[SSS·Dragon and Tiger Primordial Divine Force]

Qi Suian looked at the module he had installed in the Tai Sui God after it completed its twenty-fourth evolution, its armor value having reached 30 points.

This module was, of course, his Dragon and Tiger Primordial Force.

"Seriously, how is this thing so strong?" Qi Suian couldn’t help but exclaim as he observed the energy within the Tai Sui God.

Before, his own version was only at the ’Tribulation Force’ level. But once it was on the Tai Sui God and amplified to SSS-rank, it transformed directly into ’Divine Force’.

Even the Seven-Star Jade Vein Lotus, back when it didn’t have all seven stars, was only at the Tribulation Force level, far from what you would call a Terrestrial Immortal.

And now, wouldn’t you know it, it had completed its metamorphosis through the Tai Sui God.

With the Tai Sui God now possessing the Dragon and Tiger Primordial Divine Force and employing the combat styles of two ancient martial arts from the AI—the Beidou Seven Elements True Skill and the Soul-Devouring and Spirit-Eating Evil Skill—Qi Suian felt he could just retire.

Especially when it came to defense. Although it lacked a shield module, the Dragon and Tiger Primordial Divine Force possessed the power to directly enhance its defensive capabilities.

As long as an opponent couldn’t break through its protective Divine Force, there was no need to worry about the Tai Sui God taking any damage.

Furthermore, because the Divine Force originated from Qi Suian’s Profound Virus, it also synergized with the Seal of the Profound Dominator and his viral bloodline armor, producing an even stronger effect.

As long as these three modules were active, the Dragon and Tiger Primordial Force in Qi Suian’s own body was also elevated to the Divine Force level.

This effectively forced an upgrade in the quality of his own energy, since the modules made him and the Tai Sui God one and the same.

’But the problem is, the Tai Sui God has it now, and it’s controlled by the AI. It’s way more useful than I am.’

’If I install the Jade Vein Lotus as another module, won’t it be even more unstoppable...?’ Qi Suian was finally grasping the terrifying power of the snowball effect.

As long as you had enough modules, even completely unrelated ones could be connected via other modules to provide indirect enhancements.

And that was to say nothing of modules that were clearly designed to be part of a set.

"Yes. However, given your current resources, it will be very difficult for you to raise the Tai Sui God’s armor value to 32 points and trigger the next evolution anytime soon."

The AI threw cold water on his excitement. After all, the Celestial Traveler Venerable had been completely consumed, leaving the Melting Furnace empty. Now, they were relying solely on the guaranteed daily yield of evolution energy from the "three-piece growth set."

Therefore, to evolve quickly, their only option was large-scale slaughter.

However, now that the Tai Sui God had the Primordial Dragon and Tiger Divine Force module, hunting would be much more efficient.

"Once I turn the Jade Vein Lotus, the Red Dragon, and Qin Sheng’s SUV into modules, I’ll be sure to install a dedicated fuel-capturing module for you," Qi Suian said.

"I hope I live to see the day."

The AI knew Qi Suian’s personality all too well. He rarely considered the future, focusing instead on the here and now.

You could call it shortsightedness, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But Qi Suian was in the Doomsday World; if he couldn’t survive today, what future was there to speak of?

So when it said it hoped to see it in its lifetime, it was being quite literal.

"Oh, by the way," Qi Suian added, "what if I transplant my pineal gland and the subsequent blood-sacrifice ability embryo, lock them in place through death and reforging, and then remove them to use as modules? What do you think?"

Qi Suian suddenly realized that his own body was a walking treasure trove.

"If you have enough module slots, I would actually recommend you add your brain, hands, heart, lungs, and other functions into the mix."

"After all, you can regenerate. For the Tai Sui God, it would be a paradigm-shifting enhancement."

"Uh..." Qi Suian was speechless. He’d never imagined the AI could be even more ruthless than he was.

He was just planning to gouge out a few organs. The AI, on the other hand, was suggesting he part himself out completely and turn everything into modules.

"It’s true what they say," Qi Suian quipped. "A person as a whole might only be worth three thousand a month, but part them out, and they’re worth millions."

"No. Your organs would only have that kind of value after being amplified into SSS-rank quality modules."

"If used as conventional modules, their value would be quite limited."

The AI dealt Qi Suian another blow, basically saying the requirements were tenfold what he imagined.

"Fine, I’ll go back to researching the Red Dragon," he grumbled.

"The transplant for the ability-bearing embryo is tomorrow, and so far I only have a vague concept for the Qi Cultivation Method."

Qi Suian’s gaze fell once more upon the massive Red Keel.

At the same time, he rolled the Dragon Ball in his hand.

Although the Red Dragon was nothing but a pile of bones, Qi Suian had still made considerable gains, thanks to the boost from his "protagonist aura" and the assistance of the AI.

For starters, he had successfully reverse-engineered the principles and creation process of the Taiyin Refining Technique.

He had even managed to gather some data from this accomplishment.

For instance, the data showed that the most suitable ability for the Taiyin Refining Technique would be to find Cold Energy Monsters capable of Dragon Transformation and devour their cores.

The core of the Red Dragon—the very Dragon Ball in Qi Suian’s hand—was the best option.

Of course, there was one condition: the core couldn’t be a calcified fossil like the one in his hand. It had to be alive.

Unfortunately, the Red Dragon had been dead for who knows how many years; its core was long past its use-by date.

The next best thing would be cores from Dragon Transformation-type creatures that controlled things like wind, snow, ice, and cold. While this wouldn’t achieve a perfect harmony of fire and water, it would maximize the potential of the cold energy.

According to the data, the Red Dragon’s core ability was flame, but since it manifested as a cold energy effect, it was a "cold flame" or "frostfire."

Qi Suian himself wasn’t sure what to make of it. After all, the dragon had been dead for so long that further deductions were proving to be a real hassle.

"I’ll go check out Longling Lake first," Qi Suian decided, putting away the Red Keel.

In truth, he had already researched about as much as he could. A Red Dragon reduced to mere bones could only leave behind so much information.

Besides, his future training wouldn’t follow the Taiyin Refining Technique anyway. He planned to create a new Cultivation Technique based on that Qi Cultivation Method, the "Blood Sacrifice Demon Scripture," and his own Dragon and Tiger Primordial Force.

Its only connection would be as a reference; he had no intention of practicing it verbatim.

Judging from the geography of Longling Lake, it was likely formed when the Red Dragon crashed there after suffering a heavy blow.

This led Qi Suian to an indirect conclusion: there might be some incredibly powerful Extraordinary Life Forms lurking in the Cold Winter World.

They would be just like the Blood Moon of the Profound World or the Golden Light Man of the Polar Day World.

The thought made Qi Suian resolve to act with even more caution.

Of course, if he could properly exploit these Extraordinary Life Forms, he could also wipe out all the other contestants, forcing the Doomsday Game to bring in a new batch.

This would require a great deal of luck, but fortunately, luck was something Qi Suian didn’t lack.

"You intend to search for any dragon scales or other remains that might have been left behind."

"Based on the data from the reconnaissance network, I’m afraid you won’t find anything."

"It’s fine. I’ll have my protagonist aura help me."

"I need some other tissue samples from the Red Dragon. Help me find some." This was directed at his protagonist aura.

’When in doubt, turn to the protagonist aura.’ That was his motto.

If it worked, great. If it didn’t, there was nothing Qi Suian could do about it anyway.

After all, if even the protagonist aura couldn’t handle something, it was highly unlikely that he, with his meager strength, could manage it.

"The protagonist aura should be on the case. We’ll probably be able to just pick something up when we get there."

"If we don’t find anything there, don’t go sending it to me from somewhere else. The last thing I need is another huge mess." The first part of Qi Suian’s sentence was for the AI, while the second was an instruction for his protagonist aura.

The protagonist aura could understand human speech, though it didn’t always grasp the nuances.

Of course, if the delivery couldn’t be canceled, it likely meant the wheels were already in motion—it wasn’t something you could just call off.

In terms of actual intelligence, it was rather lacking.

The Tai Sui God set off immediately, heading toward Longling Lake.

"Say," Qi Suian mused, "we’ve covered a lot of ground, haven’t we? How come not a single red dot has appeared on the Treasure Map of the Lost?"

"Surely this world’s protagonist isn’t single too..." Qi Suian glanced at the Treasure Map of the Lost module on his interface.

He’d been in the Cold Winter World for so long, yet he hadn’t encountered its protagonist even once.

"This season’s protagonist is a native of the Cold Winter World. Just like you were in the Profound World, they possess a high degree of preferential rights."

"They have a home-field advantage and main-stage buffs. To some extent, this means that if you encounter them and can’t overwhelm them with a decisive, instantaneous blow, they will likely find a way to turn the tables on you."

"The fact that you haven’t met yet likely means they are still in their growth phase and it is not yet convenient for them to make contact with an anomaly like you."

"This is likely due not only to help from the Cold Winter World itself, but also support from the Doomsday Game."

"Therefore, you must be careful going forward. Avoid getting set up as the villain, only to be one-shot by the hero."

The AI offered Qi Suian this analysis and speculation based on its prior logical deductions.

"Heh. Home-field advantage, main-stage buffs, and a native protagonist working with the contestant protagonist... that’s not a good combination."

"To the Doomsday Game, you’re a top-tier tool. But to the Cold Winter World, you’re a traitor, biting the hand that feeds you."

"They’re enjoying the convenience of both sides now, but just wait until the limited-time ’New World Pass’ event is announced. They’ll be caught between a rock and a hard place, belonging to neither side."

"They’ll either have to repay their debt to the Cold Winter World or side with the Doomsday Game. There is no third option."

Qi Suian himself had been in the former situation. He’d "repaid" his debt by killing the creditor and then skipping town.

Of course, his circumstances were unique, which was why he found a solution. For a dual protagonist of both the Cold Winter World and the Doomsday Game, it wouldn’t be so simple.

Especially considering that Qi Suian’s own protagonist aura had been at a relatively low level when he first got it.

It was, after all, just a small fragment left behind after the Profound God’s death. But as for the protagonist aura of the Cold Winter World, Qi Suian had no clue about its origin or power.

The Profound God’s death had been the key prerequisite that allowed Qi Suian to escape so easily.

If the Profound God had still been alive, or if what had descended upon him had been anything more than a tiny fragment—even just a little bit bigger—Qi Suian would never have succeeded so easily.

They arrived at Longling Lake quickly. The Tai Sui God dove straight into the water and began its work, utilizing the reconnaissance network.

Seeing this, Qi Suian stopped his chat with the AI and focused on his own tasks.

He could leave the search to the AI. There was no need for him to supervise.

The Tai Sui God and the AI’s search was far more thorough than anything Qi Suian could manage, so there was no need to worry about missing something.

Qi Suian didn’t have anything like a Divine Sense or a scanning field, so of course he couldn’t compete.