Chapter 3999: Soul Master

Originally, the Dark Bishop and the other two were ready to fight to the death with this intruder at the Supreme level. Even the Dark Bishop and Afia were prepared to die in the Sanctuary City today. After all, the other party was a blade technique master. Such technique masters at the Supreme level, although they didn't have several abilities that could shake the sky and earth, were exceptionally powerful against other powerful beings.

The Dark Bishop and Afia had considered many possibilities, but not this scene. If this 【Flame Core】 was real, then this was the treasure that their Sanctuary City·Doan had been pursuing for a thousand years, no, since not long after the darkness descended.

A light source that could illuminate Doan for two eras, and also had sun characteristics, representing that seeds that had been sealed for a long time and needed sunlight to grow might have the possibility of breaking through the soil again, which represented harmless food and a gradually bright future.

This was not just as simple as a pie falling from the sky, which also led to the fact that even the Dark Bishop and Exploration Captain·Afia, as Supreme beings, felt creepy in their hearts. As for Pain High Priest·Zdenek, he still looked like a dead person with no expression, but his heart shouldn't be calm either.

"You..."

Afia looked at Su Xiao, not knowing how to continue for a while.

"This treasure wonder named "Flame Core"," the Dark Bishop said, pressing his mohawk with one hand, touching the back of his head, and continuing to ask: "Really just gifted to us like this?"

"……"

Su Xiao didn't speak, but his silence made the Dark Bishop and Afia feel even more uneasy.

"Don't you need this thing."

Su Xiao opened his mouth, and as soon as he finished speaking.

"Very needed."

"Definitely needed."

"Needed."

The Dark Bishop, Afia, and Pain High Priest·Zdenek spoke one after another. The Dark Bishop looked at the others and smiled bitterly, saying:

"This..."

"Law-Breaker."

Su Xiao reported his family name. In a world eroded by the Abyss like this, the reputation of Law-Breakers was generally quite good.

"Oh? Are you a Law-Breaker Shadow?"

The Dark Bishop's eyes were different, but he asked with doubt: "I left the Ancient Dragon Kingdom last time and heard in the Void that the Law-Breakers had been wiped out. Are you one of those who escaped a disaster?"

"No, I accidentally obtained the system inheritance."

"Oh~, so that's how it is."

The Dark Bishop nodded. The more he heard this kind of explanation, the more credible he felt it was. Sometimes, an overly perfect background instead hid huge dangers. Ask yourself, under what circumstances would you need a background that didn't arouse any suspicion? The answer is, when you have ulterior motives.

"Then what is your purpose for coming to Eberias this time?"

The Dark Bishop's inquiry had begun to be straightforward, representing that the initial probing was no longer necessary.

"Have a question."

Su Xiao's hand subconsciously pressed on the end of the blade handle. This belonged to a habitual action.

"Please ask."

Afia opened her mouth.

"Am I a guest, or an enemy."

"Of course a guest."

Afia answered very decisively.

"Since I am a guest, why should I accept your questioning on the street."

As soon as Su Xiao said this, the Dark Bishop and Afia were embarrassed, but the Dark Bishop was thick-skinned. He touched his mohawk and said:

"Please this way."

The Dark Bishop led the way. With this guy who was one of the four giants of the Sanctuary City leading the way, the journey was of course smooth. Walking on the street, Su Xiao saw the general appearance of Sanctuary City·Doan.

The entire Sanctuary City was shrouded by ring-shaped high walls. Looking into the distance, it was a pitch-black high wall like a sky wall. Above it was a dome curtain that emitted very faint light, protecting the entire Sanctuary City within it.

Because the light of the curtain was too dim, it couldn't play an illumination role, at most making the light level of the Sanctuary City reach the brightness of a moonless night. For falling into complete darkness, this was already a very rare gift.

The distribution of buildings in the city was still orderly. Because the overall area was circular, plus the central area was high and the outer area was low, there were streets leading to the central prayer square.

This is a massive plaza over two kilometers in diameter, with the ground paved in stone slabs. In the center stands a hundred-meter-tall statue, depicting the image of the Shelter City's first city lord, Wen, Taiyumazi.

Located behind this statue is a giant torch tower over a thousand meters tall; this is undoubtedly the tallest structure in Shelter City.

Shelter City has a population of several hundred thousand, and since it is impossible to expand the living area outward, land is extremely precious. Under such circumstances, to still set aside such a huge prayer plaza shows the significance of this place; under the shroud of darkness, one cannot persist without hope in their heart.

Although the distance is great, Su Xiao can vaguely sense that there is some powerful existence at the root of the towering "Torch Tower." That's right, the roots—this torch tower has complex metal roots that spread deep underground, covering the entire range of Shelter City. Presumably, this is a type of large-scale defensive formation that prevents darkness from invading from underground.

Shelter City has three major factions: the Dark God Sect, the Mechanical School, and the Pain Church. These three factions do not have a competitive relationship, nor do they participate in the various jurisdictions of Shelter City. The one governing Shelter City is the "City Council," and the one governing the "City Council" is the current city lord.

Theoretically speaking, the highest power center of Shelter City is the "City Council," but there is an unspoken rule: successive city lords are only selected from the three major factions or the families under them.

More precisely, the existence of the "City Council" was jointly created by the three major factions to avoid conflicts with each other to the greatest extent, thereby triggering a disaster that no one could bear.

The current city lord is named Vaughn, who stays in his mansion and does not go out, reportedly because his health is poor.

The headquarters of the three major factions are all near the Great Prayer Plaza. The headquarters of the Dark God Sect is called the "Dark Cathedral," a magnificent five-story pitch-black building. From the semi-melted black walls on the exterior, one can see it has a very Abyss style. It is worth mentioning that the Dark God Sect hates Abyss races, but they do not hate the Abyss; the Abyss is the source of their power.

The headquarters of the Mechanical School is called the "Ascension Hall." It does not look magnificent, but the building area here is actually the largest, with more than four-fifths of the area built underground.

The headquarters of the Pain Church is called the "Flesh Fortress." These guys, who use self-mutilation as their source of power, are negative and crazy. They have always believed that Shelter City will one day come to an end. Although they have become monsters that are no longer human in order to protect this place, they still want to protect the last spark of humanity. Therefore, their headquarters, the "Flesh Fortress," is the only safe place after Shelter City is swallowed by darkness.

Because of this, the Pain Church selects dozens of "Sparks" from the city's residents every year to supplement the "Old Sparks" who have reached the age of 30, are eliminated, and return to being registered as ordinary residents.

Every year, the Pain Church's selection of "Sparks" is a grand event in Shelter City. Of course, there is a price to becoming a "Spark": for at least 15 hours a day, one must stay in the "Flesh Fortress." The remaining 7 hours require the accompaniment of a priest for collective activities, and only the final two hours are rare free time.

Furthermore, for the total of 100 Sparks, their free time in the city must be staggered, and at most 20 Sparks can go out alone at the same time.

Even so, the city's residents still flock to the status of a Spark. First, one can barely fill their stomach without heavy labor, plus there is a small portion of meat every week, two portions of grain staples every month, five sets of decent clothing a year, and various other daily necessities.

Basically, one Spark can support a large family of 5 to 7 people, allowing this family to live a life that is just enough to be fed and clothed, but only just.

As for how to become a Spark, this not only requires passing the assessment of the "Pain Church" but also involves rigid standards such as appearance, the degree of pure human blood, and fertility.

Yes, not everyone in Shelter City is 100% human. Elf-human hybrids and giant-human hybrids are not uncommon. Looking at the Star Realm, the Elf race, Giant race, Human race, and Star race are actually all large groups distributed across various worlds in the Star Realm.

Regarding why the "Pain God Sect" is obsessed with pure-blooded humans, this is because, during the long dark invasions, people discovered that humans have the strongest resistance to "Dark Corruption."

As for what "Dark Corruption" is, this is an ability that all Abyss races have, only the specific characteristics differ. For example, the "Dukain Clan" of this world, their "Dark Corruption" ability is domination.

After suffering this kind of "Dark Corruption," one will gradually be eroded in heart and soul. At first, one is forced to become a slave to the "Dukain Clan," but as the "corruption" deepens, the corrupted will gradually become willing, even unshakeably becoming servants of the "Dukain Clan," worshipping these Abyss races from the inside out, willing to sacrifice their lives and give everything for them.

This is the terrifying aspect of "Dark Corruption"; it does not just make the will submit, it is a deeper transformation.

The "Dukain Clan" represents darkness and domination. In addition to this terrifying domination characteristic, when the darkness of the world controlled by the "Dukain Clan" descends, the purer this darkness descends, the more powerful they become, and this power is permanent and constantly climbing.

This is also why the "Dukain Clan" is plotting against this world. What else could make their darkness grow more than shrouding a transcendent world? If there is, it can only be to let the entire Star Realm be shrouded in the darkness of the Abyss.

Facing the power of the Abyss races and their "Dark Corruption," Shelter City has no power to crusade at all. Holding Shelter City is already the limit of what Shelter City can do, and this holding is at a precarious level.

In addition to external dangers, food in Shelter City is also scarce. There is basically no light here, only a few types of fungi and moss that can grow in this environment, and a fungus called "Gray Fern" is the main food source for Shelter City.

This fungus can grow in dark environments. Overall, it looks like a vine-like fungus. As long as the supports are set up, "Gray Fern" can climb and grow very high. When it grows, the texture is soft, similar to the touch of enoki mushrooms—soft and tough—but it will grow in a large patch like creeping ivy.

This fungus is toxic, and long-term consumption will kill people. However, after it is picked, dried in the shade for a period of time, ground, and stir-fried at high temperatures, it becomes non-toxic. The texture is very similar to whole wheat flour, and it can be steamed after being mixed with water.

However, because the processing flow of "Gray Fern" is not industrialized enough, after processing such as shade-drying + high-temperature stir-frying, some "Gray Fern powder" still contains a certain amount of toxicity, so people are used to stir-frying it again before cooking.

"Gray Fern" also has grades. Those "wild gray ferns" that grow clinging to the outer city walls are the cheapest because they may contain medium-to-high toxicity, while the "Gray Fern powder" planted, processed, and bagged in major planting areas is more trusted by residents.

A long-term single diet is not only a devastation to the taste buds, but the nutrients required by the body are also insufficient. This involves a resource of Shelter City: "Food Powder." This thing is made by drying and grinding various moss plants into powder and then mixing in a certain amount of table salt. It is an important material whose production and sale are controlled by the "City Council."

This is the wonder of intelligent races. No matter how harsh the environment they are in, they will gradually bloom with their own flowers of civilization. The flowers of Shelter City, Doan, are not beautiful, but they are incomparably tenacious.

Walking on the street, the buildings on both sides are initially low, some are simply wooden sheds. The closer to the city center, the more the buildings begin to take shape, and occasionally one can see two-story or three-story buildings.

Even in a place like Shelter City, Doan, there is still a distinction between rich and poor. For a city with a population of hundreds of thousands to operate stably, currency is indispensable. The currency here is named "Mazu" to commemorate the first city lord, and there are both coins and paper money.

The only good news is that Shelter City is not short of fresh water. Although the taste is strange to the extreme, it is harmless to drink, which is already a gift to be thankful for.

None of them were in a hurry, so they simply strolled forward. After about an hour, they arrived in front of the "Dark Cathedral." Looking at this strange yet familiar building, Su Xiao stopped and noticed the change in his gaze. The Dark Bishop asked suspiciously:

"Law-Extinguisher, why do I feel like you've been to the Dark Cathedral?"

"You could say that."

"What do you mean 'could say that'? Have you been inside in other worlds?"

"No."

"Then?"

The Dark Bishop frowned, puzzled.

"I've blown it flat before."

As soon as these words were spoken, the corner of the Dark Bishop's eye twitched, and the smile on his face was a bit hard to maintain.

"Pfft~"

Afiya almost couldn't help laughing out loud. Don't compare the strongest of Shelter City with those from the outside world. The strongest from the outside world are generally old immortals who have lived for at least hundreds or thousands of years. They maintain the dignity of the strong, and while being serious, their expression management is particularly on point.

Conversely, the Dark Bishop, Afiya, and the Pain High Priest, Zdenek—these three: the Dark Bishop is 35, Afiya is 30, and the Pain High Priest, Zdenek, is 37. As for why it's so exaggerated, the average lifespan of the strongest in Shelter City is about 60 to 70 years.

The "strongest" here are not cultivated; they are killed out. Therefore, they don't care about the dignity of being the strongest. They laugh when they want to laugh and curse when they want to curse. They might die in a battle with Abyss races tomorrow, so what is the point of putting on that kind of dignified act?

Among these three, the heavy smoker Afiya is the most thorough in this regard. This woman has a stunning appearance, but she doesn't cherish it at all. There are many scars on her face and hands, and there is a new wound several centimeters long on the side of her cheek. After it scabbed, because her hands were itchy and she tore the scab off, it will definitely leave a scar later.

As humans, even if their bodies are tough, they will not abandon the most basic characteristics of the human race: they will get injured and leave scars. Correspondingly, they have extremely high willpower and benefits such as high resistance to "Dark Corruption."

The Pain High Priest, Zdenek, is always expressionless. It is because his personality is cold-blooded, and also because he is physically paralyzed in the face. Or rather, facial paralysis is a problem for most people in the Pain God Sect.

In the early stages of using Pain Miracles, the intense pain makes their expressions uncontrollably distorted and deformed. Over time, the facial nerves can no longer bear it, leading to facial paralysis.

A dark red linen robe, a strong smell of blood on his body, facial paralysis + baldness—adding these features together, there's no mistake, he must be a Pain Monk.

Several people walked into the "Dark Cathedral." As soon as they entered, they saw two people carrying a metal cage inside which a disheveled Magic Eagle was locked. From the wounds on the two people whose aura was not weak, it could be seen that this was a battle where they were wary of each other's unknown backgrounds and both held back.

"Boss, save me!"

Baha's sharp claws reached out of the cage, giving a strong sense of someone reaching out in grief and indignation to beg for help.

"You... know each other?"

The Dark Bishop spoke.

"Yeah, one of my partners."

Hearing Su Xiao's words, the Dark Bishop slightly raised his chin, signaling the two gray-robed priests to release Baha.

The two gray-robed priests looked at each other, both somewhat reluctant. They didn't care about the injuries caused by Baha; it was mainly that they were cursed so badly that their hearts were in pieces, and their family trees were repeatedly greeted in cycles. They really couldn't swallow this anger.

"Bishop, we..."

A gray-robed priest with a face full of black tattoos spoke, but when he saw the Dark Bishop's expression beginning to show displeasure, he could only reluctantly open the metal cage.

Although Baha's tongue was very dirty, his emotional intelligence was not low. He began to call it a misunderstanding and stated that the "sweet words" that had just greeted the two should not be taken to heart, etc. However, from the expressions of the two gray-robed priests as they left, they clearly hadn't forgiven Baha.

"Tsk~, why are you so narrow-minded? We in Doan don't have that kind of capacity."

Afiya spoke to the backs of the two gray-robed priests. Hearing this, the two gray-robed priests' footsteps quickened a bit. If they angered their own lord, at most they would be scolded, but this lord would really beat them if angered. That mechanical fist full of care would leave them lying down for many days after one punch.

Going up to the third floor of the cathedral, everyone walked into a study. This was the Dark Bishop's usual office. After he sat down on a slightly old but very clean sofa, he signaled that they didn't need to be polite.

"We can be considered friends now. May I ask how to address you?"

The Dark Bishop didn't directly ask for Su Xiao's name. In a place like "Eberias" where the Abyss spreads, there are many powerful people who can cast curses through names and approximate appearances.

"Kukulin Bai Ye."

Su Xiao used this name as always. This is not just a fake name; it is a fake name notarized by the Reincarnation Paradise, which has the characteristic of preventing various curses and fate-based abilities.

"What is your purpose in coming here?"

The Dark Bishop asked tentatively.

"To deal with the Abyss races."

Su Xiao stated his purpose straightforwardly. Speak to the person as the situation requires. If it were an environment where the situation was stable but the struggle between factions was cruel, one would definitely have to hide their purpose well. But in a place like Shelter City, playing along with the strong here would surely lead to being cold-shouldered and hostile, and being expelled by various means.

The strong in Shelter City have already exhausted their heart's blood to protect Shelter City. How could they have the energy to scheme? They simply straightforwardly seal off the operating space for schemers.

The old grudge between the Law-Extinguisher and the Dukain family is well known, even in a place like Shelter City, Doan, which has little contact with the outside world. As the high-level figures of Doan, the three Dark Bishops would not doubt it. Right now, what they need to confirm is whether this visitor is truly a Shadow of the Law.

"It seems we have a common enemy."

The Dark Bishop smiled, then changed the subject and asked: "You know a lot about the Dukain Clan, right?"

"Other than knowing they are an Abyss race, I don't know anything else."

"Uh~"

This choked the Dark Bishop, but his suspicion of this Law-Extinguisher actually decreased a little. The reason is that if this person were plotting something, the identity setup would be too sloppy.

"Well, intergenerational inheritance, there is indeed such a problem. But since that is the grudge between Dukain and the previous Law-Extinguishers, why do you..."

As the Dark Bishop said this, Afiya interrupted: "Charles, stop your nagging. Bai Ye is here to deal with the Dukain Clan, so we just need to provide intelligence on Dukain. Whether we have a common enemy, we only look at the results; why suspect each other?"

Afiya's personality is relatively direct, and coupled with Su Xiao's series of equally direct actions, she had a good impression of Su Xiao. She simply replaced the Dark Bishop and began to negotiate with Su Xiao.

"You're dealing with Dukain, you must have a direction..."

Before Afiya could finish, Baha, who was sitting on Su Xiao's shoulder, said: "We're here to find the Dukain family's emblem."

"That thing, it has a huge background."

Afiya began to tell the situation she knew. It is said that there are five such "family emblems." Collecting all five and going to the holy land of the Dukain family located in the "Abyss Near Zone" will reveal all the secrets of the Dukain family and potentially destroy them completely.

That's right, the Dukain Clan is immortal. After being killed, they will soon revive in the nearby area. Even if killed by a Law-Extinguisher using a "Magic Blade," they can be reborn in the Abyss years later.

More accurately, the "Magic Blade" can kill the Dukain Clan, but for some reason, the Dukain Clan can be reborn, and that reborn person will have a certain degree of change in appearance, personality, and even ability characteristics compared to before rebirth.

This clearly indicates that others cannot kill the Dukain Clan; they have the immortal characteristics of the Abyss. The Law-Extinguisher's Magic Blade can kill this immortality, but a few years later, new members of the Dukain Clan will be reborn from the dark ancestral land. That is to say, it's not that the Law-Extinguisher can't kill them, but that they can't be killed off.

The source of power for Abyss races is the Abyss; this is too unsolvable.

Su Xiao opened the main quest, the content of which is:

"Obtain at least three 'Dukain Family Emblems' and submit them to the Reincarnation Paradise."

He now has one 【Dukain Family Emblem】. Whether it is the attribute data of this 【Dukain Family Emblem】 or according to what Afiya said, there are five such 【Dukain Family Emblems】 in total. That is to say, the initial stage of this main quest is a test—a test of whether Su Xiao has the qualifications to explore the deep secrets of this world.

Afiya continued to talk about the situation of the Dukain family. The family members are not many, about a hundred, but their servants, retainers, slaves, etc., are numerous, to be calculated in the billions.

With the existence of "Breeding Factories," a large number of Elves and Humans are bred. This world is 15 to 18 times larger than a world of the absolute-strong level, and it has a very vast map area.

Shelter City, Doan, is located in the central region and can be called the center of this world. In the southeast, northwest, and other directions of Doan, there are kingdoms or large cities controlled by Abyss races such as the "Elf Kingdom," "Empress City," "Corrupt King City," and "Molten City."

Do not compare the cities here with cities of normal scale. The largest here is "Empress City," which is more vast than the Beast Race's main city, Eternal Ring City, on the Wind Sea Continent, with more than 300 urban districts, each of which is the size of a normal kingdom.

The "Elf Kingdom" is one-fifth smaller than "Empress City" but equally vast. The "Corrupt King City" is smaller, about half the size of "Empress City." The "Molten City" is the smallest, a few points smaller than the largest District 1 of "Empress City."

These are not territories; they are the assets of the Abyss races. The Dukain family, with only a hundred members, is destined to be extremely wealthy. Do not think that Abyss races have no desires. The most essential difference between them and the immortal Abyss-growing creatures is their high-level rationality, wisdom, and desires that are so intense they are almost burning.

If they don't encounter resistance, the desires of the Abyss races are so great that they can swallow the entire Star Realm into their mouths of desire.

Su Xiao learned that the Dukain family has a family council system. There is a council president, which is the contemporary patriarch, as well as three councilors and twelve elders. The rest are ordinary family members.

This power system is simple, yes, but it is also stable. The identity of a Dukain family member, which can never be stripped away, means they basically won't have internal strife. Even if two family members fight each other, it will naturally subside years later. After all, they cannot completely kill each other.

Facing these immortal, powerful, and desire-boiling guys, one can imagine how desperate it is, not to mention that they also have the "Dark Corruption" ability.

Su Xiao estimated that given the importance of the 【Dukain Family Emblem】 to the Dukain Clan, it is unlikely they would store it in a place like a treasure vault; it is highly likely they carry it with them.

No, it's simply swallowed into the abdomen. With their physique of being super monsters on average, don't look at their human appearance; swallowing a fist-sized emblem would not be a burden at all.

For such an important item, to hold it, one must have a very high status. Thinking about it this way, the 【Dukain Family Emblem】 seems to be on the council president. But on second thought, the point of not putting all eggs in one basket is almost universal in all worlds, so the council president might only keep 1 to 2 【Dukain Family Emblems】.

Following the order of deduction, the remaining holders would be the three councilors.

Find one of these three councilors, kill them, and take the 【Dukain Family Emblem】. Yes, a comprehensive and thorough plan is thus achieved.

The three Abyss race councilors are the Beast Master of the Elf Kingdom, the Scorpion Empress of Empress City, and the Twin Kings of the Corrupt King City.

Su Xiao immediately locked onto the Beast Master of the Elf Kingdom. The reason is:

"Bounty 1: Beast's End: Kill the Beast Master and shatter the 'Corruption Core: Elf'."

Su Xiao thought to this point and said: "My first target might be the Beast Master."

Su Xiao is not worried that these three will reveal this intelligence to the outside. The grudge between Doan and the Dukain family has no room for relaxation. This is also why Su Xiao has always stated his intentions directly this time.

Hearing him say this, Afiya suddenly said: "Bai Ye, there is someone you might need to meet. Although she only arrived in Doan a month ago, the three of us trust her, and we can even entrust our backs to her with peace of mind."

As soon as Afiya finished speaking, the study door was pushed open by a gray-robed priest. This gray-robed priest stepped back and bowed respectfully. A woman in a black long dress with a graceful figure walked into the room.

Her eyes were pitch black, her arms were black-blue crystal prosthetics, and she wore a fishbone braid that reached her waist with silver ring pendants at the end. Although her temperament was soft, she was not weak. This was none other than the Dark Woman.

The Dark Woman stopped in front of Su Xiao, folded her hands in front of her lower abdomen, bowed slightly and slowly, and said softly: "Lord Law-Extinguisher."

This scene made the Dark Bishop and Afiya gradually widen their eyes. Even the Pain High Priest, Zdenek, opened his eyes a little wider, because the Dark Woman they knew was silent and had no expression or emotional fluctuations. When did she ever bow to someone? And she even respectfully called him "Lord" in such a soft voice.

After witnessing all this, Afiya suddenly remembered the records about the Law-Extinguisher's restraint of immortality, and thought that this Law-Extinguisher who came here was here to deal with the Abyss races, plus the other party's first target was the Beast Master, with whom she had a great grudge.

This made the smile on Afiya's face uncontrollable, and the corners of her mouth were harder to suppress than an AK. A feeling that this wave seemed stable gradually welled up in her heart.

At the same time, on the south side of the Wild Lush Sea, Elf Kingdom, District 26, behind the Crystal Grease Chemical Factory, in a dark alley.

Hao Chou, who had successfully promoted—or rather, was forced to promote—to the strongest level, walked out of the dark alley with an ugly expression. The reason for this is that the old guy who swallowed three forbidden marks and was terrifying even among high-tier violators had tracked him to this world.

Just as Hao Chou walked out of the dark alley, on the opposite side of the street, a man wearing narrow-framed sunglasses, golden short hair combed back, white casual clothes, and black gloves on his right hand raised his hand and greeted him with a smile.

"Hao Chou, you look like you're in a bad mood."

The person who came always had a smile on his face. Those narrow-framed sunglasses made it impossible to see his eyes. This person is named Soul Master, the holder of the "Forbidden Mark: Soul Mark."

That is to say, at this moment, all five forbidden marks are already in this world.

PS: (Resting for one day tomorrow, Sunday, no updates. My apologies to all readers.)