Chapter 3: Does the Soul Master Possess the "Forbidden Mark" of Dawn Paradise?
The answer is: Yes.
...
As for why Su Xiao asked the third question, the reason was that Shenfu came to this world to seize Hao Tao's "Devouring Mark." Under such circumstances, Shenfu would do his utmost not to antagonize others. This was also why, at the beginning of this world, Shenfu proactively sent a map to extend goodwill.
Under these circumstances, if Shenfu still opposed the Soul Master, who topped the reputation leaderboard and held the Sanctuary City reputation to an absurd degree, then there weren't many possibilities left.
After Su Xiao confirmed through Xilin that the Soul Master was a Violator, coupled with the fact that the Soul Master's affiliated Paradise faction was displayed as "Reincarnation Paradise" on the leaderboard, there was only one possibility for a high-ranking Violator who hadn't defected to the revived Dawn Paradise: they might possess the "Forbidden Mark."
This, combined with Shenfu's hostility toward him, plus the five "Forbidden Marks" — Shenfu had absorbed three, Hao Tao had one — led to the only answer: the Soul Master was the holder of the "Soul Mark."
While opposing the Soul Master, Su Xiao didn't believe Shenfu would also want to clash with him. This wasn't arrogance; it was based on a thorough understanding of Shenfu, his "old friend through life and death."
Half an hour later, the central statue of the Old Dragon Church cracked open, and white biological tissue emerged from within. After this tissue spread to a certain extent, the upper half of a humanoid figure gradually took shape. From the brow and eyes, it was recognizable as Shenfu's appearance.
"Found a lead?" Su Xiao spoke.
"Better than that."
Shenfu, in his pale clone form, wore his usual benevolent smile. He reached into his chest and pulled out a heart. This heart was half-mechanical, half-flesh, and its beating was already growing weak. Naturally, this wasn't Shenfu's heart; it was a key mission item.
Seeing this, Su Xiao felt no joy but instead grew wary. Shenfu's efficiency was absurdly high. He had just made contact and already obtained a key mission item.
"One of my goals this time was the mission tied to this item. Unfortunately, the Soul Master is tougher than I anticipated. I had to abandon part of my plan, including this Heart of the Gods."
"..."
Su Xiao stared at Shenfu for a few seconds before saying, "Twenty-eighty split."
"Impossible. At least fifty-fifty."
Shenfu's stance was exceptionally firm, but Su Xiao estimated that the old fox's bottom line was a forty-sixty split. So Su Xiao said, "At most, thirty-seventy."
"Fine."
"..."
Su Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. He confirmed that Shenfu wasn't playing tricks; he had genuinely conceded some profit. But this had both pros and cons.
The good news was, of course, the gains from this venture. The bad news was that this old bastard Shenfu was clearly planning to devour the remaining two "Forbidden Marks" within this world. Once the "Forbidden Marks" were complete, there would inevitably be a qualitative change, making Shenfu even harder to deal with.
After a brief weighing of options, Su Xiao accepted the Heart of the Gods. The Shenfu clone and the white flesh before him melted like candles, soon dissolving into the air.
Seeing this, Su Xiao immediately leaped out the window and casually put on a super-enhanced alchemical gas mask. He observed the [Heart of the Gods] in his hand, and a prompt appeared.
[You have obtained the core mission item for the "Side Mission: Ancient Divine Power." Do you wish to accept this mission?]
[This mission has been accepted.]
[Side Mission: Ancient Divine Power]
Difficulty Level: Lv.96
Mission Brief: Kill the four Heavenly Gods of the Pantheon (After accepting this mission, you can sense the locations of the four Heavenly Gods once per natural day).
Mission Duration: 20 natural days.
Mission Reward: None (During the completion of this mission, you will receive rewards far exceeding the mission's difficulty, hence no direct reward).
Mission Penalty: One randomly selected current mission will immediately fail.
...
This mission was quite special. It allowed sensing of the mission targets' locations. After checking the mission branch list, Su Xiao found it was a slaughter mission. That made sense; the difficulty of a slaughter mission lay in combat, not in puzzles or searching.
The targets were the four Heavenly Gods of this world. This gave Su Xiao an idea. He wanted to maximize his gains this time. He couldn't go after the Beast Lord just yet; he first needed to wait for a certain someone to take the bait before proceeding with the subsequent plan at lower risk.
Su Xiao opened the title forging disc of Reincarnation Paradise and the Void Tree. Using the [Hunter Gold Coins] he had obtained, he began exchanging for [Title Chest (★)]. Then he opened the [Title Chest (★)], chose to obtain "Spreading Hotbed," and reforged each "Spreading Hotbed."
After consuming a total of 6,952 "Spreading Hotbeds," Su Xiao obtained 300 "Full Title Potential·99.99% Success Rate·Spreading Hotbeds."
He took out the [Hunter God] title. The mission he had just received was very special, giving him the feeling of a reward mission. However, from another perspective, the fact that Shenfu had abandoned this mission showed how formidable the Soul Master was, forcing the old fox to neglect this reward mission.
Shenfu was also decisive. Compared to abandoning it entirely, getting a thirty-percent share was undoubtedly the better choice. No wonder this old bastard always ended up as one of the final winners.
A total of 300 "Spreading Hotbeds" enveloped [Hunter God], causing this title, which had only 71.6% potential, to emit a faint glow. The "Spreading Hotbeds" dissolved, resembling golden-red magma, vaguely taking the shape of a heart, and began to nourish this "Limit Burn·1 Time" title.
Unfortunately, this effect lasted only a few minutes before the golden-red "Spreading Hotbeds" fell off, and the enhancement failed. Su Xiao was not surprised by this. He continued exchanging for "Spreading Hotbeds." After more than ten minutes and a total consumption of 7,085 [Hunter Gold Coins], he obtained another 300 "Full Title Potential·99.99% Success Rate·Spreading Hotbeds."
Using the same method, he enveloped [Hunter God] with these "Spreading Hotbeds." The golden-red glow flickered on and off. This time, it lasted an hour before the hard shell on [Hunter God] cracked, indicating success.
Su Xiao embedded [Hunter God] into the central main title slot of the forging disc. His title list still contained 1,906 "Nine-Star Attribute-Free Titles," enough to upgrade this title to "Limit Burn·Four Times." Having finally encountered a reward mission, he had to squeeze every bit of profit from it. Technique systems at the late stage consumed resources at a terrifying rate.
The title forging began. Soon, [Hunter God] reached "Limit Burn·Two Times." The subsequent impact to the third time also went smoothly. When five "Limit Burn·Three Times" attribute-free titles were embedded around the equally "Limit Burn·Three Times" [Hunter God], the impact for "Limit Burn·Four Times" began.
[This forging took a total of 6 hours and 25 minutes.]
Seeing this prompt, Su Xiao formed a crystal seat behind him, leaned back, and closed his eyes to rest. Time passed minute by minute. The person he was waiting for didn't come, but the title finished its forging first.
With the "Limit Burn·Four Times" [Old Hunter] title, impact for "Limit Burn·Five Times" was still difficult, but "Limit Burn·Four Times" was no longer as exceptionally hard as before.
[Hunter God]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Limit Burn: Four Times
Title Potential: 100%
Category: Highly Rare·Title
Title Effect 1: Return to Principle (Core·Passive) — After killing a Divine unit, seize its "Divine Soul" and perform "Primordial Return," causing the Divine Soul to revert to its original form.
Note: "Divine Souls" are derived from the Star Realm system. The original form is the most powerful state of that Divine Soul. Subsequent generations of inheritance, if the inheritor lacks sufficient compatibility with the inherited "Divine Soul" and occupies the divine seat for too long, will cause the Divine Soul to weaken, degenerate, or mutate.
Title Effect 2: Divine Coronation (Passive) — Can store obtained "Primordial Divine Souls" and grant them to others.
Maximum Storage: 0/5
Stored Divine Souls: None
Due to the significant enhancement of this title's characteristics, stored "Divine Souls" have returned to the Star Realm.
Introduction: Seize, Return, Grant.
Price: Cannot be sold.
...
"Limit Burn·Four Times" was the qualitative change point for titles. Su Xiao had known this for a long time, but the change in [Hunter God] truly exceeded his expectations.
The already dim Old Dragon Church grew even darker. Su Xiao put away the [Hunter God] title and looked toward the darkness beneath the Old Dragon statue.
A substance like black iron sand emerged, then formed a humanoid figure — it was the Abyss Princess.
"Heh~, you actually dared to kill the Beast Lord's second son. You have some guts..."
Before the Abyss Princess could finish, Su Xiao pointed to Xilin beside him: "Causal system. She's the type best at blocking perception."
"It seems I was right to come to you. Bai Ye, you can't fight the Beast Lord. Even if you win, you'll lose badly..."
"Enough."
"What?"
The Abyss Princess showed surprise.
"Knowing this much is enough."
"You..."
The Abyss Princess was even more confused.
"Tell me what you want."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, the Abyss Princess set aside her confusion and said, "My sister, Ayisha, is imprisoned by the Scorpion Lady in a deep pit beneath the Queen's City. I want to save her."
"Oh?"
"What do you mean 'oh'? We may have some minor conflicts, but we're still family. You can't just stand by and watch, right? Father doesn't care about our existence, but Mother loves us dearly."
As she spoke, the white lines in the Abyss Princess's eyes softened a bit.
"Aren't you half-sisters?"
Baha's question made the Abyss Princess shrug. "I don't even know who my biological mother is. Probably some powerful Abyss existence. After I was born, Father threw me to Mother Hotbed to raise."
The "Dark Hotbed" the Abyss Princess mentioned was one of the strongest Abyss beings in the Abyss, second only to the current Lord of the Abyss. Unlike other Abyss beings who were chaotic neutral or frenzied evil, it was the gentlest.
In other words, all of the Lord of the Abyss's offspring were raised by the Dark Hotbed. The Abyss Princess was no exception. As for Ayisha, she seemed to have grown up on Blazing Sun Star, but what kind of place was that? The Abyss erosion rate was extremely high.
Thus, during their childhood, Ayisha and her twin sister Delona had visited the Abyss in soul form. With their soul strength, they would have been in danger the moment they entered the Abyss. It was only because their mother, the Dark Hotbed, protected them that they succeeded. They played near the vast mother, the Dark Hotbed, and met the Abyss Princess.
At that time, the Abyss Princess was actually not young, but having spent most of her life in the Abyss, her mental age wasn't much older than Ayisha and Delona's.
Among them, Ayisha was the quietest, Delona was mischievous but not clever, and the Abyss Princess was bold and smart. When Delona and the Abyss Princess met, it was like thunder meeting fire. Often, the Abyss Princess and Delona would cause trouble while Ayisha watched quietly.
Later, as Ayisha and Delona grew up, Mother Hotbed, though reluctant, stopped calling them to the Abyss, letting them grow up healthily in the material world.
Of course, the Abyss Princess missed these two closest relatives and playmates. She left the Abyss and her mother largely to find her two sisters. But she knew her identity was dangerous. Any of her father's enemies could kill her without a trace and even implicate her sisters. So, while searching, she claimed to have a grudge against her sisters. After all, she had no friends, so she didn't worry about enemies coming after her.
"You can leave now."
Su Xiao's words made the Abyss Princess puff up in anger, but her earlier arrogance was just an act. She wanted to say something tough, but now she needed a favor.
"I'll save Delona."
Su Xiao glanced at the Abyss Princess, then continued maintaining Dragon-Slaying Flash. He could faintly sense that a powerful being had locked onto his position and would arrive shortly.
"After this is done, I'm willing to pay you..."
"Not needed."
Su Xiao interrupted the Abyss Princess, leaving her stunned. But then, she suddenly sensed something and said urgently, "Forget that for now. Let's leave. I think I sense something powerful coming."
"..."
Su Xiao's fingers brushed over the blade. Dragon-Slaying Flash was slightly longer than an average sword, not belonging to any standard style of blade weapon. It looked completely different from the white-quality Dragon-Slaying Flash he had originally obtained.
This blade had been upgraded time and again, accompanying Su Xiao in slaying one powerful enemy after another. It had long become a weapon uniquely suited to Su Xiao's height, arm length, combat style, and system. In other words, its weapon list was simply Dragon-Slaying Flash, the Law-Annihilating Blade: Dragon-Slaying Flash.
Perhaps, in the years to come, master weapon smiths across various worlds in the Star Realm would begin to replicate this blade.
The long blade returned to its sheath, and Su Xiao inserted it into the blade belt at his waist. The reason he didn't accept the Abyss Princess's reward was tied to one of his principles: he didn't deceive friends, let alone deceased ones.
He had a friend on Blazing Sun Star named Luciwa. Back then, there was an eighty percent chance he wouldn't have been a match for the First Sun King. It was only after the battle began that Luciwa, through Ayisha and Delona's "Fate Advance," overdrew his life to the brink of death in exchange for extreme power, allowing the two of them to barely defeat the First Sun King.
Moreover, the previous owner of the Lord's Train was Luciwa. Before his death, he gifted the Lord's Train to Su Xiao.
Delona was Luciwa's biological sister.
Additionally, the Scorpion Lady had long been plotting against Su Xiao's side. This Abyss descendant had to be dealt with regardless.
Drip, drip~
From the claws of the gray-white stone Old Dragon statue, black liquid dripped. The rubble on the ground began to tremble, then the entire floor shook. Droplet-like black liquid coalesced in the air, soon spreading throughout the nearly thousand-square-meter Old Dragon Church, which had long lost its former glory.
Black liquid flowed from the eye sockets of the Old Dragon statue, making it look as if the dragon was weeping.
Crack, crack, crack~
The ceiling above cracked.
Boom!
The ceiling shattered, and a towering figure descended. Dust scattered, and as it gradually cleared, the figure's form became visible.
The newcomer stood over ten meters tall, with chaotic, woody horns on its head. It wore tattered black robes, as if it had been in long-term ascetic cultivation somewhere, leading to such attire.
The figure couldn't be described as burly; it exuded a sense of grandeur. Xilin, a perception-type, saw this figure and suddenly felt a shudder. Her knees went weak, and her mind went blank. It seemed only by kneeling at this figure's feet could she find inner peace.
With just one glance, Xilin knew this was one of the world's ultimate bosses. In a Supreme-level world, everyone knew a survival rule: don't provoke major boss-level units, let alone ultimate bosses.
Xilin wasn't the only one panicking; the Abyss Princess was also terrified. She didn't think the infamous Beast Lord would care about her origins, let alone that her father didn't care whether she lived or died.
Xilin and the Abyss Princess exchanged glances, both confirming the same thought: they would rely on each other as friends in this battle. Participate in the fight? No way. Both knew that what they needed to do next was survive the aftermath of this monster-level battle.
The newcomer was the Beast Lord. It lowered its eyelids, its gaze calm as it looked down at Su Xiao.