Chapter 54: Absolute Strength
At the edge of the Dark Salt Lake, amidst a vast expanse of crystallized black thorny brambles, a translucent blue crystal sphere three meters in diameter had smashed a large patch of black thorns to pieces. The entire crystal sphere was pitted and scarred, as if heavily corroded and subjected to intense impact.
With a crackling sound, an arm emerged from within the crystal. As the crystal sphere shattered, the figure inside crawled out. Due to the shock from the strong impact, he fell to the ground with a thud.
Su Xiao let out a long breath. It was proven that his decisive use of [Drifting Bait] was the right choice.
"[Drifting Bait · Effect: After 1.57 seconds of mental guidance, you can perform a spatial drift, randomly appearing at a safe location 50 kilometers away. Tip: During guidance, you will gain Water's Blessing (high toughness, high-strength defense)…]"
The movement range of [Drifting Bait] did not escape the attack range of the Extreme Blood Spear, but it was already very far from the center. Coupled with three layers of external defensive abilities, the first being the Water's Blessing from [Drifting Bait], which was exceptionally tough, and the second being the Soul Plating defense from the Wild Hunt Night.
"[Soul Plating (Equipment Passive): If not attacked within 24 hours, this equipment will form an invisible soul plating around the wearer. This plating only manifests before an attack is received, remaining completely hidden under normal conditions. Plating Durability: (Wearer's Max Health 10%) + (Wearer's Soul Strength × 10 × Wearer's Soul Energy Rank), totaling 157,630 durability points.]"
In addition, Su Xiao used the remaining Cyan Steel Shadow Energy to form a crystal layer. It didn't just cling to his body surface but continuously thickened until it formed a sphere.
The good news was that because Su Xiao was over 50 kilometers from the Blood Spear explosion center, the shockwave blasted him, along with the three layers of defense, flying away. The bad news was that such an impact was still quite severe.
Su Xiao checked the notifications but didn't see the one he expected. He raised his hand and made a grasping motion, temporarily constructing a soul imprint, which he crushed with a crackling sound. Every few seconds, he heard a dragon's roar in the distance.
With a whoosh, the Firstborn of the Abyssal Dragon swooped low overhead. Su Xiao disappeared from his spot and appeared on the dragon's back.
The Firstborn flew towards the center of the Blood Spear explosion. As soon as they entered this range, Su Xiao saw the water level rising in the huge crater below. This area was rich in water resources, but because it had been eroded by the Abyss, the seeping water turned into black water with a strong salt content and dark matter.
First, a [Sun Holy Sword], then an [Extreme Blood Spear]. These two strikes had completely cleansed the dark pollution in the area. The sky was clear, and the air was no longer foul, gaining a hint of freshness.
The rapidly forming freshwater lake below gradually became shrouded in mist. It was believed that in a few years, this place would become a home for various waterfowl, aquatic creatures, or mammals.
However, compared to all this, Su Xiao was only concerned with one thing right now: where exactly was the old spellcaster who had been hit by a [Sun Holy Sword], poisoned with toxins, witch poisons, and soul poisons, and then struck by an [Extreme Blood Spear]? And why wasn't he dead yet?
The wind whistled past his ears. Su Xiao looked down from the dragon's back. As far as the eye could see, there was only lake water. He couldn't sense the location of Dean Guya at all. Seeing this, Su Xiao leaped from the dragon's back. Just as he was about to hit the water surface.
Crack, crack, crack!
A flash freeze spread. In a very short time, a large area of the lake surface was frozen. Eventually, the newly formed vast lake was completely frozen solid.
'Blade Path Sword: Blood Blade!'
Clang!
A sharp slashing sound rang through the sky. A straight line of blood shot straight down beneath the ice surface. Just as Su Xiao had penetrated over a thousand meters deep, a wave of heat surged towards him. With a boom, it blasted him backward.
The previously frozen lake surface suddenly melted from the heat. This was the destructive power of a spellcaster on the environment. After all, they were a group that devoured natural elements to gain power. Having such means was not surprising.
A black shadow shot up rapidly from the lake bottom. Finally, a figure in tattered robes, with most of its head shattered, surfaced. It was Dean Guya. He stood calmly on the water. The left half of his head was gone, the fracture jagged and marked by blood energy erosion.
Not only that, Dean Guya's torso was also severely damaged. Broken ribs jutted out in a horrifying manner. His exposed heart was damaged but was being supplemented by magical energy, beating one after another, transmitting blood and the magical energy within to various parts of his body.
Suddenly, Dean Guya pressed down with one hand. A wave of gravity tilted down, pressing onto Su Xiao. Su Xiao, standing on the water, was slammed down with a boom, creating a depression. The originally flat water surface actually formed a downward square groove.
Su Xiao, having entered the Space Penetration state, was naturally unaffected by the gravity. He quietly released the Demon Spirit, letting it sink into the water below. Then, stepping on the water surface, he advanced towards Dean Guya in the Space Penetration state.
The phantom of the Book of the Elder appeared behind Dean Guya. He pushed forward with one hand, stirring up layers of black ripples. These ripples, large rings within small rings, surged towards Su Xiao.
Thump!
It was as if Su Xiao had slammed into a solid wall. Not only that, but the water molecules throughout his body suddenly began to oscillate violently, blurring his vision.
Dean Guya, who was not a space-type spellcaster, could actually directly attack Su Xiao in the Space Penetration state. This wasn't surprising, as many previous Law Destroyers had similar movement methods.
Everything before him was double-visioned. Su Xiao wasn't discouraged by the current situation. He was a top-tier Ninth Rank combatant fighting against a pinnacle Absolute Strength powerhouse. Even though his opponent had suffered fatal injuries before the battle and was in an extremely poor state, Absolute Strength was still Absolute Strength.
To put it more bluntly, if Absolute Strength wasn't this strong, then why pursue it? Why save up Primordial Fragments?
Just as Su Xiao's vision was filled with double images and he was affected by the oscillation state, Dean Guya's aura, which had weakened to the brink of death, suddenly surged. He used the last remnants of his magical energy to transform and sublimate it into gravity metal. These iron-sand-like gravity metals formed a nearly three-meter-long spike.
Boom!!
The surrounding water surface suddenly sank. Countless water droplets flew up due to the chaotic gravity. Dean Guya raised his broken arm and pointed his index finger at Su Xiao.
The gravity spike pierced through layers of air explosions, carrying immense weight and unparalleled lethality, arriving in front of Su Xiao.
At this moment, Su Xiao was still under the negative effects of the oscillation. Yet, even so, he still perceived the fatal attack entering his perception range. Although his perception range was now only 10 meters, his capture ability and reaction speed were absolutely unparalleled.
Su Xiao felt everything around him slow down a bit, including the rotating black gravity spike flying towards him. A type of energy he had developed for a long time but was using for the first time instantly spread through his limbs and bones. This was the protective energy brought by his three technique abilities.
Clang!!
A crisp sound traveled far. A shockwave spread with Su Xiao at its center, causing the lake water around him to surge outward.
Su Xiao blocked Dean Guya's attack in a simple and unadorned manner, holding the sword in his right hand and bracing the blade with his left. This was the [Perfect Block] ability.
[Perfect Block] could indeed block attacks, but the subsequent shock damage couldn't be avoided. Fortunately, Su Xiao had an ability called [Perfect Parry], which derived a fairly high amount of shock damage reduction, exempting at least 40% of the shock damage.
Although he successfully blocked, Su Xiao's health plummeted significantly, and the durability of Dragon-Slaying Flash was consumed by about one-fifth. He would need to find the Dwarf King or return to find Lide for repairs. More importantly, the protective energy throughout his body was depleted. It would take at least 10 seconds to reconstitute and block another attack.
[Perfect Block] was more powerful than imagined. It had successfully blocked a strike from a pinnacle Absolute Strength powerhouse on the verge of death. But this ability wasn't as rosy as it seemed. Blocking once every 10 seconds? Absolutely not. At this moment, Su Xiao's bones felt like they were about to fall apart. In a battle against a strong enemy, blocking once every 10 seconds was suicide.
Throughout the entire battle, blocking at most two fatal, unavoidable attacks was the optimal frequency. If he really tried to block a strong enemy's attack every 10 seconds, he might block multiple attacks, but he would lose the ability to counterattack and be suppressed until death.
At this moment, dozens of meters away, Dean Guya, who was already nearing death, widened his one remaining eye. He felt that the blocking method looked familiar… like the battle technique of the Moon Wolf?
With a bang, a black shadow shot forward like a shark breaking through the water. A crystal longsword in its hand slashed at Dean Guya. Seeing the Demon Spirit, Dean Guya ignored its slash and leaped backward instead. He knew that compared to being slashed by the Demon Spirit, the Law Destroyer who was about to swap positions was far more lethal.
Dean Guya's attempt to lift himself with gravity aggravated his already terrible injuries. Coupled with the slow-acting but most potent soul poison kicking in, he not only failed to float backward but also vomited a large mouthful of blood.
Su Xiao appeared in front of Dean Guya, having swapped positions with the Demon Spirit. Yet Dean Guya showed no panic or anger. He activated the magic core within his heart, causing cracks to spread across his heart while a black ray shot out from within.
The black ray pierced through Su Xiao's chest, missing his heart and the Devouring Core within by just a few centimeters. However, while being attacked, Su Xiao had already delivered a straight kick.
Thump!!
Dean Guya blasted through a wave of air, flesh and bone fragments flying. He flew several kilometers backward before landing on the water, plowing up a large spray. He crouched on one knee, spitting out blood mixed with organ fragments.
The wind pressure came head-on. At this moment, Dean Guya felt a sense of temporal dislocation, as if facing the pressure of his old enemies from the past.
In the sky, dark clouds gathered due to gravity, forming a massive vortex. Thunder rumbled within. Under this heavenly might, on the lake, a spellcaster and a Shadow of Law Destruction fought to the death.
"Ha!"
Dean Guya's hair and beard flew wildly. A gravity storm spread outward from him. Due to the excessive force of the ability activation, his protruding broken ribs flipped and shot out. The surrounding water surface was pressed by gravity until it was as hard as a steel plate.
Within this continuously expanding gravity storm, a hand wrapped in a crystal layer reached out, defying the immense gravitational pressure, and grabbed Dean Guya's face with a slap. This caused Dean Guya's always calm aura to suddenly falter.
Then, a longsword wrapped in dark blue smoke, moving at a not-so-fast speed, pushed against the outward force of the gravity storm, resolutely and steadily thrusting towards Dean Guya.
"Ha!!"
The flesh on Dean Guya's face flew off, leaving only a one-eyed skull. Yet even so, Dragon-Slashing Flash still firmly pierced into his chest and heart. Finally, with a crack, it shattered his magic core.
Instantly, the surrounding gravity storm dissipated. Dean Guya fell to one knee with a thud. Facing the killing blow of the Demon Blade, he didn't die immediately.
Su Xiao leaped backward, distancing himself from the dying enemy to avoid a last-ditch counterattack.
"Huff~! Huff~!"
Dean Guya gasped for breath. Blood dripped from his jawbone. Then, he actually stood up again. But as his body and soul were dying, he eventually fell, only able to support himself with one hand on the water. He looked up at Su Xiao, his single eye fixed on him. There was no hatred or anger, more like an appraisal. It gave the feeling that this old spellcaster might stand up again.
However, this was just an illusion. Even an Absolute Strength spellcaster couldn't withstand the killing blow of the Demon Blade. Dean Guya's aura completely dissipated. He could no longer stay on the water surface and sank into the lake.
Clang~
Dragon-Slashing Flash broke through the water, flying to Su Xiao's front. He grasped it, shook off the water droplets, and sheathed the longsword.
Absolute Strength Spellcaster, Dean Guya, had been slain!
Standing on the water, Su Xiao let out a long breath. Even during the direct confrontation phase, Dean Guya was already near death, but he still exerted immense pressure on Su Xiao.
Not only that, but his health had now dropped below 20%. He had only been hit once by Dean Guya throughout the entire battle. His massive 860,000 health had been mostly cleared instantly. The remaining health loss came from the shock damage of one Perfect Block and the residual effects of area attacks.
From the very beginning, Su Xiao's goal was to ambush and kill Dean Guya. The reason was simple: after witnessing the survivability of the Knight Commander, he had a new understanding of the survivability of Absolute Strength powerhouses. Furthermore, even if an Absolute Strength spellcaster wasn't as tanky as a Knight Commander, they wouldn't be a glass cannon.
Facts also proved Su Xiao's speculation correct. The physique of an Absolute Strength spellcaster was not weak at all. After unleashing several ambush methods, he still needed to add a straight kick and the killing blow of the Demon Blade.
If the ambush target were Seraphilia, the likely outcome would be defeat, because Seraphilia's Dawn Element was not a magical ability. Conversely, Dean Guya's gravity ability had a clear magical inclination, which allowed the [Absolute Magic Resistance Constitution] to provide Su Xiao with high damage reduction.
Su Xiao checked the kill notification that had just appeared. The content was:
[You have slain Absolute Strength Spellcaster, Dean Guya.]
[You have gained 3 Golden Skill Points.]
[You have obtained the Soul of Magic Chest (Chest-type item, obtained from killing a Magic-type Absolute Strength powerhouse. Opening it has a high probability of granting a 'Primordial Fragment'. The quantity is determined by various factors).]
[It has been detected that your 'Awakening Stele' has been imbued with a Revenge Mark certified by the Void Tree and Reincarnation Paradise. As you have successfully killed an Absolute Strength Spellcaster from the Arcane Eternal Star faction, this Revenge Mark has been activated.]
[You have obtained Revenge Soul × 1 (Certified characteristic item. Using this item on the 'Awakening Stele' can unlock the Shadow of Law Destruction · Advanced Ability).]
Seeing this notification, Su Xiao understood what was happening. This was a setup by the previous Law Destroyers. Through the certification of the Void Tree and Reincarnation Paradise, they had certified the [Awakening Stele] and then, by paying a price, had the Revenge Mark effect imbued onto it.
Through the current [Awakening Stele], Su Xiao could master abilities within the Shadow of Law Destruction inheritance system, such as Demon Spirit Awakening, Perfect Constitution, etc. These were abilities that all Law Destroyers could master through the [Awakening Stele].
The so-called advanced abilities were the private stashes of the previous Law Destroyers. These were very powerful abilities, but not suitable for all Law Destroyers. Therefore, they were not included in the essential abilities of the inheritance system.
Su Xiao was quite interested in these private stash abilities, especially passive-type advanced abilities. These abilities had a high degree of development and were used to enhance basic attacks. Once mastered, they were 100% compatible.
The abilities of the Law Destruction system were uniquely peculiar. Either you couldn't master them at all, but once you did, they were basically 100% compatible. However, the process of mastering them was quite memorable.
Su Xiao leaped onto the back of the Firstborn of the Abyssal Dragon. Baha and the Beast Clan army couldn't hold Seraphilia back for much longer. Once Baha's spatial interference ability failed, Seraphilia would break free. It was best to leave this place quickly. Su Xiao had decided that before breaking through to 'Absolute Strength', he would absolutely not fight Seraphilia.
On the dragon's back, Su Xiao drank a bottle of Recovery Potion. He looked down at the hole in his chest. Not only was the wound healing, but the damaged part of the Wild Hunt Night long leather coat was also slowly repairing.
There was one thing that puzzled Su Xiao. After he killed the Absolute Strength Spellcaster, why didn't the [Hunt List: Blood Pact] provide the corresponding bounty? He had previously used this Blood Pact to place a bounty of 1000 ounces of Space-Time Power on the Absolute Strength Spellcaster. The current return should have been 5000 ounces of Space-Time Power.
Not only that, but the bounty for Wolf Grave hadn't been triggered either. The bounty of 100 ounces of Space-Time Power hadn't produced a reward notification of 500 ounces. At the time, he thought the rewards hadn't accumulated enough and would be issued when sufficient. Now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
Su Xiao tried to check the [Hunt List: Blood Pact]. This previously hidden permission function had changed from a gray state to viewable.
[Bounty 1: Wolf Grave (Completed, awaiting collection of Space-Time Stone Fragments).]
[Bounty 3: Kill Absolute Strength (Completed, awaiting collection of Space-Time Stone Fragments).]
[You have applied for collection.]
[You have obtained Space-Time Stone Fragments × 550 (These are equivalents. Selling them to Reincarnation Paradise will grant you 5500 ounces of Space-Time Power).]
Seeing this, Su Xiao understood what was happening. When he first received the [Hunt List: Blood Pact] in the previous world, each completed bounty granted a certain amount of Space-Time Stone Fragments. The remaining reward share was determined by what resources he needed and then drawn from that category.
Now that Su Xiao possessed the [Hunt List: Blood Pact] and could decide the bounty content himself, it had changed. Within each world progress, only the first completed bounty would grant a reward of 'Space-Time Stone Fragments' + 'Rare Resources'. The remaining bounties would only reward 'Space-Time Stone Fragments'.
Su Xiao wasn't disappointed by this. This was currently his only stable way to obtain Space-Time Power. He had a feeling that the higher his rank, the more useful Space-Time Power would become. Perhaps soon, his current Space-Time Power wouldn't be enough.
When Su Xiao arrived at the chaotic battle zone where Seraphilia was being besieged, he saw corpses everywhere and countless Dawn Element weapons embedded in the ground. Compared to the initial ferocity, many of the Beast Clan members around Seraphilia now had a hint of fear in their eyes. If not for their morale, they might not dare to continue charging at Seraphilia.
Drip, drip~
Blood dripped from the cuff of Seraphilia's gold-white robe. It wasn't her blood. Her dazzling golden pupils were now so sharp and powerful that no one dared to meet her gaze.
Hmm~!
The sound of a retreat horn came. The Beast Clan warriors surrounding Seraphilia quickly withdrew. Seeing this, Seraphilia had a bad feeling.
A figure walked over step by step. Seraphilia was about to attack but immediately stopped the gathering of Dawn Element. The approaching figure was her disciple, Green Gillian. More accurately, it was Green Gillian under the control of the Demon Spirit.
"You…"
Before Seraphilia could say 'You despicable…', the Demon Spirit left Green Gillian's body. Almost simultaneously, Dawn Element threads pulled the unconscious Green Gillian away, behind Seraphilia.
Under Su Xiao's control, the Demon Spirit's features became slightly clearer. He spoke through the Demon Spirit: "The cost of besieging you exceeded expectations. So, you can leave."
"That old bastard, is he dead?"
As she said this, Seraphilia seemed to have a hint of sadness, but she didn't show it in front of her enemy.
"Yeah."
"Very well. Then you'll have to sacrifice a few more Beast Clan legions."
Golden ripples appeared layer upon layer above Seraphilia, and Dawn Element weapons flickered in and out of sight.
"Are you really unconcerned about those juniors of yours who were teleported to the Abyss Erosion Zone? If you don't go rescue them now, considering you're a space-type, you might still make it in time."
Hearing this, Seraphilia's eyes narrowed slightly. She tried several times to suppress the anger in her heart. Finally, she disappeared from the spot with Green Gillian. But before she left, the look she gave Su Xiao was unforgettable. The look of wanting to grind someone's bones to dust couldn't be hidden.
Seeing this, Su Xiao gave the order to Egwin to retreat, telling him to lead the legion back to the [Crystal Forest] quickly. If nothing unexpected happened, the Sea Clan over there would take the opportunity to counterattack.
Su Xiao checked the team channel and found that after receiving his share of the kill reward, Shenfu had immediately left the team. This was not a good sign. It meant that this old bastard's plan had reached its final stage.
Su Xiao hadn't figured out what Shenfu's plan was, but one thing was certain: this old bastard must have a big scheme. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gathered so many Violators in this world.
Violator Beifuli, Violator Xiaoge, Nightmare Ghost Kain, Witch Lilya, and Luge and the others were all on Shenfu's side, though it wasn't very obvious.
What truly puzzled Su Xiao was how Lightning Mage Aige had ended up with Nightmare Ghost Kain and Witch Lilya. Aige was a very proper Battle Angel.
Nightmare Ghost Kain was infamous for betraying teammates, eating their souls, and using team skills to plunder their wealth after death. Calling him notorious was an understatement. Witch Lilya was a bit better, but her personality was also morally ambiguous. Moreover, being someone that Nightmare Ghost Kain feared, could this witch be simple?
Su Xiao wanted to know why these Violators, or those who weren't Violators but were worse than Violators, had gathered in this world. Unfortunately, he had too many things to deal with before and didn't have the energy to clash with them.
Su Xiao closed the team channel. Shenfu leaving the team was something he didn't need to worry about for now. The Witch Doctor Baze had also withdrawn, which was understandable. The Fortune Teller Peilier had almost returned to Eternal Ring City, indicating she also knew the subsequent situation was unfavorable.
The Demon Teleportation Array activated. When the spatial fluctuations dissipated, Su Xiao, Baha, and Xianlulu had returned to the underground first floor of the Lord's Manor castle. Back here, Su Xiao relaxed a bit. He first went to the third floor to return Molei's necklace and accessories, then went to the fifth-floor flower room to meditate and recover from his injuries.
But not long after he started meditating, Su Xiao noticed something was wrong in the World Contact Platform. There was actually an announcement. He opened it and saw that the messages were scrolling extremely fast. After reading for a while, he confirmed one thing: the competition for the [Initial Mark] was about to reach its most intense stage. In other words, the upcoming chaotic battle of the gods was about to begin.