So, what makes him think this thing could hold me off for three days, or is he just trying to confuse me?

Wang Linchi looked at the chaotic inheritance site, torn apart by the Saint Master. The item was already in his hands.

[Demon Suppression Legacy]

[Type: Identity Item]

[Stored in the item inventory. Automatically grants the Demon Suppressing Sorcerer identity upon entering an Abyss Difficulty instance.

- Reputation with all non-demonized factions within the instance is raised to Respected.

- When using this identity:

- Effects of negative, debuff, control, and similar Skills against demonized-type enemies are increased by 100%.

- Deals an additional 100% final damage to demonized-type enemies.]

[Notice: This item can only be obtained once. It is character-bound, unsellable, undroppable, undiscardable, indestructible, and does not occupy inventory space.]

[Notice: When possessing multiple Identity Items, you can choose your identity upon entering an Abyss Difficulty instance.]

This was not a quest item but an Identity Item, so clearing the quest wasn't necessary. Like an Abyss Crystal, once obtained, it could be taken out of the instance.

Wait, could it have been modified by the Game System to specifically target the Abyss?

Wang Linchi suddenly had a thought. It might have been very difficult to obtain originally. However, after the underground palace was uprooted, the legacy was affected and essentially became a Player benefit.

Of course, there were still entry requirements, one of which was to break open the entrance using brute force...

Damn it, don't tell me there's actually a corresponding quest line in South Ridge Village that allows entry without brute force? Wang Linchi was rather stunned.

But since Wang Linchi had already obtained it, he no longer cared about any quest lines.

No wonder it's called Demon Suppressing Sorcerer, he mused. The legacy only records methods for suppressing Evil Demons: seals, great arrays, imprisonment, and confinement.

There are no methods for killing them.

The first half of this Demon Suppression Legacy was identical to the one in the underground palace; the real difference lay in the second half.

It's just that these Demon Suppressing Sorcerers don't live long. Not only can they die at the hands of Evil Demons, but every act of suppression also devastates their bodies. The stronger a Demon Suppressing Sorcerer is, the more fragile their body becomes.

Correspondingly, each time they suppress an Evil Demon, they receive a reward from the heavens and earth, but this reward is rather pitiful.

Wang Linchi finally understood why the man who claimed to be the strongest Demon Suppressing Sorcerer had turned into a True Magician. Firstly, suppressing Evil Demons wasn't worth the cost, and secondly, his lifespan was nearing its end.

The rewards didn't include extending one's lifespan. Since the devastation to their bodies inevitably shortened it, Demon Suppressing Sorcerers were essentially trading their lives to suppress Evil Demons.

Naturally, some wished to live longer.

Speaking of which, I never expected that human Demon Suppressing Sorcerers and the Abyssal Demon - True Magicians originated from the same source. The first half of the legacy is identical; they only diverge in the second half. A Demon Suppressing Sorcerer can even easily transform into an Abyssal Demon - True Magician. Furthermore, a True Magician can use even more powerful demonized Demon Suppression Spells against humans and other Demon Suppressing Sorcerers.

Wang Linchi hadn't anticipated such a development, but it no longer mattered. He now held the legacies of both the Demon Suppressing Sorcerer and the True Magician.

As long as I get the corpse of an Abyssal Demon - True Magician, I'm confident I can create a game cheat. Wang Linchi wasn't one to follow rules diligently; if there was a shortcut, he would definitely take it.

It's a pity that I'm just a game character here. I can't actually become a Demon Suppressing Sorcerer.

For a native NPC, becoming a Demon Suppressing Sorcerer would indeed present many problems. For a game character, however, it was equivalent to being a control-type Mage, specializing against demonized-type enemies.

Although a Demon Suppressing Sorcerer's physical body was weak, their Demon Suppression Spells were not to be underestimated. Even the once most powerful Demon Suppressing Sorcerer, after transforming into an Abyssal Demon, was ultimately suppressed by Demon Suppression Spells.

It was rather amusing when he thought about it.

After tidying up, Wang Linchi left the valley and headed back towards South Ridge Village.

He had spent nearly twelve hours going back and forth. The demonization of South Ridge Village should have already begun.

As he approached the village entrance, he saw from afar a group of people holding lanterns, torches, and other light sources, waiting anxiously.

The three individuals who had remained at the entrance of the underground palace, as well as those who had died inside, had also been deleted, presumably due to data correction by the System.

"Mage, you're finally back!" the village chief exclaimed, hurrying over. "How did your trip to retrieve the Magical Artifact go? Was it smooth?"

"Not entirely smooth," Wang Linchi replied, "but I did manage to obtain the item. Fortunately, I didn't fail the task." He had previously returned to the village stealthily, taking what he needed and leaving without alerting anyone, so the villagers were unaware of his earlier visit.

"By the way, are all the young and able-bodied men still in the village?" Wang Linchi inquired, referring to those whose data had been deleted.

"Yes, of course! You previously declined their offer to lend you their One-armed Strength. Now, they are all rested and ready, just waiting for your command!" The village chief patted his chest confidently, indicating their readiness.

Wang Linchi understood. The issue concerning the villagers whose data was deleted had been resolved, either by repopulating the data or by correcting the instance.

Wang Linchi leaned towards the latter explanation.

"The first day is almost over. Some villagers must have been tainted by an Evil Demon, their minds bewildered. We must find them quickly to prevent the Evil Demon from sowing chaos." Having obtained the Demon Suppression Legacy Identity Item, Wang Linchi had transformed from a counterfeit Demon Suppressing Sorcerer into a genuine one.

Consequently, his reputation in South Ridge Village had risen to 'Respected', which was why the village chief now fully complied with Wang Linchi's instructions.

This was a stark contrast to when he had first arrived that morning. Back then, they had considered him a charlatan. Even after he had managed to persuade them, they hadn't dared let him go alone and had insisted on sending people to monitor him. Now, however, they readily agreed to and actively cooperated with whatever Wang Linchi proposed.

"Everyone, did you hear that? Gather in the village square immediately! This concerns all of our lives, so there's no room for carelessness!" the village chief shouted to those behind him. His call was met with a chorus of affirmations.

Then, people dispersed to carry out the order.

"Mage, you've been busy all day, you must be hungry. I'll have someone bring you some food," the village chief said solicitously. He then had someone bring over a spread: steamed buns, meat and vegetable dishes, and wine. It was clearly far better fare than what the villagers could normally afford.

"There's no rush," Wang Linchi said, not taking the food. "Let's go to the village square first. Tell me what you did today as we walk." He wasn't starving; the quest was his priority.

"We can eat while we walk. You can just listen," the village chief replied, handing Wang Linchi a large steamed bun. "Today, I sealed the ancestral hall and instructed everyone to..."

The village chief had indeed been very thorough, primarily for his own survival. He had even sealed the ancestral hall, and no stubborn elders had emerged to protest about its importance. Furthermore, he had taken measures to keep everyone in check, among other things.

The village chief was genuinely competent, not just an incompetent placeholder.

"Well done. You're far more thorough than I anticipated," Wang Linchi praised generously. The village chief had indeed considered more than he had. Wang Linchi wasn't from South Ridge Village, nor even from this world, so the survival of the entire village hadn't been a primary concern in his plans. The village chief, on the other hand, driven by self-preservation, had thought of everything.

"You flatter me, you flatter me. It was merely my duty," the village chief responded humbly to Wang Linchi's praise. This was standard social etiquette.

The villagers assembled quickly. This was mainly because there weren't many of them and they had been put on notice beforehand, so they arrived as soon as they were summoned.

Wang Linchi observed the villagers' conditions using his Soul Vision.

"You, you, you, and you," Wang Linchi said, pointing to about a dozen people. "Step forward."

Those he singled out were naturally flustered but still stepped forward obediently.

"The contamination isn't severe. There's still a chance to save you. Follow my instructions. First..." Wang Linchi began to explain the method for removing the Evil Demon's taint, as recorded in the Demon Suppression Legacy. He wished he could help them directly, but he couldn't; his game character couldn't channel spiritual power the way a real person could.

As a game character, his Mana could only be used to cast Skills; he couldn't direct it freely.

"I'm not sure if this will succeed. You can only do your best. After all, this Evil Demon is incredibly strong, and even I don't have much confidence."

"Furthermore, all of you need to..."

Wang Linchi instructed everyone to set up multiple great arrays: Demon Suppression, Demon Control, Demon Restriction, and others. He even had them prepare an outer Sealing Demon Formation. As for whether these measures would succeed, he could only try.

If they succeeded, he would be able to deal with the True Magician, that Abyssal Demon, a little more easily.