Chapter 37: Opponent and Qualification
In the mission world, unexpected things always happen. For instance, right now, the strongest defiled one, the Dark Prophet, who was thought to require a life-or-death battle, was kneeling devoutly on the ground, offering the "Dark Blood: Wisdom" he had held for over a thousand years.
Su Xiao took out the "Astral Disc." As the "Astral Disc" activated, the third portion of Dark Blood was absorbed, causing the dark-golden "Astral Disc" to turn pitch black, with star-like pattern nodes emerging on its surface.
[You have obtained Dark Blood: Wisdom.]
[Main Mission: Fourth Ring: Prophet (Completed).]
[You have obtained Commission Credential (1/5).]
[Tip: Main Mission Fifth Ring cannot be activated yet. It is estimated to activate in 36 to 48 hours.]
...
Just as Su Xiao closed the mission prompt, the Dark Prophet in front gradually lost his life force. It wasn't death, but a transformation into a withered tree, slowly retracting and sinking into the ground, eventually disappearing, leaving only black ashes on the carpet, vaguely forming a mark about two meters in diameter.
Crack, crack, crack~
A crystal layer climbed up Su Xiao's right hand. He used his index finger to dab some of the black ashes on the carpet. Wisps of Abyss energy drifted from it. Based on his experience, he quickly determined this was mutated Abyss energy, not that the Dark Prophet craved power and absorbed the Abyss force.
This mutated Abyss energy was very dangerous; it was second-generation Abyss energy. The so-called second-generation Abyss energy refers to when someone craving power absorbs Abyss force to become stronger, and then, when they lose control, the Abyss energy within them, adapted to their soul, will, and body energy, erupts. This is called second-generation Abyss energy, or more professionally, "Aberrant Abyss Energy."
"Aberrant Abyss Energy" has polluting and breeding properties. For example, the Elf Capital Pandalan in the Treeborn World, and the Dark Zone in the Wind Sea Continent, are all areas polluted by "Aberrant Abyss Energy."
The reason the Dark Prophet had the aura of "Aberrant Abyss Energy" was most likely because he had sealed a large amount of it within himself, preventing it from erupting and forming a large Abyss erosion zone.
Why, then, did the Dark Prophet, who had lived for over a thousand years, possessed peak Absolute Strength, and had the ability to perceive fortune and fate, kneel respectfully before Su Xiao upon seeing him?
Firstly, the Dark Prophet had lived for too long. His various desires had long become numb. He regarded wealth, power, etc., as nothing. What he hoped for was to prevent or reduce the suffering of kind-hearted beings.
Therefore, the Dark Prophet sealed the "Aberrant Abyss Energy" within himself, which would otherwise spread and kill billions of beings, using himself as a container, continuing to seek out other "Aberrant Abyss Energy" that might spread.
Because of this, upon hearing that someone had sealed five "Original Sin Objects" while also sealing the "Dead Silence Origin," the Dark Prophet was surprised. However, after learning that this person was a Law Destroyer of the Law Destruction Faction, the Dark Prophet was no longer so surprised.
He had personally witnessed a female Law Destroyer sitting cross-legged on the head of an Abyss giant beast in front of a massive Abyss passage spewing Abyss energy, with the headless giant beast corpse nearby occasionally twitching, black blood gushing from its severed neck, and the blue light shining from the female Law Destroyer's eyes, powerful and charming.
However, it was later revealed that this female Law Destroyer had harassed the then-current Moon Witch with ill intentions. Enraged, the wizards had to politely ask her to leave the Wizard Realm. Indeed, the one capable of molesting the previous generation's Moon Witch was, of course, our famous Green Gillian. Moreover, she recorded this incident in her diary.
At this moment, in the meeting room on the second floor of the branch, the group of recovered witches looked at each other, saying nothing. Seeing this, Serin cleared her throat and told them to go about their business. After the witches dispersed, Serin lowered her voice and said:
"Mr. White Night, the situation in Sky City is very bad. Recently, more than a dozen diviners from my family have been unable to see the future trajectory here, only a blur of chaos."
Hearing this, Su Xiao was not surprised. He could confirm that the upcoming upheaval in Sky City might be the most difficult hurdle in this world progress. All the previous main mission content was now converging on Sky City.
Don't forget, Shenfu, Platinum Apostle, and the Archbishop of the Abyss were all in Sky City, clashing with the Sky City Lord.
The situation was indeed turbulent, but Su Xiao had nothing to do for the next two days. The fifth ring of the main mission was either to fight the Ancient King or the Dark Firstborn. Of the five portions of Dark Blood, only two remained to be taken.
Su Xiao decided to wait and see how the Sky City Lord versus the three super old yinbis played out. If the Sky City Lord held his ground, Su Xiao would take the opportunity to deal with the Ancient King or the Dark Firstborn. If the Sky City Lord couldn't hold, he would have to help him deal with Shenfu and the other two.
After weighing the options, Su Xiao decided to leave Serin in Sky City to observe the situation. Even if an emergency arose that Serin couldn't handle, Silver Madam was still there. She was the right-hand of Moon Witch Sesshiris. As for her loss of composure when dealing with the Killer Trio, it could only be said that the iron-headed simpleton was a natural counter to Silver Madam.
Su Xiao sat on a wooden chair by the window. The afternoon air in Sky City's Top City was slightly cool, with a peculiar smell of mud mixed with plant sap in the air. This was the scent of the approaching Abyss, like a sign before a storm.
Su Xiao opened the "Hunt List: Blood Pact." There were a total of five bounties. Except for "Witch Heart Seeker" and "Aggregate," all were completed.
[Witch Heart Seeker: Kill three mad witches after their evil transformation, extract and seal the heart that is the source of their evil transformation, and submit it as proof of the bounty. The mad witches must be at least at the Absolute Strength level.]
[Aggregate: Find the evil-transformed aggregate and submit it to Reincarnation Paradise (requires paying a bounty deposit of 10 ounces of Space-Time Power to activate this bounty. Due to its extremely high difficulty, upon completion, you will receive 100 to 3000 times the additional bounty reward, depending on the amount of evil-transformed aggregate obtained).]
...
"Aggregate" was not considered for now; it should be the same target as the talent awakening mission. As for "Witch Heart Seeker," this mission was quite difficult. There were many witches of the "Madness Sequence" in Sky City's Top City, but the problem was ensuring the mad witches were at least at the Absolute Strength level.
Su Xiao had invested 500 ounces of Space-Time Power in this bounty. If he failed, the loss would be significant. Additionally, he had recently discovered that while the "Hunt List: Blood Pact" offered extremely high rewards, it also carried corresponding risks. For example, failing to complete it would affect the comprehensive evaluation at the end of the world.
The "Hunt List: Blood Pact" had two types of bounties: "Blood Pact Bounty" and "Additional Bounty." The so-called "Blood Pact Bounty" meant Su Xiao invested 100 ounces of Space-Time Power, and upon successful completion, he would receive a total of 500 ounces. This type of bounty appeared 3 to 4 times per world progress.
As for "Additional Bounty," this type appeared only once per world progress. The advantage was that it required very little Space-Time Power investment but had extremely high multipliers, such as "Quelling Chaos" in the Wind Sea Continent or "Nightfall" in the Eternal Light World.
The difficulty of "Additional Bounty" was extremely exaggerated. The advantage was that this type of bounty did not affect the comprehensive evaluation at the end of the world. Even if it wasn't completed, one could still get the highest S+ rating, like in the Wind Sea Continent.
However, if a basic "Blood Pact Bounty" was not completed, it was impossible to obtain an S+ comprehensive evaluation. There was a rumor that if one obtained ten S+ comprehensive evaluations in Primordial Worlds, excluding derivative worlds, there would be a huge reward. The specifics were unclear, but it was said to be very unique and generous.
Even without counting the comprehensive evaluations from derivative worlds, Su Xiao had obtained S+ comprehensive evaluations many times. The total included: Shia Continent, Dark Crow World, Ghost World, Wizard Continent, Source World, Insect Race Battlefield, Gloomy Continent (Dead Silence City), Wind Sea Continent, and Eternal Light World, a total of nine S+ comprehensive evaluations.
There was also one S+ comprehensive evaluation from invading a world belonging to Apocalypse Paradise. However, that time was special. The world settlement was not based on his identity as a Reincarnation Paradise Hunter, but on a disguised identity.
This meant that if Su Xiao obtained another S+ in this world's settlement, he would receive this rumored reward.
With this in mind, he had to complete the "Witch Heart Seeker" bounty in this "Hunt List: Blood Pact." Only then could he possibly get an S+ comprehensive evaluation this time.
Su Xiao planned to complete this bounty within two days. The bounty content seemed simple and crude, but the difficulty was not low. Even though this was the Witch Realm, there weren't as many Absolute Strength powerhouses as one might think. The only good news was that over 80% of the Absolute Strength here were wizards or witches, and the probability of evil transformation for both was not low.
The wizard system had the lowest threshold for advancing to Absolute Strength, bar none. Many wizards didn't even need "Primordial Fragments" to advance to Absolute Strength. The reason was that wizards used natural elements to cast spells. The stronger the wizard, the stronger the spells they could cast. Conversely, the more Abyss energy remained in their bodies, which led to a continuously increasing risk of "evil transformation."
Risk always matched reward. Using a "Primordial Fragment" when advancing to Absolute Strength was more like using a medium, or nourishment, to further improve the quality of the origin. 99% of those advancing to Absolute Strength would choose to use a "Primordial Fragment" because it was stable and efficient.
Wizards took a different path, choosing to use the "Aberrant Abyss Energy" accumulated in their bodies over the years as this nourishment.
How wizards did this, Su Xiao didn't know, but the benefits were many. It not only saved them from having to gather "Primordial Fragments" but also massively consumed the "Aberrant Abyss Energy" accumulated in their bodies, thereby reducing the risk of "evil transformation." This made wizards see advancing to Absolute Strength as a kind of rebirth.
This advancement secret method was only mastered by the Witch Guild, and they made it into a one-time consumable called the "Ascension Imprint," minimizing the risk of the secret method leaking. This was also the reason for the Witch Guild's power.
Not every Absolute Strength witch had a high risk of evil transformation and fell into the "Madness Sequence." Looking at the entire Witch Realm, there were no more than ten Absolute Strength mad witches. Hunting three of them was unimaginably difficult.
Su Xiao was, of course, prepared for this bounty. Shortly after Serin joined the team, he had her use her family's connections to investigate the mad witches. They had now found traces of three mad witches, as follows:
Mad Witch: Lena.
Nightmare Witch: Beshali.
Death Soul Witch: Hitaya.
...
Of the three mad witches, two were in the "Ancient King City," and one was in the "Eternal Winter City: Longlu." The Ancient King City, controlled by the great noble Shio, was indeed a den of iniquity. No wonder this guy had faked his death during the previous explosion. He was afraid that the newly returned Guild Leader Po. Ye'en would disregard the rules of the game and visit him in the middle of the night to beat him to death in his bed.
Guild Leader Po. Ye'en was indeed capable of such a thing. This Supreme Being's moral integrity was so low that it far exceeded flipping the table; it was more like taking off his shoe and beating the opponent to death with it while sitting across the table.
Thinking about it, as the leader of the Starry Sky Research Society, who had gone missing while indulging in pleasures, nothing he did was particularly surprising. As the saying goes, he could chase a Supreme-level Abyss Spawn for thousands of kilometers above, and below, he could stroll into Pleasure Street wearing a beach shirt, shorts, and sandals.
Sky City originally had strict spatial seals. Now, with various forces lurking in the shadows, Su Xiao planned to ignore these spatial seals and use the "Law-Destroying Teleportation Array" to go to the Ancient King City.
Crack, crack, crack~
A translucent blue crystal array spread under his feet. It turned out that using his own body energy + soul energy to construct the "Law-Destroying Teleportation Array" was more stable, consuming 10,000 Mana Points + 10% soul energy each time.
Looking at the "Law-Destroying Teleportation Array," whose light was slightly different from before, even Amu gulped. After stepping onto the teleportation array, its usually dull gaze became a bit clearer. Seeing this, Baha transformed into a running chicken, running onto the teleportation array like a seagull that had successfully stolen food.
"Woo-woo."
Bubu Wang spoke, meaning that its sense of smell was not sensitive due to a recent cold, so it wouldn't go to the Ancient King City to cause trouble.
Zzzt~
The sound of Spirit Shadow Threads tightening was heard. Bubu Wang was already squatting on the teleportation array, but its hind legs were already trembling at high speed. Seeing this, Alanna realized the seriousness of the situation. She hesitated, then braced herself and said:
"Lord White Night, I have always believed that the world is beautiful, so..."
Alanna's implication was that she was still young, that she had been immersed in mysticism and had never even been in love, so she didn't want to say goodbye to this beautiful world.
"Don't worry, this teleportation took me a week... a year to develop. It's stable and fast."
"Re... really?"
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak, looking at Alanna with a 'kind' gaze. Alanna forced a smile like a blooming flower and stepped onto the teleportation array.
Boom~!
A dull sound with a hint of echo spread, and spatial crystal fragments flew in all directions.
At the same time, a loud noise suddenly came from the Spatial Interception Tower in the Top City. This cylindrical building, hundreds of meters high, seemed to have swallowed a sphere from the top, with a ring-like protrusion flowing from top to bottom.
Inside the central node room of this Spatial Interception Tower, an old man with white hair and a youthful complexion suddenly widened his eyes. The bloodshot eyes with a hint of terror showed how turbulent his mood was.
Thinking about it, the spatial confrontations he had encountered in the past were all about enemies attacking from the front, and he would respond accordingly. This time was different. It was like a full-metal beast train being fired from a space railgun. Just facing it, the spatial old man felt his legs trembling.
An hour later, inside the luxurious mansion gifted to Su Xiao by the great noble Shio a few days ago in the Ancient King City.
"Ugh~!"
Alanna was hugging the washbasin, roaring like a dragon, disregarding any appearance or ladylike demeanor. She first needed to appease her wailing stomach.
The only thing that comforted Alanna was that she wasn't the only one roaring like a dragon in the bathroom. Bubu Wang and Baha were also there. Even Amu was sitting on the toilet lid, hands clasped, staring blankly ahead, negotiating with its stomach that could digest anything.
In the living room, Su Xiao leaned back on a single sofa. After resting for a few minutes, he caught his breath. The improved "Law-Destroying Teleportation Array" had both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage was that even if the passenger was at the third or fourth rank, they wouldn't die. If the previous version of the "Law-Destroying Teleportation Array" was like using a space railgun to blast the passenger out, now it was like the passenger was inside a steel train, and then this steel train was blasted out by the space railgun.
The current core problem was that after this steel train was blasted out, it would spin at high speed like an electric drill, resulting in a terrible riding experience. The feeling of being in a high-speed washing machine was back.
If this could be solved, the riding threshold for the "Law-Destroying Teleportation Array" would be greatly reduced. Even if the riding experience was extremely terrible, at least one wouldn't die.
Obviously, Su Xiao still hadn't realized his misjudgment. As a teleportation technique, having a bottom line of "not dying during the ride" was truly a complex situation.
Or rather, this was the 'charm' of the Law Destruction system. As long as the ability was useful and the bottom line was "won't die," then it was a good ability, worthy of being recorded on the "Awakening Stele" used for inheritance, to be passed down... ahem, to be inherited by the next generation of Law Destruction Shadows.
Coming to the Ancient King City this time to hunt mad witches, of course, he had to inform the great noble Shio first. It wasn't out of fear of Shio, but out of respect. Face was always given mutually. Moreover, after informing the great noble Shio, the local snake-like nobles wouldn't dare to cause trouble; instead, they would provide a certain degree of help, saving a lot of trouble.
At 6 PM that evening, in the backyard of the great noble Shio's new manor, meat sizzled on the metal grill. Golden grease gathered and dripped, landing on the fire with a sizzle, emitting a burnt aroma. Not far away, Shio's dozen or so wives and dozens of children were playing in the pool or sitting on a semi-circular sofa drinking and chatting.
"Ah~, this is life."
The astonishingly obese Shio, almost embedded in the single sofa, sighed, raised his glass, and intended to clink glasses with Su Xiao to drink fine wine. Su Xiao just took a small sip, put down the glass, and continued eating the grilled meat. He didn't know what secret recipe Shio's chef used, but the grilled meat tasted very good.
"You never come to me for anything good. This time it's..."
As Shio spoke, he picked up a large piece of meat, slightly tilted his head back, opened his mouth wide, put it in, squinted his eyes, chewed, and savored it. This was specially prepared by the chef, grilled to only two-tenths doneness. Blood dripped from one corner of Shio's mouth, and combined with his somewhat darkened eye sockets, an aura of the underground emperor of the Ancient King City emerged.
"Witch Lena."
Su Xiao only said a name.
"Huh? Brother Bai Ye, why are you looking for her? Haha, she's my friend."
Shio grinned, his index finger, adorned with a rare large gemstone ring, lightly tapping his wine glass.
"This evil-transformed mad witch is your friend?"
"What?! She has entered the evil transformation sequence? I can't believe such a thing happened."
Shio was very shocked. In fact, Mad Witch Lena had been a notorious evil-transformed witch for many years, having transformed over a hundred years ago.
Shio tilted his head, pondered for a few seconds, then sighed and said, "She is an old friend of many years. I have always valued loyalty and friendship..."
Tap~
A bottle of the highest quality "Wizard Potion" was placed on the table, causing Shio to change his tune and continue, "However, evil transformation is extremely painful. Helping a friend find release is also something I should do. I heard Lena recently went to the White Wheat Winery in the southern part of District 6. Yes, that's the name."
The great noble Shio had no pressure betraying others. Therefore, Su Xiao did not choose to engage in deep cooperation with this guy. He never believed that knowing a chaotic evil faction leader for a dozen days would be enough to make him not betray him. This wasn't something that could be achieved with intelligence or charisma; it would require lowering the great noble Shio's IQ to make it possible.
Having obtained this clue, Su Xiao didn't stay long at Shio's new manor. Bubu Wang drove them to the White Wheat Winery in the southern part of the city. As for why Bubu Wang was always driving, after Su Xiao crashed into walls and trees several times while driving at high speed chasing enemies during his second rank, he wasn't very keen on driving anymore.
Interestingly, Bubu Wang would happily run and crash into trees while walking, Su Xiao would crash into trees while driving, and Amu was even more impressive; it sometimes tried to disguise itself as a tree.
When the vehicle stopped on the driveway inside the winery, it was already 9 PM. The winery was the property of a wizard family. The Moonless Assassination Night ten years ago had nearly wiped out this wizard family, leaving only the sole son, Elano. Because he was young at the time and didn't go to Moon Ring City for the Wizard Council, he survived this calamity.
Unfortunately, this was the Ancient King City, not Moon Ring City or Falling Star City, which would protect orphans. With all his relatives dead, Elano, who depended on his old butler, had his property and inherited secret methods taken away by distant relatives one after another. Today, at only eighteen years old, Elano had only this brewing estate left. Fortunately, the estate was large enough to maintain a comfortable life.
However, misfortune struck unexpectedly. Elano, who perfectly inherited his parents' good looks and was a handsome young man, was targeted by Mad Witch Lena. It was said he had been taken once before. The old butler paid a heavy price to get him back, but Mad Witch Lena said she would come for Elano again in a few days. Moreover, the dark attribute imprint was deeply embedded in his soul, leaving Elano with nowhere to escape.
Inside the old but spotless castle living room, Su Xiao listened to the old butler's heart-wrenching account. He then looked at the owner of the winery, Elano. It was evident that the young man had lost a lot of weight recently, his cheekbones were prominent, and he had dark circles under his eyes, looking listless as if his vitality had been drained.
Seeing this, Baha comforted, "Considering the average looks of witches, being taken by a witch is a silver lining in misfortune, young man. Look on the bright side, what's done is done..."
Before Baha could finish, Alanna took out a photo of Mad Witch Lena and placed it on the crystal coffee table. Seeing the humanoid creature in the photo, Baha exclaimed "Holy shit," and then looked at Elano with a hint of pity.
The mad witch in the photo was nothing like the seductive witches one might imagine. Her burly physique could rival Amu's in an arm wrestling match. As for her appearance, it was no longer a matter of beauty or ugliness. To use Baha's description, this mad witch had the potential to be an Ancient God.
No wonder Elano looked so disillusioned after being taken. This handsome young man was far from innocent or kind. Before coming of age, he was an annual VIP at high-end clubs, often acting as a playboy, and had no qualms about taking advantage of others.
"Sorry, our abilities are limited. We can't help you solve this problem."
Baha, perched on Su Xiao's shoulder, spoke. After saying this, Su Xiao and the others got up and walked out. Seeing this, the old butler sighed, and the young Elano suddenly raised his head, glaring hatefully at Su Xiao's retreating back. Tortured to the point of mental distortion, he had become extreme, beginning to hate those who couldn't help him.
The vehicle drove out of the winery. Ten minutes later, it stopped on a dam. Bubu Wang jumped onto the roof, took out various pieces of equipment, temporarily converted the roof into a signal base, and began tracking Elano's location, finding that he was still in the winery.
Just as they had arrived near the winery, Alanna suddenly spoke up, saying she felt an uncomfortable aura, the aura of "evil transformation." This meant that Mad Witch Lena had likely been to the winery within the last dozen or so hours, but hadn't stayed long.
Su Xiao estimated that Mad Witch Lena would take the handsome young Elano again soon. The purpose was, of course, not just to satisfy her desires. The wizard family Elano once belonged to was ranked in the top twenty in the Witch Realm, otherwise, they wouldn't have had the qualification for the entire family to participate in that council.
Mad Witch Lena's real goal was to try to obtain the former secret methods of Elano's wizard family from him. Even if she couldn't get them, taking the handsome young Elano to torment for a while was not a loss. Mad Witch Lena's ability characteristics were darkness, dampness, and filthy boiling, which gave her strong and twisted desires.
Su Xiao didn't plan to act within the Ancient King City. The great noble Shio had provided detailed intelligence, and on top of that, leveling one or two districts of his territory was simply unreasonable. Therefore, he had Bubu Wang quietly install a tracker on the handsome young Elano, planning to track his location later.
This was like fishing; patience was required. Su Xiao closed his eyes and dozed off in the passenger seat. He had just started to feel sleepy when he heard the beeping alarm from the tracker, indicating that Elano was moving at high speed.
Su Xiao opened his eyes. Based on his earlier perception, Elano's combat power was at most first or second rank. He couldn't possibly reach a speed that would trigger the tracker's alarm. This meant that as soon as they left, Mad Witch Lena had taken Elano. She had obviously set up surveillance near the winery and, upon discovering that suspected witch hunters had come to the winery, acted decisively to avoid any complications.
Bubu Wang frantically packed up the various instruments, then jumped into the driver's seat. The steam car, fueled by liquid crystal resin, let out a mechanical roar. After a stylish drift, it headed straight in the direction of Mad Witch Lena.
In the car, Su Xiao looked at the continuously flashing red dot on the terminal. The situation was progressing well. Mad Witch Lena was fleeing towards the outskirts of the city.
At the same time, in a luxurious bedroom, the great noble Shio, leaning back on a huge bed, was reading the evening newspaper. His trusted aide knocked and entered, whispering something to him. This brought a smile to Shio's fat face. He nodded and said:
"Brother Bai Ye is still giving us face by not acting in the city. Tell Third and Fourth to stand down."
"Master, should we inform the Witch Guild about this? After all, we are dealing with an evil-transformed witch. No matter what, Lena is a former member of the Witch Guild."
The trusted aide spoke in a deep voice, as was his duty, to ensure the great noble Shio's decisions were more comprehensive.
"No need. I suspect that Law Destroyer has something going on with the Moon Witch. They are on the same boat for now, probably. We are the outsiders. By the way, is the space vessel you prepared ready?"
Shio finished speaking, folded the evening newspaper, and tossed it onto the bedside table, a hint of worry in his eyes.
"It's ready. We depart tomorrow night. The destination is Saint Geya in the Void, a very remote area."
"Good, well done. You may leave."
"Yes."
The trusted aide slightly bowed and left. The bedroom was left with only the great noble Shio. He looked at the boarding pass in his hand, squinting his eyes. The Law Destroyer, Ancient God, Deceiver, Archbishop of the Abyss, and Platinum Fate had all arrived in the Witch Realm. This made him feel that something terrible was about to happen in the Witch Realm in the coming days, so he decided to flee immediately.
"So, you've decided to flee tonight?"
A voice came. Shio glared at the source with a fierce look, then saw Guild Leader Po. Ye'en sitting cross-legged on a chair. This made Shio's gaze immediately clear, and he inwardly gasped.
Guild Leader Po. Ye'en looked at Shio and asked, "I heard the Ancient King Crown is with you?"
"Rumor, pure rumor. This is one of the three treasures of the Witch Realm. How could it be in the hands of a scumbag like me?"
After explaining this, Shio let out a few awkward laughs.
"Leave a few last words. I'll give you a dignified end."
The guild leader had a slight smile on his face, still as casual and lazy as usual.
"Guild Leader, what are you saying? Please follow me. Let's go to the vault below to get the crown. I've actually wanted to offer this item to the Starry Sky Research Society for a long time..."
"Stop, stop, stop."
The guild leader interrupted Shio's nonsense and signaled for him to lead the way. The two walked down a corridor lined with windows. The guild leader looked out at the full moon, on which three black spots had faintly appeared.
...
On the southern side of the Ancient King City, at the edge of the Great Swamp Wetland, there was a large area of abandoned buildings. This was once a large city of an ancient dynasty, later destroyed by the Ancient King. In fact, many years ago, the entire continent could be divided into north and south, with the "Higgore River" as the boundary. The vast Southern Continent was ruled by the Ancient King, while the relatively cold Northern Continent was controlled by the wizards of Sky City.
At this moment, inside the bell tower of these ruins, the handsome young Elano was hanging upside down. Mad Witch Lena, wearing a brown beast-skin coat with hair as thick as yarn, picked up a burning log from the fire, brought the flame close to Elano, and then suddenly pressed it against him.
The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. After Elano struggled and screamed in agony, Mad Witch Lena asked, "Where is Hitaya?"
"Wh... what?"
Elano, sweating all over from the pain, his skin reflecting grease in the firelight, looked confused. He had never heard that name.
Mad Witch Lena frowned for a few seconds, then, to Elano's shock, she twisted open her own skull like a bottle cap, took out her gray brain, picked up a nearby ladle, scooped up clean water, and washed her brain, which was covered in filthy mucus. Finally, she put it back in place and screwed her skull back on.
"This makes my thoughts much clearer."
Mad Witch Lena grinned, revealing a mouthful of beast-like rotten teeth. Elano, witnessing all this, was stunned.
"Where is your family's secret method? Tell me nicely..."
Before Mad Witch Lena could finish, she grabbed the hanging Elano, pulled him down, and held him by the back of his neck in front of her like a shield. Elano, with his broken legs, let out a scream.
Boom!
Mad Witch Lena, over three meters tall, kicked the bell tower door open with one foot. As she strode out, the headlights of an oncoming car made the flesh on her face tremble. She sized up the one person and one dog in front of her, feeling that the man seemed familiar. However, her gradually eroding sanity made her instinctively think he was a witch hunter.
Mad Witch Lena was very experienced in dealing with witch hunters. The Elano she held in her hand was a member of a wizard family. Even if the family was completely ruined, it hadn't been destroyed yet. If the witch hunter in front of her killed the last remaining member of this family, he would surely be held accountable by his superiors.
"Step back, or I'll crush this..."
Zing~!
Before Mad Witch Lena could finish, a slash cut diagonally across. Half of Elano's head slowly slid off and fell to the ground. A few drops of warm blood splattered onto Mad Witch Lena's face, causing her cheek to twitch violently. She knew that this time, she was in big trouble. The person who came to kill her was definitely from the evil faction. The aura of a villainous boss that hit her after his attack was too strong. The methods she had used to deal with the Witch Guild and the Starry Sky Research Society in the past were useless this time.
Mad Witch Lena gritted her teeth, making a cracking sound. She stared at the man in front of her holding a long blade, his aura astonishing. But then she thought, they were both at Absolute Strength. Who was afraid of whom?!
Two minutes later.
Boom~!
Mad Witch Lena flew backward, breaking through layers of sonic booms, crashing through hundreds of walls, and finally slamming heavily into a nearly meter-thick stone wall of the ruins. Covered in slash marks, she splattered a large amount of blood on the wall. As she slid down close to the wall, she covered her mouth with one hand but couldn't help it. She spat out a large mouthful of blood mixed with organ fragments. Her mindset during this battle changed as follows:
Two minutes ago: Both at Absolute Strength. Who's afraid of whom!
Two minutes later: Is this really Absolute Strength? Why is it so ridiculous!
Mad Witch Lena was, of course, no match for Su Xiao. She had advanced to Absolute Strength with great difficulty and was now at the early Absolute Strength stage. Su Xiao's Absolute Strength combat power was at the top tier of Absolute Strength. He felt that his accumulation was not enough, so he had no intention of advancing to Supreme Being for now.
Mad Witch Lena's breathing was exceptionally heavy. The man with the long blade walked towards her step by step, occasionally stepping on a pebble, making a cracking sound.
Mad Witch Lena raised an arm to block the approaching enemy and said, "Wai... wait. I have a fortune deposited..."
Zing~
The long blade mercilessly slashed through, and an arm was severed with a sound.
Why was Su Xiao not tempted by wealth this time? Because killing Mad Witch Lena was the greatest gain for him, and besides, she was lying.
Regarding whether a negotiator was willing to pay to save their life, Su Xiao had rich experience in judging. He could tell the truth from their eyes, tone, speed of speech, and subtle facial expressions. Nothing else, just practice.
"You are not a witch hunter. Those wastes couldn't have such a terrifying aura. I know, you are that Law Destroyer, the one who came recently. Wait, let me catch my breath. I know where the other mad sequence witches are. Killing three is more profitable than killing one, right."
"Continue."
Su Xiao looked down at Mad Witch Lena, raising his long blade. The sharp edge lightly touched her neck, leaving a bloodstain.
"What guarantee do I have that you will let me go after I tell you this?"
"The honor of a Law Destroyer."
Hearing this, Mad Witch Lena narrowed her eyes and thought for a few seconds. Finally, with no other choice, she gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I'll trust you this once. The three witches are all in the Misty Forest, over a hundred kilometers away. They are Blood Moon Witch Ze. Nani, Death Soul Witch Hitaya, and Nightmare Witch Beshali, who came from Eternal Winter City. They are plotting something there."
As soon as Mad Witch Lena finished speaking, the long blade mercilessly slashed through, severing her head, which was twisted into an irregular shape by the evil transformation. It turned out that the guarantee of the "honor of a Law Destroyer" was absolutely not to be trusted. However, interestingly, if a Law Destroyer guaranteed something in their personal name, it was extremely reliable, and it had been so for thousands of years.
Even more interestingly, even if the most evil female Law Destroyer in history, Green Gillian, gave a personal guarantee, over 80% of the strong in the Void would be willing to believe it. Conversely, if the "honor of a Law Destroyer" was used as a guarantee, even if it came from Star-Swallowing Akas, any Void strongman who heard it would immediately turn and leave.
"The promised honor of a Law Destroyer."
Alanna was momentarily stunned. She had consulted many ancient texts, many of which mentioned that Law Destruction Shadows should not be judged by good or evil, right or wrong. Not because it was superficial, but because some Law Destroyers were sometimes good and sometimes bad. When good, they saved the world from crisis; when bad, they smiled at thousands of enemies and then slaughtered them all.
Alanna looked at the headless corpse leaning against the stone wall, took out her notebook, and wrote something. Only when Baha called her did she quickly respond and trot towards the vehicle.
"The honor guarantee of a Law Destroyer is very unreliable, but Lord Law Destroyer is still trustworthy. Hmm~, it's a bit contradictory, but that's how it is. — Alanna's Diary, Page 195."
...
In the early morning, white mist filled the "Misty Forest." It seemed like the whispers of ghosts could be heard, or perhaps it was a creepy murmur that made one's skin crawl. This cold and terrifying atmosphere came to an abrupt halt when Su Xiao got out of the car and the soles of his shoes stepped on the leaf layer on the ground.
Things like wraiths, undead souls, and ghosts were typical bullies that picked on the weak. When facing Su Xiao, who was covered in blood energy and occasionally liked to eat Soul Crystals, these wraiths were like ice cream with slightly different flavors.
Therefore, Su Xiao's heart was completely unmoved by the provocations of wraith-type enemies. After all, who would get angry because a large floating ice cream cone was provoking them?
A few hours later.
With a whoosh, a figure flew low through the air, stirring up leaves and breaking branches. Soon after, two more figures flew by, one of them sitting on a flying broom.
These were obviously witches from other wizard civilizations who had come to this world to learn high-level wizard abilities, which led to their evil transformation. In the Witch Realm, there was never a culture or habit of witches riding brooms, and this place was the pilgrimage site for all wizard civilizations and systems.
The leading Blood Moon Witch Ze. Nani went deep into the forest and stopped in front of a small cabin in the woods. Her face was stunningly beautiful but covered in cracks. Before pushing open the cabin door, she turned to look at Nightmare Witch Beshali and Death Soul Witch Hitaya. She didn't trust these two, even though the three were temporarily cooperating.
The Nightmare Witch and the Death Soul Witch also understood this. Each threw a crystal bottle to Blood Moon Witch Ze. Nani. After confirming they were correct, Ze. Nani pushed open the door and walked into the dim cabin, which was filled with various items.
The harvest from this hunt was good. The three evil-transformed witches didn't dare to hunt the civilians in the wizard faction's territory. The primitive tribes south of the "Great Swamp Wetland" became their primary targets. In just half a month, they had obtained the soul mass of hundreds of thousands of people. Now, they only needed to purify this mixed soul liquid and drink it directly to suppress the soul erosion caused by the evil transformation.
Thinking of this, a stiff smile appeared on Blood Moon Witch's face. She was about to sit down at the workbench to process the soul liquid when she suddenly felt someone a few meters away. This terrifying discovery made her immediately turn her head, and then she saw a man sitting on a wooden chair in the shadows, with a faint hint of bloodshot in the center of his pupils.
"!"
Blood Moon Witch's pupils contracted violently. When she sensed the unique aura of a Technique Grandmaster, she knew it was over. She was too close to this melee grandmaster.
Bang!
An object crashed through the wooden door of the cabin, sending wood chips flying, and arced through the air before landing on the grass in front of Nightmare Witch Beshali and Death Soul Witch Hitaya. It was the head of Blood Moon Witch. Only then did a terrified expression gradually appear on Blood Moon Witch's face.
Being only a few meters away from a melee grandmaster, she had no chance. As for why she hadn't sensed Su Xiao even though she was so close, that was another technique.
Su Xiao had actually been several hundred meters away from the cabin. He released the Demon Spirit, letting it grab Bubu Wang's fur. Through Bubu Wang's ability to blend into the environment, the Demon Spirit also entered this state. When the target approached, Su Xiao swapped positions with the Demon Spirit.
The Nightmare Witch and the Death Soul Witch exchanged glances, then turned and fled, quickly reaching full speed as they flew low through the dense forest. However, a few seconds later, a whoosh passed overhead. They looked up.
A dragon's roar tore through the sky. Its body was not covered in rough dragon skin or scales, but in large black-blue feathers. Its vertical pupils held both the majesty of a wyvern and a sharp, aloof quality. Golden lightning surged and gathered above its back. It was Storm Flame Dragon Dis, summoned to this world by Su Xiao.
With a boom, a spear made of golden lightning struck the ground diagonally, forcing the fleeing Nightmare Witch and Death Soul Witch to stop. The lightning spear exploded, creating a barrier dozens of meters wide and hundreds of meters long in front of them.
Su Xiao leaped down from the dragon's back. When he landed, the Nightmare Witch and Death Soul Witch opposite him were on high alert. The Nightmare Witch said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Two against one, we have a chance."
"Right."
The two reached a consensus, then simultaneously erupted with aura and simultaneously turned and fled. This was clearly a plan to sell each other out, letting the other hold off the enemy while they escaped. However, their thoughts coincided.
Just then, the Nightmare Witch's breathing inexplicably became rapid, and she fell in a dizzying spin. Seeing this, the Death Soul Witch immediately held her breath, but it was useless. She also fell shortly after.
Why was this? After learning the intelligence about these three evil-transformed witch sisters, Su Xiao had made preparations in advance. He had Bubu Wang sneak near the cabin and distribute a special alchemical poison that could integrate into space around the area.
Shortly after entering the Witch Realm, Su Xiao had begun modifying this alchemical poison. It was originally developed for spellcasters, reacting with the residual natural elements in their bodies. Modifying it to deal with wizards now was not a conflict. Although wizards did not devour natural elements, they gained powerful abilities by harnessing them.
Did Su Xiao have foresight and know he would have to deal with these mad witches? Of course not. This special version of the alchemical poison was prepared for Moon Witch Sesshiris, in case she turned hostile in the end. Su Xiao might not need to use this special alchemical poison, but he had to be prepared.
After a rising slash severed the Nightmare Witch's head, Su Xiao crouched beside the Death Soul Witch, looking into her hate-filled eyes and the nearly berserk body energy within her. The poison's effect was good. If a real change occurred and he needed to deal with Moon Witch Sesshiris, it wouldn't be as effective, but it would still provide a significant degree of restraint.
After confirming this, Su Xiao stood up. Although he didn't draw his blade, a slash passed through the Death Soul Witch's throat, killing her.
Bounty 1: Witch Heart Seeker completed. Just as Su Xiao was about to check the reward prompt, a higher priority mission prompt appeared before him.
[Main Mission: Fifth Ring: Qualification (Activated).]
[Main Mission: Fifth Ring: Qualification.]
Difficulty Level: Lv.95 ~ Lv.???
Mission Brief: Kill the Ancient King and seize Dark Blood: Power.
Ancient King's Current Location: Sky City, Top City, Ancient Sacrificial Grounds.
Mission Time Limit: 3 Natural Days.
Mission Reward 1: King's Crown (This is an advance characteristic reward. You have a certain probability of obtaining this item from Guild Leader Po. Ye'en before completing this mission).
Tip: The King's Crown is one of the three treasures of this world. Only those who have been crowned king are qualified to use this item.
You have been crowned king: White King (also known as, Dead Silence King).
Tip: Different kingships will have different enhancement intensities when wearing the King's Crown. Kings from low-level worlds can only obtain a 1.2% to 2% enhancement from the "King's Crown."
White King Crown Enhancement Rate: 100%.
King's Crown Form: Crown/Ring (depends on the wearer's personal preference).
Tip: Guild Leader Po. Ye'en is already located in Sky City, Top City. After you arrive at the Top City, you can find Po. Ye'en, who will gift you this item.
Mission Reward 2: Commission Credential (1/5. You have currently obtained 4/5 Commission Credentials. After obtaining this credential, you can claim the 3.5 million Soul Coins, 100 Soul Crystals, 1 Power Source Matter, and 1 Vitality Source Matter deposited by the Night Temptation Witch Guild with the Void Tree).
Mission Penalty: Forced Execution.
...