Chapter 49: It's Nice, But It's Mine Now
"Mr. Spade," the clown ventured cautiously, "might I ask—are you affiliated with the Empire, or—"
"Worry not." Xia Feng waved a hand. "I'm Burning Heaven Temple. Long live Burning Heaven!"
Ah. The clown nodded sagely. That explains everything.
While outsiders called the Divine Evil Society a cult, Burning Heaven Temple was the true madness—its adherents defied all logic.
"This," the clown gestured to the pocket watch, "is the Pingshan Pocket Watch. Its origin? Pingshan Hospital, of course—the very source of the Infinite Realm's breach. Some... influential figure orchestrated it." He smirked. "The watch's storage capacity? Far beyond modern tech."
"Who's this 'influential figure'?" Xia Feng pressed.
The clown spread his hands. "Above my pay grade, I'm afraid. The Society does collaborate with them, but..." His gaze turned sly. Some secrets weren't for sharing—especially not to an unverified "Burning Heaven" member.
Xia Feng filed the intel away. Pingshan Hospital again. Yet how it connected to his dream—or his missing wife—remained opaque. He'd come for her, not some noble's schemes.
"One last question." Xia Feng turned to Mino, smile sharpening. "Can I challenge you next?"
Mino's grin froze. "Rules permit it... but, respected Mr. Spade,"—his voice dripped artificial honey—"my prizes are finite. Exhaust them, and I perish. Might you... spare me?" The plea rang hollow.
Xia Feng's eye twitched. "Fine. One condition." He pointed at Yan Xujia, who'd been edging toward invisibility. "His life."
?!
Yan Xujia's soul nearly left his body. What did I do?!
Before Mino could refuse—poof—Yan Xujia vanished, fleeing the Disaster Realm.
"Tch!" Xia Feng phased out in pursuit.
Gray mist swallowed the world outside. Evil swirled thick enough to taste. Xia Feng ignored the apocalyptic scenery—Yan Xujia's Disaster-tainted aura blazed like a beacon in his senses.
As he gave chase, he crunched the Hydrolyzed Stone between his teeth. Crisp.
Power flooded his soul.
[Spiritual Weapon: Standless Divine Mirror]
[With copper as mirror: attire straightens;
With man as mirror: gains/losses clarify;
With past as mirror: rise/fall illuminate.]
[Spiritual Solution·Copper Mirror]
Copy (Awakened)
Optimize (Solidified→Awakened)
Remove False, Keep True (Solidified→Awakened)
[Holy Solution·Man Mirror]
[Skills: ??? | ??? | ???]
[Ritual: ???]
[Materials: ???]
Three Holy Solution skills? Xia Feng marveled. Most spiritual tools unlocked one. Academy doctrine insisted second-level promotion was needed to reveal rituals and materials—but with this power surge, that barrier would shatter soon.
And with promotion came an extra Copy slot.
"Senior! Why chase me?!" Yan Xujia's scream tore through the mist. "No grudge between us!"
He hadn't killed Xia Feng yet! Hadn't claimed Cha Naixue! He couldn't die!
But the evil corroding his mind warped reality—the Spade Man's silhouette now sprouted thrashing tentacles, laughter unspooling like razor wire.
"Screw this!" Yan Xujia whirled, domain flaring. Ten wooden soldiers clawed from the gloom—crimson-carved, reeking of blood.
"Kill him!"
The soldiers turned—and stared at him.
"Optimize."
The command wasn't his.
Yan Xujia's blood iced over. Xia Feng?! This Spade Mask—it's him?!
Horror curdled into glee. Not a Venerable after all. If he couldn't reclaim control—
"Self-destruct!" He raised his scepter. Mutual annihilation was better than nothing.
"Remove False, Keep True."
The Spade Man mirrored the gesture. "Yours is fake. Mine is real."
Crack.
Yan Xujia's scepter disintegrated into motes of light. His jaw hung slack. My spiritual weapon— gone? Not copied—erased?!
[Forest Scepter: Copied. "Remove False" bypassed.]
[Rank: C]
[Spiritual Solution·Corrupted Soldiers: Combat prowess doubles in Disaster zones. Optional self-destruct for catastrophic explosions.]
Upgraded? Xia Feng's grin widened. "It's nice. But it's mine now."
The scepter swung.
Ten soldiers blurred—materializing around Yan Xujia in a lethal ring. Twin palms speared through his chest.
"Ghk—!" Blood bubbled past his lips. He gaped at the hole where his heart had been. How?
No answer came. The light left his eyes, frozen in furious disbelief.
Xia Feng wrenched a clot of evil energy from the corpse. Purified, it condensed into liquid—but within swirled a surprise: a fleck of black-gold stone.
"Infinite Stone?"
Xia Feng couldn't help but widen his eyes and looked around in confusion. His head snapped toward the roiling sky. If the Divine Evil Society's invasion tore the realm open—
How many of these will rain down from the cracks?
(End of Chapter)