Chapter 1077: Shou The Brainwashing Technique

"Roar."

The Xukong Shi gazed at its good buddy in front of it, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude in its heart.

Who could have known that after miscalculating the strength of that Ban Sheng, it had sent out countless distress signals while being utterly beaten down?

Yet, its companions were either trapped in other deadly places, or still not awakened, or had received the signals but detected the holy power fluctuations from the battle here and didn't dare to come!

After putting on an act on the Sheng Yu Bi for so long, the Xukong Shi had already fallen into despair.

Its only hope was that the enemy's target wasn't itself, but another human—maybe they would get so absorbed in their fight that they would completely forget about "me," allowing it to survive by playing dead.

But it never expected...

When human reinforcements arrived, it, the Xukong Shi, actually got to wait for its companion to come and save it.

What a relief—while all the stone giants didn't dare to advance, this companion charged in alone, disregarding life and death, and dragged it away.

In the end, the battle concluded, and all those cowardly stone giants were wiped out—how satisfying!

Yet, it and its companion both survived—this was the power of mutual help and support—true loyalty!

"Roar!"

The Xukong Shi expressed its inner gratitude to its companion in the language of the Xukong Shi.

Of course, while feeling grateful, it had a small doubt—one that had lingered since this companion appeared.

For example, why did it look so much like itself?

To humans, all Xukong Shi probably looked the same, but to their own kind, the differences were quite significant.

This companion that had risked everything to save it wasn't just like a twin—the Xukong Shi even felt that their blood, power, and physical structure were almost identical... or rather, from the same origin?

After all, just as no two leaves in the world are exactly alike, on Xukong Dao, there were no two identical Xukong Shi.

—Could it be a long-lost sibling, or a distant relative? Or maybe an elder from its lineage, an old senior?

The Xukong Shi could only speculate like this.

Besides that, it had another doubt...

Why did this Xukong Shi companion carry the faint scent of the Shennong Yaoyuan's spiritual herbs?

This question was crucial! And potentially dangerous!

Of course, not dangerous for the companion, but for itself...

Back then, amid the aftermath of the Ban Sheng's battle, the Xukong Shi had been trembling in fear and hadn't dared to ask more, letting the companion rescue it.

One of Xukong Dao's rules was that guardians wouldn't steal from each other's guarded treasures.

Based on that rule, the Xukong Shi had reason to believe that its companion couldn't be the thief who stole from its Shennong Yaoyuan.

As for the scent, the companion would surely explain it now that the battle was over and both of them had survived.

"Roar."

Xu Xiaoshou, having left the three humans, approached the Xukong Shi, rubbing its massive head to comfort it while speaking in the Xukong Shi language: "We're all on the same side, no need to be polite. You don't have to think about how to repay me or anything."

The greatest advantage of the Mimic was that as long as you had the blood, you could impersonate the target so perfectly that even they couldn't tell the difference.

It could even acquire the target's cultivation insights, so understanding the mere language of the Xukong Shi and comprehending what this giant was saying was no problem at all for the holder of the Mimic.

From the moment he took the risk to transform into a Xukong Shi and appear, and this big guy hadn't detected his true identity, Xu Xiaoshou knew that the situation was mostly under control.

"The Mimic is just too powerful!"

"For a full-attribute spiritual cultivator, it's practically invincible; and once you get the blood, it's like adding wings to a tiger!"

Only when facing a Ban Sheng directly did Xu Xiaoshou truly feel the full force of a Ban Sheng's attack.

Naturally, he once again realized just how impressive it was that, on that day in the Yun Lun Mountains, the water spirit with the Sea-Conquering Divine Halberd had shattered the Evil Sin Bow's arrow of boundless compassion with a single strike!

As one of the Ten Anomalous Weapons...

The Sea-Conquering Divine Halberd's strength lay in boosting water-attribute spiritual cultivators in battle, while the Mimic manifested entirely in its auxiliary functions.

"The Xukong Shi can only recognize me as the sinner from Xukong Dao, number 800820, through facial features or special senses before I disguised myself."

"But with the Xukong Shi's blood and the Mimic, it can alter all my internal qualities in an exaggerated way, just like how it changes a spiritual cultivator's attributes!"

"Even a powerful Xukong Shi can no longer sense that my true self is number 800820."

This was the information Xu Xiaoshou had summed up while saving the Xukong Shi after appearing.

What use was it? Tremendous use!

This meant that from now on, on Xukong Dao, with the Xukong Shi's blood and the Mimic, as long as he didn't face a Ban Sheng, he could basically roam freely in this giant body.

In a prison, which held higher status—a "sinner" or a "warden"?

It was obvious at a glance!

Most importantly... when he could transform into a Xukong Shi, it meant that in future conversations with other Xukong Shi, their positions would no longer have any hierarchy.

What kind of creatures were Xukong Shi?

First, they were fiercely powerful but simple-minded; second, they were simple-minded; third, they were extremely simple-minded!

Based on these three points, in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes, this type of creature was simply adorably foolish, far more fun than Jiang Buyi!

—Teng Shanhai was even harder to manipulate than them!

And so, Xu Xiaoshou began his verbal maneuvering.

He had to squeeze every last bit of value out of this big cutie to repay him for the so-called "life-saving favor."

"Brother, you must have noticed that there's something special about me..." Xu Xiaoshou, transformed as the Xukong Shi, said heavily, without specifying what was special.

"Roar..." The Xukong Shi nodded, of course understanding that its good buddy was about to explain everything. It asked, "Why do you have the scent of the Yaoyuan on you?"

Sure enough, the Mimic hadn't erased the scent... Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed inwardly, but it made sense.

The Mimic could change a person's essence.

But the scent from emptying the Shennong Yaoyuan came from external sources.

It was like changing your body and genes, but not your clothes—the lingering smell would remain, so the Xukong Shi must have noticed the odor on him early on.

However, the situation had been critical before, and survival was more important than the truth, so it hadn't dared to ask.

Now, asking this probing question...

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't expected that this trial would actually work out for him.

At that moment, he immediately pulled out the prepared lines.

—"Being upfront" in confession always made people more convinced than waiting for accusations, especially for a "servant" like this.

"Good brother, my condolences..."

Xu Xiaoshou patted the massive hand of the giant in front of him and sighed with a covered face, "On my way to rescue you, I saw a human fleeing from this battle area, and I sensed the aura of your guarded Yaoyuan on him, so I intercepted him."

"Human!" The Xukong Shi's attention shifted immediately, roaring in anger. No surprise, its companion had probably caught that thief it had been thinking about all along.

"Where is he?" The Xukong Shi erupted with rage, itching to appear before that person and crush him.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his massive, unfamiliar head and, without explaining right away, changed the subject: "He used that aura to lure you here, then brought that human Ban Sheng along, making you two fight so he could profit from the chaos or escape."

"Human! Cunning! Despicable!" The Xukong Shi suddenly understood; it had felt something was off—clearly, it had followed the scent, but then inexplicably got beaten by the Ban Sheng.

"That was a Taixu human; I subdued him with one kick and beat him thoroughly." Xu Xiaoshou watched the reaction opposite him and kept embellishing his story, casually adding details like "Taixu" and "Xukong Shi like to attack with their feet"—details made the story more believable.

"Good job!" The Xukong Shi cheered. "Humans deserve a lesson!"

"You know, in human eyes, we Xukong Shi all look pretty much the same." Xu Xiaoshou continued, "After I beat him, he must have mistaken me for you; he knelt and begged for mercy, saying he was willing to return all the spiritual herbs he stole from the Yaoyuan."

The Xukong Shi's two massive eyes lit up like enormous light bulbs. "You agreed?"

"Xukong Shi value integrity; I wanted to kill him, but for the sake of your Yaoyuan, brother, I chose to agree." Xu Xiaoshou said righteously.

The Xukong Shi was touched: "And then?"

"He kept his word and handed over all the spiritual herbs he stole from the Shennong Yaoyuan..." Xu Xiaoshou said, suddenly seeming furious, his expression turning volatile.

"But!"

"He actually!"

"Only gave me this!"

He quickly pulled out a first-grade spiritual herb from his Yuanfu World and handed it over. Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head in frustration, stomping his feet so the booming sounds echoed everywhere.

"That's all he had left!"

The Xukong Shi was stunned.

Such a vast Yaoyuan, and only... only this left?

"What about the sacred herbs?" it asked blankly.

"That's exactly what I asked him!" Xu Xiaoshou raged. "But he said his deal with that human Ban Sheng fell through, and the Ban Sheng took all the spiritual herbs from him—every single one! He only had this one... weed left!"

With a thud, the Xukong Shi dropped to its knees, its mind going blank.

Xu Xiaoshou felt he might have pushed too hard and shocked it, but he pressed on: "I couldn't understand! I was furious! For you, brother, I felt it wasn't worth it! In my anger, I broke my promise... and kicked him to death!"

A dead person couldn't wake up to explain.

And besides, this so-called "dead person" only existed in the story anyway.

The Xukong Shi whimpered softly, its eyes lifeless, then suddenly threw its head back and roared, "Roar!"

"Good riddance!" It jumped up excitedly, grabbing Xu Xiaoshou's shoulders, tears streaming down its face.

"After killing the human who stole your herbs, I searched his body and ring, thinking he might be lying, but he wasn't—he really only had this one spiritual herb left; the rest was all with that Ban Sheng!" Xu Xiaoshou said sympathetically, crying as he pointed behind him.

"It was that Ban Sheng just now—he's the real culprit..."

He is Jiang Buyi!

He is the Ban Sheng from the Pu Xuan Jiang clan in the northern region of Sheng Shen Continent!

Remember him, big cutie—your Shennong Yaoyuan was emptied by that despicable human. Make sure you remember him, and don't dwell on any spiritual herb scents or some little human named "Xu Xiaoshou" who might show up again.

Jiang Buyi is the one you should seek revenge on—let it fuel your hatred! Grow stronger! Break through to Ban Sheng and take him down!

Xu Xiaoshou was screaming wildly in his mind but didn't say it out loud; some things were better left implied—spelling it out would make the story seem less real, like he was just stirring the pot.

He sobbed and hiccuped, patting the Xukong Shi's shoulder to comfort it as much as he could.

"Roar—"

The Xukong Shi could hold back no longer; it bent at the waist, hands on hips, and let out a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and earth, making the three humans behind them tremble in unison.

"Goodness, what on earth is Xu Xiaoshou doing?"

"Did he feed that Xukong Shi some kind of mind-altering story? How did he get it so emotional with just a few words?"

Meiji Ren and the other two felt a chill in their hearts.

They had known Xu Xiaoshou was up to no good when he went over, but since the two giants were speaking in the Xukong Shi language, they couldn't understand a word.

Just then,

The Xukong Shi, roaring madly, suddenly spoke in human tongue: "Humans! Despicable! Roar roar roar—"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled for a moment, then turned his head and, acting like a mad dog, howled with all his might: "Humans! Scum! Roar roar roar—"

Meiji Ren, Xiao Yao, Ye: ???

Xu Xiaoshou, have you lost your mind?

How could you betray your own kind like that?

Have you forgotten you're human too?

The Xukong Shi was furious; it wanted to charge over and tear those three human ants to shreds, but remembering that one of them was an elder who could slay saints, it held back.

"Sob sob sob..." Leaning on its companion's shoulder, the Xukong Shi cried weakly; with the Shennong Yaoyuan emptied by the Ban Sheng, how could it ever get it back?

"Take it easy; maybe there'll be a chance later." Xu Xiaoshou hugged it, patting its back and giving its massive head a quick, reluctant peck. He silently gagged a little.

The Xukong Shi kept crying.

It felt so wronged!

It had been used by humans, tricked, and beaten... After holding strong for so long and narrowly escaping death, facing its lifesaver, it couldn't help but let its emotions run wild and sob in pain.

Only at this moment did the Xukong Shi learn the full truth.

No wonder when it was fighting Teng Shanhai, Ban Sheng Jiang Buyi had come to save him—they were clearly in cahoots.

No wonder Jiang Buyi had been so ineffective in saving him, weak as a novice—it turned out he was suppressing his cultivation to let Teng Shanhai die by its hand!

No wonder after it didn't kill Teng Shanhai, Jiang Buyi killed him himself—he had probably already swallowed up all the spiritual herbs from his third companion and now wanted Teng Shanhai's share too.

No wonder Jiang Buyi's strength varied so dramatically—it was all an act...

The Xukong Shi wailed.

It had been completely fooled; a proud giant race had been played like fools by humans.

If not for its companion, it might have been used up and discarded without even knowing who to seek revenge on.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck its mind, and the Xukong Shi sensed something off.

Yes!

Jiang Buyi's strength changed a lot, which could be explained as him suppressing his cultivation.

But...

In the beginning, when Jiang Buyi was weak, he clearly had the Shennong Yaoyuan's scent on him; later, when he grew stronger, the aura vanished.

"How is that possible?" The Xukong Shi clutched its companion's chest and voiced its doubt.

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't panicked at all, just surprised.

Impressive—you actually thought of that; you've got some smarts!

But it didn't matter anymore...

He had given it a complete and flawless story; these little details weren't even worth calling flaws. If he, Xu Xiaoshou, could be stumped by this, he wouldn't deserve the name Xu.

Xu Xiaoshou let out a long sigh, stroking the Xukong Shi's round head with a large hand, and said sorrowfully:

"Good brother, you're really naive. When he was suppressing his cultivation earlier, of course he didn't have extra power to hide the scent. But once he unleashed his full Ban Sheng strength, what scent couldn't he erase?"

"You're no match for a Ban Sheng, yet you're fixated on how he erased the scent—does that even matter?"

"It's completely unimportant!"

Xu Xiaoshou said with utter disappointment.

The Xukong Shi was stunned for a while, then burst into tears again.

How realistic!

Those words ripped open its biggest wound.

Exactly!

I can't beat a Ban Sheng, so why obsess over this? Knowing how he erased the scent won't help me win.

What I should think about is how to use Xukong Dao's power to either eliminate that despicable, cunning, and utterly guilty Ban Sheng Jiang Buyi in the Nine Forbidden Zones or banish him to the inner island of Xukong Dao!