Chapter 445: The Collapsed Layout, The Second Altar Fragment

Was Zhang Taiying gone?

It wasn't just the Zhang family's inner circle that was stunned. Hundreds of forces attending the banquet were all showing varying degrees of shock.

After all, within Tian Sang Prefecture, Tian Sang City held the position of being the foremost among all cities. And the Zhang family, thanks to the presence of Zhang Taiying, had flourished over the past decade or so, rising to become the top among the four major powers in Tian Sang City.

Yet, such a significant figure had just disappeared, just like that?

Someone murmured:

"Am I dreaming?"

Indeed, the shocks from tonight's banquet had far surpassed everyone's expectations.

"First the Su family, now the Zhang residence?"

"Even before Bai Ku has opened, the power structure of Tian Sang Prefecture has already shifted this much?"

"Oh my god, not long ago, weren't those more than twenty aggressive forces in the ring matches seemingly acting on the Zhang residence's orders, launching a frenzy against the Su family's remnants?"

"But the fight was only halfway through, and the mastermind... is gone?"

Everyone's uncertain gazes turned towards Xu Xiaoshou.

Or was it...

Him?

This young man?

That phrase, "If you want to kill me, you can try," revealed not only the young man's absolute confidence but also the most direct explanation for Zhang Taiying's death!

"So, Zhang Taiying transformed into a ghost beast in the City Lord's Mansion to kill Xu Xiaoshou, but in the end, he was the one who got killed?" someone deduced aloud.

"But that doesn't make sense!"

"If it was Xu Xiaoshou, why would Zhang Taiying go to such lengths? He's just at the mid-stage of Yuan Ting... Wait, when did he reach the peak?"

Some people were completely baffled.

How could Xu Xiaoshou's strength have advanced again in the blink of an eye?

Was this even human?

He hadn't even passed the late stage of Yuan Ting, so how did he suddenly reach the peak? And his Ling Yuan fluctuations felt so thick and solid...

"Suspected, passive points: 1212."

"Questioned, passive points: 1212."

The information panel was flooding with notifications.

What should have been dismissed at a glance now seemed increasingly strange the more they thought about it.

"But even at the peak of Yuan Ting, how could Xu Xiaoshou possibly be a match for Zhang Taiying?"

"Remember, before that red-robed senior left, he already had an explosion that could shatter the City Lord's Mansion. So, does that mean it was really Xu Xiaoshou fighting Zhang Taiying?"

Even with the earlier conversation between the red-robed figure and Fu Yin Hong, the crowd still harbored doubts.

But now, all the signs pointed to Zhang Taiying's death being inextricably linked to Xu Xiaoshou.

A figure at the Wang Zuo level was forced to transform into a ghost beast by a mere innate cultivator, only to be struck down on the spot by the timely arrival of the red-robed one?

"Terrifying!"

"Feared, passive points: 879."

"Admired, passive points: 646."

Su Qianqian held the jade plate in her hands, feeling a bit dizzy as she walked towards Xu Xiaoshou.

She vaguely remembered that when her little beast brother had left the banquet hall to... relieve himself, he had joked:

"Who knows whether accidents or tomorrow will come first?"

Then, he had given an absurd example of a meteorite falling from the sky and interrupting the banquet hall's ring matches. At the time, even though she was anxious, she couldn't help but giggle.

But...

Su Qianqian looked at the five crystal-clear Linglong Stones on the plate.

The meteorite hadn't come.

Yet, the competition had indeed been interrupted.

By then, she had been on the verge of collapsing.

That explosion that demolished the City Lord's Mansion didn't just end the banquet matches—everyone was left dazed, terrified, and disoriented.

Even the Wang Zuo of the City Lord's Mansion had been alarmed.

These families and forces from all over were merely at the Zongshi level.

Who among them had the mental fortitude to continue challenging?

So!

"Did little beast brother risk his life for me, forcing himself to kill Zhang Taiying?"

"That was way too reckless!"

Have you ever risked your life for someone else...

Tears of emotion welled up in her eyes.

Su Qianqian couldn't help but wipe them with the back of her hand, smearing a streak of dirt across her ashen face.

The tear stains rubbed off on her tattered, bloodstained, and now dust-blackened clothes as the young girl approached Xu Xiaoshou.

"Little beast brother..."

"Grateful, passive points: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

Xu Xiaoshou jumped in fright, almost thinking this girl had been possessed by Mu Zixi.

Thankfully, from her distinctive height and special way of addressing him, he could still recognize her as his Su sister.

"What's going on?"

Grateful?

Thank goodness it wasn't a curse!

But out of nowhere, why are you grateful?

What kind of story have you cooked up in that little head of yours?

"Little beast brother..."

Su Qianqian choked up, unable to speak.

For some reason, as soon as she stepped away from the fight and stood before Xu Xiaoshou, even though she was now a Jian Zong, memories flooded back of following him around years ago, fetching tea and learning things.

Was this the feeling of a safe haven?

It seemed that no matter what happened, as long as little beast brother was there, she didn't have to worry too much.

She just needed to keep walking steadily, one step at a time.

The thorns ahead would always clear themselves.

"Good girl, don't cry."

"What's wrong? Did those guys really bully you?"

Xu Xiaoshou stared at the five Linglong Stones on the plate.

He thought to himself, if you had been bullied, you probably wouldn't still have exactly "five" of them!

Su Qianqian wanted to share some of the Linglong Stones with little beast brother.

But the Su family was at a critical juncture.

These five stones, even if not used personally, could have great effects elsewhere.

Besides, little beast brother already had sixteen Linglong Stones.

Sixteen!

Hmm, he probably...

Wouldn't be interested in just these five, right?

"Grateful, passive points: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

Xu Xiaoshou grimaced, feeling a headache as he pressed his hand on the girl's head.

"Put the things away for now. Be careful on the way back, in case some thief has their eye on them."

"If you're giving them to me, don't bother. I have plenty where I am, more than I can use."

He chuckled, having caught on to her kind intentions.

Su Qianqian blinked her big eyes, silently staring at Xu Xiaoshou without a word.

"Grateful, passive points: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

Suddenly,

"Cursed, passive points: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

Xu Xiaoshou whipped around, his gaze landing on the flickering lights in the distance.

After Fu Zhi announced Zhang Taiying's matter, it essentially signaled the end of the banquet.

Xu Xiaoshou had gotten everything he wanted and achieved his goals.

He was about to leave with his gains when an excited voice rang out from the high platform.

"He's awake! He's awake!"

Everyone's attention was drawn at once.

There, Fu Xing, who had been knocked out by the furnace explosion without any defense, had regained consciousness under Shi Ti's care.

"Fu Xing?"

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, feeling a bit responsible for this, so he stepped over to check on the situation.

"This is..."

As Fu Xing's consciousness returned from the darkness, the first things he saw were several heads.

Savages, savages, a handsome guy, savages...

No!

His sister, Shi Ti the president, Xu Xiaoshou, savages...

And this last savage—why did he look so familiar, yet somewhat forgotten in his fragmented memory?

Fu Xing stared at the savage chieftain, his eyes filled with intense contemplation.

Fu Zhi watched his son wake up and initially felt a bit joyful, but the strong sense of strangeness in the young man's eyes made him furious.

"You fool, what are you thinking about!"

That familiar voice, though a bit hoarse, made Fu Xing's body tremble.

"Fa... Father?"

After calling out, he shook his head vigorously.

"It must be a dream. How could Father show up? He's been such a hands-off boss for so long..."

Fu Zhi's face darkened, though no one could tell.

Fu Xing's gaze skipped right over him and landed on Xu Xiaoshou's face.

This dream is so strange.

Why are the others all blurry and dark, fitting for a dream, but Xu Xiaoshou is so vivid?

Has he etched himself that deeply into my mind?

"Oh, right, back then..."

Fu Xing remembered the furnace explosion, and suddenly, he felt awful.

He shifted his body slightly and released his spiritual sense to check the banquet hall's damage.

After all, he had experienced Xu Xiaoshou's destructive power firsthand.

But as soon as his spiritual sense extended, his whole body froze.

"It's gone?"

"The banquet hall is gone?"

The lingering scorched scent in the air, the debris everywhere, the injured crowd...

Had Xu Xiaoshou really blown the banquet hall to pieces?

Wait!

The scene his spiritual sense showed seemed to extend far beyond the banquet hall.

Does that mean the entire mansion is gone?

Fu Xing's body started convulsing.

He pushed his spiritual sense to its maximum, but even then, all he saw was desolation.

This dream was too realistically terrifying!

"Where is this?"

Fu Xing refused to believe it was still the City Lord's Mansion. After all, no one could destroy it like that.

But his casual question was met with his sister's sorrowful voice.

"Home."

Fu Xing was stunned.

They can talk?

These are real people?

He bit his tongue slightly.

"Hiss!"

It hurt.

Glancing at Xu Xiaoshou's apologetic eyes, Fu Xing opened his mouth to say something but found he had no words.

Waking up to find home gone.

The entire City Lord's Mansion—destroyed?

"Suspected, passive points: 1."

Xu Xiaoshou started getting a headache.

Not again. I really didn't mean for it to turn out like this!

"Sorry, it wasn't on purpose."

Fu Xing had been holding up okay until that, but those words made his eyes roll back, his body go rigid, and he fainted again.

"Feared, passive points: 1."

Fu Zhi: "..."

Everyone turned to look at Xu Xiaoshou in unison, falling silent.

Shi Ti sighed heavily.

He didn't understand why, even with the City Lord's Mansion in ruins, Fu Zhi could act as if nothing had happened and not punish Xu Xiaoshou at all.

If it were him, and the Dan Ta was destroyed like this, even if Sang Lao showed up, he'd tear Xu Xiaoshou to pieces!

But this...

"Forgiveness is a virtue."

"Generosity is a form of cultivation."

Indeed, no one who reaches the city lord's position is simple.

He had underestimated Fu Zhi!

"Xu Xiaoshou, you should leave first!"

Seeing no one else speak, Shi Ti waved his hand helplessly.

Right now, the injured needed attention more.

After all, there wasn't just one Fu Xing—too many people waking up might faint again at the sight of Xu Xiaoshou.

"I see..."

Xu Xiaoshou shuffled his feet, wanting to help but knowing better.

It was all Zhang Taiying's fault for triggering that Ling Array and wrecking the City Lord's Mansion.

This was his mess!

"Do you really not need me to help with anything within my capabilities?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, rubbing his hands apologetically.

The people nearby froze, their hearts skipping a beat.

Within his capabilities...

"Brother Xu, you should go. My foolish son isn't mentally strong enough; he probably can't face you for a while." Fu Zhi said stiffly.

"Alright then."

Xu Xiaoshou knew what they were thinking and had a rough idea of the situation.

Time to leave!

"Little junior sister."

"Hmm?"

Mu Zixi was crouched down, watching Fu Xing and the other patients with interest, not wanting to leave this lively spot.

"Let's go."

Xu Xiaoshou grabbed the girl's twin tails and dragged her along as he left.

"Observed, passive points: 1240."

"Cursed, passive points: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

Outside the City Lord's Mansion, far from Tian Sang City.

In Ba Gong.

The wind howled eerily, and the cries of birds and beasts sounded mournful.

This was an extremely remote town, which might have had its own glory in the past. But because it was near Bai Ku and due to the dimensional space openings years ago, it had lost all signs of life and activity.

Yet, at this moment, the town, which should have been deserted, was regaining a bit of its human presence.

Unlike the farmers of before, the people coming and going now were all refining masters, and there were quite a few of them!

In a small inn that had been revived,

Lan Xinzhi, dressed in a black skirt, and He Yuxing, with demonic patterns on his face, sat facing each other on the bed in the room.

"How do you feel?"

Lan Xinzhi's gaze shifted from the demonic patterns on He Yuxing's face to the carved piece in his hand.

"I can still hold on."

He Yuxing's eyes burned with a crimson desire.

He tried his best to keep his tone calm.

"The Ji Luo Carved Piece is too powerful. The sword intent inside isn't something I can fully comprehend right now."

"But even a little bit is enough."

"I feel that I'm stronger now than before by more than just a bit."

He Yuxing gripped the bronze carved piece tightly.

It was only the size of a fingernail, but the power within seemed boundless.

Just suppressing his body's tremors was draining all his strength.

"That's enough."

Lan Xinzhi said indifferently, "You've reached your limit today. Push further, and you won't be able to handle it."

She extended her slender hand, signaling for He Yuxing to return the carved piece.

This item came from Zhang Xin Xiong.

The Zhang mansion's two Ji Luo Carved Pieces were both obtained from Bai Ku.

The larger one was probably with Zhang Taiying or hidden in some scripture pavilion.

The smaller one had naturally been given to Zhang Xin Xiong for study.

But this thing seemed to be related only to sword intent.

Even though Zhang Taiying had given it to Zhang Xin Xiong, he couldn't grasp anything from it.

In contrast, she and He Yuxing seemed more destined for it.

Especially He Yuxing!

Lan Xinzhi marveled inwardly.

Even when she obtained the Ji Luo Carved Piece from Zhang Xin Xiong, it was hard for her to understand much.

But He Yuxing...

His sword dao talent was terrifying.

Su Qianqian's achievements at such a young age had truly overshadowed too many geniuses in Ling Gong.

At least, with He Yuxing's current level,

He could probably defeat Su Qianqian with a single sword, even if she had Mu Ming Cheng Xue.

After all, in just these past few days, the number of Zongshi experts who had tried to provoke her and ended up dead under He Yuxing's sword was nearly in the double digits.

"He Yuxing, the Ji Luo Carved Piece..."

Lan Xinzhi held the returned carved piece with her spiritual energy, murmuring to herself.

This pair would be her guarantee for entering Bai Ku.

And though she didn't know much about the item in her hand, she knew it was something the Zhang mansion had gone to great lengths to obtain from the last Bai Ku opening.

Though it was just this small piece, the terrifying sword intent and killing intent inside made Lan Xinzhi suspect it was definitely connected to the widely rumored "You Si Jian."

With the prerequisites in place and a Jian Zong like He Yuxing,

If she could seize "You Si Jian"...

Lan Xinzhi's beautiful eyes flickered, her red lips curving slightly as killing intent flashed in her gaze.

She recalled the scene when Zhang Xin Xiong died, how she had to feign shock and cry to barely escape with her life.

That humiliation was unforgettable!

"Xu Xiaoshou, where are you now?"

"You killed Zhang Xin Xiong, so you must have gotten a Bai Ku spot. Come to Bai Ku."

"Too bad you didn't get this 'Ji Luo Carved Piece'!"

"Huff, huff..."

The heavy breathing in front of her grew louder, pulling Lan Xinzhi from her thoughts. She looked up to see He Yuxing's crimson eyes fixed unashamedly on her shoulder.

"He Yuxing!"

Thinking of that terrifying day, she stood up in a panic and scolded him.

He Yuxing's body shuddered, his eyes clearing, and even the demonic patterns on his face faded a bit.

Seeing Lan Xinzhi's flustered expression, a look of heartache appeared on his face as he apologized:

"Sorry, my mind isn't stable enough. I almost lost control of that... killing desire again."

Lan Xinzhi stepped back quickly, sitting on the tea table and taking a sip from her teacup to steady herself.

"You're doing great. The Ji Luo Carved Piece isn't something everyone can comprehend."

After finishing her sip, Lan Xinzhi stood up and walked toward the door without looking back.

"I'll leave first. Calm yourself down."

"I..."

He Yuxing stood up with his sword, wanting to say more, but his outstretched hand dropped powerlessly.

The door slammed shut with a bang, making He Yuxing's body jolt as red light flashed in his eyes.

"Ji Luo Carved Piece..."

The demonic patterns reappeared, not just on his face but also crawling over his exposed arms.

"Buzz!"

His sword trembled lightly, emitting a joyful hum.

This terrifying killing intent was a curse to people,

But to the sword, it was the perfect nourishment.

He brushed his finger along the blade, his facial muscles twitching involuntarily, forming a strange, incongruous smile.

"Hiss, the Ji Luo Carved Piece—such a good thing!"

Crisp, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the inn, measured and deliberate.

Lan Xinzhi furrowed her brows.

What was going on today?

In Ba Gong, a place of chaos with no rules, where killing was rampant, when had it ever been this quiet?

She turned to look.

At the stairs, a white-skirted woman was walking gracefully, her steps elegant.

Her appearance was quite ordinary, but her demeanor was extraordinarily refined.

The purple sandalwood incense burning quietly in the small copper furnace in her right hand seemed to convey peace and calm from several yards away.

It was like a noble snow lotus from the heavens blooming in this dark, filthy swamp.

The white-skirted woman's presence was the reason the inn had fallen silent.

"This person..."

Lan Xinzhi frowned.

She seemed familiar.

Back when she was in Tian Sang Ling Gong, she thought she had seen her in the inner courtyard?

But how could someone with such presence be someone she couldn't recall?

And...

"Yin Yang realm."

A woman who had reached the second Zongshi realm, Yin Yang realm—there weren't many like that among the inner courtyard's veteran thirty-three.

Besides Rao Yin Yin and those who had already graduated,

Even she and He Yuxing hadn't reached that level!

So, who was this newcomer?

"Do we know each other?"

As the black skirt and white skirt crossed paths, Lan Xinzhi couldn't help but ask.

The white-skirted woman turned her head.

A faint smile appeared on her calm face, as if she were greeting an old friend, her pearly teeth parting slightly.

But soon, the smile vanished.

She shook her head indifferently: "You must have the wrong person."

With a slight bow, the woman clutched her small copper furnace and turned to leave.

"Bang!"

The door opened abruptly.

He Yuxing rushed out with his sword.

"Who?"

He whispered sharply, his gaze involuntarily following the departing white-skirted woman.

Lan Xinzhi didn't respond.

Her eyes were fixed on the woman's left hand, where drops of blood were falling, confirming that the crisp sounds she had heard earlier included not just footsteps, but blood dripping on the floor.

Glancing downstairs,

There lay a dozen limp, lifeless male bodies scattered haphazardly.

Lan Xinzhi's eyes showed clear disgust and loathing.

"A bunch of idiots controlled by their lower halves!"

These guys had tried to hit on her when she arrived.

But after He Yuxing killed a few with his sword, they had quieted down.

Now, with this woman, history was repeating itself.

But...

"What about their cultivation?"

Lan Xinzhi was shocked to find that these men, who should have been at Shang Ling or Tian Xiang levels, now appeared to have lost all their realms!

"Were they crippled?"

She asked in confusion.

"No."

He Yuxing narrowed his eyes: "They were sealed."

"And it looks like these people are still alive, but their divine souls have probably been completely suppressed too."

"This woman..."

His gaze lingered on where the white-skirted woman had been, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

A vague familiarity mixed with deep anxiety.

Did he know her?

"And considering that violent-legged woman we saw a few days ago..."

"Ba Gong isn't peaceful anymore," he murmured.

Lan Xinzhi stepped aside and looked at him.

"Unpeaceful? Isn't that exactly what we want?"

He Yuxing withdrew his gaze, his eyes softening again.

"Yes, whatever you want, I'll get it for you."