Chapter 101: Absorption

The narrow, cramped cave was filled with smoke and dust. The massive impact of the source energy had shattered the altar, though the cave itself was sturdy enough to remain structurally sound.

The Destiny Sword was wedged diagonally into the rock wall at the entrance, most of its blade buried in the rough stone.

Gao Wu exerted his strength to pull the weapon out. After the continuous exchange of blows, the blade of the Destiny Sword was covered in dense, microscopic nicks. For an intermediate warrior, using a sword like this was standard; such damage was natural when two blades collided at high speeds. The Destiny Sword, having fused with the artifact of that Demon God, possessed a self-repairing ability. It should return to its original state within a few days.

What truly concerned Gao Wu was the foul aura clinging to the sword. Had it absorbed the essence from the Nether Gold Bead? No, it had not only absorbed the spirit's aura but the bead itself. Through his Yin Spirit, he could see traces of white light staining the blade, which the sword was instinctively absorbing.

With his Yin Spirit fused with the weapon, Gao Wu could perceive every minute change in the blade. He quickly grasped the situation: the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra had reached the Great Completion stage, refining both the Destiny Sword and the "death angel" vessel simultaneously.

The vessel had integrated into the Destiny Sword while retaining its instinct to devour external objects. This instinct was usually useless, as the sword could not consume a powerful object like the Nether Gold Bead. Even if it tried, it would be assimilated by the bead instead. Now, the situation was precarious; because the vessel had consumed fragments of the Nether Gold Bead, the Destiny Sword had been contaminated. If left unchecked, the sword could be transformed into an evil artifact, potentially establishing a link with another Demon God from the Otherworld.

Gao Wu silently recited the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra and wiped his hand across the blade. A crimson glow, bright as blood, flared up, and wisps of white smoke rose from the sword. In the blink of an eye, the foul aura was purged by the mantra.

Gao Wu initially thought the matter was resolved and that he should report it to the organizing committee. He had saved everyone; surely, he deserved a massive reward? This was entirely different from his situation on the mountain peak after killing Zhang Hao. With so many Martial Arts Masters on the committee, they would surely be able to distinguish right from wrong. As for whether there were any Demon God believers on the committee, Gao Wu doubted it. He had observed them with his Yin Spirit and found nothing amiss; he had great confidence in his Yin Spirit’s mystical perception. Furthermore, had he not intervened, many students would have died. Such a heavy responsibility was something none of the masters could afford to bear. If a real disaster had occurred, everyone would have been subjected to a rigorous investigation, and a Demon God believer would never survive such scrutiny without leaving a trail.

Believers only worshipped Demon Gods for personal gain; they wouldn't dig such a deep grave for themselves. Especially at the level of a Martial Arts Master, they lacked for nothing; there was no reason to defect to a Demon God. The logic was simple. Moreover, his squad members knew he had run out; the matter couldn't be hidden. Trying to be secretive would only invite trouble.

However, Gao Wu noticed the Destiny Sword had changed—it was heavier, by at least a few dozen grams. For a nineteen-kilogram sword, this change was minuscule, but Gao Wu was so familiar with it that he could detect even a milligram of difference. The nicks on the blade had vanished, and it had fully recovered. Furthermore, through his Yin Spirit, he could clearly feel that the sword was sharper. To be precise, the material composition of the sword had slightly shifted. A thought stirred in Gao Wu’s mind: so, the Nether Gold Bead was a treasure!

The Destiny Sword could sense the fragments of the Nether Gold Bead. Gao Wu carried the sword around the small cave, picking out the finest shards embedded in the rock walls. Standing in the cave, he chanted the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra ten times; the Vermilion Fire Divine Light was specifically designed to counter such chaotic Demon God auras and spirits. With the Yin Spirit guiding the process, refining the foul aura from the foreign matter was not difficult.

Having absorbed parts of the Nether Gold Bead, the Destiny Sword gained half a jin in weight, though its dimensions remained unchanged. The Nether Gold Bead itself must have been a special metal whose original properties were altered by rituals and spirit enhancement. Gao Wu tested it slightly; he didn’t feel an obvious change, though the sword’s hardness and toughness seemed to have increased.

The fact that the Destiny Sword could devour other metallic materials to upgrade its tier came as a pleasant surprise. He didn't know if this worked for all high-strength metals or only for those refined by Demon God rituals. Normally, common metals wouldn't work. While the Vermilion Fire Divine Light could melt external objects, it couldn't easily fuse them into the sword. Only exotic metals with altered physical properties could potentially be consumed and integrated.

Unfortunately, he had nothing suitable on hand to experiment with. Although the remaining fragments of the Nether Gold Bead were good, he couldn't absorb them. He had to leave evidence.

As Gao Wu pondered the changes in his sword, he sent an emergency call on the public communication channel: "111111..." It had been agreed beforehand that 111 would be the code for special emergencies. The source energy fluctuations in this Secret Realm were intense at night, causing heavy interference. After struggling for over ten minutes, he finally managed to transmit the code.

"Received, received..." came the crackling response from the channel.

Less than ten minutes later, Gao Wu heard a sharp whistle in the sky. He looked up to see two shadows streaking across the night sky. He was considering whether to call out when the shadows spotted the pile of beast carcasses below and circled twice before descending rapidly.

"Boom, boom..." The pair landed with enough force to send dirt and rocks flying.

Gao Wu now saw them clearly: both were wearing full-body black battle armor. The armor had a matte black finish, a sleek design, and completely sealed joints at the torso, limbs, and neck, exuding a sense of power and modern technological aesthetics. Neither wore a helmet. Gao Wu recognized one as Martial Arts Master Shen An and the other as He Yuanfang, a professor from Northern State University. Shen An was clearly a powerhouse of the Shen family and likely a relative of Song Mingyue, though she had never mentioned it.

Gao Wu saw that both men carried gas-tank-like equipment on their backs, likely for flight. It was said that only a Martial King could navigate source energy to fly without external aid. In the dense source energy of the Void Realm, experts like Shen An and He Yuanfang should be able to fly using simple equipment. Song Mingyue had mentioned that the military in the Void Realm outfitted some troops with biochemical armor. Gao Wu had wondered what it looked like; seeing these two, he understood—it was quite cool. He just didn't know what the requirements were to wear it, or what combat capabilities it had beyond protection.

Shen An scanned the surroundings. His gaze swept over the two corpses, and upon confirming they were not from the organizing committee, he frowned. Regardless of their identities, the mere fact that they had trespassed into the Secret Realm was a problem. Looking at the scattered beast carcasses, including several Level 1 exotic Snow Wolves specifically placed for the assessment, the situation was clear: they were Demon God believers. But who had killed them? Gao Wu?

Shen An looked at the young man, who appeared calm, his eyes shining in the gloom, full of spirit. The boy’s combat suit was covered in bits of leaves and twigs, yet he did not look disheveled. With the somewhat exaggerated Gold Thunder Eagles at his waist and the sword in his hand, he possessed a seasoned, fierce competence. Shen An had to admit he admired the boy. Perhaps it was partly due to Song Mingyue, but more so, the boy’s bravery and heroism were impressive.

He Yuanfang was also observing the scene, his face showing surprise.

Gao Wu took the initiative: "Master Shen, Professor He."

"What happened here? Tell us slowly, don't rush..." Shen An’s demeanor was gentle, even intimate, which surprised He Yuanfang. Shen An was known to be a tough, uncompromising man; to be so close to Gao Wu made He Yuanfang wonder if they were related.

"It’s like this. I was on duty at night, and I noticed something wrong with the aura here, so I came over..." Gao Wu summarized the situation, naturally omitting the bit about his Yin Spirit controlling the sword. As for what Shen An and He Yuanfang thought, that was out of his hands. He had already demonstrated his ability to kill a warrior during the Yunling Secret Realm assessment; he wasn't afraid of others knowing.

He Yuanfang and Shen An were indeed curious. The two dead men were clearly warriors, and the sword wounds were abnormally smooth, indicating how swift and fierce the killing blade must have been. The boy hadn't even condensed his source energy acupoints—how could he wield such a fast blade? Shen An had heard from Shen Ning that Gao Wu had a special talent for killing warriors above his rank, but killing two at once was still shocking.

They didn't press for details; the priority was the Demon God believers. Probing Gao Wu’s talent meant little now.

Inside the cave, although the altar was shattered, Shen An found a palm-sized iron plaque. On the front was an engraving of a tall Demon God with two horns and scales; the back was covered in complex characters. Shen An didn't recognize the characters, but he knew the statue: the Kirin King, one of the twelve supreme Demon Gods. It was said the Kirin King could command all beasts. As its name spread, it had somehow acquired the title "Kirin King." The Kirin was a mythical beast in traditional Chinese mythology, and it was impossible for it to be linked to a Demon God, but names were determined by the masses.

Shen An and He Yuanfang meticulously inspected the cave. They found various minute fragments on the rock walls, confirming Gao Wu’s claim that he had shattered the Nether Gold Bead. They knew the Nether Gold Bead—a special metal from the Otherworld that, through blood sacrifices and spirit infusion, acted as a stable spatial coordinate to manifest spirits into physical form. Based on the number of dead beasts, this bead was of a high grade.

They also knew of the Phantom Butcher, a mechanical life-form often manifested by the Kirin King via the Nether Gold Bead. Because of its spirit nature, it could fly in the Void Realm at incredible speeds. Had it fully manifested, many students would have died.

Realizing the severity, they conferred. He Yuanfang would return to report, while Shen An would guard the scene and watch over Gao Wu to prevent further accidents.

He Yuanfang, wearing his black biochemical armor, exerted force from his feet. The ground exploded, and he vaulted over ten meters into the air. A pair of small triangular wings unfolded behind him, the jet propulsion ignited, and he shot off into the distance.

Gao Wu stared, filled with envy. He didn't know the full power of the armor, but the flight capability was superb. While he could fly with his Yin Spirit, the sensation was ethereal—he felt neither air resistance nor gravity. It was vastly different from flying with one's own body.

Shen An observed Gao Wu with interest, smiling. "To fly with biochemical armor, one must be at least a Martial Master, capable of projecting mental energy to adjust the source energy field."

"Hehe..." Gao Wu gave an honest smile. "I was just curious."

"Many people dream of flying like birds when they are children..." Shen An's attitude remained incredibly amiable. It surprised Gao Wu that a Martial Arts Master would chat so casually with him, especially since they had just met.

Shen An’s tone shifted. "You destroyed the ritual and prevented the Phantom Butcher from descending; you’ve performed a great service. I will definitely help you claim credit from the Association."

Gao Wu’s eyes lit up. "Master Shen, what kind of reward could I get?"

Seeing Gao Wu’s undisguised thirst for a reward, Shen An laughed—this made him seem like a real teenager. "The Hunter Association ranks rewards into four levels—A, B, C, and D—each divided into three grades, making twelve tiers in total. You killed Demon God believers and destroyed the ritual to avert a disaster. In my view, a B-2 rating is well within reach..."