This sword at first glance didn't seem to have anything special about it, but upon closer look one could see its blade was shrouded in a thick layer of black mist.
That black mist seemed to contain endless ferocity, and faintly within it came countless hair-raising cries of despair and screams.
Even a being as powerful as the War God's Blade, one capable of opening the Item Dimension, couldn't help but feel a wave of intense discomfort after sensing this aura.
Just as the War God's Blade was about to convey information related to the Sword of Annihilation, it suddenly noticed that the Sword of Annihilation had, in an instant, established a connection with Steve's consciousness.
In the blink of an eye, the Sword of Annihilation teleported at astonishing speed through the Item Dimension's channel straight into Steve's hand.
At the very instant the Sword of Annihilation appeared in Steve's hand, his face actually changed.
The most obvious change was in those eyes, his eyes suddenly shone with dazzling white light.
And right now, Steve's appearance had already become almost identical to Xu Yuan's.
Yet the Sword of Annihilation in his hand, at this moment, transformed into the shape of the most ordinary stone pickaxe.
Seeing this scene, Null was instantly a little stunned.
"My… my king…"
"No… it seems to be an illusion…"
Null himself possessed the ability to create illusions and distort reality.
Though he had never come into contact with the Sword of Annihilation, since this sword was the weapon most suited to him, it should also have a similar ability.
But what Null couldn't understand was, why would the Sword of Annihilation transform into the form of Xu Yuan?
What puzzled Null even more was, why was the transformed Xu Yuan holding such an utterly ordinary stone pickaxe?
After learning of the Item Dimension, Null had always been very curious about what weapon was most suited for Xu Yuan.
He was a consciousness body born from Xu Yuan's dark side, essentially another Xu Yuan.
So he subconsciously believed that the weapon most suited to Xu Yuan should be the same as his own.
Just now he had also seen the true form of the Sword of Annihilation. He originally thought Xu Yuan's weapon should be the same.
But he hadn't expected that after the Sword of Annihilation transformed Steve into Xu Yuan's likeness, it would itself transform into a stone pickaxe.
Could it be that the weapon most suited to Xu Yuan was really that ordinary stone pickaxe?
Entity 303 was dazed, and beside him Steve, holding the War God's Blade, was also at a complete loss.
What just happened was far too unexpected, even the mighty War God's Blade was caught totally unprepared.
"What the hell are you up to?!"
The War God's Blade simply couldn't believe its own eyes. It had never thought the Sword of Annihilation would actually have the power to erode Steve's consciousness.
What was even more shocking was that even while tightly connected to Steve's consciousness, the Sword of Annihilation could still transform into the likeness of its wielder.
Thinking of this, the War God's Blade angrily rebuked, "This kind of behavior seriously violates the rules!"
In the Item Dimension, there existed an unwritten but universally observed rule, once a weapon or item already had an owner, it was absolutely not allowed to forcibly establish a consciousness connection with another wielder.
Yet the Sword of Annihilation not only violated this rule, it even forcefully invaded Steve's consciousness, occupied his body, and without permission changed into Steve's outward appearance.
This act was without a doubt an open challenge to the entire order of the Item Dimension.
Hearing the War God's Blade's words, the Sword of Annihilation, which had already taken over Steve's consciousness, gave a cold snort and said with disdain, "Rules?"
"Set by you?"
Before the War God's Blade could say more, the Sword of Annihilation manipulated Steve's right hand to let go.
With a clatter, the War God's Blade that had been held in Steve's right hand fell to the ground.
It didn't even glance at the War God's Blade, but directly controlled Steve's body to walk up before Null.
After sizing Null up and down, it finally spoke, "Dark Monarch?"
Saying that, it tilted its head back, took a deep breath, and said with utter contempt, "I don't smell even the slightest trace of 'darkness' from you."
The Sword of Annihilation's words were clearly a provocation and doubt directed at Null.
However, it must be made clear, it wasn't intentionally trying to spark conflict or argument.
In truth, those words just spoken against Null all stemmed from its genuine feelings inside.
Null, as the Dark Monarch, was a being born from the fusion of countless shadows.
His source of power came from all the twisted emotions hidden beneath the world's darkness and shadows.
Normally, such a figure should emanate a chilling aura that made people shiver.
Yet at this moment, there wasn't the slightest hint of that "Dark Monarch" aura on Null.
What shocked the Sword of Annihilation even more was, it could barely sense any of the dark traits that should have belonged to him.
For a weapon whose mission was to gather the power of darkness and annihilate everything, how could it possibly accept a master who had lost his own identity?
This deviation from nature was something the Sword of Annihilation could not accept about Null.
It began to doubt whether such a Null was even worthy of being its wielder.
The reason it had transformed into Xu Yuan's likeness wasn't because it acknowledged Xu Yuan.
But because it believed it should replace Null, replace Xu Yuan.
In its eyes, neither Null nor Xu Yuan were doing what a monarch should do.
Both had the power to annihilate everything, yet they were always so cautious.
The Sword of Annihilation could not understand, nor agree with, the actions of Null and Xu Yuan.
So it wanted to take their place.
As for why, after transforming Steve into Xu Yuan's appearance, the weapon in his hand became a stone pickaxe, this even it didn't know.
But it didn't care either. To it, this wasn't important.
Although it was merely a weapon that had developed self-awareness, it could at will invade anyone's consciousness, and transform its wielder into any form.
Whatever Null could do, it could also do. It could become anyone it wished to become.
———
Though the Sword of Annihilation hadn't revealed its thoughts, Null was already well aware of the little schemes in its heart.
At this moment, seeing all of its actions, Null was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
Why did this scene feel so familiar?
Looking at what was happening before him now, wasn't the Sword of Annihilation's behavior exactly like his own once had been?
His thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to the distant past, recalling everything between him and Xu Yuan back when he had just awakened consciousness.
At that time, he, just like today's Sword of Annihilation, was full of doubt and denial toward Xu Yuan.
He even tried to forcibly seize Xu Yuan's body and take absolute control.
In his old view, Xu Yuan simply wasn't worthy of such a powerful body.
After all, with the strength Xu Yuan already had back then, he could have swept through everything in existence.
He could have easily gained even more power by tormenting others and placed the world under his palm.
Yet, puzzlingly, Xu Yuan hadn't chosen that path.
Especially when they faced the Eternal Guild together, the darkness revealed deep within Xu Yuan's heart was practically identical to Null's worldview at that time.
He himself had been born from darkness, his strength drawn from all sorts of twisted emotions. The suffering of others gave him endless fuel, and the screams of others helped him grow stronger.
It was precisely this nourishment that made him into someone all feared.
To him, that was what a monarch should be.
As a ruler, if you wanted people to truly submit to you, you had to make them fear you.
So back then, Xu Yuan's actions made no sense to him.
Clearly, in that instant against the Eternal Guild, Xu Yuan resonated with him and reached a consensus.
But Xu Yuan hadn't continued down the road Null admired.
Even though Xu Yuan had already built a solid foundation that made everyone fear him, and could have easily gained strength through that path, he still didn't step onto it.
For a long time, Null simply couldn't understand Xu Yuan. He really had no idea what was going on in the other's head.
But as they went through storms together and grew side by side, Null finally began to understand him.
And because of that, Null completely overturned his past worldview and his fixed ideas of what a monarch was.
Normally, a "shadow" monarch's subjects only submitted to his overwhelming strength.
But in truth, that kind of submission wasn't genuine recognition or obedience.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't even "submission", at most, it was just helpless yielding. People chose to yield not out of admiration or respect for that monarch, but purely because of the power he held.
A true monarch shouldn't leave people with only fear.
Usually, when people face a leader they sincerely follow, their hearts don't hold even a trace of fear.
After all, instilling fear in others is the easiest thing in the world for the strong.
But to win the heartfelt admiration of people from all walks of life, that is the hardest thing.
And Xu Yuan achieved it. Null, as a bystander, clearly witnessed the whole process.
At this moment, not a single member of this great family carried the slightest fear of Xu Yuan deep down.
Even if Xu Yuan lost all his strength and became an ordinary, useless man, his lofty status in this family wouldn't be shaken.
In this big family, every member would still, without hesitation, wholeheartedly follow Xu Yuan. Their respect for him wouldn't waver in the slightest.
Even if Xu Yuan became worthless, he would still be the king in everyone's hearts.
Everyone would still sincerely respect him, admire him, love him.
Not only that, Null could affirm, this feeling didn't just exist inside the family.
Right now, even those who had already fallen under Xu Yuan's command probably held the same thought. What they submitted to wasn't any outside factor, it was Xu Yuan himself, with his unmatched personal charm.
If Xu Yuan had chosen the road Null once wanted to take, whether this great family could even have been formed in the first place was doubtful.
And even if it had been formed, the moment the Void appeared, this family would have crumbled into scattered sand.
Precisely because he had witnessed all this at Xu Yuan's side, Null had such deep realizations and reflections.
Just as the Sword of Annihilation pointed out, it seemed Null no longer emitted that signature "darkness" aura.
But from another perspective, this didn't mean Null had lost his true self.
For Null, if "darkness" was all there was to his true self, then he'd rather abandon it.
Though he had indeed been born from "darkness," that didn't mean he was darkness itself.
He was a person, he had self-awareness, thoughts, and emotions.
If he allowed those dark emotions to keep eroding and twisting his heart, then inevitably Null would lose his real self, becoming nothing but a walking corpse controlled by "darkness."
Even if he gained the mighty power to destroy heaven and earth, so what?
To him personally, he would only become a puppet manipulated by "darkness."
The reason Null originally wanted to seize Xu Yuan's body actually had a deeper cause, he longed for true self-awareness and independence.
If he fully sank into darkness and became its slave, wouldn't that completely betray his original intention, turning everything upside down?
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