Chapter 462 - 446: Crown of Slaughter
Wear the Blood Crown for a day, and you could obtain the fortunes of this star-cave.
The saying was true.
But this was also very likely the source of its "three-star danger rating."
The Blood Crown was forged in years of slaughter. If worn directly, it would likely erode the mind of even a typical Nirvana-rank expert, causing their desire for slaughter to build unwittingly and lead to irreversible consequences.
Shi Ming activated the Brain of Creation and scanned the crown.
The information that appeared confirmed his suspicions—
[Blood Crown]
[Level: 20]
[A supreme treasure that has given birth to an "Evil Intellect." The wearer will be slowly eroded by the Evil Intellect, gradually turning into a puppet that knows only slaughter.]
[Of course, it has its pros and cons.]
[While wearing the crown, maintain constant slaughter to satisfy its thirst for blood, and you will enter an addictive, frenzied state. You will never tire, never be exhausted, are 90% immune to debuffs, and will grow stronger with every battle—until death! (After removing the crown, you will enter a lethargic state, but it is not fatal.)]
[Already at maximum level. Cannot be upgraded further.]
[Required for Infinite Upgrade: Stripped Evil Intellect x1]
’Evil Intellect?’
Shi Ming looked at the nearly crimson crown, which seemed forged from moonlight, and gave a simple smile.
’If it’s an "Evil Intellect," something with intelligence, then that means I can communicate with it.’
And Shi Ming’s method of communication was just as simple—
Bore!
Bore could keenly identify vulnerabilities in both physical and abstract entities, relying on immense Attack Power and Spiritual Power to drill into them. With Shi Ming’s current Spiritual Power, it only took him a few seconds to detect the flaw within the crown. His Spiritual Power became a bug, a virus, boring its way into the wisp of Evil Intellect inside the crown!
Bore could corrupt entire civilizations!
What chance did a mere wisp of Evil Intellect stand?!
Moonlight streamed over Shi Ming’s face, spattered with the blood of other creatures. His immeasurably vast Spiritual Power swirled like a tornado, mercilessly tearing apart the aura of slaughter accumulated within the crown. The Evil Intellect had been born in ancient times and, through constant slaughter within this prison, had evolved to a considerably high tier. But under the corrosion of his single-character Nirvana skill, it was beaten back steadily, melting away like the last dregs of snow.
"You want to make me a puppet?"
"You don’t have what it takes!"
Amidst this psychic slaughter, the aberrations in this world of blood-stained reeds ignored their innate killer instincts for the first time, scattering in fear. Even though they saw the fully formed Blood Crown floating in the distance, not a single one dared to intrude upon this battlefield of a higher order.
Shi Ming and the crimson crown stared at each other.
Images of bore-worms swirled in his eyes, mirrored on the crown itself. His virus-like Bore had long since found the vulnerability, locating the wisp of evil will within the crown.
BITE!
BITE DOWN HARD!
With incredible speed, Shi Ming commanded the bore-worms to viciously attack the Evil Intellect. The crown emitted a nearly imperceptible tremor. In the face of this higher order of power, the ancient Evil Intellect was corroded by the escalating power of Bore and was on the verge of collapse.
’Begging for mercy?’
After the eighth bite, a wisp of crimson mist seeped from the crown. The Evil Intellect’s true form was about to dissipate, and the massive Blood Moon above Shi Ming’s head began to falter, seemingly starting to collapse from within.
Shi Ming halted his assault.
’Don’t die just yet.’
’I still need you for the infinite upgrade!’
Powerless to resist, the Evil Intellect was corralled by the bore-worms. A powerful wave of Spiritual Power meticulously peeled it from the crown like unwinding silk from a cocoon. Then, the Brain of Creation activated at the perfect moment. The still-living evil will became a "sacrifice" and a "consumable," ground down by a power beyond its comprehension into fundamental energy units that swirled around the now slightly faded crown.
Infinite Upgrade!
Activate!
This was the first time Shi Ming had infinitely upgraded a "supreme treasure," but the Blood Crown and its upgrade material were a perfect match, so it wouldn’t take long.
As the Evil Intellect was consumed, the enormous Blood Moon looming overhead also began to disintegrate.
The crumbling fragments liquified.
Like crimson sand, they drifted down from high above, creating a beautiful, flowing work of sand art.
It was as if the apocalypse had come to the ochre reed world. The aberrations had long forgotten slaughter and were fleeing in all directions.
But where could they run?
Any aberration that touched the crimson sand, regardless of whether it was S-rank or Holy Hall-rank, completely disintegrated, just like the Blood Moon. The main portion of Shi Ming’s consciousness maintained the infinite upgrade, while a sliver of his awareness raised the Stone Pillar of Profanity and Transgression, creating a fixed point under the collapsing firmament to keep himself undisturbed.
Cai Zong waited listlessly by Shi Ming’s side. It was blind, and Shi Ming had no idea if it could perceive this unique spectacle.
...
...
...
The infinite upgrade lasted for roughly twenty-four hours.
[PING.]
[Infinite upgrade complete.]
[Blood Crown]
[Level: 20+]
[Having lost its intelligence, the Blood Crown is now far more responsive. Henceforth, your will is its will.]
[Negative effects have been significantly weakened.]
[Using the Blood Crown is no longer addictive. Of course, if you are bloodthirsty by nature, please do not lay the blame on a supreme treasure.]
[While wearing the crown, maintain constant slaughter to enter an "Exalted" state. While Exalted, your Attack Power, Physical Strength, Endurance, and Spiritual Power will remain at their peak without dropping. You will never tire, never be exhausted, are 99% immune to debuffs, and will grow stronger with every battle—until death! (After removing the crown, you will enter a state of rest, which is not fatal.)]
[Already at maximum level. Cannot be upgraded further.]
’Not bad.’
The infinite upgrade had eliminated some of the Blood Crown’s negative effects. Moreover, the "Exalted" state was superior to the previous "frenzied" state, and the "state of rest" after removing the crown was merely exhaustion—far better than the complete loss of combat ability from the "lethargic" state.
’If I run into a battle against an army of ten thousand...’
’I’ll be a tireless War God of slaughter!’
’This supreme treasure is powerful, but it has flaws. First, I have to engage in constant slaughter to enter the Exalted state. Second, while it can keep my Attack Power, Physical Strength, Endurance, and Spiritual Power at their peak, it does nothing for my Defense Power. Once I get caught up in the killing, it would be easy to ignore or misjudge my actual injuries in the heat of battle and end up fighting myself to death in a frenzy.’
’But with careful use, that can be avoided.’
The oppressive Blood Moon overhead had already crumbled by nearly half. There was no longer any sign of aberrations near Shi Ming. He estimated that in another seven or eight days, the dimension connected to this star-cave would completely collapse and become an apocalyptic wasteland.
’Perhaps these blood-red reeds will survive.’
"This Cave of the Stars is a real treasure trove!"
"Cai Zong, let’s go. Time to head to the next star-cave."
...
...
...
The Angler sat on his lone boat, calm and unhurried.
Soon, he would arrive at his target coordinates.
’With my strength, conquering a star-cave will be child’s play,’ he mused.