Chapter 327: Advancing to Silver 2

Upon returning to the Imperial Capital, Su Mu immediately consumed the Demonic Heart Baleful Soul potion. There was no strict sequence for advancement; taking either vial first was perfectly fine.

Shortly after consuming it, his consciousness ascended beyond the endless dimensions, slipping with practiced ease into the vast web woven by the Silver Law.

Even though this was his second time witnessing the Silver Law, the awe it inspired hadn't diminished in the slightest. It felt like abruptly stepping into the depths of the universe to behold a boundless galaxy.

A massive star, as pitch-black as ink, swelled before his eyes. It churned with boundless, dark baleful energy that roiled like a sea of clouds.

A moment later, the dark star cast down a pillar of light that engulfed Su Mu.

Endless baleful energy surged into his body as a torrent of negative emotions, brimming with sheer murderous intent, violently battered his consciousness.

Advancement was never without its risks. The dangers simply weren't as apparent at the Bronze tier, but the further one progressed, the steeper the difficulty and the deadlier the peril.

Take this very moment: if Su Mu's consciousness failed to withstand the murderous intent hidden within the baleful energy, his mind would completely dissipate.

Only a person of resolute willpower could survive this trial.

As the baleful energy poured into him, Su Mu's expression shifted slightly. "This power... is so weak."

He realized that this so-called impact of baleful energy couldn't even compare to the divine ravings he listened to so often. At least those ravings still provoked a faint ripple in his mind.

A long while later, Su Mu's consciousness returned to his body. He slowly opened his eyes, a fierce, baleful glint flashing through them before fading away.

He suddenly flexed his strength. Wisps of dark baleful energy seeped through his pale skin, slithering around him like tiny black snakes. They radiated a cold, terrifying aura, as if he were wreathed in death and despair.

"A miscalculation," Su Mu muttered, furrowing his brow. He noticed that the Demonic Heart Baleful Soul provided very little enhancement to his physical constitution—far less than the Follower of Strength. Its primary function was raw lethality.

This particular law served as the primary offensive tool of the Giant Demon pathway, granting immense slaughtering power.

The problem was that he currently didn't lack offensive power in the slightest.

But what truly made him feel he had miscalculated was that the Demonic Heart Baleful Soul couldn't be leveled up just by sitting in the Dream Time Chamber. It required refining a demonic heart and nourishing a baleful soul.

Refining a demonic heart meant enduring all sorts of wicked and extreme negative emotions to temper one's mind. Only by experiencing and mastering that darkness could a person truly cross the threshold of this path.

Once a resolute demonic heart was forged, the practitioner could properly wield baleful energy without losing their sanity to it.

Su Mu completely bypassed this step. He didn't need to refine a demonic heart at all; during the hundred-plus years he had spent within the Dream World, he had already weathered far too many wicked, extreme negative emotions.

He only needed to proceed with the second step: nourishing the baleful soul. This meant continuously absorbing baleful energy to transform his very soul. Once achieved, every punch and kick would carry boundless baleful energy. A single strike would inject that energy directly into an enemy, annihilating their flesh and soul simultaneously.

The issue lay precisely in this step. Nourishing a baleful soul was simple in theory: it required taking lives. One had to endlessly slaughter living beings. The more you killed, the more baleful energy you naturally accumulated.

But he couldn't take any lives inside the Dream Time Chamber. The people forged by his dreams weren't true living creatures; they were mere illusions.

Therefore, if he wanted to cultivate the Demonic Heart Baleful Soul, he had to do it in reality.

"Forget it. It's just a bit more of a hassle."

Taking lives was child's play to him anyway.

"With my advancement to Silver 2, my spiritual power has also spiked considerably. Now, all I need to do is fully digest the Thousand Illusions of Fleeting Life, and I'll be able to unlock the next Dream Law."

Su Mu was brimming with anticipation for whatever that next Dream Law might be.

......

......

Early the next morning, Su Mu's entire squad assembled and made their way to the Dungeon.

Today was the day they were meant to select new team members. The nightmare apostles who successfully made it out of the Dungeon alive would be their candidates.

Sikong Zhen was presiding over the event once again. However, unlike last time, he was clearly in a foul mood; his brows remained locked in a tight frown, his expression relentlessly gloomy.

Beside him, the examiner laid the flattery on even thicker. If the man had been respectful during their previous meeting, today he was downright sycophantic. Whenever he spoke to Sikong Zhen, he remained bowed, never once straightening his back.

"Lord Sikong, won't you tell us the tale of how you clashed with the Seven Deadly Sins? Your legend is already spreading everywhere out there."

Hearing the name of the Seven Deadly Sins brought a visible scowl to Sikong Zhen's face. Every single one of his recent troubles stemmed from them. Initially, crossing paths with the Seven Deadly Sins had sent his reputation skyrocketing. Even the nobles from rival factions hadn't dared to raise their voices around him.

But just as the Seven Deadly Sins had built him up, they were now tearing him down.

Following the incident with the Blood Moon Empire, King Chi suspected him of being a spy for the Seven Deadly Sins. Gongsun Quan was even worse, constantly throwing out subtle probes and speaking to him as if he were actually Greed of the Seven Deadly Sins, even heavily implying a desire to collaborate with them.

Just thinking about it made Sikong Zhen seethe. He had bled for the Empire for decades—if his merits weren't enough, his sheer toil should have been! Yet now they were slapping him with the label of a spy. The worst part was that he could have accepted it if he truly were Greed, but he wasn't!

Yet he couldn't clear his name no matter how hard he tried. It was truly a case where a mute eating coptis chinensis has bitterness they cannot voice.

Sometimes, he even caught himself wishing he was Greed. After all, the Royal Family wanted to ally with the Seven Deadly Sins anyway. He could have just clung to the organization's coattails and played both sides to his advantage.

The moment that thought took root, it spread through his mind like a virus, impossible to shake.

It was as though a sinister voice was constantly whispering from the depths of his heart: "The Royal Family doesn't trust you. They already treat you like a member of the Seven Deadly Sins. You might as well just join them for real. At least then you'll have some real backing."

Watching Sikong Zhen's vexed expression, Su Mu knew the suggestion he had planted was taking effect. This had been his exact reason for saving the man in the first place.

Only a handful of people had known about the Chiyan Empire's plans. If there wasn't a traitor among them, how else could the Seven Deadly Sins have found out?

Unless absolutely necessary, Su Mu had no intention of exposing his Dreamwalking Mode. Hiding within the Dream World, strolling freely through the Imperial Palaces of the major empires, and listening in on their loud conspiracies right to their faces—wasn't that infinitely more entertaining?

Therefore, he needed a spy. He had specifically selected Sikong Zhen, who now had deep ties to the Seven Deadly Sins.

I'll give it a little more time, then perhaps I can try making contact with Sikong Zhen. This fake Greed might just turn into the real one, Su Mu thought secretly.

Inside the Dungeon.

Yang Dongqing stood tall and arrogant, his arms crossed over his chest. With an icy expression, he blocked off the passageway. Facing him was a five-man squad.

This team had clearly grasped the essence of the trial; they had banded together to search for Mithril Tokens.

"Hand over your Mithril Tokens and I'll spare your lives," Yang Dongqing said coldly.

The five nightmare apostles' expressions turned cold, dangerous glints flashing in their eyes. The man at the front shouted, "Brat, you're just one person, yet you dare to rob the five of us? If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

"Hmph." Yang Dongqing scoffed. "Fierce beasts always walk alone, while cattle and sheep flock together. Only the weak believe that numbers are an advantage."