Chapter 548 - 480: A Merciful Heart, Brought to Justice

Chapter 548: Chapter 480: A Merciful Heart, Brought to Justice

A chill ran down Su Ye’s spine.

Just then, blood began to seep from between the scales.

The Divine Blood that flowed out resembled magma, but it was mixed with wisps of a pitch-black aura!

—The corruption of the Dao Source!

HUM.

After a short while, the blood naturally condensed as if in a zero-gravity environment, forming a floating liquid sphere.

A dense, pitch-black aura swirled within it, exuding a thick miasma of cold and decay.

"Hurry. Refine the Dao Source."

The dragon-man deity’s voice was deep and low.

He had used the Petrification Skill to suppress his own madness and resist the Dao Source’s corruption.

The effect was outstanding, but the consequences of undoing the petrification—even partially—would be extremely severe!

He might descend into madness at any moment.

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Su Ye quickly stepped forward, raised his palm, and pressed it against the sphere of blood!

The panel’s message lit up at just the right time, displaying a prompt.

[Unclaimed Dao Source detected]

[Available for absorption]

[Yes/No]

’Yes.’

Su Ye confirmed without hesitation in his mind.

HUM.

Instantly, a fluorescent white brilliance lit up in his hand!

The white light and the black aura warred against each other, locked in a struggle of mutual annihilation!

At the same time, Su Ye’s stored experience points were being consumed at an extremely rapid rate.

Fortunately, he had made thorough preparations this time.

His reserve of 150,000 experience points provided the panel with more than enough support.

Even the Dao Source had to bow before the well-supplied panel!

Finally, after a few dozen breaths, the last wisp of the pitch-black aura within the sphere of blood dissipated completely.

This portion of the Dao Source was thoroughly refined!

"Phew..."

Su Ye let out a long breath, his eyes flickering as he looked at the panel.

[Unclaimed Dao Source successfully absorbed]

[All attributes +10]

[Class: Pastor of the Sea Lv. 15 (81652/150000)]

[Class Attribute Bonus: Lethality +97, Protection +77, Evasion +64, Mystic +64]

’All attributes +10...’

’Same as last time, and the experience point cost was about the same, too...’

’Hmm... My highest attribute, Lethality, is about to break a hundred?’

Su Ye’s eyes glinted. He clenched his fist, feeling the sudden surge of power in his muscles and bones!

’Even without cultivation or Body Refining, just relying on these attribute buffs, maybe I could...’

’...match a Golden Core cultivator?’

Su Ye couldn’t help but wonder.

Of course, this was just a hypothesis.

After all, without any cultivation, a Golden Core cultivator’s Wind Manipulation Flight technique alone could carry them thousands of feet into the sky.

Even though his attribute boosts had greatly enhanced his own mobility—allowing him to leap over a thousand feet into the air and cover several miles in a single bound—but against an immortal’s ability to soar through the heavens and traverse the earth, he would be completely outmatched.

’However, my pure destructive power, thanks to the attribute buffs, should have no problem reaching the Golden Core level...’

’If I catch one off guard and get in close, maybe I’d actually have a chance to kill a Golden Core cultivator relying on attribute boosts alone?’

A delighted expression appeared on Su Ye’s face as he thought this.

The panel’s enhancements were created from nothing. For him, a successful Golden Core cultivator with a fifth-tier body and soul, these nearly one hundred attribute points were, without a doubt, like adding wings to a tiger!

Besides that, ’my comprehension of the Life and Death Skill has also seen a huge increase...’

[Dao Source absorption complete]

[Refinable: Life and Death]

[Unrefinable: Nightmare, Tong You, True Illusion]

[Laws of Rules: Netherworld (100%), Erosion Flow (42%), Life and Death (80%)]

’80%...’ Su Ye was delighted.

For comprehending the Laws of Rules, 80% was an important threshold.

A Late-stage Golden Core cultivator who had accumulated enough Magical Power and cultivated their comprehension of their Law of Rules to 80% would reach Golden Core Perfection!

Otherwise, even if their Magical Power was sufficient, they couldn’t be called a Golden Core Perfection cultivator.

Previously, Zuo Hongtu and Mr. Yun had been in this exact situation. They had enough Magical Power, but their comprehension of their respective Laws of Rules had barely surpassed 60% and hadn’t reached 80%.

As a result, even when wielding Dao Artifacts, they were easily defeated two-on-one by Chiyou, a truly humiliating outcome.

’Unfortunately...’

’I’m the opposite... I’ve comprehended the Law of Rules, but my Magical Power is insufficient.’

’That’s not entirely true. Even if I had enough Magical Power, my progress with the Erosion Flow Skill is still too far behind. I still wouldn’t be at Golden Core Perfection...’

Su Ye mused, accepting this reality calmly.

After all, it had only been a few years since he had reached the Golden Core realm, and he was already approaching Golden Core Perfection.

In the entire history of this world, there were probably very few who could compare to this rate of advancement, right?

’Cheating feels good, and always cheating feels even better...’

Su Ye mused.

...

He then bid farewell to the dragon-man statue and left the area.

After the Dao Source was refined, the dragon-man deity had turned back into a stone statue.

However, Su Ye could sense that the deity’s aura was now completely different.

No longer needing to suppress the Dao Source was like having a great weight lifted from his shoulders. Even though he still suffered from hidden injuries accumulated over thousands of years of suppression, requiring him to remain a statue to heal, with his divine body and the support of the volcanic Grotto Heaven, recovering from these injuries would surely not be a difficult task.

’In other words... this statue deity will soon recover his fifth-tier power!’

Su Ye’s eyes darted around, a strange light flashing within them as he thought of the other cultivators.

Whether it was the Star Casting Hall or the Jade Void Sword Sect, their plans would surely culminate here, with the goal of slaying this deity and conquering these ruins.

"Heh..."

’If they try that, they’ll probably die miserable deaths.’

Su Ye shook his head, not optimistic about their chances at all.

Without the corruption from the Dao Source, how could an ancient deity be so easy to kill?

’Besides... for the sake of the Ghostly Flood Dragon, I went on a killing spree and slaughtered nearly ten Golden Core cultivators... and there have been other deaths and injuries from cultivators fighting each other while exploring the ruins...’

Thirty Golden Core cultivators entered the ruins.

But now, there were probably only sixteen or seventeen left with any fighting strength.

And they were split into two factions, unable to work together.

’In the worst-case scenario...’

’...they might get completely wiped out here?’

That wouldn’t do.

Su Ye stroked his chin, his eyes glinting. ’I am a kind and merciful person at heart. I can’t bear to see such a thing happen.’

After all, if everyone else died and he was the only one to walk out alive?

That would be an insult to everyone’s intelligence.

No evidence would be needed. One look and everyone would know that he, Su Ye, was definitely suspicious.

’What’s more... I went to all this trouble to frame Qinghua. I need some witnesses.’

As Su Ye continued his train of thought, he suddenly froze, and a strange smile crept onto his face.

’In that case, to prevent a total wipe, I’ll just have to work a little harder and kill a few more Golden Core cultivators...’

’I’ll kill enough cultivators and take their Golden Cores, and at the same time, I’ll be protecting them... After all, only when enough people die will they give up on the idea of conquering the ruins.’

’Mhm.’

’This is a form of protection.’

Su Ye nodded, his expression serious.

He had always been very good at finding justifications for himself.

...

「Several days later.」

「Ghostly Flood Dragon.」

"Phew..."

"We finally left that godforsaken place..."

Wu Yiling patted her chest, her face filled with relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart.

Beside her, Qin Wuyou, dressed in a blood-colored long robe and looking somewhat pale, also nodded and said,

"Thankfully, we met up with Yehai. Otherwise, between Han Tiantong and that she-devil Qinghua who kills people everywhere to take their cores for her techniques..."

"...I’m afraid..."

Hearing this, the others deeply agreed.

They all nodded and offered praise.

"That’s right."

"This time, it was all thanks to Yehai."

Su Ye offered a gentle, humble smile and said sincerely, "You all flatter me."

"Our successful escape this time was thanks to all you fellow Daoists helping one another and working together. It was not my achievement alone."

After speaking, a pained expression appeared on his face.

"It’s a shame we were scattered by the random teleportation... Otherwise, Mr. Jiang and the other fellow Daoists wouldn’t have..."

Qin Wuyou gritted his teeth. "Qinghua... That person is suspected to be a remnant of the Demon Palace. After we return, I will report this to my sect and have her brought to justice!"

"Only then can I comfort my junior brother’s spirit in the heavens! Only then will the precious evidence he gave his life for not be in vain!"

The evidence Qin Wuyou spoke of was a jade slip that recorded a scene of Qinghua using the power of an Asura Demon.

This jade slip had appeared next to the body of a Golden Core cultivator from the sword sect.

Furthermore, it had been hidden with a Concealing Talisman.

It was clearly evidence left behind by the sword sect’s Golden Core cultivator before his death!

"We must bring the killer to justice!"

Su Ye said with a solemn and pained expression.

—Even though he was the one who had killed that sword sect Golden Core cultivator.