# Chapter 2: Power Fragment: Darkness...
The surroundings were pitch black, as if submerged in an endless abyss.
Su Xiao stood in this darkness, his gaze calm. He had long been accustomed to such environments, and the darkness did not hinder his perception at all.
"Here it is..."
He murmured softly, his right hand reaching forward.
In the darkness, a faint glimmer of light flickered, like a dying ember. That was a fragment of power, a remnant of the Abyss, carrying a terrifying aura that could corrode everything.
Su Xiao's hand did not stop, directly grasping toward that light.
The moment his fingers touched the light, a violent shockwave erupted. The surrounding darkness seemed to come alive, madly surging toward him, attempting to drown him.
"Trying to devour me?"
A cold smile curled at the corner of Su Xiao's mouth. Azure Steel Shadow energy surged within him, forming a barrier that blocked the corrosion of the darkness.
The next second, his five fingers closed, firmly grasping that fragment of light.
The darkness instantly receded like a tide, revealing the original scene.
This was a vast hall, the walls covered with ancient runes, faintly glowing. In the center of the hall stood a stone platform, on which lay a pitch-black crystal, the source of the darkness.
Su Xiao looked down at the fragment in his hand. It was a dark blue crystal shard, about the size of a fingernail, exuding a dangerous aura.
[You have obtained: Power Fragment: Darkness (Eighth Rank)]
[Power Fragment: Darkness (Eighth Rank)]
Quality: Epic
Effect: Can be used in the Attribute Enhancement Hall to increase Dark Attribute Resistance by 15 points.
Note: This item contains pure dark energy, which can cause severe damage to the body if used improperly.
"Dark attribute resistance..."
Su Xiao pondered for a moment, then put the fragment away.
This thing was quite useful to him. Although he mainly relied on close combat, having higher resistance was never a bad thing, especially when facing enemies with dark attributes.
He looked around, confirming there were no other valuable items, then turned and walked out of the hall.
Outside the hall was a long corridor, both sides lined with stone doors, each engraved with different patterns. This was a ruin from the Second Era: Alchemical Civilization, said to have been an alchemy laboratory.
Su Xiao walked along the corridor, occasionally stopping to examine the patterns on the stone doors.
Most of the stone doors were sealed, requiring specific keys or methods to open. He didn't have the time to slowly decipher them, so he simply quickened his pace.
Soon, he arrived at the end of the corridor, where a huge metal door blocked the way.
The metal door was covered with complex runes, exuding a powerful energy fluctuation. This was clearly the final barrier of this ruin.
Su Xiao reached out and pressed against the metal door, Azure Steel Shadow energy surging into it.
The runes on the metal door instantly lit up, emitting a piercing screech. Then, the door slowly opened, revealing a spacious chamber.
Inside the chamber, a huge alchemy array was laid out, with various materials and tools scattered around. In the center of the array, a black cauldron stood, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.
"Alchemy furnace?"
Su Xiao walked up to the cauldron and examined it carefully.
This cauldron was about two meters high, its surface engraved with countless runes, exuding an ancient aura. It was clearly a high-quality alchemy furnace.
He reached out and touched the cauldron, and a message immediately appeared in his mind.
[You have discovered: Alchemy Furnace: Dark Star Cauldron (Epic)]
[Alchemy Furnace: Dark Star Cauldron (Epic)]
Effect: When used for alchemy, increases success rate by 15%, reduces material consumption by 10%.
Special Effect: Dark Star Blessing — When refining dark attribute potions, quality increases by one tier.
Note: This cauldron was crafted by a master alchemist from the Second Era: Alchemical Civilization, and is a rare treasure.
"Not bad."
Su Xiao nodded in satisfaction. Although he wasn't a professional alchemist, he had some alchemy skills, and this cauldron would come in handy.
He put the cauldron into his storage space, then continued searching the chamber.
Soon, he found some other valuable items, including several bottles of potions, a stack of alchemy notes, and some rare materials.
After collecting everything, Su Xiao prepared to leave.
Just then, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from behind him.
He turned around sharply, his right hand already gripping the hilt of the Dragon-Slaying Flash.
In the corner of the chamber, a black shadow slowly emerged, gradually taking shape.
It was a humanoid creature, about three meters tall, covered in black scales, with a pair of blood-red eyes, exuding a dangerous aura.
"Abyss Spawn?"
Su Xiao narrowed his eyes, recognizing the creature's identity.
This was a creature born from the corrosion of Abyss energy, possessing powerful strength and a violent nature.
"Intruder... die!"
The Abyss Spawn let out a low roar, then charged at Su Xiao.
Its speed was astonishing, crossing dozens of meters in an instant, its clawed hand swiping at Su Xiao's head.
Su Xiao didn't dodge, instead stepping forward to meet it.
The Dragon-Slaying Flash was drawn, a cold gleam flashing.
Blade Path: Azure Demon!
A blue blade light streaked through the air, directly clashing with the Abyss Spawn's claw.
Boom!
A loud explosion rang out, and the Abyss Spawn was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall.
Su Xiao stood still, the Dragon-Slaying Flash in his hand trembling slightly.
"Not bad strength."
He commented calmly, then his figure flickered, appearing before the Abyss Spawn.
The Dragon-Slaying Flash slashed down, carrying a terrifying Azure Steel Shadow energy.
The Abyss Spawn let out a furious roar, its body suddenly expanding, black scales standing on end.
Boom!
A more violent explosion erupted, and the Abyss Spawn was directly cut in two, black blood splattering everywhere.
Su Xiao sheathed his sword, looking at the corpse on the ground.
[You have killed: Abyss Spawn (Eighth Rank)]
[You have obtained: Soul Crystal (Large) x3, Paradise Coins x1200.]
"Not much reward."
Su Xiao shook his head, then turned and walked out of the chamber.
He had already obtained enough harvest from this ruin and had no intention of staying longer.
After leaving the ruin, Su Xiao returned to the Reincarnation Paradise.
In his Exclusive Room, he took out the items he had obtained and began to organize them.
The most valuable was the Dark Star Cauldron, followed by the Power Fragment: Darkness, and then the potions and materials.
"These potions can be sold, the materials can be kept for alchemy..."
Su Xiao quickly sorted them out, putting away the useful items and preparing to sell the rest in the Trade Market.
Just then, a message notification sounded.
He opened the message and saw it was from Mawen Hua'erzi.
"Bai Ye, there's something I need to discuss with you. Are you free?"
Su Xiao thought for a moment, then replied: "Come over."
Soon, Mawen Hua'erzi appeared at the door of his Exclusive Room.
He was still dressed in a flashy suit, with a signature smile on his face.
"Bai Ye, long time no see."
Mawen Hua'erzi walked in, casually sitting on the sofa.
"What's the matter?"
Su Xiao asked directly.
"I've found a good opportunity and wanted to see if you're interested."
Mawen Hua'erzi said, taking out a scroll from his bosom and handing it over.
Su Xiao took the scroll and opened it to look.
It was a map, marking a location, with some notes written next to it.
"Ancient Dragon Kingdom ruins?"
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"That's right."
Mawen Hua'erzi nodded: "I recently got news that a batch of Ancient Dragon Kingdom ruins were discovered in the Wind Sea Continent, said to contain a large number of treasures and resources. I plan to organize a team to explore, and I want to invite you to join."
"Ancient Dragon Kingdom..."
Su Xiao pondered for a moment.
The Ancient Dragon Kingdom was a powerful civilization from ancient times, said to have mastered powerful dragon power. Its ruins definitely contained good things.
But at the same time, the danger level was also extremely high.
"What's the specific situation?"
Su Xiao asked.
"There are three main ruins, all in the central area of the Wind Sea Continent. According to the intelligence, the danger level is around Eighth Rank, which should be manageable for us."
Mawen Hua'erzi explained.
"Who else is going?"
"I've already contacted Green Gillian, and she agreed. Plus a few other friends, all reliable."
Mawen Hua'erzi said.
Su Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, I'll go."
"Great!"
Mawen Hua'erzi smiled: "We'll set off in three days, I'll notify you then."
After saying that, he stood up and prepared to leave.
"Wait."
Su Xiao called out to him.
"What's wrong?"
Mawen Hua'erzi turned around.
"Be careful, this matter might not be that simple."
Su Xiao reminded.
Mawen Hua'erzi's expression turned serious: "I know, I've already made preparations."
After he left, Su Xiao sat alone on the sofa, lost in thought.
The Ancient Dragon Kingdom ruins were indeed a good opportunity, but the danger level was also considerable. He needed to make sufficient preparations.
He took out the Power Fragment: Darkness and examined it carefully.
This fragment contained pure dark energy, which could increase dark attribute resistance. But using it directly was too wasteful; it was better to refine it into a potion.
"Looks like I need to go to the Alchemy Laboratory."
Su Xiao stood up and walked out of the Exclusive Room.