Chapter 9: Accident and Beast
The changes in the Gloomy Grand Cathedral naturally caught the attention of the city's residents. However, the former Archbishop of Darkness, Palmer, had bled the people of Sanctuary City dry, leaving them more than willing to accept a new city lord. Upon learning that the new city lord was the daughters of the Warm Bed, hailing from the Abyss, the residents nearly wept with relief.
After finally seeing the end of a faith in the Abyss, they now had rulers who originated directly from it. Yet, once Ayesha/Delona removed the "Soul Dark Marks" from all residents, over half of Sanctuary City's inhabitants rushed toward the central teleportation tower, intent on leaving.
Su Xiao had a rough estimate of what this Sanctuary City would eventually become. A faction supporting the city lord would emerge to manage the entire city. If the decision-makers of this faction genuinely worked to maintain and develop Sanctuary City for its future, all would be well. But if this faction harbored ulterior motives, the current city lord—the contemporary "Fated Prophet"—could simply bundle them up and use the "Power of Wishes" to send them to the distant reaches of the Abyss, reuniting them with Archbishop of Darkness Palmer.
By evening, Bubu Wang had finished remodeling the Gloomy Grand Cathedral. Though still a seven-story building, it no longer resembled a cathedral, looking more like an ordinary structure. At first glance, aside from being slightly taller, it blended in with the surrounding buildings.
However, in terms of defense, this building was formidable. Even if an external enemy attacked and Sanctuary City couldn't immediately sink into the Dark Sea, this structure would undoubtedly be the last building standing within the city under heavy assault.
Inside a third-floor room, Su Xiao surveyed his surroundings. Various furniture had been arranged here—simple, but sufficient for recuperation after injury. Additionally, on the second floor below, a Law-Destroying Teleportation Array had been set up. With this clear spatial coordinate, he could use the "Law-Destroying Teleportation Array" from elsewhere to instantly return here.
With everything arranged, he activated his Reincarnation Mark, chose to pay the Lv.4 additional authority, and teleported the "Awakening Stele" from his Exclusive Room to this location.
[Teleporting...]
[Teleportation Complete.]
The towering Awakening Stele appeared in the room. Looking at its partially damaged sections, Su Xiao knew that repairing this Law-Destruction treasure was no easy task.
Placing one hand on the "Awakening Stele," he infused 150 Law-Destruction Skill Points into it. After refinement, 30 Refined Law-Destruction Skill Points became available for use.
Closing his eyes to confirm the safety of the Gloomy Grand Cathedral, Su Xiao began enhancing his own Cyan Steel Shadow Energy. As the refined Law-Destruction Skill Points continuously boosted his Cyan Steel Shadow ability, he could clearly feel the energy growing stronger at its very root.
An hour later, the enhancement was complete. Su Xiao opened his eyes, removed his hand from the "Awakening Stele," and stepped back to prevent further resonance between his internal Cyan Steel Shadow energy and the stele. He sat cross-legged on the floor to rest.
Using "Power Source Matter" to devour a "Supreme Passive" and enhance his supreme main attributes, then fighting in the Abyss's near regions, was indeed the best way to adapt to his current physique. Moreover, each time, he could fill the "Primordial Container" with "Law-Destruction Skill Points"—a two-for-one deal.
But truly entering the Abyss was out of the question for now. If the Lord of the Abyss detected him, without the protection of Reincarnation Paradise's authority, it would mean certain death. Though the probability was low, everything about the Supreme Peak's transcendent realm remained unknown. The Tuanzhang's answer was:
'Then what do you think happened to all the peak-level violators of Dawn Paradise back then? Where did they go?'
Clearly, the Tuanzhang, at the Supreme realm back then, had killed plenty of Dawn Paradise's peak-level beings.
Additionally, the current Doom Star seemed less eerie and indescribable than imagined. This was because the Underworld God Temple was lying low. Too many Supreme Peaks had suddenly descended upon this world, all vying for the "Heart of the Abyss"—the only two chances to step into the Supreme realm.
Either the "Heart of the Abyss" or the "Eye of the Elements." There were no other opportunities to achieve the Supreme realm.
It appeared the Underworld God Temple was retreating, but based on known circumstances, among all the peak-level beings in this world, the Underworld God was undoubtedly the strongest, surpassing even the Underworld Lord and the Undying Old Man. For a long time, the Undying Old Man was considered the strongest and most bizarre existence at the peak level.
In fact, even the appearance of the "Heart of the Abyss" this time might have been orchestrated by the Underworld God. But on second thought, that didn't quite make sense. Leaking this information would inevitably attract many competitors, as was now the case.
Why, after lying low here for years and becoming the most likely candidate to ascend to the Supreme realm in the Third Era, was the Underworld God forced to deal with this mess?
Was it the Night Mother?
Unlikely. If the Night Mother had such means, the Dark God Cult wouldn't have been stuck hiding in the "Hidden City of Yargul."
It seemed the Night Mother's forces had defeated the Yargul School and seized the Hidden City, but in reality, it was a huge loss. The Yargul School had a long history, and in fact, the ritual that summoned the "Heart of the Abyss" was led by them.
This faction's external stance was strange. They were hostile to both the Underworld God Temple and the Night Mother. Yet this time, they willingly constructed the "Eye of the Abyss Ritual," which was puzzling.
But if one ignored the hostile stance and only looked at the "Eye of the Abyss Ritual" in terms of its knowledge-based power, the scholars of the Yargul School found it hard to refuse—especially since the Underworld God Temple was willing to bear the material burden that the Yargul School couldn't handle.
Thus, the Eye Princess was born from this. The Underworld God and the Yargul School had likely been planning this for decades, if not centuries.
Of course, given the Yargul School's temperament, aside from the "Eye of the Abyss Ritual," they would continue to oppose the Underworld God Temple in other matters. With the Underworld God holding sway, the temple's high-ranking members could only grit their teeth and continue collaborating with these stubborn scholars on this matter.
From this perspective, the Night God Cult's seizure of the "Hidden City of Yargul" was entirely understandable. The Underworld God was a Supreme Peak, and the Night Mother's faction was barely surviving. If the Underworld God truly achieved the Supreme realm, the Night Mother's faction would be finished.
Unfortunately, even seizing the Yargul School's stronghold couldn't stop these scholars from constructing the "Eye of the Abyss Ritual."
Following this line of thought, did the Night Mother truly want the "Heart of the Abyss" to appear? She had only recently ascended to the Supreme Peak and needed immense time to immerse herself. Ascending to the Supreme realm would have to wait until the Fourth Era.
Someone like Su Xiao, who, after reaching the Supreme Peak, directly clashed with the Deer God and began seizing the "Heart of the Abyss," was extremely rare. It wasn't that Su Xiao was exceptionally gifted, but rather that his foundation for reaching the Supreme Peak was solid enough. Calling it the strongest wasn't an exaggeration.
An interesting speculation—no, this was the reality—emerged in Su Xiao's judgment.
That was, the Night Mother, who had been considered an ally, seemed to be... leaning toward the enemy side due to the changing situation on Doom Star.
This was entirely unexpected. Su Xiao had no precognitive abilities and couldn't have known in advance that the "Heart of the Abyss" might appear in this world. His original plan was to ally with the Night Mother against the Underworld God; otherwise, he wouldn't have given her the "Infinite Source" obtained from Dead Silence City through Zuiyasi.
But cooperating with this unfamiliar Ancient God naturally required contingencies. Whether the Night Mother's side had noticed the extra "ingredient" in that "Infinite Source" was uncertain. The probability was low, as it was Su Xiao's masterpiece in alchemical poison—it wasn't even considered alchemical poison, unless they came to blows.
As for why he suddenly found himself opposing the Night Mother, it was because she was the only Supreme Peak in this world who wanted to kill the Eye Princess, Loris.
The Night Mother's chance for ascension wasn't in this era. Moreover, if the Eye Princess completed the activation of the "Eye of the Abyss Ritual," the "Heart of the Abyss" would appear. If the Underworld God obtained it, it would be a catastrophic blow to the Night Mother's faction.
Compared to this risk, killing the Eye Princess now was the best solution to prevent the worst-case scenario. Realizing this, Su Xiao vanished instantly, reappearing on the second floor. The Eye Princess, who was enjoying lunch with a grain of rice on her lip, was grabbed by the collar and lifted.
"Huh?"
The Eye Princess, Loris, was stunned. Even with a large chicken leg in her hand, she refused to let it go.
Slap!
Su Xiao's crystal left arm shattered, and the soul part of his left arm highly materialized into a translucent soul arm. As the Eye Princess's eyes widened, he reached into her brain.
When Su Xiao withdrew his soul left hand, between his index and middle fingers was a squirming "Marrow Parasite." Eroded by blood energy, the parasite shattered.
Was this the work of Zuiyasi and his wife? Unlikely. Ouna might gamble with her own life, but betting on her daughter Yero Ilia was highly improbable—especially since Yero Ilia was currently in this Sanctuary City.
In Su Xiao's view, Zuiyasi and his wife might have sensed something, but Zuiyasi's mother-in-law, the High Priestess Ululoy, was a loyal follower of the Night Mother. Or rather, for the prosperity of her family, she was devoted to the Night Mother. This wizard family had no other path but to follow her.
Yero Ilia, though adventurous and freedom-loving, wasn't foolish enough to secretly follow her parents on a divine mission. This was likely influenced by Ouna's "Marrow Parasite."
It was easy to fall into the misconception that the "Marrow Parasite" was Ouna's unique skill. It was a secret technique of the Night Wolf wizard family, mastered by very few, leading people to assume it was Ouna's exclusive ability.
Given Zuiyasi's outwardly devout but inwardly insincere faith, the high-ranking members of the Night Mother's faction clearly wanted to use this couple. With the High Priestess Ululoy's permission, everything made sense.
After the blood energy devoured the "Marrow Parasite," it didn't disappear. Instead, it formed blood-energy threadworms. After a brief incubation, it began tracking its source. Remember, Su Xiao wasn't just a Law Destroyer; he was also a Hunter-level assassin certified by Reincarnation Paradise.
Crack, crack, crack~
As Su Xiao's crystal arm reformed, he walked out of the cathedral.
Sanctuary City's East Bridge Street was a semi-abandoned pedestrian street. The shops on both sides were lifeless, only frequented by locals. Outsiders from the void were drawn to the bustling Central Avenue. Notably, Sanctuary City, Gran, was famous for its fine wine.
A thin, large-framed old man over 1.9 meters tall, with a hooked nose and an aura as if he might drop dead at any moment, was wearing a black robe and hood, walking among the crowd. Suddenly, he stopped, then grinned, revealing a mouthful of metal teeth.
"It seems I won't be leaving alive today."
The old man in the black robe removed his hood, revealing a bald head covered in cursed tattoos. Looking at the figure among the crowd ahead, his aura showed no fear, only relief.
"As a dying wish, can I have a drink?"
He pointed to a tavern by the street and walked toward it.
As the old man entered the tavern, the patrons inside suddenly froze, then stood up in unison and filed out past him. Within seconds, only the old man remained. He walked behind the bar, carefully selected a bottle of wine, and took it down. Why such careful selection? The last bottle of wine in one's life deserved seriousness.
Taking two clean glasses, he found a small table and sat down. Just as he settled, Su Xiao pushed open the tavern door.
They sat across from each other. The old man was about to open the wine when a bottle of Elemental Brew was placed on the table. His eyes lit up.
"That rascal gave me one before. Hmm, the taste is unforgettable to this day. For the last bottle of wine in my life, this brew is worthy."
With that, the old man laughed heartily. Yet, for some reason, despite his fearless scholarly demeanor, there was an inexplicable sense of frailty beneath his bravado.
Pop! The cork came out. Two glasses were filled. The old man took a small sip first, then downed the glass. After savoring it, he let out an "ah-ha" of satisfaction.
"Good wine, truly good."
Saying this, he refilled his glass.
Who was this man? He was none other than Ouna's father, Zuiyasi's father-in-law, the Chief Priest of the Night God Cult, Bergman.
In the past, Bergman was a scholar of Ancient Gods, skilled in both knowledge and combat. When knowledge couldn't solve a problem, he knew a bit of martial arts—until he met the High Priestess Ululoy under the Night Mother.
After marriage, Bergman often sneaked glances at his wife, who stood five meters tall and weighed 9,572 kilograms, sighing: 'Our first meeting still makes me feel that my vitality was strong enough not to be choked to death by your single hand.'
Noticing his wife's unfriendly gaze, Bergman wisely shut up. After all, an unangered wife was at least in human form, not a mass of black-purple tentacles forming an Ancient God High Priestess.
"Ah~, life."
Bergman sighed after downing his second glass. He asked with interest:
"White Night, when do you plan to act?"
"..."
"Young man, don't be so silent. Look at my son-in-law; he often drinks and brags with this old man."
As he spoke, Bergman poured a third glass.
"They're willing to use even you as cannon fodder?"
Su Xiao spoke, picking up his glass but not drinking.
"They've offended all my colleagues in the Yargul School. Whether it's the Eye Ritual or other ancient incantations, I, a mere Ancient God scholar, can't activate or maintain them alone. That requires the power of scholars. I can't do anything by myself."
At this, Bergman sighed.
"..."
Su Xiao stared at the old man across from him. This old fellow put on a show of facing death, but in reality, he was seeking life within death. As the husband of High Priestess Ululoy and the Chief Priest, Bergman knew too well what awaited him once he lost his value.
Now was his chance to seek life within death. In this family of six, five were insincere in their faith toward the Night Mother. The young Yero Ilia and Griffin could be understood. As for Zuiyasi and Ouna—birds of a feather flock together. And Bergman, this old man, was clearly also insincere.
It even made one wonder if Bergman had been captured by High Priestess Ululoy to improve the Night Wolf family's genes. Judging by Ouna's appearance, the improvement was very successful.
High Priestess Ululoy had no familial affection for anyone; it was family above all. The corresponding "return" was that her five relatives held little affection for her.
After staring at the old man for a moment, Su Xiao spoke:
"Can you make the Eye Princess awaken the 'Eye of the Abyss Ritual'?"
"Of course," Bergman said, raising his chin slightly, then continued, "No."
After saying "no," the old man rubbed the stubble on his chin, feeling the rough texture, and decided to shave when he returned to his hotel that night.
"..."
Su Xiao downed his glass and made to stand. Across from him, Bergman raised a hand to signal him to wait.
"Although I can't, I know who can. In all of Doom Star, only two people can activate that ritual: the Great Scholar Edro and the Legendary Wizard Sawyer."
Saying this, Bergman chuckled and added:
"The Great Scholar Edro is extremely unlikely to help you."
"Why?"
"This is from the Second Era. A female Law Destroyer sought out the Great Scholar Edro. This highly respected, peak figure in the Eye Ritual system naturally showed enough arrogance. The result? The female Law Destroyer stuffed him into a sandbag and beat him for an entire morning. Between life-threatening danger and unpaid help, he wisely chose the latter."
After speaking, Bergman was about to pour another glass but found the bottle empty.
"If necessary, I can stuff him into a sandbag too."
Su Xiao pulled out another bottle of Elemental Brew. Things had reached this point. Since those Ancient God scholars were willing to help the Underworld God create the "Eye of the Abyss Ritual" but refused to cooperate with him, they were clearly enemies. Against enemies, Law Destroyers had a unique theory. They could help the Great Scholar Edro relive his "wonderful experience" from the past.
"No, no, no, no need for such trouble. That old man is now just a figurehead. The Legendary Wizard Sawyer is the current highest authority on the Eye Ritual. Moreover, this wizard would be very eager to participate in awakening the ritual. I'll contact him for you."
"Name your price."
Su Xiao didn't believe that Chief Priest Bergman would risk being killed by the Night Mother to help him for free.
"Send my grandson, Griffin, to the Ten Thousand Races Realm—this Third Era's transcendent realm. And he must have a place in the world's causality of this transcendent realm. Others might not be able to do it, but you directly facilitated this world's transcendence. You can."
At this moment, Chief Priest Bergman's eyes were unusually bright. Clearly, he was prepared to be buried with the Night Mother's faction, even with Doom Star itself.
But he couldn't let his grandson die here too. The boy's life was just beginning. As for his precious granddaughter, Bergman didn't need to worry. He had long had top diviners foresee that Yero Ilia's fate shouldn't be recklessly interfered with. She might be one of the greatest causalities of the next era.
"This old man is ready to be buried with that rotting flesh behind the curtain, hehehe..."
Chief Priest Bergman grinned, his mouth full of metal teeth, and his eyes—pitch-black sockets with dark yellow pupils—now had an inexplicably eerie quality.
"Waiting for your good news."
Su Xiao raised his glass. Seeing this, Chief Priest Bergman, who had fully unleashed his aura, raised his glass as well. They clinked glasses and downed the drink.
A moment later, only Chief Priest Bergman remained in the tavern. His smile gradually faded, and he let out a relaxed sigh. Feeling the sweat-soaked back of his clothes, he picked up the bottle and took half a gulp to calm his nerves.
The negotiation seemed calm, but Bergman clearly sensed that one wrong step would end his life. Such was the oppressive presence of a Law-Destruction Shadow who could fight to the death with the Deer God.
...
Back in the third-floor room of the cathedral, where the "Awakening Stele" was located, Su Xiao returned and began considering a question: should he enhance his own strength first, or resolve the Original Sin causality first?
The Goddess of Fortune was ready. The daughters of the Warm Bed were fine. Kaisa had also arrived in this world. Plus, there was Shenfu's "Existence System" support, especially since, after the Ancestral God's fall, over 90% of the "Existence System's" power was with Shenfu.
Yet, for some reason, a faint sense of unease lingered. This wasn't an illusion; it was a premonition of life-and-death crisis derived from having "Absolute Perception."
The safest approach was undoubtedly to gain a stronger physique. Confirming this, Su Xiao checked his newly enhanced Cyan Steel Shadow ability.
[Cyan Steel Shadow: Lv.215 (Active/Passive Skill · Fully Awakened State)]
Usage Condition: After activating Cyan Steel Shadow ability, consumes 141,000 mana points per minute.
Active Effect: Each melee attack burns 30% of the enemy's maximum mana (or other supreme body energy) and deals true damage equal to 1.25 times the burned mana, i.e., 37.5% of maximum health as true damage. The enemy will suffer "severe pain" from mana burn.
Defensive Form: Proud Song (Passive): Can generate crystals in any form to defend against enemy attacks. Crystal strength is proportional to mana consumed. Single-use mana consumption cap is 10% of current "Mana Cap." Crystal layer defense rank +97.
...
The Cyan Steel Shadow ability had reached Lv.215 but still hadn't hit its limit. The value of the "Endless Trait" continued to steadily increase. No wonder his unscrupulous mentor had secretly coveted it.
There was no rush to break the Original Sin causality. At least wait until after another supreme attribute enhancement. With that, the next plan became clear.