Chapter 3733: Trial

As the topic of Origin Sin items came up, the atmosphere in the room turned solemn. Clearly, Su Xiao had no intention of sealing another Origin Sin item, and Wood, who had come to send off the "Wild Father," had no intention of returning to the Devil race with two of them.

If Wood were to do that, the old devils of his race might be so enraged they would drop dead on the spot. They had only just managed to catch their breath after finally getting rid of the Abyss Jar; welcoming a new "father" would be more than they could handle.

Wood and Zuiyas had gathered here at Zuiyas's suggestion. Furthermore, the latter was convinced that Su Xiao would definitely come to Shelter City.

Zuiyas's goal was simple: since the news of the Monarch's Treasure had already spread, he might as well keep the benefits within their circle. He decided to call upon the other three "good teammates"—Su Xiao, Wood, and Caesar—to find the Monarch's Treasure together and split it.

Hearing this proposal, Su Xiao felt suspicious. He had never fully believed in this so-called Monarch's Treasure, but Zuiyas's attitude made it clear that this was the premise for their cooperation and their shared objective.

There was an unspoken rule among the "good teammates": during cooperation, everyone relied on their own abilities and handled their own responsibilities. If someone died during the process, it was just their own bad luck. They wouldn't stab each other in the back before the goal was achieved, but once all powerful enemies were defeated, they would be ruthless. More importantly, the premise of their cooperation could never be a fabrication.

For instance, if they agreed to work together to obtain the Monarch's Treasure, then the treasure had to exist. However, before entering this world, the Priest had used the same tactic Su Xiao had used previously to attract strong individuals to the Eternal Light World, with the Monarch's Treasure as the bait.

Last time, in the Dead City, there really was a Black Maple Tree. One such coincidence was fine, but was this Monarch's Treasure also a coincidence? In Su Xiao's view, not necessarily.

First, one had to understand that Zuiyas and the Priest were both from the Ancient God faction. No one would believe that the two had no connection. Judging from the attitudes of both sides, the Priest's faction and Zuiyas's faction were in a state of hostility.

This brought up the situation in the Transcendent Origin World, Meteor Star. It was widely acknowledged that the highest throne in Meteor Star belonged to the Pluto God. Its power was unquestionable, but the forces under its command—its hounds—were not as solid as they seemed.

This could be seen from the fact that the Feather God, Hegra, stole the 【Star Eye】 from Meteor Star. This wasn't because the Pluto God's power was waning, but because the forces under its command had weakened.

This had led to undercurrents in Meteor Star over the last hundred years, and recently, the situation had become clearer.

In Meteor Star, there were two factions capable of threatening the Pluto God's power to a certain extent. One was the "Argu School," the group that studied the Eye Ritual.

Su Xiao had dabbled in the Eye Ritual but had decisively given it up. It wasn't that the knowledge wasn't powerful; rather, this knowledge from the Ancient God faction had deep foundations. The various eyes created through these techniques were formidable and had excellent growth potential. Black A's dark eyes, which he still possessed, remained his core ability to this day.

The problem was that the Eye Ritual required too much investment. It was better suited as a primary ability, requiring more resources for greater returns. Thus, Su Xiao had decisively abandoned it, choosing to invest his resources into Alchemy and Sealing instead.

One could glimpse the level of the "Argu School" from the depth of the Eye Ritual. Moreover, the Eye Ritual was only one of the "Argu School's" public-facing abilities.

The "Argu School" was indeed strong, but it was mostly composed of lunatics who took pleasure in madness. While there were normal and powerful individuals, their numbers were too few. Therefore, this faction, despite being able to threaten the Pluto God's forces, was destined never to become the mortal enemy of the Pluto Palace due to its style.

As for the other faction in Meteor Star capable of rivaling the Pluto Palace, it was the sect under the Mother of Night. The power of the Mother of Night was unquestionable; she was an Ancient God only a line behind the Pluto God, known as the Mother of Dark Immersion. Her sect, naturally, went without saying.

Zuiyas's mother-in-law was a proxy for the Mother of Night. One could imagine Zuiyas's status in that faction, especially after he brought back the 【Endless Origin】 from the Dead City.

The 【Endless Origin】 was a treasure for Ancient Gods, containing a massive amount of divine-origin energy—a creation of the Alchemical civilization.

If an Ancient God obtained the "Endless Origin" and implanted it into their divine body for a period, the "Endless Origin's" adaptability would activate, allowing the divine-origin energy within to transform into the Ancient God's own origin characteristics.

In this way, the Ancient God could devour the massive amount of divine-origin energy within the "Endless Origin," and the compatibility between this divine-origin energy and the Ancient God's own would be nearly 100%.

If an Ancient God devoured all the origin energy within the "Endless Origin," they would become extremely powerful, let alone someone like the Mother of Night, who was only a line behind the Pluto God.

Because Zuiyas had brought back the "Endless Origin," the Mother of Night had gifted him a Heart of All Things. One had to know that even his mother-in-law, as a divine proxy, didn't have such treatment.

Zuiyas was ruthless enough to devour the Heart of All Things directly. Facts proved that while he didn't look arrogant anymore, that arrogance from his youth had always been there; it had just become internalized after he had a wife and children.

Zuiyas had always given the impression of having strong immortality and nothing else, aside from the Marrow-Parasitic Worm. In fact, the Marrow-Parasitic Worm was his wife's specialty. Zuiyas's core abilities were only two: Immortality and Time-based abilities.

The Priest and the sect Zuiyas belonged to had always been hostile. Linking this to the fact that the person who spread the news of the Monarch's Treasure was likely the Priest, everything became clear.

With the Priest's methods, it was highly likely he had known for several world progressions that the believers under the Mother of Night were searching for the Monarch's Treasure. After all, they were hostile, so they would naturally pay extra attention.

Originally, the Priest hadn't been interested in the Monarch's Treasure in the Eternal Light World—not because he wasn't moved by it, but because the Eternal Light World was too dangerous. However, this time, dragged in by his teammate Beverly, the Priest had come up with this plan: killing two birds with one stone. He could attract greedy people to the Eternal Light World as cannon fodder while also disgusting his hostile faction.

Zuiyas had also come to the Eternal Light World for this reason. Others feared dying here, but he truly didn't fear it much. Even if it were an Extinction-level existence, they would likely be unable to kill him without understanding his abilities.

With the situation having developed to this point, Zuiyas told Su Xiao and Wood a secret: among the items in the Monarch's Treasure, there was a ranged weapon capable of piercing any defense. This was his primary goal. Whether he obtained this weapon wasn't the point; the important thing was not to let his opponents get it.

Hearing that it could pierce all defenses, Su Xiao felt the claim was too absolute. But upon reflection, if the weapon had powerful corrosive characteristics, it would indeed be the bane of defensive types.

"What type of weapon is this?"

Wood had little interest in the weapon; he still preferred Soul Stones and "Origin Fragments."

"It's a ranged weapon. I don't know the specifics."

Hearing Zuiyas say this, Su Xiao became interested. He speculated that it might be the Dead Silence Extinction. Given the rarity of the Dead Silence Extinction, it was fully qualified to be included in the Monarch's Treasure.

The so-called Monarch's Treasure was related to the "Soul Crown." It was a high-tier Ninth-Stage world where a monarch had obtained the "Soul Crown" and donned it, giving rise to a tyrant famous in the outside world.

Had it not been for the clash with the "Witch World," the tyrant's Calamity Legion might not have been annihilated to this day. That was the "Soul Crown." Although slightly inferior to the "Book of the Dead" and the "Nether Bone Ring," once a powerful monarch wore it, its destructive power could be considered the greatest among Origin Sin items.

The Monarch's Treasure existed because of that tyrant's appearance. The tyrant had accumulated countless treasures, and they were all hidden here in the Eternal Light World.

As long as no Extinction-level existence or Abyssal creature found them, there was no need to worry about others discovering the treasure. Another legend was that the tyrant had fled here before his demise to a tomb built by the dead, resembling an underground palace, where all his treasures were kept.

In addition to this information, Zuiyas mentioned that according to investigations by members of his faction, the tyrant had been able to move freely in and out of the Eternal Light World because he had obtained the 【Moon's Radiance】, a simple-looking gemstone pendant.

If the Eternal Light World were a giant prison, then the Law-Breakers and the Silver Moon Wolves were the hunters of this prison, while the Eternal Light Watchers were akin to jailers.

The 【Blade of Sealing】 of the Law-Breakers and the 【Moon's Radiance】 of the Silver Moon Wolves were keys to entering and exiting the Eternal Light World freely. The Eternal Light World didn't recognize Law-Breakers or Moon Wolves; only by mastering the keys could one move freely.

The tyrant had been able to move freely because he had obtained the 【Moon's Radiance】. Right now, that 【Moon's Radiance】 pendant was in the Monarch's Treasure.

What was more dangerous than coming to the Eternal Light World? The answer was letting the Extinction-level existences and Abyssal creatures here obtain the 【Moon's Radiance】 and escape. That would lead to endless trouble. These terrifying existences, imprisoned for thousands, tens of thousands, or even over a hundred thousand years, would never forget the Law-Breakers, and certainly not the last Law-Breaker, Su Xiao.

Su Xiao had heard the rumors about the tyrant, but he had just learned that all the treasures were hidden in the Eternal Light World. If Zuiyas's words were true, Su Xiao needed to find these treasures, and even if he couldn't obtain anything, he had to shatter the 【Moon's Radiance】.

Three parties were eyeing the Monarch's Treasure. First was the "good teammates" quartet—this went without saying. Caesar had been delayed by something, but he should arrive soon. Given his personality, he wouldn't miss the treasure.

The second faction was Meteor Star, the hounds under the Pluto God. Aside from these powerful hounds, the Priest was temporarily cooperating with this side.

What this group wanted from the Monarch's Treasure was unknown for now. Presumably, what they were eyeing was also what Zuiyas and his faction wanted.

Zuiyas hadn't mentioned this intelligence, which was understandable. The "good teammates" would ensure the truth and accuracy of their information, but whether they disclosed everything depended on the situation. This was the style of the quartet's cooperation: some things were understood in the heart without needing to be spelled out.

Zuiyas revealed a secret to Su Xiao and Wood: the Shelter City they were currently in was indeed protected by an Extinction-level existence. In fact, it was protected by the three strongest Extinction-level existences in this world, plus the strongest Abyssal existence, who together "protected" this place. They were:

Star Realm Devourer (Extinction-level existence).

Progenitor (Extinction-level existence).

Abyssal Archbishop (Abyssal existence).

Eternal Dark Lord (Extinction-level existence).

Su Xiao didn't know much about the other three giants of the Silent Light Temple, but he had learned a bit about this Abyssal Archbishop through records in the Soul Library.

This guy was terrifying. Any world with a Dark God Sect would have an Abyssal Archbishop, or rather, a manifestation of his will. Every world had a different Abyssal Archbishop, but they all shared one commonality: their appearance was due to the manifestation of the Abyssal Archbishop of the Eternal Light World.

Sometimes, it wasn't that the strong individuals in those worlds were willing to become Abyssal Archbishops, but rather that they became them under the influence of fate and causality, like the Abyssal Archbishop Silvis of the Shadow World.

The Abyssal Archbishop of the Eternal Light World was the ultimate body. If not for the seal of the Eternal Light World, this ultimate body would be indestructible. Even if one went through great pains to kill him, he would soon be reborn through an Abyssal Archbishop in some other world.

As long as there was the Abyss, there would be people craving that powerful, dark power, and the Dark God Sect would naturally appear. This was why the Abyssal Archbishop was so difficult to eliminate.

This was why the previous generation of Law-Breakers had imprisoned the Abyssal Archbishop in the Eternal Light World, a world without Abyssal power.

The previous Law-Breakers had paid a heavy price to imprison the Abyssal Archbishop here. They couldn't easily attempt to kill him here, and the Abyssal Archbishop himself didn't dare to experiment with whether he could be reborn outside the Eternal Light World through death. The situation had remained deadlocked.

In this world, there were four such existences—those with Extinction-level strength who were difficult to kill!

Su Xiao was currently stuck at the promotion barrier, so many of his abilities couldn't be fully utilized. He couldn't even beat a newly promoted Absolute-level existence using five "Origin Fragments," let alone an Extinction-level existence.

As for Extinction-level existences with Absolute-level strength, there was a whole group of them in this world. This was an accumulation. Before the Law-Breaker era, every world had Extinction-level existences, but after the era ended, over 90% of them were locked up in the Eternal Light World.

Moreover, the various seals in the Eternal Light World were left unmaintained. No, that wasn't quite right; for many years, the core members of the Silent Light Temple had been destroying these seals everywhere. They were the subordinates of the three strongest Extinction-level existences and the strongest Abyssal existence, so they naturally didn't care about more Extinction-level existences being released.

The situation in the Eternal Light World was dangerous, as Su Xiao had estimated, but he hadn't expected it to be this perilous. This forced him to change his plans. The worst-case scenario was to complete the 300-point attribute breakthrough without exposing himself, which would allow him to promote to Absolute-level.

As for the Extinction-level existences here, there was no rush to deal with them. Once he was strong enough, he would return to clean them up, and those he couldn't clean up, he would seal again.

However, Su Xiao always had one doubt: had the previous Law-Breakers really made no preparations for the worst-case scenario?

Based on his own experience, Law-Breakers received no strength bonuses in the Eternal Light World. If they turned back the clock to the Law-Breaker era, what would the Law-Breakers and Moon Wolves have done if the seals in the Eternal Light World had failed and most of the Extinction-level existences had broken out?

Su Xiao didn't believe the previous Law-Breakers hadn't considered this. Just looking at the spatial seals in the Eternal Light World showed how perfect their preparations were. For example, Wood and Zuiyas wouldn't have dared to come here if they didn't have the notarized round-trip teleportation permissions from the Tree of the Void.

Aside from the notarized teleportation from the Tree of the Void and the Paradise, the spatial seals of the Eternal Light World were unsolvable. How could the previous Law-Breakers have set up spatial seals that lasted until today without preparing for the possibility of a large number of Extinction-level existences breaking out and rampaging through the Eternal Light World?

Setting this aside, Su Xiao's trial task could indeed be activated after arriving at Shelter City, but it displayed: "Waiting for relevant personnel to arrive for pickup; Law-Breaker, please do not move from your position."

Caesar was late. After Su Xiao, Wood, and Zuiyas waited for a while, there was a knock on the door. It wasn't Caesar; if Caesar had come, he would have appeared directly in the room.

Zuiyas went to open the door to handle the emergency. He was the strongest; even if someone suddenly slashed off his head, he would likely just hold his head with one hand and ask the person what they wanted with a smile.

After Zuiyas opened the door and exchanged a few low words with the person outside, he turned and said, "White Night, someone is looking for you."

With that, Zuiyas opened the door completely, allowing Su Xiao to see the visitor.

The person wore a tough, thick long coat with many small pockets sewn onto it. Various odds and ends hung from a wide belt at his waist. He carried a large leather bag on his back that looked like it had been used for many years. He wore a face mask and gloves that were clearly worn out, with some fingertips exposed.

The visitor looked Su Xiao up and down, then glanced at Zuiyas and Wood before pointing outside, indicating he wanted to talk to Su Xiao alone.

"Brother, come inside. The two of us were just about to head out anyway."

As Zuiyas spoke, he left a message in the team channel they had just entered: "Do not use the Shelter City's Shelter Stones."

After Zuiyas and Wood left, the visitor sat down opposite Su Xiao. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Not at all."

"Haha, I'm hungry."

The visitor took off his backpack and started rummaging through it, taking out a few strange-looking fruits.

Su Xiao picked one up and took a bite.

"How does it taste?"

"It's alright."

"Just alright? I think it tastes pretty good."

The visitor lowered his mask and took a large bite of the fruit. Because of the juice, his other hand instinctively moved to catch it under his chin.

"Are you... an Eternal Light Watcher?"

Su Xiao looked at the visitor opposite him. The other's aura was somewhat similar to a Moon Wolf's, yet different. This was the specific feedback from the Blood Oath.

"There are no real Watchers left. I'm at most half of one. Oh, right, my name is Thornes."

Thornes ate the fruit, his gaze instinctively scanning the surroundings—a habit formed from long-term exposure to danger.

"There is still one real Watcher, but he's old and senile. If you talk to him, you'll be so angry you'll die."

After Thornes finished the fruit, he stood up and said, "Let's go. We're going to the Gray Sanctuary. As a Law-Breaker, your ability to perceive those monsters should be better than mine. You should have sensed what the Eternal Dark Lord here is. Don't worry, I won't lead you into a trap. Look at this."

Thornes took out a ring with the mark of the Eternal Light Watcher on it. Not only that, but Thornes also activated the ring to a certain extent, which verified his previous statement: he was at most half an Eternal Light Watcher.

"It was that old tree at the Sanctuary that asked me to find you. Although that old tree is senile, its words when it's clear-headed are worth trusting. After all, that is the true Eternal Light Watcher."

After Thornes finished speaking, he didn't prepare to leave Shelter City through the main gate. Knowing this place well, he knew that entering was simple, but leaving was fraught with difficulties.

As they walked deeper into the lower city, the light grew dim, leaving only the faint light from above. The buildings became crowded, and some civilians lived in shacks, covered in rags, curled up in the darkness, emaciated.

Thump, thump, thump!

In a narrow alley piled with many trash cans, Thornes knocked on a sturdy wooden door. The door didn't open directly; a hole opened in the middle with a slide. Thornes took out a small cloth bag and poured a kind of shriveled red berry into the hole. After pouring about half the bag, he knocked on the wooden door twice.

The person inside seemed to be counting. A few seconds later, the door opened. The faint light inside revealed the profile of a girl with youthful vitality but rough skin. Her dark-circled eyes held a dangerous wildness.

"Thornes, you've broken the rules!"

With a bang, the wooden door was slammed shut by the short-haired girl. This was because Thornes had brought a stranger, raising her vigilance. Seeing this, Thornes poured the remaining half of the bag of berries into the hole.

"Looks like I'm about to lose a partner forever. What a pity."

Thornes made a move to turn and leave. The heavy door, reinforced with metal strips, opened a crack. The short-haired girl narrowed her eyes; the dark circles made her look difficult to deal with.

"Who is this guy?"

"He's an old friend I haven't seen in a long time. Don't worry, he's not dangerous, he's not even good at fighting."

"Heh~"

The short-haired girl gave a mocking laugh. The look in her eyes clearly said: 'Do you even believe that yourself?'

"Just this once, no next time. Those hyenas from the Silent Light Temple have been acting crazy lately, suddenly breaking into our territory."

The short-haired girl signaled for the two outside to hurry in. After the two walked into the small building, she poked her head out to look around, and only after confirming no one was following did she close the door.

The area of the two-story building was not small, with over a hundred square meters on the first floor alone. Even so, it was crowded, divided into multiple rooms, each with several children. Their eyes were not timid; at such a young age, they had already experienced the cruelty and terror of this world. Some younger ones clutched the berries Thornes had given as an entry fee.

The short-haired girl was named Yusha. Under her guidance, the three passed through a narrow corridor and arrived at a secret room. There was an old but well-maintained teleportation array here.

As Thornes took out a bag of crushed Shelter Stones, Yusha activated the teleportation array.

When the spatial fluctuations dissipated, Su Xiao had arrived in a cave. Thornes put on the Watcher's ring and introduced, "When the Gray Sanctuary was first built, it was to guard against the breaking of all seals, so it was built in an independent, stable space. This is why we've been able to survive until today."

Thornes pressed one hand to the ground, and with a hum, golden light surged. A dense array pattern clung to the ground. The next second, multiple lock dials appeared in the surrounding space. When all the dials opened, Su Xiao's vision blurred, and he was obscured by spatial mist.

When everything calmed down, he was on a teleportation platform. The building he was in was not small, relatively open inside, with many sculptures and seats. Along the walls, some rock seats were embedded directly into the wall. Looking up, the top was a dome, sealed by a kind of dull crystal. Behind that crystal, there seemed to be flowing light, which was why gentle light shone down from above.

【Prompt: You have arrived at the Gray Sanctuary.】

【Your trial assessment has officially begun.】

【Trial Task Phase 1 has been activated. You must head to the Watcher's Tower to activate the "Super-Boundary Sealing Technique" left behind by the Law-Breaker faction, sealing the highest reachable combat power in this world to the Absolute level.】

【Because you have arrived at the Gray Sanctuary, all permissions related to this place have been fully activated.】

【Your Gray Sanctuary reputation is: 950,000/950,000 (Blood Oath Ally).】

【Your Gray Sanctuary reputation is: 950,000/950,000 (Blood Oath Ally).】