Chapter 439: Absurd Battle Results, Questions That Cannot Be Raised

A small hand gently rested on Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder.

This was the second time A Jie had noticed the demonic qi on "Mama," and as part of its duty, it acted without hesitation once more.

However, before the absorption could begin, Xu Xiaoshou, transformed into the berserk giant, turned his red eyes and showed a glimmer of conscious awareness.

"Wait... wait..."

He struggled to speak, as if trying to endure the pain through sheer willpower.

A Jie paused.

It looked at Xu Xiaoshou with curiosity, surprised that "Mama" could hold on by himself.

But on the other side, the burly figure was clearly losing control.

Recovering from the daze after Zhang Taiying was kicked away, as a fully rampaging ghost beast host, Xin Gugu could no longer suppress his killing intent.

Yet as he barely turned his head to attack the berserk giant beside him, A Jie floated over and pressed its palm against his forehead.

Whoosh!

A black beam of light flowed along A Jie's arm and merged into its body.

Immediately after, the ancient wild ox skull on Xin Gugu's back shuddered and exploded with a bang.

Losing its power source, he deflated like a punctured ball, his body shrinking rapidly.

Then his legs gave way, and he plummeted from the void.

A Jie withdrew its hand, its gaze following downward until a thud echoed from the ground, leaving an unconscious human figure.

"Urgh—"

Xu Xiaoshou roared in agony.

He recalled that the last time he entered the berserk giant form, he had nearly managed to control it.

He had expected that with this awakening skill activation, his experience would be enough to steady his mind.

Unfortunately,

It hadn't gone through the proper channels; instead, he had used an external item to enter the berserk giant state, which wasn't part of his past experiences.

"So, it's out of control again..."

By now, the memories from his berserk giant form had returned.

Not completely blacked out.

A bit of progress!

As Xu Xiaoshou reviewed those memories, he clearly understood how ridiculously they had bombarded the Di Ji illusion—himself and Xin Gugu in their ghost beast forms.

This was absurd!

Fists?

What a waste of power!

If he had been conscious and able to control the berserk giant, combined with his other deadly techniques,

There's no way they would have pounded away for so long without breaking Zhang Taiying's defense!

Thankfully, A Jie had stepped in at the end...

"A kick?"

Xu Xiaoshou's mind went blank.

It seemed every time A Jie appeared, its combat strength adapted to the enemies he faced.

"That kick's energy..."

"Pah!"

"That Taixu power?"

"Does A Jie have Taixu power too?"

Xu Xiaoshou clutched his throbbing forehead in disbelief.

Had A Jie's strength been growing steadily since they left Tianxuan Gate, just like his own?

Or was A Jie created with this ability from the start?

Xu Xiaoshou thought the former was unlikely.

His own cultivation and combat progress were incredibly fast—probably unmatched by few in the world.

But A Jie...

He had never seen it cultivate, so how could its power advance so quickly?

However!

If A Jie was made with Taixu power...

How was that possible?

In that case, who created A Jie, what method was used, and how did it retain such intelligence?

Most importantly...

Why was it sealed in Tianxuan Gate's double seals?

Xu Xiaoshou felt he might have overlooked something.

He remembered the shocked and slightly fearful reactions of Dean Ye Xiaotian and Elder Qiao when A Jie was taken from Tianxuan Gate.

"Yes, why didn't I think of it back then..."

"How terrifying must A Jie be to make those two—one a peak spatial Wangzuo and the other a grandmaster of spirit arrays—feel such dread?"

Xu Xiaoshou had considered this before,

But at the time, he didn't fully grasp the concept of a Wangzuo.

His thinking hadn't reached that depth.

Only now, after witnessing A Jie shatter the Di Ji illusion with one kick, did he realize how frightening this little boy who only called out "Mama" truly was.

"No, when I get back to Tiansang Spirit Palace, I have to find a way to ask."

"Whether it's the dean or Sang Old Man, they should know. They're all hiding something."

Xu Xiaoshou now felt that Tiansang Spirit Palace was anything but normal.

Back then, he was young, naive, and ignorant.

He had no idea what a spatial Wangzuo, a spirit array grandmaster, or even the seemingly invincible Vice Dean Sang Old Man represented.

Looking back, that group was just wrong!

How could a spirit palace be so overwhelmingly powerful?

At least, aside from those so-called elders, any key figure there could probably crush the Wangzuo-level opponents he had encountered so far.

And yet, this bunch of powerhouses had gathered like snakes in a nest, hiding a big weapon like A Jie?

"Weird, too weird!"

He stopped dwelling on it.

He didn't dare think more.

With Xin Gugu's fall, the domain was clearly about to collapse.

The fading power probably couldn't even withstand a single strike from an ordinary Wangzuo.

But evidently,

The one kicked by A Jie wasn't just him—the four Wangzuo outside were still stunned.

From his "perception," aside from Fu Zhi who had been kicked away and was nowhere to be seen, the other four hadn't snapped out of that sudden burst.

Seizing the opportunity,

Xu Xiaoshou quickly shoved the fallen Xin Gugu into his Yuanfu, and for good measure, he also sent A Jie in there temporarily.

If not for his earlier speculations, he might have let A Jie take the blame.

But now,

A Jie's secrets were probably even more shocking than the ghost beast hosts.

How could he risk exposing A Jie for a minor gain?

After finishing the cleanup,

The golden giant form Xu Xiaoshou had taken was on the verge of collapsing.

He swayed, his body starting to crack, about to shatter.

"Brother."

Just then, a pitiful call came from behind him.

"Brother, what about me, Xu Xiaoji? Have you forgotten me?"

Xu Xiaoji had originally turned into a small stone, planning to play the role of a forever-hidden dark lord.

The kind that hides without fighting.

But halfway through, he nearly got blown to bits by those over a thousand compressed fire seeds.

Then, relying on his strong recovery, Xu Xiaoji—who was probably the only one left intact and clear-headed—had perfectly witnessed the insane scene that unfolded.

Di Ji illusion, ghost beast hosts, berserk giant, and A Jie...

Who knew what a terrifying impact this bloody spectacle had on his young mind?

He was just a passerby!

He was only following his inner calling to track the Tianji Disk!

Why, why did he have to see all this?

It turned out that Xu Xiaoshou's pendants weren't just the impressive "Lord Jie"—the rest, including Xu Xiaoshou himself, were all on that supreme level!

What virtue did Xu Xiaoji have to witness such a grand sight?

"No way around it..."

If he had thoughts of escaping before,

Now, Xu Xiaoji had completely abandoned them.

He wasn't stupid.

He knew that sometimes, as a person, seeing things you shouldn't means the best outcome is leaving a whole corpse.

But he didn't want to die!

So, how to survive under the deadly gaze of "Lord Shou," "Lord Jie," "Lord Gu," and other peak-level beings? That became the question.

"Yuanfu!"

The moment he saw Xin Gugu and A Jie enter the Yuanfu,

Xu Xiaoji knew his chance had come.

Unlike others, Lord Shou even had a Yuanfu, that precious thing.

With his wits, plus the nearly unbeatable nature of the Yuanfu,

Perhaps after this fight in the city lord's mansion, he could use his silver tongue to snatch a slim chance of survival.

"I have to get in!"

"Brother, Lord Shou, I want to go with you!"

Xu Xiaoji shouted these words almost in tears.

Deep down, he felt that sticking with Xu Xiaoshou was definitely not a good life.

But ever since he failed to blackmail Xu Xiaoshou at the city lord's mansion gate, it seemed his fate was sealed.

Not following meant death!

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for just a second before tossing the ground-bound, reverted Xu Xiaoji into his Yuanfu.

At that moment, he didn't have time for extras.

Whether Xu Xiaoji lived or died,

Those matters could be sorted out later inside the Yuanfu.

"What a great thing!"

He had to admit, the Yuanfu was incredible.

Without it, he, Xu Xiaoshou, wouldn't have dared to pull off this plan today!

With a bang,

As the cleanup ended, Xu Xiaoshou's berserk giant form exploded, scattering golden light points like rain—quite a sight.

A heavy wave of exhaustion hit him instantly.

In that moment, Xu Xiaoshou felt utterly drained, without even the strength to twitch his lips.

He slammed to the ground, his eyelids growing heavy, wanting to black out.

"Just sleep it off!"

No need to resist; sleeping was the best state right now.

Unconsciousness could dodge all questions.

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes.

The end!

"It's over."

The red domain slowly dissipated.

What remained was the endless spirit patterns wrapped outside.

Shou Ye hadn't deliberately destroyed them; he was waiting.

Until the person who went to fetch Fu Zhi returned, he asked, "How is it?"

Fu Zhi's entire old face was flushed.

As a Wangzuo, he hadn't even had time to react before being smashed away by that sudden rear end in the domain.

What terrifying speed!

Now that he was back, the battle was indeed finished.

Gazing at the spirit array in front of him, which restricted Shou Ye due to the lingering patterns, Fu Zhi's face flushed again with embarrassment.

"Never mind."

He waved it off and directly dispelled the spirit array he had set up.

Everyone looked over.

Then, their corners twitched in unison.

Was this a battlefield?

More like hell!

Nothing in sight was intact—not a single stone larger than a palm.

The craters everywhere were generally dozens of zhang deep.

Dry and scorched, seeping water... all of it.

Most crucially, the completely shattered void.

The scattered space barriers looked like permanently fixed damage, healing at a snail's pace while still spitting out black cracks now and then.

The black holes' suction pulled the dust into a chaotic storm.

"This place probably won't be habitable for three to five years."

Feng Ma sighed.

That was the fallout of a Wangzuo battle.

At full power, space couldn't handle it.

Luckily, these fighters had the decency to use a domain.

Otherwise, the city lord's mansion would next be planning a grand relocation.

"The stench... it's overwhelming."

Shou Ye murmured.

As the domain dispersed and the spirit array opened,

The unmasked putrid odor inside nearly made everyone vomit on the spot!

"The ghost beast host must still be here..."

"But a ghost beast host daring to bare its fangs at me, Shou Ye—now that's a first!"

Everyone fell silent.

They knew letting a ghost beast host into the city lord's mansion was their negligence.

But with things as they were, it just meant this host was too strong, and their usual vigilance too weak.

No point in blame; reflection was key.

"The person."

Liu Jing pointed to a nearly breathless, half-corpse floating in the deep pit's water vortex.

Everyone turned to look.

Though the battle aura was thick, this was indeed the only one with any sign of life.

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

Even Shou Ye was surprised when he saw the face.

"Is it really Xu Xiaoshou?"

Feng Ma was dumbfounded.

He suddenly realized that Xu Xiaoshou asking him to find the old city lord might have been for this very moment.

But...

How could Xu Xiaoshou, with his cultivation level, be here?

And as the sole survivor!

"Brother Shou?"

Fu Zhi blurted out, shocking the others even more.

Liu Jing and Feng Ma were okay; they had heard Xu Xiaoshou's tall tales, even if they didn't believe them, they had some mental preparation.

But Qiu Xuan and Shou Ye were utterly stunned.

"You really know him?"

Shou Ye asked.

"Of course."

Fu Zhi immediately recalled their encounter in the sea of flowers.

"This guy's spirit array skills—or rather, his mastery of Tianji arts—is top-notch, beyond even me."

Fu Zhi marveled. "How could I not know him?"

"Spirit arrays, Tianji arts..."

Shou Ye's pupils shrank.

If he had doubted Xu Xiaoshou's spirit array skills before,

Fu Zhi's words confirmed it.

Nothing was more credible than a fellow spirit array grandmaster, and no praise more convincing than from the proud Fu Zhi.

In spirit arrays, Fu Zhi was on par with the red-clad elites!

If he said that, then Xu Xiaoshou's feat of instantly breaking the "Thirty-Six Heavenly Seals Array" in the White Grotto was undeniable!

Shou Ye's mind churned with waves.

So, the conclusion from the red-clad experts after three months of study...

Xu Xiaoshou had truly figured it out in an instant?

"What a mess..."

Now, even the red-clad were in a dilemma.

Such a genius, such a figure...

Why did he have to get involved with ghost beasts?!

"The one who knocked you away—was it Zhang Taiying?" He asked painfully.

Fu Zhi nodded.

"What happened to him?"

"He's gone."

Fu Zhi replied.

Thinking of that former rival, he felt a bit dazed.

Zhang Taiying, the family head, had been blasted away in the city lord's mansion!

Not even a body left!

And the possible culprit...

Just possibly...

Was Xu Xiaoshou...

"No escape."

Unlike Fu Zhi's hesitant mindset,

Shou Ye made the call directly.

He looked at Liu Jing and said, "It seems pretty much as your intel suggested."

"Xu Xiaoshou and Zhang Taiying really fought in the city lord's mansion."

"But the real details, the ghost beasts involved, and that game-changing outcome..."

Shou Ye went silent.

This mess was too absurd and tricky!

A Yuan Court realm fighter taking down a Wangzuo?

"Wake him up."

Shou Ye sighed. With only one witness, things were complicated.

It all depended on Xu Xiaoshou's word.

And Xu Xiaoshou's words...

Shou Ye felt deflated.

He had experienced them fully in the banquet hall.

"The ones who should run can't escape."

"At least, in that domain, there were at least two ghost beasts!"

He glanced at Fu Zhi and sneered, "If Zhang Taiying and Xu Xiaoshou were both, then you, the city lord, might not keep your seat much longer."

Fu Zhi's mouth twitched, and he waved his hand.

"Wake him, wake him!"

"Let's hear what Brother Shou has to say first."

Qiu Xuan flew over and dragged the limp Xu Xiaoshou back.

"Exhausted, in shock..."

Shou Ye checked Xu Xiaoshou's wrist and nodded. "Fits the aftermath of a ghost beast host's state. No doubt, he's one."

"My suggestion: strike while the iron's hot and kill him on the spot to see what crawls out."

Fu Zhi's face darkened.

But he knew Shou Ye was joking.

The only witness couldn't be killed like that.

"No basis yet!"

He said, pulling out a pill and feeding it to Xu Xiaoshou.

Huff.

Huff.

The young man's body reacted.

As his breathing intensified, so did the responses.

Huff, huff!

Urgh...

Hmm.

Everyone was baffled.

Listening to the increasingly odd sounds, their faces changed.

Hmm...

After a suppressed groan, as his convulsing body stopped trembling, Xu Xiaoshou finally ended that tempting throat noise.

The next second, his qi sea surged, spiritual energy roiled,

And an invisible wind swept through everyone's clothes, with the aura of enlightenment, court opening, and mirror breaking emerging.

Xu Xiaoshou had broken through.

Yuan Court realm, peak!

Everyone fell silent.

Watching this youth slowly wake and open his eyes, even Shou Ye didn't know what to say.

After a life-or-death battle, he just lay there waiting for medicine.

And then he broke through.

Fine, he broke through—but what were those earlier moans about?

After holding back for a while, Shou Ye finally muttered two words.

"Talent."

"Hmm?"

When Xu Xiaoshou woke again, he felt great.

"Full of vitality" plus "unceasing life" shouldn't have dispelled the berserk giant's aftereffects so quickly.

Combined with his breakthrough,

Undoubtedly, Fu Zhi had used a potent pill!

"Old brother, thanks."

"Thanks to you all arriving in time, or I might not have made it."

Fu Zhi was about to smile.

"Hmph!"

Shou Ye's eyes turned cold in an instant.

"Yes, a bit later and you'd have escaped back to your rat hole, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned.

"Rat hole?"

He seemed to realize something, his face showing sudden understanding.

"You're talking about those ghost beast things..."

"Senior Shou Ye, do you believe me?" he asked.

Shou Ye was stumped by the question.

It wasn't a hard one to answer.

But coming from Xu Xiaoshou, it felt utterly unanswerable.

I believe you, my foot!

But not believe?

Do I have the right...?

Can I?

For the first time, Shou Ye questioned his own eloquence.

One look at Xu Xiaoshou's expression, and he knew the guy was about to twist the truth.

But could he deny him the chance to speak and just kill him without evidence?

"I know!"

"There's evidence!"

Shou Ye thought of the two ghost beast roars—Xu Xiaoshou and Zhang Taiying, one each.

Zhang Taiying was dead.

If he killed Xu Xiaoshou right now, it would all end.

But...

That was just speculation...

"I know Senior Shou Ye doesn't believe me, but I still have to say..."

Xu Xiaoshou saw everyone silent and hesitated before speaking.

He knew not to quibble or force explanations now.

Explanations were just cover-ups.

So,

"Zhang Taiying—I killed him."

This blunt statement left everyone momentarily dazed.

Even knowing it might be the case, hearing a mere innate realm—freshly broken through to Yuan Court peak—say it shocked them all.

"How did you kill him?"

Shou Ye asked coldly.

"With a kick."

Everyone: ...

Shou Ye's killing intent was nearly uncontainable. "Xu Xiaoshou, remember, you're suspected of being a ghost beast host—ninety-nine percent likely!"

"I, the red-clad, have the right to execute you on the spot!"

Xu Xiaoshou glared back defiantly. "You wouldn't dare!"

He snuggled into Qiu Xuan's arms and glanced at Fu Zhi. "My old brother is here—how can you mess around?"

Shou Ye trembled with anger.

Fu Zhi knew he couldn't stay silent.

He reminded, "Shou Ye is also my old brother."

Now Xu Xiaoshou was stumped.

He seemed to just realize Shou Ye's esteemed status and shuddered. "Sorry, I got carried away."

"Describe the killing in detail."

Shou Ye had lost patience. "Any unnecessary details, and I'll kill you right here."

"Oh."

Xu Xiaoshou, finally able to recount the events, immediately began somberly. "It happened like this..."

"The story goes..."