "Bloodthirsty Battle Armor" inside. Of course, if the Primordial Mask was unruly, it could also be stuffed in.
From the current situation, the "Bloodthirsty Battle Armor" winning was inevitable. Instead of waiting, it was better to speed up this process. Su Xiao bought the "Abyss Blood (Extremely Pure)" at tonight's auction for this purpose.
Under Su Xiao's control, the container holding the Abyss Blood floated near the "Bloodthirsty Battle Armor" and "Dark Blade." The seal broke, and before Su Xiao could continue controlling it, the Abyss Blood inside was completely absorbed by the "Bloodthirsty Battle Armor."
Su Xiao had obtained Abyss Blood twice before, each time with different characteristics. The first time was when he defeated the Abyss Eldest Daughter, the Ghost Clan Queen. That Abyss Blood had "Ice Characteristics" and couldn't be used.
Later, in Dead Silence City, Su Xiao obtained Abyss Blood again. This time, it had "Wolf Blood Characteristics," a rare item that could increase Abyss Resistance.
The Abyss Blood obtained this time had "Dark Characteristics." It absolutely couldn't be used on oneself, and even carrying it for a long time was risky. It might attract Abyss Spawn. No wonder this Abyss Blood only sold for 1,100 Soul Coins.
The Abyss Blood was completely absorbed by the "Bloodthirsty Battle Armor," and its devouring speed of the "Dark Blade" visibly increased.
Su Xiao noticed that items or equipment that could become "Daddy Rank" artifacts were generally very useful during the period before they fully transformed into "Daddy Rank" artifacts. The risk of using them was far lower than using "Daddy Rank" artifacts.
For example, arranging the Feather Clan tonight, the Primordial Mask played a crucial role.
Actually, before coming to Arcane Eternal Star, Su Xiao's plan was to use the "Hourglass of Time" to give Arcane Eternal Star a big gift. But after arriving here, the plan changed repeatedly.
To be precise, the plan was repeatedly strengthened. For instance, when he met the "good teammates" Zuiyasi and Wude on the train to "Lighthouse Star," Su Xiao knew he could strengthen the plan against Arcane Eternal Star, making them pay a greater price.
He didn't know if living next to the Goddess of Fortune really affected his luck. As Su Xiao's plan gradually unfolded, Sefeiliya's potion commission gave him the opportunity to manufacture Sun Solution on the Lake Heart Island, which was liquid Apollo.
This meant the plan against Arcane Eternal Star was further strengthened. This was a super boost from Sefeiliya.
Su Xiao thought the plan's lethality had reached its limit. But who would have thought that Kaisa, the Toad, and the Violent Rat would arrive? This meant not only the three "good teammates" but also the three scoundrels of the Arbiters. Some things that were previously impossible gradually became possible, and the plan's lethality was super boosted again.
The plan's lethality didn't stop there. Tonight's auction was the real jackpot.
The most important thing about this auction wasn't Su Xiao bidding for the "Necronomicon," but using his "Dawn Team" to recruit Wude, Zuiyasi, Kaisa, and White Bull into the team. This was the real trump card.
Logically, White Bull shouldn't directly participate in this matter. He not only represented himself but also the forces he commanded. Without sufficient benefits, White Bull's involvement in this matter was a very unwise decision. Personal relationships were one thing, helping Su Xiao deal with an enemy was another, but dealing with a major force was something else entirely.
But after the plan developed to this point, White Bull not only personally got involved, but his desperado subordinates, who lived by the sword, were also eager to join. Now, not letting them participate was impossible. The benefits they could gain from this matter were enough to make these desperadoes forget that Arcane Eternal Star was the overlord of the Void.
After Su Xiao used the Dawn Team to recruit Wude, Zuiyasi, Kaisa, and White Bull into the team, the five parties could not only communicate in real-time but also had the certification of Reincarnation Paradise as a communication security guarantee.
The reason it was five parties, not five people, was that each person in the team represented a faction. First was Su Xiao, representing the Law Destruction faction. Zuiyasi represented one of the Ancient God factions. White Bull was the Black Emperor of the underworld. Kaisa represented the three scoundrels of the Arbiters. Wude represented the Demon Clan.
Originally, the Demon Clan wouldn't have entered the fray. But after the last auction item was revealed tonight, the old demons of the Demon Clan gave their stance: Wude could act freely on Arcane Eternal Star without worrying about the relationship between Arcane Eternal Star and the Demon Clan. Even if the two sides fell out, it was fine. At worst, they would release their final trump card.
This final trump card of the Demon Clan was actually a "Daddy Rank" artifact. Please don't think there were many "Daddy Rank" artifacts. These things were so rare that some Ninth Rank powerhouses who had fought their way up might never see one in their lifetime, let alone become its holder.
As for why the Demon Clan had so many "Daddy Rank" artifacts, the "Void Daddy Raiser" was not just an empty reputation.
Interestingly, this unknown "Daddy Rank" artifact was originally sought by the Demon Clan to deal with the "Abyssal Jar," intending to fight poison with poison. At that time, the Demon Clan was indeed being exploited too harshly by the "Abyssal Jar."
Unfortunately, fighting poison with poison didn't succeed. Instead, they got double poison. From being exploited by one wild daddy, they became exploited by two wild daddies. At that time, the Demon Clan's attitude was basically: "Destroy it, hurry up, we're tired."
A turning point came soon. Being exploited by two wild daddies, the Demon Clan's resources quickly dried up. This made the "Abyssal Jar" very dissatisfied. In the end, with its help, the Demon Clan successfully sealed the other wild daddy.
The current situation was that the "Abyssal Jar" and Kaisa were in cahoots and had long stopped planning to return to torment the Demon Clan. But without its suppression, the sealed wild daddy seemed to be breaking free from its seal.
Previously, when the "Necronomicon" reached the Demon Clan, the old demons were so "excited" because they weren't sure when the sealed "wild daddy" would break free, and whether the "Abyssal Jar" would return.
If the sealed "wild daddy" broke free, the "Abyssal Jar" returned, and with the "Necronomicon," the Demon Clan would face three "wild daddies" at the same time.
The Demon Clan's situation had always been sometimes strong, sometimes weak. It wasn't because other major forces attacked them, but because they were tormented by "wild daddies." It could be said that no major force in the Void dared to attack the Demon Clan. If they failed, they would lose resources and possibly territory. If they succeeded, it would be even worse—they would "welcome" a "wild daddy."
Therefore, only "Daddy Rank" artifacts could cause the Demon Clan's decline and destruction.
This made Wude not care about how his actions outside would affect the Demon Clan. Even if he provoked Arcane Eternal Star, the spellcasters would only retaliate against Wude himself, not the Demon Clan. The latter would be asking for trouble.
Besides Wude, the other members of the Dawn Team weren't afraid of Arcane Eternal Star's retaliation either. Su Xiao went without saying. As for Zuiyasi, if they wanted to retaliate against him, they would have to find him or his faction.
As everyone knew, Zuiyasi's faction was located on Doom Star. Going to Doom Star to retaliate against an Ancient God faction was really...
The remaining two members of the Dawn Team needed no further explanation. White Bull, as the Black Emperor of the underworld, had so many enemies that even he couldn't count them all.
As for Kaisa, it was hard to imagine what retaliating against Kaisa would be like.
After tonight's auction, Su Xiao risked holding off the Four Leaders, while the other four members of the team each completed several tasks.
Among them, White Bull had his subordinates attack a mining city under Feather Clan jurisdiction, located two star orbits away. That was one of the production sites for High Vibration Steel, which the Feather Clan valued highly.
For White Bull to have his men attack there, any Void faction would see it as both normal and the madness of desperadoes. White Bull and the Feather Clan had been at odds for a long time. The accumulated hatred between the two sides had reached a point where one side must perish to resolve it.
Last time, when Su Xiao went to the remote Void location Saint Geya to guide Wude's old friend's daughter in blade techniques, he happened to encounter White Bull, who was at war with the Feather Clan there.
White Bull not only had his men attack but also personally rushed to that planet overnight. Given the current relationship between the spellcasters and the Feather Clan, as soon as White Bull left the Dawnlight Estate, the Feather Clan received news from the estate manager.
Upon learning this intelligence, the Feather Clan's high-ranking members were both furious and cautious. But the problem was that distant water couldn't quench near thirst. By the time the Feather Clan's strong reinforcements arrived, White Bull and his subordinates might have already turned that mining city into ruins.
Fortunately, among the Feather Clan's representatives at Arcane Eternal Star this time was an old-generation strongman named Maha, one of the Feather Clan's strongest.
Maha immediately rushed to save the situation. But no one expected that this feud between White Bull and the Feather Clan was actually a diversion.
Shortly after Maha left, Ona, wearing the Primordial Mask, disguised herself as the Feather Clan's Yao Yi and entered the hotel where the Feather Clan was staying.
Where was Yao Yi herself? The answer was that she had received an invitation from Wude's sister, Edeir. Before the combat competition started tomorrow, the participating girls from various clans held this tea party.
Zuiyasi's wife, Ona, disguised as Yao Yi with the Primordial Mask, successfully entered the Feather Clan's hotel and found the Feather Clan genius, Feather Li. The moment Feather Li opened the door, the outcome was already decided.
Many thought that the Parasitic Marrow Worm was Zuiyasi's trump card. In reality, this ability was learned from his wife. Ona's Parasitic Marrow Worm ability was truly terrifying. Once infected, the victim's cognition would be gradually altered without a sound.
Therefore, in the cognition of the Feather Clan genius, Feather Li, the "Hourglass of Time" that Ona gave him was a winning weapon to be used against the strong enemy tomorrow. Moreover, his cognition in this regard was altered to believe that this secret treasure was entrusted to him by Maha before leaving, and this matter must not be disclosed. He would make a stunning impression tomorrow.
From the application of the "Hourglass of Time," it was clear just how exaggerated Su Xiao's plan had become. Initially, he planned to use the "Hourglass of Time" to give Arcane Eternal Star a big gift. But now, the "Hourglass of Time" had become an appetizer before the main course.
If Su Xiao's original plan was to make Arcane Eternal Star lose face and suffer some losses, then now, after the super boost and the trump card, the plan was to make Arcane Eternal Star pay a price they couldn't bear.
The arrangements here went smoothly. Kaisa encountered some resistance on his end, but that part wouldn't start until the second day of the "Combat Competition." There was no rush for now; stability was still the priority.
It was already late. Tomorrow morning, Su Xiao would have to attend as a spectator of the "Combat Competition." He was about to stand up and head to the bedroom when the door was knocked.
Opening the door, Su Xiao found Green Gillian, who had disappeared somewhere after tonight's auction started, along with her mentor Sefeiliya. Besides these two, Hugh was also there.
Compared to two days ago, Hugh's complexion had recovered. Seeing this, Su Xiao said, "You look much better. Want to help out at Lake Heart Island after the Arcane Celebration?"
"Cough~, I'll pass. I've been very busy lately."
Hugh politely declined. His previous experience of watching his life flash before his eyes like a continuous series had made him unwilling to go to Lake Heart Island anytime soon.
Actually, seeing Hugh come, and Sefeiliya sending the "Necronomicon" earlier, Su Xiao knew the purpose of these three's visit: the Crow Woman.
"There's something you need to confirm in person. It's about how the Necronomicon was brought to Eternal Star."
Sefeiliya spoke, indeed about meeting the Crow Woman.
"..."
Su Xiao glanced at the time, seemingly about to decline, but ultimately agreed.
"When are you going to settle the payment for this matter?"
As soon as Su Xiao spoke, Sefeiliya outside the door replied, "Now."
With that, Sefeiliya took out a crystal card. Su Xiao took it, and a notification appeared.
[You have obtained a 50,000 Soul Coin Certification Card (Origin: Void Tree).]
[Holding this certification card, you can exchange it for the corresponding number of Soul Coins at the material collection point in Reincarnation Paradise.]
As soon as the 50,000 Soul Coins were in hand, Su Xiao felt fluctuations in the surrounding space. Sefeiliya's spatial ability was stronger than imagined. Within Arcane Eternal Star, she could go anywhere she wanted, instantly performing long-distance spatial movement that violated the iron laws of the space system.
When the scene before him stabilized, Su Xiao found himself in a dim dungeon. Gas lamps embedded in the walls flickered, emitting a dim yellow and oppressive light.
The damp and cold environment, the black greasy moss on the walls, the flickering gas lamps, and the sound of dripping water from somewhere—this was Arcane Eternal Star's underground prison.
"This way."
Arriving here, Hugh shed his usual laziness and exuded a dignified aura.
Following the steps down, Su Xiao reached a very long corridor. This corridor was about several meters wide, with prison cells on both sides. Although the metal bars of the cells were old, the runes on them made them indestructible.
There were no gas lamps on this level of the dungeon. It was pitch black.
"Another living person has arrived."
"Hehehehe."
"Arcane Eternal Star really has many enemies."
From the cells on both sides, either sarcastic taunts or hysterical banging on the metal bars came out, like a group of mad beasts driven crazy in the darkness.
Hugh picked up a lantern hanging on the wall. Black Soul Flame ignited on the wick inside. Strangely, the lantern emitted a white glow.
"Soul... Flame, Hugh!!"
From one cell, a furious roar came out. But soon, he was pinned down by other prisoners in the same cell, and his mouth was covered.
"Warden."
"Shut up, the Warden is here."
Sure enough, this level of the dungeon quickly quieted down. Hugh walked ahead carrying the lantern. Wherever the white light reached, if it touched a prisoner, it would cause intense searing and burning. One prisoner couldn't retract his arm into the darkness in time and, in a scream, turned into white bones.
After passing through the nearly hundred-meter-long corridor and descending several more levels of the dungeon, they finally reached the lowest level of the underground prison. Here, Hugh extinguished the Soul Lantern. He pressed one hand on a metal door, and the heavy metal door opened with a sound.
The lowest level had only ten cells. The lighting here was bright, and the cells were clean to the point of being spotless. Large blocks of elemental extract, looking like glass, served as the front sealing walls, making the situation inside each cell clear at a glance.
Of the ten cells, six were empty. Among the remaining four, one imprisoned a black semi-fluid creature. Seeing this, Su Xiao immediately thought of Abyss Spawn.
In another three cells, one imprisoned a skeleton. Yes, it was a completely dead but still relatively intact skeleton.
Continuing forward, the group arrived at the cell holding the Crow Woman. The Crow Woman wore loose, pure white prison clothes. Her eye sockets were pitch black, the outer ring of her pupils white, and at the center of her pupils was a pitch-black central pupil. Same as before, still black to the point of depth, captivating the soul.
"She's called the Crow Woman. Not long ago, she was captured alive by the Law Destroyer Bai Ye..."
Sefeiliya's words were half-spoken when the Crow Woman in the cell interrupted, "Not captured alive. Fought until exhausted."
"Let's say you fought until exhausted. But bringing the Necronomicon to Eternal Star is an established fact."
Sefeiliya silenced the Crow Woman with a cold glare, then said to Su Xiao, "You can ask her anything about how the Necronomicon was brought to Eternal Star. What you do is your business. I just want a result—a result where the Necronomicon has nothing more to do with Eternal Star."
"Fine. Let me in to talk with her."
Su Xiao knocked on the glass-like sealing wall.
"Mr. Holy Flame, even if the Crow Woman is restrained, she is still dangerous to you as an alchemist."
Hugh spoke. Su Xiao waved his hand. Seeing this, Hugh turned his gaze to Sefeiliya. This matter was entirely under Sefeiliya's responsibility.
"Let him in."
"If possible, let me talk with her alone?"
As Su Xiao spoke, he had already passed through the semi-transparent sealing wall and entered the Crow Woman's cell. Hearing that he wanted to talk alone, Sefeiliya led Green Gillian and Hugh out of the lowest level of the dungeon. Where they went was unknown, but without thinking, they were definitely monitoring Su Xiao and the Crow Woman's every move.
Inside the cell, Su Xiao sat on a chair, looking at the Crow Woman, whose gaze was unfriendly, and said, "Answer a few of my questions, and I might be able to get them to let you out."
"Out? What's the point? Staying here isn't bad either."
The Crow Woman had a completely indifferent attitude.
"Oh? So, you don't want revenge?"
Hearing Su Xiao's words, the Crow Woman's gaze changed. She asked, "Can you help me get revenge this time? You know, the one who set me up was the Law Destroyer."
The Crow Woman spoke through gritted teeth. Perhaps she never dreamed that her enemy was right in front of her at this moment.