Chapter 1030: Zhen Xu Stele? What Kind of Junk Are You?

Lei Xier: ???

An ordinary Saint Emperor?

And granting treasures?

Is that even true?

Come to think of it, back in Bai Ku, she was still in her Mu Zi Xi form.

Though everyone knew that Xu Xiaoshou had gained immense benefits in that small Bai Ku, including four fierce swords and the famous sword Yanmang.

The former was Ba Zun An's sword from the past, so it made sense for Xu Xiaoshou to get it, but the latter—who would think of it as a "treasure granted by a Saint Emperor"?

Everyone just assumed it was normal luck, like a regular person stumbling upon an extraordinary sword, nothing more!

But now, looking back...

"You." Lei Xier opened her mouth, her thoughts suddenly jumbling. "Are you serious that it was a Saint Emperor?"

"Mm-hmm." Xu Xiaoshou nodded and described the scene he had seen back then:

"I called him the Wolf Saint...

"You have to say, his entrance was really embarrassing... uh, I mean, totally lacking in presence.

"He was in chains, sneaking out like he was on a secret date, and then it seemed like he got caught for the illicit meeting, so he slunk away, leaving only a sword behind. Tsk tsk..."

Lei Xier: ???

You call that a Saint Emperor?

"Suspicion detected, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou could read the expression on Lei Xier's face and said:

"You can doubt his abilities, but you can't doubt my judgment.

"When he appeared, there was saintly power around him. I thought he was a Half Saint at the time, but now I realize a Half Saint couldn't have that level of pressure. He must be a Saint Emperor."

Lei Xier fell silent.

She hadn't asked for the full story about how Xu Xiaoshou got Yanmang back then, because no one could have guessed it was a treasure from a Saint Emperor, so why bother asking?

Glancing at the excited Yanmang, Lei Xier said thoughtfully, "I think there might be risks involved."

A Saint Emperor granting you treasures out of nowhere?

What kind of world is that? There has to be a catch.

"Be confident and drop the 'might'."

Xu Xiaoshou patted Yanmang to calm it down and smiled as he spoke.

He had known for a while that the Saint Emperor was using him as a pawn in a century-long scheme.

Of course, there were risks.

But last time, when he encountered the Half Saint Zang Ren, a bunch of wills emerged from his body, and one of them seemed to belong to that Wolf Saint.

There was scheming, but also goodwill.

If a minor grandmaster like him had no value, why would a Saint Emperor bother granting treasures?

Xu Xiaoshou had accepted the sword without a second thought, and now he didn't mind the risks at all. He knew that as long as he kept proving his worth and satisfying that Wolf Saint, he'd probably be safe.

After all, the other side needed something from him, which is why they sent the sword early.

What's more, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't known the Wolf Saint's identity before, but after learning about things like Ba Zun An and the inner island of Xukong Dao, he had formed some guesses about the Wolf Saint.

"So, who is that Saint Emperor? Do you know?" Lei Xier asked casually, knowing that Xu Xiaoshou wasn't the type to be manipulated without digging into the background.

"If I'm not mistaken..."

Xu Xiaoshou paused, looked at her, and smiled. "On the inner island of Xukong Dao, one of the three ancestors of the White Line, known as the ancestor of all ancestors... Jin Zhao Lao Zu!"

Lei Xier's pupils shrank.

Jin Zhao Lao Zu... She'd never heard of him!

But with all those prefixes, it sounded impressive and terrifying upon reflection!

"Jin Zhao?"

Soon, Lei Xier mulled over the name, deep in thought.

"Mm."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded. "He might be a demon, but more likely, he's from the generation before Sang Lao Tou's predecessors... Who knows, maybe Jin Zhao Lao Zu's rise as a Half Saint was boosted by this ancestor's influence." He ventured boldly.

A Saint Emperor... A look of worry crossed Lei Xier's young face. She unconsciously grabbed her silver hair, twisting it into two strands, like the pigtails she used to fiddle with when thinking.

After a long while, she said, "After all, it's a Saint Emperor. Maybe we should be on guard."

"You're right to be on guard, but no need to get too tense." Xu Xiaoshou chuckled at her words.

He stopped talking, took a deep breath, then raised the famous sword Yanmang and shouted toward the sky: "Jin Zhao Lao Zu! Jin Zhao Lao Zu! I'm coming for you—show yourself quickly!"

Lei Xier turned pale with fright, completely baffled by Xu Xiaoshou's bold move.

"What are you doing!"

She couldn't help but reach out and tug at Xu Xiaoshou's sleeve.

This is a Saint Emperor! Are you treating this like a marketplace hawking goods? Are you trying to get us killed?

"No reaction at all..."

Xu Xiaoshou let himself be pulled back and sighed. "I just wish I knew Jin Zhao Lao Zu's real name. Maybe then I could actually summon him to meet me."

Lei Xier was still in a daze, unable to understand how Xu Xiaoshou, who used to be so afraid of death, had become so reckless since arriving on Xukong Dao.

"Are you crazy?"

"Not crazy."

"Then what—"

"I have a trump card."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, pulling out the "Ba Zi Ling" from his ring.

"Ba Zun An is the venerable of the black and white lines, and this is the token he gave me.

"They say it's like seeing the person himself. It might not work on weaker spirit refiners, but any seasoned expert with some knowledge will give him face.

"I was just thinking, if I could summon Jin Zhao Lao Zu, we might get an extra big bodyguard. That would make adventuring on Xukong Dao a lot safer."

Xu Xiaoshou was still bitter about losing Xiao Kong Dong as his bodyguard in Can Yue Xian Cheng.

Lei Xier: ...

She was speechless.

What kind of move is this?

The inner island of Xukong Dao is a whole different world from the outer island. Do you really think you can just shout out a Saint Emperor like that?

But...

The Ba Zi Ling?

She examined the token in Xu Xiaoshou's hand closely, curious if it was as powerful as he claimed.

Strictly speaking, when the Lei family was destroyed, she and Lei Shuangxing had survived partly because Ba Zun An had lent a hand in their time of crisis.

So, this was a token from their savior?

"If you like it, I'll give it to you to play with." Xu Xiaoshou tossed the Ba Zi Ling over without a care.

Lei Xier caught it quickly, giving him a reproachful side-eye.

But her curiosity got the better of her. She turned the token over and soon spotted the image on the back: a naked woman hugging her knees and weeping, with chains extending to the edges of the token.

"This is..."

Lei Xier was struck by its beauty. Just from the carving, the woman looked like a heavenly immortal, evoking pity.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at it and sighed. "I used to be like you, naively thinking this was a symbol of faith for the holy slaves, with a beautiful statue and the words 'If not a saint, forever a slave,' to make everyone loyal to Ba Zun An."

Lei Xier was taken aback. Wasn't that the case?

"So what now?"

"Now..." Xu Xiaoshou recalled what the big mouth in Can Yue Xian Cheng had said and laughed. "Maybe it's just Ba Zun An's old flame. That's all."

"Old... flame?" Lei Xier was stunned.

"Suspicion detected, passive value +1."

Seeing the gossip fire ignite in his junior sister's eyes, just like in the old days, Xu Xiaoshou laughed and said:

"Yue Gong Nu, she's said to be the top beauty on the absolute beauty list. Too bad I haven't seen the real person yet."

No sooner had he spoken than Lei Xier's hand trembled while holding the token, and Xu Xiaoshou sensed something off, freezing on the spot.

"Sorry, sorry...

"Tongue slips, just tongue slips!"

He quickly clasped his hands together and bowed in all directions.

Goodness, this was Ba Zun An's lady from way back—an old auntie from his era. If she became his partner, she'd at least be a Half Saint now, right?

Calling her by name directly—would that cause trouble?

Auntie, we're on the same side! Same side!

Xu Xiaoshou shrank back nervously, realizing he'd been too reckless.

Xukong Dao was already a dangerous place, and here he was, casually invoking saintly names...

How could he be so foolish?

"Cursed, passive value +1, +1, +1, +1..."

Lei Xier clearly understood the implications and gave Xu Xiaoshou a knowing look.

But when nothing happened, she breathed a sigh of relief, handed the token back, and said grumpily, "Watch your mouth. If you ever die, it'll be because of that loose tongue of yours."

"You don't want it?" Xu Xiaoshou dangled the token.

"This is something the Eighth Sword Immortal gave you. I won't take it—keep it safe."

"What a shame. I was thinking of 'losing' it and asking Ba Zun An for another one. It could be a real lifesaver."

Lei Xier: ...

"Rolling eyes detected, passive value +1."

"Really don't want it?"

"No need. You keep it."

"Fine, if you don't want it, then forget it. Once I get famous, I'll make you one as a lifesaver." Xu Xiaoshou didn't push it and put the Ba Zi Ling away.

It was a valuable item—on Xukong Dao, it might even unleash power beyond a Half Saint's.

Face Fruit was incredibly potent, and Xu Xiaoshou knew it well!

Once the discussion about Xukong Dao ended, Lei Xier didn't dare to be as carefree as Xu Xiaoshou. She turned her attention to the massive stone stele in front of her.

"Xu Xiaoshou, come here." Soon, she waved him over.

"What's up? Found something?" Xu Xiaoshou, still holding his two swords and using "perception" to scout his future path, hurried over.

His original plan was to follow Yanmang's guidance, skip anything that wasted time, and go straight for what might be Jin Zhao Lao Zu's treasure.

But Lei Xier's OCD and curiosity were even stronger, insisting on examining that dust-and-moss-covered, slimy-looking stele.

"There are indentations, like characters?" Lei Xier said, not daring to touch it herself.

"Characters?"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at it dismissively. "With all that thick moss, this stele's probably been untouched for centuries. It can't be anything valuable.

"Xukong Dao's been visited before, and Ba Zun An knows his stuff. If this were a treasure, he'd have studied it ages ago. No way it'd be covered in moss."

Lei Xier said nothing.

What Xu Xiaoshou said made sense, but it came from his limited perspective.

"Do you remember the 'Zhen Xu Bei' I mentioned earlier?" Lei Xier asked.

"Oh, so you're saying this is it?" Xu Xiaoshou perked up and leaned in for a closer look, but soon frowned. "What's the point of Zhen Xu Bei? If it's a treasure, someone would have taken it by now."

"It's not a treasure. Zhen Xu Bei represents the entrance to the outer island of Xukong Dao, and there are many of them..."

"Tch."

Xu Xiaoshou lost interest instantly.

If there were many, that meant they were common and not worth much.

Rarity makes things valuable, so no wonder this old stele was mossy.

It probably wasn't safe to touch, which is why no one on Xukong Dao had bothered.

"I want to clear away the moss and take a look."

Lei Xier turned to him, clearly fascinated by the stele—perhaps due to some inherited memories from the Lei family, giving her deeper knowledge of Xukong Dao.

"I'll do it."

Xu Xiaoshou grew a bit more serious. He might act casual, but he was cautious about Xukong Dao.

Zhen Xu Bei...

Who knew what it was about, but it was intriguing.

He drew the famous sword Yanmang.

On second thought, this thing might be a key to Jin Zhao Lao Zu's treasure, so breaking it would be a waste.

Xu Xiaoshou switched to the sword with four blades.

"Swish!"

With a light stroke, the moss fell away.

On the stele, a small, dirty patch of the surface was revealed, etched with the character "eight."

"Sword intent?"

Sensing the sword intent in the character, Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.

Things related to "eight" were rare on Xukong Dao, and even on Sheng Shen Continent, he, Xu Xiaoshou, could only think of one: Ba Zun An.

Since scraping off the moss didn't trigger any danger...

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't hold back, quickly clearing away all the moss.

The stele was now fully exposed, shocking both of them.

Because there were so many names on it!

"Hua Wei Yang, Cheng Xue, Xiao Hei, Feng Wu Hen..."

Who were these people?

Xu Xiaoshou and Lei Xier exchanged glances, both drawing blanks.

But the next line was familiar.

"Ba Zun An, Dao Qiong Cang, Bei Huai, Kong Yu Hen, Sang Qi Ye, Yu Ling Di, Cao Yi Han, You Tu, Gu Qing Yi, Gu Qing Er..."

They've all been here?

Lei Xier's scalp tingled at the sight of this line.

These were mostly from the Ten Venerables.

Even Sang Lao Tou had left his name, which meant almost all of them had visited Xukong Dao?

Xu Xiaoshou was equally stunned.

What stunned him wasn't the line of big shots, but the last two names.

"Gu Qing Yi? Gu Qing Er?

"What's going on? Are those two brothers from Zang Jian Zong actually big shots reincarnated?"

Being listed alongside Ba Zun An made Xu Xiaoshou almost think the first two of the Zang Jian Zong trio were ancient predecessors.

But he quickly figured it out.

Those two must have come to Xukong Dao recently, since someone on Gu Yin Cliff had shamefully jumped off in a fit of anger—though he didn't know why.

The cliff led to the deep sea, so it was normal for Gu Qing Er to reach Xukong Dao before them.

"This is definitely the Zhen Xu Bei!" Lei Xier confirmed after examining it.

"Oh..." Xu Xiaoshou looked over the stele, not paying much attention to the names, and circled around to the back. After scraping off the moss with his sword, he saw the characters "Xukong Dao."

"Hmm, so this side must be the front, and that side the back?"

Lei Xier followed and saw the distinction as well.

"Buzz—"

As they pondered tensely, the stele trembled slightly and emitted a intermittent voice:

"Please... leave... your... name..."

"Startled, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou grabbed Lei Xier's hand and stepped back quickly, but soon realized the stele was just speaking and wasn't attacking. He relaxed.

"You scared the hell out of me, you piece of junk."

Xu Xiaoshou cursed, and the Zhen Xu Bei didn't react. Emboldened, he stepped forward.

After living so long, it should have some spirit, right?

He let go of her hand, tapped the Zhen Xu Bei with the sword with four blades, and asked, "Is there a reward for leaving my name? My name is worth a fortune—spit out a treasure bone, and I'll do it."

No response.

Lei Xier watched from the side, her eyelids twitching wildly.

This guy is really pushing it!

Xu Xiaoshou, are you seriously not afraid of death?

"Blessed, passive value +1."

Blessed?

Xu Xiaoshou gave a strange look to the beauty behind him, then turned back to the silent Zhen Xu Bei, now annoyed.

He pulled out the Ba Zi Ling and slapped it hard against the stele.

"Recognize this token? See the token, see the man! I'm the venerable of the black and white lines, Ba Zun An... Speak to me!"

"Speak!"

"Zhen Xu Bei? What kind of worthless thing are you!"

"Damn! You're this patient? Really? I don't believe it!"

Xu Xiaoshou raised the sword with four blades menacingly: "Speak! Or I'll chop you!"