Chapter 30: The Price
The sunlight in Empress City was not particularly bright, but at least there was sunlight. As soon as Su Xiao stepped out of the Shady Manor, Bubu Wang appeared.
"Woof."
"Mm, well done."
"Woof."
"No."
"Woof woof!"
"..."
Su Xiao stopped walking, and Bubu Wang immediately backed down. He had no choice but to back down; going back meant getting hit with a slipper, and that was after being controlled by Amu as the substitute hitter, which hurt like hell.
This time, Bubu Wang had gone out to guide the surviving residents of Ancient Dragon City, located southwest of the Decay Lake, to Empress City. Regarding this, Scorpion Lady was naturally unwilling. Ancient Dragon City had fallen to such a state precisely because of her scheming.
Su Xiao did not believe that Scorpion Lady would simply turn over a new leaf and abandon evil. This former Abyss Descendant, now an Abyss System powerhouse, was definitely plotting something in the shadows. To that end, she was willing to offer up Empress City, which she had managed for so many years, just to buy enough time.
Su Xiao didn't care what she was scheming. These risks were all within acceptable limits. Now, the most important thing was to prevent Shenfu from destroying Sanctuary City and ending this world progress prematurely. Remember, they still hadn't found any trace of the White Dragon Girl.
When asked about this, Scorpion Lady pushed all the blame onto Council Leader Egu Baiya. But Su Xiao felt things weren't that simple. However, the [Ancient Dragon Faction's Strongest Freezing Ability: Winter's Embrace] protecting the White Dragon Girl could last for a month, so there was plenty of time.
Returning to the Lord's Train, Su Xiao piloted it to District 15 of Empress City. This area's prosperity was second only to District 0. As soon as the train stopped in the backyard woodland of the Parasol Tree Manor that Baha had purchased, a figure draped in a black robe and wearing a hood boarded the train.
"The situation isn't good."
The newcomer got straight to the point, explaining the current state of Sanctuary City: Doan.
"Those two have control over Sanctuary City?"
Su Xiao gestured for the robed figure to make himself comfortable. The heavy-hearted robed figure shook his head and said in a somewhat hoarse voice:
"When Doan faces danger, the Ancestral Spirits are our only reliance. For that, we can pay a great price—nearly half the life force of the residents, the Primordial Life Force of the current generation's Supreme. But now, as the external danger gradually disappears, the Ancestral Spirits have become shackles. They have already begun to forbid the residents of Sanctuary City from leaving Doan. This time, I used an incarnation I left outside the city to meet you."
With that, the robed figure removed his hood. This person was the Dark Bishop of Sanctuary City: Charles.
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. Regarding the Ancestral Spirits of Sanctuary City, he had already guessed something when he approached the Central Torch Tower before. Because with Charles, Afiya, and Zdenek—these three Supremes—it was impossible to stop the Dukain Family. Not to mention others, the Beast Lord could take on all three of them alone without issue.
Ultimately, their Supreme power was inherited from the previous Supreme Guardian of Sanctuary City. When they faced death, they also needed to pass this power down. Such inherited power could never have 100% compatibility.
"So, why have you come to see me?"
Su Xiao was maintaining the Dragon-Slaying Flash. He had given Sanctuary City what it needed, but the result was that the Ancestral Spirits didn't care about any of that and chose to cooperate with Shenfu and the Soul Master.
"I came to express my apology to you."
"Oh? Are you planning to return the [Flame Core] to me? If I remember correctly, that was a gift from me to you."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, the Dark Bishop Charles choked back the speech he had prepared for a long time. Yes, as soon as this Law Destroyer arrived at Sanctuary City, he gave them the [Flame Core], which could illuminate for two eras, without asking for anything in return. Then he created a stable food source for Sanctuary City.
To this day, the main source of food for Sanctuary City still came from the semi-withered insect nest beneath the Gloomy Grand Cathedral. But all of this was exchanged for a shameful betrayal.
"Charles."
Su Xiao placed the Dragon-Slaying Flash on the blade rack and, for the first time during this meeting, looked directly at the Dark Bishop Charles.
"Are you trying to persuade me to help you retake Sanctuary City?"
"Yes."
The Dark Bishop Charles didn't dare meet Su Xiao's gaze; he lowered his head and averted his eyes.
"And then betray me again."
"This..."
The Dark Bishop Charles wanted to answer firmly that he absolutely would not, but he knew that the real decision-makers in Sanctuary City: Doan were the Ancestral Spirits.
"Charles."
Su Xiao pulled a bottle of Elemental Brew from the wine rack beside him. Amu set out two glasses. Su Xiao poured himself a glass and then poured one for the Dark Bishop Charles opposite him. This eased Charles's mind a bit. Having a drink meant they were still friends, and if they were still friends, there was room for negotiation.
"Charles, do you think I can slay Dukain?"
"Yes."
Charles's tone was firm. It wasn't a concession in negotiation or anything like that; he genuinely believed from the bottom of his heart that the Law Destroyer opposite him could defeat Dukain.
"There are many Abyss Passages in this world, but Abyss Passages can actually be closed. I sealed one on Blazing Sun Star before, and I succeeded."
Hearing this, Charles's expression changed.
"Tell me, if there were no more Abyss Descendants and no further erosion by Abyss power, would Sanctuary City: Doan welcome the dawn light you all yearn for?"
Su Xiao's words made Charles's expression turn ugly. He wanted to argue something but couldn't say anything. Finally, he picked up his glass, drained it in one gulp, exhaled a breath of alcohol, and said:
"The Ancestral Spirits have protected us for a long time. Doan exists today because of their protection."
"Oh? Then how do you view the Ancestral Spirits?"
"They are the soul aggregation of Doan's past Supremes."
"Is that so."
Su Xiao refilled Charles's glass and said with a hint of a smile:
"In your opinion, how well do I understand the Abyss?"
"Very, very well. Your understanding of the Abyss is beyond anyone in our Sanctuary City."
Charles finished speaking and glanced at Amu standing nearby.
"Perhaps my insight is shallow, but in my understanding, aggregated soul power, after being tainted by the Abyss, would actually protect living beings?"
These words made Charles's expression change slightly. In fact, it wasn't just Charles. Exploration Captain Afiya and Pain Priest Zdenek had also suspected why the Ancestral Spirits had such a heavy Abyss aura. After discussing it privately, the three concluded that it was due to the Abyss erosion environment of this world.
But deep down, all three had another answer. The so-called Ancestral Spirits were the aggregated soul power of generations of Supremes, continuously strengthened by Abyss power. Therefore, this powerful yet unstable source of power needed a sufficiently stable stabilizer. Throughout the Star Realm, Primordial Life Force was one of the most stable high-tier energies.
A fact was clear: even if the Abyss Descendants of this world were slain and the Abyss invasion stopped, Sanctuary City: Doan would still have to face the Ancestral Spirits that had always protected them. From another perspective, it could be said that the Ancestral Spirits had been raising the residents of Sanctuary City all along.
Without generations of Sanctuary City residents providing Primordial Life Force, the Ancestral Spirits would have long twisted into a Soul Giant. Moreover, every few decades, the Supreme power of Sanctuary City: Doan would be inherited. The Supremes who lost their power would enter the bottom of the Central Torch Tower.
Nominally, they joined the Ancestral Spirits to become one of the many spirits. But if one thought darkly, these strong individuals didn't join the many spirits at all. The Ancestral Spirits had only one consciousness. Every time a strong soul entered the tower's base, it was devoured by the Ancestral Spirit to strengthen itself.
Ask yourself, why could the Soul Master easily cooperate with the Ancestral Spirits? Because they were the same kind. The Soul Master gained power by devouring the souls of others, and the Ancestral Spirits did the same.
After Su Xiao arrived in this world and defeated the Beast Lord, one person in Sanctuary City saw an opportunity to turn things around. That person was the current City Lord of Sanctuary City: Worn. Unfortunately, before Worn could have a secret meeting with Su Xiao, he was killed by Shenfu and the Soul Master, and the Soul Master took his place.
"Even if what you say is true, with the Ancestral Spirits' current strength, I am no match for them. Perhaps you aren't either. Moreover, the [Soul Divine Tree] it has carefully cultivated is about to bear fruit. With that fruit, it will be even more invincible."
"The environment of this world cannot produce a [Soul Divine Tree]..."
Su Xiao stopped mid-sentence, suddenly thinking of something, and asked, "Is Sanctuary City built on the ruins of the Dawn Empire?"
"This... how do you know?"
The Dark Bishop Charles was slightly shocked.
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. If Sanctuary City was built on the ruins of the Dawn Empire, then a [Soul Divine Tree] was indeed possible. After all, the Dawn Empire was established by humans and giants inheriting one of the Ancient Dragons' legacies.
If the current Central Torch Tower was the former Ancient Dragon Ancestral Land, where the departed Ancient Dragons were all buried, then beneath this land, a large amount of mixed but massive original Soul Stones would have formed.
Under such circumstances, after years of gestation, planting a [Soul Divine Tree] on top could truly allow it to grow and thrive.
Normally, a [Soul Divine Tree] would bear fruit only once every thousand years, then wither and die. The flesh of this fruit was the main ingredient for the top-tier [Soul Enhancement Secret Medicine]. The core of the fruit could be used to plant another [Soul Divine Tree] in a suitable environment.
Such a harsh method of continuation meant that the number of [Soul Divine Trees] in the Star Realm might not even reach a few dozen.
Su Xiao had never expected to obtain a fully mature [Soul Divine Tree Fruit]; he didn't have that kind of luck. But from the Dark Bishop's meaning, this fruit would mature in a few more decades. Such a [Soul Divine Tree Fruit] could already be used. Although it was only 60% as effective as a fully mature one, it was still a rare treasure.
Su Xiao's plan needed to change. He refilled the Dark Bishop Charles's glass and asked:
"Charles, are you afraid of death?"
"Very afraid."
"Then, for Sanctuary City: Doan, are you afraid of death?"
"Not so much."
"Good. Next question: do you trust me?"
Hearing this, the Dark Bishop Charles hesitated. He recalled a few days ago, when the two stood on the rooftop of the Gloomy Grand Cathedral, watching in the sunset's afterglow as the residents of Doan received meat rations with smiles on their faces, the cooking smoke rising from every household, and the children running and playing in the streets after a full meal.
"I... trust you."
"Then I'll give you a chance."
Su Xiao took out the [Book of Original Sin], placed it on the table in front of him, and opened it to the sixth page, where the [Soul Crown] was located.
When it came to granting power, the [Sun Mask] and [Scarlet Scepter] were definitely better. The problem was that these two Daddy-level Original Sin Objects had extremely hostile relationships with Su Xiao. They were the two Daddy-level Original Sin Objects that most wanted to kill him.
The [Nether Bone Ring] wasn't bad either, but its relationship with Su Xiao was at most "cold," and it occasionally wanted to kill him too.
On the other hand, the [Soul Crown]—Su Xiao had helped this Original Sin Object reach the Daddy level. Its current relationship with Su Xiao was "temporarily neutral." It wasn't as good as the Collector's "neutral" relationship or the best relationship with the [Necronomicon]. Of course, "good" here just meant "average," mainly because it didn't actively want to kill Su Xiao.
Moreover, the [Soul Crown] would grant the user powerful soul strength, making it quite suitable for dealing with the Ancestral Spirits.
The Dark Bishop Charles looked at the [Soul Crown] before him. Apart from fear, there was also a growing desire in his eyes. He asked hesitantly:
"Do I really have the qualifications to use this Original Sin Object?"
"No."
"Then?"
"You don't have the qualifications to use it. But before you are consumed by desire, as long as your will is strong enough, the Ancestral Spirits will definitely die before you."
Su Xiao wouldn't deal with the Ancestral Spirits himself because he also had enemies to face. He didn't have the energy to care about what happened to Sanctuary City. But since the Dark Bishop Charles had come, he would give him a choice. If the other party wasn't afraid of death, then it was simple.
The Dark Bishop Charles held the [Soul Crown] with both hands, took a deep breath, and placed it on his head. The next second, this incarnation of his suddenly disappeared.
Almost simultaneously, in the prayer room of the Gloomy Grand Cathedral in Sanctuary City, the real Dark Bishop Charles opened his eyes. On his head was the [Soul Crown].
Charles rose from his kneeling position and walked out of the Grand Cathedral. As soon as he reached the entrance, he encountered two people: Shenfu and the Soul Master.
"Shenfu, this guy looks very off. Shenfu? Shenfu?"
The Soul Master turned his head and saw Shenfu, who had turned into a gray-white husk of a human form. This made him push up his narrow-framed sunglasses with his black-gloved hand. His only thought was to get out of there fast. If Shenfu, that old fox, was so decisive, then the thing on the Dark Bishop Charles's head must be something terrifying.
"You, kneel before this King!"
Boom!
A surge of soul power instantly shattered the Soul Master. Meanwhile, in the ruins over a hundred kilometers outside Sanctuary City, the newly reborn Shenfu watched as the Soul Container a few meters away slowly opened. The Soul Master, covered in transparent liquid, sat up from inside, bare-chested.
"What the hell was that just now?"
"An Original Sin Object."
"Huh? Are Original Sin Objects that terrifying? I've experienced your Golden Holy Grail, and it's not on the same level as that crown."
"Of course. That one has an Original Sin. That crown represents desire."
"Tsk tsk tsk. Something that sinister—how does that Hunter manage to hold onto it?"
Shenfu didn't answer the Soul Master's question. He looked at the dimness outside the ruins: "Let's begin."
...
At this moment, in Sanctuary City: Doan, at the central square, beneath the towering Central Torch Tower, the Dark Bishop Charles stopped. His pupils were trembling—a sign of his consciousness struggling against the ever-magnifying desire.
Pfft!
The Dark Bishop Charles thrust his hand into his own chest, ripped out his own heart, and tossed it to Exploration Captain Afiya.
"Afiya, if I succeed, crush my heart immediately, kill me, and then go find Bai Ye immediately. He's the only one who can handle the aftermath. He promised me: I give my life, and he cleans up."
Charles's gaze was resolute. This was why he hadn't been quickly controlled by the [Soul Crown].
"Zdenek, you come in with me. If I can't hold on, I'll end myself just before being controlled. You take over. Wear this crown. Today, we must deal with this Ancestral Spirit that has devoured our Doan's life force for thousands of years but has become a new threat to Doan on the eve of its salvation."
"Alright."
The expressionless Zdenek replied with just one word, but his resolve was equally firm.
"I can also..."
Afiya started to speak, but Charles, walking toward the Central Torch Tower, stopped and turned his head to smile at her: "Don't die, Afiya."
Leaving these words, the Dark Bishop Charles and Pain Priest Zdenek entered the Central Torch Tower.
...
Empress City, District 15, Parasol Tree Manor, Backyard Woodland, Inside the Lord's Train.
Su Xiao turned off the projection that Bubu Wang was playing. He got up and went to the bedroom at the back of the carriage. First, he activated the Awakening Stele and refined the 150 Law-Destroying Skill Points in the [Primordial Container] into 30 points. Then he entered the [Skill Upgrade Pod], activated this Void Tree facility, and used the refined Law-Destroying Skill Points to upgrade his Azure Steel Shadow ability under the certified environment.
An hour later, with a burst of steam, the [Skill Upgrade Pod] opened. The train's smoke sensor activated, expelling the dispersing steam. Su Xiao stepped out of the [Skill Upgrade Pod]. He could feel the Azure Steel Shadow energy within him surging to its peak.
He started the Lord's Train, heading toward the [Absolute Dark Zone].
Two hours later, when the Lord's Train stopped, the surrounding light had become extremely dim. To ensure he could lure out enough Abyss Spawn, Su Xiao entered the [Absolute Dark Zone] from another entrance.
This time, entering the [Absolute Dark Zone], Su Xiao was not shrouded in darkness that had reached a level of nothingness. With the [Abyss Vision] granted by his [Instinct] ability, he instead felt that the deeper he went into the [Absolute Dark Zone], the more abundant the light became.
Arriving at the central area of the [Absolute Dark Zone], he took out a specially made high-efficiency atomization device from Bubu Wang. He fixed this metal device, which was the size of a millstone base, to the ground and activated it.
Thump~!
A wave of darkness spread, and the aura of [Abyss Source Matter] surged outward. But this time, after a long while, the surrounding darkness remained eerily quiet.
The Abyss Spawn weren't stupid. Last time they besieged Su Xiao, they ended up in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Although this wasn't the same location, the Abyss Spawn in the surrounding darkness gradually retreated, seemingly intending to return to the Abyss Passage and stay away from this Law Destroyer.
Faced with this situation, Su Xiao took out a portion of [Abyss Source Matter]. The container for this [Abyss Source Matter] was specially made by Bubu Wang—extremely sturdy, with one end modified. He activated the pressure valve end, and the [Abyss Source Matter], atomized into particles by the micro-vibration device, dispersed slightly.
The surrounding darkness suddenly became extremely quiet.
"ROAR!!"
A berserk roar instantly enveloped Su Xiao. Countless Abyss Spawn surged from the surrounding darkness.
The next morning, Su Xiao dragged his exhausted body out of the exit of the [Absolute Dark Zone]. With the Azure Shadow King's support, he wasn't afraid of being surrounded. This allowed the [Primordial Container] to fill up again. Unfortunately, this time, no Immortal Abyss Spawn appeared, so there was no [Demon Spirit Source Matter] gain, and the completion of the [Abyss Mission: Death's Grant] didn't increase at all.
Of course, this trip wasn't entirely without other gains. Apart from the [Hunter Gold Coins] brought by the [Old Hunter] title, Su Xiao had also accepted a massive number of faction missions from Kaisa in advance before coming to the [Absolute Dark Zone].
These missions were all related to clearing the Abyss Spawn in this world. Su Xiao and Kaisa weren't fabricating faction missions out of thin air. These faction missions were all certified by the Void Tree. Moreover, because Su Xiao's reputation with the Void Tree was low, these missions underwent a second judgment, and the result was that there were no issues.
First, one must understand that Empress City was one of the core factions of this world, even the largest core faction. Furthermore, Empress City had already severed ties with this world's Abyss faction.
Under such a judgment, the Abyss invasion was undoubtedly a great threat to Empress City. As the Faction Executor of Empress City, Kaisa issuing more faction missions to resist the Abyss invasion to prevent Empress City from being destroyed by Abyss Spawn was perfectly reasonable, both publicly and privately, emotionally and logically!
As a key figure in making Empress City the core faction of this world, Su Xiao accepting these missions to ensure that the Empress City he was currently staying in was not threatened by Abyss Spawn was even more reasonable.
As for the faction reputation rewards from these missions being too high, Su Xiao had been killing in the [Absolute Dark Zone] all night. By morning, he had killed so many that even the modified [Abyss Source Matter] container couldn't lure out any more Abyss Spawn. Wasn't it reasonable to gain a bit more faction reputation?
When the train stopped, Su Xiao had returned to the Parasol Tree Manor in District 15 of Empress City. He could only say that having the Lord's Train was truly wonderful, especially in a world like this, invaded by the Abyss, where using teleportation carried risks.
Arriving in a relatively safe area, Su Xiao collapsed onto the large bed in the train's bedroom and fell asleep. Seeing this, Amu swallowed the food in his mouth, walked out of the train, jumped onto the roof, and sat there. Anyone who approached with malicious intent would be killed by Amu immediately.
When Su Xiao woke up, it was already noon. The first thing he did upon waking was to enter the [Skill Upgrade Pod], activate it, and begin upgrading his Azure Steel Shadow ability.
Over two hours later, Su Xiao stepped out of the [Skill Upgrade Pod]. Although this Void Tree facility still had some usage time left, and upgrading the Azure Steel Shadow ability didn't put too much strain on his body, that was relative. Raising the Azure Steel Shadow ability by 60 levels in a short time had pushed its strength to a rather exaggerated level even among the Supreme ranks.
[Azure Steel Shadow: Lv.155 (Active/Passive Skill)]
Usage Condition: After activating the Azure Steel Shadow ability, consumes 16,960 mana points per minute (increase of 7,200 points).
Active Effect: Each melee attack burns 26,860 mana points from the enemy and deals true damage equal to 1.8 times the burned mana (Base 48,348 + 400 True Damage + Dragon-Slaying Flash increase 50% + Azure Shadow King increase 30% + Swift Shadow increase 40% = 106,766 True Damage). The enemy will suffer intense pain from the mana burn.
Defensive Form: Proud Song (Passive), can generate crystals of any form to defend against enemy attacks. Crystal strength is proportional to the mana consumed. Single-use mana consumption cap is 31,900 points (increase of 9,000 points). Crystal layer defense rank +40 (increase of 12).
Tip: After Proud Song transforms into a passive trait, crystal formation and spread speed increase by 76% (increase of 26%).
Combat Form: Violent Boil (Active), causes Azure Steel Shadow energy to "boil," changing consumption from per minute to per second, and mana consumption increases by 1000%. The final true damage dealt by Azure Steel Shadow is multiplied by 3x.
...
The current Azure Steel Shadow ability's maximum damage per strike is 320,298 true damage. Ridiculous? Yes. But correspondingly, the mana consumption is equally ridiculous: 169,600 points per second.
Su Xiao's 520,000 mana points were already very high. However, the problem was that with the Azure Steel Shadow's [Violent Boil] activated, he would run out of mana in just over three seconds. It seemed he could only activate [Violent Boil] for the strike that decided life or death.
Going to the train's bathroom, Su Xiao washed up and felt that he was in optimal condition. He went to the front carriage and took out the two existing [Dukain Family Emblems]. His next stop would definitely be [Molten City] to deal with Council Leader Egu Baiya. That old fellow had three [Dukain Family Emblems].
[Announcement (Void Tree): Detected that the progress cycle of this world progress is about to display the reward benefits of this reputation leaderboard. Summary as follows:
First Place Reward: