Chapter 71: Don't Bully Your Friends
Xia Feng blinked in confusion. The old man's reaction wasn't what he'd expected. Shouldn't having your spirit weapon copied feel violating? Like having your wife stolen and—
Tsk. The old man dusted himself off, rising slowly with a hoarse chuckle. "Foolish boy. You don't even realize you're counting down your last moments."
He raised three gnarled fingers, dropping them one by one with theatrical flair:
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One!"
When nothing happened, he frowned and repeated louder: "ONE!"
The forest remained still. A cold wind stirred the leaves as crows dotted the blood-red moon like scattered inkblots.
Xia Feng's lips curved in understanding. "Ah. You were waiting for the demonic energy in the armor to consume me?"
The old man's face froze. How?! This brat wasn't demon-touched, yet showed no reaction to concentrated corruption?!
With a snarl, his form blurred—eight blood-red clones materialized, then sixteen, then thirty-two, each crackling with crimson lightning as they encircled the pair.
"You think a third-level master survives on kindness?" he spat. The clones raised their weapons in unison. "If you won't let me leave, neither of you will—"
The forest flashed scarlet—then plunged back into darkness.
The old man staggered. His clones flickered out like dying embers as his spiritual pressure cratered, dropping him to second-level strength. Paralysis locked his limbs.
"My—my spirit weapon?!" He clawed at his chest in horror. "The connection's GONE!"
"Of course it's gone." Xia Feng patted the vermilion armor now adorning his own frame, its surface alive with fiery avian motifs. "Yours was a knockoff. Mine's the genuine article."
The old man's jaw hung slack. "...Bullshit."
In thirty-odd years, he'd never witnessed something so brazen. This wasn't copying—this was outright theft! What kind of monstrous spirit weapon could steal others' abilities?!
Even Mu Qingtong tilted her head, reassessing Xia Feng with newfound interest.
So his power includes confiscation too?
Pre-enlightenment, he already wielded three broken abilities. Not even S-ranks operated on this logic.
"Mr. Xia," she mused, golden eyes glinting, "it seems your spirit weapon, like mine, belongs to that nonstandard 'Alpha' classification."
She'd scoured archives after her awakening. While the empire recognized S-rank as peak human potential, her interface clearly read "Alpha." Until now, she'd believed herself unique.
But Xia Feng proved otherwise.
Geniuses, she realized, must roll off some hidden production line. And they? They were clearly from the same batch.
Mu Qingtong's lips curved slightly as she analyzed their spiritual weapons. "In the sixth parameter comparison, our weapons are evenly matched." The score now stood at 6:5 - she was marginally behind.
Xia Feng felt the weight of her gaze and turned. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
The black-clad woman maintained her composed demeanor, but her golden eyes burned with undisguised intensity, as if trying to etch Xia Feng's features into memory. After a thoughtful pause, she posed a direct question: "So your ability is theft?"
"Don't phrase it so crudely," Xia Feng protested with mock offense. "I prefer to call it... distinguishing the genuine from the counterfeit."
"Can you steal my spirit weapon then?" she pressed.
Xia Feng drew himself up with exaggerated dignity. "How could you suggest such a thing? You're my friend. A gentleman never plunders his comrades' weapons!"
Mu Qingtong's expression remained impassive, but her silence spoke volumes. She mentally adjusted her assessment: "So there are level limitations to your confiscation ability."
The paralyzed elder watched their exchange with dead-fish eyes, consumed by regret. Helping Prince Liszt had been his fatal mistake. If not for that incompetent royal's incomplete intelligence, he - the Eighth Master of the Divine Malevolence Society - wouldn't be lying here like a gutted fish.
His plan to decapitate Xia Feng had backfired spectacularly. Who could have anticipated this human arsenal of broken abilities? The injustice burned worse than the paralysis.
"Alright old timer," Xia Feng pressed the bloodied blade to the man's throat. "Time for your curtain call."
"Wait!" The elder craned his neck back desperately. "I'm valuable! I can teach you the Vermilion Bird Armor's techniques! And its side effects - I know them all!"
"Side effects?" Xia Feng's hand paused. The armor's description had mentioned disturbing consequences - accelerated aging and... shrinkage. This explained the elder's stunted stature.
As a man proud of his (perfectly average) height, Xia Feng had no intention of compromising his assets. Concentrating, he placed a hand on the crimson armor and whispered: "Optimize."
The ability would evolve the weapon according to his desires, though specifics remained unpredictable. He could only hope...
[Optimization Commencing...]
[Target: Vermilion Bird Demon Armor]
[Optimization Complete!]
[Introduction: Death Begets Rebirth]
[Rank: B (Optimized Variant)]
[New Ability: Vermilion Armor]
200% boost to combat perception, strength, reflexes, and movement
Gains two flaming avian pauldrons enabling 300% flight speed
In fire-aligned environments: 301-400% mobility increase
Retains shape-shifting properties
[Enhanced Ability: Phoenix Rebirth]
Upon death, reconstitute at any location within 100m
Inherit all armor enhancements temporarily
Spiritual pressure elevates by one tier (excluding Venerable rank)
Duration: 30 minutes
[Restrictions]
30-minute cooldown between Phoenix Rebirth activations
30-second paralysis post-revival
(Chapter End)