Chapter 46: The Priest
Whether it was the Shadow Merchant Guild, the Merchant Alliance, or the Feather Race, their actions all gave off a sense of bewildering behavior. Were these major powers foolish? Of course not. Several major factions were forced to unite under the circumstances, but they were not of one mind, and the behavior they displayed outwardly was particularly perplexing.
After listening to Kaiser's explanation, Su Xiao understood the situation. First, he would go to the Feather Race and ask why they had placed a bounty on him. If the answer they gave did not satisfy him, he would switch to the Law-Destruction formula and begin physical negotiations.
Su Xiao sent a teleportation request to Reincarnation Paradise. The next second, teleportation light enveloped him, Bubu Wang, Baha, and Beini.
---
**The Realm of All Races.**
The late summer breeze blew gently. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the third floor of the teleportation tower were wide open. On the teleportation platforms on either side, travelers to the Realm of All Races came and went in an endless stream. Some were wealthy people bringing their families to vacation in the extremely safe Imperial Capital, Starlight City, Inserton. They were accompanied by butlers, servants, and a large entourage. Others were merchants coming here to do business, or young people seeking opportunities.
Looking at the high-tier worlds of the Star Realm, the Imperial Capital, Starlight City, Inserton, was undoubtedly one of the safest major cities. This city, with a population of tens of millions, was incredibly expensive, inch by inch. The factions entrenched here were either major Void powers or fierce forces whose original worlds had been destroyed by the Abyss invasion, forcing them to come here.
These factions shared a common trait: the Realm of All Races was a hard-won home, and Starlight City was its central metropolis. If anyone dared to cause trouble in their new home, or even wantonly destroy it, these major powers would ensure the destroyer died without a burial place.
On the surface, they wouldn't be too fierce, but privately, they would unleash their anger and cruelty to the extreme, letting those who disregarded the law know that being imprisoned in the Imperial Capital's prison was actually a form of luck.
Only those who have lost something truly cherish it. This was the situation for the major powers and neutral factions currently entrenched in Starlight City.
As for the original local power, the Steam God Cult, they naturally wanted to be the boss here. However, after a 'heart-to-heart talk' with the Star Clan, Soul Clan, Gilueus Family, and Goblin Merchant Guild, the Steam God Cult had become 'already honest, begging for mercy,' agreeing to be peaceful, good neighbors from then on.
Now, at the East City, Flower Field District.
There were three large estates here. In the already exorbitantly priced Starlight City, the value of these three estates was unimaginable. It was worth noting that the Goblin Merchant Guild had originally purchased these three large estates, and they had now been sold to the Feather Race.
The Feather Race, having migrated here in force, naturally couldn't bring their entire clan to Starlight City. Not to mention whether there would be enough residences, they also had to consider the attitudes of the major powers in Starlight City.
Whether it was the Star Clan, Soul Clan, or Goblin Merchant Guild, they each chose a city in this world as their base camp. Their presence in the Imperial Capital was more of a face to the outside world, indicating that their race had a place in this world.
The Feather Race was, of course, in the same situation. Given the vastness of the Realm of All Races, finding a suitable location to build a city wasn't difficult. Moreover, the Feather Race had found a city foundation with a suitable climate and beautiful surrounding scenery.
Among these three estates, the one in the middle, also the largest, was called the Silver Feather Estate. The Silver Feather Estate was bustling with activity inside and out. At the main gate of the estate, Su Xiao had just arrived when he was stopped by a guard at the front gate. Inside the main building, on the third floor, the current patriarch of the Feather Race, Wei. Uss, who had been anxiously waiting, saw this scene. If not for the need to maintain his patriarchal dignity, he would have already cursed the Merchant Alliance.
At the main gate, the guard who blocked Su Xiao was trembling, his teeth chattering audibly. The other dozen or so guards were stunned. Were they here to guard the gate? Of course not. What era was this to still have gate guards?
Back in the Void, the Feather Race didn't even have guards at their gates. They were here, under the patriarch's orders, to welcome a god of slaughter. If this god of slaughter didn't come for a day, they would wait a day. If he didn't come for a month, then they were doomed.
A silver sword was drawn. The guard, whose nerves were stretched to the limit, made a move to charge forward. The other guards, unable to stop him in time, felt their blood run cold. But the next second, this traitorous guard suddenly froze in place, immense terror flashing in his eyes before they became calm.
"Who told you to block me?"
Su Xiao spoke. Hearing this, the traitorous guard replied with a hint of daze, "Lord Fitzhogg."
"And who is that?"
Su Xiao's brow furrowed slightly.
"A big shot from the Goru Kingdom."
"..."
Su Xiao thought for a moment, then remembered. It was one of the world's powers, the Goru Kingdom, a second-tier kingdom. Earlier in this world, he had fought the Ancestral God until the sky went dark. This second-tier kingdom had cowered from start to finish. But why would such a second-tier kingdom get involved in this matter?
Blood energy formed a summoning mark. A mist of blood dispersed, and a total of eight Ironblood Hounds appeared. Omen, Styx, and the others answered the call. Giant Bloodfang also came.
Baha landed on Su Xiao's shoulder and said to Omen, "This puppet can live for a few days. It knows where the enemy is. Kill them all, leave none."
Hearing this, Omen nodded. The Ironblood Hounds vanished in an instant. This was actually what the Ironblood Hounds were best at. As for payment, the Law-Destruction Lord had given them far too much last time. It would be fine not to give anything this time, but the Ironblood Hounds all knew that the Law-Destruction Lord never took advantage of them, as long as they did the job well.
Without needing to think, this was a covert probe by the Merchant Alliance. Su Xiao decided not to deal with it for now, lest he kill all the members of the Merchant Alliance and ruffle the feathers of the major Star Realm powers. After all, who wouldn't be wary of a powerful, violent, and extremely strong being?
Su Xiao didn't need these major Star Realm powers to help him deal with Arcane Eternal Star. In the final decisive battle against Arcane Eternal Star, it would be a very good stance for these major powers to just watch from the sidelines.
Under the welcome of over a dozen guards and the Feather Race's head steward, Su Xiao entered the main building of the estate, a six-story, semi-modern castle. It didn't have the defensive nature and narrow windows of a traditional castle. It was bright and clean while retaining some of the aesthetic beauty of ancient architecture.
Guided by the Feather Race's head steward, Su Xiao arrived at the study on the second floor. Inside was a middle-aged to elderly man. However, the Feather Race's inherent good looks meant he was simply a handsome older man. This was the Feather Race Patriarch, Wei. Uss.
The old steward was a wise man. After delivering Su Xiao to the study, he immediately closed the door and ordered all servants and clan members out of the building. Inside the study, the originally seated Feather Race Patriarch, Wei. Uss, stood up the moment the door closed.
"In front of my clan members, I, as the patriarch, cannot lose face for the Feather Race. The Feather Race has suffered from being too proud over the years. Please forgive me, Mr. White Night."
Feather Race Patriarch Wei. Uss stood up, walked to the tea table, picked up the teapot, and poured two cups. He returned to the desk, placed down the light tea, and then sat opposite Su Xiao.
"Mr. White Night, I won't waste words. I don't think you want to hear them either. The situation with that bounty is very, very complicated. I personally was firmly opposed to it. So, on behalf of the Feather Race, I am offering you this compensation."
Saying this, Feather Race Patriarch Wei. Uss took out a treasury storage card from the Goblin Merchant Guild. He continued, "This is all the Time-Space Stone fragments our clan has accumulated over the years, and even one complete Time-Space Stone. I think you might need these things. I hope you can accept this apology."
"..."
Su Xiao looked at Feather Race Patriarch Wei. Uss for over ten seconds. This immediately made the patriarch's heart race. He guessed that the Law-Destruction Lord before him was weighing whether to accept the apology or to slaughter the Feather Race.
Although the idea of slaughtering the Feather Race seemed fantastical, the person before him was truly capable of it. Feather Race Patriarch Wei. Uss was very sure of this.
A few minutes later, under the respectful farewell of the Feather Race's high-ranking members, Su Xiao left the Silver Feather Estate. Back in the study, Feather Race Patriarch Wei. Uss sat down with a thud. He picked up his teacup, but it was empty. Abandoning his usual decorum, he walked to the tea table, grabbed the teapot, and gulped down several large mouthfuls. He looked out the window at the busy servants and the young clan members chatting in small groups in the courtyard, and he smiled.
Having taken a major misstep before, he had now managed to save the Feather Race again. As for doing nothing at all, it might have seemed feasible, but the former chains of interest and deep-rooted relationships made it impossible for the Feather Race to stay out of it.
---
**Exclusive Room.**
The teleportation light faded. The problem with the Feather Race had been resolved smoothly. The Merchant Alliance would be left alone for now. Su Xiao handed the Goblin Merchant Guild's treasury storage card to Beini. The young lady Beini was more familiar with such matters.
Besides that, Kaiser had sent a total of 216,800 ounces of Space-Time Power. The shares of the Shadow Merchant Guild alone couldn't possibly be worth that much. However, after passing through Kaiser's hands, the Shadow Merchant Guild's losses this time were indeed severe.
No wonder the Shadow Merchant Guild, in a fit of anger, had defected to the Merchant Alliance, hoping to recoup some of their losses. Who would have thought that the seemingly flourishing Merchant Alliance was actually falling into even bigger trouble?
Su Xiao didn't have to wait long. Beini finished the deposit and withdrawal of items from the Goblin Merchant Guild's treasury. There was indeed a complete Time-Space Stone, but it wasn't a 'Flawless Complete Time-Space Stone' worth 500,000 ounces. A 'Complete Time-Space Stone' cost 300,000 ounces of Space-Time Power. Including the fragments, the total value was 462,800 ounces of Space-Time Power.
For these major powers, financial assets and Space-Time Power were two different things. Having financial resources didn't mean they could buy Space-Time Power. If you went to the Goblin Merchant Guild to exchange Space-Time Power for Soul Coins, they would be very willing. But if you wanted to exchange Soul Coins for Space-Time Power, for small amounts, the Goblin Merchant Guild would at most increase the price. Once the quantity was large, the Goblin Merchant Guild would impose many restrictions.
Within the Goblin Merchant Guild, there was a periodic upper limit on the amount of Space-Time Power they could trade. For example, the quota for the current month might be 100,000 ounces. Once this amount was exceeded, they would immediately stop selling Space-Time Power externally.
The reason was that the Goblin Merchant Guild had survived from the ancient era to the present, with some members surviving the Elemental Cataclysm, precisely because they had paid a massive amount of Space-Time Power to the Void Tree. The Void Tree used this Space-Time Power to expand the 12th 'Notarized Sanctuary Zone,' and the Goblin Merchant Guild thus obtained a number of entry slots for the 12th Sanctuary Zone.
In fact, the Feather Race also wanted to use other resources to settle this matter with Su Xiao. The problem was, if this matter couldn't be settled, they might not even have to wait for the Abyss Calamity. Furthermore, the rumor that Space-Time Power could obtain sanctuary qualifications was more of a rumor, never acknowledged by the Goblin Merchant Guild's high-ranking members.
Thus, Su Xiao now had a total of 910,000 ounces of Space-Time Power. This was already a considerable amount. The multi-million ounce acquisition this time was purely from killing, coupled with the power of the 'Fate Reversal.' The 'Perfect Talisman' alone had sold for 7,550,000 ounces of Space-Time Power. Across the major Paradise factions, this was one of the top-ranked pieces of equipment.
However, this deep dive into the Abyss had brought the completion rate of Su Xiao's 'Abyss Mission: Death's Grant' to 759%. He was only one 'Immortal Indestructible Abyss Spawn' short of reaching the maximum value.
If this Abyss Mission accumulated completion just by killing Abyssal creatures, it would have been maxed out long ago. 'Immortal Indestructible Abyss Spawn' weren't very common. Sometimes, you could encounter several of them just by going to the near-Abyssal zone, and the 'Abyss Mission' would be completed immediately. Sometimes, when you actually entered the Abyss, you wouldn't encounter any.
Of course, this was likely because Su Xiao's aura had become stronger. Some 'Immortal Indestructible Abyss Spawn' that used to parasitize or drain his Primordial Life Force would now, upon sensing his presence nearby, immediately realize this killer was not to be trifled with and would leave.
Su Xiao now faced two choices. There was indeed an 'Abyss Mission' that accumulated 'Mission Completion' by killing Abyssal creatures, but the other Abyss Mission didn't have the following characteristic:
'This mission's completion rate accumulation method is: when you successfully kill a target unit, increase the "Mission Completion corresponding to the target unit's danger level" + "45% of the current existing Mission Completion, which is the Mission Completion added this time."'
The two Abyss Missions could not be accepted simultaneously. 'Death's Grant' only required killing a few specific targets to max out the completion rate. 'Guardian,' on the other hand, accumulated completion bit by bit by killing Abyssal creatures.
However, 'Guardian' had a 100% mission completion acquisition bonus under one condition: killing Abyssal creatures within the Star Realm. This clearly indicated that the area had been invaded by the Abyss and urgently needed strong combat power to clear or rescue it.
Su Xiao arrived at the planting area and stopped in front of the Black Maple Tree. He began to release Space-Time Power. As the Space-Time Power was released, the 'Devouring Technique' under the Black Maple Tree was activated. The roots of the Black Maple Tree, connected to the 'Devouring Technique,' came to life, absorbing the Space-Time Power. This caused the leaves on the Black Maple Tree to wither, fall, and turn to powder rapidly. But soon, new branches and leaves grew.
A total of 400,000 ounces of Space-Time Power were invested. The Black Maple Tree's growth rate once again reached its historical peak. The 20-meter-tall Black Maple Tree began to grow robustly towards the 25-meter mark. When all the Space-Time Power was absorbed, after waiting a few more hours, a prompt appeared.
[Prompt: Your Black Maple Tree has entered the harvestable stage.]
[You have obtained Black Maple Tree Yield × 9.2 Standard Units.]
---
Su Xiao took out his communicator and dialed. It was connected in just over ten seconds. The voice of the Goblin Merchant Guild's General Manager, Jin Guwo, came from the other end:
"Mr. White Night? Hello, this is your old friend, Jin Guwo."
"9.2 standard units."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Jin Guwo on the other end of the communicator was silent for a moment, then tentatively said, "Mr. White Night, haven't you heard yet? Arcane Eternal Star has started selling Black Maple Tree Yield externally, and in large quantities. They've released over 300 standard units this time."
"..."
Su Xiao immediately understood what Arcane Eternal Star was doing. For those spellcasters, this was a move that killed multiple birds with one stone.
White Bull's solo assault on Arcane Eternal Star had shown the outside world that the gods of Arcane Eternal Star didn't care who became the overlord of the Void. This meant that if a group of major Void powers besieged Arcane Eternal Star, one of them would inevitably emerge victorious and stand out.
The problem was that even though one of Arcane Eternal Star's three peak powerhouses had fallen, the Frost Wind King and Wrathful Hells were enough to hold the fort. Moreover, no one was sure if Arcane Eternal Star had any other peak powerhouses. Even if it was highly probable they didn't, no one dared to bet on it.
Under these circumstances, Arcane Eternal Star could make an appropriate external statement. They could demonstrate their means of suppressing the Abyss invasion and start selling large quantities of Black Maple Tree Yield externally. This was undoubtedly a sign that they were willing to share some of their former exclusive interests, combining favor and coercion. Although they were still in a situation where they would inevitably be besieged, they had successfully stalemated the situation for now.
Furthermore, releasing a large amount of Black Maple Tree Yield could also limit their opponents' resource acquisition. Arcane Eternal Star was, of course, aware that Su Xiao had a Black Maple Tree. Before, when Su Xiao posed no threat to Arcane Eternal Star, it wasn't worth affecting the profits from the Black Maple Tree. However, Su Xiao had first killed Soul Lord and then beheaded the Underworld God. He was now a major enemy capable of threatening Arcane Eternal Star.
Coupled with the terrifying rate of Su Xiao's strength increase, which frightened the high-ranking spellcasters, Arcane Eternal Star's decision to take this multi-beneficial approach was surprising but reasonable.
The Goblin Merchant Guild's General Manager, Jin Guwo, cleared his throat and said, "Mr. White Night, the value of Black Maple Tree Yield is undeniable. But its high premium has always been due to scarcity. The output from Arcane Eternal Star and Abyssal Dragon has temporarily brought the Black Maple Tree Yield down from an ultra-high premium to its own high value."
The Goblin Merchant Guild's General Manager, Jin Guwo, didn't make an offer but instead gave another piece of information.
In fact, the Black Maple Tree Yield from both Arcane Eternal Star and Abyssal Dragon was greater than Su Xiao's. After all, they were two Black Maple Trees from the Second Era.
It wasn't surprising that Abyssal Dragon was selling large quantities of Black Maple Tree Yield. For Abyssal Dragon, as long as the Black Maple Tree Yield could be exchanged for the resources it needed to devour, the quantity was irrelevant. It had hoarded these for so many years. It just needed to get through this period. The total number of Black Maple Trees meant that the price would eventually return to a high premium state.
"Mr. White Night, our new chairman actually gave instructions for this transaction long ago. What do you think of this? We have a treasure in our vault that you might need. Let me show you."
As the Goblin Merchant Guild's General Manager, Jin Guwo spoke, he had already arrived at the guild headquarters' main vault. A moment later, Su Xiao's communicator received an image. It was a tall stele, six or seven meters high and less than four meters wide, completely translucent blue. Seeing this object, Su Xiao felt a strange sense of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, he realized... it was an 'Awakening Stele.'
This was an 'Awakening Stele' from the ancient era!
Connecting this to the rumor that the Goblin Merchant Guild had survived the Elemental Cataclysm, and that records of the Shadow of Law Destruction existed from the previous great era, it wasn't surprising that they had this 'Awakening Stele.' The key was the 'Law-Destruction System abilities' recorded on it.
"What do you think? You offer 4.2 standard units of Black Maple Tree Yield, and we give you this secret treasure of the Law-Destruction faction. What do you say..."
"Deal."
Su Xiao wasn't worried about the future sales of his Black Maple Tree Yield. First, he was about to go to war with Arcane Eternal Star. This would only have two outcomes. If he won, the next step would be to go after Abyssal Dragon.
There were three Black Maple Trees in the Star Realm: Arcane Eternal Star, Abyssal Dragon, and the Black Abyss, the Blade Demon's residence.
If Su Xiao destroyed Arcane Eternal Star and killed Abyssal Dragon, then only he and the Blade Demon would be able to sell Black Maple Tree Yield externally. Moreover, the Blade Demon had now regained some of his self-awareness. At that time, he could negotiate with the Blade Demon to raise the price of Black Maple Tree Yield a bit. It wouldn't be as high as when Arcane Eternal Star had deliberately inflated the price, but it would certainly be much higher than the current price.
He still went to the Great Gathering Place for the transaction. While waiting, Su Xiao opened his title list. He currently had three main titles. [Abyssal Shadow] went without saying; it was the most important title. The others were [Peak Work] and [Original Sin Scholar].
[Peak Work] had reached 'Limit Refinement · 4 Times.' Originally, he planned to max it out to 'Limit Refinement · 5 Times.' After weighing the options, the current [Peak Work] was more than sufficient. Alchemy had reached Lv.100, and the limit of what he could concoct was the 'Extreme Body Shell.'
It wasn't impossible to further improve his alchemy skills. It was a matter of time cost. It would take decades, centuries, or even longer to hone his skills to the point where he could improve his concoction techniques despite his alchemy level being unable to increase. Moreover, his current alchemy level was sufficient for Su Xiao's needs.
[Original Sin Scholar] was at 'Limit Refinement · 1 Time.' He had already tried using the 'Wiseman's Codex' to improve his Sealcraft and confirmed that [Original Sin Scholar] provided a massive boost to this method of improving Sealcraft. So, it was time to upgrade [Original Sin Scholar].
Su Xiao still had 228,847 Hunter Coins. With his luck, he immediately exchanged them for 762 [Title Chests (★★★)] and 381 [Title Chests (★★)]. He then charged and activated [Fate Reversal]. The reason was:
[Title Chest (★★)]
Effect: Upon opening, obtain 1 specified characteristic 1-star to 9-star title (type can be specified...).
Stock Quantity: -- pieces (no limit on exchange quantity).
---
All the title chests were opened. Combined with the remaining titles of various star ratings from before, which were all synthesized, a total of 795 attribute-less 9-star titles were obtained after clearing out all 1-star to 8-star titles. The effect of [Fate Reversal] was indeed top-notch.
As for why he didn't exchange them all for [Title Chests (★★)], sufficient stability combined with a bit of luck was the most reliable approach. Moreover, the luck fluctuation from opening 381 [Title Chests (★★)] was not the same as opening over a hundred thousand. Hadn't he just recently opened the 'Perfect Talisman' and sold it for over 7 million ounces of Space-Time Power? Reversing luck didn't mean bringing endless good fortune.
To upgrade [Original Sin Scholar] from 'Limit Refinement · 1 Time' to 'Limit Refinement · 2 Times,' a total of 25 'Attribute-less · 9-Star Titles' were needed. The reason for this high consumption was Su Xiao's self-invented method for guaranteed title synthesis success.
The usual method for upgrading from 'Limit Refinement · 1 Time' to 'Limit Refinement · 2 Times' was to mount the main title at 'Limit Refinement · 1 Time' onto the title refinement disc, then embed one 9-star title into each of the five surrounding sub-title slots before starting the refinement.
This was already a very stable refinement method. Some guys would just embed a single 9-star title into the sub-title slot, and what was even more infuriating was that it would succeed.
Su Xiao's method was to fill all five surrounding sub-title slots with attribute-less sub-titles that had the same 'Refinement Count' as the main title, thereby achieving a 100% refinement success rate. This was his exclusive secret method. It could only be said that this secret method was truly very exclusive.
Not to mention that before activating the 'Title Shop,' most of Su Xiao's titles came from turning the world he was in into a war management mode. The three shops corresponding to [Old Hunter] were such that other hunters basically opened the 'Hunter Shop · Weapon' or 'Hunter Shop · Potion.' This was because, in the later stages, it was easier to stack ordinary Charm attributes, thereby increasing the number of titles obtained.
It was also because 'Hunter Shop · Weapon' and 'Hunter Shop · Potion' could be upgraded. One could be upgraded to 'Hunter Shop · Secret Treasure Vault,' and the other could be upgraded to 'Hunter Shop · Wizard's Potion Workshop.' Only the 'Hunter Shop · Title' could not be upgraded.
Had Su Xiao chosen wrong? Of course not. His Charm attribute was already -100 points. If he hadn't chosen 'Hunter Shop · Title' back then, [Abyssal Shadow] wouldn't have its current unique strength, he wouldn't have a four-star [Peak Work], and he would have been ineligible for the highest-level 'Honor Shop.'
The title refinements began one after another. From 'Limit Refinement · 1 Time' to 'Limit Refinement · 2 Times' cost 25 'Attribute-less · 9-Star Titles.' Upgrading to 'Limit Refinement · 3 Times' cost another 125. Upgrading to 'Limit Refinement · 4 Times' cost 625. A total of 775 'Attribute-less · 9-Star Titles' were consumed, and [Original Sin Scholar] was upgraded.
[Prompt: You have consumed all Hunter Coins. Your Title Shop has been closed.]
---
There had been a similar prompt when [Old Hunter] was upgraded before. Su Xiao dismissed this prompt and checked the upgraded title attributes of [Original Sin Scholar]:
[Original Sin Scholar]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Limit Refinement: Four Times
Category: Rare · Title
Title Effect 1: Absolute Focus · Forbidden Knowledge (Passive): After beginning to acquire knowledge, consumes 150,000 Mana Points per minute. During this period, the efficiency of mastering Original Sin Studies/Sealcraft/Dark Studies knowledge is increased by 319 times. The efficiency of mastering other types of knowledge is increased by 50%, but the Mana Point consumption is only one ten-thousandth of the current value (i.e., consumes 15 Mana Points per minute).
Warning: When activating this state to master 'Original Sin Studies/Sealcraft/Dark Studies knowledge,' you will be immersed in it until you break free from this state by your own will, or your body's energy is depleted, leading to soul withering and death.
Warning: Death caused by this situation is a 'Self-Characteristic' death, and the effects of any 'Life-Saving Items' will fail.
Title Effect 2: Original Sin Scholar (Core · Passive): For each Peak Original Sin Object you hold/seal, the effect of 'Absolute Focus · Forbidden Knowledge' is increased by 50%, and Mana Point consumption is increased by 50%.
Current Number of Sealed Original Sin Objects: 7.
Current 'Absolute Focus · Forbidden Knowledge' Effect Bonus: 350%.
That is: During 'Absolute Focus · Forbidden Knowledge,' the efficiency of mastering Original Sin Studies/Sealcraft/Dark Studies knowledge is increased by 1116.5 times.
That is: During 'Absolute Focus · Forbidden Knowledge,' 525,000 Mana Points are consumed per minute.
Prompt: 'Absolute Focus · Forbidden Knowledge' has a certain slow-heating nature. After its duration exceeds a certain time, it will increase the 'efficiency of Original Sin Studies/Sealcraft/Dark Studies knowledge' without increasing Mana Point consumption, up to a maximum increase from 1116.5 times to 1200 times.
Description: Either be immersed in it, or achieve self-transcendence. Dark and forbidden knowledge is always so fascinating, yet so dangerous.
---
This Mana consumption was simply terrifying. Fortunately, Su Xiao's current Azure Shadow King energy was 38,420 points. 525,000 Mana Points per minute seemed daunting, but after conversion, it was 2.625 Azure Shadow King energy points per minute. This meant he could maintain 'Absolute Focus · Forbidden Knowledge' for ten days.
Su Xiao entered the meditation room and took out the 'Wiseman's Codex' from the team storage space. As this half-meter-tall metal book stood on the ground, the entire room began to fill with whispers, as if many invisible entities were constantly murmuring knowledge enough to drive one mad.
In this atmosphere, the metal face representing the 'Silent Wiseman' among the three faces on the 'Wiseman's Codex' began to awaken. Dark gold metal fluid surged out, forming the tall but gaunt, terrifying-looking 'Silent Wiseman.' This wiseman gave off a feeling of severity, and after enduring thousands of years of pain, the emotion called 'compassion' had been completely extinguished in its heart.
The 'Silent Wiseman' pressed its right arm, which resembled a cluster of tentacles, onto the 'Wiseman's Codex.' A vast amount of Sealcraft knowledge surged forth from it. Among this knowledge, some was ancient and dangerous, some was advanced but insane, and some was eternal and unchanging but would cause mental aberrations in those who mastered it.
Ordinary Sealcraft knowledge could no longer satisfy Su Xiao's needs for sealing Original Sin Objects. A wicked person needed a wicked person to deal with them. And each Big Daddy-level Original Sin Object required equally dangerous sealing power to contain. Fortunately, Su Xiao's 'Absolute Will' prevented him from being corrupted by the powerful Sealcraft he mastered.
With the boost from the [Original Sin Scholar] title, Su Xiao gradually shifted from passively enduring the impact of Sealcraft knowledge to actively learning, understanding, and mastering it.
Time flew by. Five days passed in the blink of an eye. The knowledge impact from the 'Wiseman's Codex' came to an abrupt halt. It wasn't that Su Xiao couldn't bear it anymore, but that the 'Wiseman's Codex' had reached its limit for the amount of Sealcraft knowledge it could release externally at one time.
Su Xiao meditated for a moment, and his somewhat groggy mind cleared. He checked his current Sealcraft:
'Sealcraft: Lv.96.'
There was still a distance to Lv.100, but Su Xiao felt that his Sealcraft reaching its current level was already beyond expectations. His temporary goal was Lv.98. This wasn't a sure thing, but with the existence of the 'Book of Original Sin,' it was enough to prevent the 'Big Daddy-level Original Sin Objects' sealed within it from affecting him.
Ultimately, Su Xiao's greatest advantage in holding Original Sin Objects was that he was a Technique Grandmaster. Among body, mind, and technique, his inner mind was strong enough. Faced with the temptation of Original Sin power, he had never used any of the Original Sin Objects he held. And 'not using' was the greatest restraint against Original Sin Objects.
As for how Su Xiao possessed this quality, was it innate? Of course not. Before Su Xiao had 'Fate Reversal,' his luck needed no elaboration. Forget about pies falling from the sky. If he went out on a stormy day and didn't get struck by lightning, he would start thinking upon returning home if someone had secretly blessed him with good luck to plot something.
Having grown stronger under such circumstances, how could he be tempted by the easily obtained power of Original Sin Objects?
He checked the time. It was just past eleven at night. Su Xiao decided to get some sleep. Tomorrow was the agreed-upon time. Speaking of which, Kaiser and the Priest should be just about ready.
He had just taken a shower and lay down when one of the two communicators on the bedside table rang. He picked it up and saw it was from the Priest. He answered, and the Priest's voice came through:
"White Night, there's been an accident."
"What?"
Su Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. An accident worth the Priest's special notification could only mean that his and Kaiser's plan to notarize Arcane Eternal Star, make it a notarized zone, and create an entry combat power cap had run into trouble.
"Arcane Eternal Star cannot be notarized."
Hearing this from the Priest, Su Xiao looked puzzled. It was in the Void, yes, but there was no situation where it couldn't be notarized. Sometimes, the Void Tree would notarize parts of the Void due to various events.
"Reason."
"Right now, the entire Void is under the highest level of notarization. Ever since your Starry Sky Seat's White Bull raided Arcane Eternal Star, the Void Tree has notarized the entire Void at the highest level. And it's an expandable notarization. I suspect that notarizing the entire Void is just the first step."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak, but in the dim environment, a faint bloodlust flickered in his eyes. He asked, "Unlimited notarization?"
"Yes."
"To what extent?"
Although Su Xiao already had an answer in mind, he still chose to confirm it.
"The Supreme Realm."
The Priest finished speaking and let out a meaningful laugh. He continued, "It seems I will have to go to the Void to help those lost lambs..."
Before the Priest could finish, Su Xiao had already hung up the communication. He knew that his brief cooperation with the Priest had come to an abrupt end due to this unexpected, yet inevitable, notarization of the entire Void. This old bastard, the Priest, was finally about to reveal his ultimate goal.
As for what the Priest intended to do, Su Xiao had gradually figured it out from his series of schemes.
From initially obtaining a trace of the 'Primordial Death's' aura, to scheming for the power of an Ancient God, using that power as a sacrifice to truly obtain the 'Primordial Death,' and then using the Dawn Paradise's 'Complete Forbidden Mark' to transform the extremely unstable conceptual power of 'Primordial Death' into the 'Death Mark' under Dawn Paradise's notarization.
It seemed the 'Death Mark' was the final result. However, the Priest's subsequent mastery of over 90% of the 'Power of Existence' indicated that his ambition was much greater. What could be achieved with the Death Mark plus the Power of Existence was not hard to guess.
This old thing, the Priest, wanted to become 'Death' itself! If he truly succeeded, as long as there was death, there would be the Priest. He would be impossible to eliminate. Even if he were killed, even if his causality were erased, because he was fused with the 'concept of existence' called 'Death,' as long as living beings in the Star Realm died, the Priest could be reborn from death.
Achieving this would inevitably involve a 'Supreme Death.' The Priest would take this opportunity to completely merge into Death.
The Priest's initial goal certainly wouldn't have been this high. It was only through gradual strengthening and expanding horizons that he developed such ambition. Now, this old thing was clearly waiting for the final decisive battle between Su Xiao and the Supreme Being.
In fact, it was quite unbelievable. The one who most believed that Su Xiao would go to fight the Supreme Being to the death was actually the Priest, Su Xiao's enemy. Especially after Su Xiao defeated the Underworld God, the Priest became even more convinced of this.
Before the battle against the Supreme Being, would Su Xiao and the Priest be friends? Of course not. But they weren't exactly mortal enemies either. If Su Xiao were truly going to challenge the Supreme Being, given his style, he would only do so after reaching the same rank as the Supreme Being.
That meant, at that time, it wouldn't just be the death of the Supreme Being. It would be the appearance of a 'Supreme Death' in the Star Realm. Su Xiao's own death would also be a 'Supreme Death.' The Priest wouldn't participate in the clash between these two sides.
Even if the Priest achieved his ultimate goal and became Death itself, in terms of power, he would still not be on the same level as the Supreme rank.
As expected, this was still the Priest's style. This old thing was never the biggest winner, but among the winners, he would definitely have a place.
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**About the Priest**
The problem with the Priest character is indeed my fault for the awkward chapter break. This chapter is almost ten thousand words, so I stopped and started writing the next one. The issue with the Priest will be resolved in the next chapter, and we will soon settle old scores with this enemy. Please rest assured.
I've also discovered another problem I have: if I write a hostile character for a long time, I end up writing them not so well. It was the same with Gray Gentleman back then. I need to correct this. I feel that I force these characters to be strengthened to keep up with the protagonist, which affects the reading experience. I do deserve the criticism.
The Priest this time is also somewhat like this. However, this will be remedied and resolved in the next chapter.
Finally, I'd like to ask for your opinions. Regarding the side stories after the main story concludes, what kind of side stories would you like to see? I'll prepare in advance. Sometimes, I can write on Sundays to clear my mind. I've been making a lot of mistakes lately and feel a bit dull. Please forgive me, dear readers.
*Reincarnation Paradise* About the Priest
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