Chapter 43: Scroll
Peeling the [Old Hunter] title from the center of the smelting disc, the shape of this title was different from most. Titles were usually circular, but the [Old Hunter] title was a ring, with a sword-shaped emblem in the middle.
Moreover, the feel in hand was heavier and thicker, faintly revealing a blood-colored glimmer. After all, it was a hunting-type title; having such an aura was normal.
Although he had long guessed that the [Old Hunter] title's strength was astonishing, after the upgrade was completed, the title's strength still exceeded expectations.
Title Effect 1: The tracking effect of the Hunting Mark was far stronger than anticipated. The main reason was that the "medium" for tracking was too broad. Even residual body energy in the air could serve as a "medium" for pursuit.
In practical combat, this meant that as long as you arrived at a place where an enemy had fought, and the battle ended within 12 hours, there would be trace amounts of energy and aura residue. Even high-rank perception-type contractors wouldn't dare claim they could continuously track an enemy based on these residues, but this title could.
Title Effect 2: Ruthless Hunter was even more powerful. No medium was needed. As long as you determined who to track and were in the same world as them, you could forcibly track them. However, this came at a cost. If the hunt failed, a heavy price had to be paid. Additionally, this ability had an exceptionally long cooldown, usable only once per world progression. Unless necessary, it was safer to use the Hunting Mark.
As for Title Effect 3, this was the core ability of the title, granting it growth potential. However, not all enemies could activate this ability; it required hunting sufficiently difficult foes to trigger the effect.
The interesting aspect of this trait was that it wasn't necessarily about combat strength to meet the standard. The standard judged overall survivability. Whether the enemy excelled in stealth or was adept at supernatural speed, as long as they were hard to track, the title effect could be triggered.
Putting away the [Old Hunter] title, Su Xiao confirmed this was a divine tool for dealing with violators in the future. He felt that Absolute Strength-level violators wouldn't be few, given there were six paradise factions, and violators at the Absolute Strength level were exceptionally hard to kill.
After meditating for a while, Su Xiao's state was adjusted to its best. It was time to head to Sanctuary City. As he walked out of the bedroom, he noticed the door next door was open. Looking inside, the room was set up as a small library. Except for a single bed in the corner, the rest was occupied by books and scrolls, with only a workbench appearing tidy.
The room was empty. Su Xiao looked diagonally opposite, where a previously locked stone door was now open. He stepped inside and found this was also a workshop, though smaller than the forging workshop. Shelves and corners were piled with many scrolls.
At the raw wood-colored workbench sat a slightly hunched old man. A mechanical monocle was embedded in his left eye, completely replacing its function. Though his face and skin were wrinkled, his mastery of knowledge kept his spirit from aging. Four arms indicated he wasn't human. His graying, somewhat messy hair was tied into a thick braid, and his long shoulder cape was slightly tattered, sometimes blocking his four arms.
Previously, the miscellaneous goods guy, Saunz, had mentioned to Su Xiao that the Scroll Master of the Dim Sanctum had been away for several months.
This person before him should be the Scroll Master Saunz referred to. Su Xiao recalled that when he was in the underground world, he had seen a scroll with a circular formation. Moreover, when he met with the Priest's clone, the location was a study. On the study's desk, there were also many half-finished scrolls, but none of those scrolls were usable.
Now that he thought about it, a few months ago, the Scroll Master must have accidentally entered the underground world and was intercepted and captured by members of the Scarlet faction. Even though the Scarlet faction was known for its arrogance and cruelty, after capturing the Scroll Master alive, they only placed him under house arrest. This was clearly because they coveted the formations the Scroll Master mastered.
Noticing Su Xiao entering the workshop, the Scroll Master paused his work, put down his formation pen, studied Su Xiao for a moment, and said with some surprise:
"Saunz told me there was still a Law Destroyer around. I didn't quite believe it, but now I see it with my own eyes."
The Scroll Master's expression was kind, but for some reason, Su Xiao suddenly felt something was off.
"Law Destroyer, whose disciple are you? If not a master-disciple relationship, who guided you to master Law Destruction abilities? Perhaps your mentor is an old friend of mine."
Hearing this, Su Xiao felt even more uneasy. The other party seemed to be trying to build rapport to avoid awkwardness, but Su Xiao had rich experience being tricked by previous Law Destroyers and immediately sensed this question wasn't ordinary.
Mawen Hua'erzi, the Old Law Destroyer, Green Gillian, Ximan Aqide, Tunxing Akas—these previous Law Destroyers came to Su Xiao's mind. Although his guide was Mawen Hua'erzi, given that unscrupulous old man's character, he might have left some surprises. As for Green Gillian being the guide, that was even worse.
"Akas."
"Is it the remnant soul of Tunxing Akas that guided you to master Law Destruction abilities? Hmm, he's a reliable person. Among you Law Destroyers, one of the few reliable ones."
The Scroll Master seemed somewhat emotional, with a hint of disappointment.
"Ah~, if only you were Mawen Hua'erzi's disciple."
"Why?"
"That bastard owes me over 6 million Soul Coins."
As he said this, the Scroll Master's gaze sharpened, showing how much he "missed" his old friend Mawen Hua'erzi.
"Are you familiar with Green Gillian?"
"Not familiar."
"Pity, she still owes me over 2 million Soul Coins."
"..."
Su Xiao made a move to turn and leave, but the Scroll Master suddenly asked, "That's your nightmare incarnation, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Su Xiao paused at the doorway and replied, "Yes."
"I don't know why you released your nightmare incarnation, but that incarnation caused massive destruction in the Scarlet Temple, indirectly helping me escape. I hate owing favors. This scroll is my thanks."
The Scroll Master tossed over a golden scroll. Su Xiao caught it with one hand, and a prompt appeared.
[You have obtained Purification Scroll.]
[Purification Scroll]
Origin: Eternal Light World · Scroll Master.
Quality: World-Class.
Type: Single-use scroll.
Equipment Effect: After use, immediately dispel the Abyss Erosion you are suffering.
Rating: 6000 points (World-class item rating ranges from 10 to 6000 points).
Introduction: A formation scroll drawn using pure natural elements as pigment.
...
The scroll seemed simple but was extremely practical. Su Xiao looked at the Scroll Master, who had already resumed working on scroll drawing with his four withered arms.
Leaving the scroll workshop, Su Xiao stepped onto the teleportation array, attempting to reach the tower near Sanctuary City. He found that while the array had worked over ten hours ago, it was now invalid. It seemed the elemental power there was too abundant, interfering with spatial teleportation.
Activating the teleportation array, when the spatial mist dissipated, Su Xiao had arrived at Black Iron City. He went to the main station, boarded the Wild Beast Train, and headed to Station 4 near Sanctuary City.
Meanwhile, Sanctuary City, Lower District.
The damp, dark streets bred corruption and crime. Coupled with the brutal rule of the Lightless Temple, the lives of residents here were even more sunless.
A figure draped in a black robe walked down this dim street. The object they held was wrapped in black cloth, resembling a sheathed weapon. It was none other than the Dark Maiden.
The Dark Maiden wasn't familiar with Sanctuary City, but her goal was clear. She walked to the innermost dark street of the lower district before stopping in front of a two-story building.
Just as the Dark Maiden raised her hand to knock, the door opened by itself, leaving her hand suspended in midair. After a few seconds, she stepped into the dim hallway ahead, stopping in a hall.
In the darkness, a figure in a dark green robe sat on a wooden chair by the window. The faint light from the window allowed one to vaguely see her facial outline. Even so, one could guess she was a beauty. However, she wasn't accustomed to revealing her stunning face, wearing a very low hood.
"Oh? Not following your Law Destroyer Lord, Bai Ye, and coming to me instead? Let me make this clear: even if I hold the key, I won't obey a single word from that Law Destroyer."
The woman in green spoke, her voice as cold as moonlight. As she spoke, her eyes began to emit a silver-cyan glow like moonlight.
"It's time to open the seal."
The Dark Maiden's voice remained calm and gentle, but this gentle tone instantly angered the woman in green.
"On what grounds? Based on that Law Destroyer who isn't even Supreme yet? Do you really think he can defeat the Scarlet Monarch? Stop dreaming. It's not time yet."
The silver-cyan in the woman in green's eyes intensified, and her aura gradually spread.
"Losna, it's time to open the seal. I can sense that the Scarlet Seed isn't inside you. Where is it?"
As she spoke, the Dark Maiden hooked her index finger to untie the black cloth knot at the sword's hilt, revealing the end of the sharp blade.
"Where it is has nothing to do with you."
Losna stomped her heel on the floor, and a hidden compartment opened, ejecting a wolf sword.
"..."
The Dark Maiden said no more, directly taking out the [Scarlet Awakening Stone]. Seeing this, Losna gripped the wolf sword's hilt. As she rose from her seat, the loose green robe she wore fell off. As the hood came off, her silver hair cascaded down her back.
"You have indeed lost the qualification to continue sealing the Scarlet Seed, but you must know who it's sealed inside."
The black cloth fell from the sharp sword, and the Dark Maiden grasped the hilt as the blade slowly unsheathed.
"I won't let you find her, let alone awaken her Scarlet power. She's my daughter. When she awakens her Scarlet power, she will decide for herself."
Losna, holding the wolf sword, stood with her back to the window. Her silver hair flew wildly. Though there was no moon over Sanctuary City, moonlight streamed in through the window.
...
The Wild Beast Train sped along. Inside, Su Xiao was meditating. Ahead hung the irritable Little Spirit, Diagu. He had summoned the irritable Little Spirit to commission it to track the Nightmare Blood Shadow. Although Su Xiao could hunt through the Old Hunter title, hunting and tracking were different.
Hunting would inevitably expose oneself, being an open pursuit. The irritable Little Spirit's tracking was silent; as long as it wasn't discovered, it could continuously follow the target.
As for why the irritable Little Spirit was hung up, it was because the thing not only muttered curses but also kept chattering endlessly, being too noisy.
The Wild Beast Train stopped at Station 2. When the door opened, Su Xiao dispelled the Spirit Shadow Threads, and the irritable Little Spirit scurried out. After leaving the train, its demeanor gradually became arrogant, especially as the train doors slowly closed.
Su Xiao ignored the irritable Little Spirit. This creature's flaws were as numerous as its merits. Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest, the communicator in his pocket suddenly rang. Almost simultaneously, several team messages popped up.
Checking the communicator's frequency, it was from the Priest. Su Xiao answered, and the Priest on the other end asked:
"Where are you?"
"On the way."
"Come to Sanctuary City as soon as possible."
"Urgent?"
"Sort of..."
Just as the Priest said this, a boom came from the communicator, followed by static.
Su Xiao hung up. He had a preliminary idea of what was happening. Bubu Wang had sent a photo in the adventure group channel, showing the Dark Maiden and a female swordsman in combat. Both seemed unwilling to involve the residents of Sanctuary City, so they were clashing in the upper district.
Su Xiao already knew the reason for their conflict. The female swordsman in the photo was named Losna, who wielded the power of moonlight and wolf sword techniques. However, she couldn't be considered a Moon Wolf inheritor, as she was originally responsible for sealing the Scarlet Seed, which meant she couldn't have wolf blood.
This information was partly found by Bubu Wang and Baha in Sanctuary City, and partly learned from the miscellaneous goods guy, Saunz, who was in the city.
The so-called Scarlet Seed related to the sealing of the Scarlet Monarch. Deep within the Sand Sea, there were actually three layers of seals. The keys to these three seals were held by the Law Destroyers, the Moon Wolves, and the Abyss Watchers.
The first seal was opened using the [Scarlet Eye], which was previously held by the Mechanical Creator. After meeting Su Xiao, he returned this seal key to Su Xiao, the Shadow of Law Destruction.
The second seal's key was held by the Moon Wolves. Unfortunately, the Moon Wolves had perished. However, before the last Moon Wolf died, it entrusted the second seal's key—a mutated form of Scarlet power—to Losna. As thanks, it gave Losna the method to control moonlight and wolf sword techniques.
Why did the Moon Wolf choose Losna? Because Losna was a descendant of an Eternal Light Watcher.
The third seal's key was now held by the Dark Maiden. This was why she went to Sanctuary City to find Losna. As long as she found the second key, the Scarlet Seed, she could smoothly open the Scarlet Monarch's seal and fight to the death.
For some reason, Losna was unwilling to tell the Dark Maiden the location of the Scarlet Seed. Moreover, given Losna's temper, if she didn't want to say it, one more word from the Dark Maiden would inevitably lead to a clash.
Regarding the Scarlet Seed, Su Xiao wasn't in a hurry to obtain it. He would only fight the Scarlet Monarch to the death after dealing with the Nightmare Blood Shadow and the World-Eroding Worm. Plus, he had roughly guessed where the Scarlet Seed was.
From Bubu Wang's messages, it seemed the Dark Maiden was holding back, and Losna was the same. Their goal wasn't to fight to the death. Losna wanted to repel the Dark Maiden, while the Dark Maiden seemed somewhat conflicted. She couldn't kill Losna, nor could she simply turn and leave, or her trip would be wasted. So, she fell into confused contemplation.
The train gradually stopped. As Su Xiao stepped out of the carriage, a boom came from afar. He looked toward the source of the sound—Sanctuary City.
When Su Xiao arrived near Sanctuary City, the booms from the top area of the city had ceased. He entered through the main gate and found that there were few residents left. After the Four Giants of the Lightless Temple were eliminated, the higher-ups from Black Iron City had sent people to evacuate many civilians from here, likely on the Mechanical Creator's orders.
Among all the World-Destroying-level beings Su Xiao had met, the Mechanical Creator was the most benevolent toward intelligent races. As for the Dark Devourer, although it seemed a bit simple-minded, it was also very dangerous to intelligent beings.
Taking the elevator at the city center, Su Xiao first reached the middle district, then the upper district.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang's bark came. Su Xiao looked over and saw Bubu running out of a large hall. However, due to a stone pit on the road, the cheerful Bubu Wang stepped into it, face-planted, and let out a whimper.
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing. He was long accustomed to this. Bubu Wang had stayed true to its original intention, from the first rank to now, always doing the unexpected, like suddenly veering into a tree while running. Initially, when Su Xiao occasionally used Bubu as a mount, he thought Bubu Wang was deliberately hitting trees because it didn't want to be a mount. Later, he realized that wasn't the case; the dog would hit trees even when running on its own.
Thinking about it, Bubu Wang liked to run while enjoying the scenery. Sometimes, attracted by the view, it would completely forget to look ahead while running.
"Where's the Dark Maiden?"
"Woof."
"Hmm, she'll decide on her own. No need to follow. What's the situation with the Priest?"
"Woof, woof woof woof."
"Hmm, let's go now. The Priest should have been waiting long."
"Woof."
Bubu Wang led the way, first entering the Supreme Temple ahead, then going to the innermost meeting hall on the first floor. Inside, Su Xiao saw Amu and Baha waiting.
Su Xiao took the main seat in the meeting hall. Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha all entered the alternate space, temporarily hiding. They would later block the door and seal other exits.
Soon, the meeting hall door opened. The Priest led several red-robed priests and over a dozen blue-robed mages, who filed into the hall. It was evident that these red-robed priests and blue-robed mages either had anger in their eyes or looked evasive, as if pondering something.
Only when the Priest closed the door did one red-robed priest suddenly realize that the person sitting at the head of the meeting table looked familiar. This bald priest recalled after 0.5 seconds that this was their Lightless Temple's arch-enemy, the Shadow of Law Destruction, Bai Ye.
Just as the bald priest was about to say something, his words caught in his throat. He quietly retreated behind the others.
"So, you're the ones who disagree with the Scarlet Monarch ascending to the supreme throne of the Temple?"
Su Xiao spoke. Almost simultaneously, Amu and Baha emerged from the alternate space, one blocking the door, the other sealing all windows with spatial abilities.
Seeing this, the red-robed priests and blue-robed mages all looked at the Priest, the temple's high priest. But the Priest seemed lost in thought, not intending to pay them any attention.
Seeing this, a one-eyed red-robed priest spoke up: "Shadow of Law Destruction, don't think you can..."
Before the red-robed priest could finish, Su Xiao drew the Dead Silence Ember from the surging dead energy.
Bang!
The Ember bullet pierced the red-robed priest's head, blasting it into scattered withered remnants. Then, the corpse, which continued to decay into ash from the neck, fell with a thud.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Four consecutive Ember bullets. Of the twenty red-robed priests and blue-robed mages, over half fell in an instant. The remaining two red-robed priests and six blue-robed mages forcibly suppressed their instinct to fight back, because they saw the formidable enemy before them had already made a move to grip his sword hilt.
"Gentlemen, do you have any differing opinions on my previous proposal?"
The Priest spoke at this moment. Hearing this, the few red-robed priests and blue-robed mages looked at each other, then all shook their heads, indicating they had always supported the Priest. It was the dozen or so who had just died who were causing trouble.
Through Su Xiao's negotiation, the relationship between the Priest and the red-robed priests and blue-robed mages visibly improved, almost to the point of signing a contract.
Seeing this, Su Xiao knew half the battle was won. To make the Scarlet Monarch the new Fourth Giant, it wasn't enough to have the support of the Lightless Temple's higher-ups; other operations were needed. That was where Kaiser came in.
Just as Su Xiao was pondering how to set up the follow-up for higher success, a prompt appeared.
[The War Lord title has completed this extreme smelting.]
[War Lord]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Quality: ★★★★★★★★★
Category: Rare · Title
Title Effect 1: Lord Authority (Passive). When the number of combat units under the Hunter's command reaches 500, 3000, 10000, 50000, 100000, or 300000, the following six enhancement effects can be triggered.