Annihilation’s Covert Operations Headquarters, 29th Place…
In the cultivation chamber that was away from everything else, the Fiendish Blade Nirvana had taken a completely new form. Its sharp blades had now increased to eight, two more than before.
Furthermore, the shape that Nirvana had taken was beginning to trend strangely. The crooked blades were unbelievably sharp, like the fangs of a demonic beast. A single cut would not simply slice his enemies in two, but completely tear them apart!
“Nirvana is becoming scarier and scarier,” Radix commented, his eyes trained on its many blades. “If any outsider were to lay their eyes on it, they would surely think it is some monstrosity, nothing like what they would believe to be a sword.”
Xia Fei said nothing. What was strange was not Nirvana, but the black birthright ring of the Fiends. In that instant, that ring had actually suppressed Nirvana, preventing it from revealing its true form. It was only after they returned to base that the ring released Nirvana from its suppression. Xia Fei was now holding Nirvana in its completely new form.
With that thought in mind, Xia Fei placed his hand over the ring, and instantly, the images from eons ago appeared in Xia Fei’s mind once more.
The images were none other than the final battle plan meeting of the commanders from the Fiend Clan in that Military Tactics Office; the scene had been etched into that microarray. The birthright ring that also came from the Fiends had retrieved this memory, and sent it into Xia Fei’s consciousness.
Xia Fei had watched it more than once. There was no signs of the Fiends betraying the alliance from the images back then, and they had repeatedly emphasized the necessity to break through the Universal Origin Control Center, some place called the Seven Stars Stele.
Xia Fei surmised that the Fiends of the Devil Shadow Dragoons were facing two major problems at that point of time. The first was the opportunity to take the Seven Stars Stele when the Megadragon Race attacked, while the second was to rendezvous with the rest of the Alliance army after taking the Seven Stars Stele, attacking the Megadragons in a pincer maneuver.
Back then, the commanders of the Fiends seemed to care a lot about the Seven Stars Stele, calling it the origin of the universe. It seemed that the most mysterious and powerful seventh brain region that sapient lifeforms had existed solely because of the Seven Stars Stele’s existence!
“Are you thinking about that video again?” Radix asked when he saw Xia Fei appearing distracted.
Xia Fei had told everything regarding the ancient video to Radix, so he was aware of its contents now.
Nodding, Xia Fei answered, “The Seven Stars Stele seems to be an asteroid that crashed down from the skies, and is shaped like an artificially carved monument. But the seventh brain region is related to biology, so how could a rock of unknown origins be related to it?”
Radix pouted, “It seems like only the Fiends themselves knew the answer to that question.”
“True. They were the ones who came up with the all-out assault strategy, and even the most optimistic execution of it would also sacrifice a third of their troops. Were it not for some vital necessity, I don’t believe that the clever Fiends would resort to such a brutal method of suicide tactics,” Xia Fei agreed, lighting a cigarette.
Radix replied seriously, “The seventh brain region is indeed very mysterious. From the very beginnings when people awakened their special ability, to attaining the even greater Law Power, and all the way until the Spirit type Dark Energy, the techniques and arts learned throughout the way are ever-changing. The only thing that remains constant is the Seventh Brain Region, and any progress or changes a warrior experiences would not happen without the aid of the Seventh Brain Region.
“I feel that the Fiends must have believed that attacking the Seven Stars Stele would unravel this ultimate mystery of the universe, which was why they were willing to pay whatever cost was necessary. But are you really certain that the Fiends had no intention of betraying the Hero Alliance?”
Xia Fei nodded, “There is no doubt in my mind. I witnessed the tactical arrangements the Fiends had made. They had absolutely no intentions of betrayal whatsoever.”
Radix shook his head and mumbled darkly, “Then that’s strange. The history books clearly state that it was the Fiends who abandoned the Hero Alliance…”
…
Several days later, Xia Fei had more or less integrated himself with Dark Soul.
Different from the other departments of the Secret Service, Dark Soul only tookorders from Xiu Zetian, and were not restricted from any personal freedoms whatsoever. Anything went as long as they returned in time if something happened.
There was no progress on the investigation of the final fortress of the Fiends. It looked like Xiu Zetian had been overwhelmed by the setback, and did not show his face for several days. No one had any idea what he could be busying himself with behind closed doors.
Xia Fei was secretly observing everything, all the while devoting a majority of his time to cultivation.
…
Putting aside his doubts over whether the Fiends had really betrayed the Hero Alliance and the secret behind the birthright ring of the Fiends, Xia Fei planned to first properly mingle with Annihilation before proceeding any further.
After some uneventful days, Xia Fei was pleasantly surprised to learn from Chu Jingfeng that Fuchen was looking for him. Before they parted ways after the Yggdragon King’s Yangguang’s palace, Chu Jingfeng had passed Xia Fei a communication Orb that made it convenient for the two to keep in touch.
“Old Man Fuchen?!” Xia Fei hurriedly exclaimed. “The old man has finally appeared! It’s been a very long time since we last met… Makes me wonder how he’s doing now.”
Chu Jingfeng answered, “Fuchen’s doing well. He has found Sima and Moxin already, and they are now together with my disciple, Xu Luanbu. Fuchen wanted me to relay a message to you; come look for him in Daxing City, if you have the time. I’ll send over his address in a moment.”
“Sure!” Xia Fei nodded. He then recalled the matter with the Fiendish blade Nirvana, and so he told Chu Jingfeng about Nirvana’s recent evolution.
Smiling, Chu Jingfeng answered, “There are many types of weapons in the universes, but from what I know, a truly impressive weapon does not win by its appearance alone. Take that plant weapon that you have on your arm; to put it plainly, it’s nothing but a weed! But so what? Even if its just a weed, how many divine weapons are there out there that could beat it in terms of attacking power?”
“That is why you should not worry about how Nirvana looks. No matter the odd shape it takes, it’s still Nirvana! It’s a Fiendish blade capable of consuming its enemies, bones and all!”
Xia Fei nodded, completely understanding what Chu Jingfeng meant. Whether it was people or weapons, it was never smart to judge a book by its cover!
After some thought, Chu Jingfeng added, “Though I’ve not seen the increase in combat strength after Nirvana’s transformation, I dare predict that it would at least be powerful enough to rank in the top two hundred of the Thousand Soul Rankings. In fact, it might even be considered a super powerful weapon that is counted in the top one hundred!”
Xia Fei’s eyes sparkled as he exclaimed, “You’d rank it so highly?!”
Chu Jingfeng laughed. “My observations led me to conclude that the more Nirvana evolves, the more powerful its ability to absorb energy becomes. I’m afraid a promoted Nirvana would just be able to completely devour Annihilator-tier experts! Even if we ignore everything else, even that absurd devouring ability is enough to have it rank in the upper half of the Thousand Soul Ranking!
“Of course, whether Nirvana is as powerful as it is will all be directly related to you. As long as you’re able to break the enemy’s defenses and slide Nirvana in, you’d be able to vanquish your foes. That is why Nirvana is a weapon that eliminates, and isn’t a weapon that breaks defenses. Don’t ignore the power from the Law of Primal Chaos; with the latter breaking defenses and the former eliminating your targets, you’ll be able to completely obliterate your opponents! You’ll achieve perfection with such a combination!”
Chu Jingfeng lived up to his name as a jack of all trades, making his point all at once. The division of labor was a critical aspect of industry, and killing off enemies could be broken down into three steps. First, ensnare the enemy! Second, break their defenses! Third, utterly eliminate them!
Nirvana was indeed a vert powerful weapon that could bring about obliteration! As for the breaking of defenses, Xia Fei would have to rely on the overwhelming power of his Law of Primal Chaos, and ensnaring the enemy would depend on his Immemorial Mystical Armament, Peacock Blue!
Without even realizing it, the weapons in Xia Fei’s hands had already become one! Each of them had their unique uses and functions!
“Oh right, how are you doing over at Dark Soul?” Chu Jingfeng asked, like the thought had just popped into his mind.
Xia Fei did not tell him about what happened with his Fiend Clan ring, and merely gave a general overview of the situation the 29th Place was presently in. He also told him about how Xiu Zetian was ambushed a long time ago, and how the first assignment Xia Fei had received was to accompany him to the forward base the Devil Shadow Dragoons had set up all those eons back.
Chu Jingfeng nodded after hearing everything, stating gravely, “Actually, a lot of people are aware of what happened to Xiu Zetian. He insisted on pretending he was dead, not meeting with his daughter or father, which is evidence showing just how desperate he is for revenge.”
Squinting Chu Jingfeng added in a small voice, “From what I know, he has someone very powerful backing him, which is why he’s able to do everything he has done. No matter how crazy or what price he has had to pay, there must be someone guiding him behind the scenes.
“That is why you need to be extra careful, so as to avoid being used without even realizing it. The Annihilation Universe is very complex, and on top of that, the Familiars of the Four Great Sky Devils will be searching for you. While they might not do anything directly to you, it is still more trouble that you will have to deal with. Also, Yabu and his Devil Shadow Dragoons have someone powerful behind them. Perhaps they’ve got their eye on you, too!”
Xia Fei immediately felt a headache coming on. Xia Fei had encountered Yabu and the others before. They were very strong! There was no need to mention the Four Sky Devil’s Familiars, either; they were supervillains capable of facing off against the Yggdragon King Yangguang! Xia Fei would not be in for a good time if either party turned their gaze towards him. He was in for trouble!
…
…
After informing Xiu Zetian, Xia Fei set off for Daxing.
Xiu Zetian had assigned Xia Fei the post to look into matters related to the Fiend Clan. He would not give Xia Fei any assignments related to the 29th Place, and because he had not investigated the Fiend’s plans, Xiu Zetian very simply let Xia Fei go.
Before leaving, Xiu Zetian mentioned to Xia Fei about getting an official identity. Xia Fei was now a Neophyte Dragoon. He would have to take a test to become an official Dragoon!
According to Xiu Zetian, those above had already decided to continue the Devil Shadow Dragoons, so Xia Fei merely had to go through the motions and there was no need to worry about anything. Xia Fei was in a hurry to meet Fuchen, so he did not head to the core regions.
The Annihilation Universe had an advanced transportation system, and Xia Fei could request a small frigate from the 29th Place, as his special identity was part of the Secret Service, so he did not run into any obstructions the entire way. After several spatial shifts that took no more than two hours, Xia Fei found himself in Daxing, a bustling city in the Annihilation Universe.
Despite the amazing backdrop of mountains and rivers, Xia Fei was not in any mood to admire the views Daxing City had to offer. He sped along his way to a large mansion to the south of the city. That was where the last two Unrestricted Spiritualists, Sect Grand Uncles Sima and Moxin, were spending their old age after retiring.
After knocking on the door, someone verified Xia Fei’s identity before leading him to the back gardens.
In the distance, Xia Fei saw Fuchen seated together with the two elders, chatting and laughing. Fuchen had a humble attitude, given that he was the junior in the crowd.
Aside from those three, there was also a young man dressed in a windbreaker, calmly whittling down a willow branch with a small paring knife in his hand, looking like he was trying to make himself a simple flute. This person was most likely the most capable disciple of Chu Jingfeng, Xu Luanbu!
“Xia Fei!” Fuchen spotted Xia Fei and got up. He grabbed Xia Fei’s arm on approach, an excited look in his eyes.
“Old man, I’ve really missed you dearly,” Xia Fei said with a slight smile.
“Me too! Come with me!”
Fuchen led Xia Fei to the two Sect Grand Uncles Sima and Moxin, and pointed at Xia Fei, “Sect Grand Ancestors, this is Xia Fei, the final inheritor of the Unrestricted Sect in Alpha! Also, the strongest!”
Moxin and Sima sized up Xia Fei, as the black-haired Moxin sighed, “I heard you’re the one who had the Unrestricted Sect shut down? And you’ve even gone as far as to move Spirit Mountain away?!”
Xia Fei was startled. Why had the two asked that the moment they met? Could they be looking to settle the score after everything that had happened?!
