Chapter 206: Second Time Drawing the Sword

"Sword Sect?"

On the way to Ling Zang Ge, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly turned around and looked toward the direction of the Inner Courtyard Back Mountain.

He quickly pressed the restless "Zang Ku" into the Black Fall Sword Sheath and secured it on himself.

With the dean's approval, his Black Fall Sword Sheath was now something he could openly carry, no longer needing to hide it.

"Xu Xiaoshou, has someone broken through to Grandmaster Sword Intent?"

Mu Zixi asked curiously, still feeling a deep sense of dread toward Grandmaster Sword Intent, which stemmed from Lei Shuang Xing.

That blind man who had toyed with the Wang Zuo underlings and then escaped unscathed.

Though she didn't know where Ye Xiao Tian's "Tian Du" had sent him, if he survived, he was sure to become a formidable figure!

Xu Xiaoshou nodded lightly. The new Sword Intent in the distance, though not as powerful as Lei Shuang Xing's, already showed the immature form of a Grandmaster, far surpassing his own by many times.

"Sword Sect... surely not many in Ling Gong can reach this realm!"

"As for the Back Mountain, could it be Su Qianqian?"

Thinking of this, Xu Xiaoshou felt a sudden unease.

What a coincidence—was she breaking through to Sword Sect right before the "Sheng Nu" attack?

Impossible!

Something must have gone wrong at the Back Mountain!

He pondered: If he were one of the "Sheng Nu," would he really go to such lengths just to save Luo Lei Lei?

Perhaps, but what if he could kill two birds with one stone? Wouldn't that be ideal?

His eyes narrowed slightly as he realized something.

"Mu Ming Cheng Xue!"

Based on the masked man's previous intentions, he was determined to get that sword. Since he had to come this time, would he pass up another chance to seize it?

"Mu Shimei, you go to Ling Zang Ge and find that old man. If you can find him, tell him to head to the Back Mountain right away."

"If you don't see him, just stay there!" Xu Xiaoshou instructed.

"You're going to the Back Mountain?" Mu Zixi tensed up immediately. "What can you do if you go? Can you even beat them?"

"Mocked, Passive Value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

This shimei was so straightforward with her words—couldn't she be a bit more tactful?

Even though he couldn't beat them, he couldn't rest easy without going. After all, that was his new home, wasn't it?

Besides, there was a little sister there!

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at his information panel:

"Passive Value: 15,944."

Though he'd gained several thousand Passive Points after leaving Tian Xuan Gate from everyone's astonishment, most of it came from that single sword qi jade stone.

Over ten thousand points!

But now, it felt just a bit short.

He looked at his skill section:

"Passive Fist (Charge Value: 3.14)."

This was a spiritual technique he'd never seen in action before. After being enhanced by the system with dual innate attributes, its power was predictable.

He remembered the last time he checked, it was at 2.11, boosted by twenty-eight thousand sword qi at Black Fall Cliff.

Unexpectedly, just one sword qi jade stone had increased it by over 1 point.

"This should work as a trump card or even a finisher in battles of the same level, but against the 'Sheng Nu'..."

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, but after a moment, he steeled his resolve and decided not to wait any longer.

Sometimes, you don't need to be fully equipped to charge ahead—people need to act on their passions at crucial moments.

For family, for friends, for what they hold dear!

"Hurry and find Sang Lao—that's your task, go!"

Mu Zixi's mouth opened, but she couldn't say anything. She didn't think she could help with such major events.

Her ability to break the dean's illusion earlier had been pure luck, and she didn't even know how it happened. She couldn't rely on chance with her life!

Reluctantly, she nodded and left.

"Master, only if we find Master can Xu Xiaoshou come back alive!" the little girl thought to herself as she hurried away.

Xu Xiaoshou watched her go and finally breathed a sigh of relief, then dashed toward the Back Mountain.

"Surely I'm not the only one who thought of the masked man's involvement. Sang Lao, or maybe Elder Xiao, must be secretly protecting Su Qianqian."

"Yes, it has to be that way!"

"But if not..."

"I'll just hang back and take a quick look from afar—I probably won't be noticed. That's the plan; I mustn't be impulsive!"

"She only called me 'Xiao Shou Gege' once; we're not that close—it's not worth risking my life."

"Yeah, that's right. In the end, if things go south, at least someone has to be around to handle the aftermath..."

At the Back Mountain, the night air was slightly cool.

The Grandmaster Sword Intent filled the sky, condensing into tens of thousands of qi swords, radiating an overwhelming aura.

But as soon as the breakthrough was complete, the masked man flicked a finger at Su Qianqian's forehead, and blood spurted out instantly.

The little girl's momentum halted abruptly, and she collapsed straight to the ground, unconscious.

The masked man stood there for a long while, sighing as he looked down.

"Hatred truly is the greatest driving force for breakthroughs..."

Thud, thud, thud—

Dust returned to dust, earth to earth.

All the objects lifted by the Sword Intent eventually fell back to the embrace of the ground, kicking up a mess.

Even Grandmaster Sword Intent couldn't escape being instantly slain by this masked man.

"The great tide is coming, so I'll take the sword for now. When you have the strength, come and take it back!"

However, mere moments after taking to the air, he suddenly covered his mouth and nose, coughing violently.

"Cough, cough—ugh!"

Dark clouds obscured the moon, and in the darkness, the masked man changed his mask and casually shredded the blood-soaked one, scattering it into the dust.

"There's just one last thing to do..."

He gazed up at the moon breaking through the clouds, a glint of interest in his eyes.

"Where are you, Wen Ming?"

Clang—

The sound of a sword being drawn rang out.

The masked man turned and saw a blood-soaked figure standing not far away, vaguely familiar.

Only when the figure pointed his sword at himself did memories resurface.

"Healed already?" the masked man said with a smirk.

Xiao Qi Xiu's body seemed to tremble. He hadn't expected the masked man to return.

This sword looked the same as the one from that day, but his mindset was completely different.

Still, he had to strike. This sword wasn't for himself—it was for Su Qianqian!

"So, you've figured out who I am, and yet you still dare to draw your sword against me?" the masked man chuckled lightly.

"Put the sword down!" Xiao Qi Xiu snarled.

"Heh, all bark and no bite."

The masked man glanced at the unconscious Su Qianqian on the ground. "I've left the person for you, but the sword? Not a chance."

"Mu Ming Cheng Xue" on his back buzzed slightly, bound by a simple hemp rope, yet it didn't dare move an inch.

Xiao Qi Xiu quickly used his spiritual energy to pull Su Qianqian to him. After checking her breath and finding her unharmed, he relaxed a bit.

Thankfully, she was okay!

But the famous sword couldn't be lost!

"Put the sword down." He repeated.

Amusement flashed in the masked man's eyes as he finally stepped forward. Xiao Qi Xiu felt like he'd been struck by lightning but didn't retreat at all.

"You're interesting..."

"In my list of weakest enemies, you're the only one who's dared to draw your sword against me twice!"