novelraw Chapter 451: The Sin of Greed
Chapter 451: The Sin of Greed
Su Zhan's smile was icy cold.
The other party spoke beautifully, expressing concern for his safety, emphasizing his importance, and praising him as Daxia's hero and symbol.
However.
If he was truly so valued, then why was he the only one dispatched to reinforce the Northern Border this time?
The Snowpeak Fortress Cluster was on the verge of collapse, with seven Calamity-level creatures wreaking havoc, two of which were mid-tier.
Given such a perilous situation, logically, at least two or three experts of the same level should have been sent to cooperate and support each other.
Yet in the end, only Su Zhan came, alone.
The implications behind this were thought-provoking.
Either there were still divisions among the higher-ups, and some did not truly see him as a completely trustworthy "insider." His life and death might not be the primary consideration in the eyes of some.
Sending him alone into the dragon's den would resolve the crisis in the Northern Border while also further testing the limits of his strength, even... killing two birds with one stone.Or, the higher-ups, based on his past performance, especially his incredible recovery ability, believed he possessed the strength to handle such a situation, or at the very least, had the means to escape with his life even under unfavorable circumstances.
They believed he could win, or they believed he wouldn't die.
Su Zhan's eyes were utterly indifferent.
Forget it.
Which one it was didn't matter to him at this moment.
He didn't need that hypocritical concern, nor did he need to speculate on the complex thoughts of those high and mighty individuals.
He only needed results.
These overwhelming Mist Creatures, these powerful and ferocious Calamity-level existences, were merely stepping stones to a higher level in his eyes.
They saw him as a sharp blade to solve problems, as a banner to boost morale.
And he just happened to take this opportunity to hunt openly, plunder Life Essence, and frantically enhance his strength.
Each side simply took what they needed.
As for danger?
Su Zhan felt the surging power within his body.
His gaze turned toward the still-churning mist in the distance, his fighting spirit rising.
Come, the more the better.
Right now, he just wanted to grind monsters and level up.
...
Above the Ten-Thousand Crags Mountain Fortress in Daxia's Western Border.
A lead-gray sky hung low, as if ready to crush the giant, scarred fortress below at any moment.
Thick, ink-like mist churned in the distance.
Within it, terrifying silhouettes larger than mountains loomed, their auras distorting the very space around them.
Under this despairing sky.
Three figures hovered silently, like pillars stabilizing the heavens, anchoring this teetering world.
On the left.
Mo Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, clad in a deep blue robe.
His aura was as deep and profound as the sea, subtly opposing the surrounding mist, yet also carrying a strange sense of fusion. It was the unique presence of a Half-step Transcendent.
On the right.
Zhang Daoxuan wore a simple Daoist robe, his hair and beard white, his face lean.
An aura of endless vitality surrounded him.
A faint, illusory Tai Chi diagram slowly rotated behind him.
As the Yin and Yang energies flowed, they gave rise to the phenomena of earth, water, fire, and wind, quietly decomposing the chaotic mist that drew near and incorporating it into his own cycle.
It was as if he was impervious to all methods, having created his own small world.
And standing in the center, subtly flanked by Mo Yuan and Zhang Daoxuan, was a youth who appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen years old.
He wore plain black clothing without any insignia, his figure slightly slender. His black hair was casually tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, a few stray strands hanging over his forehead.
His face was clean and handsome, even carrying a hint of youthful innocence between his brows.
He looked like a disciple who had just descended from a major sect.
With such a youthful appearance, he stood suspended in the air between two giants who shook all of Daxia.
His eyes were pitch-black, so deep they seemed bottomless. They held none of a youth's vigor, nor the murkiness or weariness of one who has weathered the ages.
There was only an extreme sense of "emptiness."
An indifference that viewed all things as mere straw dogs.
As if the brutal battlefield beneath his feet, the calamity breathing in the distance, even the two illustrious colleagues beside him, were nothing but insignificant specks of dust in the long river of time.
No powerful energy fluctuations emanated from him.
He lacked Mo Yuan's profound depth and Zhang Daoxuan's sharp edge.
He simply stood there quietly, yet he seemed to become the absolute core of this heaven and earth.
Even light seemed to be devoured by him as it drew near.
The raging winds calmed to silence ten zhang before him.
The small patch of airspace where he stood exhibited an eerie "stillness," an absolute domain where even the rules seemed forcibly smoothed out.
Mo Yuan's gaze swept over the massive shadows within the distant mist, his voice grave. "This time's fellows are quite large."
Zhang Daoxuan gave a slight nod, his white beard swaying in the faint breeze. "Their auras are mixed, more than one. It seems they want to finish this in one decisive battle."
Their words carried gravity.
Yet their gazes, as if by prior agreement, turned toward the youth in the center.
The youth did not respond. He slightly raised his eyes, looking at the lead-gray sky.
After a moment.
He slowly lowered his head, his gaze truly falling upon the squirming, colossal existence in the distance for the first time.
Mo Yuan stared at the constantly coalescing massive shadow within the distant mist, his brow slightly furrowed. "Such a pure authority of greed... It seems what has come this time is no ordinary big fellow."
The Tai Chi illusion behind Zhang Daoxuan accelerated its rotation, his voice solemn. "The laws have already been eroded. It continuously drains all energy from this battlefield. With such characteristics, could it be..."
Once again, their gazes focused on the youth in the center, carrying a question.
The youth, also known as the Grand Elder, finally withdrew his gaze from the void. For the first time, those empty eyes clearly reflected the outline of the distant monster.
His voice was flat, without the slightest fluctuation. "Mm. It is it. One of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Demon God Mammon, who holds the authority of greed. Not a complete entity descending, merely an incarnation bearing a portion of its origin and authority. But even so, its essential rank surpasses that of an ordinary Calamity."
Mo Yuan and Zhang Daoxuan's eyes simultaneously sharpened.
The Demon Gods of the Seven Deadly Sins—that was a name recorded in ancient forbidden texts. They were true master-level existences deep within the mist, one of the sources of Calamity.
The Grand Elder's gaze swept over his two colleagues, who were as if facing a great enemy. His tone was chillingly indifferent. "The three of us, together. Goal: defend this place, limit its expansion. Don't let it, devour the Western Border."
He did not speak of killing.
Only of defending and limiting.
His words were concise, yet they instantly made Mo Yuan and Zhang Daoxuan understand the level of this battle.
The Tai Chi illusion behind Zhang Daoxuan slowly rotated, the Yin and Yang energies sketching obscure hexagrams before him. "Although this Mammon incarnation is not a complete entity, its authority of greed is nearly law-like. Even with the three of us joining forces, we can only contain it here, unable to achieve a quick victory. With this beast's emergence, we... will no longer be able to divert our attention elsewhere. The Eastern, Southern, and Northern Borders can now only place their hopes on everyone else."
Hearing this, deep blue mist churned around Mo Yuan, forming a subtle opposition with the distant mist. "Let fate decide. If we cannot even hold out against such a situation, then Daxia's destiny should indeed be exhausted."
The Grand Elder stood silently in the center, his black robes utterly still amidst the chaotic energy flows.
He slightly raised one hand, a wisp of annihilating aura capable of returning all things to nothingness swirling around his fingertip.
"Begin."