Chapter 24: Three-Word Secret

The entire audience gasped in shock.

“Really just one punch and one palm!”

“How does Zhang Fu seem so pitiful, yet a bit funny? He fought tooth and nail to make it to the top sixty-four, but in the end…”

“Funny or not, this Xu Xiaoshou is way too strong. His power is on par with the top two on the rankings!”

“You still haven’t figured it out? This guy might actually have achieved Xian Tian Rou Shen!”

“Xian Tian Rou Shen?”

“I don’t know, but a few days ago, people analyzed it and said there’s a seventy percent chance. After today’s punch and palm, it’s probably up to ninety percent.”

This statement left many people silent. Xian Tian Rou Shen was universally acknowledged as extremely difficult to cultivate, where the effort put in might not even equal the returns—and yet, someone had actually succeeded?

“Maybe it’s because Xu Xiaoshou used drugs? Look at that scorching heat wave; it’s clearly not his original ability!”

“Yeah, yeah! I think so too. Someone like him should be disqualified. He even applied for it himself, so why isn’t the referee doing anything?”

Jealousy stirred in some hearts, and these protests naturally reached Xiao Qixiu’s ears.

He dismissed it with contempt, not even bothering to explain.

Everyone has their own opportunities—who said you can’t cultivate a super powerful technique before a match?

If that’s the case, does that mean no one’s allowed to train before the competition, break through during it, or improve afterward?

Xu Xiaoshou was exactly like that. The “Jin Zhao Huo Zhong” given to him by Elder Sang wasn’t even really an opportunity; one wrong move, and it could mean death or destruction.

If you’ve got what it takes, go and cultivate your own Xian Tian Rou Shen. Who knows, maybe someone will use you for human experiments too!

Xu Xiaoshou casually made his way back to the waiting area. The matches continued, with the top sixty-four advancing to the top thirty-two, and plenty of bouts still to go, so he had ample time to rest.

As he sucked on a Chi Jin Dan, he kept an eye on the information panel, and suddenly, he felt delighted all over.

“Received admiration, passive value +142.”

“Received jealousy, passive value +874.”

“Received mockery, passive value +113.”

“Received attack, passive value +1.”

These lines kept rolling in, racking up not just passive values, but also people’s true feelings!

Listen to how many in the audience are saying nice things; and look at how many are secretly jealous of me—tsk tsk!

Xu Xiaoshou glanced down.

“Passive value: 42888.”

Clang!

He accidentally banged his head on the railing, and mocking laughter erupted from the spectator seats, pushing the value up to 43003.

“How could there be so many!”

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. He remembered that after three preliminary rounds yesterday, it was just over ten thousand. How had it surged this much in one morning?

He racked his brain but couldn’t recall doing anything to outrage heaven and earth.

Killing Wen Chong?

No way—that happened inside the barrier, and the bulk of the passive values probably didn’t register. Even if they did, it would only be a few hundred at most, maybe up to a thousand.

How could it jump by over thirty thousand!

Xu Xiaoshou quickly scrolled back through the information panel. Each entry was straightforward and real, just tens or hundreds—nothing major stood out.

Did the system glitch?

The thought crossed his mind, but he dismissed it the next second. He’d rather believe in a meteor falling from the sky.

Sitting cross-legged in his chair, Xu Xiaoshou took a sip of water to calm himself, still baffled about what had happened.

“Received attack, passive value +1.”

“Received attack, passive value +1.”

“…”

While he was zoning out, the information panel kept updating relentlessly, second by second. Xu Xiaoshou suddenly slapped his forehead.

“Jin Zhao Huo Zhong?!” It dawned on him.

In the early hours, after swallowing that thing, his body had been constantly burning. The system must be counting each second of burning as an attack.

In other words, he was gaining one passive value per second.

Yes, that incremental increase seemed trivial, and Xu Xiaoshou hadn’t paid it much mind.

But time adds up!

Let’s calculate: he encountered that old man around Chen Shi, and now about three shi chen had passed.

Xu Xiaoshou started counting on his fingers, then even used his toes.

Three shi chen is six hours, one hour is sixty minutes, one minute is sixty seconds…

Over twenty thousand seconds!

More than twenty thousand passive values!

Whoosh!

Steam shot from Xu Xiaoshou’s nostrils, and without realizing it, the spiritual energy around his chair vanished, melting it completely.

With a bang, he crashed to the ground.

Staff rushed over to ask what happened.

Xu Xiaoshou waved them off dumbly, indicating he was fine, and they started to leave. He quickly called out, “Wait! Help me calculate how many seconds are in a day.”

“A day?”

The staff member thought for a moment: “About eighty-six thousand four hundred, I guess!”

Smash!

The cup in his hand shattered, and Xu Xiaoshou, who had just struggled to his feet, collapsed again: “What did you say? Say that again!”

The staff member looked at his steaming body, unsure whether to help or not, and replied, “Eighty, six thousand, four hundred!”

Gulp!

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed hard. Eighty thousand plus? His face shifted through expressions—pain, bliss, shock, foolish laughter…

The staff member had no idea what madness had gripped him. Remembering the instructions from the referee’s bench to ignore whatever Xu Xiaoshou said or did and treat him like a fool, he quietly left.

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep inhale of the Chi Jin Dan, using the tremors in his body to suppress his excitement, only to realize his supply was almost gone.

In just half a day, the two bottles of pills given by Elder Qiao and the referee were gone.

He felt a pang of heartache—these were life-saving treasures!

But that also showed just how extraordinary the “Jin Zhao Huo Zhong” was.

Once he realized its value, Xu Xiaoshou stopped dwelling on the pain and started beaming with joy.

Pain? Heh, just grit your teeth and it passes.

Behind every success lies immense suffering. If you only focus on the pain, how can you enjoy the thrill of reaping the rewards?

He waved a hand, summoning the staff member back, and instructed, “Go find Elder Xiao—that’s the chief referee on the stage—and get some Chi Jin Dan from him. Make sure to bring plenty.”

The staff member stared at him like he was an idiot.

What are you dreaming about?

Xu Xiaoshou’s face was already flushed, so he felt no embarrassment: “Let me give you the ‘three-word secret.’ Remember it well!”

“First, if he doesn’t agree, tell him, ‘The medical staff won’t give it to me, so you have to provide some Chi Jin Dan. I’m a competitor, and I might not hold up.’”

The staff member was on the verge of losing it. Who would dare talk to Elder Xiao like that? He was a great elder of Ling Fa Ge, not some street vendor.

And give it for free?

You must be joking!

“Second, if he still says no, tell him, ‘Heh, don’t think I don’t know you two are in cahoots, using people as test subjects.’ Say it with force and make it sound tough!”

The staff member’s head was spinning. This Xu Xiaoshou was bold as brass—forceful and tough? Why not just aim for the stars!

“Third, at that point, he’ll definitely agree—it’s impossible not to. Then add, ‘Since you’re giving it, is that all you’ve got? Throw in a nice round number!’”

The staff member snorted: “You go yourself!”

“What do you mean, I go myself!” Xu Xiaoshou was annoyed. “I’m a competitor, you’re the staff. We each have our roles!”

“I’ve got fights coming up; I need to conserve my energy. Hurry up.”

“Good luck, don’t back down. That guy’s not scary. Remember, the higher the status, the more they care about their image—they won’t strike without reason.”

The staff member stumbled, thinking, Are those reasons for courting death not enough?

“Go on!”

Xu Xiaoshou shooed him away, and the staff member, at a loss for words, left with a bitter face.

This is too much for me!

I need to quit this job!