Chapter 45: Nightmare Invasion
Inside the inner hall of the workshop, Su Xiao and Shenfu sat across from each other at a wooden round table. The atmosphere appeared relaxed, but hidden killing intent lurked beneath. The door to the inner hall remained open, deliberately left that way by Shenfu to prevent Su Xiao from using the space as a barrier and turning it into a trap.
The speed at which barriers spread along walls and doors was faster than through the air. Leaving the door open delayed the barrier's closure at the entrance by 0.2 to 0.3 seconds—enough time for Shenfu to exploit.
Su Xiao poured a cup of Maple Tea and slid it across the table. The steaming cup came to rest before Shenfu. In the past, Shenfu would have picked it up and taken a sip, but today, he only nodded symbolically without even touching the cup.
Without looking at Shenfu, Su Xiao calmly poured himself a cup, took a light sip, then eyed Shenfu with suspicion. "Why not try it? Afraid I poisoned it?"
As he spoke, he took another small sip and exhaled a puff of warm air in satisfaction.
"That's not it. Just some stomach trouble lately."
A humanoid Ancient God saying such words was absurd, yet Shenfu remained composed, his brows carrying a hint of kindness.
"Is that so? Then you should drink some hot tea even more. This is Maple Tea made by Amu. He's usually clumsy and not good at delicate tasks. Besides tinkering with his antique clocks, the only thing he enjoys is making Maple Tea. Wasting this tea would be letting down Amu's goodwill, and letting down Amu's goodwill means making an enemy of me."
With that, Su Xiao drained his cup, set it down, and exhaled a breath of warmth. The dim light of the inner hall made his eyes gleam as he stared at Shenfu, a faint red glow flickering in the center of his pupils. The flames crackling in the nearby fireplace gradually stilled.
The smile on Shenfu's face faded, replaced by unprecedented gravity. He could sense that his 'old friend' across from him was truly prepared to settle things once and for all.
"But then again, everyone has their own preferences."
Su Xiao shifted the topic. A Spirit Shadow Thread coiled around the cup in front of Shenfu, and the steaming cup appeared in his hand a moment later. He poured the hot tea into his own cup.
The tension that had nearly solidified the air eased. From start to finish, Shenfu had felt confident of victory, both because he had outmaneuvered Su Xiao in the matter of the Archbishop of the Abyss and because the one who had come here was merely a clone. His true body was hidden in a secret location in the Wet Salt District.
Unless necessary, Shenfu did not want to lose this clone. In each world, he could only create a limited number of clones, and each one lost permanently reduced his maximum clone count.
Thus, Shenfu's clones were so lifelike that even Su Xiao, a Blade Grandmaster at Lv.82, could not distinguish them from the real thing at close range. What was more impressive was that if Shenfu only created two clones, each possessed 90% of his combat power—an absurdly powerful cloning ability.
"Bai Ye, what urgent matter brings me here this time?"
"Let's discuss how to deal with the Nightmare Blood Shadow."
"Hmm, that is indeed a problem. I will do my best to assist you."
"Good."
A smile reappeared on Su Xiao's face. After a moment of mutual staring, Shenfu stood to take his leave and walked toward the door. As his back faced Su Xiao, Shenfu naturally kept his perception locked on him, especially noting that Su Xiao had faintly released blood energy and placed one hand on the end of his sword hilt.
Shenfu opened the door and stepped out, but he suddenly stopped just past the threshold, a flicker of surprise crossing his expression. He raised his right hand, where golden lines faintly appeared.
Shenfu paused at the doorway in silence for a moment before finally turning back and re-entering the inner hall. He sat down at the round table and said seriously, "Regarding how to deal with the Nightmare Blood Shadow, we should have a more thorough plan."
"Hmm, I agree. Care for some hot tea?"
Su Xiao poured another cup of Maple Tea and slid it across. The cup came to rest before Shenfu.
"Sure. My stomach has been acting up, so some hot tea would do me good."
Shenfu picked up the cup, took a sip, and his furrowed brow relaxed slightly.
Why had Shenfu, who had been so confident, suddenly changed his attitude? The reason was that as he stepped out the door, he had inadvertently signed a contract. More precisely, a layer of contract medium stretched thinner than a film had been sealed at the doorway. When Shenfu touched this nearly intangible medium while leaving, he had naturally signed the contract.
When Shenfu had been walking out with his back to Su Xiao, he had been on guard against a sudden attack and also against the contract hidden in Su Xiao's sleeve. In Shenfu's earlier judgment, that contract was Su Xiao's trump card.
Logically, even if a contract could be made into a medium as thin as a film, touching it wouldn't automatically trigger signing. Contracts involved restrictions and penalties and could not be so easily executed. Even with Su Xiao's Contract Grandmaster level, he could not violate the basic principles of contracts.
The reason this worked was that what Su Xiao had set up was fundamentally not a punitive contract but something closer to a blessing or enhancement-type contract technique.
The 'Blessing Enhancement' that Shenfu had just received was: when Su Xiao died, this 'Blessing Enhancement' would activate, using Su Xiao's Soul Strength + Element Affinity as a benchmark to apply an Elemental Blessing of equal intensity to Shenfu.
Don't forget, this was the Eternal Light World. So the benchmark became Su Xiao's Soul Strength + Element Affinity + the natural Element Concentration of this world, resulting in an ultimate-intensity Elemental Blessing for Shenfu.
For a Spellcaster, this would be a massive power boost. But Shenfu's abilities were Ancient God-type, inherently negative in nature, while Elemental power was absolutely positive. This was like embedding a branding iron as hot as the sun's core into sinister, dark shadows—it wouldn't dispel the darkness but would cause constant, mutually repelling explosions.
If Shenfu truly received this 'Elemental Blessing,' the mark would not be a boon but a torment worse than death. Moreover, it was a 'gift' left for Shenfu by Su Xiao after his death, verified by Su Xiao's notarization methods, with no way to remove it. And Shenfu had personally accepted it—he had walked right into the granting medium.
"To be honest, I don't have much confidence in defeating the Scarlet Monarch. But this is the only chance. As an 'old friend,' if I die in the clash with the Scarlet Monarch, I'll naturally leave you a gift. Are you satisfied with this present?"
Su Xiao pulled the contract from his sleeve—the one that could be signed by mere touch. The Contract Parchment unfurled on its own, revealing blank content. This was expected. A punitive contract that could be signed by touch was already absurd enough; it couldn't carry any specific terms. Only such a blank contract could have such a broad signing method.
Seeing this blank punitive contract, Shenfu's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts were anyone's guess. He was likely displeased, having been so focused on guarding against this very thing that he missed the layer of blessing medium at the door.
Regarding this enhancement contract, Su Xiao had drawn inspiration from Bubu Wang's aura ability. Bubu Wang often used his aura to detect hidden assassins. Similarly, high-rank contractors had far lower defense against blessings and enhancements than against contracts.
If defense or resistance against contracts was 300 points, then against blessings or enhancements, it was only 2 to 10 points. This was the nature of living beings—seeking benefits and avoiding harm. People avoided losing money but never guarded against finding it.
The situation was simple: if Su Xiao died in the clash with the Scarlet Monarch, Shenfu would suffer as well. This prevented Shenfu from sitting back and reaping the rewards, naturally changing his attitude.
"As far as I know, Bai Ye, your enemies are the Nightmare Blood Shadow and the Scarlet Monarch?"
Shenfu asked this calmly, but a sense of foreboding crept into his heart.
"And the World Borer."
Hearing this, Shenfu fell silent for a long time.
"I'll find another way to deal with the World Borer. As for tomorrow's fight against the Nightmare Blood Shadow..."
Su Xiao took out a vial of pitch-black, dense liquid with white, glowing particles inside. Staring at it felt like gazing at a dark starry sky. This was a potion he had developed himself, tentatively named [Starlight Potion]. He hadn't dared to drink it before because, while it had no side effects and was powerful, its potency was too intense. Even with his physique, he might not withstand it.
This [Starlight Potion] could permanently enhance Primordial Life Force. In data terms, it would increase all attributes, Health Points, and Mana Points. The problem was its overwhelming potency.
Others might fear its intensity, but Shenfu, an immortal humanoid Ancient God, wouldn't care. To him, this was a rare and precious secret medicine.
Su Xiao presented the [Starlight Potion] as payment for Shenfu's help against the Nightmare Blood Shadow. Although the 'Elemental Blessing' mark served as leverage, it was only that—leverage. Using it to blackmail Shenfu was impossible, and Su Xiao wouldn't do that; it would only increase risks.
Additionally, once this world progress ended, the 'Elemental Blessing' mark would dissipate on its own. Otherwise, Shenfu would not consider how to deal with the Scarlet Monarch but would instead focus on removing the mark. Shenfu could accept being constrained for the remainder of this world and forced to help Su Xiao, but he would never accept permanent subjugation.
Shenfu picked up the [Starlight Potion] and asked, "Where is the location for dealing with the Nightmare Blood Shadow?"
"The Elemental Zone."
The Elemental Zone Su Xiao referred to was east of Sanctuary City, the massive hole created by the Elemental Torrent from his earlier clash with the Archbishop of the Abyss. It was nearly 100,000 meters deep, and the Underground Space had a diameter of over a hundred kilometers.
"Are you planning to destroy that thing?"
Shenfu asked casually, though he was probing.
"Seal it."
Su Xiao took out the Greed Chapter. Hearing this, Shenfu nodded. Destroying the Nightmare Blood Shadow was unlikely, but sealing it was feasible.
"At the critical moment, I can help trap it for three seconds..."
"Five seconds."
"Impossible. You should know how strong your Nightmare Incarnation is."
"At least five seconds."
Hearing this, Shenfu fell silent again. After a moment, he said, "Fine, five seconds."
With this assurance, Su Xiao felt more confident about dealing with the Nightmare Blood Shadow. Working with Shenfu was like this—as troublesome as the old man was as an enemy, he was just as reliable as a 'good teammate.'
Speaking of 'good teammates,' Zuiyasi was also a main force against the Nightmare Blood Shadow. With Su Xiao's sponsorship, this Ancient God system had finally advanced to Absolute Strength using eight [Primordial Fragments], five of which were borrowed from Su Xiao.
As thanks for the borrowed [Primordial Fragments], Zuiyasi would help Su Xiao against the Nightmare Blood Shadow for free. With his undying ability, he would be one of the main combatants.
After finalizing the details, Shenfu left. Su Xiao checked the time, went upstairs, and meditated in an empty room. He found that meditating in the Eternal Light World was difficult at first, but once accustomed, the efficiency significantly improved.
His [Heart Meditation] ability had reached Lv.95. He had gradually raised it, but after Lv.95, progress became extremely slow.
Su Xiao tried using his Hunter authority to further view the details of [Heart Meditation] and find ways to improve it, but failed. However, he did gain something: he discovered that abilities raised through personal effort could display proficiency, though this might be unique to meditation-type abilities.
[Heart Meditation (Passive): 395/32,000,000.]
Seeing this, Su Xiao understood why he felt stuck after reaching Lv.95. To go from Lv.95 to Lv.96 required 32 million proficiency points, while a single meditation session only yielded a dozen or so points, even with numerous bonuses.
Despite this, Su Xiao didn't feel discouraged or consider abandoning meditation. Occasionally, meditation would lead to a state of complete focus. Though rare, entering this state could grant at least half a level's worth of proficiency.
"Boss, they're here."
Baha flew in through the window. Hearing this, Su Xiao ended his meditation, went downstairs, and entered the inner hall. As he walked in, he saw the ruthless man sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, one arm draped over the backrest, and a bespectacled girl sitting stiffly on a wooden chair by the fireplace.
The girl wore black round-frame glasses, a short white ponytail, and a black tracksuit with a high collar. She hunched slightly, the zipped collar nearly covering the lower half of her face. When she saw Su Xiao, she murmured, "Hello."
Then she turned her head slightly, avoiding eye contact—a clear sign of severe social anxiety. This was the ruthless man's partner, Xi'er.
Su Xiao sat on the single sofa opposite the long sofa, picked up the teapot Amu had set down, and poured three cups.
"Don't be nervous."
Hearing this, Xi'er hesitated, stood up, took a cup, then retreated to her seat by the fireplace. She unzipped her collar slightly and took a sip.
"Bai Ye, just say what you need."
"The Nightmare Blood Shadow."
"I suddenly remember I have something urgent..."
"Three kilograms of Black Maple Tree Yield."
"It's not about the reward..."
"I meant three kilograms each for you and Xi'er."
"Tomorrow morning? Where?"
"The Elemental Zone."
"No problem. Xi'er, what about you?"
The ruthless man turned to Xi'er, who had just taken a sip of Maple Tea. She hesitated, then asked uncertainly, "Can I... really?"
"Of course you can. Your chances of surviving this fight are higher than mine. Besides, Bai Ye is our friend. It's worth the risk for a friend."
"Isn't it because you're too poor from upgrading your abilities and still owe me 300,000 Soul Coins, so..."
"Ahem!"
The ruthless man coughed dryly. Xi'er looked away, wanting to tease him more but stopping due to her teammate's demeanor.
"Then it's settled. See you tomorrow morning."
The ruthless man stood to leave but didn't go with his teammate. Su Xiao looked at Xi'er, only to find that she had vanished from the wooden chair by the fireplace.
"Are you looking for me?"
Xi'er's voice suddenly came from beside him, less than half a meter away. Su Xiao's hand instinctively went to the sword hilt at his waist.
"Be careful. It seems something terrible has set its sights on you."
Xi'er's warning was kind—the Scarlet Monarch had targeted Su Xiao. But as she spoke, she was already at the door. This wasn't a Space System ability; her presence intermittently disappeared for a few seconds before reappearing. It wasn't intentional but a persistent passive trait.
Su Xiao released his sword hilt. The ruthless man and Xi'er were a duo, and outsiders thought the ruthless man was the team's main force. In reality, Xi'er was no weaker than the four-technique grandmaster ruthless man; she was just very low-key.
Su Xiao felt that Xi'er was the strongest Assassination System he had ever encountered. She could blend into the world, achieving existence-level invisibility. More accurately, it wasn't true invisibility but cognitive interference with a single target or a few targets. In the enemy's perception, Xi'er didn't exist—that was the ultimate stealth.
Imagine someone who didn't exist in the opponent's mind walking up to them openly, slashing their throat, and having terrifyingly high attack power.
Su Xiao leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest. His confidence in dealing with the Nightmare Blood Shadow had increased. The members were: Shenfu, Zuiyasi, Wude, Kong'oushi, the ruthless man, Xi'er, Solomon, and Kaisa.
...
Erosion Rain Land, an abandoned watchtower, second floor.
Though abandoned, the bottom three floors of the watchtower were relatively intact, at least for habitation. Outside, toxic purple rain poured down. Inside the empty second-floor room, a fluorescent stone floated in midair, casting a few square meters of white light and warmth. You Sha lay curled up on a blanket, sleeping somewhat peacefully.
You Sha's eyelids twitched, then slowly opened. After the initial confusion, she sat up abruptly. A few hours ago, a strange woman had barged into her bedroom and taken her away without explanation. When she tried to resist, everything went black.
After fainting, You Sha seemed to have a long dream. Half-asleep, she heard someone apologizing to her repeatedly. The sobbing voice blurred the words, but You Sha could feel the person's genuine sorrow.
"You're awake."
A voice came from the darkness ahead.
"Who!"
You Sha retreated, but her back hit the wall.
"Don't be afraid. In this world, anyone might harm you, but not me."
The woman in the darkness spoke calmly. You Sha didn't believe her but wisely didn't argue. She changed the subject, "Where are my friends? Some of them are still children. Don't hurt them."
"They're all here."
"What?"
You Sha was puzzled. Then footsteps approached from all around. As they drew near, the faint light above revealed their faces. You Sha breathed a sigh of relief, a smile finally appearing.
"You scared me, staying so quiet. I thought something had happened to you."
"They won't have accidents."
The woman in the darkness spoke again. Before You Sha could understand, the woman and all the surrounding puppets said in unison, "You Sha, it's time to tell you the truth."
Multiple voices overlapped in perfect sync. You Sha immediately looked around at her companions. She realized that these friends she had lived with were all expressionless, like... puppets. Seeing this, You Sha felt both fear and anger.
"You! What did you do to them!"
Her voice trembled. The thought that a pervert had turned all her friends into puppets flashed through her mind.
"Don't look at me so angrily. They were always puppets—puppets I made. Their mission was to accompany you as you grew up. But you, you! Why won't you grow up! Why... haven't you changed at all!"
The woman's eyes glowed silver-blue, her aura becoming unstable. You Sha was frightened. Her thoughts were in chaos, overwhelmed by the flood of information.
Before You Sha could speak, the woman in the darkness—the female swordsman, Losna—appeared before her. With doting eyes, she embraced You Sha, murmuring, "My daughter, why... won't you grow up?"
"Of course she won't grow up."
A male voice came from the darkness as the Grocery Brother, Suoensi, stepped out, followed by the Dark Maiden holding a sharp sword.
"You're lying! My daughter will grow up, she will!"
Losna gently stroked You Sha's hair. You Sha, held in her arms, dared not move.
"My sister Losna, have you forgotten? You coveted the power of the Scarlet Seed, and it corrupted your mind. You not only killed your daughter You Sha but also betrayed the Moon Wolf's trust. The one in your arms now is merely your masterpiece—a puppet you gave life to. Of course, she won't grow up."
After saying this, Suoensi put on a bracer covering his right hand and forearm, clenching his fist.
"You're lying! My You Sha is still here, in my arms. I can feel her. You two are just tricksters trying to awaken the Scarlet Seed in her. You won't succeed! What corruption by the Scarlet? A lie! My power comes from the moonlight!"
Losna grabbed the hilt of her Wolf Sword. Her eyes glowed scarlet. With a sizzle, the sword's Moonlight Power burned her hand, and the Wolf Sword clattered to the ground.
Losna's silver hair flew as the Wolf Sword was forcibly drawn back into her hand. She gripped the hilt, and the ancient blade cracked, then shattered. But the fragments didn't scatter; they were held together by a scarlet, resilient substance, forming a sword whip.
"See? Blood-colored moonlight. My power still comes from the moonlight!"
Losna swung the chain sword, shattering all the nearby puppets into debris.
Clang~
The Dark Maiden walked forward, drawing her sharp sword, ready to fight Losna again. This time, she would show no mercy.
...
The next morning.
Drip, drip~
Morning dew dripped from grass blades. Daylight filtered through the moist Elemental Mist above, glowing like the early sun.
Su Xiao surveyed the surroundings. He hadn't expected the Elemental Zone to look like this. It was almost like a normal world, though lacking the life-nourishing feel that came from the mutual cancellation of Abyss and Elements—the so-called vitality.
Shenfu, Zuiyasi, Wude, Kong'oushi, the ruthless man, Xi'er, and Solomon had all arrived. Zuiyasi and the ruthless man stood near Su Xiao, being high-survivability melee fighters. Shenfu, Wude, and Kong'oushi were farther back, specializing in mid-range combat. Xi'er and Solomon were even farther, and farthest of all was Kaisa, crouching behind a rock two kilometers away.
"..."
Su Xiao looked at Kaisa in the distance. He was the one responsible for luring the Nightmare Blood Shadow here, but he was hiding way too far.
Kaisa shouted from afar, "My dear friend, shall we start now?"
"..."
Su Xiao didn't reply. After a while, Kaisa, with a somewhat lecherous smile, hesitantly approached.
"Let's begin."
Su Xiao steadied his breath, ready for battle.
"My dear friend, my method can indeed lure the Nightmare Blood Shadow here, but there's a problem. Its appearance point might be very close to you."
Kaisa was uncharacteristically hesitant, not patting his chest to guarantee success. This showed that even Kaisa wasn't very skilled with Nightmare-related matters. But he was the only one present with such means, so they had to try.
"No problem."
As a Blade Grandmaster, Su Xiao wasn't afraid of being approached. He would need to fight the Nightmare Blood Shadow up close anyway.
"Then I'll begin."
Kaisa put the Abyssal Jar on his head and took out a dark purple piece of flesh. As soon as it touched the air, it began to vaporize. This was a rare Nightmare-type treasure, so Kaisa's claim that it would definitely lure the Nightmare Blood Shadow seemed credible.
Su Xiao heightened his alertness, fully opening his perception. The others did the same. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Su Xiao's right arm. He raised his sword hand and saw dark red blood smoke, representing the Nightmare Blood Shadow, wafting from his arm.
Kaisa had said the Nightmare Blood Shadow would be lured here, but its appearance point would be close to Su Xiao. It turned out not just close—it overlapped with his location.
A ringing sound filled Su Xiao's ears. When his vision cleared, he found himself in a vast consciousness space—a calm water surface. The Nightmare Blood Shadow stood a hundred meters away.
The battle in the consciousness space hadn't begun, but the material world was already lively. On the grassland of the Elemental Zone, Su Xiao stood still, blood smoke rising from his body. Shenfu, Zuiyasi, the ruthless man, and the others had retreated a hundred meters.
"Bai Ye... he hasn't entered an unconscious killing state, has he?"
Xi'er had barely spoken when Su Xiao, head lowered, looked up, revealing blood-red eyes. Normally, Su Xiao would never enter such a state. A Blade Grandmaster could resist such Nightmare invasions. But this time, the invader wasn't someone else—it was his own Nightmare Incarnation. While his consciousness fought the Nightmare Blood Shadow, his body entered an unconscious killing state. It wasn't control but a defensive state of unconsciousness.
"Bai Ye... he won't attack us, right?"
Xi'er had just spoken when Su Xiao drew the Dead Silence Annihilation from Dead Silence energy, clearly targeting Shenfu and the others.
Seeing this, Xi'er's pupils contracted. She was about to speak.
"Don't say anything."
Kong'oushi immediately interrupted Xi'er's 'word becomes law.'
"What now? Both Bai Ye and the Nightmare Blood Shadow are hard to deal with, let alone Bai Ye plus the Nightmare Blood Shadow."
The ruthless man's cheek twitched as he spoke.
"Of course... run."
Zuiyasi turned and fled. Seeing this, the others also turned and ran.
Boom!
A torrent of blood energy surged from behind them, accompanied by sharp, blood-red slashes.