Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Su Xiao's fingers brushed over the slightly rough wood grain of the [Chapter of Greed] before storing it in his storage space.

Inside this seemingly unremarkable wooden plaque, the "ultimate feast" for the consciousness of an ancient god is currently unfolding.

The butcher of living beings' malicious "care" was enough to grind any remaining will into pieces. Azathoth's consciousness fell into it, and his fate was already sealed.

Lin Yi felt as if his legs were filled with lead, and every step he took was accompanied by excruciating pain deep in his soul.

The grieving woman supported his arm, carrying most of his weight, and led him to the only empty chair in the room—or rather, the chair that had been cleared out.

The Moen family member who had been sitting there was grabbed by the back of his collar without mercy by the Sorrowful Daughter and thrown into the corner like a piece of junk.

The man crashed into the hard stone wall, letting out a muffled groan, but he didn't even have the courage to look up. He just curled up and tried his best to hide himself in the shadows.

Gus walked to Su Xiao's side, his eyes sweeping over the other Moen family members in the room who were trembling like leaves, before finally settling on Su Xiao's face.

Should the three of them "clean up" the scene to prevent future troubles?

Although the Moen family is theoretically descended from Laurent, a thousand years is enough to wash away any warmth based on blood ties.

To Laurent, these people were no different from the unfamiliar wizards he encountered on the road, and were even more irritating because of the potential risks they might pose.

Moen Alfredo, who had just been beheaded by Su Xiao, might be a descendant of Laurent from countless generations away in terms of bloodline, but this relationship was as thin as paper in the face of cruel reality and long separation.

Su Xiao shook his head slightly, and with a "clang," the Dragon Slayer Flash slid precisely into its sheath.

He wasn't being soft-hearted; rather, after weighing the options, he decided it wasn't necessary.

The lives and deaths of these people have no impact on the overall situation, and further killings are not the best solution.

His gaze shifted to Moen Tony, whose face was ashen, and without a word, he simply raised his right hand and made a clean, crisp horizontal stroke with his index finger across his neck.

Moen Tony's pupils suddenly contracted, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

He understood the meaning of the gesture—not death, but "disappearance".

He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, then, as if he had made up his mind, he suddenly lowered his head and slammed his forehead hard against the heavy stone table beside him!

"Boom!"

A dull thud resounded, the force of which was precisely controlled, without causing a loud echo, but a spiderweb-like network of cracks instantly spread across the sturdy tabletop.

Moen Tony rolled his eyes upward, let out a soft groan, his legs stiffened, and he fell straight backward like a puppet with its strings cut, collapsing to the ground with a thud, completely lifeless, perfectly portraying the act of fainting.

With him as their "role model," how could the remaining core members of the Moen family in the room dare to hesitate even for a moment? The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything.

In an instant, an absurd scene unfolded in the room.

Some people imitated Moen Tony, slamming their heads against the wall; others choked themselves until their faces turned from white to blue and they collapsed from lack of oxygen; still others took out a knife they carried with them, gritted their teeth and cut a shallow gash in their thighs or arms, trying to force themselves to faint through the excruciating pain.

Whether they were truly dizzy or feigning it, within just a few breaths, no one was left standing in the room except for Su Xiao and his group.

Everyone expressed their attitude of "I have lost consciousness and am harmless" in their own way.

They knew very well that this was the only way to survive.

If they weren't "sensible," those three silent immortal wizards would definitely not mind turning this reception room into a real morgue.

Su Xiao no longer paid any attention to these "unconscious people" and walked to Lin Yi's side.

Lin Yi was slumped in the chair, as if all the bones in his body had been removed.

He pressed his temples hard with one hand, large beads of cold sweat seeping from his forehead, making him look as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

The grieving woman stood quietly to one side, holding a handkerchief in her hand, gently wiping away the dripping sweat from his brow.

At this moment, Lin Yi felt as if his brain had been thrown into a blender full of cold, sharp spikes.

Every thought is like being pierced and stirred by thousands of invisible icicles, bringing a kind of excruciating pain from the very source of the soul.

This pain far exceeded the limits of physical endurance, destroying not only his ability to think but also making even maintaining basic consciousness a form of torture.

He sensed Su Xiao approaching, and with all his might, he managed to lift his eyelids, but his vision was blurry, so he could only shake his head.

Seeing Lin Yi's inability to even give a simple response, Su Xiao had a clearer assessment of his condition.

Three times in a row, especially at the last moment, the overwhelming [Soul Suppression] was launched against Azathoth, and the backlash against Lin Yi was devastating.

This is no longer a simple case of mental exhaustion. Under such circumstances, any external stimulus, or even overly complex thinking, could be like striking a cracked piece of glass, causing the injury to worsen.

What Lin Yi needs most right now is a completely quiet sleep, allowing his soul to heal slowly through instinct.

Fortunately, the main threats within the city of Heru have been largely eliminated.

The ruler Sothos has been confirmed dead, and the rules he controlled are temporarily without a master; the consciousness of the mastermind Azathoth is being "processed"; the core of the Moen family has "collectively withdrawn from the stage" in this farcical way; and other scattered forces in the city, under the intimidation of the three immortal wizards and the Sorrowful Daughter, dare not make any moves in the short term.

With the protection of the sorrowful woman, Lin Yi's safety can be guaranteed.

Su Xiao and Lin Yi had already secretly assessed the strength of the Sorrowful Daughter. After fusing half of Nia's heart and origin, the power contained within her body was almost comparable to that of the original Nia.

If it were truly a life-or-death struggle, among the three immortal wizards, perhaps only Laurent, with the deepest foundation, would be qualified to confront her head-on.

After confirming that Lin Yi was out of immediate danger and that the environment was relatively safe, Su Xiao turned some of his attention to the [Chapter of Greed] that he had just put away.

He needs to check the progress of the "processing" within.

He separated an extremely subtle wisp of consciousness and carefully probed into that special space.

Thirty seconds later, Su Xiao suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes, and a faint blue light flashed and disappeared deep in his eyes, as if an arc of electricity had extinguished it.

[Hint: Azathoth's 'Dark Fountain' has been destroyed.]

[Azathoth the Blind is dead.]

[Azathoth, the Source of Darkness, is not dead; he has entered a state of berserk chaos.]

[Since the hunter failed to kill Azathoth, the Source of Darkness, they will only receive World Source and Soul Coins as rewards.]

You have gained 8.7% of the World Source.

[You get 135 soul coins. ]

The warning tone, like a final verdict, tolled the death knell for Azathoth's consciousness.

Lin Yi, who had been maintaining a sliver of consciousness, finally relaxed completely after confirming that the biggest mastermind behind the scenes had been completely wiped out.

The string that held his consciousness snapped suddenly, and boundless darkness surged in like a tide, instantly engulfing all his senses.

His head lolled to the side, his body went limp, and he fell into a deep coma, completely unconscious.

The grieving woman reacted quickly, adjusting her position so he could lean against her more comfortably. She looked down at Lin Yi's bloodless face, and a clear trace of worry was reflected in his eyes, which always stared blankly ahead.

Su Xiao glanced at Lin Yi, who was completely unconscious, and made a simple gesture to the others: "Let's go back to the stone chamber first."

The three immortal wizards nodded silently and turned around first. The Sorrowful Woman carefully picked up Lin Yi and followed closely behind.

Su Xiao walked at the back of the group, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, taking on the responsibility of covering the rear.

Just as Su Xiao's left foot stepped out of the room, her movements suddenly froze.

"Qiang——!"

The Dragon Slayer was drawn again, this time not by half an inch, but by the entire gleaming blade exposed to the air, its cold tip pointing precisely to the inside of the room, to a seemingly empty corner.

"come out."

After a brief silence, the shadow pointed at by the knife began to ripple like a stone breaking the surface of still water.

Immediately afterwards, a slender and graceful figure emerged from the water, gradually solidifying from an illusion and appearing before everyone.

It was the female assassin, Meihuan, who had previously made a secret deal with Lin Yi.

At this moment, Meihuan felt the incomparably sharp blade intent, as if her soul had been cut by the cold blade tip.

She had already cursed Sphinx's ancestors for eighteen generations in her mind.

That damned bastard actually used so few resources and empty promises to try and get her to assassinate Su Xiao, a monster who could even kill an ancient god? This is practically pushing her into a fire pit!

Fortunately, she had a keen sense of smell and had paved the way for Lin Yi in advance by signing a cooperation agreement. Otherwise, if she had to bite the bullet and carry out the assassination mission, she had no doubt that her fate would have been terrible.

Su Xiao stabbed her three times; she probably owes seven lives, and won't even be able to leave behind a complete corpse.

Under Su Xiao's cold gaze, Mei Huan raised her hands without hesitation.

"Don't lay a hand on me, I'm one of your own."

She spoke faster, emphasizing her position.

Su Xiao's blade did not move an inch, remaining as steady as a rock.

"reason."

Mei Huan dared not delay or conceal anything, and immediately revealed the purpose of her trip: "Sphinx sent me. The mission targets are you and the doctor. But I have already reached a cooperation agreement with the doctor, and he should have mentioned it to you. I risked coming here this time mainly to convey the latest developments of Sphinx's side under the guise of assassination."

She took a deep breath and continued quickly, "Sphinx has been acting very strangely lately. He seems to be secretly planning an extremely large operation, the details of which are known very little even to his core members, such as Sugar Pill and Iron Curtain, whom he considers his right-hand men. They're keeping it very tight-lipped. I've used some of my old channels to investigate, but I've only gotten some fragmented and vague information. It feels like... he might be about to launch a final, desperate counterattack, and he seems to be acting recklessly. I came out on this assassination mission to personally warn you to be extremely careful; his next move could be very extreme."

After saying this, Mei Huan held her breath and looked at Su Xiao nervously.

She knew that the truth of her words could not be hidden from the hunter before her, whose senses were terrifyingly sharp.

She was betting on the slight trust that Lin Yi had gained from his previous communication with Su Xiao and her own honesty at this moment.

Su Xiao's gaze lingered on Mei Huan's face for a full five seconds, as if analyzing every subtle change in her expression.

Finally, Su Xiao slightly lowered his wrist, and the Dragon Slayer Blade emitted a clear and melodious hum. With a "clang," it cleanly and neatly returned to its sheath.

"Get lost." Su Xiao's voice remained indifferent, but the murderous intent that had been fixed on her had dissipated.

Mei Huan felt a huge weight lifted from her heart, and dared not linger for even a moment, much less utter a single word.

Her figure vanished like an ink droplet in water, disappearing quickly into the shadows as if she had never existed.

Su Xiao turned back one last time, her cold gaze sweeping over the Moen family members still in various "unconscious" positions in the room, as well as the messy floor and the headless corpse.

He said nothing more, turned around, and strode away from the room filled with blood and fear.

The undercurrents in Hru City subsided temporarily with the destruction of the Dominator and the consciousness of Azathoth, but Su Xiao knew very well that this was only a brief calm in the eye of the storm.

An even more violent storm is brewing in the hands of the Sphinx.

Back in the stone chamber deep within the Wizarding Guild headquarters, Su Xiao gestured to the Daughter of Sorrow to settle Lin Yi on a bed covered with thick, soft animal hides.

The grieving woman did as she was told, and then she sat quietly on the stone bench by the bed, her gaze fixed on Lin Yi's sleeping face, like a guardian deity.

Bubuwang approached the bedside and carefully rubbed its wet nose against Lin Yi's hand, which was hanging over the edge of the bed.

Am stood at the only entrance to the stone chamber, clutching its ice axe, which was the size of a door panel, and even deliberately kept its breathing quiet.

"Let him sleep, don't disturb him," Su Xiao said to the grieving woman, then walked to a corner of the stone chamber away from the bed and sat down cross-legged.

He closed his eyes and began to devote some of his attention to sorting out the fragmented memories he had forcibly seized from Azathoth's consciousness before it was erased.

Although the main consciousness has been destroyed, these fragments may still contain clues about the White Goat's weaknesses and Sphinx's recent unusual behavior. Any piece of information could be the key to victory or defeat.

Time flowed quietly in the silence of the stone chamber, and the city of Heru, a city that had suffered so much, seemed to have finally found a moment to breathe.

Although the sunlight that had briefly pierced the clouds had been swallowed up again by the thick haze, the heavy malice emanating from the ancient gods had indeed diminished considerably.

The killing of the savior and the clearing away of the ancient god's consciousness, like silent ripples, subtly altered the foundations of this city and influenced the landscape of distant Eisenla.

"Are there still any restrictions on your activities, you three?" Su Xiao asked the three immortal wizards.

Gus, Dawn, and Laurent exchanged glances.

In the end, it was Gus, who had the most contact with Su Xiao and Lin Yi, who spoke up to answer.

“There are two main things that have bound us for thousands of years.” Gus held up two withered fingers. “The first is the suppression and surveillance from the rulers Sothos and the White Goat. This has been greatly reduced with the complete fall of Sothos and after you… well, after you disposed of Azathoth’s consciousness. Although the White Goat has taken over some of the power, it seems to have focused its main attention elsewhere and has loosened its suppression of us considerably.”

He paused, lowered the first finger, and continued, "Secondly, there's the severe depletion and alienation caused by our own long-term struggle against erosion and the burning of our divine bodies to extract holy silver. This point..."

His gaze involuntarily turned to Lin Yi, who was unconscious on the bed, and a complex and inexplicable gratitude flashed in his eyes.

"Thanks to the previous treatment, our damaged life essence has been greatly repaired and replenished, and our distorted form has been corrected. Although we are still far from our peak, at least, we can now move freely like this, and even engage in combat of a certain intensity."

“Sphinx and the White Goat are still here,” Su Xiao said succinctly. “He needs more time to recover. In the meantime, we need to ensure absolute stability in Hru City and gather all intelligence on the movements of Sphinx and the White Goat.”

He looked at Gus: "You know Eisenra's power best. Using your past connections and influence, I need to know exactly what Sphinx is planning lately, as well as the White Goat's exact location and status. The more detailed the intelligence, the better."

A glint flashed in Gus's eyes: "Understood. I will use some 'eyes' and 'ears' that have been buried for a long time."

Su Xiao then looked at Laurent and Dawn: "The order of Heru City is entrusted to you. Eliminate any potential threats and ensure that the Wizarding Council and this area we are in are impregnable. If necessary, take any measures."

Laurent nodded silently. Don't think Laurent is a nice guy. As someone who could be personally schemed against by Azathoth, he can be said to be the strongest of the three.

The three immortal wizards were not only working to fulfill Su Xiao and Lin Yi's goals, but also for themselves and for the ultimate liberation of this world.

At this moment, they are natural allies with Su Xiaolin and Yi.

About two hours later, Baha's figure emerged from the ventilation opening above the stone chamber and landed steadily on Su Xiao's shoulder.

"Boss," Baha reported in a low voice, barely audible to Su Xiao, "The city is eerily quiet right now. The Moen family has completely gone silent, and the remaining small fry have all cowered. Those three old guys are quick on their feet; Gus, I don't know how, has already sent people towards Eisenla. Laurent and Dawn's leader are cleaning up several wizarding families that were previously closely allied with the Moen family, and they're doing it cleanly and efficiently."

Su Xiao nodded slightly; this was within his expectations. (End of Chapter)