Chapter 4: Full Rating · World-Class Equipment (6000 Rating Points)
The light in the Exclusive Room flickered, and Su Xiao's figure appeared in the center of the room. He had just returned from the Trade Market, and the transaction with the old man had gone smoothly. The Origin Stone: World had been successfully exchanged for a batch of precious materials.
Su Xiao sat cross-legged on the ground, took out a dark blue crystal from his storage space, and examined it carefully. This was the core material for upgrading the Blade Path: Azure Demon, a Soul Crystal Core from a high-level Abyss Spawn. The crystal shimmered with a faint blue light, and a trace of Abyss energy could be faintly sensed inside.
"It's enough."
Su Xiao muttered to himself, then took out several other materials and placed them in front of him. These were all collected during his previous missions, and now they were finally put to use.
He closed his eyes, and the power of the Cyan Steel Shadow Energy began to circulate within his body. The energy flowed along a specific route, gradually converging toward his right hand. Soon, a faint blue flame ignited in his palm, emitting a strange heat.
The Blade Path: Azure Demon was a technique inherited from the Law Destruction Faction, and its power was directly related to the user's mastery of the Cyan Steel Shadow Energy. Su Xiao had already reached the Grandmaster level in this technique, but to further enhance it, he needed the assistance of external materials.
He placed the Soul Crystal Core into the blue flame, and the crystal instantly began to melt, turning into a stream of dark blue liquid that wrapped around his right hand. Su Xiao's expression remained calm, and he guided the liquid to slowly merge into his arm.
A sharp pain came, as if countless needles were piercing his arm, but Su Xiao's face showed no change. He had long been accustomed to this kind of pain. The process of fusing the Cyan Steel Shadow Energy was never comfortable, but every time he endured it, his strength would increase significantly.
Time passed minute by minute. About ten minutes later, the blue flame gradually extinguished, and Su Xiao's right arm was now covered with a faint blue pattern, like a tattoo. He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within.
"Successful."
Su Xiao stood up, waved his arm a few times, and was satisfied with the result. The power of the Blade Path: Azure Demon had increased by at least 30%, and the next time he faced an Abyss Spawn, he could kill it more easily.
He put away the remaining materials and prepared to go to the Skill Upgrade Hall to upgrade other skills. Just then, a system notification suddenly appeared in his mind.
[Tip: Your exclusive skill 'Blade Path: Azure Demon' has been upgraded to Lv.50, unlocking the new effect 'Soul Severing'.]
Su Xiao's eyes lit up. Soul Severing was a very practical ability that could directly damage the enemy's soul, ignoring most physical defenses. For those high-defense enemies, this was a fatal blow.
"Not bad."
Su Xiao nodded, then walked out of the Exclusive Room and headed toward the Skill Upgrade Hall.
The Skill Upgrade Hall was located in the central area of Reincarnation Paradise, a massive building that looked like a futuristic technological fortress. The hall was filled with various upgrade pods, each emitting different colored lights. Contractors came and went, either upgrading their skills or exchanging for new ones.
Su Xiao went straight to the deepest part of the hall, where a golden upgrade pod was placed. This was a Skill Upgrade Pod specifically for Grandmaster-level skills, and using it required paying a certain number of Paradise Coins.
He placed his hand on the pod, and the system immediately prompted:
[Do you want to use the Skill Upgrade Pod? Cost: 50,000 Paradise Coins. Current balance: 320,000 Paradise Coins.]
"Confirm."
Su Xiao chose to confirm, and the pod door opened, revealing a comfortable seat inside. He sat down, and the pod door slowly closed, followed by a faint mechanical hum.
A warm current flowed through his body, and Su Xiao felt his skills being systematically optimized and enhanced. This process lasted about three minutes, and when the pod door opened again, he felt noticeably stronger.
[Tip: Your skill 'Blade Path: Azure Demon' has been upgraded to Lv.55, all attributes increased.]
[Tip: Your skill 'Blade Path: Time' has been upgraded to Lv.40, unlocking the new effect 'Time Freeze'.]
Su Xiao stood up, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. Time Freeze was a very powerful control skill that could briefly freeze the enemy in place, giving him a chance to strike. In a battle between experts, even a second of pause could determine the outcome.
He left the Skill Upgrade Hall and headed toward the Attribute Enhancement Hall. His current attributes had reached the bottleneck of the Eighth Rank, and to break through to the Ninth Rank, he needed to enhance his True Attributes.
The Attribute Enhancement Hall was equally grand, filled with various Attribute Enhancement Pods. Su Xiao chose a pod specifically for True Attributes, paid the fee, and sat inside.
[Do you want to use the True Attribute Enhancement Pod? Cost: 100,000 Paradise Coins. Current balance: 270,000 Paradise Coins.]
"Confirm."
The pod started operating, and Su Xiao felt his body undergo a subtle transformation. His strength, agility, stamina, and intelligence were all being enhanced, especially his True Strength and True Agility, which had increased significantly.
After about five minutes, the enhancement ended. Su Xiao opened his personal panel and checked his current attributes:
[Contractor: Su Xiao]
[Rank: Eighth Rank]
[True Strength: 320 points]
[True Agility: 350 points]
[True Stamina: 280 points]
[True Intelligence: 300 points]
[Charm: 5 points]
[Luck: 15 points]
"Not bad, all attributes have improved."
Su Xiao nodded, satisfied. Although the Charm attribute was still a flaw, he didn't care much. After all, he was a Melee Combat type, and Charm was not very useful for him.
He left the Attribute Enhancement Hall and prepared to go to the Equipment Enhancement Hall to strengthen his equipment. Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Bai Ye, long time no see."
Su Xiao turned around and saw a man in a black robe walking toward him. It was Mawen Hua'erzi, an old acquaintance.
"Waltz, what brings you here?"
Su Xiao asked calmly.
"I just came back from a mission and heard you've been doing well lately. I came to see you."
Mawen Hua'erzi smiled, then lowered his voice, "I have a piece of news here, and I think you'll be interested."
"Oh? What news?"
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"I heard that a World-Class treasure chest has appeared in the Eternal Light World, and it's said to be a full-rated one. Many contractors are rushing over, but the danger level there is extremely high, and ordinary people can't handle it."
Mawen Hua'erzi said mysteriously.
Su Xiao's eyes flickered. A full-rated World-Class treasure chest was extremely rare, and the rewards inside were definitely extraordinary. If he could get it, his strength would surely take a leap forward.
"Where exactly in the Eternal Light World?"
Su Xiao asked directly.
"In the central area of the Eternal Light World, there's an ancient ruin called the 'Sunken Temple.' The treasure chest is said to be at the deepest part of the temple. But be careful, there are many powerful Abyss Spawns guarding it, and there are also other contractors competing."
Mawen Hua'erzi reminded.
"Got it, thanks."
Su Xiao nodded, then turned and left. He needed to prepare some supplies and then head to the Eternal Light World.
Watching Su Xiao's departing back, Mawen Hua'erzi showed a meaningful smile. He knew that with Su Xiao's strength, even if he couldn't get the treasure chest, he would at least come back safely.
Su Xiao returned to his Exclusive Room and began to prepare. He took out the Alchemy Bombs, Recovery Potions, and other supplies from his storage space, checking them one by one to make sure nothing was missing.
"Bubu Wang, Baha, Amu, get ready, we're going on a mission."
Su Xiao called out to his three summoned beasts.
"Woof!" Bubu Wang wagged his tail excitedly.
"Finally, we're going on a mission. I've been bored to death lately." Baha flapped his wings and said.
"Master, where are we going this time?" Amu asked in a deep voice.
"Eternal Light World, Sunken Temple."
Su Xiao replied concisely.
Hearing this, the three summoned beasts perked up. The Eternal Light World was a high-level dangerous area, and the enemies they would face were definitely not simple.
After preparing everything, Su Xiao opened the Law-Destroying Teleportation Array and set the coordinates to the Eternal Light World.
"Let's go."
He stepped into the teleportation array, and the three summoned beasts followed closely. A flash of light, and their figures disappeared from the Exclusive Room.
When Su Xiao opened his eyes again, he found himself in a desolate wilderness. The sky was a strange dark red, as if stained with blood, and the ground was covered with black gravel, exuding a decaying aura.
"This is the Eternal Light World? The atmosphere is really oppressive."
Baha looked around and said.
"Be careful, there might be danger nearby."
Su Xiao drew the Dragon-Slaying Flash, and the Cyan Steel Shadow Energy began to circulate within his body, ready to respond at any time.
Bubu Wang pricked up his ears, sniffing the air to sense the surrounding situation. Amu stood behind Su Xiao, holding a huge shield, acting as a solid defense.
"Master, I sense the aura of Abyss Spawns ahead, and there are quite a few of them."
Bubu Wang said in a low voice.
"Let's go, take a look."
Su Xiao walked forward, and the three summoned beasts followed closely.
They walked for about ten minutes and soon saw a group of black Abyss Spawns in the distance. These creatures looked like giant scorpions, covered in black carapace, with venomous stingers on their tails, exuding a dangerous aura.
"Eight of them, all at the Eighth Rank."
Su Xiao quickly assessed the enemy's strength. Although the number was not large, the quality was high.
"Baha, you attract their attention from the air. Amu, you protect Bubu Wang. Bubu Wang, you find a chance to use your control skills."
Su Xiao quickly assigned tasks.
"Understood!"
The three summoned beasts responded in unison and immediately took action.
Baha flapped his wings and flew into the air, letting out a sharp cry to attract the Abyss Spawns' attention. The eight giant scorpions immediately turned their heads, their tails raised, ready to attack.
"Come on, you bugs!"
Baha taunted in midair, then quickly dodged to avoid the venom shot by the giant scorpions.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Su Xiao activated the Dragon Shadow Flash, his figure flickering as he instantly appeared beside a giant scorpion. The Dragon-Slaying Flash in his hand slashed out, carrying a trail of blue light.
"Blade Path: Azure Demon!"
With a low shout, the blade light slashed heavily onto the giant scorpion's carapace, making a harsh metallic sound. Although the carapace was tough, under the power of the Cyan Steel Shadow Energy, it was still cut open, and black blood splattered out.
The giant scorpion let out a painful hiss, its tail stinger stabbing fiercely at Su Xiao. Su Xiao sidestepped, narrowly dodging the attack, then turned and slashed again, cutting off the giant scorpion's tail.
"One down."
Su Xiao's expression remained calm, and he turned to face the next enemy.
Meanwhile, Bubu Wang had found an opportunity. He let out a low growl, and a ripple spread out, enveloping the remaining seven giant scorpions. These creatures immediately stiffened, as if frozen in place.
"Good job!"
Su Xiao praised, then his figure flickered as he shuttled among the seven giant scorpions, the Dragon-Slashing Flash dancing in his hand, each slash taking one life.
In less than a minute, all eight giant scorpions were killed, their bodies lying on the ground, black blood staining the earth.
[Tip: You killed 8 Eighth Rank Abyss Spawns, gained 8,000 Paradise Coins.]
[Tip: Your reputation with the Void Tree has increased by 50 points.]
Su Xiao put away the Dragon-Slashing Flash and checked the spoils. These giant scorpions didn't drop anything valuable, only some Abyss Crystals, which could be used to exchange for items in the Honor Shop.
"Let's go, continue heading toward the Sunken Temple."
Su Xiao said, leading the three summoned beasts deeper into the Eternal Light World.
Along the way, they encountered several waves of Abyss Spawns, but none posed much of a threat. Su Xiao's strength had already reached the peak of the Eighth Rank, and with the assistance of the three summoned beasts, he could easily deal with ordinary Eighth Rank enemies.
After about two hours of travel, they finally arrived near the Sunken Temple. This was a massive ruin, with broken stone pillars and collapsed walls everywhere, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
"Master, there are many auras inside, including contractors."
Bubu Wang said in a low voice.
"Mm, be careful."
Su Xiao nodded, then cautiously approached the temple entrance.
The temple gate was a huge stone door, engraved with complex patterns, seemingly recording some ancient history. Su Xiao pushed gently, and the stone door slowly opened, revealing a dark passage.
"Let's go."
He took a deep breath and stepped into the passage. The three summoned beasts followed closely, their expressions tense.
The passage was very long, with only a few glowing crystals on the walls providing faint light. Su Xiao walked forward cautiously, the Cyan Steel Shadow Energy circulating within his body, ready to respond at any time.
After about five minutes, they finally reached the end of the passage, which opened into a vast hall. The hall was empty, with only a stone platform in the center, on which a golden treasure chest was placed, emitting a dazzling light.
"World-Class treasure chest!"
Su Xiao's eyes focused. That was indeed a full-rated World-Class treasure chest, and judging by the light, the items inside were definitely extraordinary.
But he didn't rush forward, because he sensed several dangerous auras in the hall. Looking up, he saw several contractors standing in the shadows of the hall, all staring at the treasure chest.
"Looks like there are quite a few people eyeing this treasure chest."
Su Xiao muttered to himself, then slowly drew the Dragon-Slashing Flash.
Since words were useless, he would have to rely on strength to decide who got the treasure chest.