Chapter 437 - One Who Can Kill Xiadu

The Golem Seed was an extremely concentrated form of Golem Qi. It was accompanied by a miniature life magnetic field inherent to a Golem which exerted a powerful deterrent effect on both normal human life magnetic fields and dark creature life magnetic fields.

However, the Golem Seed was largely ineffective against combat artist-level Covert Martial Arts Practitioners, as their Qi would naturally wear it down to nothing. Its efficacy on dark creatures also remained unknown. In this case, even without relying on the hundred-plus totems granted by the Totem King, the Evil Mother still possessed power equivalent to a top-tier combat artist.

Moreover, she seemed to possess an extremely high amount of life essence which enabled her to resist the intimidation of his Golem Covert Martial Arts. From that perspective, a normal Golem Seed likely would not have served as an effective means of control. At best, it would only have allowed Cassius to vaguely sense where the Evil Mother might be.

Therefore, he chose to employ the platinum sacred marks to amplify his Golem Covert Martial Arts. Not only did he aim to control the Evil Mother, he also wanted to seize this chance to experiment.

Cassius slowly raised his right hand; there were thirty-three hidden markings on the back of his hand. They were made with the Blood of the Living formed from sacred spring water and Soul Power.

When he exerted his will, all thirty-three sacred marks lit up at once, shining with a platinum gleam. Instantly, the Golem Qi inside his body began to boil, searing like magma as it raged through him. The Golem Seed he was condensing in his palm underwent a dramatic transformation.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The dot of black radiance became a vortex that was initially the size of a glass marble but soon larger than an apple. Black Qi continued to flow from Cassius’s pores and get drawn in strand by strand. After about half a minute, his palm did not support a mere Golem Seed, but a slowly throbbing black heart. Surprisingly, it was the same size as a normal human heart.

Thump, thump, thump...

It beat in a steady rhythm and felt enormously strong. Its pulse matched Cassius’s own heartbeat, and when he attempted to slow his own pulse, the black heart followed suit.

Clearly, there was a significant link between them. A single probe was all Cassius needed to realize what this Golem Seed Heart was meant to do. If he placed this heart on someone’s chest, it would enter their body and merge with their existing core. The important thing was that it would fuse with their core. Some dark creatures did not treat the heart as a weak point, or they lacked such an organ entirely.

However their core was another matter entirely. Take, for instance, the Evil Mother, whose core was undoubtedly her own core totem. If that totem were to be controlled by the Golem Seed Heart, then if Cassius wished her to suffer excruciating pain, she would suffer; if he wanted her dead, she would die. It was a tyrannical method of control, scarcely different from what the Totem King employed.

Of course, creating that Golem Seed Heart had not come cheaply, since it had consumed a full eighteen platinum sacred marks. Cassius’s hand now retained only fifteen platinum sacred marks. It meant that this Golem Seed Heart could not become a standard tactic. He could only employ it occasionally to control highly valuable and powerful foes.

Across from him, the Evil Mother who was now practically indistinguishable from a normal human beauty, shifted as her expression changed minutely. She had evidently detected the Golem Seed Heart’s uniquely dangerous aura, akin to the Totem King’s ability to control others. Regardless, she made no move to resist. She had carefully assessed her current situation and understood where things stood.

First, she had been defeated and gravely wounded, whereas his battle strength was largely intact. Thus, the wisest choice was to concede. Next, she had already committed to a promise of ten years and could provide immense value in confronting the Ten Thousand Mountains totem shamans. Finally, if she was to be controlled at a similar level of power, it was preferable to select a weaker master and a more manageable setting. When it came to Cassius versus the Totem King or the underworld versus the surface world, the lesser was obviously Cassius.

Hence, when Cassius offered the Golem Seed Heart, she accepted without hesitation. She immediately pressed it against her ample chest. The heart vanished inside her at once and fused with her core totem. A hint of unease crossed her features, laced with the shameful dread of having her life placed under another’s control.

Cassius, meanwhile, felt a sense of novelty. He could suddenly sense the presence of a being several meters away and had the power to decide her life or death at will.

Clatter.

Rubble fell through the gaps in walls and ceiling, and the surface fractures seemed to be steadily widening. Now that the battle was over, Cassius finally had time to examine the changes within his own body, particularly around his lower abdomen. He discovered that much of the sixth-stage perfected Death's Fang Force that had been bestowed upon him remained within that region.

He had used up around two-thirds fighting the Evil Mother, leaving roughly one-third still swirling inside him. It posed no threat, seeming more like an energy without a master that he could deploy at will. However, perhaps due to being separated from its original source, that Death's Fang Force was slowly dissipating. He needed to put it to use right away!

Undoubtedly, the best approach was to harness this pinnacle-level Death's Fang Force to break through more acupoints of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. Although the sixth-stage perfected Death's Fang Force was fearsomely potent, it was still rootless and a floating weed in the wind.

He might be able to use it once or twice more as a trump card before it vanished completely, and that was ignoring the automatic decay. Under such circumstances, converting that uncertain, unbound energy into a strength he could fully command was clearly the best course.

Moreover, Cassius was confident that this top-tier Death's Fang Force would efficiently break through multiple acupoints of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. More importantly, the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist and the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist were in a peculiar state of resonance: if one advanced, the other would soon follow in response. Hence, the effect of that top-tier force in Cassius’s hands might well be doubled.

After a moment of thought, he turned to the Evil Mother again. “Can you assume a fully human form?”

She nodded and morphed right away. The totems remaining on her body flashed, and when that firefly-like glow faded, she was a woman around one meter seventy-five in height, with a slender, sultry figure, exquisite features, pale skin, and red hair. She was also utterly naked.

“...” Cassius fell briefly silent.

Misinterpreting his reaction as disapproval, the Evil Mother’s totems flashed again and she transformed into a muscular middle-aged man nearly one meter ninety tall, with dark, gleaming skin that was reminiscent of an iron tower. He was bald and had a confident, hearty grin. He, too, remained unclothed.

“....” Cassius grew even more silent.

She furrowed her brow and kept transforming. She transformed into a handsome, slender, melancholic youth, then a curly-haired noblewoman with a gentle charm, a hunched old gentleman, and a cheerful young boy. Strangest of all, she finally transformed into Cassius’s exact visage, posing like him.

Her muscles twitched slightly, winking flamboyantly at Cassius.

“That’s enough!” Cassius glowered, putting a stop to her shapeshifting antics. After all, few would want to see their own double, naked at that.

Though in truth, that skill of hers was incredibly useful. She could even copy most of a person’s aura. When she had turned into him, anyone less familiar with him would have failed to tell the difference. Evidently, it was an exceptionally high-grade totem camouflage ability. Moreover, it was something she could use immediately.

Since the Florence test site had been destroyed by Cassius, Yang Yan was dead, Zhu Hun was seriously wounded, and the two combat artists from the royal family and the council were taken hostage... He could fully swap roles, letting the Evil Mother replace one of those captives.

Replacing Zhu Hun of the Gate Organization was impossible since the Gate Fragment was an immediate giveaway for members. Thus, she had to impersonate someone from either the royal family or council.

After a brief consideration, Cassius settled on the royal captive as the better target. The council’s parliamentary setting, with its voting procedures, would be less conducive, whereas the royal circle allowed quick acquisition of authority. Moreover, the royal side enjoyed clandestine maneuvers, making it perfect for infiltration by the Evil Mother to teach them a lesson.

Thus, they walked together toward the transformation pool, with Cassius issuing instructions along the way. A handful of seconds later, they arrived at the pool. The swirling gray vortex had dissipated, leaving only a single test bed in the center of the pool. Cassius promptly strode forward and retrieved the test bed. Its function could be investigated later, once Zhu Hun was interrogated.

He then found Zhu Hun who was now on the brink of death and seized the vital experimental records of the dark creatures. He and the Evil Mother quickly ascended a few levels, hauling away the two royal council experts and Yang Yan’s corpse.

They worked quickly, even re-checking the entire underground test site for survivors. Afterward, they made their exit through a concealed corridor leading above ground.

Cassius inhaled the fresh air, then abruptly turned to stare through the woods, narrowing his eyes. He glanced at the Evil Mother and warned, “Someone’s approaching, and they’re strong...”

“Leave everyone else with me. You draw him away. I can’t be seen yet. At nine tonight, come to Florence’s District Six, 25 Falk Street. I’ll be waiting there,” Cassius added.

He quickly carried his captives away into the trees, leaving the Evil Mother behind to clean up. Sometimes, having a capable ally brought obvious advantages. They could split tasks when unexpected troubles arose and handle them in an organized manner.

The Evil Mother had presently taken on a female form and wore the white test site coat of a nurse. Her blonde hair curled in gentle waves. Under the sunset, her tall, graceful figure exuded a certain beauty. However as she turned around, she revealed a face that looked demonic and savage, with an unnervingly eerie grin. One could sometimes catch a faint glimpse of the saw-like teeth behind her lips.

Although her surrender a moment earlier had been deliberate, she had truly been defeated and subjugated by Cassius, so she was hardly in a pleasant mood. This would be her chance to vent, even if her opponent turned out to be strong as well.

Whoosh!

The ground burst open, leaving a hole in the earth, and the Evil Mother streaked through the forest, hurtling straight toward the Radiant Hunter.

***

Meanwhile, in the underworld known as the World of Calamity, there stretched a vast expanse of black mire, layered over mountains and plains with no surviving vegetation. If one had to describe it, it looked more like a blend of oil and sludge, topped by lumps resembling fleshy eggs that writhed faintly.

Occasionally, hideous creatures emerged from these cocoons and scattered in all directions. At the heart of that region was the equilibrium that had persisted for centuries. Yet it now seemed to be unraveling bit by bit.

The totems had evidently gained the upper hand against the scarlet force. The densely packed totems enclosed the scarlet energy, leaving it with only a quarter of its original domain.

In the midst of the totems stood a towering bronze colossus, no longer as silent and inert as usual, but rather, revealing an unusual anger.

It gazed at the tiny old man seated cross-legged opposite it, its voice booming like a great bell. “Why do you still struggle in vain?! You have already lost!”

No one answered.

The bronze colossus turned its head slightly, opening its colossal mouth. “Blood Vulture, you cannot hold on much longer. Your stored energy depletes by the moment, while I grow stronger. This is one of the sources of strength! You were doomed to fail from the moment you foolishly came to confront me!”

“...”

Silence continued. The old man appeared lifeless, like a puppet.

The bronze colossus knew the will and resolve of its adversary, yet it relished mocking him. “Xiadu still lives, and has thrived since ancient times. It is truly immortal, and all your efforts have achieved nothing. The ages may pass, eras may shift, and even if the entire surface world collapses and the World of Calamity crumbles, it will survive...”

At that moment, the withered old man lifted his eyes and spoke in a raspy voice.

“No. In those days, we succeeded, though only halfway. Xiadu can no longer remain immortal, because it went from a concept to a human. Humans may live a long time, but once killed, they die! All that’s left is for a being capable of killing him to appear...”

An indescribable gleam flashed in the old man’s eyes. “Do you think I trapped you here on a fool’s errand in a fit of arrogance? Totem King, you remain as foolish as ever, with no progress made in centuries...”

The Totem King seethed with fury, and an enormously massive totem glowed behind it. Its colossal wings detached, seemingly transforming into a primeval flying dragon the size of a mountain.

However, across from him, the withered old man spread the fingers of a hand and pressed it down on the ground. The scarlet coating the mire swirled into a fearsome vortex. From it emerged a bird’s beak on par with the vortex in sheer size. It was an unimaginably huge entity, akin to a celestial body. Even the Totem King’s mountainous form was only half the size of that colossal head—let alone its entire body.

A terrifying aura blasted toward the heavens, causing swaths of powerful dark creatures to flee in panic, triggering unimaginable chaos.

Ultimately, the Totem King refrained from further mockery. It realized the old man still possessed strength nearly identical to its own, so it backed down. After all, even if the Totem King prevailed, enduring heavy wounds and forced slumber was unacceptable.