Chapter 267 - 263: Rolling Trail of Blood

Chapter 267: Chapter 263: Rolling Trail of Blood

The Secret Realm Technique on Dawn Silent Moon Island was undoubtedly the most meticulously engraved of all the Association’s Secret Realms, second only to the Qingzhen Secret Place.

Not only did he engrave a large-scale Secret Realm Technique at the castle, but Qin Xiaoxia also encircled the island’s edge, engraving a different type of Technique Array at set intervals.

For now, the Technique Arrays were only drawing power from the Association’s integrated network of Secret Realms. Later, he would still have to personally weave the island’s own Secret Realms one by one.

An island like this had to be put to good use. He could also try out the true Secret Realm Ring stacking method that Magson’s Fairies used in the Tree Sea Forest.

The interconnected chain of global branches had actually only borrowed some principles from the Fairy Ring. Its connectivity largely depended on the Endless Abyss, as well as calculations derived from Qin Xiaoxia’s and the Red Demoness’s understanding of Secret Realms. In essence, the systems were not the same.

Baru and the other members of the Knight Order were currently filled with enthusiasm. Or rather, they had been enthusiastic before; now they were burning with passion.

They were constantly transporting small items back and forth through the main engraved Technique Array, such as weapons by the armful and crates of sensitive materials like ammunition.

Meanwhile, several cargo ships had already set sail, loaded with large machinery and equipment like lathes. They were heading for this island in the Atlantic Ocean from various procurement locations.

Just as he finished working on the third Secret Realm, his phone buzzed with a notification: the Dream Worm capture was complete.

"Alright, the research into integration and rejection will start with you."

Qin Xiaoxia’s muttering was overheard by Su Su, who quickly covered her mouth. Clearly, Sister Su’s mind had gone down a dirty path again.

Not noticing Su Su’s inner turmoil, Qin Xiaoxia straightened up and stretched. He looked at the island, where a dozen or so more Technique Arrays still needed to be engraved, and felt a headache coming on.

’When the hell is this going to be done?!’

Currently, excluding non-Earthly beings, the Association had 10 members who had successfully awakened their Magic Power: Su Su, Huang Jiutian, Jenny, Mark, Brown, Philier, the twin brothers, Cui Ying, and Zhong Bolun, nicknamed "the Count."

As for the Monkey King, he was practically guaranteed to succeed if he attempted the "Ritual Awakening," but Qin Xiaoxia didn’t want to waste his talent. He wanted him to awaken naturally, so he hadn’t scheduled him for it.

Over at the Celestial Traveler’s Hall, the screening process for the list of potential Awakened had not yet begun. It would be put on the agenda after Qin Xiaoxia returned.

All qualified individuals were meticulously selected by Qin Xiaoxia together with the Red Demoness, Su Su, Huang Jiutian, and other headquarters personnel.

Both talent and effort were indispensable criteria, and considerations were also given to the order in which they joined the Association and the need to maintain the strength of the branches.

In fact, there were originally over thirty candidates. On average, each person underwent two awakening attempts before the final 10 succeeded.

This was under the cultivation of the Dawn Association, the sole Extraordinary Influence, with their bodies and souls tuned to their most stable state and the added effect of the Wishing Gold Coins.

Only then could such a success rate be maintained. This wasn’t low; it was already very high.

Magic Energy Crystals had a wide range of uses. With such a large organization to run, they couldn’t afford to be so wasteful forever. Some had to be set aside as a strategic reserve, which meant future screenings would only become more stringent.

As the Dawn Association continued to grow, the distribution of valuable resources couldn’t rely solely on Qin Xiaoxia, the Master Sage.

In the future, apart from the items he wished to specifically designate, a point-based system of rewards and punishments would need to be established and perfected.

Unfortunately, among those who had already awakened, the quality of their Magic Power was mostly not high enough, and their control was still slowly improving. Only Su Su and Huang Jiutian were somewhat better.

Weaving a Secret Realm itself required a powerful spatial imagination, an understanding of Magic Patterns, and, even more so, extraordinary control over one’s Magic Power. It was something that heavily relied on talent.

Even for the inventors of Secret Realms, Magson’s Fairies, an ordinary individual would require a long period of study before they could even attempt it as part of a team.

Even a veteran Elf like Mumu could only weave some simple Secret Realm Techniques, and only when the Technique Array was already engraved. Furthermore, she could only act as a participant, not the leader.

Someone with transcendent talent like Qin Xiaoxia was truly a rare sight. From this perspective, he could allow himself a small moment of pride.

However, this series of difficulties meant that all the hard and tiring work of weaving Secret Realms now fell to Qin Xiaoxia and the Red Demoness to handle personally.

So far, the only ones he could place any hope in were Huang Jiutian and Su Su. Their control over Magic Power was decent, so there was a chance they could learn Secret Realm Weaving.

Jiutian couldn’t come back often, so Su Su was being groomed as a key successor, sticking by Qin Xiaoxia’s side for every moment he was engraving the Technique Arrays.

"Mentor, why don’t you take a break for a bit?"

These weren’t temporary Technique Arrays for summoning an inherent Secret Realm; they were large-scale Technique Arrays for weaving a Secret Realm later on. Each one consumed a great deal of energy and Magic Power. Seeing her Mentor working so hard all by himself, Su Su’s heart ached for him.

"No need. Once I’m done perfecting the Shaping Material for this Technique Array, I’ll just hand the remaining dozen or so over to the Red Demoness."

"Uh..."

Sister Su was suddenly speechless.

Qin Xiaoxia smiled at her.

"After all, we’re at the seaside! She’ll be happy!"

Even though she knew her Mentor was just trying to get out of the repetitive, mechanical work so he could go back to his other research, Su Su suddenly felt a strange pang of envy.

The hands she held behind her back clenched into tight fists.

’I have to learn how to weave Secret Realms! I have to!!!’

BOOM!

The Witch’s Magic Power suddenly erupted, shredding a small patch of turf nearby. Her long, pale golden hair whipped about wildly, though there was no wind.

’Holy shit! What’s gotten into Su Su?’

Qin Xiaoxia was completely baffled. Su Su, however, seemed to finally realize something was wrong. She calmed her emotions, brought her Magic Power under control, and then gave her Mentor an awkward laugh, pretending she had just sneezed by accident.

Since she was acting that way, the considerate Qin Xiaoxia could only play along, smiling and moving on as if nothing had happened.

’Right, I can head back later to check on those two supposedly very lazy Dream Worms. And dear Brother Gou... it’s about time to urge him to go home.’

’Sigh, I’m so busy.’

...

In a news studio in Japan, a country that faces Hua Country across the sea, a sweet-faced young woman was nervously preparing her materials, cramming to memorize the main points.

Although a teleprompter would display the text next to the camera in a moment, familiarizing herself with the broadcast material was fundamental preparation.

Today was her first day broadcasting as an intern.

In Japan, workplace hierarchies are more sharply defined, and seniority is a major factor. To get this opportunity, the young woman’s immense efforts over the past six months were plain for all to see.

The heavens reward the diligent, and no path is too difficult for a hardworking person... plus a grandfather who happened to be the station director. And so, the girl’s dream had finally come true.

It was an entertaining news program that broadcast domestic and international news with a humorous spin. The source material ranged from international relations to squabbling cats and dogs.

"Good morning, viewers, and welcome to Focus Watch, brought to you by me, Matsuda Yumi."

"Let’s start with an interesting piece of news. Recently, South Korean customs officials raised questions about the quality of steel from Hua Country. Several steel shipments from Hua Country have been held up at Han Port, and several South Korean companies have even threatened to cancel their orders..."

"However, Hua Country’s reaction was quite interesting. A spokesperson for Hua Country’s typically stern Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a joke at a press conference, saying, ’If they don’t want it, then fine, we just won’t sell it to them!’ Just when everyone thought it was merely a jest signaling a change in Hua Country’s diplomatic style, the very next morning, all five cargo ships sailed away from Han Port and began their return journey to Hua Country..."

At this point, Yumi broke into an amused smile she couldn’t suppress.

"Now let’s take a look at the expressions of some of the South Korean business representatives at the time..."

On the screen, photos appeared with red circles around individuals, which were then magnified. They even had photoshopped captions.

For example, a bald man was captioned: ’Head of procurement for South Korean company XX. Has undergone three unsuccessful hair transplants for his baldness problem.’

A huge close-up of a shiny bald head appeared on the screen.

...

"It’s understood that these orders were placed by the companies last year when steel prices weren’t as high as they are now. They refused to pay the difference and thus instigated their national customs to launch this sanction... According to the latest news, Hua Country’s sudden withdrawal may result in them having to pay a contractual penalty, but because the South Korean side initiated the dispute, it’s likely that reaching an agreement on the breach of contract will be very difficult..."

The twenty-minute recording session ended quickly.

After a round of polite "Good work, everyone"s, Matsuda Yumi walked out of the studio. She stretched, feeling a sense of relief; her work for the day was done.

After calling her grandfather, she prepared to go home.

The underground parking garage was empty. Yumi walked to her car, took out her keys, and was about to unlock the door.

Something dark rolled across the floor on the other side of her car, catching her attention.

’What was that?’

She walked around to get a closer look. The instant her eyes fell upon it, they widened, her breath caught in her throat, and her body went rigid as she clutched her keys tightly.

A trail of red blood led to it. The rolling object... was a human head.

PS: Tuesday’s second Chapter.

I’m dying from writer’s block... I could clearly make a living with my good looks, so why do I have to rely on my talent?!