The three—Dark Bishop, Aphia, and Zdenek—had originally prepared to fight this intruder at the Transcendent level to the death. Dark Bishop and Aphia had even prepared themselves to die here today for Shelter City. After all, their opponent was a swordsmanship master. Once a technique master reached the Transcendent level, they might not possess many earth-shaking abilities, but they were exceptionally formidable against other powerhouses.
Dark Bishop and Aphia had considered many possibilities, but never this scene. If this Flame Core was real, then it was the supreme treasure that Shelter City had sought for a thousand years—no, ever since not long after the darkness descended.
It was a light source capable of illuminating Doan for two entire eras, and it also possessed solar properties. That meant seeds sealed away for ages, which needed sunlight to grow, might have a chance to break through the soil again. That represented harmless food and a gradually brightening future.
This was far more than manna falling from heaven. Even Dark Bishop and Exploration Captain Aphia, both Transcendent-level powerhouses, felt deeply unsettled. As for Pain High Priest, he still wore a deadpan, corpse-like expression, but his heart was probably no calmer.
"You..."
Aphia looked at Su Xiao, not knowing how to continue.
"This supreme treasure called the 'Flame Core'..." Dark Bishop pressed one hand against his rooster-comb hair and rubbed the back of his head before continuing, "Are you really giving it to us just like that?"
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing. His silence made Dark Bishop and Aphia even more uncertain.
"Do you not need this thing?"
Su Xiao spoke. The moment his voice fell—
"We need it badly."
"We absolutely need it."
"Need it."
Dark Bishop, Aphia, and Pain High Priest spoke in succession. Dark Bishop glanced at the others and said