Chapter 1081: Keep Up, But Please Pay Attention to Safety

Jiang Buyi seemed to be soothing a mad dog on the verge of collapse, clutching stones in his hand. But there were only ten stones, and he didn't dare attempt to throw them.

The Five Great Absolute Bodies were all aberrations.

Not just in their abilities, but in their mindset as well.

Their fate destined them to face constant scorn on their path of growth, and their powers ensured they could never make friends in life.

People like them would either die midway in their cultivation or grow into devils that brought calamity, utterly uncontrollable!

Jiang Buyi felt like he was trying to calm a furnace of pills about to explode—and he didn't even know how to refine pills.

He didn't expect this to succeed and had already resolved that if the situation turned even slightly wrong, he would waste this opportunity to act and just run...

Yes, just run!

At that moment, Jiang Buyi had no desire to fight; he didn't want to end up in a mutual kill.

When others said they didn't want to live, Jiang Buyi could take it as a joke, but when the Five Great Absolute Bodies said it, they were truly seeking death.

What greater glory than dragging a Half Saint to the underworld before dying?

The scene was on the brink of eruption.

In that critical instant, Tianren Wushuai suddenly restrained his aura of decay, straightened his body, and even withdrew the power of the Sanyantong, chuckling lightly:

"Jiang Half Saint, if you'd said that earlier, wouldn't it have been fine? This old one came with no ill intent; I only wanted to offer you a choice."

He spoke with such ease, as if everything that had happened before was an illusion, and his earlier stance of fighting to the death had never existed.

Jiang Buyi took a deep breath: "If you want to talk properly, then fully restrain your abilities." He glanced at himself.

If Tianren Wushuai didn't hold back the power of the Decay Body, even if they wanted to chat, Jiang Buyi wouldn't be able to endure it and would have to act—not to kill, but to undergo tribulation.

As soon as he spoke, the scene fell into a brief silence.

Tianren Wushuai tilted his head slightly, his expression hidden by the mask, impossible to discern, but it seemed like he was thinking.

After a long while, he said: "We've only met once?"

Jiang Buyi nodded silently, puzzled by this sudden question, but aside from this encounter, he had indeed only seen the man once in the depths of the Deep Sea World.

Tianren Wushuai nodded in return, his spiritual energy surging, and gradually, the Tianren Wushuai phenomenon on Jiang Buyi faded away, drawn back into his own body.

In an instant, in Jiang Buyi's eyes, Tianren Wushuai's aura became even more withered.

It didn't look like he had simply restrained his divine ability; it was as if he had taken on the curse of Tianren Wushuai himself!

"This old one has saved your life," Tianren Wushuai said flatly.

Jiang Buyi was momentarily speechless but didn't refute it.

Perhaps it was true?

Curses and misfortunes always accompanied Tianren Wushuai and his surroundings passively; he had no intention of harming others and couldn't control these abilities at will.

But what he had just done was to actively bear an extra share of the curse—gathering it all onto himself and shoulder it alone.

But...

Should he express gratitude?

Jiang Buyi remained silent, thinking to himself that if you hadn't shown up, none of this mess would have happened, so what was there to thank?

He was still immersed in the strangeness of the other's abilities and, for the first time, felt genuine interest in someone without any desire to recruit them.

"Decay Body..."

From what he recalled, even a fully realized Decay Body couldn't control the unconscious spread of curses and misfortunes, right?

But Tianren Wushuai had an extra way to handle the surrounding decay energy!

Did that mean his mastery of the Decay Body had reached an ultimate, perfected state?

If so...

Would someone like that be content to serve under Huangquan?

Jiang Buyi didn't ask; he just felt his body return to a "clean" state, watched the Nine Heavens Sacred Tribulation vanish, and let out a slight sigh of relief. "Sin One Hall? What were you going to say earlier?"

Tianren Wushuai remained as serene as ever: "This old one said, I'm here to give Jiang Half Saint a choice."

"What choice?"

"Two paths... cooperation, or death."

Jiang Buyi's temple twitched slightly, and for a moment, he felt as if the other was the Half Saint, while he had become Xu Xiaoshou in the Miracle Forest.

This was a choice?

It was clearly just one path!

At least Xu Xiaoshou had some leverage; he could borrow external forces to break out of that predicament.

Jiang Buyi had none; he was born to be others' support, and now, fallen to this state, he realized he had completely lost his bargaining chips.

His methods, his abilities... all gone!

He couldn't even break the deadlock now!

"You were at the Miracle Forest," Jiang Buyi said, as if realizing something.

Behind the mask, Tianren Wushuai seemed to chuckle lightly, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction: "Jiang Half Saint, when you gave others choices, you never imagined this day, did you?"

Jiang Buyi laughed along.

The saying "a dragon in shallow waters, a tiger fallen on the plains" perfectly described his current situation.

He felt no anger, for he had lost the right to be angry. "This Half Saint is curious—how can you be so certain I couldn't take you out in an instant? Honestly, if it came to a fight, I could still manage it."

"Only at a great cost, isn't it?" Tianren Wushuai countered, pausing briefly before continuing: "Jiang Half Saint, you may not know this, but our Huangquan lord has a deep interest in ancient history, so his understanding of Void Island is no less than that of your Half Saint forces—in fact, it surpasses it."

"Jiang Half Saint acted recklessly in the Miracle Forest, ending up on the 'Exile List,' right?"

Jiang Buyi's face remained impassive, a smile at the corner of his mouth, offering no response.

"Looks like I was right..." Tianren Wushuai shook his head slightly with a sigh, then went on: "Our Huangquan lord was only guessing, since no Half Saint has ever come out to verify his theory."

"But this old one unexpectedly witnessed it... So, Void Island indeed has the 'Exile List' for Half Saints and higher, in addition to the 'Must-Kill List' for those below."

Jiang Buyi could no longer keep his composure.

This Yanwang organization knew more about Void Island than he did!

"Exile..." he echoed absentmindedly.

Tianren Wushuai stared intently at the man before him from behind the mask and said with a smile: "Jiang Half Saint, no need to pretend. You know your state better than I do. The Void Island spirit gave you a warning... oh, it's not even a warning; it's more like a threat, isn't it?"

Jiang Buyi met his gaze and suddenly laughed: "Spot on!"

"Exile—exactly, exile!" Tianren Wushuai explained without disappointment: "As the name implies, it will banish you to the inner island of Void Island in a few days, with no exceptions."

Jiang Buyi's expression shifted briefly before returning to normal.

"So, how much time does Jiang Half Saint have left?" Tianren Wushuai pressed.

"A year."

"That's excessive." Tianren Wushuai laughed.

"Half a year."

"Probably not even a month, right?" Tianren Wushuai said firmly. "This old one remembers the Must-Kill List only gives ten days. The Exile List is shorter, not longer."

Jiang Buyi burst into laughter and waved his hand: "You're sharp indeed. This Half Saint has about a month and a half left; I must find a way to resolve this trouble. That's why I'm stopping to listen to your nonsense."

Tianren Wushuai nodded: "Alright, then let's calculate for Jiang Half Saint. Suppose—I'm saying suppose—you only have one day left."

"For a Half Saint's destructive power, even one hour is enough to turn Void Island upside down if you want."

"So, the Void Island spirit must have restrictions on you, right?"

Tianren Wushuai smiled faintly behind his mask.

Jiang Buyi didn't bother arguing and casually replied: "You're clever. There are restrictions; I can't use my full strength now—it would consume my lifespan."

"Lifespan?"

"Exactly."

"Probably not, though? If this old one were the Void Island spirit, each time you acted, the exile countdown would halve. Three times, and you'd be sent straight to the inner island." Tianren Wushuai's eyes held a teasing glint.

Jiang Buyi's face darkened, his tone heavy: "Each action reduces the countdown by an hour... To me, that's my lifespan... What exactly are you getting at? What kind of cooperation? Stop wasting words!"

"Good, Jiang Half Saint is straightforward." Tianren Wushuai laughed. "Then let's calculate further. Suppose you only have three chances to act..."

"No supposing needed!" Jiang Buyi cut in. "Talk about the cooperation and get to the content!"

Tianren Wushuai fell silent.

The scene halted for a full ten breaths before erupting into wild laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

"Looks like Jiang Half Saint is extremely weakened right now..."

After a pause, Tianren Wushuai regained his composure and said coolly: "Jiang Half Saint, are you not reconsidering the choice this old one offered?"

Jiang Buyi stared silently.

He knew it—this guy was a madman!

What normal person would dare threaten a Half Saint like this, especially knowing the Half Saint could still act, just with restrictions?

It was like courting death!

Yet Tianren Wushuai kept provoking him, clearly seeking it.

"Sin One Hall." Without waiting for Jiang Buyi to ask again, Tianren Wushuai returned to the point: "Come with this old one to Sin One Hall, and you can survive."

With that, he turned and walked away: "Think it over and follow if you do."

"The content!" Jiang Buyi didn't move; he wouldn't follow this madman without understanding his intentions.

Tianren Wushuai seemed a bit impatient but, remembering he was dealing with a Half Saint, stopped and said without looking back: "Only in Sin One Hall can you find Void Crystals and exchange them for an 'Exemption Order.' Otherwise, leave Void Island now, or you'll be doomed in a few days."

The rules of Void Island... Jiang Buyi pondered, then asked: "What about you? You're not doing this just to help me once, are you?"

"Of course not... impossible!" Tianren Wushuai turned his head slightly, his tone sinister: "The Xu Xiaoshou you want to kill will also appear in Sin One Hall. This old one's target is him."

Xu Xiaoshou?

Jiang Buyi was stunned: "He's already dead."

"Ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha, ha cough cough cough..."

Sudden maniacal laughter echoed from ahead, uncontrollable and escalating into violent coughing, as if trying to hack up his lungs.

Jiang Buyi watched as Tianren Wushuai laughed wildly up front, doubling over, his aura of decay spilling out, the misfortunes and curses spreading again toward him.

"Are you insane?" He stepped back, asking calmly.

"You're the insane one!" Tianren Wushuai instantly returned to normal, reining in his abilities as he said flatly: "Xu Xiaoshou—you killed him five times in a row, only to find him alive the next second."

"How can he die? You have to destroy all his safeguards, back him into a corner, sever his physical body, extinguish his divine soul, erase his will..."

"Use a method that transcends Taixu to deal with him, and only then might you wipe him out completely—of course, that's just a possibility."

Jiang Buyi couldn't help but smile, his lips curling: "Since you observed the battle in the Miracle Forest, you should know I left a trace of Half Saint will and Half Saint profound intent, completely erasing him with no chance of revival."

"Is that so?" Tianren Wushuai looked straight at him and said indifferently: "But when this old one left the Miracle Forest, I saw two Void Attendants still there, along with three of Xu Xiaoshou's safeguards, and Saint Palace Mu Ling watching from afar... Guess which one is him?"

Jiang Buyi's heart skipped a beat, his face showing shock: "What do you mean?"

"No particular meaning. This old one is just saying you're on the same level as Shengshen Hall's Red-Clad Chief Dominator Rao Yao Yao—you had your chance but didn't seize it, so don't blame anyone... Let's go; keep talking, and you'll just get upset." Tianren Wushuai started walking.

Jiang Buyi took a while to recover, refusing to believe it!

But following Tianren Wushuai's lead, he called out from afar: "Even if he's not dead, why are you after him?"

Tianren Wushuai scratched his ear, sounding annoyed: "So you've fought him for so long and still don't know? Don't you realize he might have the bait you threw out—the Sanyantong? Don't you know there's a god by his side..."

His words cut off abruptly.

But the information revealed was enough to leave Jiang Buyi dumbfounded.

Sanyantong?

Xu Xiaoshou has it?

Wasn't that on the man in front of him? Jiang Buyi suddenly thought of something and had a realization.

From the start, he had only seen one Sanyantong on Tianren Wushuai's right eye. Where was the other?

He vaguely remembered the message from Jiang Xian: The Sanyantong had been divided between two major forces—one for Yanwang, one for Shengnu... So that's how it was!

Jiang Buyi figured it out and quickly followed Tianren Wushuai's steps, clearly persuaded, and asked: "So, how do you know Xu Xiaoshou will go to Sin One Hall?"

Tianren Wushuai stopped, looking back in surprise: "So, you're not fighting Xu Xiaoshou over the Shennong Medicine Garden?"

Jiang Buyi: ???

What are you talking about?

"Ha ha ha ha—"

Tianren Wushuai burst into laughter again, as if tears were about to stream down: "No need to say more; this old one understands everything."

Jiang Buyi could hear the sarcasm in that laugh but didn't press further, as the other clearly didn't want to elaborate. Finally, he confirmed: "You want the Sanyantong on Xu Xiaoshou?"

"Correct." Tianren Wushuai nodded and whispered: "Did you think this old one stays with Yanwang for what? With only one Sanyantong, even if it's powerful, it can only affect refiners of the same realm now. But if you collect both, you can manipulate a Half Saint at Taixu level. What do you think I'm after?"

Jiang Buyi said nothing, though clearly preoccupied, sticking close to the man ahead.

"You're thinking about your bait, aren't you?"

Amid the banter, Tianren Wushuai had already entered the City of Giants, striding purposefully down the vast streets.

"Don't worry; you don't dare wear the Sanyantong, but this old one is happy to be your test subject. When you think the time is right, just take it back. No problem."

Tianren Wushuai smiled: "Our cooperation is just a verbal agreement, after all—easily torn up."

Jiang Buyi was slightly taken aback; this guy had suddenly become so honest, which felt odd.

"But remember, if you try to act against this old one, I might take an interest in you anytime, so... keep your guard up."

Tianren Wushuai glanced back.

"Heh." Jiang Buyi snorted coldly; as if he wouldn't be cautious?

On the empty street, the footsteps suddenly halted, echoing in the silence.

Jiang Buyi nearly collided with the abruptly stopped Tianren Wushuai.

"What is it?" he asked.

Tianren Wushuai was silent for a moment, then slowly turned, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth beneath the mask, before saying after a long pause: "Chatting with this old one is indeed interesting, and asking you to follow was my suggestion, but please remember to keep your distance."

He reached out and brushed away some nonexistent debris from Jiang Buyi's shoulder: "This old one doesn't want to constantly contain the decay power for you. Since you want to guard against me, remember to guard against my abilities too, Jiang Half Saint."

Jiang Buyi snapped out of it and looked down.

The Tianren Wushuai phenomenon had unknowingly spread over him again!

A thunderclap boomed—

The nine heavens rumbled, and Jiang Buyi looked up in alarm; dark clouds gathered, the Sacred Tribulation imminent, and he hadn't even noticed!

Misfortune made one forget the approach of death!

"Damn it!"

Jiang Buyi was terrified and quickly retreated, putting a full li between them.

After keeping his distance, he looked toward the long street of the Giant Kingdom...

Between the vast, towering city walls, a lone, desolate figure cast a short, slanted shadow under the sky's light. The orange-masked man in his insignificant form turned indifferently and continued onward.

Though he was so small!

Wherever he passed, the surrounding area for several li turned decrepit: city walls cracked, vegetation withered, and stones crumbled to dust.

"A Lone Star of Heavenly Calamity..."

Jiang Buyi's face grew somber as he once again realized how dangerous this person was.

He suddenly wondered what the outcome of cooperating with someone like this would be. Could a Half Saint suppress such a fate?

Even with his abilities suppressed by the Void Island spirit, for Jiang Buyi, Void Island was still navigable.

But Tianren Wushuai's appearance was like a variable, and now, even he felt he couldn't fully control what came next.

"What are you thinking?"

As he pondered, a hoarse voice drifted over—Tianren Wushuai's calm words.

"Follow, but mind your safety."