Chapter 158: Gray Mist Man

"Under pursuit, passive value, 2."

"Under pursuit, passive value, 2."

Xu Xiaoshou realized he had somehow angered everyone. The two who had been fighting fiercely just moments ago were now both chasing after him.

If not for his Zongshi-level "Minjie," he probably wouldn't have gotten far before being forced to stop.

Fortunately, although these two had impressive cultivation, they clearly didn't match Luo Leilei's terrifying speed and couldn't catch up to him at all.

Still, they were fast—unusually so.

It was only during this chase that Xu Xiaoshou noticed not only had Mo Mo reached the peak of Ju Wu Jing, but even the young girl Mu Zixi had advanced to the peak of Yuan Ting Jing!

As he ran, he scratched his head in confusion.

Had Elder Sang lied to him, or was he just seeing things?

Mo Mo was one thing; there was something very odd about that girl, and her rapid cultivation progress was something Xu Xiaoshou could understand.

But how had Mu Zixi...?

Was this girl even more talented than Su Qianqian?

In just a day apart, her cultivation had surged ahead even faster than his own. This was...

Xu Xiaoshou felt his head spinning. He looked at the red interface in his Yuan Court and fell into thought.

Maybe they all had their own cheats...

"Xu Xiaoshou, you liar, stop right now!"

The pursuing Mu Zixi was truly furious. She had warned herself countless times that Xu Xiaoshou wasn't reliable, yet she had still fallen for his tricks without thinking.

This guy was awful—talking about spirit crystals... Aaaah, it was driving her crazy!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Branches whipped through the air as the girl pouted, using them to propel herself forward. Her little face twisted in frustration, her expression fierce.

She swore that once she caught him, she'd make this boy feel the sting of her vines!

The flying branches helped her dart and weave, leveraging the terrain to her advantage. Her speed was only slightly slower than Xu Xiaoshou's, leaving Mo Mo far behind.

Mo Mo, in her green skirt, fell back further, her pursuit slowing as pain crept across her face.

Above the small copper furnace in her right hand, the purple sandalwood incense burned faster, its smoke billowing unnaturally and seeping into her body as she moved.

"No!"

Mo Mo's expression was full of struggle, and her forward momentum suddenly halted. Up ahead, the other two were still playing their game of cat and mouse, completely unaware.

The words forced their way out from between her gritted teeth: "These two people, can't..."

Her body trembled as she suddenly looked up.

A flash of blood light passed through her eyes, and the final unspoken word slipped out.

"Kill!"

But her voice was no longer soft and calm—it was muffled and distorted.

Up ahead, Xu Xiaoshou, who had been gliding smoothly, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, his hairs standing on end.

He immediately noticed that Mo Mo's figure had vanished from his "Perception."

A quick scan with his spiritual sense showed her standing far back, motionless...

But her aura was no longer Mo Mo's!

In the next instant, the Mo Mo who had been standing there shattered into gray mist and dissipated.

"Damn it!"

Xu Xiaoshou was terrified. In that brief scan, he had seen Mo Mo's small copper furnace lying discarded nearby.

That was something she never let go of, and for him, it symbolized far more than its physical value.

If she wasn't holding it, then...

"That right arm... it's unsealed?"

His pupils contracted as he spotted a gray mist forming behind Mu Zixi's rapidly approaching figure.

"Watch out!"

Xu Xiaoshou tried to turn back, his idea executed in the blink of an eye as flames erupted from under his feet, allowing an instant zero-inertia pivot.

But it was too late!

The distance was still too great!

The gray mist behind Mu Zixi solidified into a vague human shape, faintly outlining Mo Mo's form, but Xu Xiaoshou knew it was someone entirely different.

"Behind you!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted as he lunged forward.

Mu Zixi, still angry, wasn't fooled. She replied coldly, "Xu Xiaoshou, don't try to trick me again!"

Oh no, things had gone wrong!

"You idiot, behind you!" Xu Xiaoshou roared.

As he shouted, a shiver ran through his entire body, goosebumps rising.

Because beyond what his eyes and "Perception" showed, his spiritual sense couldn't detect the gray mist figure at all.

Did that mean Mu Zixi wouldn't notice it unless she turned around?

What kind of strength and spiritual technique was this?

Xu Xiaoshou considered fleeing, but for some reason, emotion overrode reason. He pushed his "Minjie" to its maximum, wishing he could level it up even more!

But it was still too late!

This foolish girl saw him flying toward her and actually smiled happily?!

She really was an idiot!

She didn't even notice the dark gray mist figure behind her, perched on the branches and extending its right hand as it accelerated.

One strike.

Mu Zixi's body twisted unnaturally, sent flying as if her small frame might fall apart. A mouthful of blood sprayed across her face.

Xu Xiaoshou's fists clenched with a crack, his eyes turning ice-cold in an instant.

Mo Mo—or rather, the gray mist figure that had overtaken her—didn't follow up. It simply tilted its head and watched with a grin as Xu Xiaoshou shot toward where Mu Zixi was falling.

Just before she hit the ground, Xu Xiaoshou arrived and caught her.

To avoid any backlash injury, he slid forward and downward, his feet sinking into the soil.

They landed steadily.

"Are you stupid? I told you there was someone behind you!" Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but yell.

Probing her with spiritual energy, he found her Qi Sea completely sealed, which explained why she hadn't mounted any defense.

That single blow had shattered her meridians, leaving her half-crippled.

Yet, strangely, waves of life force kept seeping from her body, slowly repairing the damage.

Endless vitality?

No... it was probably from all the pills she'd taken; residual energy at work.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly pulled out the "Sheng Ming Ling Yin," thought for a moment, and without hesitation, lifted her clothes to tuck it against her chest.

Theoretically, it should be placed at the Dantian for the best healing effect, but she was wearing a one-piece dress...

From above wouldn't work, and from below would be improper...

The life essence from the seal flowed into Mu Zixi's Qi Sea, beginning to heal her. Her delicate body trembled slightly, and her eyelids fluttered.

"Liar..." Her remaining consciousness wasn't enough for more words.

The girl's eyes rolled sluggishly; she was barely aware, but in a daze, she weakly asked, "Who hit me?"

She was truly clueless!

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. He wiped the blood from her face, gently laid her on the ground, and turned to face the gray mist figure.

Clearly, its target wasn't Mu Zixi—it was him.

His gaze fixed on its right hand, now fully activated, with Mo Mo completely transformed.

Xu Xiaoshou had guessed that whatever was sealed in that right arm was terrifying, but he never imagined it held an old man-like entity!

This was insane...

The gray mist figure's aura quickly surpassed Ju Wu Jing, climbing to Shang Ling Jing, and without pausing, soared straight to Zongshi level!

Buzz—

At that moment, the world trembled, suppressing its aura.

"Heh, as expected of this worthless small world—barely enough to break through to Zongshi cultivation..." The muffled voice emerged.

In his mind, Xu Xiaoshou had only one thought, but his legs felt rooted in place... not from fear, but from boiling rage!

"You hurt my junior sister."

Wiping the blood from his hands with his sleeve, Xu Xiaoshou's voice was icy cold.

"You don't seem surprised by my existence?" The gray mist figure's muffled, grating voice asked.

The young man floating before it didn't respond, mechanically repeating, "You hurt my junior sister!"

The gray mist figure detected the suppressed fury in his words and smirked. "So what?"

Whoosh, whoosh!

In an instant, the area within hundreds of zhang erupted with sounds as Tian Yan of Embers ravaged everything, incinerating the surroundings!

"So nothing..."

Xu Xiaoshou's expression returned to calm. He unclenched his fist, pressed his thumb against his index finger, and with a click, said,

"But it pisses me off!"