Chapter 545: The First Rain in the Yuan Mansion

"Dao Wen Chu Shi..."

Xu Xiaoshou zipped through the air and arrived next to the Dao Wen Chu Shi.

Due to the seal of the Tianji Array, only a limited amount of grand dao aura could leak out from within.

For humans, this aura might still be useful for comprehension.

But for the Yuanfu, this small world, it was impossible to bring about any real improvement.

"We have to break the Tianji Array."

Xu Xiaoshou placed his hand on the Tianji Array.

He had seen earlier, when it first appeared, how those eager contenders tried to touch the Dao Wen Chu Shi, only to be flung back by the Tianji Array.

Some were knocked unconscious, and in severe cases, they were gravely injured on the spot.

This showed how terrifying the power of the Tianji Array was.

But outsiders were just that—outsiders. Without experiencing its power firsthand, Xu Xiaoshou had no way to counter it.

"Buzz!"

The moment his palm touched the invisible barrier of the Tianji Array, the void's mechanisms surged.

The next second,

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion erupted.

As the air currents churned, Mu Zixi's little face immediately showed a look of worry.

"Whish."

After a soft sound, the shadow that was repelled turned out to be the Dao Wen Chu Shi itself.

Mu Zixi: "..."

As expected, Xu Xiaoshou didn't need anyone to worry about him.

Everything he touched should make others worry about themselves instead!

"It's pretty strong..."

Xu Xiaoshou murmured, flipping over his palm.

The large bloody gash in his palm had already healed by the time he lifted it.

Inside his body, the shattered tendons, bones, and meridians were restoring to their peak state under the effect of Everlasting Regeneration.

"Just a touch could injure even a grandmaster-level body, so clearly, forcing it open violently isn't realistic."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered.

From that single touch, he had basically figured out the attack intensity and form of the Tianji Array.

"Rebound... or something like 'countershock.'"

But evidently, the countershock force transmitted from the touch couldn't overcome his own resilience.

That's why what got repelled was the Dao Wen Chu Shi itself.

However!

"Forcibly cracking it would probably just invite even greater harm."

"Whether I can withstand it isn't the point—what if I do it and the Tianji Array shatters, taking the Dao Wen Chu Shi with it? What then?"

Xu Xiaoshou stroked his chin, feeling quite troubled.

This was tough...

Most people might worry about whether their attacks were strong enough.

But Xu Xiaoshou's main concern was how durable the Dao Wen Chu Shi would be without the Tianji Array's protection.

If it were as fragile as an ordinary stone, then breaking the array would be pointless.

If it shattered, all his efforts would be in vain.

"Let's try unraveling it with Textile Mastery!"

Xu Xiaoshou thought, extending his spiritual sense to envelop the Tianji Array.

But before he could fully examine it, his refined spiritual sense sizzled and turned to ash upon contact.

"Uh."

"Can it block spiritual sense too?"

This gave Xu Xiaoshou a headache.

Without Yu Zhiwen around, as a novice in Tianji arts, he felt completely at a loss with this Tianji Array.

"Damn it..."

Without using spiritual sense, Xu Xiaoshou began to perceive the Tianji Array with his naked eye.

Thanks to Yu Zhiwen's earlier insights, he quickly spotted the intricate Tianji dao patterns within.

But he was utterly baffled!

The layered Tianji Array was like a bunch of tangled yarn balls scattered on the ground.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't even tell how many layers of spiritual array structures were nested inside, let alone unravel it.

"This isn't something my current Textile Mastery can handle."

Xu Xiaoshou was disappointed.

Textile Mastery was only at Grandmaster Lv.1.

As he had planned, to reach the level of the Tianji Array, he'd need to level it up several more grades.

But due to his cultivation limits, getting passive skills to grandmaster level was already his current maximum.

Going further was impossible!

"What to do..."

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated in mid-air.

Whoosh!

Mu Zixi shot over to her senior brother's side.

"How's it going? Can you unravel it?"

"No."

"Then smash it open?" She echoed Xu Xiaoshou's usual style.

"I don't dare."

"Then what's the plan?" Mu Zixi frowned.

"I don't know."

Mu Zixi: "..."

She pointed casually at the Tian Shu Ji Pan and asked, "Can you use that to unravel it?"

Xu Xiaoshou turned to look, his eyes lighting up briefly before dimming.

"Theoretically, yes, but I probably can't do it right now."

"I see..."

Mu Zixi's mind raced, and she spoke again: "Isn't this your Yuanfu small world? Shouldn't you be able to handle it with just a glance?"

"Theoretically, yes."

Xu Xiaoshou felt a headache coming on. "But I tried, and it didn't work. It's probably because the rules of the Bai Ku small world are far superior to the incomplete rules of my Yuanfu, so it's useless."

"Hmm."

Mu Zixi nodded, as if she understood.

She scanned their surroundings, and her gaze suddenly fell on Xu Xiaoji.

"W-what are you doing?"

Xu Xiaoji jumped in fright. "I don't know anything; I'm useless."

"I'm not looking at you."

Mu Zixi waved her hand and pointed at the chaos fog behind him, her big eyes flashing with insight.

"Xu Xiaoshou, erode it!"

"Isn't this chaos fog really powerful? Use it to dissolve the Tianji Array. Once the array is damaged, you can take the Dao Wen Chu Shi out. How about that?"

"Hmm?"

Xu Xiaoshou had a sudden epiphany. He cupped Mu Zixi's face in excitement and said, "When did you get so smart?"

"Hee hee."

Mu Zixi's little face was squished out of shape, making her words unclear, but she struck a proud pose with her hands on her hips. "I'b always been thid dmart..."

"Boom!"

Xu Xiaoshou punched the Dao Wen Chu Shi into the chaos fog.

"Sizzle—"

In the next second, the Tianji Array and the chaos fog reacted violently, producing a sizzling sound.

"Bang bang bang..."

Explosions erupted one after another from the chaos fog.

The air currents swelled and roiled heavily.

Xu Xiaoji watched with a pounding heart.

This great demon was at it again!

The Yuanfu was usually so peaceful, but whenever Xu Xiaoshou showed up, destruction followed.

This time, he decided to stay far away—he didn't want to get blown to pieces again.

Quietly, he transformed into an unremarkable stone and slowly moved in the opposite direction from the Dao Wen Chu Shi.

"Sizzle—"

Xu Xiaoshou kept a close eye on the Tianji Array's activity.

Clearly, even something as formidable as this would inevitably corrode in the chaos fog.

Of course, one was a terrifying existence from the birth of the heavens and earth, while the other was merely a defensive Tianji Array formed to protect a spiritual treasure.

Their strengths were obvious.

Yet, the Tianji Array's defenses were still quite strong. At this rate, it would take at least ten days to half a month to fully corrode it.

Time in Bai Ku was precious, and Xu Xiaoshou wasn't going to waste it guarding the Dao Wen Chu Shi.

"Condense!"

With a thought, he mobilized the rules of the Yuanfu small space, and the chaos fog began to flow, converging toward the Dao Wen Chu Shi.

"Bang bang bang!"

The explosions grew more intense.

As the concentration of chaos fog increased, the dissolution rate of the Tianji Array rose linearly.

Just by observing, Xu Xiaoshou could see the array's foundation destabilizing and its dao patterns dissolving.

"Be careful."

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what consequences this approach might bring, so he quietly warned Mu Zixi beside him.

But when he turned his head, Mu Zixi was gone.

"Huh, where did she go?"

He turned around and saw his junior sister had somehow run to the opposite side of the Dao Wen Chu Shi, where she had set up a wood-element barrier.

Thick layers of tree trunks enveloped her—it was clearly prepared for a big explosion.

Outside it, a moving little stone was launching futile attacks, trying to squeeze into the wooden barrier for shelter.

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

He shifted back a bit.

After thinking it over, he pulled out a spiritual shield from Zhang Fu's queen seat and raised it.

"A-Bing, A-Huo, come in front of me."

"No money? Here's some cash or points for you, claim it within 24 hours! Follow the public account Book Friends Base Camp to get it for free!"

"That's it, just stand there. Block with your feet; no need to move. There's no space in the Yuanfu for you to walk around."

"Good, hold that position."

As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he took out a black stone and tossed it on the ground.

"Mama..."

The moment A-Jie appeared, it curiously looked toward the Dao Wen Chu Shi.

"Boom boom boom!"

An hour later, the explosions had escalated.

Chaos fog splattered everywhere, melting pits into the Yuanfu's ground.

Xu Xiaoshou sat in A-Huo's eye socket, with A-Jie in front of him.

He kept watching the Dao Wen Chu Shi closely.

"It's about time."

The chaos fog was too powerful.

The once untouchable Tianji Array had been corroded beyond recognition in this short time, and its remaining nested structures were now clear to Xu Xiaoshou.

"There's basically no nested structure left."

"Based on this progress, the Tianji Array should completely collapse in less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick."

"But will the chaos fog damage the Dao Wen Chu Shi..."

Xu Xiaoshou wondered.

Just then, the Tianji Array, on the verge of collapse, seemed to make a final counterattack, swelling all at once.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened.

Sure enough,

"Rumble!"

In the next second, a thunderous roar echoed through the area, blasting a black void open in the chaos fog.

Xu Xiaoshou was about to duck, but he saw the terrifying suction from the spatial fragments pulling the now-exposed Dao Wen Chu Shi toward it.

"Oh no!"

"Mama..."

Before he could rush out, a shadow flashed in front of him—A-Jie had already turned back.

It spread its small palm, and a gleaming miniature white skeleton appeared in its hand.

"The Dao Wen Chu Shi?"

Xu Xiaoshou was delighted.

When had A-Jie become so perceptive?

He hadn't even given the command, and A-Jie had already analyzed the situation and retrieved the Dao Wen Chu Shi.

"Smart!"

Xu Xiaoshou patted A-Jie's smooth head and took the Dao Wen Chu Shi.

As he held it, the object, which had been in the form of a white skeleton entwined with spiritual patterns, began to transform.

It slowly shifted and morphed into an exact likeness of Xu Xiaoshou.

Completely naked and lifelike!

In the next second, the miniature Xu Xiaoshou rose slowly into the air.

"Buzz!"

Once it reached a certain height, it stood as an equal to the Life Spirit Seal, and with a crisp sound, it seemed to embed itself fully into this space.

"Crack crack."

A new Tianji Array began to form on its own.

Layer upon layer of nested spiritual arrays emerged, locking it in place and fixing it in the sky.

"Whish!"

Once the Tianji Array was fully formed, a beam of light shot out from above the Dao Wen Chu Shi, turning into colorful star points that scattered into the surrounding chaos fog.

"Rumble..."

As the star points touched the fog, the fog dissolved.

Then, rumbling sounds followed as the ground began to extend outward.

The expansion was incredibly fast, enlarging several times in an instant.

Not only that, various landforms started to appear.

It began with flat plains.

Then, small hills and rocky terrain emerged.

Followed by small hills, basins, and marshes...

"Junior sister!"

Xu Xiaoshou called out immediately.

How could he not let his junior sister witness this spectacular scene of a world's birth?

"Xu Xiaoshou, this is..."

Mu Zixi poked her head out from the wooden barrier and was stunned.

The entire Yuanfu space had completely changed.

Not only had the space expanded to over ten li, but the various landforms were like a miniature version of the real world!

"Has the Tianji Array been successfully cracked?"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced back at her.

If it hadn't been cracked, could there be such changes?

Neither of them said more.

The ground's expansion started to slow, but new changes appeared.

The Dao Wen Chu Shi released another burst of radiant light.

This light didn't shoot upward; instead, it spread out in circular waves from the center.

In an instant, it covered the entire Yuanfu space.

"Elements?"

Xu Xiaoshou's keen Perception detected the sudden abundance of ice, fire, and other elemental light points in the air.

Not just that—he could sense that the quantities of various elemental systems had multiplied.

He turned around.

Sure enough, bathed in the life energy and dense wood elements, his junior sister had her twin tails perked up, looking utterly content.

"Spiritual energy has appeared!"

Xu Xiaoshou was overjoyed.

The Yuanfu had spiritual energy before, but it was barely enough for cultivation.

That was because the spiritual energy was drawn from the outside world.

Cultivating here was more like absorbing the life spiritual energy from the Life Spirit Seal.

Back then, the Yuanfu only had the life attribute.

But now, with the grand dao rules perfected and the first burst of light from the Dao Wen Chu Shi, the Yuanfu world could finally sustain itself.

"The prototype of a world has emerged."

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the now-calm Yuanfu, his heart full of excitement.

Though the new land was still quite barren, it had terrain, was cultivable, and even had the most important life attribute.

The rest was just a matter of gradual development.

"Xu Xiaoshou, it's so big..."

Mu Zixi flew over, her mouth wide in an "O" shape.

The Yuanfu space now was almost twice as large as Lingrong Ze had been.

What Xu Xiaoshou had said about it being double was a massive understatement.

It was probably hundreds of times bigger!

The previous concerns about A-Bing and A-Huo's movement were no longer an issue.

These two giants could wrestle, roll around, or jump here without any problems!

"Yes, it's gotten big, but it still feels like something's missing..."

Xu Xiaoshou gazed at the landscape before him, sensing it wasn't quite perfect.

"Hmm?"

Mu Zixi's big eyes twinkled with an idea.

She clapped her hands.

"Little trees, grow!"

Crackling sounds followed as a crowd of saplings shot up from the ground. Under the nourishment of life spiritual energy and Mu Zixi's control, they grew wildly.

In a flash, a vast green area appeared.

"Xu Xiaoshou, isn't this better?"

Mu Zixi dusted off her hands and turned to him, seeking praise.

Xu Xiaoshou stared at the greenery, momentarily lost for words.

So, what the Yuanfu was missing... was green?

"Not enough?"

Mu Zixi saw Xu Xiaoshou standing there silently and furrowed her brow.

"If not, I'll add more!"

She faced another direction and struck the ground forcefully.

Wild grass sprang up instantly on the barren land.

This time, it was a grassland, which took much less effort than a forest.

In just a few breaths, Mu Zixi had turned nearly half the Yuanfu green.

Xu Xiaoshou felt overwhelmed by the sea of green and quickly scooped her up from the ground.

"Enough, that's plenty green. No need to continue..."

"Not enough!"

Mu Zixi was ecstatic at the sight of the green, her eyes shining.

How could she not cover her own land completely?

"Xu Xiaoshou, wait, I'll plant some more blue-green for you..."

"Shut up!"

Xu Xiaoshou irritably covered her mouth.

The girl started flailing her fists and kicking.

"Xu Xiaoshou, you're making me dizzy..."

But how could Xu Xiaoshou let her have her way?

With a wave of his hand, he designated a spot near the Life Spirit Seal in the Yuanfu space and planted the remaining royal seat spiritual herbs from the earlier explosion there.

"What else should I do?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt that with the Yuanfu newly born, there was so much to handle, but it would take a lot of time—which meant he couldn't go to Bai Ku and would have to focus on transforming this place.

It was a good idea, and it would let him avoid all the risks in Bai Ku.

But staring at the empty expanse, he didn't know where to start.

"Drizzle..."

Suddenly, water elements gathered in the sky, and a light rain began to fall.

Feeling the coolness on his forehead and hands, Xu Xiaoshou looked up in surprise.

The Yuanfu sky was no longer a void.

Blue skies and clouds—it was all so vivid now.

"Xu Xiaoshou, it's raining..."

Mu Zixi stopped struggling and turned her head with difficulty to stare at the first rain in the Yuanfu.

"Yes, it's raining."

Xu Xiaoshou murmured softly.

He didn't have good memories of rain on the Sheng Shen Continent.

He remembered the first rain at Tian Sang Spirit Palace, when he was ambushed by Feng Kong and Shao Yi, nearly losing his life.

And later, every rainy night seemed to bring him bad luck.

But this first rain in the Yuanfu completely washed away the restlessness in his heart.

The Saint's schemes, the emergence of the Four Swords, the transformation of the Yuanfu space...

Why rush?

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt at peace.

What was meant to come would come.

Instead of hiding and using other things to deceive himself for that shameful purpose of self-deception, he might as well face it head-on!

"Huff!"

The wind blew, rippling their dry clothes.

Mu Zixi blinked in surprise. "Xu Xiaoshou, wind! It's wind!"

"The Yuanfu has wind now—finally, it's not just from explosions. Oh yeah!"

Hearing her excitement, Xu Xiaoshou felt his state of mind swaying with the raindrops.

In his Perception, Xu Xiaoji had stealthily transformed and was reaching out to catch the rain.

Droplets pattered into his palms.

"Roar!"

The Chen Zhao White Skeleton irritably shook off the rain from its body.

It hated this cold feeling.

"Mama..."

A-Jie stepped out slowly, walking past A-Huo toward Xu Xiaoshou.

"Ho ho, ho ho~"

A-Huo turned its wild punches into a rain dance, complete with steps.

"Ho..."

A-Bing tilted its head back and called softly.

Any raindrop that fell within ten zhang of its body turned to ice pellets.

The ground glistened, with crisp tapping sounds as they fell.

"Junior sister."

Xu Xiaoshou tugged on Mu Zixi's damp twin tails and flipped her over in his arms.

"Hmm?"

Mu Zixi turned her head, frowning as she pulled her twin tails back.

"Xu Xiaoshou, can you put me down first?"

"Cursed, passive value +1."

"Want to go out for a walk?"

Xu Xiaoshou set Mu Zixi down and looked toward the distant void.

"Where to?"

Mu Zixi sensed something off in her senior brother's mood.

It felt strange...

She didn't mess around.

Instead, she glanced at the lush grassland behind her and said, "How about I take it back?"

"Pfft."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. "No need, the green is fine. The Yuanfu was missing that."

The girl beamed, her two little tiger teeth shining brightly.

"So, where are we going?"

She stepped forward, linked arms with her senior brother, and blinked her big eyes. "Um, anywhere's fine, really..."

"Outside."

Xu Xiaoshou pointed to the distant sky, picturing the dimensional space rift at the edge of the Bai Ku map.

"Bai Ku has the Four Swords and other places—we can check them out."

"The Four Swords?"

Mu Zixi was startled. "Xu Xiaoshou, didn't you not want the Four Swords?"

"I didn't before."

Xu Xiaoshou smiled in response, his gaze seeming to pierce through the void to those stunning star-like eyes again.

"But now, I suddenly think that if the Four Swords fall into the Sheng Shen Hall's hands, it might be a bad thing."

"Huh?"

Mu Zixi didn't quite understand how the best outcome could be a bad thing, but she just asked, "What about your Black Falling Sword Sheath?"

"I gave it away."

"Yes, you did." Mu Zixi blinked her innocent big eyes and nodded.

"Cursed, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou said no more.

With a wave of his hand, a spatial vortex appeared.

In the distance, Xu Xiaoji's eyes filled with envy.

Trapped in the Yuanfu for so long, how could he not crave freedom?

But compared to freedom, asking that great demon might not only get him rejected but also ruin his future.

Smuggling out!

He had to find a chance to completely escape this Yuanfu space.

Otherwise, with the Dao Wen Chu Shi settled here and the space growing more stable, he'd have no escape.

"That’s it, let's go!"

Mu Zixi skipped into the spatial vortex.

As long as she was with Xu Xiaoshou, anywhere was fine.

Xu Xiaoshou stepped in halfway, then suddenly turned back to Xu Xiaoji.

"Coming along?"

"Coming?" Xu Xiaoji pointed at himself in surprise. "Me?"

"Who else but you?"

"No, no..."

Xu Xiaoji thought it must be some scheme of the great demon's.

But his desire for freedom made his feet move slowly.

"Hurry up."

Xu Xiaoshou urged.

Xu Xiaoji's body trembled, and he transformed into a stone, darting into Xu Xiaoshou's embrace at light speed.

"A-Jie."

"Mama..."

Tucking A-Jie's origin stone into his hand, Xu Xiaoshou smiled and finally stepped into the spatial vortex.

One step.

The sea of qi surged, spiritual waves rippled through the rain.

Upper Spirit Realm!

This was the Upper Spirit of a newly born world!