Chapter 45: The Sun
A hundred-meter-tall dark purple ring was embedded in the space ahead. From a distance, it resembled a dark purple moon—this was the [Dark Moon Star Ring], a secret treasure used to forcibly close Abyss Passages.
Standing several kilometers away, Su Xiao raised his hand, feeling the cold breeze coming from ahead. As his fingers slightly blocked the wind, the Abyssal darkness hidden within the breeze became visible, like using a hand to stop algae in flowing water. Dark flowing threads appeared at the edges of his fingers, drifting with the wind.
Standing here, Su Xiao felt as if he were at the source of an apocalypse. He pressed one hand on his sword hilt.
"Extreme Blade: World..."
Su Xiao made a motion as if to slash out [Extreme Blade: World], adopting a stance to envelop the surroundings. Of course, he wouldn't actually do so—this was merely a test.
A very intuitive feeling was that if he were to slash out [Extreme Blade: World] here, the spherical area affected by [Extreme Blade: World] would instantly erupt with an Abyss Passage. And as the Abyssal energy surged out furiously, this Abyss Passage would continuously expand.
It was like breaking a hole in a dam that had already begun to seep and was about to burst. The raging water would expand that breach to its maximum.
Su Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. The actual situation was more severe than he had previously anticipated. As for introducing a massive amount of elemental power into this place, it was too late. Once the Abyss/Element balance was broken, when the ratio reached 6/4, there was still a slim chance of saving it. When it reached 7/3, anyone daring to introduce a massive amount of elemental power into the current Void would be like pouring water into boiling oil.
Crack, crack, crack~
A crystalline layer spread over Su Xiao's hand, eventually compressing and condensing onto the back of his hand, forming a mark shaped like a trident. He pressed his hand forward.
Whoosh~!
"Hm?"
Su Xiao's eyes showed confusion. He had made a new discovery. The current extent of the Abyss's spread in the Void wasn't the result of one or two incidents. Rather, someone, using some unknown method, had repeatedly suppressed the Abyss's spread until now, when it had reached an unsuppressable level.
If it had followed the original progression, the Void should have suffered a catastrophe-level Abyss spread by the end of the Second Era, rather than maintaining a surface calm until today while actually being turbulent beneath.
Faced with matters beyond his current ability to control, the best choice was to leave immediately. He tried to summon the Lord's Train, waited a moment, and found that although the Lord's Train could arrive, its continuously decreasing durability made him stop the summoning. No wonder everyone rode the Demon Race's ancient trains.
Half an hour later, a giant stag-beast, battered and bruised, sniffing bloody mucus from its nose, stopped before the train platform near Starry Sky Seat. Su Xiao leaped down from the giant stag-beast's back. Before leaving, he tossed the creature a small bag of Soul Coins as payment for its "enthusiastic" escort.
Walking up the steps that ended in Annihilation Mist, before long, the entrance to Starry Sky Seat appeared ahead.
Inside Starry Sky Seat, mist dispersed. Around the massive round table were seats of various sizes. On Seat No. 5, which belonged to Su Xiao, Holy Maiden was sitting in meditation. Sensing Su Xiao's arrival, Holy Maiden raised her hand, signaling to stop being grabbed by Su Xiao, and said:
"I understand."
Holy Maiden seemed to have comprehended something remarkable. She suddenly stood up on Su Xiao's seat and said:
"It must be a luck issue."
Having said this, even Holy Maiden herself couldn't convince herself anymore. She said with a tearful face: "Why did you become Supreme so quickly? When I was still at Absolute Strength, you were only strong on the inside, not very powerful in combat. Now you're already Supreme, and I'm still at Absolute Strength. No, I have to swallow back that luck..."
Having said this, tears welled up in Holy Maiden's eyes. Seeing this, Su Xiao turned his gaze to White Bull, who looked somewhat helpless.
"Is she drunk?"
"Drunk. And she failed her promotion to Supreme before."
White Bull, who had successfully promoted to Supreme, spoke with a tone of pleasant regret. It was only natural that White Bull had promoted to Supreme. If not for his long-standing injuries, he should have reached the Supreme level long ago. After all, he had fought his way from the bottom all the way to becoming the emperor of the Void's underworld. Of course, in this position, what was as important as strength was knowing how to balance.
Moreover, White Bull's faction had always had a Supreme powerhouse overseeing it, otherwise it wouldn't have lasted until today. His former godfather, now his father-in-law, was a Supreme powerhouse. The exact strength was unclear, but it was likely at the upper-middle tier of the Supreme level.
Speaking of which, Holy Maiden's family was indeed powerful. Failing a promotion to Supreme would likely result in death, yet Holy Maiden only needed to rest for a period before recovering enough to attend the Starry Sky Banquet.
"Watch me devour luck!"
The drunk Holy Maiden said this and lunged at Su Xiao. By the time she was pulled away, Green Gillian had a bite mark on her face, and Su Xiao had a bite mark on his hand. A drunk Holy Maiden was invincible—she would even bite the Blade Demon.
Half an hour later, all members had arrived. Holy Maiden yawned. After Su Xiao fed her some Holy Spring water, most of her drunkenness faded, though she looked somewhat listless.
This time, all members were present. The black mist figure on Seat No. 0, Black Mage, slightly raised his hand, gathering the six demand lists written by the six seated individuals.
"Everyone, let's begin. As per tradition, first state what each of you needs. Holy Maiden requires [Star Source Matter], White Bull requires [Elemental Magic Core]..."
The black mist figure paused here, looking at White Bull. After a few seconds, it said nothing and continued reading the list:
"Tuanzhang requires [World Core], Blade Demon requires [Abyss Source Matter], Undying Old Man still needs information on the 'Undying Curse,' White Night requires a legendary-grade blade-type weapon. Hmm, kid, your Law-Destroying Blade is quite picky, isn't it? Green Gillian requires a Law-Destroying Blade."
Having said this, the black mist figure left the remaining transactions to the people present.
"World Cores, I have some—at least 300 or more. But they're all remnants from worlds destroyed long ago."
White Bull spoke while looking at Tuanzhang, then continued: "I need [Elemental Magic Core]."
"White Bull, calm down. You shouldn't covet it."
Tuanzhang rested his elbows on the table, his hands crossed and pressed against his chin.
"I must covet it. Tuanzhang, don't forget my origins. A small-time thug only climbed to where I am today by staring dead at all opportunities."
White Bull finished speaking, and the burly man, wearing a black beast skull on his head with two horns, looking like the king of all beasts, grinned—as savage and tyrannical as ever.
"Need, Source Matter, Pay, Black Maple."
The Blade Demon rarely spoke, causing Su Xiao and Tuanzhang to exchange glances. After all, just yesterday, Su Xiao had asked Tuanzhang about the price of [Abyss Source Matter].
However, neither Su Xiao nor Tuanzhang was very interested in the Blade Demon's transaction. One had a Black Maple Tree, and the other could buy higher-quality Black Maple Tree yields. The Blade Demon's Black Maple Tree had been left to grow naturally, so the quality of its yields was unstable.
"Legendary-grade weapon? How strong exactly?"
Holy Maiden spoke. At the Starry Sky Banquet, Su Xiao couldn't exactly say that Eternal-grade weapons with ratings of 10,000 to 13,000 or higher would be better. Yes, that was the range of blade-type weapons that Dragon-Slaying Flash could devour.
Su Xiao placed Dragon-Slaying Flash on the table, which gave Holy Maiden a general understanding. She nodded: "My family's treasury doesn't have anything at that level, but I have a few that are slightly inferior. If you need them~"
Holy Maiden tilted her head, smiling as she looked over: "Since you just let me bite you, how about one [Star Source Matter] for one blade?"
Holy Maiden's offer was quite generous. A weapon of that level was probably worth two to three [Star Source Matter].
"[Star Source Matter]?"
Su Xiao looked at Tuanzhang. He remembered that Tuanzhang had previously traded a [Star Source Matter] with Holy Maiden. If this information was valuable, he would naturally need to offer some compensation.
"You've seen Dudu Gugu, right?"
Tuanzhang spoke.
"I have."
"Trade the heart of an Abyss Descendant with that little thing. If it still has [Star Source Matter] on hand."
"How much is this information worth?"
"Free."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak, waiting for the others to complete their transactions.
The Undying Old Man actually reached a deal with the Blade Demon. The Undying Old Man paid two [Abyss Source Matter] and received a batch of Black Maple Tree yields of varying quality. Curious, Holy Maiden asked and learned that the Undying Old Man planned to use these Black Maple Tree branches in a burning ritual, through which he would enter a world with ancient deities.
It was said that there were legends related to immortality and curses there.
"Green Gillian."
Su Xiao spoke, causing Green Gillian, who was quite nervous among all these big shots, to immediately respond with a "Huh?"
"Law-Destroying Blade, I have one."
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant. How could I have thought about killing you to take your Law-Destroying Blade?"
Green Gillian was flustered.
"Hahaha~" Holy Maiden laughed unkindly: "Can you even beat him? And you want to take his Law-Destroying Blade?"
"I meant, another one."
Su Xiao's words made hope sparkle in Green Gillian's eyes.
"Later, have your elder come and negotiate with me."
"Hahaha! 'Have your elder come,' hahaha~"
Holy Maiden was laughing mockingly. After all, when she was reincarnated, at the age of thirteen or fourteen, she had fought with Green Gillian, who was around ten. Holy Maiden, who had beaten up an elementary school student, was proudly victorious.
"Okay."
Green Gillian naturally understood that this was about finding Green Gillian for a subsequent transaction.
Su Xiao planned to sell Kaiser Shuna's blade. If he could sell it to Green Gillian, that would undoubtedly be the best choice.
As for whether the Blade Demon Spirit could use this blade, not to mention that the Blade Demon Spirit didn't need strong combat ability, the last time the Blade Demon Spirit merely held this blade, Su Xiao felt something was off with it in the following days.
Currently, the Blade Demon Spirit had over 6,000 demon spirit intensity. If there were any more changes, even with the Abyss Right Arm, it might not be able to suppress it, and that would be disastrous.
The transaction segment ended. Su Xiao took out some Maple Tea. Before long, a pot of Maple Tea brewed with Holy Spring water was poured for everyone. Holy Maiden snapped her fingers, and the Star Maiden she had manifested put down the teapot before dissipating into the air.
Savoring the Maple Tea, White Bull said: "The situation in the Void has been off lately. The Abyss power is growing stronger."
"Of course it is. Have you seen the star ring near the Green Wetlands?"
Holy Maiden took a small sip of Maple Tea, exhaling warm air with enjoyment.
"I've seen it. It's very bad. White Night, you're very knowledgeable about this. Any friendly advice?"
"Catastrophe."
Su Xiao's silence and brevity were something everyone at Starry Sky Seat was used to, along with his generosity in sharing Maple Tea and Elemental Brew.
"There's one more thing."
Tuanzhang spoke, setting down his teacup, and continued: "The Dukain Family of the Ancient Dragon Kingdom has been exterminated."
"Exterminated?"
White Bull was very surprised, as was Holy Maiden, who asked: "The Abyss Descendants are immortal and indestructible. How could they be exterminated? Back when they fought the Law Destruction Faction to the death, they weren't wiped out."
"There's a problem with their origin clan emblem."
Su Xiao's words piqued Holy Maiden's curiosity: "Origin clan emblem? What's that?"
Seeing this, Baha roughly explained to Holy Maiden what the origin clan emblem was and what the Dukain Family's problem was.
"Oh~, so that's why they left a vulnerability to be wiped out. But they can be reborn after a few years of slumber in the Abyss, so they're still tougher than other races... No, wait, you know too much about the Dukain Family."
Holy Maiden, as if discovering a new continent, leaned over from her adjacent seat.
"Tell me, which faction did you cooperate with to wipe out the Dukain Family?"
"No."
"Alright, you may be quiet and taciturn, but you've never lied to me about this kind of thing."
Holy Maiden began to ponder which faction had completely wiped out the Dukain Family.
"I didn't cooperate with anyone."
"Huh?!"
Holy Maiden's eyes widened. She asked incredulously: "You did it yourself?"
"No."
"Then?"
"We did."
As Su Xiao spoke, Baha and Bubu Wang both unconsciously raised their heads with pride.
"You can..." Holy Maiden seemed to have a breakdown, then continued: "You can take your followers and completely wipe out an Abyss Descendant clan, and I'm still at Absolute Strength. White Night, I have a bold idea!"
Holy Maiden seemed to have thought of something. She said decisively: "White Night, I have a good quality—I have no airs. Although you weren't as strong as me before, now that you're stronger than me, I can become your disciple without any shame."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak, even pretending not to hear. The others at Starry Sky Seat, except for the Blade Demon and the Undying Old Man who had no sense of humor, all laughed unkindly. The air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
"Well, how about this? You're an alchemist, right? Help me use secret medicines to improve and transform my constitution. You're good at healing, so you must be good at improving people's physiques, right?"
Hearing this, White Bull, who was savoring his Maple Tea with a smile on his face, suddenly froze. A very unpleasant memory suddenly attacked him.
In a quite pleasant atmosphere, this Starry Sky Banquet ended. Su Xiao activated his brand authority and returned to Reincarnation Paradise.
In the planting area of his exclusive room, Su Xiao had just returned when he received an email. It was from the Undead Girl. She had been very efficient and had completed the enhancement of the [Sun Mark].
The [Sun Mark] needed to absorb enough high-level energy to restore it to its former maximum strength, or even exceed it. What energy was higher in rank than the Abyss?
Su Xiao was obviously not suitable to do this himself. Entrusting it to the Undead Girl, who had become an Abyss System contractor, was a good choice. The Undead Girl's method didn't disappoint the several bottles of permanent Abyss System secret medicines. She embedded this mark into the soul core of an undead creature.
By carving Abyss runes on the surface of this undead creature, it absorbed Abyss energy. The [Sun Mark] at the very core would naturally absorb a large amount of Abyss energy.
The most ingenious part of this design was that when the [Sun Mark] absorbed Abyss energy to its limit, just before it shattered, the undead creature's soul core would be burst first by the about-to-explode [Sun Mark]. When the undead creature was burst, the Abyss runes on its surface would cease to exist, and the [Sun Mark] would no longer be able to absorb Abyss energy.
Thus, a [Sun Mark] enhanced to its maximum limit was successfully obtained.
Checking the attributes of the [Sun Mark], Su Xiao saw a bunch of ???
This [Sun Mark] couldn't be used as a one-time consumable just to create a single "Sun Holy Sword." That would be a waste of a treasure. He came to the workbench specifically for creating "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo," set up the instantaneous teleportation device, and placed the [Sun Mark] onto the mark master template at the center of the workbench.
The [Sun Mark] dissolved, replacing the original Sun system core formula on the mark master template. This all happened quickly. In just over half an hour, the new version of the mark master template was completed.
Su Xiao couldn't further modify "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo." This fist-sized, light orange gelatinous explosive had reached its limit. But its core formula had undergone a qualitative upgrade.
He began using the new version of the "core mark" to create "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo." After a moment, one "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo" was produced.
He looked at the "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo" on his fingertip, now only the size of a marble. Its texture had changed from gelatinous to hard, like glass—high hardness but fragile. And its power was much greater than before.
Additionally, due to the [Sun Mark]'s characteristics being highly incompatible with soul-type energy, the new "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo" couldn't be catalyzed with Soul Stones. Overall, each such "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo" required a total of 50 Soul Coins.
Su Xiao began mass-producing the upgraded version of "Blazing Sun's Wrath: Apollo." Since he was still using the original container—a 4-meter-tall, 2-meter-diameter glass column—this meant more "Apollos" could be used to create the "Sun Holy Sword."
A total of 8,000 "Apollos" were placed into the semi-transparent fission solution. Due to the color of the Apollos, the fission solution looked somewhat bright light orange.
Over 400,000 Soul Coins were invested. This time, Su Xiao was creating a weapon powerful enough to intimidate the major factions of the world. Naturally, he had to be willing to spend. If successful and used properly, the returns would certainly be more than 400,000 Soul Coins.
Considering that the [Sun Mark] was enhanced using Abyss energy, Su Xiao took a sealed container. Opening it, inside was Abyss energy so concentrated it was in liquid form. After some thought, adding only Abyss energy wasn't enough for the Shadow of Law Destruction—balance was needed.
Through summoning resonance, he had Jila send some elemental sand from the Eternal Light World's Sand Sea. This wasn't an abuse of elemental power. First, he wasn't devouring it. Second, he wasn't controlling it. Third, he was maintaining the Abyss/Element balance. There was definitely no risk of karmic backlash.
More importantly, the elemental sand from the Eternal Light World's Sand Sea was fundamentally no longer natural elements. It was mutated elemental power under extreme elemental conditions. In fact, one of the duties of a Law Destroyer was to dispose of these mutated elemental powers that were extremely dangerous and could no longer participate in the Star Realm's material cycle.
How many steps were there to create a "Sun Holy Sword"? The answer was four.