Chapter 101: Killing the Master?

As soon as Xu Xiaoshou finished speaking, the compressed huo zhong in his palm vanished, and in the next instant, another even more violent one surged above his thumb.

Sang Lao's eyes flashed with surprise. The energy of this huo zhong was like a wild horse off its reins, incredibly volatile and on the verge of exploding at any moment—it was several times more terrifying than the previous one.

Yet, Xu Xiaoshou controlled it with masterful precision, somehow suppressing its outburst.

Sang Lao knew Xu Xiaoshou was a genius, but he never imagined he could be this extraordinary.

Compressing a huo zhong was impressive enough, but to handle it so freely was just excessive!

"Wu Zhi Wen Zhong Zhi Shu..."

From the name, it seemed there was more to it?

Whoosh!

While Sang Lao was pondering, another huo zhong emerged on Xu Xiaoshou's index finger. The two huo zhong were only a finger's width apart, and their interaction nearly caused them to explode uncontrollably.

He quickly switched to a "wen huo ao zhu" state, and the two huo zhong instantly calmed down.

A hint of admiration crossed Sang Lao's eyes. "Not bad, keep going!"

Xu Xiaoshou wiped the sweat from his brow, straightened his middle finger, and another huo zhong popped up on it.

Sizzle—

The magnetic attraction between the three huo zhong was far more intense than expected. Even in the "wen huo ao zhu" state, Xu Xiaoshou struggled to maintain control.

The huo zhong fluctuated wildly, tracing dark lines above his fingernail.

Sang Lao clicked his tongue in amazement. He was now convinced that Xu Xiaoshou's "Wu Zhi Wen Zhong Zhi Shu" could indeed shatter the windows of the Ling Zang Ge.

With just three huo zhong, the energy from their interactions already surpassed most innate ling ji. If someone threw them into another's mouth, the outcome would be unimaginable.

He considered telling Xu Xiaoshou to stop, but seeing how focused he was, Sang Lao held his tongue.

At first, Xu Xiaoshou had only meant to muddle through, but his spontaneous idea turned out to be surprisingly effective.

The inspiration came from the earlier fusion and explosion of two huo zhong, but he hadn't expected that at such close range, their destructive power would increase exponentially.

"Might as well try it—after all, the old man is here, so nothing major should go wrong."

He used his "perception" to glance at Sang Lao and saw the elder watching with keen interest, which put his mind at ease.

If he could perfect this ling ji, it would be far more powerful than that "xiao huo qiu zhi shu"!

It might even become his strongest killing move right now.

The fourth one!

Xu Xiaoshou concentrated fully, and with his ring finger trembling slightly, he condensed another huo zhong!

"Yes!"

But when he looked closely, he realized this compressed huo zhong was noticeably smaller, and its energy was much weaker than the others.

What was going on?

Xu Xiaoshou was baffled, then suddenly felt a wave of emptiness in his body—he had depleted his ling yuan.

Damn!

He had completely forgotten about that!

In the next second, he panicked as he realized this unstable factor had severely disrupted the balance among the other three huo zhong.

The four huo zhong at his fingertips lost control all at once, shaking violently and emitting a terrifying aura of destruction.

"Oh no!"

Xu Xiaoshou flinched instinctively and tossed them toward the window, only to find Sang Lao standing right in front, watching with great interest...

The four points drew near, hurtling straight toward him!

Sang Lao: ???

"Received curse, passive value, +1."

He had been enjoying the show, marveling at the boy's creative mind.

This technique, derived from dan refining research, was refreshingly novel and had captured his full attention—he was even a bit eager for the fifth huo zhong.

But he never expected the kid to hurl them right at his face.

He wasn't afraid of them, but at least give a warning, right? Some preparation!

What was this supposed to be?

An ambush?

Patricide?

Sang Lao leaned back tactically, his cao li instantly flipping up as the three higher-flying compressed huo zhong pierced through it and shot out the window.

The cao li turned to ash in an instant, not even leaving a trace.

The remaining one, which was weaker and flew lower, happened to shoot straight into Sang Lao's nostril.

Sang Lao: ???

"Received curse, passive value, +1."

In that moment, his face turned green, but he didn't explode right away.

Nonsense—self-preservation came first!

Though the situation was dire, there was still a chance to salvage it!

Since the huo zhong was of the same origin as his Chen Zhao Tian Yan, he could refine it instantly and avoid disaster!

Meanwhile,

Xu Xiaoshou watched in horror as the huo zhong entered Sang Lao's nose, leaving him utterly stunned.

Sang Lao hadn't dodged it? This was completely unexpected—what was the old man doing?

Distracted?

He wouldn't dare get distracted while testing his own techniques, yet here Sang Lao was, zoning out?

But this wasn't the time for those thoughts. Seizing the moment before the huo zhong went any deeper, he lunged forward and sucked in a sharp breath.

As long as I'm fast enough, the huo zhong won't escape...

Oh hell, what is that smell!

So foul!

"Urgh~"

He gagged, but then noticed Sang Lao's body shudder violently as a muffled boom echoed from his abdomen.

Did it explode?

The two locked eyes, and the air seemed to fall silent for a second.

Xu Xiaoshou saw Sang Lao's cheeks puff out slightly before he restrained it, though the sound of his Adam's apple bobbing was crystal clear.

Damn!

Was he bleeding?

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened in disbelief—had he actually injured Sang Lao? How was that possible?

Sang Lao was trembling all over.

Not from pain, but from rage!

With his cultivation level, he could have refined the huo zhong the moment it entered his body.

But Xu Xiaoshou's sudden, ghost-like suction had thrown his ling yuan into disarray, if only for a split second—and that was enough to miss the window for refinement.

If not for his own body cultivation, the Tian Sang Ling Gong might have been without a vice dean from that day on!

"Are you hurt?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, full of doubt.

Sang Lao took a deep breath to steady his shaking body and forcibly held back his anger.

What else could he do?

He had to endure it!

What master gets nearly killed by his disciple on their first meeting? That would only prove his own incompetence!

He silently turned around, pulled a new cao li from his ring, and slowly placed it on his head.

"Not at all, don't talk nonsense."

As he spoke, a breeze blew in from the window, and Xu Xiaoshou clearly caught the scent of blood in the air...

The atmosphere was thick with awkwardness. Xu Xiaoshou decided not to call him out on it—better to let that wound heal on its own!

Some pains were best borne alone; forcing it open might just bring trouble his way...

"Heh-heh." Xu Xiaoshou forced a smile, trying to ease the tension.

"Hey-hey." Sang Lao seemed to be saving face too, chiming in with a laugh.

The air grew still, and the atmosphere...

Became even more awkward!

Xu Xiaoshou's eyelid twitched, and in the end, he couldn't think of anything to say.

He was usually quick with sarcasm, but in front of Sang Lao, he just couldn't muster the nerve.

Well, sometimes he got carried away without realizing it, leading to situations like this...

"What was that just now?" Sang Lao asked without turning around.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart raced—was the old man onto his "hu xi zhi fa"?

"A type of gong fa," he replied vaguely.

"Oh, a gong fa..." Sang Lao fell silent again.

Xu Xiaoshou nearly burst out laughing—the old man was clearly just trying to diffuse the awkwardness and hadn't paid any attention to his "hu xi zhi fa." He tested the waters: "So, can I start refining the yuan ye now?"

"Oh, refining..."

"..."

Xu Xiaoshou was at a loss for words.

Sang Lao finally snapped back to reality, no longer facing away. He turned and said, "Hold off on the refining for now—there's something important I need to tell you first."