2053 Self-Destruct Sequence, Initiated! (2)

Soon, the "wrong" was woven into the fabric of "right."

For the users of the Mystery Boxes, the internal nested Divine Array had originally identified different identities through blood recognition.

Now, when blood was introduced, only one result appeared: Situ Yongren!

––What could be weaker, more inconspicuous than Situ Yongren, yet possess such high authority, without triggering stress reactions?

"Here, my precious dragon," Xu Xiaoshou said, tossing the Mystery Box down. "Take a look at this valuable item I risked my life for, almost losing it, only to steal it back," he continued, "and now, bleed on it."

No need for emphasis, the Demonic Emperor Black recognized Xu Xiaoshou's skill and endurance. With a flick of its eyes, it held the Mystery Box in its dragon maw, allowing its blood to soak in.

"What is this?" it asked.

"The Mystery Box. If nothing goes wrong, as you drip your blood in it, the countdown in your mind will disappear."

The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon waited for a moment, then shook its dragon head. "It didn't."

It did not?

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded.

Before he could speak, the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon spat the Mystery Box back out, and Xu Xiaoshou hurriedly grabbed it to examine it.

It could not be wrong.

Even though his mastery of the Divine Secret might not compare to Dao Qiongcang, he should be able to decipher the Mystery Box.

But as he held the Mystery Box and probed deeper, Xu Xiaoshou quickly realized the problem.

"This thing can only be used by demi-saints and those below?"

The internal Divine Array of the Mystery Box did not explicitly mention this hidden condition, but Xu Xiaoshou deduced it.

He was initially surprised but then it dawned on him.

It made sense!

It made too much sense!

After all, the Mystery Boxes were created by Dao Qiongcang.

And how could Dao Qiongcang, the enigmatic god, overlook these points:

"On Abyss Island, the Holy Divine Palace cannot send a Holy Emperor. At most, they could send demi-saints like Yan Wuse, Number Two, or Rao Yaoyao."

"But his opponent is Bazhun'an... Bazhun'an may not appear in person, but as the Master of the Black and White Veins, Abyss Island is like his home turf. There's a high probability he can summon Holy Emperor-level assistance."

"Precious dragon has also come out, even though it's just a Clone of Will, it's still a Holy Emperor."

"If the Mystery Boxes can be used by Holy Emperors and are taken or deciphered, the precious dragon will truly possess the power to slay Saints!"

Xu Xiaoshou was in shock.

He had not realized that Dao Qiongcang had anticipated this from the very beginning.

But how could a normal person foresee this far ahead?

How could Dao Qiongcang notice the details of the Mystery Boxes being susceptible to deciphering so early?

"My Divine Secret always breaks through in critical moments, relying on the passive system... Is he a prophet?"

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts briefly stalled before it finally clicked for him.

Patriarch Wuji!

That guy used Liu Changqing as a ghost beast host body and fled to Shengshen Continent.

Even if he was not on Abyss Island now, Dao Qiongcang, the one who left nothing to chance, should have factored Patriarch Wuji in ahead of time.

This ultimately led to the complete suppression of the Mystery Boxes' potential use by Holy Emperors.

"So terrifying!"

Having never confronted Dao Qiongcang directly, Xu Xiaoshou, at this moment, gained a completely new understanding of the words "enigmatic and unpredictable."

His cleverness had always been about adapting on the fly during battles.

But the Hallmaster Dao had everything calculated and prepared for the situation even before it occurred.

"Is this what it means to be a top-tier player?"

Xu Xiaoshou began to feel a bit overwhelmed.

He had struggled for so long and gained nothing. It was utterly ridiculous.

"No, there's still something to gain..."

Memories flashed, and Xu Xiaoshou remembered something.

He once again used his Divine Spirit Threads, and soon the Mystery Box made a cracking sound, revealing a black and red scroll.

"As expected!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes gleamed with excitement. It was a Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree!

He had guessed correctly. Inside each Mystery Box corresponded a Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree or something of similar caliber kept for various needs.

Human nature was selfish.

Situ Yongren had given the Mystery Box with depleted contents to Rao Yaoyao and Yu Lingdi, while he kept the one with an untapped trump card for himself.

Now, it belonged to Xu Xiaoshou.

"Situ Yongren, I'm truly grateful!"

Xu Xiaoshou was excited. He had witnessed the immense power of the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree many times.

Besides the battles at the First Hall of Sins he had observed, and the clashes between Number Two and Master Siren, he had personally experienced it in the Forest of Miracles, back when he was subjected to Jiang Buyi's "Return" Mysterious Decree.

And on Fallen Abyss, Yan Wuse had used the "Reveal" Mysterious Decree to instantly defeat one of his... er, second true bodies.

It had been so painful!

But now, the joy of inflicting such pain on others had come full circle and struck him.

"Precious dragon, help me take a look at this." Xu Xiaoshou could not contain his excitement.

"No need to look, it's a blank Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree." The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon had long outgrown the age of playing with Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decrees and remained unfazed.

It preferred the Holy Emperor's Golden Edicts.

Back on the Inner Island, it had made a bunch for fun and handed them to its little brothers for fights, keeping some for itself.

Unfortunately, it had not brought them along. Otherwise, it would be a breeze to make Xu Xiaoshou's head spin right now.

"Can you tell who made it, whether I can use it, and if there are any hidden dangers?" Xu Xiaoshou fired off three questions in a row.

"Puny demi-saints, why would I remember their names?" The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon scoffed and then added, "But a blank Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree, once made, can be used by anyone."

"No hidden dangers?"

"There were," the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon paused for a moment, "but not anymore."