Li Xi crushed all the magic detection equipment, took out the expensive magic crystals inside, and threw the other scraps to the little devil to play with. He had already decided that Donau was either a vampire or a human traitor. Killing intent surged in his single eye. "Vampire, it seems we are destined to be enemies, not friends. Enjoy your short remaining life, for it will not last long."
In the center of Li Xi's heart, the Silkworm God Alice was happily absorbing the power of faith transmitted from the void, swallowing it heartily as if enjoying a delicious lunch.
After the great battle, the small plane was in ruins. Facing four hundred thousand mouths, the one person and one god were at a loss. In the end, the evil god Silkworm Baby inadvertently said that if there were divine power, she could create an oasis. Li Xi happened to have a little left. For future grand plans, he took out his last twenty drops of divine power.
With these twenty drops of divine power, the evil god Silkworm Baby changed the world and created the oasis before them, providing precious habitat for all living beings and barely sustaining four hundred thousand mouths.
With the survival problem solved, Li Xi began the next step of his plan. Compared to the laid-back, Buddhist-like faith of the evil god Silkworm Baby, Li Xi naturally wanted to regularize, scale up, or, in other words, industrialize it.
First, he created a magnificent totem of the evil god Silkworm Baby and, despite her objections, named her Silkworm God Alice.
From then on, the world had one less evil god and one more Silkworm God Alice. As for what a Silkworm God was, Alice didn't know, and Li Xi always smiled and didn't explain.
He forced the demons and insect soldiers to pray every day, providing faith for Alice's divine power, ensuring that two drops of divine power could be generated every five days. From the beginning of the plan until now, Alice had converted and stored three drops of divine power.
From then on, divine power was no longer a bottleneck to Li Xi's strength, but time!
Having absorbed the bloodlines of several great races, Li Xi's lifespan had long since broken the limits of mortals. Whether it was dragons or fire demons, their lifespans could exceed a thousand years. Thus, time was something Li Xi did not lack.
"Are you taking me to the main world?" Alice's voice was filled with excitement. As everyone knows, everything in the main world is the best, and even the feces in the main world are said to be fragrant.
Compared to the harsh environment of the abyss, the main world was paradise, the ultimate goal of all living beings. For tens of thousands of years, the abyss had been constantly launching wars, all for the sake of conquering this world of birds and flowers. Now, he could settle down in the main world in broad daylight. Compared to other demons, Silkworm God Alice felt a sense of pride.
"Yes, the matters here have been handled for now. We cannot be hasty about conquering the opposite abyss. The main world is the center of our future development. When my strength increases further, it will be time for us to return and conquer the opposite abyss."
"Then what does this have to do with you asking me to quietly control that barbarian?" Alice didn't understand why Li Xi wanted her to do it secretly while he was unconscious, subtly influencing and changing him without him noticing.
Li Xi smiled and summoned from afar. A blue figure was rapidly approaching. "You'll know later."
The two-tailed Matatabi, burning with blue flames, rushed over. Since being released by Li Xi, he had been having a blast in this small plane. "Li Xi, what's up?"
"You don't have to go back with me this time. Stay here and protect the small plane from invasion. If there are any unexpected situations, tell me. With Alice's location and divine power, I can tear space and teleport over. Most importantly, supervise these demons to pray every day without interruption, not a single second less."
Upon hearing Li Xi's instructions, the two-tailed Matatabi's expression was blank, but the blue flames burning all over his body burst out dozens of meters high with a 'poof'. The rapidly rising temperature clearly revealed his true feelings. He looked as excited as a good child who had received a reward from his teacher. It seemed Li Xi's decision was very much to his liking.
Suppressing the urge to grin widely, he pretended to be calm. "You go. I will take good care of our world."
Inside the sealed space, Isobu, the three-tailed beast, who was still floating on the sea, learned of what was happening outside and felt a sense of envy. To be able to run freely in a world without enemies was something they, the tailed beasts, dared not even dream of. Even if the world's environment was harsh, they were not picky. They did not eat, drink, die, or live forever. Other than freedom, they had no other needs.
Since Li Xi could now fully transform into a tailed beast, the system seal on his abdomen was nominal. It would be a disservice to himself not to use such good free labor.
While Isobu was so envious his eyes turned red, a voice echoed in the sealed space. "Don't worry. When we stand at the pinnacle of the world and gather all nine tailed beasts, I will give each of you a world to play in to your heart's content. This is my promise to you."
"Okay, I'll wait for you." Li Xi's simple promise made the apathetic Isobu a little envious. It had to be said that this promise was exactly what they, the tailed beasts, were looking for.
Isobu began to fantasize about this life arriving soon. To have a world made of seawater to play in was something even the Sage of Six Paths had not achieved in his time.
'I must raise many, many giant squids. They are chewy. Then raise some small turtles, and have them all call me father. If possible, I'll also learn from the habits of this world and find some life to have them believe in me. It doesn't matter if it generates divine power, the main thing is to be cool.'
'What should I name myself to be majestic and imposing?'
While Isobu was lost in his own imagination, Li Xi, holding a teleportation token, vanished in a flash of white light.
The two-tailed Matatabi, who remained behind, first looked around cautiously, then carefully sensed his connection with Li Xi. Confirming that Li Xi had disappeared from this world, he shook his body and roared at the demon army and insect soldiers beside him. "You have three days to carve a totem in my likeness, to scale. If you fail, I will bestow upon you hunger, a month of hunger."
Compared to Li Xi's harsh methods, the demons' fear of the two-tailed Matatabi was etched into their bones. The current desolate, plant-less appearance of the small plane was all thanks to him. The destructive power of the eerie black spheres and forbidden curses he used were comparable to a world-ending event.
So, the moment the two-tailed Matatabi issued his command, dust flew everywhere as all the demons and insect soldiers scattered in all directions to find suitable stones for carving.
"Hahaha!" The small plane echoed with the two-tailed Matatabi's laughter. "Remember my name. I am Matatabi, the Matatabi who rules you."
"Yes, Your Great Majesty Matatabi."
.........
"Is this the main world?"
Crawling out from Li Xi's heart, the miniature Alice, perched on Li Xi's hand, felt the sweet breeze. Even the winter cold made Alice reluctant to leave.
Everything was so novel. The world was so colorful, the clouds so white, the sky so blue, the land so fertile, and even the unfamiliar trees were so verdant. The chirping of birds and beasts carried by the breeze was so pleasant.
Alice, who had never experienced such a dual sensory impact, understood at this moment why the abyss demons tirelessly attacked the main world.
Compared to the abyss, with its constant volcanoes, variable temperatures—either scorching hot or so cold it could freeze a demon into an ice stick—and a sky that was always only one color—blood red—the main world was paradise. If she had had this ability earlier, she would have moved here long ago.
"This is the main world, but it's not as beautiful as you see. It's a man-eating world where you can only survive by making cunning and deceit second nature."
"I'll accept being eaten. Spending one more day like this is a pleasure." Alice decided at that moment never to return to the abyss, then looked at Li Xi. "Besides, aren't you here?"
Li Xi smiled. "It's not just me, it's us."
.........
The underground mercenary world,
Li Xi, wearing a cat mask, arrived at the reception booth. Opposite the table was the same receptionist whose appearance was unseen. Li Xi feigned anger, grabbed the person's collar, and glared at him with his single eye behind the mask. "Give me back my fifty thousand gold coins, you liar! You used my kindness to deceive me. That was a world of great battles. Surviving there required praying for the goddess's blessing, let alone hunting evil gods. Unless I'm an eighth-level Sword Saint, give me my money back."
Li Xi's roar was like a giant's voice, deafening the receptionist to the point he couldn't hear anything. He only knew that the person before him, one of the only two who had survived this mission, was venting his anger.
The receptionist was also puzzled. This mission had been around for many years, even before he became a receptionist. No one had ever returned alive, yet today, two people had come back alive. What a strange coincidence.
His head buzzed as if his brain matter had been turned into mush. The receptionist waved his hands haphazardly, trying to push Li Xi away, but Li Xi's hands were like a pair of large pliers, clamped tightly onto his collar, making all his struggles seem comically foolish. Sudan Novel Network
Perhaps Li Xi had vented enough of his anger, or perhaps seeing that the person couldn't hear anything, he finally let go. After the receptionist, who slumped in his chair for a while before regaining his senses, saw Li Xi still glaring at him, he quickly wiped the sweat from his face. "Mr. Richart, you're back. How was the mission?"
"Give me my money back, you big liar."
Not only was the reception room echoing with Li Xi's voice, but even the hall outside was filled with rumbling sounds.
Facing Li Xi's roar, the receptionist remained unfazed. "Mr. Richart, we had an agreement. The location of the evil god was in the abyss. We couldn't possibly have detailed information. It was all up to fate. I repeatedly told you that no one before you had ever returned alive."
"Hmph, but that doesn't absolve you of deception." Li Xi's chest heaved several times. "Compensate me, I want you to compensate me for my losses."
"Compensation is impossible." Just as the receptionist refused Li Xi's proposal, the next second, he saw what looked like real flames spewing from Li Xi's single eye. He felt a pang of unease. Wouldn't this guy do something to him in a fit of rage? He immediately changed his tune. "Compensation is impossible, but I can request that the higher-ups try to secure an internal good mission for Mr. Richart."
"Then hurry up and go. If there's no good mission, this matter is not over, not over." With Li Xi's anger, the receptionist went to the higher-ups to report.
This time it was quick. In a short while, the receptionist returned with a scroll in his hand. He placed the scroll on the table and smiled at Li Xi. "Mr. Richart, this is an excellent mission that I painstakingly secured for you. The mission is easy, the commission is high, and most importantly, it's safe."
"There's such a mission?"
Li Xi, disbelieving, opened the mission scroll and his mouth almost caved in when he saw the mission written on it.
"Mission: Monitor Princess Filin
Time: Undefined
Location: Aisin Gole
Requirements: Record all of Princess Filin's movements without being discovered. The more detailed, the better.
Commission: Minimum two thousand gold coins, with bonuses based on the importance of the intelligence, no upper limit."
"Damn it all to hell, I'll curse his entire ancestry," Li Xi cursed inwardly. Why was it related to Filin? He wanted to refuse the mission, but then he thought that if he didn't take it, someone else would.
It was clear that someone was targeting Filin. If something happened to Filin because of his inaction, he would feel guilty for the rest of his life. Moreover, the Konoha Merchant Group relied on Filin for support. If Filin fell, the Konoha Merchant Group would also be finished. The Hammer Tribe was still his vassal.
If he hadn't seen it, it would have been one thing. Since he had seen it, this mission was a must. But Li Xi still asked with a hostile tone, "Are there any hidden details that haven't been told to me? I don't want a simple surveillance mission to end up with me confronting an extreme expert. If that happens, I'll surely die."
"How could that be?" the receptionist said with a fawning smile. "As you know, missions involving princesses are complex. Anything is possible. Therefore, we cannot guarantee anything. We can only guarantee that if you feel in danger, you can terminate the mission at any time, and we will consider it completed."
"Good, this mission is acceptable." Li Xi picked up the mission scroll and walked out of the room. "I accept this mission."
Behind him, the receptionist's laughter and well wishes echoed. "I wish you a successful mission and great wealth."
Li Xi walked out of the reception booth and entered the hall. The intelligence chief, Lawrence, was still drinking, with a string of sycophants pouring him drinks, all waiting for Lawrence to get drunk so they could extract some information from him.
Seeing this, Li Xi behind the mask was speechless. This old guy was also a master of acting. Whether he was drunk or not depended entirely on him. What information he revealed was also decided in advance. He was as cunning as oil, but such a simple tactic earned him a stellar reputation in the underground mercenary world.
Knowing that the old guy was a shrewd fox, Li Xi still had to walk up and willingly be fleeced. "Mr. Lawrence, I want to buy some information."