Superpowers Collide: Paradise vs. Azure Sky

Detecting Special Reincarnator EX051's status. Detecting...

Found backlash damage inflicted by an evil god. Repair requires A-rank Anomaly Point ×1, Dimensional Points ×23000

Found Existential Damage (Moderate). Repair requires B-rank Anomaly Point ×2, Dimensional Points ×16000

Repairing...

Repair complete

Reincarnator Ex051 has returned. Beginning settlement.

Settling...

Mission World: Native World · Nine Realms · Netherworld

Calculating exploration progress. Exploration progress increased by 0.1%. Mission rating greatly increased.

Calculating additional missions. Event triggered.

Calculating kills of hostile squad members. Kill count: 9. Mission rating greatly increased.

Final Deployment Rating: SSS-

Mission Rewards: Dimensional Points ×18000; Free Attribute Points ×12

A golden radiance wrapped around Bai Cangshu’s wrist once more before slowly fading away. It was another pass that could unlock the Space’s various hidden enhancement options.

As Bai Cangshu watched, the body of the great demon Stone Ape in the darkness before him slowly vanished as well, revealing the scenery of his Private Space.

He had gained immensely from this world. Even after deducting the exorbitant repair costs, the Singularity Points combined still exceeded double S-rank. Although the Six Paths Squad’s members varied greatly in quality, they had still yielded, on average, more than a B-rank Singularity each.

Adding the S-rank Singularity provided by Stone Ape alone, Bai Cangshu realized that the gains from entering a Native World once far surpassed several Secondary Worlds.

Of course, that world’s danger truly defied imagination. Even though he and Life of Silence had remained there for less than three days, the intensity of the battles they encountered had already surpassed the world-scale events of ordinary Secondary Worlds.

And… as Bai Cangshu recalled that so-called Heavenly Dao, it was probably the first special entity to directly intervene against Reincarnators deployed by the Infinite Dimensional Space.

If that so-called Heavenly Dao really was the sort of independently existing Heavenly Dao monster he imagined, then it had most likely entered the ranks of those capable of truly responding to Observers.

Of course, Bai Cangshu had long understood that the Infinite Dimensional Space he inhabited was extremely immature and weak, whether as an Infinite-type box and Space or as a so-called Observer entity.

In other words, the Infinite Dimensional Space still had many shortcomings, which was why it valued Reincarnators so highly.

Analyzed from a biological perspective, it was indeed a high-dimensional existence whose biological level neared the very pinnacle, yet it was currently in a stage akin to childhood or adolescence.

Thus, compared with other Observers or other Infinite Spaces, it was exceedingly frail.

The things it could accomplish and the dimensions it could interfere with were very limited, so it relied even more heavily on the Reincarnators it had nurtured.

That was also why, after Bai Cangshu and Qiqi entered the top-tier Native World where the Celestial Dynasty of the Vault of Heaven was located, the Space had granted them unimaginable rewards and evacuation protection.

Reincarnators like Bai Cangshu and Qiqi were already the "lead horses" in its hands. It was consciously avoiding the loss of those two "lead horses."

Seeing that merely increasing his exploration progress by 0.1% had greatly improved his mission rating, Bai Cangshu became even more certain of one thing.

For the current Infinite Dimensional Space, being able to seize unique information and exploration progress from the Native World where the Celestial Dynasty of the Vault of Heaven was located filled it with boundless delight!

"You… came back…"

Li Qingzi’s gaze was complicated. The Demonic Power around her had grown increasingly dense. In the Claymore system, she had likely already entered an extremely dangerous threshold, though Bai Cangshu was not sure whether this woman had cleared the drawbacks of her Claymore enhancements in the Goddess’s Abode.

They were called drawbacks, but joining the ranks of the Awakened Beings was also a form of power.

Ever since Bai Cangshu’s strength had far surpassed that of this group, he had actually loosened his control over Li Qingzi considerably.

Bai Cangshu nodded and even smiled at the woman. He was curious whether this woman’s existence had changed him.

With that smile that Li Qingzi found inexplicable, Bai Cangshu left the Private Space.

Li Qingzi frowned tightly. She realized she was becoming less and less able to understand Mercenary Tao.

Somehow, he had changed from the bloodthirsty, cruel monster he once was into something no one could truly comprehend.

Sometimes, she felt that he possessed warmth and emotions. At other times, she felt that he had become even crueler and more heartless.

And at still other times, she could even sense the so-called "bearing of a king" from Mercenary Tao.

She shook her head, then began a new deployment cycle within the Private Space.

"Mercenary Tao has appeared!"

"The rumors are true! His Excellency Life of Silence has joined forces with His Excellency Mercenary Tao, and Golden Crow Dong Xuri has joined Paradise as well!"

"That Red Dust with the absurd energy intensity has joined Paradise too!"

"The new title contest will begin soon. Doesn’t that mean the next cycle will see a super gathering with two Excellencies at once?!"

"More than that, Paradise has already absorbed several somewhat renowned gatherings. It may become a colossal force surpassing the Finality Empire…"

A multitude of scattered voices entered Bai Cangshu’s ears. This was also a form of intelligence and public opinion warfare, a tactic Jin Yue’an was very fond of.

By deliberately releasing some information that was part truth and part falsehood, they could cause suspicion among the Reincarnators. Then, as the rumors spread among themselves, their awe and fear of Paradise would deepen.

Just like the Great Sun of Finality’s Finality Empire, not that many Reincarnators or gatherings had actually been coerced by them, and a single Supreme Expert could never have caused such a huge commotion in the real world.

But because Reincarnators were such a skittish bunch, many people were swept along and joined the Finality Empire’s actions.

In the end, this had effectively created the reality of the Finality Empire having more than a thousand Reincarnator members, turning it into a force that could not be ignored. In terms of public opinion and momentum, it had completely suppressed Life of Silence, who had previously held the absolute upper hand in the conflict between the two Supreme Experts.

Clearly, Life of Silence had forced the Great Sun of Finality out of multiple Secondary Worlds, leaving it no choice but to shift its forces into the real world. Yet the final result made it seem as though the Great Sun of Finality had been the victor instead.

That was the power of controlling public opinion.

Bai Cangshu neither approved nor disapproved of such behavior. To him, none of that was important. All he had ever wanted was a small portion of Reincarnators.

The truly… valuable Reincarnators!

Bai Cangshu lowered his eyelids, the smile in his eyes false and devoid of warmth. He even nodded in acknowledgment at the nervous, awkward Reincarnators who greeted him.

Arriving at his stall, he began crushing Drop Cards one after another. Most were purple, with two red Drop Cards mixed in.

This activity, practically a "Mercenary Tao Classic Moments Showcase," still drew the attention of many people.

Some of the Title-level Reincarnators in the Space who had participated in the brutal battle along the Philippine Coastline knew that Life of Silence had been seeking a collaborator, and that the target she had ultimately chosen was Mercenary Tao.

Now, without question, this was likely the result of their cooperation. In some high-level world that could not be identified, these two individuals, known as the most vicious Reincarnators, had gone on a slaughter spree and reaped terrifying gains.

Secret Manual: Self-Sacrifice Art—A Shaolin secret technique from a certain world. After cultivation, it could greatly increase one’s strength for a short period, but required one to pay an enormous price afterward.

Secret Manual: Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill—A body-protecting divine skill from a certain world. After successful cultivation, it allowed one to enter a golden-body state, greatly enhancing defense and boosting internal energy.

Secret Manual: Illusionary Form Great Technique—An exceptional movement martial art from a certain world. After successful cultivation, one’s movements became unpredictable and ever-changing.

Bai Cangshu placed the secret manuals onto the stall one by one. He had even spent Singularity Points to expand the stall for this purpose.

The others who saw what he was doing also understood that the world Mercenary Tao had entered before was most likely a Wuxia world, and one of a very high level at that.

Once mastered, none of these martial arts would be below B-rank. They were highly appealing to Reincarnators on the martial arts path, as well as those who had already received enhancements from such worlds.

Furthermore, the foremost techniques respectively belonged to the Burst Type, Defense Type, and Movement Type. These were the three ability types Reincarnators favored most.

They corresponded to the three abilities Reincarnators needed most in mission worlds: defense to keep themselves from being beaten to death, Action Points to escape when they could not win, and burst power to fight back desperately at the brink of death.

Relatively speaking, the backlash and consequences described by the Self-Sacrifice Art were truly nothing to Reincarnators. No matter how great the price, as long as they did not die, there would always be a way to resolve it after returning to the Space.

Thus, quite a few people made offers upon seeing these secret manuals.

Bai Cangshu did not respond to the offers. He had already handed such matters over to Jin Yue’an, Black Butler, and the others. They had more comprehensive intelligence and analytical systems and could secure more suitable prices.

Most of the time, he merely served as part of the "show," keeping the stall popular.

Buzz~

A chilling killing intent spread. A faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation came from the void, making everyone’s hearts turn cold and their faces pale.

Being able to display special power to a certain extent within the Public Space safe zone was basically regarded as the exclusive entrance ritual of Supreme Experts.

Whenever one sensed anomalous power in the Public Space, it generally meant a Supreme Expert had appeared nearby.

Compared to the imposing spectacle of a black sun hanging overhead upon arrival, this faint killing intent made people’s hearts tremble even more.

Feeling killing intent where there should have been absolute safety, all the Reincarnators turned around.

Sure enough, they saw a girl with blood-red long hair walking over the stone bridge at the end of the Slum Area.

The girl’s eyes were cold and clear, no longer as vacant as before. Gray fluctuations were clearly visible behind her. Even now, many Reincarnators had yet to come into contact with the power of Heart Light Pulse.

The Reincarnators seeing the power of the Fourth Tier firsthand for the first time were utterly shocked.

Dong Xuri, Luoxi, and the others all followed behind Life of Silence.

Under the lost and bewildered gazes of everyone present, Qiqi approached Bai Cangshu’s stall. Then she stared into the eyes beneath Bai Cangshu’s ugly Avatar and said,

"Mercenary Tao, after this title contest, I will join Paradise."

"After Azure Sky falls, Paradise will control the world in… our way."

The girl’s voice was crisp and young, like someone in her teens whose voice had only recently settled. It did not sound domineering, yet it carried an icy sharpness that permitted no refusal.

Bai Cangshu merely smiled upon hearing this. He could tell that Qiqi had formed new ideas as well. Perhaps Ruo Linfeng’s death had given her a sense of responsibility, making her feel that she had to do something?

"No. In my way."

Bai Cangshu shook his head and corrected Life of Silence’s decision.

Whether Life of Silence’s change was good or bad had nothing to do with him. He would not change…

At that moment, Red Dust, who had just returned to the Public Space after hearing that Mercenary Tao had obtained many high-level martial arts secret manuals, happened to witness Mercenary Tao standing face-to-face with Life of Silence.

He felt that perhaps another era was truly about to arrive. Azure Sky’s collapse was no longer a secret within the circles of top-tier Reincarnators.

It seemed everyone had become certain that Azure Sky’s king, the Idealists’ final and strongest guardian, was about to fall. The order of both the real world and the Infinite Dimensional Space would change.

His heart burned as he stepped forward, but Orange spoke softly from behind him.

"Hey, Brother Red Dust, look behind you…"

Red Dust turned around. At the very front stood a man in a floral shirt, his bronze chest exposed. Beside him sat a woman in white robes and a red skirt atop Soul-Devouring Worms. On the other side stood a man in a white high-collared suit, golden tousled hair covering his face and hiding his eyes in shadow.

Farther to the outside stood a woman whose demonic blade was slanted toward the sky. She wore a black sailor uniform, and merely standing there made Red Dust feel as if he were about to be wounded by her sharp sword intent.

Beside her stood a woman fully encased in black armor, her eyes seeming to have turned into Rubies.

The bearing and aura radiating from this group were utterly beyond comparison with any ordinary team.

Red Dust looked them over, and aside from the rookie professor wearing black-framed glasses at the far left, he surprisingly had no confidence that he could defeat any one of them.

"Azure… Azure Sky, all of them…"

Whoosh!

For the first time, Red Dust felt wind within the Public Space. He felt the change in the sunlight. He had always believed that the sunlit sky overhead was merely virtual, but now, that shift felt real to him.

A fierce wind blew from the stone bridge, sweeping overwhelmingly over all the Reincarnators in an instant.

At that moment, everyone strongly sensed that feeling of incompatibility. Azure Sky seemed completely different from all the Reincarnators in the other Slum Areas.

Wave after wave of fluctuations radiated from their bodies as their icy wills crashed overwhelmingly toward Life of Silence and Bai Cangshu.

The black-and-white hair between Bai Cangshu’s brows spread apart, revealing his raised brows and smiling eyes.

"Ha~"

His mouth opened unconsciously as he watched the group standing on the stone bridge.

Excellent. Truly excellent!

Other than the professor, every one of them had touched upon Heart Light Pulse, and among them were signs of three complete Heartlights.

Even if not everyone excelled in combat, this Azure Sky was truly extraordinary!

"Haha, you want to replace Azure Sky and take control of order…"

Cao Qi laughed loudly. The wind and clouds shifted in the sky as an illusory dark-purple clock appeared behind him, but he paid it no mind, even though only five flames remained lit upon it.

He looked at the beast he had once barely cared about, now grown to such a degree…

It had even developed the ambition to devour all of its companions because it was about to die.

Cao Qi’s eyes shifted as he looked at Mercenary Tao and Qiqi.

"Take that crown first. This time, it won’t be as simple as before, you know~"

The members of Azure Sky then transformed into streams of information and vanished together, their destination unknown.