Chapter 412 – Reunion in a Foreign Land

———【Illusion Impact】.

Compared to the 【Soul Lock】 Spell Formula, this significantly improved technique truly lives up to the reputation of “mental attack type” and “soul attack type” Spirit Arts.

After Su Ming’s modifications, this Spell Formula no longer affects enemies through a “dragging” method but delivers a genuine mental and soul impact.

Once unleashed, the enemy remains locked—unable to perceive or evade—forced to withstand it head-on.

Yet, 【Illusion Impact】’s offensive power far surpasses that of 【Soul Lock】.

If 【Soul Lock】 could only render someone unconscious, potentially turning them vegetative, then 【Illusion Impact】 can utterly destroy a person’s mind and soul, reducing them to a complete living corpse.

Even those with resilient wills and powerful mental fortitude, when struck by 【Illusion Impact】， feel as if an invisible saber is wildly hacking inside their skulls, suffering unbearable agony. This is far more severe than 【Soul Lock】’s mere ability to briefly incapacitate.

Given that 【Soul Lock】 alone could cause significant effects on a Seven-Star Professional, the vastly improved and more terrifying 【Illusion Impact】 needs no further explanation.

At least at this stage, Su Ming doesn’t believe anyone can withstand the assault of his 【Illusion Impact】.

Even Old Ling would be stripped of a layer of skin, if not killed outright.

“In terms of attack power and destructive force, 【Illusion Impact】 might not match Spell Formulas like 【Mirror Heaven and Earth Shift】, which approach the limits of Advanced Spirit Arts.”

“But in terms of dread and horror, 【Illusion Impact】 undoubtedly surpasses large-scale offensive Spirit Arts such as 【Mirror Heaven and Earth Shift】, 【Vast Karma Brahma Scene】, and 【Futian Falling Blossom】 by several Ranks.”

“Even among the mere ten Forbidden Arts, 【Illusion Impact】 can hold its own without inferiority.”

In other words, Su Ming has effectively acquired a Forbidden Art that he can wield at will.

At the very least, compared to the single-target attack Spell Formulas within the Forbidden Arts, Su Ming doesn’t feel that 【Illusion Impact】 falls short.

“No matter how strong the attack power or destructive force of a Forbidden Art, can it be as terrifying as directly assaulting the mind and soul?”

“The former can be defended against or evaded, while the latter cannot—it must be endured head-on.”

“Even when enduring, the opponent’s own defensive capabilities offer no protection; they can only rely on willpower and mental strength to survive.”

“And in this world, whose will and spirit are so resilient and powerful as to completely ignore the existence of 【Illusion Impact】?”

Thinking this, Su Ming felt a wave of satisfaction.

【Illusion Impact】 + 【Dawn Star Orbit】—mastering these two great Spell Formulas has elevated his strength to another level.

Next…

Su Ming turned his gaze to his right hand.

On the cracked right hand, a faint, brilliant golden light flickered.

Yes.

No longer the previous dim blue, but a radiant gold.

This phenomenon occurred after consuming the Purple Snow Essence and undergoing the transformation of Demonization.

Since then, the cracks in Su Ming’s right hand no longer emitted a faint blue glow but instead shone with a golden light, just like during Demonization.Su Ming could feel that the strength in his right hand had increased significantly.

Moreover, the entity residing within his right hand was no longer as uncontrollable as it had been in the past.

“Buzz!”

A brilliant golden light suddenly erupted from his right hand, illuminating the entire room.

The next second, an entirely black demonic sword emerged from the radiance of his right hand and fell into Su Ming’s grasp.

It was none other than the Demon Emperor Sword.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz…!”

The moment it appeared, the Demon Emperor Sword trembled violently, as if trying to break free from Su Ming’s control and return to his right hand.

Unfortunately, Su Ming was no longer the same as before and was no longer helpless against this situation.

“Hmph!”

With a cold snort, the golden light in Su Ming’s right hand intensified, and an astonishing power erupted from the hand gripping the Demon Emperor Sword, suppressing the demonic nature of the blade.

At the same time, the Blue Demon Truce Ring worn on Su Ming’s right wrist also began to glow with flowing light, firmly restraining the demonic nature of the Demon Emperor Sword.

The trembling of the Demon Emperor Sword gradually weakened bit by bit.

Su Ming could clearly sense that as the sword’s resistance faded, the violent will within this Divine Artifact was also gradually receding.

A slow smile curled at the corners of Su Ming’s lips.

After his complete transformation, the power of his right hand had surged, and he had grown increasingly proficient in controlling it. Finally, he had managed to force out the Demon Emperor Sword that had been residing within.

The combination of the explosive growth in his right hand’s power, the improvement in his own strength, and the power of the Blue Demon Truce Ring had ultimately allowed Su Ming to completely subdue the Demon Emperor Sword.

From this moment on, Su Ming could retire the Fire Fang Saber.

In fact, that alchemical long saber had already been tossed into the Golden Finger Shop, exchanged for chips, and used to purchase packages to be opened. He had no choice but to replace it.

But now that he had fully subdued the Demon Emperor Sword, Su Ming could finally wield the power of this Divine Artifact in battle.

The mental erosion of the Demon Emperor Sword could no longer affect Su Ming, who was protected by the power of his right hand and the Blue Demon Truce Ring. It could only be suppressed by him, just like this.

“Perhaps I will be the first person in history to truly control a Divine Artifact.”

Su Ming smiled with immense satisfaction.

Soon after, Su Ming recalled the girl he had encountered in the Midnight Labyrinth, who also wielded a Divine Artifact but was exceptionally deranged.

Thinking of that girl, Su Ming’s eyes flickered.

He had a premonition.

“We will meet again very soon.”

……

Wilderness, Hazard Zone.

In an unknown patch of darkness, a girl seemed to sense something and opened her eyes.

Those eyes held no reason, no humanity—only a frenzied shade of crimson.

“Hehe…”

The next moment, the girl laughed.

As if thinking of something delightful, she smiled brilliantly, yet with a touch of madness.

“Qing Qing will come to play with you soon, okay?”

“Big brother…”

As she murmured these words, an extremely dangerous fluctuation rippled across the Great Sin Blade in her hand, which glowed with a sinister crimson light.

It was as if she were anticipating something.

Holding the massive blade, the girl slowly walked forward.

Ahead of her, a Base City was engulfed in raging flames.

……

The next day, at dawn.

Early in the morning, Su Ming awoke from his sleep.

The reason was simple.”We have a visitor, Commander.”

Mu Yan delivered this news, instantly wiping away any trace of drowsiness from Su Ming.

Su Ming quickly dressed, finished his morning routine, and headed toward the reception room.

His Spirit Sense had long been activated, now far more powerful than before.

Thus, he already knew exactly who this so-called “visitor” was.

It was the person Qin Qing had mentioned yesterday—the one who would come looking for him soon.

And indeed, it was soon.

To think they had arrived the very next day. It was clear they were truly impatient and had been eager to meet Su Ming.

Su Ming, too, wanted to properly confirm the other party’s current situation, quickening his pace by threefold.

Just as Su Ming was about to push open the door to the reception room, it swung open first.

A figure, much like Su Ming, seemed to have already activated their Spirit Sense, detecting Su Ming’s arrival a step ahead.

Immediately, the other party pushed the door open and rushed out from the reception room.

“Brother Su Ming!”

With a joyful cry, the girl threw herself into Su Ming’s arms.

She was exquisitely beautiful and adorable, like a porcelain doll. Petite in stature with slender limbs, her waist-length raven hair floated mid-air with her movements. Her face bore the most dazzling, most endearing smile, accentuating a pair of charming dimples.

This girl was An Zijin.

After several months and an unexpected upheaval, this girl-next-door had finally reappeared before Su Ming.

“Brother Su Ming… Brother Su Ming… Brother Su Ming…!”

An Zijin clung tightly to Su Ming, repeatedly murmuring his name, like an abandoned girl returning to her beloved—seeming somewhat helpless and pitiable.

“It’s alright now, everything’s fine.”

Su Ming held this girl-next-door, patting her slender, soft shoulders as he comforted her gently.

At that moment, two more people emerged from the reception room.

“Senior!”

“Su… Senior Su Ming!”

The two called out happily in unison.

Su Ming was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed.

“Wanyu! Beibei!”

That’s right.

These two were none other than An Zijin’s roommates and Su Ming’s juniors—Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei.

“What are you two doing here?”

Su Ming was surprised.

When he had activated his Spirit Sense earlier, his attention had been entirely on An Zijin, so he hadn’t noticed the two others in the reception room.

Thus, his surprise was genuine, as was his delight.

Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei also seemed thrilled to see Su Ming again.

“So you didn’t know we came to Tianfeng City with Zijin?” Jiang Wanyu feigned complaint, though inwardly pleased. “It seems you only care about Zijin, you bad senior.”

Yao Beibei remained silent, showing no sign of displeasure, simply standing there with a silly grin.

“You came to Tianfeng City with Little Zijin?”

Su Ming held An Zijin with one arm while scratching his cheek with the other, his eyes filled with astonishment.

He truly hadn’t known about this.

It was Yao Beibei who, after finishing her silly grinning, explained to Su Ming, “We’ve known for a while that Little Zijin’s identity is quite special. Before Little Zijin went to Longyao City, the Qin Family sent people to find us first, asking us to stay by Little Zijin’s side and look after her.””That’s right.” Jiang Wanyu spoke with a sigh: “Although, initially, we didn’t know that Zijin was such an important and special person to the Qin Family. We only knew that Zijin had connections with the Qin Family. The Madam assigned to Zijin’s side also told us that one day, Zijin would come to Tianfeng City, and by then, we could follow along and seize the opportunity to restore our family. But we truly never expected the truth to be like this.”

Both Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei were originally descendants of a declining Hunter Family in Yinze City.

Their talents were quite good, but their backgrounds were nothing remarkable—at least incomparable to An Zijin, and even falling short of Xu Qianqian. They could be considered children from a humble, impoverished family.

It wasn’t until the Qin Family sent someone to secretly protect An Zijin—the one Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei referred to as “Madam”—that the two girls encountered a different life.

That “Madam” had promised that as long as Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei took good care of An Zijin and protected her, when An Zijin was brought to Tianfeng City, they could come along and receive support from the Qin Family.

By then, they would have the opportunity to become Upper-Rank Professionals, or even high-Rank Professionals, and restore their declining family.

For this reason, Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei came to An Zijin’s side and even transferred with her from Yinze City to Longyao City, becoming Su Ming’s juniors.

“So that’s how it is.”

Su Ming understood.

“By the way, Senior, you’ve kept quite a few things from us too.” Jiang Wanyu now expressed her dissatisfaction, puffing her cheeks as she looked at Su Ming indignantly. “Turns out you’re so powerful. If we hadn’t come to Tianfeng City, we wouldn’t have known you were a Dual Professional and had already become an Upper-Rank Professional.”

“Yeah.” Yao Beibei also muttered softly, “We thought you were just hiding some of your strength and not showing your true abilities. Who would have thought you were hiding so much?”

Previously, the two girls had suspected that Su Ming had secrets, which had led to quite a few amusing incidents.

Now, they finally knew what those secrets were.

But these secrets were so significant they could scare them to death.

An eighteen-year-old Upper-Rank Dual Professional?

And not just newly advanced to Upper-Rank, but with at least one profession reaching Six-Star and another reaching Five-Star?

Heavens!

In Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei’s understanding, the strength Su Ming had displayed was only equivalent to that of an elite student at Longyao City’s Demon Hunter Academy.

And what Rank were the elite students at Longyao City’s Demon Hunter Academy?

At most, they were One-Star, and whether they could even achieve a Two-Star evaluation was still unknown.

In other words, in the eyes of people like Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei, Su Ming was originally just a recent graduate, a rookie with only One-Star.

To suddenly leap to Five or Six-Star, and with both professions advancing to Five and Six-Star—if they hadn’t confirmed it thoroughly, Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei would truly be unwilling to believe that this person was Su Ming.”If I had known you were so powerful, Senior, I wouldn’t have flaunted my family’s alchemical weapon during the Huaming Campaign. It ended up attracting so much attention from important figures, and I was constantly on edge throughout the battle—almost died too.”

Jiang Wanyu still wore an indignant expression.

“Mhmm! Mhmm!”

Yao Beibei nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Though they said this, the way they looked at Su Ming had changed from before, now somewhat resembling the starry-eyed gaze of fans looking at an idol.

“Haven’t you two kept plenty of things from me as well?”

Su Ming couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

If not for this incident, he wouldn’t have known that Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei had ended up by An Zijin’s side in such a manner.

One could only say they were equally guilty—neither should point fingers at the other.

Of course, while that was true, Su Ming still felt quite happy.

Being able to see his adorable junior here again genuinely lifted his spirits.

Until…

“Hey, are you all having so much fun chatting that you’ve forgotten about me?”

A voice full of resentment sounded from within Su Ming’s embrace.

Su Ming: “……”

Jiang Wanyu, Yao Beibei: “……”

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(End of Chapter)