Chapter 8: Blood Awakening
Su Xiao had no time to ponder the psychological shadow area of the Soul Clock Tower. He was currently in a valley, where a waterfall plunged into a pool with a thunderous roar, mist dispersing in the air.
Su Xiao sat cross-legged on an oddly shaped, extraordinary stone. Dense blood energy rose from within him, and bloodshot veins gradually appeared in his eyes. As time passed, these veins connected into patches, causing his pupils to emit a bloody glow while the whites of his eyes began to turn pitch black.
A surging urge to kill welled up from his heart. Logically, he should now be dominated by the bloodlust of killing. If he could awaken within a certain period, it would mean his talent transformation was successful. However, if he remained dominated by the killing urge, he would be completely lost, his consciousness eventually perishing, leaving only a powerful empty shell.
The reality, however, was that Su Xiao, with pitch-black eye whites and blood-red pupils, had a very calm expression. The Blade Grandmaster's [Immunity to Mental and Mind Control] was playing a certain role here, which further solidified his resolve to develop an [Absolute Will] ability with the characteristic of [Absolutely Unshakable Will].
Such abilities felt unremarkable in daily use, but every time they took effect, it was crucial, especially when life hung in the balance.
Two hours later, the blackness in Su Xiao's eyes receded, and the blood light in his pupils dimmed until it completely disappeared.
[Your second talent ability, Blood Beast, has completed this transformation.]
[Talent Ability: Blood Beast.]
Category: Growth Talent (Has grown to its limit).
Level: SSS++++
Talent Effect (Active): Form a [Blood Beast] from your own aura. The [Blood Beast] can be generated instantly and pounce on enemies, exploding to deal [Extreme] damage while inflicting 0.5 seconds of unavoidable [Body Paralysis]. The [Blood Beast] can also persist. Its overall strength is determined by the sum of your True Strength, True Agility, True Stamina, and Soul Strength attributes.
Current Blood Beast Strength: 9879 points (Strength + Agility + Stamina + Soul Strength).
Current Blood Beast Maximum Existence Time: 20 seconds.
...
After all the twists and turns, the [Blood Beast] talent had returned to a form similar to its past self. Su Xiao stood up from the strange stone. Blood energy erupted violently, not spreading outward but gathering above him, instantly forming a Blood Beast over ten meters long, bearing a 90% resemblance to the beast form of the legendary beast Fei.
From generation to pounce, the Blood Beast exploded with a bang, leveling the mountain ahead in an instant. There was no flying debris; the area where the Blood Beast exploded had turned the mountain rock into fine powder, its material properties altered, and the powder was gradually dissipating.
Su Xiao formed another Blood Beast. He leaped backward, and the Blood Beast beneath him became slightly more solid. He stood on its back.
With a boom, the Blood Beast assumed a pouncing stance, turning the valley into a hundred-meter-wide crater. Its four claws pushed forward with full force, turning its massive body into a blur of blood. After charging a hundred meters, it suddenly disappeared, or rather, turned into blood energy that clung to Dragon-Slaying Flash.
'Extreme Blade: Blood Roar!'
With a downward slash, the ground ahead was split open, forming a slash mark hundreds of meters wide, with no end in sight, deep enough to cause groundwater to gush out.
This move emphasized charge and overwhelming force. If he had faced a large enemy like the Abyssal Ancient Dragon before, this move would have allowed him to charge forward and slash instead of waiting for the enemy's attack to perfectly block.
Su Xiao's Extreme Blade abilities could be divided into three major systems: Pure Blade Technique, Blood Blade Technique, and Black Moon Technique.
The Pure Blade Technique needed no explanation. Against powerful enemies, it was the big brother among big brothers, indispensable. Among them, [Extreme Blade: Extreme] and [Extreme Blade: Flow] still held top positions.
When it was [Blade Path Sword: Extreme], this technique was already at the big brother level. After the blade technique foundation was elevated to the [Extreme Blade System], the close-combat slashing characteristics of [Extreme] became incredibly, incredibly absurd.
To put it in perspective, the current [Extreme Blade: Extreme] had almost the same characteristics as the old [Extreme Blade: White Night], except that the current [Extreme Blade: White Night] was a passive state, fused into Su Xiao's being through [Power Source Matter].
The current [Extreme Blade: Extreme] could increase the next close-combat slash by 300%, which was actually more powerful than the previous version of [Extreme Blade: White Night]. Previously, it was base 100 × 500% = 500, now it was base 6000 × 300% = 18000.
Moreover, the name [Extreme Blade: Extreme] felt a bit awkward even to Su Xiao, who was casual about naming techniques. After much thought, he decided to rename it...
Extreme Blade: White Night.
After all, the previous version of [Extreme Blade: White Night] had been fully absorbed by his body, and the combat characteristics of both were identical, even down to the long blade turning dark gold due to technique energy when used.
However, it was important to note that in a single battle, it was best not to use [Extreme Blade: White Night] more than three times, or even his current physique would struggle to handle it.
The Blood Blade System was invincible in group battles. Against strong enemies, it was either not used at all, or once used, it was overwhelming force. Speed, well, it was best used after the enemy had been hit by a kick.
The [Black Moon System] was the most special of the three blade technique systems. Most of its abilities didn't need the [Extreme Blade] prefix to enjoy the [Extreme Blade Foundation] bonus and could be executed. For example, after entering this world, due to the world's environment, the [Black Moon System] had derived a blade technique named:
[Chasing Stars and the Moon]
This blade technique was unique and powerful. After use, it wouldn't unleash its full power immediately but would be activated subtly and quickly as the user attacked the enemy. Once activated, a silver moon would hang in the sky, and the next moment, the enemy would suffer a heavy blow.
In short, abilities with the [Extreme Blade] prefix were mostly Pure Blade Technique and Blood Blade Technique. The Black Moon System's ability names were generally unique. The previous use of [Extreme Blade: Dark Moon] had further confirmed this; it was a rarity within the Dark Moon System.
...
Abyss Spreading Zone 25, Outer Area, Near the Entrance.
Darkness was permeated with faint particles of light, this world's method of dealing with the darkness of the Abyss Spreading Zone. However, when the darkness reached a certain density, this method became less effective, especially near the Abyss Passage.
The soldiers and Honorary Second Lieutenants stationed at this fortress had come to watch. Initially, they heard that the group coming to purge the Abyss Spreading Zone was led by the Empire's youngest Supreme, Reshma. This made Honorary Second Lieutenant Stam break out in a cold sweat; he knew her background.
Stam was different from other Honorary Second Lieutenants stationed at the [Abyss Spreading Zone Fortress]. He was of royal descent and had taken this position to escape punishment for a major crime. He estimated that after a few more years of service, the matter would blow over, especially since he heard the old king was nearing his end.
Honorary Second Lieutenant Stam knew Reshma's background and knew what kind of big shot her father used to be. So he was very worried that Reshma would die in this Abyss Spreading Zone.
This worry gradually turned into anxiety as the purge team's battle began. Honorary Second Lieutenant Stam keenly noticed that Reshma, who always had a faint smile on her face, seemed to be suppressing some inner impulse.
Until a criminal, injured while trying to escape during a fight with dark creatures, ran to Reshma for help. Reshma saved him, comforted him gently, and bandaged his wound. This scene, witnessed by hundreds of other criminals, made their battles with dark creatures still fierce but half-hearted, taking a long time to kill even one dark creature.
The injured criminal sat back to rest, apparently planning to use his injury as an excuse to avoid further fighting.
Reshma expressed understanding and comforted him, telling him to rest in a safe area and not rush back into battle.
This gentle, almost weak behavior caused other criminals to stop fighting the dark beasts one by one, claiming they had wounds, old injuries, or illnesses that prevented them from continuing. Reshma remained slow and gentle until the first criminal she had cared for began to melt like a candle.
The slowly melting criminal let out a miserable scream that even the distant dark beasts backed away from. In the end, unable to bear it, he tore his own throat, yet he still didn't die. He wailed for over an hour before finally dying from the collapse of his consciousness due to the intense pain at the soul level.
Seeing this, the other criminals were terrified. When the second criminal's hand began to melt slightly, they confirmed one thing: accepting Lady Reshma's favor came with a price.
Reshma would agree to all requests from the criminals, except those involving herself. If a criminal wanted to rest, stop fighting, or gain freedom, Reshma would agree. In return, there was the [Price] after the [Favor]. This ability was called [Painful Favor].
"It's okay, you can continue to rest. I allow it."
Reshma looked around at the criminals with a slight smile, which made them all stand up. No way. The previous criminal had also been allowed to rest, and his death was so horrific that even these murderous criminals were creeped out. Especially when, after persisting for over ten minutes, he began to wail in despair, begging for mercy, and constantly repenting.
Reshma just sat on a nearby dark beast corpse, smiling as she watched the criminal. The quiet, subtle pleasure in her eyes was a hundred, a thousand times more terrifying than those who reveled in others' pain.
When the criminal died from consciousness collapse, the slight disappointment in Miss Reshma's eyes showed she hadn't had enough of this quiet, subtle pleasure. Her gaze turned to the other criminals, making nearly three hundred men and women shiver.
"You don't have to fight to the death. I allow it."
As soon as Miss Reshma said this, the criminals who hadn't wanted to risk their lives suddenly acted as if the dark beasts had killed their fathers, roaring as they charged into battle.
"If any of you want to leave, you can do so anytime. I allow it."
Hearing this, a criminal with the lowest reputation among the group was so terrified his legs gave way, and he was immediately bitten on the throat by a dark beast in the fight.
"You can die. I allow it."
Reshma spoke again. This criminal, who had raped and killed women for over a decade, with victims numbering in the thousands, and took pleasure and pride in it, began to melt slowly. The dark beast that had been about to tear him apart immediately backed off.
A miserable scream spread. This criminal took over forty minutes to die from consciousness collapse, paying a terrible price for his past sins.
Reshma's gaze swept over the criminals one by one, making them all choose to fight desperately. The reason was simple: fighting dark beasts, even if they failed, meant death in a few seconds. But if Reshma granted them a favor, they would be unable to live or die.
"Mr. Stam, you said earlier there was something you wanted me to convey to the Minister?"
Reshma spoke with a warm smile, looking at Honorary Second Lieutenant Stam.
"Nothing. I've already asked someone else to pass the message. There's a lot to handle at the fortress, so I'll be going."
Honorary Second Lieutenant Stam took his subordinates and turned to leave. Seeing this, Reshma's gaze returned to the criminals in battle.
"Before six o'clock tonight, you don't have to reach this Abyss Passage. I allow it."
After saying this, Reshma glanced at the rabbit-shaped ladies' watch on her wrist. Such a cute ladies' watch, in Miss Reshma's hands, somehow gave off a... cute yet menacing vibe?
...
Imperial Special Affairs Department, Headquarters.
The Lord's Train stopped in front of the headquarters. As Su Xiao got off, Vice Minister Tuo Enta, sweating profusely, hurried over.
"Lord Bai Ye, where have you been..."
As soon as he said this, Tuo Enta knew it was inappropriate. As a subordinate, he could arrange Lord Bai Ye's schedule in advance and ask if it was acceptable, but he absolutely should not inquire afterward.
"Lord Bai Ye, it's an emergency. All twelve Soul Mentors from the Soul Clock Tower are here. They weren't even this complete at the last Kingdom Council."
Tuo Enta, sweating profusely, led the way to the second-floor meeting room. The room, which could hold dozens of people, was packed, with barely any standing room left, but the seat at the head was empty.
As Su Xiao entered the meeting room, the noise gradually died down, replaced by pairs of angry eyes staring at him.
"Tuo Enta, do you know something?"
"Huh? What is it, my lord?"
"I'm naturally timid. So many people glaring at me fiercely makes me very scared. I think I'll leave."
Su Xiao, who had already reached the head seat, turned and walked out of the meeting room. Tuo Enta was stunned.
Naturally timid?
Scared?
Tuo Enta really couldn't connect these words with the ruthless man who had killed the [Mechanical God Cult Archbishop] like a chicken today.
Seeing that Su Xiao was really about to leave, the Soul Mentors couldn't sit still. They stood up one after another but couldn't really stop him.
"Mr. Bai Ye, I apologize on behalf of my colleagues."
Soul Mentor Jeff Crane spoke. Beside him, a fat Soul Mentor with seven [Soul Holes] on his bald head smiled and said:
"Mr. Bai Ye, my name is Loyich. Whatever conditions you have, just name them."
Why were the Soul Mentors so eager? Because the [Book of Original Sin], which sealed six Original Sin Objects, was now lying on the stone table on the top floor of the headquarters' Soul Tower. It had to be removed immediately, right now.
"Mr. Bai Ye, state your terms."
Soul Mentor Jeff Crane, whose expression was already mad to the bone, spoke.
"Eighty percent of the Soul Clock Tower's wealth."
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely not."
"We're not completely helpless. It's just a matter of cost. That's why we're negotiating with you."
More than half of the Soul Masters from the Soul Clock Tower were hot-tempered old men. The most irritable one was already standing on a stool, one foot on the table.
These were all Supreme powerhouses of the Soul Clock Tower. Logically, such powerful Supremes shouldn't be so lacking in composure. But the problem was, they were Ascended Sorcerers with open brain holes.
In the First Era, there seemed to be only three Transcendent Primordial Worlds: Sun, Ancient Dragon, and Eternal Light. But if the [Soul Clock Tower] had gotten serious back then, they would have had the qualifications to contend for a Transcendent Primordial World.
The core issue was the [Soul Clock Tower] faction's style... let's call it brain circuits and brain holes for now. They were quite unique, and their brain holes were literally physical brain holes.
Back then, the only thing that could make Sun and Ancient Dragon temporarily cease hostilities for centuries and take turns beating someone up was the [Soul Clock Tower]. They had that qualification.
Also, the Eternal Light Lords had an important task back then: sending spies to watch the Ascended Sorcerers of the [Soul Clock Tower] to prevent them from putting their wild ideas into practice. It was to the point that if the Ascended Sorcerers didn't go crazy for a few years, the Great Lords would feel relieved.
Therefore, the current behavior of these Soul Mentors was actually quite restrained.
"Mr. Bai Ye, make a reasonable request."
Soul Mentor Loyich rubbed his bald head.
...
Su Xiao took out a crystal and opened it, revealing dense, dazzling formations.
"I need the method to activate this."
What Su Xiao had taken out was the [Soul Ultimate Sublimation] obtained from the ninth layer of the [Soul Secret Treasure Box]. Seeing this, the blood pressure of all the Soul Mentors immediately shot up. They could confirm that this Law Destroyer had obtained this item by opening the [Soul Secret Treasure Box], and it was from the last few layers.
How could the Soul Mentors be so sure? Of course they could. At the center of the [Soul Ultimate Sublimation] Su Xiao had taken out was the unique mark of the Soul Clock Tower.
The atmosphere fell silent. It was clear that the Soul Mentors were contemplating whether to immediately attack and surround this Law Destroyer. But their remaining rationality told them they couldn't do that before getting rid of that [Book of Original Sin].
"What guarantee do you have? After we help you set up this ritual, you will take away that [Book of Original Sin]."
Soul Mentor Loyich's words made the other Soul Mentors either show anger or secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"Sign a contract?"
As soon as Su Xiao said this, the Soul Mentors' varied thoughts turned into a unified desire to kill him.
"Ahem, we've heard a bit about your contracts."
Soul Mentor Loyich's meaning was clear: we're all old foxes here, let's not play these games. Just show some sincerity.
"Then let's forget it for now. Let's both think it over for a few days."
Su Xiao was clearly not going to guarantee with his personal reputation. As for guaranteeing with the Law Destroyer's reputation, he could do that, but he wasn't sure if the Soul Clock Tower would accept it.
"I trust Mr. Bai Ye's credibility. Then it's decided. Right here, in this meeting room, we'll help Mr. Bai Ye set up the ritual. Tomorrow morning, you go and take away the [Book of Original Sin]."
Soul Mentor Loyich made the final decision. The other Soul Mentors remained silent.
"Mm."
With this agreement, Su Xiao left the meeting room. He still had something very important to do.
Returning to his office, Su Xiao leaned back to rest for a few seconds, then opened a drawer, picked up one of the dozen communicators, and dialed. There was a buzzing signal interference sound, and after a while, the other end picked up:
"Lord Bai Ye, are you looking for me?"
After Reshma stopped suppressing herself, her voice had changed somewhat, from the original cold, mature lady tone to a slow, lazy feeling. Her voluptuous figure was wrapped in loose clothing, and her dull crimson pupils only showed a hint of light when she was quietly, subtly enjoying others' pain.
"You're happy?"
"Hmm, not really. Just comfortable. Sometimes... I even feel a bit joyful inside."
"Are those criminals obedient?"
"Of course. They're all team members who understand and consider others. Unfortunately, over a dozen died. Such a pity."
It was clear that Reshma genuinely regretted the deaths of those criminals, because dead criminals couldn't feel pain. Also, her toys were limited to these criminals; she couldn't act against others. This was the anchor she had set for herself, the anchor to prevent complete self-loss.
"How long until the cleanup is finished?"
"Before six."
Getting a clear answer, Su Xiao ended the call. After closing the Abyss Passage this time, he would bring Reshma back. It was time for her to obtain a certain amount of [Fate Blood], a necessary step to become the World Daughter.
...
Royal City, West District, Soul Clock Tower Headquarters.
Behind the main tower that soared into the sky were three sub-towers. Currently, in the second sub-tower, 20 floors underground, in a laboratory.
The equipment here was heavy, all powered by crystal energy. Pale blue light gave this laboratory a mysterious, soul-system feel. In Zone V of the laboratory, on a fully metal, gray-white test table.
The Soul Master from Dawn Paradise was fixed in the center of the test table. His body was immersed in a bathtub-like, slanted container filled with pale blue solution.
His head and neck were secured by precision instruments. What was even funnier was that the Soul Master, who originally had slicked-back golden hair and an obsessive-compulsive level of attention to his hairstyle, now had his head shaved bald. The key point was that a ring of hair was left around the edge, giving him a kappa-like hairstyle that completely broke the Soul Master's composure.
From the Soul Master's twisted expression, he cared very much about his current hairstyle. The one who had always smiled and maintained the elegance of a mature gentleman had cursed so badly earlier that his mouth was now sealed.
The Tower Master of the Clock Tower, Xirgefu, who was 1.4 meters tall with a disproportionately large head and withered body, had changed into ceremonial attire. He held a specialized hole-opening tool and approached the Soul Master. After removing the seal on his mouth:
"Beloved disciple, you have a talent you don't even know about, you know."
Tower Master Xirgefu leaned close to the Soul Master, smiling with one eye big and one small. Clearly, this crazy old monster seemed normal most of the time, but when encountering something interesting, his madness immediately showed.
"I don't know, and I don't want to know. But I have a deal. We can talk."
The Soul Master was genuinely starting to panic. He was good at scheming and skilled at obtaining benefits others wouldn't dare to imagine. But facing this super old madman, his schemes and plans were completely useless.
"Rebellious disciple, daring to negotiate with your master. Let me tell you a secret, boy. Your master used to take students. You are actually my first true disciple. Also, being my disciple won't do you any harm. Your master was once a [Supreme Peak]."
After saying this, the Tower Master patted the Soul Master's bald head: "Beloved disciple, you have great potential for opening soul holes. Others can open at most two on the first try, but you're different. Your master estimates you can open five at once."
With that, the Tower Master fixed the soul hole-opening device on the Soul Master's head and activated the massive formation beneath him. Feeling this, the Soul Master's mentality completely shattered.
"Priest, I will never forgive you!!"
The Soul Master's shout was isolated by the outer barrier. There was no need to guess how he ended up at the Soul Clock Tower.