Three materials were processed quickly, and Su Xiao began creating the Sun God, Apollo. With a flash of white light in Su Xiao's hand, a huge reaction occurred after the three materials merged.
Whoosh!
A wave of heat rushed forth. Between Su Xiao's hands emerged a fireball, resembling a miniature sun, with some sparkling crystal shards floating beside it. These were fragments of soul crystals, stabilizing the effect. Otherwise, the other two materials would explode upon contact.
The fireball floated between Su Xiao's hands, expanding and contracting intermittently. The compressed energy within was violent, causing Bu Bu Wang to cower behind Su Xiao in fear.
However, in the Reincarnation Paradise, creating Apollo wasn't perilous. Yet, in this world, if there were any mistakes, Su Xiao might even be killed by Apollo's explosion.
Apollo was undoubtedly powerful, but manufacturing it was too risky. If the energy inside the fireball were to erupt now, it could turn Su Xiao into gas within minutes.
Su Xiao concentrated intensely. In the darkness of the night, the fluctuating fireball in his hands illuminated half of the canyon. The Eye of the Apostle above closely monitored nearby movements.
About a dozen minutes later, a sphere the size of an apple appeared in Su Xiao's hand. The surface of the sphere glowed crimson, resembling a small sun. Putting away the completed Apollo, Su Xiao began making a second one.
Gurgle~
The meat soup bubbled and emitted a fragrant aroma. Su Xiao had finished making the second Apollo by the time the venison soup was stewed. If he found himself in dire straits during the subsequent melee of the Contracted Fighters, those around him would perish.
The power of Apollo was indeed formidable, but it had a fatal flaw—it required a full 30 seconds to detonate. Once activated, any contracted fighter with even moderate perception would immediately sense the horror and swiftly flee.
In specific terrains, Apollo would be able to display its power. It was highly probable that enemies within the explosion range would flee upon activation, leaving nothing but exploded air afterward.
However, there was a benefit. If Su Xiao found himself in a desperate situation, activating Apollo would instill terror in the enemies. They might disregard the heavily injured Su Xiao and flee the blast area, giving him a chance to catch his breath.
Moreover, Apollo could be stopped within the first 10 seconds of activation; beyond that, it would inevitably explode.
Stowing away Apollo, Su Xiao nicknamed it "Big Pineapple." Before enemies killed him, he'd make them "eat" a big pineapple.
This wasn't just about fighting to the death. Su Xiao intended to blow up everything, even the ships. In the valley, Su Xiao and Bu Bu Wang both held bowls of meat soup, savoring the warmth in this cold weather.
After satisfying their hunger, Su Xiao leaned against the stone wall, toying with a crystal bottle given to him by Anna, the Dark Elf Princess.
["Essence of the Moon"]
Origin: Dragon-Soaring Empire, Dark Elf Tribe
Quality: Pale Gold to Gold
Type: Restorative (Semi-Finished)
Effect 1: Upon consumption, it restores 100% of health and mana within 2 seconds, rapidly heals all injuries, increases neural reflex speed by 2%, and the effect lasts 5 minutes.
Rating: 310+
Introduction: An incompletely compounded potion, a replica of the 'Moon Essence.' It can be compounded a second time.
Reminder: Compounding a second time requires mastering skills such as 'Advanced Potion Making Lv. 20' or 'Alchemy Potionology Lv. 20.'
Reminder: Materials required for secondary compounding are Moonlight Concentrate, Starlight Grass, and Soul Crystal (Medium) x2.
Price: 86,000 Paradise Coins
...
Previously, Su Xiao believed this crystal bottle contained a gold-quality potion. Now, it seemed to be between pale gold and gold quality. If he could complete the second compounding, its quality might likely elevate to gold. Of course, even its direct consumption had formidable effects.
Putting away the crystal bottle, Su Xiao could do a second compounding. As for materials, he could substitute with Paradise Coins upon returning to the Reincarnation Paradise.
However, this would depend on the intensity of the subsequent melee among the contracted fighters. Su Xiao would have no choice but to use it as a recovery item if things turned dire.
After resting against the stone wall for a moment, Su Xiao resumed his journey.
...
The next morning, while enjoying the scenery along the way, Su Xiao noticed ruins ahead—a remnant of the 'Outlank' ancient ruins. Having encountered no enemies along the way, it was no wonder this mission lacked rewards.
Approaching the ruins, Su Xiao entered the ancient 'Outlank' ruins and discovered an enormously vast site. The ruins had existed for at least thousands of years. Some upright slabs had begun to weather; a gentle touch would cause them to crumble like tofu.
Overgrown with weeds, the ruins had become the territory of monkeys swinging through the vines.
[Hint: Hunters have entered the Outlank ancient ruins.]. You have 2 hours to venture deep into the ruins and enter the Palace of the Dusk Dynasty.]
A virtual map appeared before Su Xiao, encompassing all the ancient ruins. The area covered by the ruins was vast, spanning 30 kilometers horizontally and 28 kilometers vertically, forming an approximate square.
Through the virtual map, Su Xiao identified a disk at the center of the ruins, labeled as the 'Palace of the Dusk Dynasty.' That was his target. Su Xiao charted the shortest route and continued deeper into the ruins.
As he delved further, Su Xiao realized this place was once the site of a kingdom, the ancient capital of a bygone empire. Most residential structures had disappeared, leaving only weathered rubble. A few well-preserved relics, such as large stone sculptures or stone palaces, remained.
The desolation pervaded the ancient ruins, where remnants of former glory were reduced to mere stones. The ruins were divided into four zones. The outermost area was the grassland—where Su Xiao currently stands—known as the fourth zone.
Moving forward led to the wooded area, abundant with trees forming a circular forest, enclosing the two central zones of the ruins. This was the third zone. A vast expanse of crumbling walls and semi-weathered stone pillars emerged through the wooded area.
The intricate terrain made it challenging for anyone hiding among these ruins to be found. This was the second zone. Su Xiao held a notebook, jotting down and sketching the general scenes along the way.
Upon passing through the second zone, Su Xiao halted. Ahead lay a stone plaza and, at its center, a seemingly bottomless circular pit with a diameter of at least two kilometers. It was pitch black inside, emitting an ominous aura and a chilling sensation as if something lethal lurked within.
At the center of this two-kilometer-wide pit stood an extremely intact palace—the 'Palace of the Dusk Dynasty,' supported atop the circular pit.