Chapter 33: The Mission
Before the Moon Altar, Su Xiao put away his notes on the technique, having already decided to hand over the [Blazing Sun Greatsword] to the monarch faction of Twilight City. There were two benefits to this: first, he wouldn't have to immediately fall out with the monarch faction, and second, it would increase the upper limit of his gains in this world.
Su Xiao estimated that when he returned to Twilight City this time, the monarch faction would likely choose to break ties with him. The assassination orchestrated by the old nobles last time was a test, and now the monarch faction had an arrow on the string, ready to be loosed.
This situation seemed confusing. Su Xiao was clearly representing Twilight City in this path to kingship, retrieving one [Sun Source Stone] after another. Why would the monarch faction, as the rulers of Twilight City, target him like this?
This required mentioning the internal power division within the monarch faction. As the current Blazing Sun King, Ashlotte was naturally at the very top of the pyramid. The problem lay with the three beneath the king: the old noble Augustus, the Finance Minister Blackbersha, and the leader of the Sun Warriors.
Among these three, Augustus was a conservative, representing the interests of the old nobles. Blackbersha was a radical, representing the interests of high-ranking officials, newly risen nobles, and new families. As for the leader of the Sun Warriors, he wasn't neutral; he simply refused to take a stance. The Old Guardian Legion, composed of Sun Warriors, was under his command.
There was a major misconception among outsiders: that the three beneath the king could occasionally meet with the Blazing Sun King, Ashlotte. This wasn't the case. The leader of the Sun Warriors could indeed meet him frequently, as he guarded outside the royal palace. As for the old noble Augustus and Finance Minister Blackbersha, they rarely saw the Blazing Sun King.
The central district of Twilight City was isolated from the world. As a member of the Sun God Clan, the Blazing Sun King Ashlotte's status was closer to that of a deity of Twilight City than a monarch. The true functions of a monarch were carried out by the old noble Augustus and Finance Minister Blackbersha.
Especially the rising star Blackbersha. In her entire life, she had only met the Blazing Sun King Ashlotte a few times, and he had never spoken a single word to her.
This led to the situation where, when Blackbersha first heard that once the "Blazing Sun Blood" of the Sun God Clan lost its inheritor, the sun in the sky would fall, her first reaction was doubt. In her view, this seemed more like the death throes of the Sun God Clan's decline and a tactic by the old nobles to seize more power from her.
The style of the central district of the Twilight Layer was: forbidden zone, blazing sun, inheritance, ancient glory, remnants of the Sun Ancient Dragon War, and perfect divine blood. It didn't even need daily supplies; food wasn't required.
The style of the inner city of the Twilight Layer, on the other hand, was: power struggles, nobles, pleasure, murder, wealth, and the mundane necessities of life.
Therefore, the previous assumption that the newly risen noble Blackbersha was a trusted confidant of the Blazing Sun King was wrong.
From Blackbersha's perspective, the more [Sun Source Stones] Su Xiao retrieved, the more it highlighted the supreme status of the Sun God Clan. Since the current Blazing Sun King would certainly not show himself, Su Xiao's actions were essentially helping the old nobles amplify their prestige.
Blackbersha naturally knew that [Sun Source Stones] could bring power, but she had no interest in them whatsoever. Looking at those who possessed [Sun Source Stones] and became powerful, none had a good ending. They either ended up in dangerous places or were killed.
This was also why the old noble Augustus was willing to back down after the assassination attempt. If it had truly been a decision by all the old nobles, Augustus would never have lowered his stance. It was three collateral old nobles, secretly instigated by Blackbersha, who had done such a thing. Augustus wouldn't take the blame for Blackbersha.
The fourth formidable enemy Su Xiao was about to face, the Nun, was located in Twilight City. The fact that she, as an undead, could sleep peacefully within Twilight City indicated her extremely high status. Once he fought her, his already poor relationship with the monarch faction would immediately turn hostile.
If he gave the [Blazing Sun Greatsword] to the central district, the old noble Augustus would have no choice but to play dead, hindered by the authority of the Old Guardians. Through an alliance with the Great Library, the Great Library could hold back Blackbersha's side. This would give Su Xiao the opportunity to fight the Nun to the death.
With the subsequent plan clear, Su Xiao was about to turn and leave when he heard a liquid surging sound from above. He looked up to see the rock ceiling, shaped like icicles, cracking open.
As the ceiling cracked and rocks fell, a surging black mass of flesh descended, with twisted, agonized faces emerging on its surface. If his experience weren't broad enough, he would have immediately drawn his blade. However, having fought his way to the Absolute Strength rank, Su Xiao's knowledge was considerable. He recognized this as a Whisperer of the Ancient Dragon faction.
So-called Whisperers were similar to messengers or corrupting familiars. They looked terrifying but were actually gentle and harmless. The corrupting familiar was a prime example; it looked disgusting and frightening, but if you kicked it, it would just move away and look at you pitifully.
According to ancient texts, Whisperers should be gray. The one before him was pitch black, severely decayed, and seemed on the verge of death.
"Law Destroyer... Dark Moon... friend of the Ancient Wyverns, I can... quietly... tell you."
The Whisperer spoke in a bloated, somewhat indistinct voice. As for the Law Destroyer being a friend of the Dark Moon faction and the Ancient Wyverns, that wasn't surprising. Even the Sun faction, which was hostile to both, had a relatively friendly relationship with the Law Destruction faction. After all, which major faction would oppose one that spent its days hunting down "Abyssal Spawns" and "Elemental Devourers"?
"The Ancient Wyvern... in... the desolate city of exile and death, the Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds, awaits... the death of the undying."
After saying this, one of the Whisperer's faces bulged out, and it painfully vomited a large piece of Ancient Wyvern scale. This metallic-looking scale shattered upon hitting the ground, revealing a mark inside.
Su Xiao picked it up. Judging by the energy dissipation rate of this Ancient Dragon mark, it would vanish within about five days.
The hanging Whisperer began to decay and dissolve, turning into a pool of black sewage upon hitting the ground, slowly evaporating. Su Xiao tossed Bubu Wang and Baha each a gas mask. Whisperers weren't aggressive, but their post-death evaporation was highly toxic. Once poisoned, death was certain.
He withdrew from the space where the Moon Altar was located. Even if it filled with toxic mist, there was no need to worry about others breaking in and destroying the altar.
The two gargoyles at the entrance were nowhere to be seen. They had apparently fled, fearing that Su Xiao would kill them for materials after he came out.
After contacting Luciwa, he learned that the other party had already taken the [Lord's Train] to Twilight City. Su Xiao arranged to meet Luciwa at the "God Exile Grounds" and then proceed together to the Holy Heart City, the territory of the Divine Cult.
This trip to Holy Heart City was for a commission from the Divine Cult's Bishop Court to help them eliminate two "Undying, Unkillable Abyssal Spawns." Initially, Su Xiao had wanted to do it for 'free,' but the Divine Cult's Bishop Court was so enthusiastic that they insisted on paying him a [Soul Devouring Gem], one of the eight strongest gems.
Including this [Soul Devouring Gem], Su Xiao now had three of the eight strongest gems: the [Soul Gem], the [Will Gem], and the soon-to-be-acquired [Soul Devouring Gem].
Due to the gem curse, the only gem Su Xiao truly possessed was the [Soul Gem] embedded in the pommel of Dragon-Slaying Flash, which had 100% recognition from him. As for the [Will Gem], he had already sold it to a 'fated one' at a 'discount price' of 1,750,000 Soul Coins. It had to be said, that fated one had an incredibly tough life. The [Will Gem] only had 65% recognition for him, yet it hadn't managed to kill him yet.
Su Xiao estimated that by the end of this world progression, that fated one would be about done for. Since Su Xiao was the previous owner of the [Will Gem], the gem would naturally return to him.
As a Hunter, the Silent White King, the Eternal Light Supreme Will, and the Shadow of Law Destruction, although he wasn't afraid of being killed by the [Will Gem], he couldn't bear the "Gem Curse" caused by using more than one of the strongest gems. Therefore, selling the returning [Will Gem] and the soon-to-be-acquired [Soul Devouring Gem] to another fated one was the best option.
If a buyer with over 95% gem recognition came along, the price certainly couldn't be less than 3,000,000 Soul Coins. For buyers with less than 70% recognition, selling the [Will Gem] for 1,750,000 last time was indeed a bit overpriced. This time, he could consider it. [Will Gem] and [Soul Devouring Gem] for 800,000 Soul Coins each?
That was still a bit high. If a 'brave fated one' with less than 50% gem recognition came to buy, he could offer a discount to 500,000 Soul Coins each. If a super brave warrior wanted to buy both the [Will Gem] and the [Soul Devouring Gem] at once, to challenge the power of the "Gem Curse," then 500,000 Soul Coins... buy one, get one free!
Speaking of which, the characteristics of the strongest gems were somewhat like a low-tier version of Original Sin Objects. While the strongest gems provided powerful enhancements, they also came with a "Causal Price." As for why Su Xiao didn't have such a price for possessing the [Soul Gem], the [Book of Original Sin] just smiled knowingly.
A [Law-Destroying Teleportation Array] formed beneath Su Xiao's feet.
Boom!
Inside the underground shelter deep beneath the Exile Grounds, the fresh air was refreshing. On the dozens of square meter carpet in the center, the Apocalypse Sisters, who had returned happily to sleep after completing a chain mission, all sat up at the muffled sound.
Hao Mei, her eyes still closed, was already crouching with her sharp sword, ready to strike. The bewildered Molei was carrying the dazed Yueshitu, preparing to retreat under Hao Mei's cover to prevent the weak close-combat Yueshitu from dying. Although Molei usually bullied Yueshitu, in times of danger, Molei was practically Yueshitu's angel.
"What are you guys doing? Is there an enemy?"
Baha landed on the refrigerator, opened it, grabbed two cans of cold beer, tossed one to Amu, then pulled the tab on his own and chugged it down.
"You guys are scarier than an enemy attack."
Molei yawned as she spoke.
"It's just a teleportation array."
Baha threw away the empty can and quickly grabbed a few packs of snacks from the fridge to tide him over, as he saw Amu approaching the fridge.
"Whose proper teleportation array goes 'boom boom'?"
Yueshitu muttered softly.
"Woof?"
Bubu Wang tilted his head in confusion, finding the words familiar.
Sitting on a single sofa, Su Xiao opened his task list. The encounter with the Whisperer had triggered a side mission certified by the Void Tree.
[Side Mission: First Ring: Mark]
Mission Certifier: Void Tree
Difficulty Level: Lv.88
Mission Brief: Investigate the origin of this mark.
Mission Time Limit: 5 natural days.
Mission Reward: This mission's reward is cumulative; the total accumulated reward will only be obtained upon completing the final stage.
Mission Penalty: All attributes -15 points.
...
This was a mission certified by the Void Tree. 99% of the missions Su Xiao received were certified by Reincarnation Paradise.
As a mission certified by the Void Tree, it could be shared with teammates in the same party. Although the rewards would be split evenly, for Su Xiao, this was the best choice. Missions certified by the Void Tree would have their reward bonus ratio determined by the Void Tree Reputation.
Su Xiao's reward bonus ratio for this mission was 0%. Don't think this was low. With his -??? Void Tree Reputation, it was already a concession from the Void Tree in terms of certification that his reward bonus ratio wasn't negative.
Fortunately, this mission could be shared. And on the other side:
Molei: Void Tree Reputation 15,860 points.
Yueshitu: Void Tree Reputation 14,822 points.
Hao Mei: Void Tree Reputation 13,950 points.
If this mission was shared with the Apocalypse Sisters, it would be boosted by the "Mission Reward Bonus Ratio" corresponding to (15,860 + 14,822 + 13,950) ÷ 4 = 11,158 points of Void Tree Reputation.
With this boost, even if the final reward was split four ways, each person would receive several times more than if Su Xiao completed it alone and took all the rewards.
"I have some good news to share with you all..."
Su Xiao had just started speaking when he heard:
"I don't have any Soul Coins."
"Don't look at me either, unless you beat up Molei."
"If you don't beat me, then I have some."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't say anything. Under his 'friendly' gaze, Molei, Yueshitu, and Hao Mei sat in a row on the sofa in front of him.
"I'm sharing a mission with you."
Hearing this, the Apocalypse Sisters looked at each other. Then Molei pinched Yueshitu's face and asked, "Does it hurt?"
Seeing tears beginning to well up in Yueshitu's eyes, Molei quickly apologized. It could only be said that the Apocalypse Sisters had joy for strength, joy for wisdom, and joy for wealth... cough, well, they did have that, and they were very capable in a fight.
After pulling the Apocalypse Sisters into the Dawn Team, Su Xiao shared the mission. Almost simultaneously, Molei, Yueshitu, and Hao Mei received the same prompt.
[Prompt: You have shared the Side Mission: Ancient Legend.]
[The difficulty of this mission far exceeds your imprint level. Proceed with caution. Furthermore, as the overall difficulty of this mission is more than Lv.10 above your imprint level, you may abandon this mission without penalty.]
...
Although this was a mission certified by the Void Tree, it was issued to Su Xiao as a Hunter of Reincarnation Paradise. The mission format was closer to Reincarnation Paradise's style, evident from the mission brief being only the few words "Investigate the origin of this mark."
Seeing this mission brief, Molei was stunned. She scratched her head with a complicated expression: "This mission brief... is really just a brief, isn't it? So concise! Only eight words! Could it be any more sloppy? At least give us a clue!"
Molei was annoyed by the mission's brief. From the first rank to her current peak ninth rank, she had never received a mission like this. Even if the mission was very difficult, it would at least give some clues. This "Investigate the origin of this mark" had completely stumped her.
Especially after looking at the mission item, the [Ancient Dragon Mark], she was even more confused. This thing didn't even have its basic attributes certified. Wasn't it too perfunctory as a core mission item?
When she learned that the Whisperer had also spoken some words when they accepted the mission, the flame of hope reignited in the Apocalypse Sisters' eyes. But after hearing it, they fell back into confusion.
Ignoring the Apocalypse Sisters, who were racking their brains because the mission brief was truly just a brief, Su Xiao put down his teacup. With his rich mission experience and his habit of skipping many steps to complete missions, the words the Whisperer had just spoken should be the thread running through the entire side mission. Although this side mission might have several rings and wasn't a small task, it was still a side mission. The breadth of its mission background couldn't compare to a main mission.
'The Ancient Wyvern... in... the desolate city of exile and death, the Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds, awaits... the death of the undying.'
First, the Ancient Wyvern was the core of this mission. So, "the death of the undying" meant that an Ancient Wyvern had become an undead in this world, gaining the trait of immortality. For an Ancient Wyvern, this was both painful and helpless.
The Ancient Dragon faction, until its defeat, never said a single soft word to the Sun faction. Both sides were too stubborn. They fought for two and a half eras. One side was completely annihilated, and the other was on the verge of decline and extinction. Throughout the entire process, neither side ever gave in.
With such pride, how could an Ancient Wyvern be willing to bear the curse of undeath? Considering that the most severe punishment in the Sun faction was the curse of undeath, the existence of this Undying Ancient Wyvern wasn't surprising.
After analyzing this, the rest was easier. The "desolate city of exile and death" mentioned by the Whisperer was definitely the "Dead City." In the First Era, the Sun faction would impose the curse of undeath on serious offenders and then exile them to the "Dead City."
The Whisperer's entire sentence meant that an undying Ancient Wyvern was located in the Ancient Ritual Grounds within the Dead City, awaiting the arrival of death. Judging by this, the ultimate goal of this mission was to kill this Undying Ancient Wyvern, and it most likely wouldn't require a fight. The key was whether one had the ability to sever the undying.
As for why the first ring of the mission was to investigate the origin of the Ancient Dragon mark, the implication was almost certainly to find a key mission NPC to repair the [Ancient Dragon Mark]. This was the key to entering the Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds in the Dead City.
Su Xiao took out the Mysterious Eye. In Alchemy, his talent in potion-making was top-notch. As for crafting alchemical items... let's not go there. In short, the [Silent Servant] and [Tunneling Servant], which were the entry-level creations of alchemical item crafting, were his masterpieces in this field. And after helping the Tuanzhang craft the [World Stabilizer] last time, the Tuanzhang had never asked Su Xiao to make any alchemical items again...
Due to his 'exceptional talent' in alchemical item crafting, Su Xiao's development of the Mysterious Eye hadn't even reached one ten-thousandth of its potential. Nevertheless, with his improved insight, he found that this Mysterious Eye was probably, aside from the [Alchemy Codex], the supreme creation left behind by the Second Era: Alchemical Civilization.
The Mysterious Eye was like a spherical Rubik's Cube, with tens of millions—no, billions of different combinations. A true master of alchemical creations could use the Mysterious Eye as an all-purpose eye.
Su Xiao could only make the Mysterious Eye operate in a way that even he found bewildering. In short, as long as it was adjusted correctly, no matter how bizarre the Mysterious Eye's operation mode seemed, never try to correct it. Once corrected, it would definitely stop working.
Besides reconnaissance, lockpicking, and enhancing items of similar volume, he had also developed other uses. But this time, he only needed the "enhance items of similar volume" characteristic.
Su Xiao went to the workbench, took out various items, and after an hour of crafting, a goose-egg-sized repair device took shape. This thing was mediocre in the eyes of Second Era alchemists, but after Su Xiao enhanced it with the Mysterious Eye, its performance immediately multiplied several times.
Using a Soul Crystal Core as an energy source, Su Xiao used this repair device to start repairing the [Ancient Mark]. Mechanical tentacles extended, converting the purest soul energy into adaptive energy, acting as a filler for the repair.
After more than ten minutes of precise operation, the repair was complete. All the damaged parts of the [Ancient Dragon Mark] were restored, and a deep, faint light flowed over the entire mark.
After thinking for a moment, Su Xiao took out the [Realm Ring], a key item for slaying the undead. Besides that, he also took out the [Oath Emblem: White Dragon] and the [Fierce Winter Will].
The [Fierce Winter Will] was a treasure of the Ancient Dragon faction, best used as a proof of identity. In his view, the Ancient Wyvern at the Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds was probably a proud and aloof existence. Given the Ancient Dragon faction's stubborn temper, which allowed them to fight the Sun faction for two and a half eras, even if tormented by the curse of undeath, it wouldn't want to be slain by an unknown nobody.
Conversely, holding the [Oath Emblem: White Dragon], a representative item of the Ancient Dragon faction, meant that he was, to some extent, one of their own. Being slain by one of their own, that Ancient Wyvern tormented by the curse of undeath would surely be willing to accept this outcome.
The [Fierce Winter Will], a treasure of the Ancient Dragon faction, represented status within the faction. Holding both, as the one who would sever the undying and enter the Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds, that Ancient Wyvern would lower its head and await liberation from the curse of undeath.
After taking out these four items, Su Xiao chose to submit the mission, even though the completion rate for the "Side Mission: Ancient Legend" was still 0%. He hadn't gone to find the important NPC to repair the [Ancient Dragon Mark], so the mission completion rate would naturally be stuck at 0%.
[You are attempting to submit the Side Mission: Ancient Legend.]
As mission sharers, Molei, Yueshitu, and Hao Mei naturally received the same prompt. The three looked on in confusion. The next series of prompts that appeared made the Apocalypse Sisters even more bewildered.
[You have completed the Side Mission: First Ring: Mark.]
[Mission Basic Completion Rating: E (Lowest).]
[Negotiation Rating During Mission: E (Lowest).]
[Mission Item Repair Status: S- (Expected to be 22.85% better than the repair by the key mission character, Servis).]
[Current Ring Mission Completion Speed: A++ (Completed in 1 hour 42 minutes).]
[This mission receives a mission reward bonus due to high Void Tree Reputation.]
[Final Completion Rate for This Ring Mission: 105%.]
[Corresponding mission rewards have been accumulated for the next ring mission. The total accumulated rewards will be obtained upon completing the final stage.]
...
[Side Mission: Second Ring: Power to Sever the Undying has been triggered.]
[You have completed the Side Mission: Second Ring: Power to Sever the Undying.]
[Mission Basic Completion Rating: E (Lowest).]
[Negotiation Rating During Mission: E (Lowest).]
[Mission Item Acquisition Status: S++ (Acquired [Realm Ring]. This item's trait of severing the undying is superior to the expected mission item).]
[Current Ring Mission Completion Speed: S+++ (Estimated minimum completion time: 72 hours. Actual time: 0.01 seconds. This time represents the minimum time loss between triggering and completing the mission).]
[This mission receives a mission reward bonus due to high Void Tree Reputation.]
[Final Completion Rate for This Ring Mission: 325%.]
[Corresponding mission rewards have been accumulated for the next ring mission...]
...
[Side Mission: Third Ring: Qualification has been triggered.]
[You have completed the Side Mission: Third Ring: Qualification.]
[Mission Basic Completion Rating: E (Lowest).]
[Negotiation Rating During Mission: E (Lowest).]
[Mission Item Acquisition Status: S+++ (Acquired [Oath Emblem: White Dragon] and [Fierce Winter Will]. The effects of the two acquired items far exceed the effectiveness of the original mission items).]
[Current Ring Mission Completion Speed: S+++ (Highest. Estimated minimum completion time: 68 hours. Actual time: 0.01 seconds. This time represents the minimum time loss between triggering and completing the mission...]
[This mission receives a mission reward bonus due to high Void Tree Reputation.]
[Final Completion Rate for This Ring Mission: 400%.]
[Corresponding mission rewards have been accumulated for the next ring mission...]
[You have triggered the Side Mission: Final Stage: Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds.]
[Side Mission: Final Stage: Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds.]
Mission Certifier: Void Tree
Mission Level: Lv.95
Danger Level: Lv.89
Mission Brief: Travel to the Dead City: Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds and slay the Ancient Wyvern.
Mission Time Limit: Before the end of this world progression (Due to the nature of this mission, there is no judgment related to mission completion speed).
Mission Reward: Upon completion, rewards will be settled based on the accumulated mission completion rate.
Failure Penalty: None.
...
The mission had successfully progressed to the final stage. The mission level wasn't low. In terms of danger, it mainly came from the journey to the Dead City and the risks involved in entering it. As expected, there would be no need to fight the Undying Ancient Wyvern.
"We're already... at the final stage of the mission?"
Molei, stunned for a few seconds, reopened the series of prompts. This mission felt like a dream. She exchanged glances with Yueshitu and Hao Mei, and from each other's eyes, they could see that the others were also questioning reality.
Su Xiao closed his mission list and stepped onto the short-range teleportation array to go to the surface above. When the teleportation fluctuations subsided, the intensely corrosive sunlight shone down, as if it could melt and evaporate the flesh and blood of living beings, leaving only a skeleton.
After waiting for a moment, ripples spread through the space in the distance, and the steel beast-like Lord's Train rushed out from the alternate space. Boarding the train, Su Xiao found Delona was also there. Luciwa had returned to Twilight City earlier to send Delona back, hoping that Delona, who had been 'suffering' in the Dark Moon Nightmare, could have a stable period in Twilight City to soothe her mind.
Luciwa hadn't seen what happened two hours ago. When Delona boarded the Lord's Train and it left the Dark Moon Nightmare, the nightmare creatures secretly watching were almost overjoyed. The little miss who always bullied them had finally left.
Delona was different from Ayesha. Delona couldn't stay still. This time, it was Holy Heart City, helping the Divine Cult eliminate the Undying, Unkillable Abyssal Spawns. If she didn't go and join in the fun, Delona would feel so uncomfortable that she wouldn't be able to eat or sleep well for the next half month.
After everyone boarded the train, Su Xiao took out the [Book of Gates] to check. This [Book of Gates] had a full ten pages. How he would later obtain the three [Sun Source Stones] from Shenfu's team depended on this [Book of Gates]. Of course, he wouldn't use the Treeborn World pages of the [Book of Gates] for trade, but rather a more unexpected method that Shenfu's team couldn't counter.
The speed of the Lord's Train was unquestionable. A journey that would normally take nearly two days at full speed was completed in an hour and a half. Stepping off the train, Su Xiao saw the magnificent but somewhat aged Holy Heart City. This large city wasn't built by the Divine Cult. It was built by a merchant guild many years ago. Later, that guild was destroyed in the Blood Night, and the Divine Cult took over the city.
Entering the city, the environment became somewhat dim. What met the eye were numerous Gothic-style buildings. These buildings were tall, slender, with long, pointed roofs. Combined with the dark, damp streets, the thick, greasy black moss on the walls, the dim environment, and the oppressive sky, one immediately felt the warmth and hospitality of this place.
How fierce were the combat capabilities of Holy Heart City's residents? The answer was that after the Blood Night descended, the wild beasts were reluctant to attack this place. The blackness on the streets and buildings was stained by the blood of wild beasts.
Every Blood Night was both a night of disaster and a sign of harvest. That's right, Holy Heart City, severely lacking in food, would eat the flesh and blood of wild beasts. Fortunately, the residents of Holy Heart City cooked it before eating.
Consuming the flesh and blood and hearts of wild beasts would inevitably lead to gradual erosion by bestiality and madness. A certain amount of bestiality and madness would initially boost combat power. With combat power, they could hunt more wild beasts for food, thus ensuring the population. In this way, Holy Heart City adapted to the arrival of the Blood Night. The price was that the population of Holy Heart City was no longer the rumored tens of millions; it was now around 1.8 to 2 million.
If the sun in this world truly fell, the only city that could ultimately survive would be Holy Heart City. The folk here were so fierce that even the Divine Cult, which controlled this place, had to restrain itself. The relationship between the residents of Holy Heart City and the Divine Cult was one of non-interference.
There were few pedestrians on the streets. Occasionally, one would pass by in a hurry. High-collared black clothes covered half their faces. Pale complexions and radial pupils were all side effects of long-term consumption of wild beast flesh.
Speaking of which, the fourth formidable enemy that the Big Brain Team had to deal with, the exiled leader of the Sun Warriors, was located in the abandoned district of Holy Heart City. Given the warm hospitality of Holy Heart City's residents, one couldn't help but feel a bit worried for the Big Brain Team.
Shortly after Su Xiao entered Holy Heart City, he saw a large group of Divine Cult members approaching. These Divine Cult members were all wearing robes and hoods. The leaders were several Bishop-level tough guys from the Bishop Court. Judging by this lineup, the Divine Cult had probably mobilized over 80% of its combat power.
The group of Divine Cult members clearly didn't want Su Xiao to go any further. After negotiating with a one-eyed bishop, Su Xiao headed out of the city. On the wilderness outside the city, the Divine Cult didn't show the rumored rudeness and madness; they were even particularly polite.
Half an hour later, the group of Divine Cult members left behind two five-meter-tall sealing containers and a wooden box containing the [Soul Devouring Gem], then quickly departed.
It seemed that the encounter at the Soul Academy's treasure vault had served as a warning for the Divine Cult. Su Xiao punched a hole in one of the metal sealing containers, which seemed to be made of cast iron. He walked inside. From the darkness came a brief roar, followed by the sound of the Demon Spirit devouring.
After a moment, Su Xiao emerged from the sealing container. He smashed open the other container and rushed inside. This time, the roar inside caused cracks to appear in the surrounding air, but it stopped abruptly the next second.
Su Xiao walked out of the pitch-black sealing container. The Demon Spirit clinging to his right arm, which had turned it black, gradually receded. As his right arm recovered, the Demon Spirit returned to Dragon-Slaying Flash.
Seeing this, Delona hid behind her brother, Luciwa. The fearless Delona was now a bit afraid of Su Xiao. Possessing the ability of the Abyssal Cradle, she naturally felt fear after witnessing the Undying, Unkillable Abyssal Spawn being devoured and destroyed, because the Abyssal Cradle was one of the powerful Abyssal Spawns.
Luciwa had other matters to attend to in Holy Heart City, so they parted ways again. However, knowing that Su Xiao was heading to Dawnlight City, far to the east of Twilight City, Luciwa summoned the Lord's Train, set the destination, and the train departed with Su Xiao's team.
The scenery outside the window flew by. Su Xiao admired it for a moment before sitting down to meditate. Over two hours later, Bubu Wang beside him barked. Opening his eyes, he could already see Dawnlight City in the distance. The train decelerated appropriately.
As the base camp of the friendly faction, Dawnlight City naturally didn't allow Su Xiao to enter. Last time he planned to come here, out of courtesy, he had Luciwa act as an intermediary to inform the city lord of Dawnlight City in advance.
At that time, Luciwa's expression basically said, "Are you sure you want me to do this favor?"
The result was that the negotiations broke down on the spot. The city lord of Dawnlight City nearly fought Luciwa. As the lord of this place, she certainly wouldn't allow Luciwa, the madman who had massacred the entire "Corruption City," to stay here.
Did Su Xiao know that Luciwa was one of the top dangerous figures that Dawnlight City was wary of? Of course, he did. But looking around, among the high-ranking members of major forces he knew in this world, Luciwa had the lowest hatred value in Dawnlight City.
Perhaps due to his negative charm attribute, upon entering this world, Su Xiao's relationship with Dawnlight City was: -250,000 points (Initial Hostile).
Opening the relevant list again, it was now a nice -270,000 points (Initial Hostile), perfectly corresponding to his -27 charm attribute.
Su Xiao was certain that there were many opportunities to gain benefits in Dawnlight City. This was an area certified by Apocalypse Paradise. The city lord was considered a half-neutral unit in this world. It was said that after negotiating with this city lord, one could trigger a mission list. The numerous missions displayed would change according to the contractor's level.
With his contractor level of Lv.95, Su Xiao could certainly receive top-tier Absolute Strength missions from the city lord. If he specifically looked for those single-ring missions that corresponded to the formidable enemies he had to deal with later, his gains from this trip to Blazing Sun Star would increase by at least 30%.
Su Xiao already had quite a few missions, but that wasn't a problem. The [Abyss Mission] and the [Dudu Gugu Special Mission] were long-term missions that couldn't be completed within this world. Besides those, he only had the [Main Mission], the [Side Mission: Ancient Dragon Ritual Grounds (Final Stage)], and the [Chain Mission: Dark Moon Ritual (Final Stage)].
He already had methods to complete the latter two; it was just a matter of timing. That said, the only mission Su Xiao needed to complete now was the main mission. Taking on more high-difficulty missions corresponding to subsequent enemies was undoubtedly the best choice. Moreover, the enemies he was about to face were getting stronger and stronger, and the rewards for these missions would be correspondingly high.
The only problem now was that Su Xiao couldn't enter Dawnlight City. Actually, he could walk in, but the prerequisite was that he would have to force his way in, which would result in most of Dawnlight City being destroyed by the aftermath of the battle. Then he wouldn't be able to accept missions from Dawnlight City, and the city lord would fight him to the death.
Su Xiao already had a solution for this. He could even negotiate normally with the city lord after entering the city. He took out the [Silver Moon Blade], activated it multiple times, and successfully triggered the charm attribute bonus. His charm attribute became 366/-27 points.
That wasn't enough. He took out the Hunter title.
[Hunter]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Quality: Special
Title Effect: After equipping this title, you will gain the disguise: Hunter and activate the corresponding Paradise imprint.
Remaining Disguise Time Limit: 240 hours (This time limit can be replenished by consuming Soul Coins).
...
Su Xiao activated the [Hunter] disguise, selecting the previously edited Hunter: Summoner. His overall attire was 90% similar to the Holy Flame Alchemist. Additionally, this identity corresponded to the Apocalypse Paradise Contractor Imprint.
Inside the alternate space, the disguised Su Xiao stepped off the train. The train turned around and drove away. As he got off, Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha also came down with him. Due to the disguise effect of the title, their appearances and auras had also changed, making them look like permanent summons of a summoning system.
Stepping out of the alternate space, the sun was bright, and a gentle breeze brushed his face. Su Xiao led Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha forward. If you looked at this scene from a distance, it would appear that at this moment, an ordinary-looking, friendly Apocalypse Paradise Summoner was walking towards Dawnlight City.