The separation as flesh and blood reached saturation, the collapse as his Spirit was scoured away.
Immense pain continuously surfaced. Fortunately, Qi Suian didn’t have to endure it long before he dropped dead on the spot.
The pain ceased at the moment of death, granting Qi Suian a moment of respite.
Raising his physique and Spirit from 7 to 9 points within twenty-four hours was a shortcut by its very nature.
This wasn’t just allocating points. How could gaining two attribute points—an exponential increase—in such a short time possibly be easy?
The intensity of the infused energy was so immense that Qi Suian had to die roughly every fifteen seconds.
It was a simple case of being stuffed to death.
However, as the death count rose, his super adaptability started to kick in, allowing him to survive for another second or two.
That was already a huge improvement, considering his limit was only fifteen seconds.
’Finally done.’ Qi Suian looked at the two attributes on his status panel. He had once again reached his level’s limit.
Meanwhile, his Divine Will Fei, while not a behemoth, was now the size of a sturdy bull.
’The intensity was insane. I can still feel the phantom pain.’ Having died so many times, his body and Spirit hadn’t yet adjusted to the sudden cessation.
Thankfully, as the strengthening process concluded, the phantom pain was gradually fading away.
He had considered cutting off his pain receptors, but he ultimately abandoned the idea.
He needed pain as one of his sensory feedback mechanisms.
He couldn’t just look at one aspect; he had to consider the broader implications.
Besides, severing the relevant nerves wouldn’t guarantee a painless experience. As Qi Suian’s power grew, he came to understand that pain was no longer confined to the physical body.
The soul, the Spirit, and more could all perceive pain in similar ways.
This sensitivity would only increase the more powerful he became.
It was, in itself, a unique form of perception.
For example, when detecting a dangerous form of energy, his Spirit could perceive it as a stinging sensation.
’Ten points is a bottleneck...’ Qi Suian had discovered a problem. There seemed to be a great chasm to cross when raising both attributes from 9 to 10.
’The Doomsday Game’s attribute calculations have to be bugged. I’m just going from single to double digits, so why does it feel like I’ve hit a wall?’
’My own potential is admittedly poor, but I have the SSS-rank Source of Profound Darkness: Viral Frenzy. In theory, I shouldn’t face any bottlenecks below 10 points.’
Qi Suian was actually starting to suspect that the Doomsday Game used a D&D-style attribute calculation.
It would be a huge joke if an attribute score of thirty or fifty was already the realm of some Taoist Ancestor God.
In fact, it was a real possibility. Qi Suian’s low starting point was precisely why he could perceive just how absurd the exponential growth between attribute points was.
’Perhaps for people from a place like the Divine Intent World, 10 attribute points is just a developmental plateau.’
’But for me, it might represent a complete transcendence of life itself.’
’The Dragon Whale Sect is probably just the starter village for a protagonist-type survivor like Li Yao.’
’So that powerful Fan Fengfei... if it weren’t for the Doomsday Game, she’d probably just be a master with a good eye for talent.’
’Maybe she’d even end up as his wife or part of his harem, but she would have never tried to harm Li Yao.’
For the first time, Qi Suian felt that the gap between people was wider than the one between a person and a banana.
The growth he’d achieved through all sorts of destructive experiments was, in the eyes of someone like that, merely a fraction of their innate potential.
And the Dragon Whale Bloodline he’d obtained? With his current abilities, there was no way he could fully analyze it, so he just used it as raw material.
It was a waste, sure, but if it made him stronger, then so be it.
Otherwise, was he supposed to stagnate for the sake of some so-called "future potential"?
He knew what would happen if he did that: he’d become a Treasure-Bringing Child for someone else. After he died, all his treasures would become another’s lucky windfall.
He had personally profited from this pattern at his enemies’ expense. That’s why he refused to repeat their mistakes, focusing only on growing stronger as quickly as possible.
’Next, I find Fan Fengfei and kill her.’ Qi Suian stopped agonizing over attributes and bottlenecks.
The Divine Intent system he’d obtained from the Dragon Whale Sect was certainly incomplete. Without enough data, he couldn’t possibly extrapolate the subsequent stages in a short period.
So it was better to focus on the problem at hand.
Even if he couldn’t kill Fan Fengfei, he had to see her situation for himself.
If she truly possessed a Destructive Sacred Object, Qi Suian would just flee into the depths of space.
They could raise hell on the planet for all he cared; he would just wander the cosmos.
He’d just hide until the Doomsday Game issued a limited-time mission that allowed for escape.
Besides, ever since the Profound World, those kinds of limited-time missions had all been survival-based.
Of course, if his opponent was really willing to just leave him alone, Qi Suian would be more than happy.
The power ceiling of the Sacred Artifact World was by no means low. If a single planet could host such a powerful system, then the vast universe offered more than enough room for Qi Suian’s growth.
Not to mention, Qi Suian was basically immortal now. If he were to stay in the Sacred Artifact World, he could always find an uninhabited planet and live out a peaceful existence.
As long as he wasn’t truly dead, Qi Suian couldn’t lose, no matter how you sliced it.
As for anything else, Qi Suian didn’t have the spare mental capacity to worry about it.
[With your current level of power, you have an extremely high probability of victory against a Fan Fengfei who does not possess a large number of Eternal Beloved series Sacred Objects]
[However, Fan Fengfei now possesses a considerable number of Eternal Beloved series Sacred Objects. You have an eighty percent probability of failure.]
The AI immediately threw cold water on his plans.
Theoretically, the current Qi Suian and Fan Fengfei were evenly matched.
But that was only in theory, not in practice.
[It is recommended that you proceed to space immediately to evade pursuit.]
’Good idea, but I can run, not hide forever.’ Of course, Qi Suian wanted to escape—that would be so much easier.
But it wasn’t like this was the only world. If Fan Fengfei didn’t die now, their entanglement would just continue into the next Doomsday World.
’Am I supposed to keep hiding then?’
"Lock on to her position. We’re going to take a look. We’ll worry about whether we can win later." Qi Suian wasn’t the type to give up without trying.
Especially when his own life was on the line, he had to investigate no matter what.
The AI, of course, said no more. Using data from satellite projections, the Tai Sui God began flying toward Fan Fengfei’s location.
[Recommendation: Maintain distance to avoid the influence of the Eternal Beloved series Sacred Objects.]
[If too many of the original Sacred Objects are assembled, there is a high probability that even the Tai Sui God will be enthralled.]
The AI added another warning.
With enough quantity and compatibility, her power wouldn’t just be an ability to enthrall; it would become the very concept of enthrallment.
Even lifeless things like rocks and soil could become her most loyal devotees.
"Maintain our position, and increase the safety distance." Qi Suian wanted to strike, but he knew he had to be cautious.
’When the enemy is strong, you can’t just be reckless. You have to be reckless with a plan.’
The Tai Sui God quickly reached the pre-established safe position.
Within his field of view, a giant effigy constructed from some sort of radiance floated in mid-air.
However, only its upper body was distinct; the rest resembled a stream of flowing light.
’A Statue of the Holy Mother?’
It had the features of a woman with a benevolent expression, her eyelids lowered as she gazed upon the ground below.
The source of this flowing Statue of the Holy Mother was a Sacred Object directly beneath it.
’The good news is that even if Fan Fengfei succeeds, the Doomsday Game will most likely judge her as dead.’
’The bad news is that this is a huge mess. It’s truly becoming a Destructive Sacred Object.’
Qi Suian wasn’t too surprised that he might have been a step too late, he just hadn’t expected her to be this fast.
"AI, combine the Floating Cannons," Qi Suian said coldly. "Blast them both to hell."
For single-target and small-area attacks, not even a strategic missile weapons system could compare to the psionic attack of the Floating Cannons.
Any being that had ever survived a one-shot kill from it was, without exception, an entity beyond all normal metrics.
This new Destructive Sacred Object had yet to be fully assembled. Perhaps there was still a chance to turn the tables.
All the Floating Cannons materialized and began combining into a single massive cannon, mobilizing other modules to amplify its power as it charged.
After a moment’s thought, Qi Suian also had his Divine Will Fei empower the Floating Cannon.
Now that his Divine Intent was complete, the Divine Will Fei had gained the ability of possession, allowing it to shift from a summoned entity to a state of augmentation.
Because the Divine Will Fei was essentially pure Spiritual Power, and due to its fusion with the Tai Sui God’s viral bloodline plating, its boons weren’t limited to Qi Suian alone—the Tai Sui God and some of its modules could benefit as well.
With the empowerment of the Evil Dragon and Evil Tiger Divine Will Fei, the Floating Cannon took on a distinctly mystical flair.
Then, as elemental power was channeled into it, it even took on a hint of western fantasy.
As the power build-up reached its peak, the Floating Cannon finally fired.
Moving at incredible speed, it scored a direct hit on the still-incomplete Destructive Sacred Object.
The Statue of the Holy Mother and its stream of light began to disintegrate, giving Qi Suian a momentary surge of hope.
But just as quickly, the white robes of the Statue of the Holy Mother turned blood-red. The once-benevolent face of the Holy Mother twisted into a ferocious mask, its eyes snapping open as a line of bloody tears dripped down.
"Holy shit!!!" Qi Suian could feel deranged whispers assailing him from all directions—assaulting his Spirit, his soul, his very consciousness.
At the same time, the Doomsday Game initiated a limited-time event for a New World Access Pass.
[Limited-Time Event: God’s Love for All Mankind]
[Objective: Survive for twelve hours.]
[Reward: New World Access Pass]
’Run...’ Qi Suian had failed to destroy it.
Its mutation had nothing to do with his Floating Cannon’s attack; it had finished its assembly in the instant before the blast hit.
Qi Suian was certain of one thing: at the normal rate of progress, it should not have had enough time.
And yet, it had.
This meant the Sacred Object had its own consciousness and had accelerated the process to avoid being destroyed before assembly was complete.
Otherwise, in its incomplete state, it likely would not have been able to withstand the Floating Cannon’s blast.
The Tai Sui God shot into the sky, fleeing for its life.
He didn’t even have time to retrieve the Floating Cannons, simply detonating them.
Qi Suian glanced back to see the blood-red Statue of the Holy Mother shrink in an instant, merging into Fan Fengfei’s body.
Fan Fengfei no longer looked like herself. She now had the appearance of that Holy Mother, her ferocious face covered by a bizarre, warped expression of pity.
"God... loves His people," the Holy Mother said softly, her mouth opening to speak.