Chapter 48: Seal Refining Heaven and Earth

Acquired sword intent produces a sword hum for one li; innate sword intent, for ten li.

When everyone's swords had all returned to their sheaths yet still buzzed incessantly, everyone confirmed beyond doubt that this was indeed innate sword intent.

"Dammit, I'm going crazy! Xu Xiaoshou has comprehended innate sword intent?!"

"How is that possible? I'm floored!"

"This guy is always so astonishing!"

The audience members were beside themselves with excitement, some even jumping up from their seats, only to be quickly smacked down by people behind them.

"Am I dreaming?" The one who had just smacked someone else slapped his own face hard for good measure, then winced in pain as he sucked in air through his teeth.

"A once-in-a-century innate sword intent—one from Su Qianqian a year ago, and now another from Xu Xiaoshou?"

"Is this real? I feel like I'm losing my mind..."

"Insane! Totally insane!"

In the arena, the fight had been interrupted by the sudden surge of sword intent, but it still needed to continue.

Mo Mo had no way to stop Xu Xiaoshou from advancing, and even if she could, Xiao Qixiu wouldn't allow it.

The choice between an outer court champion and an innate sword cultivator was clear.

The sword intent around Xu Xiaoshou faded, but neither of them moved.

Mo Mo was puzzled. He hadn't moved while waiting for Xu Xiaoshou to finish advancing, but now that Xu Xiaoshou was done, why was he still standing there?

"Grinning like an idiot?" Mo Mo watched as he maintained his sword-drawing stance, looking utterly foolish.

Xu Xiaoshou was truly over the moon.

He hadn't expected this soaring sword intent to break through the barrier. This wave of gains was simply unparalleled!

"Under suspicion, passive points +674."

"Under suspicion, passive points +1876."

"Under admiration, passive points +1940."

"Under admiration, passive points +1120."

This stream of data perfectly captured the audience's psychological journey from doubt to shock to eventual reluctant respect.

Just from this breakthrough, he had raked in nearly ten thousand points!

Exchanging a thousand passive points for this, plus a massive amount of sword dao knowledge—one word: worth it!

Xu Xiaoshou was completely lost in his own world, the notifications still flooding in, though the amounts were dwindling...

Huh?

Why were they all turning back to suspicion...

He snapped back to reality and turned to see everyone staring at him like he was a complete fool.

"Are you ready?" Mo Mo asked.

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily speechless. Was this... everyone waiting for him to snap out of his upgrade?

Dammit, what a blunder!

Luckily, Mo Mo was a decent person and didn't sneak an attack.

Well, even if she did, his info panel would catch it...

Xu Xiaoshou exhaled and said, "I'm good. Let's continue!"

Mo Mo was just about to move when a flash of sword light gleamed in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes.

"White Cloud Leisure Four: Sword-Drawing Style!"

Earlier, when drawing his sword, he still needed to expose an inch of the blade.

Now, having entered the innate realm, his control over sword intent had leaped several levels. Xu Xiaoshou's sword draw was so fast it was impossible to track with the naked eye.

As dust swirled, the sword light was already upon Mo Mo by the time anyone saw it!

"Clang!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyelids twitched. That sound again.

Even though this was sword light compressed from innate sword intent, Mo Mo had caught it bare-handed!

The silver lining was that she was struggling visibly now, her hands gripping the sword light as her body was forced back by the momentum.

But leveraging that buffer, she ground the white sword light down until it lost its luster.

"This sealing technique is basically cheating!" Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed in awe.

But how could he give Mo Mo a chance to counter?

Sword-Drawing Style!

With a backhand swing, another blinding wave of sword light slashed toward Mo Mo amid the crowd's cries of alarm!

Her hands were occupied—how could she block a second one?

Xu Xiaoshou saw the dawn of victory, but to be safe, he sheathed "Zang Ku" once more.

"Holy crap, is Xu Xiaoshou nuts? He's not letting up?!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't care what the audience thought. One sword after another.

"Swoosh~"

A crisp sound rang out as the sword was drawn, but no sword light followed.

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened. He checked his qi sea and found his spiritual energy completely drained.

"Dammit!" He clenched his fist and charged forward!

On the other side, Mo Mo had been pushed to the edge of the platform by the first sword light. As the second one was about to decapitate her, she suddenly opened her mouth and inhaled sharply.

"Sizzle!"

The second sword light was sucked right in!

"Clang!"

The first sword light shattered!

The audience shot to their feet in shock, and Xu Xiaoshou jumped in fright. His fist-wielding charge instantly turned into a retreat.

Holy crap!

This was a monster!

She wasn't even at the innate physical realm, yet she swallowed his sword intent???

How did she avoid being sliced in half from the inside out?

Mo Mo's face twisted in pain, clearly expending a huge effort to forcibly seal that strike.

Xu Xiaoshou's retreating form hesitated as the thought hit him too.

He charged back in.

The audience: "???"

"This Xu Xiaoshou's mind is all over the place—does he want to charge or not?"

"Pfft, haha, I get it though..."

"If that were me, seeing my innate sword light get swallowed, I'd probably bolt straight off the platform."

Xu Xiaoshou returned with his fist raised, but it was too late.

Mo Mo had recovered from the pain, ignoring the swallowed sword light for now as she frantically formed hand seals.

Xu Xiaoshou's eyelids twitched wildly—this was just like last time, when he got turned into a pincushion by Zhao Qingteng's "Great Cold Without Weapon."

Now...

Xu Xiaoshou moved like thunder, his fist thrusting out, just an inch away!

Mo Mo looked at the face right in front of her, suddenly leaning back to create a bit of distance, then clasping her hands together.

"Seal Refining Heaven and Earth!"

In that razor-thin gap, life and death hung in the balance. Xu Xiaoshou knew he'd missed his chance.

Sure enough...

A thunderous boom echoed!

The void exploded, cracks splitting open from all directions—up, down, left, right—as thick, pitch-black chains, each as wide as a person's head, shot out and clamped onto Xu Xiaoshou's four limbs.

Bang!

The chains pulled taut like a quartering, yanking outward in all directions.

Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was about to split apart on the spot. If not for his innate physical body's toughness, he'd have become Xu Four-Pieces!

His body cracked all over, blood flowing nonstop...

Xu Xiaoshou panicked. He glanced around and realized he was suspended in the air, fixed in a "大" shape by two chains from above and two from below, like a living target.

What kind of sorcery was this?

Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of tears. Could innate spiritual techniques really be this powerful?

This was terrifying!

Xiao Qixiu frowned too—this spiritual technique was one he'd never seen, not from the Spirit Treasury Pavilion.

It must be Mo Mo's own opportunity.

In the audience, Zhang Xin Xiong's face was grave. This "Seal Refining Heaven and Earth" had truly shocked him. "This technique is at least master level..."

"What's Mo Mo's background, exactly?"

Liu Zhen was stunned. Master level?

Such techniques were rare even in the inner court!

The suspended Xu Xiaoshou struggled desperately, channeling his "Sharp Light" across his body, but it couldn't sever even one chain.

"I'm done for..."

"This isn't scientific—how can my innate-level 'Sharp Light' not cut through it?"

Xu Xiaoshou hung in the air, feeling colder and colder...

Mo Mo started forming hand seals again...

No, please!

Why was there a sudden urge to pee...

Help!