novelraw Chapter 484: Purge the Transcendence Society (6)
Chapter 484: Purge the Transcendence Society (6)
The power of the Sacred Codex was an irresistible temptation to other Aberrants.
But Su Zhan was the exception.
Faced with the Sacred Codex projection's temptation that struck directly at his fundamental nature, Su Zhan merely paused his movement for an instant.
The pair of majestic dragon horns on his forehead shimmered with a dark golden luster, completely dispelling the sinister thoughts invading his consciousness.
The golden vertical pupils in Su Zhan's eyes remained clear and lucid, showing not the slightest sign of being tainted by desire.
"How is this possible?"
The Refined Gentleman's ferocious grin instantly froze on his face, and he let out a disbelieving shriek. "The call of the Sacred Codex... you, an Aberrant... how could you possibly resist? Aside from Mo Yuan... you... just what are you?!"
He couldn't comprehend it. The power of the Sacred Codex acted directly on one's life essence. The stronger the Aberrant, the harder it was to resist that call to release one's primal instincts.
Even someone like him, at the peak of the Calamity Tenth Stage, had to constantly guard his mind, not daring to relax for even a moment.
Yet this young man before him... was actually... completely unscathed?Not even a flicker of change in his eyes?
High in the sky above.
Mo Yuan had been quietly observing the battle. A noticeable ripple of emotion finally appeared on his normally unperturbed face.
His deep gaze fell upon the dragon horns on Su Zhan's forehead, then slowly shifted to those terrifyingly calm golden vertical pupils. A flash of understanding, followed by an even deeper curiosity, passed through his eyes.
He murmured softly to himself, "A foundation so solid, a will so resolute, to have already achieved complete mastery over oneself, impervious to external demonic influences... the Reforge Fruit truly possesses the power to seize the creation of heaven and earth."
Beside him.
Zhang Daoxuan, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. He lightly flicked his horsetail whisk. "Boundless blessings of the Heavenly Venerable... It's not forceful resistance, but rather... rejection and purification at the fundamental level? Marvellous, extraordinary.
Old Mo, this young man's temperament is likely even more... exceptional than you or I imagined."
Both Half-step Transcendents had discerned the key point.
Su Zhan wasn't relying on brute force or his cultivation realm to forcibly resist. Rather, his very existence seemed to possess a natural immunity to this kind of spiritual-level erosion.
This already surpassed the scope of ordinary willpower and touched upon the level of life essence itself.
At the center of the battlefield.
Su Zhan paid no heed to the Refined Gentleman's shock.
In that fleeting moment when the other's mind was left unguarded due to the Sacred Codex's failure, Su Zhan seized the opportunity.
Time Acceleration.
His figure seemed to melt into the light and shadows, closing the distance instantly.
"BOOM!!!"
The Refined Gentleman's head exploded like an overripe watermelon.
A mixture of red and white matter, mixed with shattered bone fragments, sprayed outwards in a radial pattern.
It splattered a glaring, filthy stain across the ground behind him, which was paved with faces contorted in pain.
The headless corpse convulsed violently once, then lost all supporting strength and slumped forward.
The Sacred Codex projection floating before his chest rapidly dissipated the moment its host died, ultimately vanishing completely into nothingness, leaving not a single trace.
The clamor of battle seemed to pause for an instant at this moment.
Many people still engaged in combat instinctively glanced over, catching sight of the headless body.
One punch, head exploded!
Clean. Efficient.
It gave the opponent no chance to react or struggle in their death throes.
A flicker of approval passed through Mo Yuan's eyes. It wasn't approval for the killing, but rather approval for the precise, hair's-breadth control over his power.
In that situation, to still control the Flame of Destruction so it didn't completely annihilate the opponent's head... this level of control was already masterful.
Zhang Daoxuan gave a slight nod, saying softly, "Decisive in execution, yet meticulous and thorough. This young man is indeed an uncut jade."
Su Zhan seemed completely unaware of the surrounding gazes.
He slowly retracted his fist, not even glancing at the corpse gradually losing its warmth.
He crouched down, ignoring the gruesome mess of blood and gore. His right hand, covered in fine scales, pressed directly against the fractured surface of the shattered skull.
His fingertips touched the still-warm, sticky mass of brain tissue and blood.
Time Abyss Pupil, Time Reappearance.
A torrent of memories, far more massive than when he had read the Mole or the Viper, surged violently into Su Zhan's consciousness.
Had his mental strength not been tempered countless times through devouring and refinement, becoming incredibly resilient...
And had he not possessed the foundation of the Reforge Fruit and the protection of his dragon horns...
His consciousness would likely have been instantly overwhelmed by these memories saturated with negative emotions.
Su Zhan saw...
A boy of mediocre talent from a declining family, struggling to grow up under the cold eyes of his clan and the bullying of his peers...
The fanatical zeal and sense of liberation he felt upon first encountering the doctrines of the Transcendence Society, as if he had found the true meaning of life...
The thrilling tremor of excitement when, to gain power, he personally sacrificed his cousin's family—who had once mocked him—to the Sacred Codex...
Climbing step by step within the Transcendence Society, paving his path to promotion with schemes, betrayal, and the blood of countless compatriots...
The covert struggles and resource battles with other faction leaders...
Participating in the planning and execution of multiple attacks and sabotage operations targeting Daxia's important facilities and personnel...
Scattered information about the Sacred Codex's true form, which seemed to be an ancient evil artifact originating from the depths of the Mist...
And, most importantly...
The precise coordinates and personnel configurations of several medium-sized strongholds not yet discovered by Daxia's official forces:
The Eastern Province, the Southern Archipelago, the Northern Frozen Wastes...
And so on...
And one final piece...
Su Zhan's gaze sharpened.
The true core of the Transcendence Society, that headquarters known as the Primordial Sanctuary, was not located in the Main World, but rather deep within... the Mist World.
According to the fragmented memories of the Refined Gentleman, it was a forbidden land guarded by powerful Mist Creatures.
Only the most ancient Elders of the Transcendence Society could enter the Primordial Sanctuary.
Their strength was unfathomable, likely surpassing the Calamity-level and reaching some unknowable realm.
The Transcendence Society in the Main World was more like a branch and tentacle developed by the Primordial Sanctuary in the periphery, responsible for gathering resources, screening potential seeds, and transmitting information.
"So that's it... the real lair is hidden within the Mist."
Understanding dawned on Su Zhan.
This explained why the Transcendence Society was so difficult to eradicate, always able to rise from the ashes.
As long as the Primordial Sanctuary existed, they could continuously infiltrate the Main World.
However, the memories also clearly indicated that the connection between the Primordial Sanctuary deep in the Mist and the Main World was not smooth or unobstructed. It required a tremendous price and had long cycles.
Once the Transcendence Society's power in the Main World was basically purged, it would be very difficult for the Primordial Sanctuary to organize an effective counterattack in a short period of time.
What remained were merely a few big fish hiding in their old lair, temporarily out of reach.
"Clean up the ones outside. The ones inside... can't stir up trouble for now."
Su Zhan made his judgment.
The immediate priority was to take advantage of the enemy's delayed reaction, to uproot and completely eradicate these newly discovered medium-sized strongholds, wiping out the Transcendence Society's active forces in the Main World.
The process of reading the memories seemed lengthy, but in real time, only a dozen or so seconds had passed.
Su Zhan slowly withdrew his hand and stood up.
The bloodstains on his fingertips instantly vaporized and vanished under the faint glow of the Flame of Destruction.
His gaze swept across the battlefield, which was nearing its end.
The few surviving black-robed men were making their final, desperate struggles, but their defeat was already certain.
Mo Yuan and Zhang Daoxuan's gazes fell upon him once more, carrying a questioning intent.