Chapter 250: If One Does Not Become a Saint, One Will Ultimately Be a Slave

Sang Lao smiled contentedly. Getting the better of this young man wasn’t easy. He twisted his wrist, and his joints cracked with a series of pops.

“Ling Ti is rare, but it’s not overwhelmingly powerful. For instance, a Xiantian flesh body can be considered a different kind of Houtian Ling Ti.”

“In fact, at your current stage, it can directly dominate.”

“Of course, now that you’ve reached the Zongshi level, you can basically ignore those geniuses with Ling Ti.”

Even with Xu Xiaoshou’s good temperament, a hint of pride welled up in him.

He knew how difficult it was to cultivate a Houtian flesh body. Even with his advantages, it had been incredibly tough, so if someone managed to achieve a Zongshi body through sheer willpower, it would only make sense for them to be unstoppable.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Sang Lao quickly followed up with a reality check: “But a Zongshi body isn’t invincible.”

“Ah?” Xu Xiaoshou was caught off guard.

Sang Lao chuckled. “I think I’ve mentioned before that the true geniuses are scattered across the five domains of the continent.”

“Among them, there’s a particularly special and terrifying type. They’re like they were blessed by the gods from birth—they’re born with a ‘Sheng Ti’!”

“Sheng Ti?” Just from the name, Xu Xiaoshou could imagine its level. “Above Ling Ti?”

“That’s right!”

Sang Lao said with a bitter smile, “When it comes to real geniuses, your current level doesn’t amount to much.”

“A Sheng Ti can directly smash a Ling Ti with one punch!”

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. After all that buildup, it was just another way to deflate him?

“What about a Zongshi body?” he asked.

“It can hold its own a little.” Sang Lao smirked. “But only just a little, and only for a moment.”

Xu Xiaoshou sighed. So that’s how it was… If effort alone worked, what would be the point of geniuses?

“What an unfair world!”

Seeing that his dose of cold water had hit the mark, Sang Lao quickly followed with some encouragement: “Luckily, Sheng Ti is even rarer, like a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn.”

“Basically, they’re only found in those great Xu families or even Ban Sheng families, and rarely appear among ordinary people.”

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow, about to say something, but Sang Lao waved him off: “Don’t ask. If you’re asking, it’s because you’re not ready to deal with that yet.”

“Damn! Again?”

“Hmm?”

“Uh, I mean… good point, very good!”

Sang Lao: “…”

Xu Xiaoshou decided not to dwell on those vague future matters. He steered the conversation back to the original topic and asked, “Besides Mu Shimei’s Ling Ti, there’s something else that’s quite mysterious.”

“When Tianxuan Men opened, the Yuanzhang Daren seemed to be controlled by some kind of illusion from that blind man, and Mu Shimei dispelled it with just a look.”

“What’s the principle behind that? Can Tunsheng Mu Ti do something like that?”

Sang Lao was momentarily surprised. “How could Tunsheng Mu Ti do that? It’s not all-powerful.”

“So you don’t know either?” Xu Xiaoshou was disappointed.

“Hmph!” Sang Lao’s face darkened. “Do you really think I’m some all-knowing god?”

“But she’s your disciple!”

“And she’s your Shimei!”

Xu Xiaoshou: “…”

Seeing that he’d left the young man speechless again, Sang Lao felt a wave of satisfaction. He was starting to understand Xu Xiaoshou’s sense of amusement.

A smirk tugged at his lips as the old man leaned in and asked, “Speaking of which, your constitution is a bit odd too. That surging life force inside you seems to rival your Shimei’s.”

“Uh…”

Xu Xiaoshou froze on the spot. How had this circled back to him? What a joke!

Could he talk about it?

“I’ve got something to do—I’m leaving first!” With a few quick steps, he tried to bolt from the Ling Cang Ge.

Sang Lao chuckled but didn’t stop him. He just called after his retreating figure, “Brat, you can dig into your enemies’ secrets, but some things are better left to surface naturally.”

Those vague words made Xu Xiaoshou pause for a moment.

True, everyone has their secrets.

“Don’t worry, she’s my Shimei—I wouldn’t do anything to her,” Xu Xiaoshou shouted through the crack in the door.

Sang Lao adjusted his caogao, his expression turning serious. “What I mean is, if she ever becomes your enemy in the future, don’t show mercy.”

Xu Xiaoshou nearly tripped and fell. He turned back to the old man, his face full of question marks.

“Are you serious?”

Sang Lao didn’t reply. He just waved him off without another glance. “Go on!”

“What the heck?”

Xu Xiaoshou frowned as he descended the stairs from the third floor of the Ling Cang Ge.

He always felt that this caogao-wearing old man was sometimes straightforward and sometimes completely unpredictable.

Just when you thought he’d turned reasonable, he’d hit you with some unexpected twist.

“Talking about not showing mercy if she becomes an enemy…”

“Is that something a master should say?”

Shaking his head, Xu Xiaoshou pushed aside the random thoughts. After all, he was just a mysterious old man, impossible to figure out!

As he passed the doorway to the second floor and glanced at the familiar white light cluster, he reached the first floor.

The bookshelves and desks that had been damaged in that fire were now fully repaired, and all of them had been reinforced with array formations—clearly to prevent any internal accidents.

Thinking back to the frantic firefighting scene, Xu Xiaoshou couldn’t help but smile, which lifted his spirits a bit.

He took a step forward, placed his hand on the door of the Ling Cang Ge, and was about to push it open.

“Are you leaving?”

In his mind, a voice that wasn’t his own suddenly appeared, conveying a clear question.

Xu Xiaoshou stiffened and turned his head to the side.

In the corner near the entrance of the first floor, there was a wooden platform. Behind it, a disheveled man occasionally appeared.

This person always lurked in the shadows, his face impossible to make out. The only thing noticeable was his constant woodcarving.

Yes, he held a carving knife, and even as he spoke, he was bent over his work.

Xu Xiaoshou had “perception,” so he could see a bit more clearly than others, but whenever he focused on the man, the image blurred.

Still, he could make out that the man’s hands were missing both thumbs, leaving only eight fingers.

Yet, his hands never paused, and wood shavings flew as the purple carving in his grasp grew more vibrant.

“Yes, Senior.”

Xu Xiaoshou bowed stiffly.

The last time he’d seen this man was when he came to register after taking the “Jin Zhao Tian Fen.” The man hadn’t said a word then.

At first, Xu Xiaoshou had thought he was just a guardian or perhaps Sang Lao’s assistant.

But after several visits to the Ling Cang Ge, he realized something was off.

This man was definitely no ordinary person.

Someone who stayed cooped up in the Ling Cang Ge without ever showing up was like a temple monk who only swept leaves—he had to be the most formidable kind.

Yet, even during the previous “Sheng Nu” invasions, the man hadn’t appeared.

It was as if he were an outsider, never interfering in worldly affairs.

But today, he had actually initiated a conversation with him?

How strange—was he just making his presence known?

“Does Senior have any instructions?” Xu Xiaoshou pondered the earlier question, still unsure what it meant.

The carving knife scraped away, etching into the purple token.

The air was silent for a full tens of seconds before that voice, devoid of any distinctive traits, echoed in Xu Xiaoshou’s mind again.

“Where to?”

Xu Xiaoshou’s mouth twitched. After holding back for so long, that was all he came up with?

“Outside.” He pointed at the door of the Ling Cang Ge, indicating he wanted to leave.

Even if this might be a major figure, it had nothing to do with him, so Xu Xiaoshou didn’t expect any favors or opportunities.

No need—it could even be a source of trouble!

After waiting a while longer with no response, Xu Xiaoshou felt a cold sweat on his back.

Had he said something wrong?

These big shots always played it close to the vest, leaving people to overthink…

Xu Xiaoshou had no choice but to mull over the man’s two questions:

“Are you leaving?”

“Where to?”

Wasn’t it obvious he was leaving the Ling Cang Ge? Why ask?

Or maybe what he meant wasn’t about leaving right now?

Perhaps it was about the ten days later that Sang Lao mentioned, or his agreement with Mu Zixi?

Xu Xiaoshou grew suspicious. After waiting a bit more and getting no further word, he added, “Outside, Tian Sang Jun.”

The man’s knife paused for a moment, then continued its dance.

“Go ahead.” Just two short words, appearing directly in his mind.

Xu Xiaoshou’s face darkened instantly.

From the looks of it, the guy had probably just forgotten about him earlier!

What was wrong with this person—speaking up for no reason, holding him back, asking pointless questions, and then forgetting?

“I…”

Xu Xiaoshou nearly let loose a string of complaints, but he caught himself just in time.

He looked at the man’s eight fingers, trying to see what he was carving, but everything was hazy.

Even his “perception” couldn’t make it out!

“Definitely a big shot…”

Shifting his gaze upward to the man’s neck, Xu Xiaoshou fell silent.

Through the haze, he could see a massive, gruesome wound right on the artery.

Even though it had healed, the scar was still shocking.

That kind of injury probably nearly severed his neck, yet he had recovered?

“Not someone to mess with—better keep my mouth shut and stay away!”

Thinking to himself, Xu Xiaoshou swallowed his words and simply cupped his fists. “Farewell, Senior.”

With that, he pushed open the door and stepped out into the sunlight.

The wooden door swung shut behind him, and in the shadows, a moving caogao appeared.

Sang Lao stood expressionless by the door, watching the man carve for a while before finally saying, “Didn’t I tell you to go back first?”

“Hah!”

The man stopped his work and blew on the purple token to clear the shavings. Only then did he lift his head.

His murky eyes blended perfectly with the dim surroundings.

He grinned and said in a hoarse voice, “I just wanted to see what my half-disciple is like when he’s settled down.”

Sang Lao erupted in anger. “That’s my disciple, and it has nothing to do with you!”

The man said nothing. He pointed like a sword and pierced a hole straight through the top of the token in his hand.

As the hole formed, the token burst into purple light, illuminating their contrasting expressions.

Sang Lao fell silent at the sight of that sword finger. After a long pause, he scoffed, “Carving that thing is useless. Do you really think anyone will give you face like they did decades ago?”

“It’ll come in handy eventually.” The man smiled without arguing, gently placing the purple token on the table.

The purple light shone, bringing a touch of brightness to the dark corner.

Sang Lao lowered his eyelids and saw the design on it.

It was a lifelike carving of a nude woman, with a graceful figure and captivating charm.

Especially her posture, head bowed and knees hugged in quiet sorrow—it was utterly pitiful.

Adding to the scene’s eerie feel were the heavy shackles on her limbs.

The chains extended outward, vanishing at the token’s edge, as if they sprang from the roots of the world itself, an innate bondage for all.

Another long silence followed, where even breaths sounded noisy in that environment.

Finally, the man pushed open the door and left, his hoarse sigh breaking the darkness.

“I’m leaving too. Think it over yourself—will you come back or not? As I said before…”

“Without becoming Sheng, you’re destined to be a slave!”