Chapter 2873: Meeting

The 3rd Soul Skeleton is a shortcut. Although the prayer site where this Soul Skeleton is located isn't considered hidden, following the normal route, the probability of Su Xiao passing through here is extremely slim.

Without the Prophet Slate's hint and tricking Wuqi into the team, Su Xiao would have had no way to reach this place.

Su Xiao doesn't know what's inside the Holy Sacrifice Hall. If there is a large group of Sun Warriors over there, teleporting over like this would be very dangerous.

"Wuqi, do you know where the Holy Sacrifice Hall is?"

"Why are you going there? That place is very dangerous; going there is just throwing your life away. Dealing with Rogesh is more important."

As Wuqi spoke, he walked slowly toward Su Xiao, his expression composed.

"Your friend Xiwu is there, right?"

"I didn't lie to you, Bai Ye. Calm down and listen to me. Don't go there. Let's go deal with Rogesh together. Your purpose in letting me leave the dungeon was nothing more than wanting me to scout the path and surround Rogesh."

"Is the Dark Mask in the Holy Sacrifice Hall?"

"Dealing with Rogesh is more important. The Holy Sacrifice Hall and the Dark Mask are not important."

Wuqi stopped his steps. He knew he couldn't get any closer. Right now, the relationship between the two sides was somewhat subtle.

Su Xiao's thoughts gradually straightened out. The Dark Mask was very likely inside the Holy Sacrifice Hall. His promotion mission was highly likely related to the Dark Mask. The sooner he obtained that thing, the greater his advantage would be.

Considering that Rogesh had entered the Royal City for some time, the Dark Mask had likely already been snatched by the other party. Given Rogesh's style of conduct, this was not worth being surprised about.

"Wuqi, get to the Holy Sacrifice Hall as soon as possible. The Dark Mask might already be in Rogesh's hands. The once strongest, Xiwu, might also have died at Rogesh's hands."

Hearing Su Xiao's words, Wuqi's expression became somewhat ugly.

"Can you go there immediately?"

"..."

Su Xiao didn't speak. Regarding the matter of the 'Soul Skeleton', he didn't want to reveal too much.

"What you said... makes sense. There might not be anyone else in the Holy Sacrifice Hall. I will get to the Royal Palace as soon as possible, and then find you to rendezvous."

After leaving these words, Wuqi rushed toward the distance.

Not until Wuqi disappeared from his line of sight did Su Xiao activate the 3rd Soul Skeleton. After paying 20 Soul Coins, the Backflow Incense within the metal cup surged toward him, shrouding him within it, and the surroundings turned pitch black.

After a few seconds, the black fog around him gradually faded. Su Xiao was already standing inside a great hall. There were dozens of holes in the ceiling of this great hall, and sunlight shone through, casting large patches of light spots on the ground.

【You have arrived at the Holy Sacrifice Hall. This is the core area of the Qiliade Royal City.】

When the black fog around Su Xiao completely dissipated, the surrounding scene became clear. He was located in a corner inside the great hall, and a semi-activated Soul Skeleton was leaning against the corner of the wall.

The light spots on the ground were somewhat dazzling. The great hall was paved with a lion-skin rug. At the innermost side, there was a stone platform. On the ground in front of the stone platform, there were scattered black marks, and a shattered stone plate was located not far away.

The two giant metal doors of the Holy Sacrifice Hall were open by a crack. There were no Sun Warriors here. Su Xiao felt both relieved and somewhat disappointed in his heart. In this kind of terrain, if dozens of Sun Warriors were gathered, he could reap a huge benefit. This terrain was too suitable for using Deathly Silence Descent to kill enemies.

【Hint: Promotion Mission - Second Ring has been completed, Third Ring has been activated.】

【Calculating the time taken for Promotion Mission - Second Ring. The remaining mission time will be converted into World Source rewards.】

【You have obtained 11.8% World Source.】

Seeing this hint, Su Xiao felt quite surprised. He had originally thought that the second ring of the promotion mission had no rewards. Now it seemed that was not the case. Completing this mission itself had no rewards, but the remaining mission time would be converted into rewards.

This was the first time Su Xiao had come into contact with this type of mission. In the future, if he received a mission without rewards, he would strive to complete it at the fastest speed.

【Promotion Mission: Dark Hole (Third Ring).】

Difficulty Level: lv. 73–lv. 75

Mission Brief: Find the Dark Mask and resist the temptation from the mask, thereby destroying the Dark Mask.

Mission Deadline: 4 natural days.

Mission Reward: Promotion to an Eighth-Tier Contractor, Brand Authority upgrade, and acquisition of usage rights for some high-tier facilities within Reincarnation Paradise.

Mission Penalty: All attributes -20%, immediate forced return.

It was similar to what he had guessed, but there were also deviations. From the mission information, once one touched the Dark Mask, it would be very difficult to resist the temptation of this thing. One would unknowingly put it on, and as for the result, it was highly likely there would be no good ending.

Although Su Xiao really wanted to become stronger, he would absolutely never put on the Dark Mask. Becoming stronger required paying a price. Becoming stronger step-by-step was a continuous payment, while the strength obtained in a short period of time would have its price accumulate together and erupt in a short period of time. The result could be imagined.

Su Xiao guessed that Chairman Rogesh should have also thought of these things, yet the other party had been pursuing the Dark Mask all along. Did this mean that Rogesh already had a way to offset the price after putting on the mask?

According to what Wuqi said, so far, only one person, Xiwu, had not had his temperament change drastically after putting on the Dark Mask, and was ultimately driven by the mask.

If one inferred this way, Xiwu had some kind of ability that could offset the price of putting on the mask, and this ability was what Rogesh wanted.

Previously, while chatting with Wuqi in the dungeon, Su Xiao learned that the offspring of the Immortal Xiwu had been snatched away by Rogesh. That was what happened the last time Rogesh left the Holy Land.

The Immortal Xiwu belonged to the type of powerhouse without ambition. Having his offspring snatched away made the other party very depressed, and ultimately, he put on the Dark Mask.

Coincidentally, Chairman Rogesh did not cherish his own two offspring. Among them, Xixiluo was still alive, and as for Aini'er, she had highly likely died more than a dozen years ago.

The key clue was: The Immortal Xiwu could put on the Dark Mask without a price, or by paying a relatively low price, and his offspring might have inherited this ability or constitution of his.

Assuming Xixiluo and Aini'er were the offspring snatched from the Immortal Xiwu, many things would make sense. After obtaining the Dark Mask, Chairman Rogesh should head straight for Xixiluo to snatch away some kind of ability of Xixiluo's.

"Something is... not good."

Su Xiao muttered in a low voice. Xixiluo might have already been arranged clearly by Rogesh. After all, the intelligence gap between the two was too vast.

After activating the 4th Soul Skeleton, Su Xiao walked toward the half-open metal door. There were 6 Soul Skeletons in total. Right now, 2 remained, located in the Gallery and the King's Palace respectively.

Judging from the fact that there were 'Soul Skeletons' at the Qiliade Royal City Prayer Site and inside the Holy Sacrifice Hall, the Prophet Slate was still considered reliable. Thinking about it this way, the method the other party provided for destroying the Dark Mask also had a certain degree of credibility.

The destruction method Su Xiao inquired about was to destroy that thing while someone was wearing the Dark Mask, with the key being the black hole on the mask.

The door of the Holy Sacrifice Hall was pushed open by less than 1 meter wide. Su Xiao looked out from the crack of the door. Outside the door was a long corridor, with a red carpet paved on the ground.

Just as Su Xiao walked into the corridor, a thin mist emerged in the surroundings. He was not without a retreat path. As long as he retreated back to the Holy Sacrifice Hall and spent 20 Soul Coins to activate the Soul Skeleton inside the Holy Sacrifice Hall, he could teleport back to the 'Qiliade Royal City Prayer Site'.

After moving forward for dozens of meters, portraits appeared on the walls on both sides of the corridor. These portraits had men and women; some were laughing, while others maintained hysterical shouting.

Da, da, da~

Su Xiao's footsteps as he moved forward became increasingly obvious. In the thin mist ahead, a figure was vaguely sitting on a high stool. Looking at the posture, it seemed to be modifying a painting on the wall.

After walking closer, Su Xiao saw that this was a young girl wearing a long dress. The girl's light golden long hair was braided, and the braid, which was more than 2 meters long, was her paintbrush. She was modifying a painting on the wall that was full of pain into a serene expression.

【Hint: You have entered the Gallery.】

【Warning: Located within this area, do not attempt to use force, otherwise the 219 paintings within the Gallery will all become your enemies.】

Footsteps came from the thin mist on the opposite side. A man wearing the formal attire of the Ganglu Royal Family walked out from the thin mist.

"Welcome to the Gallery. I am the manager here, the Nightmare Prince."

Inside the Qiliade Royal City, King's Palace, side hall.

"I love you, I will always love you. Are you satisfied now?"

Xixiluo was hung upside down with a face full of hopelessness. Nearby, the Painful Grumbling Woman was looking at him. Those eyes, which had no whites and were completely pitch black, made Xixiluo feel terrified in his heart.

"Since you won't kill me, let me go. What is the point of hanging me here?"

Xixiluo sighed. His trip to the Holy Land was simply fantastical.

"You, are not... the King."

The Painful Grumbling Woman suddenly spoke. She walked step by step to Xixiluo's front.

"I am, I absolutely am! How can you change your mind just like that..."

Before Xixiluo finished speaking, he heard footsteps coming from the right side. These footsteps were very heavy, and a sense of oppression appeared from the right side.

The Painful Grumbling Woman retreated a bit, with a speed as fast as a ghost.

A strong figure walked out from the passage on the right side. His height was over three meters, the muscles on his chest were as distinct as granite, and his full head of golden long hair was as wild as a lion's mane.

"Another one comes."

Xixiluo felt something bad in his heart. Through naked-eye observation, he felt that this golden-haired man walking step by step was very strong.

"He, belongs, to me."

The Painful Grumbling Woman was on all fours, her full mouth of teeth clicking. The golden-haired man ignored her and just walked over step by step.

Cracks appeared on the ground under the Painful Grumbling Woman. She suddenly disappeared from where she was. When she appeared again, she was already in front of the golden-haired man, and her withered hands with sharp fingertips reached toward the golden-haired man's face.

Bang!!

Like a thunderclap, the golden-haired man waved his hand casually, and the Painful Grumbling Woman who had pounced on him shattered into large pieces of flesh and blood. These flesh and blood fragments shot toward the wall behind like shotgun bullets, punching out hundreds of fist-sized holes.

Xixiluo's mouth gradually grew wide. When he recovered from the shock, he relaxed his body. Although one shouldn't give up lightly in battle, the strength gap was too large; the strength was simply not in the same dimension. It was more decent to face death calmly.

The golden-haired man stopped in front of Xixiluo. His tall body half-squatted, and he pressed one hand on Xixiluo's cheek.

"You, you..."

Xixiluo's pupils were trembling, and tears streaked across his forehead, dripping down from his hair.

A trace of a smile seemed to appear on the golden-haired man's stiff face. He slowly raised his hand.

Puchi!

The golden-haired man's thick forearm pierced through Xixiluo's chest, shattering his heart, yet Xixiluo didn't move at all.

The golden-haired man's entire body of flesh and blood seemed to boil, quickly dissolving and merging into Xixiluo's body, becoming Xixiluo's strength.

"Ah!!"

Xixiluo roared. The chains that bound him snapped. Before he fell to the ground, an arm grew out from his spine, supporting the ground.

Scorching white steam rose on Xixiluo's body surface. After his feet stepped on the ground, the arm on his spine melted back into his body. At this time, the strength in his body seemed to be about to burst him.

"You have become stronger, Xixiluo."

A figure was already standing not far away, with black long hair fluttering.

"Ro, ge, sh."

Xixiluo pressed one hand on his chest. He didn't know who the golden-haired man was just now, but the other party had given all his strength to him, selfless to the point... just like a father.

Xixiluo's fists were clenched tight. With a boom, he rushed out a residual image, appearing in front of Chairman Rogesh, and punched Rogesh in the face.

Thud!

Rogesh's entire face caved in, and he flew backward, crashing into the wall behind. Gravel splashed, smoke and dust surged. Xixiluo, who walked over with large strides, waved his hand, and the wind pressure brought up blew away the smoke and dust. Chairman Rogesh's upper body was embedded in the wall, and he didn't move. ===== CHAPTER 2874 =====