Chapter 1: Arrival
Su Xiao stood on the teleportation formation. This time, Amu would be absent, the reason being that Amu was still in the Abyss Near Zone. Fortunately, the Abyss Princess had sent word two days prior, and in her tone, there was no longer any sense that Amu might die in the Abyss Near Zone.
The reason was that the danger of the Abyss Near Zone could not compare to truly entering the Abyss. Moreover, Amu was not going to the Abyss Near Zone to slaughter everything—it couldn't do that either. While Amu possessed the Gluttony Original Sin, it hadn't reached the point where it could go on a rampage there. More importantly, Amu's state of being separated from the group, combined with the activation of the Gluttony Original Sin, made it not much different from the locals there. Therefore, it wouldn't be surrounded and attacked.
After arriving in the Abyss Near Zone, Amu did only one thing: devour the purest Abyss energy like crazy. This even surprised the Dark Bed, which felt that the Law Destroyer in the Star Realm must have been mistreating this Gluttony War Bull. Look how hungry the kid was—it hadn't stopped for a moment.
After gorging on the purest Abyss energy, Amu wasn't stupid. It came to the area shrouded by the Dark Bed, maintained a respectful distance from that powerful existence, lay down in the darkness, and began to digest.
The Abyss Near Zone was not a peaceful place. The dark creatures there, even Abyssal beings, frequently fought. Amu, however, transformed into a scavenger of the Abyss Near Zone. It didn't engage these Abyssal creatures in battle. It only took responsibility for devouring the remains of Abyssal creatures left behind after battles between two or even multiple parties ended.
This left the Abyss Princess speechless. She had once thought this iron-blooded fierce bull had come to the Abyss for a life-or-death trial. But upon seeing it, she realized—good heavens—it had come to test the limits of the Gluttony Original Sin's appetite.
Although Amu was a bit simple, it wasn't stupid. It had never thought it could come here and slaughter everything. Its way of growing stronger was simply eating, eating, eating! Constantly devouring Abyssal creatures. If the Abyss weren't so dangerous, it would have followed its boss. Its boss would be slaughtering ahead, while it devoured wildly behind—maximizing the use of kill resources.
In truth, Amu's visit to the Abyss Near Zone this time wasn't just about finding opportunities to eat. Its real goal was to use the Abyss environment here to further awaken the power of its Gluttony Original Sin. Only in this place of extreme darkness could this be achieved.
However, for this trip to Arcane Eternal Star, Amu indeed didn't have many tasks. In the coming Abyss calamity that might descend, Amu would be one of the main rescue C-positions of the team. Not to mention anything else, Amu might become the savior of some worlds. Those dangerous things from the Abyss with strong erosion and spreading properties—as long as they had living characteristics, Amu could devour them in a few bites without needing further processing.
For this trip to Arcane Eternal Star, it was originally discussed that Kaisa and Shenfu would be responsible for putting Arcane Eternal Star into a notarized state. But now that the Void Tree had notarized the entire Void, the previous cooperation naturally ended.
Thus, Su Xiao and Kaisa renegotiated the cooperation terms. Su Xiao was responsible for the frontal assault, while Kaisa was responsible for finding the location of Arcane Eternal Star's core treasury and opening the treasury door that was said to be forever unbreakable. The two would split the spoils fifty-fifty.
Regarding this, Su Xiao felt he wasn't losing out at all. When he was fighting the Spellcasters, many top-tier infiltrators would surely take advantage of the chaos. Arcane Eternal Star's core treasury might not fall, but many secondary treasuries would definitely be looted clean. With Kaisa around, he couldn't guarantee anything else, but these secondary treasuries would certainly be looted by him first, and then split fifty-fifty with Su Xiao.
Given Arcane Eternal Star's style, they must have set up self-destruct type spells in the core treasury. When they were certain of inevitable defeat, the core treasury would be completely destroyed, and there would be no gain at all.
Bubu Wang, Baha, and Beini headed straight for the "Black Maple Courtyard" where the Black Maple Tree was located. They knew very well how to take away that Black Maple Tree, after all, they had one of their own.
The "Realm-Level Teleportation Array Diagram" beneath his feet lit up. Su Xiao's next task became very simple: kill every Spellcaster he saw.
At this moment, Arcane Eternal Star.
The weather was clear and cloudless, but the sun in the sky was hazy, as if covered by a layer of frosted glass. The quiet and grand "Void Great Library" was bustling with people, as lively as ever. The low and mid-level Spellcasters were not panicked by the news of the Law Destroyer's impending attack.
This was both because of their confidence as the long-standing hegemon of the Star Realm and because their faction's high-level members had reassured them, informing them that this was actually a trade of interests with the major forces, not a military conflict.
Regarding the terrifying rumors from the outside world, the low and mid-level Spellcasters were long accustomed to them. Since the beginning of the Second Era, there had been various rumors about Arcane Eternal Star's impending decline or being besieged by major forces. The low and mid-level Spellcasters treated them all as jokes.
The magic guide stone at the top of the "Elemental Superconducting Tower" shimmered with the radiance of elements, which had always represented the prosperity and strength of Arcane Eternal Star.
Standing on the southern square terrace of the "Elemental Superconducting Tower" and looking into the distance, one could see the sparkling "Silver Moon Lake" and the sealed lake island at its center.
On the "Starlight Square" directly below the "Elemental Superconducting Tower," passing Spellcasters looked composed. Xiu Ge, dressed in a gray mourning robe, was sitting in front of a sculpture on the square. This sculpture had just been erected not long ago—it was a statue of his mentor, Soul Lord·Youwen·Gewu.
Xiu Ge had always been casual, but he wasn't as disheveled and hungover-looking as he was now, with stubble and dark circles under his eyes. He picked up a bottle of wine and gulped it down, but his gaze was more determined than ever. He didn't know where his limits were, but his heart to avenge his mentor was unshakable. Even if it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, doing it and not doing it were two different things. Moreover, as a member of the Soul faction, the "Soul Pore" held too many miracles. What he needed now was time...
Boom!!
A loud noise came from ahead. The "Space Tower" in this area, which had already suffered a violent spatial shockwave once, had its external structure collapse with a bang. Now standing there, it looked like an apple core that had been gnawed on.
Spatial fragments flew everywhere. Xiu Ge, instantly sobered, leaped backward. His friend, the Wind Prince beside him, also drifted backward. With them were the Crow Woman, who had just been cleared of suspicion and released from prison not long ago, and the gentle female Spellcaster Aweisha, whom the Crow Woman had forcibly dragged along on the way here, even though she didn't know her.
Why did the Crow Woman drag Aweisha along? Because she felt that her friend, having lost his mentor, would be very sad. Since he had lost an important person, she should find him another important person, like a wife. She had observed that Aweisha was beautiful, had a great figure, and spoke softly and sweetly—perfect. Whether Xiu Ge liked it or Aweisha was willing was not the Crow Woman's concern. She had done her part.
It could only be said that with this level of emotional intelligence, the Crow Woman being suspected as a spy and imprisoned for so long was not unjust at all.
Aweisha, who was almost thrown off, was caught by the Crow Woman in a princess carry. Aweisha, who was still dazed from the earlier events, was now even more confused.
The four of them, along with the surrounding Spellcasters, warily looked toward the area of the spatial explosion. As the spatial mist dissipated, crimson blood energy began to spread. Some low-level Spellcasters who couldn't escape in time screamed as their flesh instantly evaporated into blood energy upon contact with the crimson blood energy. They were swallowed by it, and their bones, not yet fallen to the ground, were eroded away.
On the open "Starlight Square," within an extremely short time, thousands—no, tens of thousands of Spellcasters had gathered here. After all, this place had just been attacked not long ago, and both spatial defenses and personnel readiness had been increased several times.
Under the encirclement of Spellcasters standing on stone slabs or building rooftops, the spreading crimson blood energy on "Starlight Square" formed a massive blood beast. This blood beast was in a crouching position, its mouth full of sharp teeth as it grinned menacingly at the Spellcasters. Thin, cold mist seeped from between its fangs.
Seeing this blood beast, Xiu Ge's pupils rapidly contracted, and his teeth ground together with a cracking sound. But he wasn't blinded by hatred. Instead, he waved his hand, and black flames enveloped the Wind Prince, the Crow Woman, and Aweisha, instantly teleporting them to the front of the protective "Elemental Superconducting Tower."
Among the crowd, an old Spellcaster looked gloomily at the blood beast ahead. Recalling the scene from a few days ago, he roared:
"We absolutely cannot let this repeat!"
The old Spellcaster's shout mobilized all the Spellcasters on the square. Those with melee capabilities charged forward for close-to-mid-range suppression, while more bombarded with various magical abilities. The aftermath of the White Bull's previous attack had caused Arcane Eternal Star immense pain.
The blood beast dissipated. Holding his longsword, Su Xiao looked at the overwhelming magical abilities and various power fluctuations rushing toward him. He simply raised his sword and made a slashing motion in the air.
Boom!!
A shockwave rang out. The Wind Prince, the Crow Woman, and Aweisha in front of the "Elemental Superconducting Tower" all covered their ears in pain. Aweisha's wide eyes saw a scene like a nightmare. With just one slash, all the Spellcasters on the surrounding square instantly turned into blood beads the size of marbles. These blood beads hit the ground and bounced up, creating a scene both cruel and spectacular. Then the blood fell, quickly staining "Starlight Square" red.
Kneeling on one knee, the Wind Prince's eyes were bloodshot. He had just witnessed his close friend Xiu Ge instantly turn into a spray of blood beads scattering everywhere. In that final moment, he had locked eyes with his friend in the crowd, and what he saw was not fear of death, but relief. He recalled the words his friend had once said:
"We won't end well, devouring natural elements like this, will we? But I accept it, because... I am one of the beneficiaries."
Standing on the blood-soaked square, Su Xiao looked toward the "Great Bell Tower," the headquarters of the Soul faction. He raised his longsword again.
'Extreme Blade: Blood Wave Surge.'
With one slash, the mages' blood on the square was instantly drained. It was first compressed to the limit and attached to the sword, then, as the sword was swung, it turned into a fan-shaped blood wave that continuously expanded outward. It grew faster and faster, and in a very short time, it flattened a third of the Soul faction's headquarters. Even the Spellcasters in these areas who tried to fly into the sky were torn apart by the slashing force of the "Blood Wave Surge" and became part of it.
With a rumble, a furious wave barrier descended from the sky, blocking the "Blood Wave Surge." A figure in a sea-blue robe, with a thick beard, a rough appearance, and a large gold earring on his right ear, stood in midair. It was one of Arcane Eternal Star's supreme pinnacles, Furious Sea·Hels.
"I didn't expect you to actually dare to come."
Furious Sea·Hels looked down at Su Xiao, his eyes filled with nothing but anger.
"Of course he dares to come."
A somewhat sickly-looking Fierce Wind King walked over from the main road on the west side of the square. Behind him followed a man and a woman. The man had a rough appearance and was Arcane Eternal Star's supreme, Red Lion·Kuilei. The female Spellcaster had dark purple eyeshadow and wore luxurious clothes. She was also a supreme, named Apocalypse·Jialuona.
Behind Red Lion and Apocalypse were all of Arcane Eternal Star's supreme and absolute-strong Spellcasters. As for the weaker ones, they could only quickly head to the "Elemental Superconducting Tower." Coming directly here, they couldn't even withstand the blood energy of the Law Destroyer, Kukulin Bai Ye.
Conversely, inside the "Elemental Superconducting Tower," these Spellcasters could combine their power to make the magic guide stone at the top of the tower unleash attacks of considerable power.
Meanwhile, in the Ten Thousand Races Realm, Starlight City, the Soul Clan's council hall.
The Witch Realm, Soul Clan, Star Clan, Feather Clan, Giluilius Family, Goblin Merchant Guild, Devil Clan, Sea Clan, and other major forces of the Star Realm had gathered in this council hall.
The patriarch of the Giluilius Family, Giluilius·Ouding; the patriarch of the Feather Clan, Wei·Wusi; and even the Goblin Elder, Maza·Biya·Duoerti, had brought several high-ranking members of the Goblin Merchant Guild and the new chairman to personally attend this council. The Moon Witch, who had brought a few trusted aides, undoubtedly raised the significance of this council.
Although the Sea Clan had lost its former glory, and many of its members had been distorted into monstrous tribes after being invaded by the Abyss, it still had a place in the Ten Thousand Races Realm. Due to the Sea Clan's experiences, even though its strength had fallen to the second tier, it had been specially invited.
They understood better what it meant to be invaded by the Abyss. This council was to discuss how to delay the arrival of the Abyss invasion, and if possible, even prevent it.
Strangely, the Demon Clan also participated in this council. The contemporary Demon Clan patriarch, Upper Demon·Agaimu, was the representative, and behind him was Woboer, who looked like he didn't want to be there. More specifically, he didn't want to come with the Demon patriarch, Agaimu.
The council had just started, and the Feather Clan patriarch, Wei·Wusi, was speaking. Suddenly, with a bang, the council hall door was pushed open. Everyone present was either a family head or a trusted aide, so no one harshly shouted at the intruder. They all knew that something major must have happened to interrupt such an important meeting.
The newcomer was panting heavily and said seriously, "Just received news: the Law Destroyer, Kukulin Bai Ye, has single-handedly broken into Arcane Eternal Star."
Hearing this, even the big shots present were shocked. Some former high-ranking deputy patriarchs couldn't help but exclaim the equivalent of "Holy crap" in their respective races. The patriarchs sitting solemnly in front of them didn't blame them for being unstable, because several patriarchs were also inwardly exclaiming, 'Holy crap, this Law Destroyer!'
However, for the sake of face and their own dignity, they didn't show it.
The Goblin Elder, Maza·Biya·Duoerti, took out a projection device. The next second, an image was projected. It wasn't that the Goblin Merchant Guild had planted spies in Arcane Eternal Star. The top banks and merchant guilds of the Star Realm, such as Arcane Eternal Star's Void Bank and the Goblin Merchant Guild, inevitably had trade relations.
Soon, the scene of Arcane Eternal Star's Starlight Square appeared before nearly a hundred people in the council hall. The big shots of various races stared at the projection, waiting for the situation to develop.
"Not optimistic."
The Goblin Elder, Maza·Biya·Duoerti, spoke. As a supreme pinnacle present, his words immediately drew the attention of the major patriarchs.
"How is it not optimistic?"
The Soul Clan patriarch, dressed in black robes with a gaunt appearance, spoke seriously. The Soul Clan's presence in the Ten Thousand Races Realm was a matter of not making any verbal statements but betting everything on the line. That was the Soul Clan's style: either extremely prosperous or, after offending the current hegemon, struggling to hold on.
"Three pinnacles against one. Bai Ye is very strong, but it's hard to break the situation. Moreover, this is Arcane Eternal Star, and the 'Elemental Superconducting Tower' still stands."
"Three pinnacles? Isn't it just Fierce Wind King and Furious Sea·Hels? Who is the third?"
The Feather Clan patriarch spoke.
"That old fellow."
The Goblin Elder, Maza·Biya·Duoerti, pointed to an old mage in the projection, dressed in white robes with white hair and beard. Everyone present looked at each other, indicating they had never seen this person before. Just then, the Moon Witch spoke. Her witch's eyes seemed to see through many things:
"This is not a pinnacle of the current era. His power... is too ancient. And he is not a powerhouse of this great era."
"Ancient era?"
The Goblin Elder's question was met with silent confirmation from the Moon Witch.
At this moment, on Arcane Eternal Star's Starlight Square.
Su Xiao was surrounded by three pinnacle Spellcasters. He looked at the old mage standing in front of the "Elemental Superconducting Tower." With just one glance, he confirmed one thing: this was not a Spellcaster of the current era. The power fluctuation was completely different—more ancient, and also more backward.
Moreover, the old mage's aura was closely connected to the "Elemental Superconducting Tower," which made one think of his relationship with the Supreme Being. Perhaps he was more of a follower. Or rather, when the Supreme Being decided to act in the Second Era to change the causality of the current era and chose the Spellcasters, it might not have been without the influence of this old mage.
Because this was likely an old mage from the ancient era, the great era when the Law Destruction faction was at its peak and the Spellcasters were in decline. It was unknown how he had survived the Elemental Calamity. However, with the precedent of the Goblin ancestors, this was actually not surprising. Su Xiao had not only seen ancient-era powerhouses but had also killed them, such as a certain Old God. In the ancient era, Spellcasters were called Secret Art Masters, or Secret Art Mages.
"Only the beginning of the Third Era, and there's already... this kind of extreme-realm monster. Guardians who become extreme-realm are all as strong as monsters."
The old mage, Beika, spoke in a hoarse voice. His words made Furious Sea·Hels's expression change slightly. This old thing, who had been sleeping all along, was too good at boosting the enemy's morale.
"Monster? In the end, they are all pinnacles. None have stepped into the supreme."
Furious Sea·Hels's aura surged. With a boom, his Furious Sea domain enveloped the area. Unexpectedly, the stronger Fierce Wind King and the old mage did not activate their domains. As for Su Xiao, of course, he didn't either.
The entire Arcane Eternal Star seemed to be underwater, with countless bubbles rising upward. With a hum, layers of barriers rose in the distance, covering important areas like the "Black Maple Courtyard" and "Elemental Wetland." This made the Spellcasters present breathe a sigh of relief. They were all waiting for these barriers, which had high defense and consumption but were slow to activate, to be set up.
What the Spellcasters never dreamed of was that Su Xiao hadn't immediately started the pinnacle battle because he was also waiting. This place wasn't too far from the "Black Maple Courtyard." If he fought at full power, the shockwaves would inevitably affect that area.
Boom!
A pitch-black gravity column descended from above, a hundred meters thick, enveloping Su Xiao. The next instant, a golden sharp spike shot toward Su Xiao's eye. It was a sharp weapon made of Li elements. This attack came from Mage Sage Seraphilia, who was slightly behind Fierce Wind King.
Their eyes met. Mage Sage Seraphilia's eyes no longer held the hatred and unwillingness from last time, but confusion. Last time they met, Su Xiao was already stronger than her, but they were both supremes. This time, however, Su Xiao, as a supreme pinnacle, had come to single-handedly challenge the entire Arcane Eternal Star. At this moment, Mage Sage Seraphilia was even more confused than when she had been abandoned by a certain scumbag.
But compared to confusion, Mage Sage Seraphilia's killing intent was stronger. If they could kill this Law Destroyer in a siege, it would be like removing her inner demon. Recently, when she devoured elements, she had rarely felt a backlash. This was clearly a sign that her resolve had been shaken.
Crack!
The Li element weapon was caught by Su Xiao with one hand.
Seeing this, Mage Sage Seraphilia's breath caught. The memory triggered by this scene was more deeply etched than being directly slashed by a sword. It was back, completely back—the fear of being dominated by the previous Law Destroyers in the Second Era had all returned.
In fact, it wasn't just Mage Sage Seraphilia. The old Spellcasters who had experienced the Second Era, the Law Destruction vs. Spellcaster war, all recalled their former fear upon witnessing Su Xiao catching an elemental weapon with his bare hands.
But the next second, Su Xiao was engulfed by a sky-covering barrage of magical abilities.
Zheng!
A sharp slashing sound rang out. Using Su Xiao's absolute perception circle as a medium, a semicircle like an inverted bowl appeared. The magical abilities that were about to drown Su Xiao were instantly cleared.
With a loud noise, a scorching ray shot out from the "Elemental Superconducting Tower." This attack, gathering the power of countless Spellcasters, arrived beside Su Xiao in an instant. The wind pressure made his long leather coat rustle.
'Extreme Blade: Blue Demon.'
Zheng!
A slashing light flew past. The magic guide stone at the top of the "Elemental Superconducting Tower" was suddenly shaved flat. The incoming scorching ray stopped abruptly. However, this magic guide stone had a self-repair function.
'Slow Stillness.'
The old mage's staff tapped the air in front of him. Suddenly, everything around Su Xiao slowed down. The wind pressure came head-on, and it was Fierce Wind King. He held a weapon that looked like a sword and a long staff, made of elemental power. Behind him was a strip-like cape that floated slowly upward, like transparent thin wings.
This weapon, this appearance—Su Xiao had seen it once when he upgraded his Heavenly Edge Shadow Slash. It was very similar to the Elemental Spirit King, but the aura was different.
Puchi!
A sea-element blade spear pierced Su Xiao's back, but it didn't penetrate. This made Furious Sea·Hels, who controlled the Furious Sea power, widen his eyes. His loosely clenched hands began to tremble slightly from overexerting his power.
Clang!
The longsword clashed with the elemental weapon. The force transmitted from the weapon made Su Xiao suspicious. Fierce Wind King's aura was indeed very strong, and he was clearly skilled in close combat. But his strength seemed to...
Boom!!
Su Xiao delivered a powerful slash. Fierce Wind King felt the immense force from his elemental weapon, and his eyes widened slightly. His body uncontrollably flew backward, creating layers of airwaves behind him, shattering space one after another.
Crack, crack, crack~
The ground beneath Su Xiao cracked. He looked at the old mage. It could only be said that the old are cunning and experienced. The old mage, Beika, had vanished without a trace.
With a loud boom, the ground beneath Su Xiao sank layer by layer. He charged straight at Furious Sea·Hels. Furious Sea·Hels, whose attack had been blocked, felt reassured. His offensive abilities were not outstanding, but if it came to blocking the enemy, among the three pinnacle Spellcasters present, he was undoubtedly the best. The Furious Sea was endless and inexhaustible.
To put it more intuitively, Furious Sea·Hels was the one responsible for tanking Su Xiao among the three.
Furious Sea·Hels raised his hand, drawing on the power of the entire Furious Sea domain. The endless deep-sea pressure enveloped the approaching Su Xiao. Moreover, layers of water walls appeared between Su Xiao and Furious Sea·Hels. Each water wall had spatial refraction properties. Passing through a water wall would only return to the starting point, while attacking the water wall would charge it. The only way to break through was to destroy the entire Furious Sea in one blow.
Boom!!
Su Xiao delivered a powerful slash. Hundreds of water walls instantly dissipated. Not only that, but Furious Sea·Hels's Furious Sea domain also vanished.
Fierce Wind King landed with a rumble. The gradually mad expression on his face quickly calmed down. He had to immediately go to aid Furious Sea·Hels. Otherwise, facing this Law Destroyer, Furious Sea·Hels would have a life core shattered with one slash. This Law Destroyer's physical strength was simply astonishing.
In midair, Su Xiao suddenly vanished from his spot and appeared before Furious Sea·Hels. The upgraded "Dragon Shadow Flash" was this fast.
'Extreme Blade: White Night.'
Su Xiao ignored the frontal attack from Furious Sea·Hels and the thousands of trigger-type Furious Sea abilities already set up around him. He simply slashed.
Zheng!!
The slashing sound echoed through the sky. The longsword struck the side of Furious Sea·Hels's neck. His various defensive abilities were as fragile as eggshells when touched by the blade. More than a dozen top-tier life-saving treasures on him cracked and shattered.
Feeling the blade at his neck, Furious Sea·Hels knew that this time he would have to shatter a life core. The battle had just begun. Fortunately, as a Furious Sea system, he had more life cores than others at the same power level.
But the next second, Furious Sea·Hels felt a chain reaction within his life cores. They cracked and shattered one after another. His eyes widened, filled with nothing but disbelief. Golden technique energy surged into his body with an unstoppable force, leaving devastation in its wake. Life cores shattered one after another, and even his soul energy began to evaporate.
Puchi!
The blade slashed diagonally downward into Furious Sea·Hels's neck, decapitating him. Blood splattered as it fell. A headless corpse, emitting white mist-like soul energy, fell from midair with its head, eventually crashing onto the broken ground. The life force of the headless corpse seemed to struggle briefly before being completely extinguished by the golden technique power and Cyan Steel Shadow Energy. All the phenomena caused by the Furious Sea system quickly dissipated.
This scene made Fierce Wind King, who had rushed to within a dozen meters, suddenly stop. The surrounding Spellcasters, those in the "Elemental Superconducting Tower," and the low-level Spellcasters in other areas of Arcane Eternal Star watching through various projections, all stared blankly at this scene. The entire Arcane Eternal Star seemed to fall silent because of it.
Furious Sea·Hels had actually died just like that. A supreme pinnacle with multiple life cores had been killed with one slash. Such was the power of an extreme-realm grandmaster.
Meanwhile, in the Ten Thousand Races Realm, Starlight City, the council hall.
The place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The patriarchs of the major forces, who had initially been happy that Arcane Eternal Star was in trouble, suddenly began to recall in their hearts whether they had ever offended this Law Destroyer. Among them, the Demon Clan patriarch, Upper Demon·Agaimu, looked somewhat stiff. After all, he had previously been on Arcane Eternal Star's big ship.