Chapter 534

Chapter 535: Rules

At Xu Xiaoshou’s words, all the black-robed figures present turned in unison to look at the short teenager behind them.

Now, even a fool could see who the mastermind was.

“You’re quite perceptive.”

The black-robed teenager hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and speaking.

“Whether I’m perceptive or not isn’t the point. Kid, aren’t you from Hong Yi? Have you forgotten the rules of Hong Yi? Pretending to be someone else here and damaging their reputation—do you think that’s appropriate?”

Xu Xiaoshou gripped the famous sword Qing Lin Ji and swept a cold glance over him.

As soon as these words were spoken, all the black-robed people panicked in unison.

“Hong Yi?”

“This doesn’t make sense!”

“Boss, is he really from Hong Yi? If this guy is from Hong Yi, why would he ignore what we’re doing?”

The second-in-command in black robes was shocked.

He had no idea about this at all.

And he understood it even less.

If this teenager was from Hong Yi, how could he go against the norm and urge them to do something like this?

The black-robed teenager Lu Ke scanned the surroundings, clearly seeing the panic in the eyes of his companions.

“I’m not from Hong Yi. You’ve got it wrong,” he said in a low voice.

“Deceived, passive value, 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou sneered.

“Still pretending?”

“You’re still pretending?”

“Little Hong Yi, do you really think I know nothing?”

“If I remember correctly…”

Xu Xiaoshou recalled the words from Shou Ye at the end of the Yan Mang incident and said, “Lu Ke?”

“Uh.”

The black-robed teenager Lu Ke was visibly stunned.

“What, now that I’ve said your name, you can’t keep up the act?”

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. “Kid, Shou Ye is looking for you. He told me that if you don’t return to the team, he’ll beat your butt black and blue—believe it or not?”

“You!”

“Received a glare, passive value, 1.”

The black-robed teenager Lu Ke was clearly angered by Xu Xiaoshou’s tone, but instead of responding, he said, “Xu Xiaoshou, don’t forget, you’re at the top of the Hong Yi black list in Bai Ku, ranked number one.”

“Even though I’m not with the team right now, I still received Shou Ye’s notification.”

“Now that you’ve encountered a Hong Yi member, aren’t you going to surrender quietly instead of showing off here? Do you think that’s fun?”

He snorted coldly, a hint of cold light appearing in his eyes.

However, after he said this, Xu Xiaoshou didn’t react much.

Instead, the group of black-robed people clustered around him became like startled birds, uneasy and fidgeting.

“Is he really from Hong Yi?”

“Damn it, how could there be such a young Hong Yi member? Boss, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Do you know something?”

“If this guy is from Hong Yi, then us running away from the San Shi Liu Tian Feng Wu Zhen side means…”

“Shut up!”

The black-robed leader couldn’t help but shout angrily.

He was just as in the dark as everyone else.

But regardless of whether the teenager in front of them was from Hong Yi or not, the abilities he had shown when he took them down earlier were beyond what an ordinary Ling Jing Shi could resist.

What could he do?

Apart from obeying and following the teenager’s orders, what other choice did he have?

“Run!”

Seeing the black-robed leader’s stern face and silence, the crowd finally couldn’t hold it together anymore.

This was just a makeshift team to begin with.

Now that even the leader’s resolve was wavering, how could the team stay intact?

With a shout, the crowd scattered like birds and beasts.

“Who dares to leave?”

As the people in front of him started to flee, Lu Ke let out a sharp rebuke, and sword intent filled the air, locking down the entire scene.

This sight stunned all the onlookers in Ling Gong.

They saw that those who had lifted their legs to run were suddenly enveloped in white sword energy. Not only were their bodies immobilized, but the relentless attacks also left them battered and bleeding.

“Grandmaster sword intent?”

Su Qianqian was startled.

From the level of this teenager’s sword intent, though it was also at the grandmaster level, it was far superior to her own as a novice.

Just looking at the application of this move, Wan Wu Jie Jian, it was clearly beyond the skill of someone newly entering the sword sect.

At the very least, among the sword cultivators present…

Su Qianqian couldn’t help but glance back at her little beast brother.

Xu Xiaoshou also looked shocked.

He could achieve a full-field Ren Ji Shi Jian like this.

But if it came to controlling people while also injuring them, and not just injuring them but doing so with precision—adjusting the sword intent based on each person’s physique to distribute varying amounts, completely leaving the controlled targets in a state of inescapable pain…

Xu Xiaoshou admitted he couldn’t do it.

It was too masterful!

And after this display, the teenager still looked completely at ease.

It was clear that this burst of sword intent was effortless for him, as natural as breathing.

“I want to make a deal with you.”

With everyone now controlled and unable to interfere, Lu Ke said firmly.

“A deal?”

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow and glanced at the famous sword in his hand.

“Not that one.”

Lu Ke’s eye twitched, and with a wave of his hand,

A hum resonated.

The Qing Lin Ji in Xu Xiaoshou’s hand trembled violently, making his palm numb.

He casually tossed it into his Yuan Fu, and Xu Xiaoshou smiled. “What kind of deal?”

“Where did you put my sword?” Lu Ke was stunned.

After Xu Xiaoshou’s actions, he could no longer sense any trace of Qing Lin Ji.

This meant the place where Xu Xiaoshou had sealed Qing Lin Ji wasn’t a space ring.

After all, if it were, a simple summon from him would bring it back.

“You don’t need to know…”

Xu Xiaoshou said with a smile.

But before he could finish, Lu Ke formed a hand seal, and a resounding dragon roar echoed from the Yuan Fu.

“Ao—”

Sword intent soared to the sky.

A green light shot out from the Yuan Fu, flipped twice in the void, and landed directly in Lu Ke’s hand.

“Qing Lin Ji?”

Once he clearly saw it was the famous sword he had sealed, it was Xu Xiaoshou’s turn to be surprised.

Could it be summoned from the Yuan Fu?

“It’s no use.”

Su Qianqian chuckled lightly and explained, “Little beast brother, if he’s the true wielder of a famous sword, then no matter where the sword is lost, it will return with just its master’s call.”

“That’s what makes a famous sword!”

“Exactly.”

Lu Ke snorted coldly and continued, “Xu Xiaoshou, I just wanted to make a deal with you, but I didn’t expect you to…”

“Who doesn’t love a famous sword?” Xu Xiaoshou interrupted casually.

Though he hadn’t anticipated that a famous sword could break through even the Yuan Fu, so what if he couldn’t keep it? It wasn’t a big deal.

No wonder…

This teenager didn’t panic at all when his sword was taken.

It turned out that once a famous sword recognized its master, it was this powerful.

“Yuan Fu…”

Xu Xiaoshou murmured softly and asked, “What deal?”

“Yan Mang!”

Lu Ke got straight to the point. “I want your Yan Mang.”

“Oh?”

“You’re after my sword too?”

Xu Xiaoshou laughed. “That’s interesting. I’m after yours, and you’re after mine. How about we swap?”

As he spoke, he pulled Yan Mang out of his ring.

Everyone’s eyes locked on it, even Rao Yin Yin narrowed her eyes.

“Is that really a famous sword?”

They couldn’t tell about Yan Mang, but the dark red sword in Xu Xiaoshou’s hand gave off an aura on the same level as the one in Lu Ke’s hand.

“Little beast brother…”

Su Qianqian was stunned.

The first thing in her mind wasn’t surprise or joy.

Instead, a deeply ingrained nightmare-like shadow appeared.

The masked person!

“If this is really a famous sword, won’t little beast brother be targeted by that guy too?”

“Received worry, passive value, 1.”

“It really suits you.”

Lu Ke marveled, his gaze turning intense. “Xu Xiaoshou, give me the famous sword, and I guarantee I won’t reveal your whereabouts. Hong Yi won’t get any information about your location either.”

“Just that?”

Xu Xiaoshou was taken aback.

“Isn’t that enough?”

Lu Ke was also stunned. “Do you know that on the Hong Yi black list right now, the top target isn’t the ghost beast anymore—it’s you!”

“In this situation, do you realize how dangerous you are?”

“I know.” Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands. “But so what?”

Lu Ke: “…”

“So what?”

He was momentarily speechless at this bold statement.

“Xu Xiaoshou… ha.”

Lu Ke couldn’t help but scoff, his eyes mocking. “You’re too naive. Outside Bai Ku, they’ve set up a net to catch you. You can’t escape, you know?”

“Is that so?”

Only then did Xu Xiaoshou’s expression turn serious.

But thinking about his Disappearing Technique, he said, “Little guy, you don’t need to worry about my safety.”

“If your deal is just that, then while I’m still in a good mood, you’d better leave.”

“Otherwise, I don’t need you to protect me. As long as no one here gets a chance to spread the word, my whereabouts won’t be leaked.”

As soon as he said this, a chill ran through everyone’s hearts.

Though Xu Xiaoshou was smiling, for some reason, an inexplicable pressure suddenly descended.

Even the people from Ling Gong fell silent.

“Ha ha ha, you want to kill me?”

Lu Ke laughed. “That’s a great idea, but you don’t have the strength for it right now!”

“Maybe.”

Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

Truth be told, he couldn’t quite gauge this teenager’s strength.

Being a famous sword wielder wasn’t something just anyone could do.

People like Su Qianqian, without a strong background or sufficient power, couldn’t hold onto one.

It sounded harsh, but that was the reality.

Lu Ke, not only a wielder but also such a young Hong Yi member…

“He has a big background.”

Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself and waved his hand.

“You can go. If you want to leak my whereabouts, go ahead. Anyway, I, Xu Xiaoshou, dare to show up here, so I’m not afraid of it.”

Right now, nothing else mattered—the Dao Wen Chu Shi was more important.

Once he got the treasure, he’d escape immediately, and no one could stop him.

Lu Ke heard this and suddenly felt uncertain.

In Bai Ku, was there really someone who wasn’t afraid of Hong Yi?

And a young one at that?

“You…”

After hesitating, Lu Ke spoke again: “Give me the famous sword, and I’ll give you the Dao Wen Chu Shi!”

“Oh?”

Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes lit up. “Dao Wen Chu Shi? You have it?”

“I don’t.”

Lu Ke shook his head and pointed to the ground. “But it’s here.”

“Pfft!”

Xu Xiaoshou burst out laughing. “You’re really funny, kid. I’m standing right here—do you think I don’t know it’s here?”

Lu Ke said, “I know you know, but… I’m also here!”

The people from Ling Gong had been chuckling, but suddenly, their smiles froze.

Mu Zi Xi was stunned for a moment and slowly said, “Xu Xiaoshou, I’ve finally met someone even more arrogant than you.”

“Received suppression, passive value, 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou looked at this nonsensical status bar and gritted his teeth, about to speak.

“Summon!”

Lu Ke sheathed his long sword on his back, formed hand seals with both hands, and slammed them onto the ground.

“Thump thump.”

Like the sound of a heartbeat, dull noises rumbled from underground twice.

The ground shook suddenly.

The next moment, it began to shake violently.

“Crack crack!”

Accompanied by cracking sounds, a beam of light erupted from under Xu Xiaoshou’s feet.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly dodged.

“Heaven and earth anomaly?”

He looked in shock at everything before him.

Could Lu Ke trigger a heaven and earth anomaly?

“All the treasures in Bai Ku are sealed by Hong Yi.”

“They don’t take them because they don’t need them.”

“This is a training ground, after all. In simple terms, these treasures are rewards for those brave enough to enter Bai Ku and capable of claiming them.”

Lu Ke explained, then his voice took on a hint of laughter.

“But if they really need them, with just one seal, even treasures that haven’t fully emerged and are still gestating…”

“Hong Yi can reclaim them!”

He dispelled the seal and looked up at the sky.

The heaven and earth anomaly for Dao Wen Chu Shi was no less impressive than when Yan Mang had emerged.

Not only that, as the heavenly punishment forces descended, the dense Dao Qi quickly spread out.

“Buzz!”

A wave of Dao Qi rippled from the light beam’s center.

In an instant, it enveloped everyone present and continued to expand outward.

“This is…”

Everyone was shocked.

Because they could all feel that with this Dao Qi fluctuation, their own cultivation realms seemed to be loosening.

Breakthrough bottlenecks that were usually hard to sense were faintly showing signs of breaking.

Even incomplete Ling Ji were enlightened and activated under this Dao Qi wave.

The most dramatic reactions came from those already at the peak of Upper Ling Realm.

Tan Ji had been lying quietly on the ground, but suddenly, like a fish flopping, he sprang up and sat straight.

“This!”

He had already woken up.

He just hadn’t spoken because he was too ashamed to face Xu Xiaoshou and the Ling Gong crowd.

But the appearance of Dao Wen Chu Shi made him unable to pretend anymore.

The cultivation he had been suppressing was now like a ignited rocket, surging upward uncontrollably.

“Suppress it!”

He roared inwardly, his face twisting in effort.

He mobilized all his strength to forcefully suppress the rioting Qi Hai.

Grandmaster realm?

He could have broken through to that long ago if he wanted.

But he had always held back his cultivation for the sake of Dong Tian Wang Cheng.

If he broke through now for no reason, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

And it wasn’t just him.

In that instant of emergence, over a dozen people present nearly lost control of their cultivation and were on the verge of breaking through.

Those who couldn’t suppress it…

There were quite a few!

“Buzz.”

Mu Zi Xi’s twin tails perked up and then drooped.

For some inexplicable reason, her cultivation directly advanced to Upper Ling Realm.

She felt like she’d been hit on the head with a stick and took a while to recover.

“This…”

Xu Xiaoshou was equally full of disbelief.

Just from this single wave of Dao Qi, he could feel the threshold of Upper Ling Realm opening to him.

But unlike others, the door to his Upper Ling Realm seemed much thicker.

Though there was a tendency to push it open, without extra force, this fluctuation alone…

Could only influence, not fully open it!

“But this is way too powerful, right?”

Xu Xiaoshou was still amazed.

This was just the initial wave upon emergence.

If he could cultivate with it in hand…

Incredible!

Absolutely incredible!

Xu Xiaoshou got excited.

As expected, Dao Wen Chu Shi lived up to its reputation as a treasure that even Wang Zuo powerhouses could use to sense the heavens.

Just from emerging, it had such great effects.

If he embedded it in his Yuan Fu, not only would the Yuan Fu space expand greatly, but cultivating inside would mean progress at lightning speed!

“How about it? Think it over?”

“As you know, with the Dao Wen Chu Shi fluctuation spreading, more people will be attracted here soon. By then…”

Lu Ke’s eyes were full of amusement, saying no more.

He naturally knew how powerful Dao Wen Chu Shi was.

He had led the black-robed group here, originally just planning to take it for his own cultivation.

And conveniently, use Xu Xiaoshou’s name to lure him out.

But he never expected that after searching high and low, Xu Xiaoshou was right here!

So.

Compared to Dao Wen Chu Shi, the famous sword was clearly more tempting.

The deal was naturally on.

“Not really.”

Before Xu Xiaoshou could speak, Yu Zhi Wen already said coldly from the side.

“Hong Yi is responsible for exploring other-dimensional spaces, sealing instabilities, and treasures that haven’t fully gestated. That’s their duty.”

“But there’s no rule that says they can unseal them whenever they want.”

“Especially not for treasures that haven’t emerged on their own!”

She pointed to the Dao Wen Chu Shi in the void, her tone turning colder. “In this regard, you’ve seriously violated the rules. Do you know your crime?”

“Who are you?” Lu Ke’s pupils shrank.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that you shouldn’t be using the treasures here for trades.” Yu Zhi Wen’s voice carried anger.

How important was Dao Wen Chu Shi?

After arriving, she could sense that it was less than half a day away from fully gestating and emerging on its own.

That was probably why Rao Yin Yin was waiting here.

But Lu Ke had unsealed it for his own gain.

If it were something else, Yu Zhi Wen might not be so angry.

But for a treasure that could aid Tian Ji Shu, to see it wasted like this was unbearable.

“Seal!”

With a wave of her hands, a curtain of Tian Ji light enveloped the Dao Wen Chu Shi in the void.

Before the full heavenly punishment descended, she gathered the essence of heaven and earth and infused it into Dao Wen Chu Shi, trying to accelerate its gestation to peak.

The treasure had already emerged.

Resealing it completely wasn’t something her current level could achieve.

All she could do was use this short time since its emergence to speed up its heavenly gestation process.

Otherwise, this Dao Wen Chu Shi would emerge with irreparable flaws.

“Tian Ji Shu?”

Lu Ke watched all this, his eyes filled with disbelief.

“You… you’re from Dao Bu?”

Yu Zhi Wen glared at him hatefully.

This guy probably had no idea how much this half-day delay would affect a true Dao Wen Chu Shi.

But now, she had no extra energy to explain.

“Dao Bu… someone from the Shen Sheng Dian Tang main hall? How could you be here?”

Lu Ke saw Yu Zhi Wen’s silence and felt a slight panic.

He suddenly thought of the earlier Hong Yi message.

Could it be that his master had arrived?

His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he even considered turning and running.

But then he thought again.

Even if his master had arrived, he should be focused on the higher-level battles in Bai Ku.

How could he notice this minor scuffle?

“Stay calm, stay calm.”

Forcing down his impulse, Lu Ke lifted his head and asked Xu Xiaoshou again, “Well? Give me the famous sword, and the Dao Wen Chu Shi is yours?”

Xu Xiaoshou watched Yu Zhi Wen’s strenuous actions and narrowed his eyes. “Not really!”

“So what if you unsealed it?”

“Aside from the fact that this thing isn’t yours to begin with, just because my friend is putting in so much effort for it, the Dao Wen Chu Shi isn’t something you can trade anymore.”

“The famous sword is off-limits, and so is the Dao Wen Chu Shi!”

Lu Ke furrowed his brow.

How was Xu Xiaoshou so unyielding?

“Give me the famous sword, and not only will you get the Dao Wen Chu Shi, but I’ll also guarantee you safe passage out of Bai Ku without Hong Yi catching you!” he concessions again.

“Oh?”

Xu Xiaoshou glanced sideways. “Are you sure?”

“Of cour—”

Before Lu Ke could finish, Yu Zhi Wen shot him a cold look: “Lu Ke… right? Don’t forget, you’re a Hong Yi member!”

Though she was on Xu Xiaoshou’s side now, seeing such a rule-breaking element in her own organization was intolerable.

“I’m a Hong Yi member, but I’m just an intern Hong Yi.”

Lu Ke shook his head. “My true ambitions aren’t with Hong Yi, so you don’t need to use their rules to pressure me. Compared to rules, the famous sword suits me better.”

“But you’re still a Hong Yi member!”

Yu Zhi Wen said angrily, “At least, until you take off that red robe.”

“Ha.”

Lu Ke pointed to his black robes and said, “How do you know I’m wearing…”

But before he could finish,

A twist of Tian Ji force in the void shredded the black robes to pieces.

A gust of wind blew, and the crumpled red robe underneath fluttered open with a rustle.

Everyone was stunned.

Hong Yi!

He was really a Hong Yi member!

Though so young, there was no denying that the teenager was wearing the robes of one of the continent’s most transcendent organizations—Hong Yi!

“Lue Ke.”