Chapter 36: Gaze
Su Xiao sat atop the Lord's Train, watching the endless embers drifting upward. Though victorious in this battle, he had come to further realize that after his ascension to the Supreme rank, his accumulation at that level was insufficient.
This kind of accumulation, built through time and combat, could not be forcibly stacked with resources. Everything has its pros and cons, and this applied to Technique Grandmasters as well. While gaining late-stage T0-level combat power at the same tier, they also lost the possibility of unrestrained growth through resource dumping.
However, nothing is absolute. Su Xiao now had an opportunity—the "Ascension Ritual" corresponding to [Above Grandmaster], and it was the highest tier. Paying 120,000 ounces of Space-Time Power to activate it would allow the three "Grandmaster Technique Abilities" that had already reached Lv.95 to undergo a fusion transformation, granting a "Technique-Type" ability that surpassed "Grandmaster" and was uniquely Su Xiao's.
This was his only chance to catch up on this temporal accumulation, but it also required a massive amount of resources.
The Blade Grandmaster and Melee Grandmaster abilities were manageable; they had already crossed the Lv.95 threshold. The subsequent resource requirements were terrifying but at least solvable. The "Blood Source Matter" needed for Blood Spear Grandmaster had only one acquisition method: personally slaying the "Fierce Beast·Fei."
The only good news was that there was still one "Fierce Beast·Fei" left in the entire Star Realm, located deep within the Ancient Battlefield.
After this return, Su Xiao had to go to the Ancient Battlefield and fight that "Fierce Beast·Fei" to the death.
Crushing a vial of "Scarlet Potion" and letting it seep into the skin of his hand, Su Xiao frowned. He had already slain the Dukain Ancestor, yet no kill notification had appeared yet.
Su Xiao took several deep breaths to adjust his state, then reactivated the "Absolute Perception Zone" of his Instinct. This perception zone, which was usually as natural as breathing or a heartbeat, now placed a considerable burden on him. The Dukain Ancestor had injured him too severely. Those Abyss Spawn gnawed not only at his flesh but also at his soul and even his personal karma.
As a result, Amu was lying prone inside the Lord's Train. This battle had wounded Amu heavily as well. However, Amu, who had absorbed a massive amount of "Abyss Source Matter," was incredibly tough and ferocious. The scene of him finally biting off a third of the Dukain Ancestor's head seemed to foretell that he would be qualified to possess the "Abyss Stomach" in the future.
Su Xiao stepped forward. After only a few steps, his "Absolute Perception" detected something amiss.
*Clang!*
The long blade swept through, carving a black scar in the air. A spatial rift was slashed open. Baha flew over and maintained the rift.
Inside this spatial rift, which resembled a black-and-white world, an Abyss Spawn was crawling forward, its body covered in wounds. It was already dead, but a force of will drove it to crawl toward the fading "Abyss Proximity Zone." This was the deceased Dukain Ancestor.
It could only be said that the Dukain Ancestor's journey from a First Era Abyss Spawn to achieving "Supreme Peak" in the Second Era was not due to luck or Abyss talent. Initially, it didn't even possess something as basic as intelligence.
Seeing the Dukain Ancestor's current state, Su Xiao considered a possibility. The other party wasn't even considered alive, let alone at the Supreme rank. He took a scroll from his storage space.
[Sealing Scroll·None]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Quality: Immortal Rank
Type: Sealing Scroll.
Effect: After killing an enemy, use this scroll to strip one of the enemy's abilities and seal it. After sealing, this scroll will permanently transform into a "Skill Scroll," with the ability being the sealed one.
Note: The highest level of ability that can be sealed is Supreme Rank·Mid-Low Tier.
Note: Sealing an ability requires consuming 1,200,000 Health Points and 100,000 Mana Points. If Health/Mana is below this requirement, forcibly using this scroll has a high probability of causing death from vitality depletion.
Rating: 5999 points (Immortal Rank item rating is 3000–6000 points)
Description: Unbelievable, such extreme potential exists.
...
His own health had recovered to over 50%. He attempted to use this [Sealing Scroll·None] on the Dukain Ancestor in its Abyss Spawn state.
His Health and Mana suddenly dropped by a chunk. The scroll in his hand exploded, transforming into countless transparent threads that sank into the semi-transparent body of the Abyss Spawn. After a moment, the Abyss Spawn became completely still.
[You have killed Dukain Ancestor·Bain.]
[You have gained 500,000 Queen City Reputation Points.]
[You have gained 30,000 Hunter Gold Coins.]
[You have gained Abyss Chest·Dukain.]
...
The Abyss Spawn within the spatial rift dissipated into embers. Strands of energy threads wove together, forming a scroll. Compared to a normal skill scroll, this one was much smaller, only half the size, but its translucent texture resembled ice or jade.
[You have gained Immortal Will (Skill Scroll).]
[Immortal Will (Passive, X)]
Type: Passive Skill.
Prerequisite: None.
Effect: Upon mastering, gain "Absolute Will."
Note: This skill's compatibility with you is extremely low. It differs from the willpower characteristics of Blade Grandmaster. Mastering this skill may cause the mental and spiritual control immunity effects derived from your Blade Grandmaster to fail to some extent, or even completely.
Price: This is a highly rare ability with the "Absolute" characteristic. You may choose to submit it to your Paradise faction, or use it as a basis to pay 30,000 ounces of Space-Time Power to the Void Tree, selecting a different type of passive ability with the same "Absolute" characteristic from the Void Tree's treasury.
...
After the life-and-death battle with the Dukain Ancestor, Su Xiao had gained new insight into the "Absolute Perception" of his Instinct. "Gain a permanent 'Absolute Perception' range of 50 meters in diameter"—a simple and direct skill effect, yet in a deathmatch, it had allowed him to avoid fatal attacks more than once.
Especially the combination of "Absolute Perception" + "Perfect Block." During the fight with the Dukain Ancestor, Su Xiao felt that if his Blade ability hadn't just recently been raised to its current level, he might have had some confidence in using a slash imbued with the "Perfect Block" effect to deflect the opponent's "Death Sentence" and its "Instant Death Effect."
As for why Su Xiao didn't try it, he never believed in breakthroughs during a life-or-death battle. He was well aware of his own luck—he didn't have that kind of fortune.
Putting away [Immortal Will (Passive, X)], this "Absolute Characteristic" ability wasn't suitable for Su Xiao. Exchanging it for another using 30,000 ounces was acceptable.
Speaking of which, he had kept the [Sealing Scroll·None] for so long, never expecting to use it on an Abyss Descendant. It was also fortunate that the Dukain Ancestor possessed "Immortal Will," entering this peculiar state after being slain.
[You have completed Bounty 4·Maw of the Worm: Eliminate the Ancestor.]
[Due to the "Hunt List·Blood Pact"'s multiplier bounty + bounty correction, you will receive a total bounty worth 25,000 ounces of Space-Time Power.]
[You have gained Space-Time Stone Fragment 0.]
[You have gained Elemental Blade (This item is deemed equivalent to 25,000 ounces of Space-Time Power in this judgment).]
[Note: This is the guaranteed reward for this bounty.]
...
[Elemental Spiral Blade]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise.
Category: Spiral Dagger/Causality Breaker/Elemental Weapon.
True Durability: 1/1 point (Permanently consumed after destroying the Ancestral Clan Emblem).
Attack Power: 1~1.
Equipment Requirement: None.
Equipment Effect, Causality Punishment (Core·Passive): Use this weapon to destroy the "Ancestral Clan Emblem" of Abyss Descendants.
Description: All weaknesses lie in the origin. Immortality and indestructibility are merely roots that have yet to be shattered.
...
A spiral-shaped dagger appeared before Su Xiao. He put away the weapon. This wasn't due to Reincarnation Paradise's favor or good luck, but because "Bounty 4" and "Bounty 5" were linked bounties.
"Bounty 4. Maw of the Worm: Eliminate the Ancestor (Requires paying a bounty deposit of 3,000–5,000 ounces of Space-Time Power to activate this bounty)."
"Bounty 5. Eternal Banishment: Find the 'Dukain Family·Ancestral Clan Emblem' and destroy it through the only method (Requires paying a bounty deposit of 50 ounces of Space-Time Power to activate this bounty. Due to the extremely high difficulty of this bounty, completion will grant a 5,000x additional bounty reward)."
Su Xiao boarded the Lord's Train. The train started, destination: the ruins of Molten City.
Shortly after the train departed, three figures appeared atop a distant ruin. Among them, the Soul Master adjusted his narrow-frame sunglasses, smiled, and asked:
"Father, with this opportunity, why don't you make a move? He's our biggest competitor from now on."
Hearing this, Father smiled benevolently and shook his head: "He's your competitor, not mine. I'm already off the leaderboard. Besides, Bai Ye and I have never been opponents—we're 'friends who have shared life and death.'"
He watched the departing Lord's Train, a meaningful glint in his eyes. His body gradually turned into gray-white ashes, scattering in the wind. The space, no, the world that came into contact with these ashes withered and shriveled. This small patch of the world had died.
From his aura, Father's control over his power was unstable, because he had grown stronger. Or rather, this old bastard had used "Initial Death" to devour all five "Forbidden Marks," obtaining the complete "Death Mark."
"I'll go."
Aurora spoke, looking at the Soul Master with seductive eyes. Whether she truly had feelings for him or was being influenced by the Soul Master's soul imprint before he lost it was unclear.
"Don't go."
The Soul Master spoke with a calm expression.
...
The Lord's Train stopped. After stepping off, Su Xiao looked back in the direction he had come from. Unfortunately, the enemy hidden in the shadows hadn't made a move. Otherwise, the "Greedy Eye" would have a new owner.
Sensing this, from an unknown location, the Original Sin object with the sin of greed, which now had a certain causal connection with Su Xiao, quietly abandoned that connection. As for targeting Su Xiao, the "Greedy Eye" wouldn't do that.
It didn't want to enter the "Book of Original Sin" and experience what treatment awaited it inside.
Su Xiao walked into the Dukain Family's Council Hall. Although it was in ruins, it hadn't collapsed. He went to the innermost part. The Dark Flow Barrier there had been broken by the battle, allowing him to directly enter the "Abyss Proximity Zone."
This "Abyss Proximity Zone" had largely dissipated, but some darkness remained inside. Su Xiao arrived at the Dukain Family's grand hall. The hall was covered in cracks, and most of the metal door fragments were shattered, allowing him to walk straight in.
The ancient Council Table at the center of the hall was broken. The high seats symbolizing the Council Leader and Councilors were also shattered into black stones. Su Xiao stopped before the innermost Abyss Black Wall. Black smoke surged from a hole in the wall. He tried to step inside, triggering the core effect of the [Abyssal Shadow] title, "Abyss Walk."
"Title Effect 3: Abyss Walk (Core·Passive): When entering the Abyss, you will not be eroded by the environment and will not emit the aura of an 'Outsider.'"
This effect triggering was definitely not a good sign. Su Xiao quickened his pace, entering the darkness. With the Abyss vision provided by his Instinct, he saw a completely black stele over ten meters tall standing before him. This was the Dukain Family's "Ancestral Clan Emblem."
In his imagination, the "Ancestral Clan Emblem" would be at most the size of a book. From what Scorpion Lady had implied, every spot on the "Ancestral Clan Emblem" was precious. When Abyss Descendants inscribed their "Causal Life Source" onto it, they joined the Dukain Family.
A slash mark ran diagonally across the entire "Ancestral Clan Emblem." There was no need to guess; this was undoubtedly the work of some Shadow of Law Annihilation. This had caused the Dukain Family to gradually decline.
Everything has limited power. The same applied to the "Ancestral Clan Emblem" of Abyss Descendants. The more "Causal Life Sources" inscribed on it, the more dispersed the family's power became.
Su Xiao estimated that some Abyss Descendant clans might have hundreds or thousands of members. These types were relatively easier to deal with and wouldn't catch the attention of the Ancestral Law Destroyers.
As for the major Abyss Descendant clans, such as Bronze and Rune, they had few members, and their "Ancestral Clan Emblems" were concentrated on the powerful ones, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
Su Xiao raised his hand and made a grasping motion. At the same time, in the frigid zone above, the abundant elemental power spreading there was drawn by Su Xiao, who was inside the Dukain grand hall, rapidly converging. If this Law Destroyer were to use elemental power, there would inevitably be backlash. But what this Law Destroyer was doing clearly didn't fall into that category.
Before the "Ancestral Clan Emblem," a massive amount of natural elemental power gathered. Su Xiao had originally planned to form a Sealing Blade, but with the prototype of [Elemental Spiral Blade] in hand, he decisively chose to construct it.
After a moment, an [Elemental Spiral Blade (Fake)] composed of a massive amount of natural elements appeared in Su Xiao's hand. If this were the Dukain "Ancestral Clan Emblem" at its peak, this [Elemental Spiral Blade (Fake)] couldn't possibly destroy it. But this was an emblem that had been severely damaged by Ximan·Achid and hadn't recovered for half an era.
*Crack!*
The [Elemental Spiral Blade (Fake)] pierced into the "Ancestral Clan Emblem." Several beautiful colors belonging to natural elements formed cracks of corresponding colors on the emblem, causing elemental light to shine from within the cracks.
*Boom!*
This "Ancestral Clan Emblem," which had stood since the First Era, shattered completely. This also signified that the Abyss Descendant clan, the Dukain Family, was utterly finished.
Faint screams came from the surrounding air—the Dukain family members Su Xiao had killed earlier. Now, they were facing true death.
Su Xiao took out the [Elemental Spiral Blade]. This item was deemed worth 25,000 ounces of Space-Time Power in the judgment. Although it wasn't needed this time, it would definitely be useful for dealing with other Abyss Descendant clans later. Not all "Ancestral Clan Emblems" were as dilapidated as the Dukain Family's.
The "Ancestral Clan Emblem" crumbled into rubble. Ninety-nine percent of the black stones dissolved, leaving only a sugar-cube-sized piece that fell with a clang onto a metal cover on the ground.
Picking up this "black stone," Su Xiao found it dark yet warm, heavy yet light. This suddenly reminded him of something.
[Special Quest·Dudugugu's Secret Quest (Single Ring Only)]
Difficulty Level: Lv.92.
Danger Level: Lv.5.
Quest Briefing: Find the Red Stone, Black Stone, and Blue Stone, and give all three stones to Dudugugu.
Note: When you are within 1000 meters of these three stones, a quest tracking reaction will be triggered.
Red Stone: Scorching yet cold, smooth yet rough.
Black Stone: Dark yet warm, heavy yet light.
Blue Stone: Hard yet fragile, magnificent yet dim.
Quest Time Limit: 150 natural days (not restricted to the current world).
Quest Reward: Dudugugu's Exclusive Equipment.
Quest Penalty: Get your palm slapped three times by Dudugugu.
...
This thing seemed very much like the "Black Stone" from this quest. But the quest's danger level was only Lv.92. Clearly, Su Xiao's approach to this quest was starting to seem strange.
After all, based on his experience finding this "Black Stone," the quest's difficulty should be Lv.99, no, Lv.100 wouldn't be an exaggeration.
He could try giving it to Dudugugu later and see if that little one recognized this "Black Stone."
Besides that, there was another matter. The metallic clang when the "Black Stone" landed made Su Xiao crouch down. He brushed the dust off a metal cover with one hand. This thing had been pressed under the "Ancestral Clan Emblem," but its ornamentation clearly belonged to the Ancient Wyvern civilization.
Su Xiao examined the object. He found a keyhole on the left side of the metal cover and a circular gap on the right. It looked...
He took out the [Ancient Dragon Key] and [Sun Holy Emblem], inserting them into the left and right sides respectively.
*Rumble.*
The metal ground began to tremble. The metal cover opened to both sides. A secret that the Dukain Ancestor had never opened was now revealed. It wasn't that the Dukain Ancestor couldn't have broken it open by force, but taking it by force would yield nothing.
A codex with a metal cover, 10 centimeters thick, over 60 centimeters tall, and over 40 centimeters wide, appeared before Su Xiao.
[You have gained "Origin Codex."]
[Origin Codex]
Origin: Land of the Gods.
Category: ???
Effect: Sealed...
Rating: -- (This item will not be notarized and rated).
Description: The origin secrets of the gods lie within.
Price: ???
...
This thing was extremely extraordinary. However, the question was, where was the White Dragon Girl? Since entering this world, Su Xiao had found no important clues about her. He had even slain the Dukain Ancestor, yet still hadn't discovered her whereabouts.
Fortunately, the quest time limit hadn't been reached yet. Su Xiao temporarily closed the prompts related to the main quest and pondered this matter as he walked out of the Dukain grand hall.
The problem should lie with the Dukain Ancestor. Initially, Scorpion Lady had coveted the Ancient Dragon Treasury because she had been squeezed too hard by the Dukain Ancestor. After managing a large force like Queen City for so many years, she hadn't even saved up enough resources to advance to the rank of Dukain Councilor. This showed how harshly she had been exploited.
It was imaginable that Scorpion Lady harbored a secret hatred for the Dukain Ancestor. And the one who manipulated the darkness to kidnap the White Dragon Girl to this world was most likely Scorpion Lady.
Scorpion Lady knew that among the several Councilors, her combat ability was the lowest. If the White Dragon Girl's comrades dared to come to the Ancient Dragon Kingdom to rescue her, their combat power would surely be beyond what she could face directly.
So, she simply diverted the trouble. She informed the Council Leader about the White Dragon Girl, who was in a self-preserving frozen state. Council Leader·Egu Baiya feared the family Ancestor, so he reported this to the Dukain Ancestor.
The last clansman of the Ancient Dragon faction was significant to the Dukain Ancestor. Especially since it planned to devour this Transcendent World to restore its former power. What prevented it from quickly devouring this world was the frigid zone above.
Ultimately, this was a Transcendent World established by the Ancient Dragon faction. Its world root was filled with the cold corresponding to the Ancient Dragons. More precisely, it had deeply integrated into this world's "World Core," which was saturated with cold power.
When the Abyss invaded, the location of this world's "World Core" became apparent. Yes, the reason the frigid zone above hadn't been eroded by Abyss power was that it was where the "World Core" was located.
Su Xiao could roughly guess the Dukain Ancestor's approach. Instead of going through the trouble of using the Dragon Girl to obtain the "World Core," which was useless to it, it would simply let the White Dragon Girl, the last Ancient Dragon descendant, contain and master this "World Core."
Once this "World Core" became private property, the frigid zone would be rapidly eroded by the Abyss. Once this situation occurred, the Dukain Ancestor could devour this world's World Source completely within a few months, getting closer to restoring its peak power.
A crystal layer spread under Su Xiao's feet. With a dull *thump* of teleportation, Su Xiao arrived at the frigid zone above. The elemental power here was exceptionally abundant. Even though all "World-Level Spatial Wormholes" had been closed, it was still the same.
Countless finger-thick Spirit Shadow Threads formed, piercing into the space, allowing Su Xiao to stand in mid-air. He was at the very center of the frigid zone. If the frozen White Dragon Girl had been brought here, this area closest to the "World Core" was the most likely location.
Su Xiao closed his eyes, sensing his 50-meter-diameter "Absolute Perception Zone." A faint, peculiar frozen aura remained, which he perceived. The White Dragon Girl had been here but was now missing.
Perhaps, while he was fighting the Dukain Ancestor to the death, someone had come here and taken the frozen White Dragon Girl. This person might have been the Dukain Ancestor's trusted subordinate, or more likely, a collaborator. A trusted subordinate would likely have taken the opportunity to strike when Su Xiao was weakened.
The scope of the Dukain Ancestor's collaborators was actually very small. Figures like Ancestral Spirit couldn't catch the Dukain Ancestor's eye. And the powerful beings of this world had been killed off by the Dukain Family. Therefore, this collaborator was more likely an outsider—one of the contractors who entered this world.
Father.
Soul Master.
Moen.
These were the three people Su Xiao thought of. Moen was ruled out. This guy was on the friendly side of the world communication platform. The probability of him cooperating with a top-tier evil like the Dukain Ancestor was too low.
And this style—seeming unlucky throughout but always ending up as the final winner—was far too familiar.
Yes, Su Xiao was basically certain that the Dukain Ancestor's collaborator was Father. Even in the eyes of Abyss Descendants, "Initial Death" was not to be underestimated. Becoming a collaborator didn't diminish the pride of Abyss Descendants.
He took out a communicator and dialed. This was the communicator to contact Father. Interestingly, despite their hostility, neither side had discarded their communicators. They both knew that hostility was temporary; exchanging interests was the main topic.
Soon, the call connected. Su Xiao got straight to the point:
"Where is she?"
"With the Soul Master."
Father didn't hide it. It seemed he was well aware that Su Xiao would know all the hidden details after killing the Dukain Ancestor.
"Congratulations, you got the Soul Mark."
Su Xiao's words brought a hint of amusement to Father's tone: "Congratulations to you too, for destroying the first 'Ancestral Clan Emblem' in your Law Destroyer destiny."
"..."
After a brief silence, both hung up almost simultaneously.
The train started. Su Xiao leaned back on a single sofa, feeling the Scarlet Secret Medicine gradually restore his injuries. Countless nearly transparent Spirit Shadow Threads emerged, sinking into the wound on his chest, beginning cell-level suturing. If the subsequent negotiations went poorly, there would be another battle.
Seven hours later, in Queen City's 1st District, a man and a woman walked out of a mansion. The mansion's portly owner saw them off warmly. Among the pair, the man wore narrow-frame sunglasses, had short golden hair combed back, a white casual suit, and a black glove on his right hand. A smile was on his face—this was the Soul Master.
Aurora, in black robes with a hint of green in her eyes, showed a trace of worry and asked, "Is it really feasible?"
"Not entirely sure. But Father suddenly abandoned all subsequent interests, which means there must be too many risks hidden within. If things go wrong, we'll retreat too."
The Soul Master adjusted his narrow-frame sunglasses. Father's sudden withdrawal made him feel the situation was growing more ominous.
"But that Soul Source Matter is so perfect for you."
"Living always gives you chances, but life is only once. And..."
As the Soul Master spoke, they turned a corner on the pedestrian street. The next second, he saw a man sitting on a bench diagonally across, holding a skewer of meatballs. Beside him were a dog, a minotaur, and a demon hawk. They sat side by side on the bench, each holding a skewer of meatballs. No, the minotaur was clutching a huge handful—clearly a glutton.
"Aurora, if I said I would cover your retreat, would you believe me?"
"Probably."
"Alright, then you can start running now."
As the Soul Master spoke, he quickened his pace toward Su Xiao. Watching his back, Aurora struggled internally several times before finally choosing to follow. In her view, this was clearly the soul imprint in the consciousness space constantly influencing her.
"It seems you've become the victor, Mr. White Night."
The Soul Master spoke with a smile.
"..."
Su Xiao didn't respond, just eating the grilled meatballs Bubu Wang had bought earlier. He could sense that the Soul Master before him was not easy to deal with, especially his terrifyingly vast soul power.
This was the most massive and violent soul power Su Xiao had ever seen. It wasn't just madness—it was extreme hysteria, as if it wanted to plunder and devour all souls.
In contrast to this power, the Soul Master himself maintained a smiling and gentle demeanor. Su Xiao had seen many people with fake smiles, but the Soul Master genuinely smiled and was polite to leave a good impression.
"Mr. White Night, as a Blade Grandmaster, you can probably see through my situation. Aurora didn't listen to me and refused to flee. I don't want her to die, so I have no choice but to compromise with you."
The Soul Master's words made Aurora behind him frown slightly. She pondered what was going on. Since entering this world and forming an initial cooperation with the Soul Master, she had been following him. Now, if she didn't travel with him, she would feel a faint sense of unease.
"Aurora is the anchor I've found anew. She can't be harmed. Absolutely not."
The Soul Master took a deep breath and continued: "That frozen Ancient Dragon descendant is in a spatial rift deep beneath a winery in Queen City's 30th District. Oh, by the way, Mr. White Night, are you interested in selling me the Soul Source Matter you're about to obtain? I can definitely pay you a price that will satisfy you."
The Soul Master's attitude was remarkably weak. He was compromising to the point of giving up the top spot on this world's leaderboard.
This was too abnormal. After all, the Soul Master and Father had nearly destroyed the Sanctuary City·Doan earlier. This strange compromise had only two possible explanations.