Chapter 1470 - 92: Thank You

Chapter 1470: Chapter 92: Thank You

Su Xiao’s consciousness was very clear, but he couldn’t move. All around him was a multicolored world. He had seen this scene a few times when entering a space formation diagram in the Void.

With a swooshing sound, a feeling of weightlessness appeared. Under his feet, Su Xiao felt the solid ground again. He staggered forward a few steps as a few maple leaves drifted toward him.

The surroundings were pitch black, and Su Xiao could only see a tall black maple tree in the distance. He walked toward it, and soon, the darkness around him faded away.

Su Xiao arrived at a patch of lush green turf, with a diameter of a hundred meters, which gave him a very secure feeling, pushing back the chaotic darkness dozens of meters away.

A light breeze rustled the black maple tree at the center of the grass. Sitting under the tree was an old man, his clothes tattered and his long, loose white hair giving him a somewhat unkempt appearance. But his eyes were unique—so dark they sent a chill down one’s spine.

"You’ve come."

The old man raised his eyes to look at Su Xiao and gently stroked the black maple tree behind him. On the tree trunk, there was a missing piece of bark, with visible claw marks.

Upon touching these marks, the old man’s expression was no longer indifferent; his face twitched slightly, as though in pain.

"I have cultivated the sapling."

Speaking as he walked toward the old man, Su Xiao sat cross-legged a few meters in front of him on the grass.

"Oh?"

The old man looked at Su Xiao in surprise, then smiled and nodded.

"Then I wish you success. If a swordsman possesses a black maple tree, many challengers will come."

The old man sighed softly, recalling his past in the Void.

"Aren’t you going to reclaim it?"

Su Xiao had met the old man once before and knew who he was. This man was Marvin Hwaltz’s master, an extraordinarily formidable old fellow who had imprisoned the Demon Blade Phantom within himself and devoured it, turning it into his own power.

"It is your fortune or fate, having nothing to do with me. If it were mine, it would find its way back to me. If it’s not mine..."

The old man didn’t continue. His words were clearly contradictory, the first part like an immortal hermit, suggesting a sense of a worldly sage, while the latter abruptly changed tone, implying: if it’s his, no one can take it, if it’s not his, he’ll eliminate the owner of the treasure and manually interrupt its fate to seize it!

"It’s the first time I’ve heard someone speak of robbery in such an open and honest way."

Su Xiao wasn’t in a hurry, as he already guessed the reason for meeting the old man again. He was about to face a choice regarding swordsmanship.

"Boy, don’t speak so harshly. Having the opportunity to seize it means it is destined for you. While it’s not a glorious act, it’s much better than coveting from the shadows. The Void is like this, with numerous laws, but none can truly ensure fairness."

The old man seemed in a cheerful mood. After some reflection, he turned serious.

"Since you have come here, it signifies you have reached a point of true decision-making. As I mentioned before, you have two choices. This time, I’ll be more thorough—you can continue your swordsmanship in a conventional manner, or break through the shackles and gaze toward a higher level..."

Through the old man’s description, Su Xiao understood his meaning. In the terms of Reincarnation Paradise’s system, Su Xiao’s Sword Technique Master had reached a certain limit, meaning Level 50 is the theoretical maximum level for a Sword Technique Master.

Su Xiao had two choices: trying to break this limit to further develop his Sword Technique Master or ascending to the next tier position.

In terms of difficulty, breaking through the limit is easier than climbing tier positions. What lies beyond the master’s level is speculative to Su Xiao and not yet fully proven.

"Make your choice. Of course, there’s a more extreme choice, but..."

The old man grinned maliciously, his pitch-black eyes narrowing.

"Choosing the third option will strengthen you dozens or even hundreds of times in a short period. But when that happens, will you still be yourself? That’s an unknown, as your consciousness might perish in the process, which many have confirmed is a path of no return. Considering you are cultivating a black maple tree, the second option might actually suit you better."

After hearing the old man’s words, Su Xiao showed no reaction. He’s already experienced the pitiless guidance of Annihilators like Marvin Hwaltz and the lady-like Annihilator, and the old man was already a good tutor, at least recommending relatively correct choices to Su Xiao.

Whether to continue leveling up the Sword Technique Master or to promote swordsmanship to a higher tier position, that’s the choice Su Xiao faces. The former is relatively simple, strong in the early stage, but in the later stage, advancing to a higher tier position would definitely be stronger.

In simple terms, the former has a high lower limit, and the latter has a high upper limit. Considering swordsmanship as Su Xiao’s core ability, he naturally chose the one with the higher upper limit.

"I choose the latter."

After a brief consideration, Su Xiao made his decision.

"Most Annihilators would make such a choice. If your black maple tree can grow vigorously, you’ll be thankful for your choice now."

The old man’s arm lifted, and with a crash, the surrounding scene shattered. A black light floated out from the black maple tree and entered Su Xiao’s body.

"As the only existing Annihilator, you need not restore the Annihilators, nor is there any mission for you to fulfill. You only need to let those spellcasters in the Void know that we, the Elemental Guardians, will not be exterminated by thieves like them. Annihilation is not the end, death is silent, the tilt of the balance is predetermined and not destined."

With his hands behind his back, the old man slowly dissipated, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Don’t be so literary, I don’t understand the latter half."

"..."

As Su Xiao spoke, the old man’s smile froze.

"Simply put, it means to harshly chastise those spellcasters. You little rascal, I can’t help you much, nor do I need your gratitude."

After leaving these words, perhaps feeling embarrassed by his previous pompousness, the old man quickly vanished.

"I understand, thank you."

Space-time power enveloped Su Xiao, and when he opened his eyes again, he was sitting on the bed in his private room, where many prompts appeared.

[Notice: The Sword Technique Master has reached Level 50, which is the upper-level limit for a Sword Technique Master. Sword Technique Master status has temporarily locked as ’Sword Technique Master Level MAX.’]

[Detected High-Tier Energy affecting Sword Technique Master Level MAX.]

[You have obtained the authority to promote the Sword Technique Master Level MAX.]

[Notice: To promote the master’s level ability, a trial assessment is required.]

[Notice: Due to High-Tier Energy bonus, the Hunter has been exempted from the trial assessment.]

[To promote the Sword Technique Master, the Hunter needs to pay: Scroll of Grandmaster’s Power (complete) + Proof of Glory.]

[Notice: Scroll of Grandmaster’s Power (complete) can be synthesized from the Fragment of the Grandmaster’s Power. Ten fragments of any type can be synthesized into a ’Scroll of Grandmaster’s Power (complete).’]

[Notice: Proof of Glory requires a challenge in the Trial Field. This authority has been temporarily opened. Each challenge for the Hunter costs 5000 paradise coins. If successful, Proof of Glory can be obtained.