Chapter 1010: This Wave, I Profited Big, You All Lost Out

One word stirred up a thousand waves.

As soon as Ba Zun An finished speaking, the people at the entrance of Xu Kong Men fell into a stunned silence.

"Ah, this..."

Rao Yao Yao was completely baffled.

She had always believed that her main adversary in coming to Dong Tian Wang Cheng was Sheng Nu.

But now, Ba Zun An himself had come forward to clarify.

Sheng Nu's schemes had already ended with the battle among the saints in Yun Lun Shan Mai.

The ongoing unrest at Gu Yin Ya had led everyone to assume it was Sheng Nu's backup plan...

But no!

This time, it was Yan Wang?

Rao Yao Yao felt her mind growing foggy; she couldn't make sense of the situation at all.

Her first instinct was that Ba Zun An was lying.

Who would expose themselves so thoroughly, especially as the leader of a dark force, by reporting another dark force's leader?

But on second thought...

Ba Zun An's words seemed genuine!

In the complex events of Yun Lun Shan Mai, there were faint traces of Yan Wang Huang Quan.

He had coveted Ye Xiao Tian's spatial mysteries and the secrets on Shou Ye, and even proposed a deal for the Xuan Cang Shen Jian at Gu Yin Ya...

Huang Quan's shadow lurked behind all these major events.

More importantly, Yan Wang's creed had always been centered on Lei Jia Tong!

As for the Pu Xuan Jiang clan in the northern domain, outsiders might not know, but Rao Yao Yao knew full well that this semi-saint family was one of the beneficiaries of the Lei family's tragic case years ago.

They had gained a portion of "Tian Xia Tong Shu" and the "San Yan Tong Mu."

It wouldn't be surprising if they wanted to go further and seize more.

"Wait! San Yan Tong Mu?"

Rao Yao Yao's thoughts reached this point, and she was suddenly startled.

She recalled that during the night battle in the royal city, Jiang Xian, the semi-saint heir of the Jiang clan, had encountered Yan Wang's attack in Tian Qi Lin, north of the northern district of Dong Tian Wang Cheng, and lost the "San Yan Tong Mu."

This incident had spread widely in high-level circles but was rarely heard among the common people.

Compared to the well-known chaos of the royal city night battle, the events in Tian Qi Lin had been largely overlooked by those below the semi-saint level.

Yet, the battle in Tian Qi Lin had indeed happened.

Looking at it this way, it seemed that the Jiang clan had sought help from Sheng Shen Dian Tang but got no follow-up, leading to this self-orchestrated scheme with Yan Wang to lose the "San Yan Tong Mu"...

All for the sake of getting involved in the current conflict at Gu Yin Ya, which was linked to Xu Kong Men and Xu Kong Island...

So the Jiang semi-saint could enter the game and claim a share?

"Not only do they want the Lei Jia Tong...

"Xu Kong Island, this huge prize, the Jiang clan wants to get involved and take a piece for themselves?"

Rao Yao Yao's heart was in turmoil.

She was truly frightened.

Because these conclusions completely contradicted her previous deductions.

Yet, the connections between them were so intertwined, evoking a chilling fear that, as someone in charge, she had to ponder deeply.

"I..."

Rao Yao Yao hesitated, suddenly missing her advisors.

In her mind, this newly emerged possibility of Yan Wang was now on equal footing with her former prime suspect, Sheng Nu.

Who was behind it all?

Feeling lost and unsettled, Rao Yao Yao hid her inner chaos and glanced at those beside her.

Teng Shan Hai looked shocked, the kind of expression that showed he couldn't grasp the truth but found Ba Zun An's "report" astonishingly bold.

Ye Xiao showed no fluctuation, her face still hidden in shadows, though you could sense she was thinking and feeling alarmed.

But what she was thinking—well, not even Rao Yao Yao, and probably no one else in the world, could fathom it, except perhaps one oddity.

Could she count as part of the advisory team, even jokingly?

Of course not—it was impossible!

Rao Yao Yao had no choice but to turn her gaze to Mu Lin and Bai Lin from the Sheng Gong side.

Compared to the others, their thoughts and actions were more reliable.

But as she looked...

Mu Lin remained composed, as if to say, "This has nothing to do with me. I'm just a Sheng Gong envoy here to check on the Dong Tian Wang Cheng trial participants, and I accidentally got caught up in this mess, so don't bother asking me."

Bai Lin had some ideas; his lips trembled as if he wanted to speak, but after glancing at his master Mu Lin, he understood and held back.

Sheng Gong stayed above the fray, only responsible for nurturing talented spirit refiners on the continent.

Disputes between the dark and light paths were Sheng Shen Dian Tang's domain.

His uncle Sang hadn't even returned yet, so what right did he have to meddle in continental affairs?

Seeing this, Rao Yao Yao's face fell.

Surrounded by talents, yet none she could use—this feeling was driving her mad.

"You think I'll believe you?"

Left with no option, Rao Yao Yao took on the challenge alone, sneering at Ba Zun An.

No matter what she really thought, the leader of the dark path "reporting" the other major leaders of the dark and light paths implied that he was uninvolved in all this.

Could she believe that?

She sort of did, but she had to act like she didn't.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiao Shou was glancing at his information panel, seeing messages like "overwhelmed by suspicion," "filled with doubt," and "under scrutiny." Watching the vivid expressions of those at Xu Kong Men, he couldn't help but smile to himself.

"You can choose not to believe me, after all, I'm on the opposite side."

He crossed his fingers, looking confident as he spoke casually:

"But Sheng Nu is bad, and Yan Wang isn't much better.

"I just don't want to take all the hate for Yan Wang and have Sheng Shen Dian Tang's full firepower aimed at Sheng Nu.

"Yes, I'm not afraid of it...

"But who wants to be a pitiful scapegoat, right?"

Xu Xiao Shou smiled warmly, his demeanor calm and composed.

In that moment, even he felt he had the air of a great leader, unflappable yet capable of turning the tide with a wave of his hand.

People truly grow through trials, step by step.

Xu Xiao Shou had faced many storms, and his ability to adapt on the spot far surpassed his days in Ling Gong.

Yan Wang Huang Quan had only appeared briefly in Yun Lun Shan Mai, but Xu Xiao Shou had seized that moment—now, he couldn't escape.

On Gu Yin Ya, he had staged those advanced triple illusions, so Rao Yao Yao might still have doubts, but the impression of Huang Quan's involvement was deeply etched in her mind.

Thus, when the matters here connected to "Lei Jia Tong" and "Jiang semi-saint," it naturally led to this "entirely reasonable" report.

Blame it on Huang Quan for being too greedy, targeting the dean...

Of course, this report sacrificed not only Yan Wang Huang Quan and the Jiang semi-saint but also threw in "Yan Wang Shui Gui."

But that was fine!

Whether it was "Sheng Nu Shui Gui" or "Yan Wang Shui Gui," Shui Gui was on the opposing side of Sheng Shen Dian Tang anyway, so the enmity was there.

Besides, it was Shui Gui who had dragged him into this semi-saint game.

Not only that, Shui Gui had taught him how to be a pawn and counter the player.

Xu Xiao Shou had learned it well.

But a simple "I understand" wasn't as exciting as putting it into practice.

So, he made a slight adjustment, swapping the "Xu Xiao Shou" at the center of this semi-saint storm for "Yan Wang Shui Gui."

Anyone with sense could see that Shui Gui had ulterior motives.

He had no grudge against the Jiang semi-saint but still dared to profane the saints, clearly aiming to be a double agent, pitting the Jiang clan and Yan Wang against each other so he could profit no matter which side fell.

But now that it involved Xu Xiao Shou, he couldn't tolerate it.

He extricated himself and stirred the waters even more, pulling Sheng Shen Dian Tang into the mix.

In this three-way standoff among Yan Wang, the Jiang semi-saint, and Sheng Shen Dian Tang, who would still pay attention to a mere master-level Xu Xiao Shou?

Once the battle erupted, and the first two sides clashed, only to find Sheng Shen Dian Tang had joined...

After their mutual suspicions and questions, they would realize Ba Zun An was behind it...

Even if they were clever enough to guess that "Yan Wang Shui Gui" was actually "Sheng Nu Shui Gui"...

Well, that was all on "Ba Zun An" and "Sheng Nu Shui Gui"—what did it have to do with master Xu Xiao Shou?

A four-way war.

A minor master would be utterly insignificant!

By then, whether it was killing the Yi, pretending to be Yan Wang on Gu Yin Ya, impersonating Ba Zun An in the deep sea, or being chased as a fake Huang Quan when he was really Xu Xiao Shou...

All of that could wait until after the battle.

Once things got bloody, who would care about those trivial matters?

After all, these four sides had deep grudges; if they met, they wouldn't just talk—it would definitely turn into a fight.

And so, the Xu Xiao Shou at the eye of the storm would completely become an unrelated outsider.

"Hehe, haha..."

Thinking of this,

Xu Xiao Shou couldn't help but laugh out loud—this was a huge win for him, and a loss for everyone else!

"What are you laughing at?" Rao Yao Yao felt like he was mocking her.

Xu Xiao Shou quickly reined in his smug expression and waved it off casually: "Nothing, just thought of something fun."

Rao Yao Yao: "..."

"The report ends here. I'm leaving. Whether you believe me or not, that's for you to decide. I trust your capabilities." Xu Xiao Shou waved goodbye, not wanting to linger, and with a flicker, he activated his vanishing technique and disappeared without even bothering with spatial fluctuations.

A person's mental capacity is limited.

If Rao Yao Yao only pondered the killing of the Yi, she might eventually trace it back to him, no matter the conclusion.

Xu Xiao Shou couldn't stop others from thinking—he wasn't omnipotent.

But he knew that when someone is indecisive, throwing another major issue their way would shift their focus.

One wasn't enough? Then two or three!

And it's best if these new issues aren't straightforward, with ambiguous answers to make their thoughts even more chaotic.

Until Rao Yao Yao's mind was overloaded with decisions, not knowing which to tackle first...

At that point, the original matter would seem trivial.

For Xu Xiao Shou, even if Rao Yao Yao made the right calls on everything in her head...

Her priorities would still be the immediate threats of the Jiang semi-saint's arrival and the terrifying possibility of the Lei family's tragedy being unearthed.

In that scenario, who would bother with the killer of the Yi?

It was too minor to matter!

And so, being completely removed from the situation was as simple as that.

Ba Zun An left.

Leaving Rao Yao Yao and the others, who had just received the "report," in a state of utter confusion.

Teng Shan Hai glanced back at Xu Kong Men and suddenly felt it had become a hot potato, something no one dared touch.

After all, it could be a trap set by Yan Wang.

With Huang Quan mastering spatial forces, "teleportation" was his specialty.

Now, they had evidence that Xu Kong Men might not be harmful and could successfully teleport.

But who could guarantee that the destination would be Sky City and not some altered prison modified by spatial forces?

"What do you think?"

Rao Yao Yao also glanced at Xu Kong Men, then had to turn back to the silent Mu Lin—she really needed some help right now.

Mu Lin: "Based on my limited understanding of this situation, it's not easy for me to decide for you. And from Sheng Gong's standpoint, we have no right to make choices for Sheng Shen Dian Tang—that would be overstepping. If I had to say, I think Ba Zun An's words have about a fifty percent chance of being true."

Rao Yao Yao's temple veins throbbed; she nearly drew her sword in frustration.

What kind of nonsense was that?

Fifty percent?

Everyone knew you could only believe half of what Ba Zun An said!

As she was fuming inside, Bai Lin suddenly spoke up:

"Why not just wait? We can verify whether Ba Zun An's words are true or false.

"After all, the arrival of a semi-saint leaves no room for lies. If Jiang semi-saint dares to show up here, all answers will become clear."

Rao Yao Yao was slightly taken aback.

He had a point.

If Ba Zun An was lying or not, it would be obvious once Jiang semi-saint arrived.

"Jiang Bu Yi..."

Calming down, Rao Yao Yao narrowed her eyes, forming even bigger suspicions.

There's no smoke without fire.

Ba Zun An wouldn't fabricate something so easily disproven.

Semi-saints are confined but can act occasionally, though it requires reporting.

So why hadn't Jiang semi-saint informed Sheng Shen Dian Tang at all? That was a major red flag.

Going around Sheng Shen Dian Tang meant his actions might cross their boundaries.

In that case...

Rao Yao Yao looked out over the deep sea, her gaze seeming to pierce through the vast waters to the distant sky beings.

"What are you planning? Jiang Bu Yi!"

At the Gu Yin Ya ruins.

The Shui Gui, wearing a golden beast mask, carried the unconscious Tian Ren Wu Shui in one hand and Feng Tang Meng Po in the other, returning to his designated spot.

Their vital signs were sealed.

But the seal was brief, so they should be fine, with their powers gradually recovering.

In three to five days, or perhaps half a month to a month, depending on their cultivation, they should return to normal.

"Two hot potatoes..."

Shui Gui murmured, shaking his head with a laugh at the unpredictability of life.

Not long ago, he had contacted Feng Tang Meng Po and learned the exact positions of the Yan Wang members. Soon after, he had captured these two.

What a strange twist of fate!

Thinking it over, to lure the Jiang semi-saint, just having a fake Huang Quan posing as the real Xu Xiao Shou in the deep sea wasn't enough.

This gift from Senior Feng Yu Jin seemed useful—it was a genuine Yan Wang member, after all.

"Rest!"

Without any hesitation, Shui Gui acted immediately, tossing the unconscious Tian Ren Wu Shui into the deep sea.

He had no connection with Tian Ren Wu Shui, and while Sheng Nu and Yan Wang had conflicts, whether Tian Ren Wu Shui survived was up to fate.

If he died in the deep sea, so be it—as a contribution to slaying saints.

More importantly, opening Xu Kong Men required a massive amount of Dao-severing and Taixu energy as a sacrifice.

Turning back, Shui Gui sized up Feng Tang Meng Po, who was immobilized with her mask shattered. He reached out and slapped her face twice.

"With everything going on, how can you still be sleeping?"

After a while,

Finally, with a soft groan, Feng Tang Meng Po awoke.

Opening her eyes, she saw the man sitting on a large rock nearby, elbow on his knee, propping his chin with a smiling face.

"Shui Gui?" Feng Tang Meng Po asked in surprise, looking around in confusion.

Shui Gui adjusted the half-golden beast mask on his face and said with a smirk: "Feng Tang Meng Po, let's tally up—how many favors do you owe me now?"