The duel drew a large audience. While the online footage couldn't reveal the interior of the colossal fireball, the flames consistently overshadowed the scarlet hues within. The outcome seemed clear to everyone—after all, an eleven-level gap was significant. Many spectators were managing their finances, eagerly anticipating a doubling of their wealth.
Of course, most participants weren't risking everything on the outcome. If the official letter lost, the Adventurer's Guild would soon be bustling again, leading to repeated wage reductions for extraordinary individuals until they hit the legal minimum.
As time passed, the sounds of collision intensified, signaling that the battle was reaching a critical point.
Before anyone could voice their thoughts, the flames abruptly dissipated, and Helen's massive protective shield vanished.
With a twinkle of surprise in his eyes, Yuan Tang patted his companion's shoulder and joked, "Bad news, you lost money. Good news, your brother-in-law is incredibly powerful."
"Can he really win? Is Guan Xin that formidable?" Yuan Tang replied, shock evident on his face. "Is there truly someone who can leap so many levels to defeat a top contender?"
Baker Lotte frowned, irritated. "What do you mean? Didn't you sense Bai Yi's almost abnormal mental power?"
Yuan Tang nodded, reaching out to affectionately ruffle Dai An's hair, a smile breaking through. "You're right. Xiao An has a keen eye this time. Thankfully, I didn't eliminate that guy five years ago."
Dai An's cheeks flushed at the teasing, feeling the difference between jests from friends and those from strangers. Yet, excitement bubbled within her; having just bet 800 million, she was thrilled to see her pocket money double. How long could she enjoy legendary Warcraft banquets with this windfall?
As the flames gradually subsided, the scene before them began to clear. A handsome young man, with a warm expression, was gently removing a thumb-sized golden pendant from the chest of a young man lying on the ground, his face pale and drenched in cold sweat.
Bai Yi looked at the Heart of the Fiery Sun in his hand, joy lighting his eyes. This would officially become his trump card—from this day forward, he could prepare a significant offering for the gods.
The effectiveness of Malicious Deception had proven invaluable. Though the clone vanished upon being attacked, it could create a remarkably deceptive façade at critical moments. This ability was his specialty, without limits; as long as he continued to grow, this deceptive quality would persist. Even if he ascended to godhood, the aura of his clone would remain that of a deity.
Stowing the Heart of the Fiery Sun, Bai Yi felt a twinge of emotion as he regarded the mage, who lay immobilized by withering poison wrapping his heart and spine, his mind tainted by curses. He had initially prepared for a rescue but was surprised by the mage's resilience—an evil alchemist's lifetime of research had failed to subdue him.
"Thank you for your support, and remember your promise," Bai Yi said with a grin, snapping his fingers.
"Roar~"
The sound of a dragon's roar reverberated, lifting Bai Yi skyward with his spiritual power. He turned to Dai An, asking gently, "Would you like to join me?"
Without hesitation, Dai An nodded. The space shimmered slightly as she appeared by his side, hugging his arm excitedly. "Let's go! I'll treat you to something delicious. I usually skip those extravagant meals, but today, it's on me!"
Bai Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's on the menu? I need to attend a meeting first."
"It's fine! I'll wait for you. They'll take time to prepare."
As the dragon soared away, the atmosphere in the arena grew thick with tension. Aside from the four top talents still bantering, everyone else was fixated on the figure lying on the ground.
Moments later, a purple flame erupted into the sky, radiating fierce energy. It simultaneously purged the three potent poisons and countless other toxins from Guan Xin's body, also cleansing the malice clouding his mind.
Guan Xin stood in eerie silence, touching his chest where the Fiery Sun Heart had once enhanced his strength—now gone, signifying his defeat at the hands of someone significantly lower in level.
His expression was calm, and despite being draped in gold, he appeared anything but dazzling.
The surrounding flames rolled back, enveloping him as he departed.
Oganna observed thoughtfully, turning away. She didn't need to console Guan Xin; the Forle family cared for him deeply.
Having witnessed the battle, she could eliminate some lingering illegal information in Dongwu City.
As the representatives from the elite families began to depart, second-tier families and the online community erupted in chaos. Even Sunu from the Alchemy Magic Network felt the weight of pressure. The platform began to lag under the tidal wave of shocked reactions.
Many rational individuals refrained from going all-in, knowing that the betting had originated in Dongwu City, which wouldn't pay out. However, the data contrast provided by Saab was overwhelming.
Most extraordinary individuals were bronze level, with a typical human salary at the lower bronze level being merely thirty gold coins. With the month half gone, many had already allocated part of their salaries for training and other expenses.
Even rational thinkers had wagered several gold coins, while those with a gambling mindset risked everything. Given more time, they might have even sold their equipment to place this bet.
This was their hard-earned money, lost on a match they were certain would end in their favor.
Voices denouncing Guan Xin, cursing him, and expressing frustration toward Saab filled every corner of the internet. Players lamented, wondering why they hadn't believed in the protagonist presented in the trailers!
They also lost all rewards from numerous completed quests.
The uproar online prompted network managers to consider shutting down the platform temporarily, but with the impending charge for services, that couldn't happen.
A team of alchemists, including Sunu, scrambled to stabilize the alchemical magic network amidst the cries of despair. Despite the hundreds of millions of complaints flooding in, the network managed to hold strong, only becoming slightly sluggish, costing them a few strands of hair in the process.
While wailing continued, discussions about Bai Yi's prowess and the effectiveness of alchemists began to emerge. After all, there had been few sightings of Bai Yi in battle, and this time was no exception.
Yet, the fact that he had defeated Guan Xin spoke volumes.
However, the online grievances couldn't influence those in real life. Bai Yi escorted Diane to the parliament entrance, where the bone dragon perched at the city gate, and they proceeded toward the imposing building.
"White Plague," Diane's voice called out. Bai Yi turned to see her shining eyes fixed on him.
"What's up?" he asked, slightly puzzled.
"If you can enhance the bone dragon, can you also augment other undead creatures?" Diane's eagerness was palpable.
"Of course! What kind of transformation are you envisioning?" Bai Yi replied with a smile.
Transforming the undead was straightforward, especially for those enhanced by machinery, whose combat abilities remained robust.
"I can now summon over a million skeletons at my maximum. Look, they're all as formidable as the bone dragon! Wait! Why are you leaving before I finish?"
"Hey, wait up!"
At the parliament entrance, two silver-ranked soldiers respectfully opened the door for Bai Yi, leading him inside with stoic expressions.
Bai Yi chose to ignore the eldest lady for the moment; he had yet to gather the 10,000 mechanical troops for his transformation legion. After modifying these skeletons, he hoped to bring his efforts to fruition.
The parliament's layout was simple, reflecting its origins as the meeting hall of the original kingdom of the federation during its establishment. At that time, the focus was on stability rather than grandeur, resulting in a somewhat outdated appearance.
After traversing several corridors, a soldier knocked respectfully on a wooden door before pushing it open.
Seventeen old men turned toward him simultaneously, their expressions varied.
These men had also placed bets earlier; although their stakes were modest, many had incurred significant losses.
Not all parliamentary families were as affluent as the Difeng family. When the Will family purchased the flesh and blood of the Scarlet Lord, their limit was three million gold coins, a figure mirrored by families lacking substantial industry.
However, clans like Will, Hull, and Yongyi held little desire for worldly wealth and often relied on the federation for support.
Bai Yi noted the gazes of the old men as he approached the main seat.
Since he had convened this parliament and Heddinger was absent, he was required to preside over the meeting. While others could host, Bai Yi had excluded two top contenders from the last gathering, and no one was eager to shield him from criticism today.
Bai Yi cleared his throat lightly. "Apologies for the wait."
Silence enveloped the room as the old men stared at him, their expressions peculiar.
Bai Yi felt a twinge of discomfort but pressed on. "I convened this meeting to discuss three key matters."
"First, the war is imminent. I trust you've noticed the increasing influence of ancient gods in Shia. Numerous ancient god kingdoms have emerged outside, posing a significant threat. The Federation must remain vigilant."
"I recently visited Sin City and uncovered a transformation taking place there."
Bai Yi extended his hand, conjuring a magical table displaying information about the X-type transformation, though not as detailed as the panel he usually provided.
Name: X-Type Transformation
Attributes: Flesh and Blood Transformation
Effect: Grants stable and extreme physical attributes—constant strength at lower gold level, constant agility at silver limit, constant endurance at lower gold level, constant intelligence at silver limit, and constant charm.
Talents Obtained: Rage, Powerful Self-Healing, and Dominance.
Modification Requirements: Bronze Mid-Level.
Note: This transformation consumes all potential of the individual being transformed.
Introduction: The master of alchemical transformation conducted the primary operation, assisted by the master of evil alchemical transformation. The stable transformation may have reached the gold level. Although potential is consumed, this is undeniably a powerful war weapon.
The congressmen finally responded to this information.
An elderly man questioned aggressively, "Is this thing stable? Don't tell me it's still in the experimental phase. Are you trying to amuse me?"
Bai Yi noted the nameplate in front of the old man—Sheda For—and quickly understood his harshness.
Before he could offer reassurance, a kind voice interjected. "Don't worry; he just lost money. But are there any restrictions on your transformation? I see 'evil alchemist' mentioned in your description."
Bai Yi glanced at the nameplate of the speaker—Mithras Tifeng—and smiled. "The only limitation is the cost. The other technologies are highly developed. Transforming a soldier requires about two million gold coins worth of materials—all gold grade."
"Those are minor concerns. Are you sure there are no other side effects?" Mithras inquired, still smiling.
"None that I'm aware of. I will compile the transformation materials and send them to the parliament after the meeting," Bai Yi added. "However, it does require a master alchemical transformation specialist to perform the procedure. This is considered master-level alchemical knowledge."
As soon as he finished speaking, some of the excitement in the congressmen's eyes dimmed.
As expected, no transformation was without its drawbacks.
Mithras, who had initially planned to acquire 10,000 soldiers, hesitated. "I understand, but your knowledge is invaluable. The Federation's legions often lack a robust backbone. We'll discuss the remaining details later. Your priority should still be cultivation."
The congressmen gradually calmed, processing Bai Yi's transformation news. They hadn't anticipated someone capable of fighting across such a vast level gap, especially with the mention of evil thoughts.
To them, Bai Yi was still a level 56 alchemist.
Yet, he now presented himself as a comprehensive alchemist, rather than just a specialist.
Aside from Sheda For, who remained somewhat displeased, the other parliament members regarded Bai Yi with growing warmth.
Bai Yi nodded and continued with a calm demeanor. "The second question concerns what lies beneath Sin City."
"I explored Sin City and discovered that the five council members were likely battling over something. There's also a scavenger named Sid with legendary power."
His statement hung in the air, leaving the parliamentarians in stunned silence.
"A legend? How did I not know about this?"
"What are we waiting for? We should send someone to invite him! A legend must be reported to the Sword Master immediately!"
However, the two MPs who spoke were younger, having only recently joined the ranks of parliament.
Mithras remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "That's the guardian. Do you know the Colossus?"
(End of this chapter)