Chapter 46

The Swift Dragon ridden by the man in black was a type of sub-dragon. While it was worlds apart from a true dragon, it was an exceptionally outstanding specimen for a mount. The horses ridden by those hunters were mere common steeds, not even worth mentioning in comparison.

Though sub-dragons are essentially beasts by nature, they are creatures modified by true dragons using their own blood as a catalyst. After many years and repeated experiments to solidify their bloodlines, they have reached the pinnacle of beast-kind; given enough food and time, almost every one of them can grow into a Magic Beast.

Swift Dragons are a breed specifically modified for riding. They are taller than ordinary warhorses, with an oval-shaped body that bears slight avian characteristics. Their powerful legs allow them to run like the wind, and a pair of sharp claws is enough to tear apart tigers and leopards. Their long tails, covered in bone armor, and mouths filled with sharp teeth are truly intimidating. The back armor, mutated into a saddle-like shape, minimizes the jolting experienced by the rider, ensuring that even after hours of continuous riding, one's bones won't ache, nor is there any risk of "crushing one's eggs."

The one ridden by the man in black was taller than a typical Swift Dragon, with a short, single horn on its forehead. As it ran, faint electric sparks lingered around the horn, clearly indicating that magic circuits had already formed within its body; it was not far from becoming a true Magic Beast.

A powerhouse capable of taming such a fierce beast as a mount naturally possesses extraordinary strength. This man's approach was also quite rational: he did not press his enemies too hard, but instead trailed them from a distance, keeping them in a constant state of flight and preventing them from resting. He himself sat securely on the saddle-like back armor of the Swift Dragon, occasionally stopping for man and beast to eat and drink, as relaxed as if he were on a hike.

How interesting! The "hunters" have become the hunted. This show is worth watching!

Sui Xiong became intrigued and followed the group leisurely, wanting to see how it would all end.

The flight and pursuit lasted for several days, and both sides gradually ventured deep into the Great Gobi. The fugitives were likely panicked and choosing their path blindly, while the pursuer was bold due to his superior skill. Seeing the scenery change from gray-black to gray-yellow, they had reached an extremely dangerous region. Whether the fugitives had exhausted their strength or found a final burst of courage in their desperation, they roared under their leader's command, turned their horses around, and prepared to make a final, desperate stand against their pursuer.

The battle ended quickly. The man in black's horsemanship, spear skills, and swordsmanship were all exceptionally refined. With a long spear in one hand and a long sword in the other, he attacked from both sides, while the horned Swift Dragon beneath him joined in the slaughter. The hunters, who treated humans as prey, were no match for him. Their desperate counterattack was like tiny waves crashing against a sturdy dam, instantly collapsing and disintegrating, leaving nothing but blood on the ground.

After mercilessly slaughtering his enemies, the man in black jumped off his mount and began searching the fugitives' bodies.

After searching for a while, he finally found his target. It was a golden crystal, about half a palm in length, shaped like a crystal pillar. Inside the transparent crystal, a mass of golden gas flowed and churned, shifting into countless scenes; it was the light of this gas that turned the otherwise colorless crystal into gold.

Upon seeing the Crystal Pillar, the usually silent and calm man in black showed joy and burst into laughter. He clutched the pillar tightly, looking at it again and again, laughing repeatedly, and even kissed it several times despite the bloodstains, clearly overcome with excitement.

Sui Xiong could not help but be startled. The golden gas churning within the crystal pillar, constantly evolving into the myriad phenomena of the world, was clearly a wisp of divine power!

Divine power is a marvelous force. Aside from containing it with divine power itself, only a massive amount of magic power can bind it. Its creation requires an understanding of the "Source of Power," refined from magic, or converted from a vast amount of faith. Even Sui Xiong only truly mastered the means of creating and using divine power after devouring and analyzing the Four-Faced Monster, an emissary of the God of Conspiracy, finally earning the right to claim power equivalent to that of a god.

What was the origin of this Crystal Pillar, that it could bind divine power within it? And what was the origin of that wisp of golden divine power?

Filled with deep curiosity, Sui Xiong manipulated his jellyfish avatar to descend suddenly from the sky, moving at an astonishing speed toward the man in black, much like a "mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

Although the man in black was in a state of ecstatic frenzy, his reactions remained sharp. Hearing the wind of the descent, he didn't even think; he placed the Crystal Pillar on a corpse on the ground, rolled to the side to dodge, and drew his sword to strike at Sui Xiong.

Using the Crystal Pillar to distract the enemy while drawing his sword to counterattack—his judgment was extremely precise. And to be able to strike the target without even looking showed a level of martial skill and combat experience that was truly breathtaking!

However, the gap in their strength had reached a point where no amount of martial skill or experience could compensate. As his sword struck, it felt as if he had stabbed into some incredibly tough beast hide; the sharp, enchanted longsword was completely unable to pierce the enemy's body, sliding off to the side instead.

As the sword tip slid away, his heart sank.

Whether the enemy was highly skilled or possessed powerful equipment, the fact that he could not land a single effective blow was a testament to the disparity in their strength.

At the very least, if he were in the enemy's position, he would never have the confidence to take that strike head-on.

Yet, the man in black was resilient. He did not show even a hint of dejection or despair; instead, he stood up, held his sword in a defensive posture, and prepared to face the inevitable fierce battle.

But what he saw was a strange, jellyfish-like Magic Beast, using its tentacles to pick up the golden Crystal Pillar.

"What... what kind of monster is this?" he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Then, he heard the monster speak.

"My name is Oscar, or you can call me 'Void Mask.' This thing is quite interesting. Even at such close range, I couldn't sense the divine power stored inside. How marvelous!"

The man in black's heart went cold. He was well-traveled and knowledgeable; the moment he heard Sui Xiong's tone, he knew the entity was at least someone who frequently dealt with divine power, perhaps even one who could chat and laugh with gods, hence the lack of formality toward such power.

A powerhouse of that level was almost at the point where one would describe them by their "existence." He was merely an adventurer who hadn't even touched the gates of legend; he was completely defenseless before it.

With the divine power in its hands, he had no chance left.

He had spent countless time and energy for this wisp of divine power; the time spent on disguises and ambushes alone exceeded half a year. To deal with the church of the Cruel Hunter (an alias for the God of Hunting and Slaughter), he had exhausted his family fortune, lured a large group of desperate men who valued money over their lives, used up almost all the favors he had accumulated over the years, and made a host of enemies. Finally, he had personally taken action, venturing deep into the dangerous Great Gobi to hunt down the faithful followers of the Cruel Hunter for thousands of miles, effectively offending that cruel deity to the point of no return.

According to his plan, he would flee immediately after this job, preferably to the southeast of the continent, or even consider moving to another plane... But in his eyes, it was all worth it.

As long as his plan could be realized, or rather, even if it was just to win that single chance, it was worth it!

However, now, all his efforts had turned into bubbles!

If not for his iron will and extreme self-control, he might have already rushed forward regardless of the consequences, trying to fight the strange giant jellyfish to the death in an attempt to snatch back the divine power—though, of course, that would just be suicide.

He did not want to die, so he had no choice but to endure.

Sui Xiong carefully studied the Crystal Pillar, but he could not figure out how to extract the divine power inside, nor could he discern the origin of that wisp of power. In the end, he had to ask the only surviving participant.

"Inside is the divine power of the Goddess of Life," the man in black replied.

"The Goddess of Life? Didn't she fall long ago..." Sui Xiong said casually, then suddenly his body shuddered as he understood the man's intentions.

He was actually trying to use this wisp of divine power to understand and grasp the essence of "Life," thereby attempting to obtain the divine portfolio of "Life" and become a god!

"Hah! You fellow, your ability isn't much, but your ambition is truly not small!" Sui Xiong couldn't help but marvel. "With just this bit of skill, you dare to covet the Life portfolio? Have you never considered that when you ascend to godhood, all the gods with portfolios related to 'Death' will swarm to attack you?"

"Perhaps, but I could join a pantheon and become a subordinate god," the man in black replied.

"Why would they protect you? Wouldn't it be simpler to just kill you and seize the portfolio?" Sui Xiong asked again. "Almost every pantheon has portfolios linked to 'Life.' Once they obtain the Life portfolio, they can immediately create a powerful god; why would they need an outsider like you?"

The man in black was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "One must at least try."

One must at least try. That was his ambition, his obsession.

Sui Xiong sighed. "Let's not talk about that. Let's discuss another issue—I have checked, and this Crystal Pillar is exceptionally sturdy. Even I am not confident I can break it without damaging the wisp of divine power inside. Do you have a way?"

"No, but I want to try."

"Everything is just 'trying'?"

"Exactly. Nothing more."

"Just for a chance to 'try,' you dared to risk offending the God of Hunting and Slaughter?"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" A flame-like glow flickered in the eyes of the man in black. "I am a bandit; I don't know which day I might die by the roadside, my soul descending into hell to face punishment... By comparison, what is there to fear about the Cruel Hunter? Could he possibly be more terrifying than hell itself?"

It was Sui Xiong's turn to fall silent. After a long while, he sighed, "I have met many adventurers, but you are the first I've encountered who is this persistent."

"The world is vast; there will always be strange people and things." The man in black said indifferently, "So, what do you intend to do now? Silence me?"

"Murder to silence witnesses is not my style. On the contrary, I am quite curious about you." Sui Xiong smiled. "Besides, you are likely about to start fleeing, aren't you? Why not come south with me? If I manage to unlock the secrets of this Crystal Pillar along the way, you shall have a share of the benefits. Even if I still can't make sense of this Crystal Pillar by the time we reach our destination, I can at least protect you during your escape."

The man in black sighed and bowed deeply. "That is a reasonable deal. I have no objections."

"Then, it is time you told me your name, isn't it?"

"Lei. That is my name. I also have a nickname: 'Exterminator'."