Chapter 551: Ghost Beast Parasite, Take Down

"Protected, passive value, 1."

"Good heavens!"

For the first time, Xu Xiaoshou felt the warmth of being protected.

He was truly afraid that the ferocious demonic energy from You Si Jian would erupt and expose his true form, turning him into a "berserk giant."

Yet, Mu Zixi, with just her mysterious "Shen Mo Tong," withstood it all.

"Can you hold on?"

Xu Xiaoshou crouched down and patted his junior sister's shoulder.

"No big feeling."

Mu Zixi turned back, her right pupil swirling with demonic energy.

The ferocious demonic aura rampaging around her was absorbed as soon as it approached.

Not only was she unaffected, but she even let out a burp she couldn't suppress.

"Burp."

"Uh..."

Mu Zixi's face flushed red, and she quickly turned away, staring ahead.

"Shen Mo Tong...?"

Xu Xiaoshou watched in astonishment.

This pair of heterochromatic eyes amazed him every time he saw them in action.

They could even resist the power of "You Si Jian" so effortlessly, absorbing it completely.

Didn't that mean Mu Zixi's "Shen Mo Tong" was on par with "You Si Jian" in terms of level?

And that was just half of its power.

At least, since the first time he'd seen "Shen Mo Tong," Xu Xiaoshou had never witnessed Mu Zixi using the other half—"Shen Tong."

"Good, just keep it up. Once we weather this wave, we should be fine."

Xu Xiaoshou hid behind her, using his "perception" to survey everything around.

The people lurking in Li Jian Grassland, waiting for their chance, had mostly been wiped out by the first burst of You Si Jian's demonic energy.

Anyone who couldn't withstand the demonic aura had their eyes turn blood-red on the spot, their spiritual energy going out of control.

Before those who had fallen into demonic frenzy could wreak havoc, the sword energy hidden within the demonic aura shredded them into pieces, leaving them defenseless.

It was brutally cruel.

The scene was incredibly bloody.

Xu Xiaoshou knew this was likely the price of greed.

"Some things aren't for just anyone to touch..."

Apart from those killed by the You Si Jian's demonic energy, a small group remained, well-prepared.

Some had spiritual tools to absorb the demonic energy, others had spiritual techniques or pills to resist it...

Without exception, people like He Yuxing, who stood sword-straight, survived the demonic outburst unscathed.

"The big wave has washed away the sand; the real show is about to start."

Xu Xiaoshou pulled his junior sister back, retreating steadily.

He was clever about this.

Even with some preparations up his sleeve, he didn't want to be the first to stick his neck out and grab You Si Jian.

That would be foolish.

"Xu Xiao... Master!"

Mu Zixi felt the force behind her and looked down to find herself already airborne, retreating rapidly.

She turned back in confusion. "Hasn't You Si Jian already appeared? When are we going to charge?"

"Charge?"

Xu Xiaoshou paused, then knocked her on the head in frustration. "Charge what? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don't you see all these people watching?"

"But... isn't it 'strike first and gain the upper hand, strike later and suffer'?"

Mu Zixi winced, rubbing her head while absorbing the demonic energy. "Besides, if we don't act now, once the person in red gets the sword, how will you snatch it? Just with your face?"

"Shut up."

Xu Xiaoshou clamped a hand over her mouth.

Had the demonic energy addled her brain? Snatch it?

First, let's focus on staying alive!

"Buzz—"

A sword hummed through the void.

After the first burst of demonic energy, You Si Jian seemed to have rampaged enough. It soared upward, circled in the air a few times, and shot off in a certain direction.

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Mu Zixi panicked.

"Smack!"

Xu Xiaoshou flicked her forehead. "I said, call me Master!"

"Oh, oh."

"Received curse, passive value, 1."

"Someone else will be in a hurry; we're not rushing." Xu Xiaoshou dragged his junior sister into a pit dug out by the sword energy and waved his hand to bury them alive.

Mu Zixi: "..."

"Received curse, passive value, 1."

"Charge!"

His "perception" detected that, as expected, some people couldn't hold back and leaped into the air.

In an instant, over a dozen figures shot through the sky, trying to intercept You Si Jian as it fled.

In the area crowded with people in red,

"Lan Ling jie."

Lu Ke stared fixedly at You Si Jian as it streaked away, about to vanish from sight, and couldn't help calling out.

"Wait."

Lan Ling pressed down lightly with one hand, dispelling the young man's pent-up energy.

"Yu Zhiwen jie!"

Lu Ke grew anxious and turned to Yu Zhiwen.

Yu Zhiwen glanced at him gently and silently turned away, sighing inwardly.

If it were Xu Xiaoshou, he probably wouldn't ask that...

"Senior in red, the treasures of Bai Ku belong to those fated to have them. Though You Si Jian is a supreme treasure, in Bai Ku, anyone with the ability can take it. Am I right?"

A voice echoed from nowhere, like fuel on the fire, directed at the red-clad group.

Lu Ke sneered, about to retort.

But Lan Ling covered his mouth and stepped forward, soaring into the air.

"Correct."

"As long as you entered Bai Ku through proper channels, anyone has the right to take You Si Jian."

"And if anyone gains You Si Jian's recognition, the red-clad group will even escort them out of Bai Ku, ensuring their safety all the way."

As soon as she spoke, the people lurking in Li Jian Grassland could no longer restrain themselves.

No response came.

But suddenly, another dozen figures shot out.

"These fools..."

Xu Xiaoshou watched with a headache.

Those who entered Bai Ku shouldn't be such simple-minded people.

But firstly, they didn't know the real inside story; secondly, the temptation of You Si Jian was too great; and thirdly, there was the red-clad group's promise.

In short, Lan Ling's assurance had drawn out nearly everyone left.

"Xu... Master?"

In the darkness, Mu Zixi turned her head. She had heard Lan Ling's words too.

"Use your brain."

Xu Xiaoshou pressed her head back.

"I know."

Mu Zixi rolled her eyes impatiently.

She had just said it casually; she didn't expect him to take it seriously.

Did he really think she was that stupid?

"I just wanted to ask, when are we going to make our move?" She forced her head around, staring at his half-obscured face.

"Wait."

"Wait until when?"

"Until..." Xu Xiaoshou scanned with his "perception" the people still lurking, paused for a moment, and shook his head slowly.

"I'm not entirely sure either."

Mu Zixi: "..."

"Received curse, passive value, 1."

"Thud, thud."

The straw hat on his head twitched twice.

Xu Xiaoshou sensed the anomaly sharply.

"What are you doing?"

No response.

"Speak up, don't play mute!" Xu Xiaoshou whispered harshly.

"I... I feel like I'm becoming really strange..." Xu Xiaoji responded weakly.

The straw hat was its true form, shaped at Xu Xiaoshou's request.

According to their agreement, no matter what happened, Xu Xiaoji couldn't speak or leave Xu Xiaoshou's head.

But now, since Xu Xiaoshou had asked, answering briefly should be okay... right?

"How strange?"

Xu Xiaoshou grabbed the straw hat and asked. He wasn't as domineering as it thought.

"I don't know, just... my body feels really strange..." Xu Xiaoji replied.

"Does it have to do with You Si Jian?"

"Not sure..."

"Don't say 'not sure'; just answer 'yes' or 'no'."

"Yes..."

"Received deception, passive value, 1."

There it was...

Xu Xiaoshou felt more certain.

Xu Xiaoji must be connected to You Si Jian; this had gone from a strong possibility to a solid deduction.

And that was why, even after losing the Black Fall Sword Sheath, Xu Xiaoshou still dared to come to Li Jian Grassland to compete for You Si Jian.

If there was anything more powerful than the "Ji Fall Carving Piece" or "Black Fall Sword Sheath" as leverage...

"Xu Xiaoji."

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath and asked the question buried deepest in his heart: "Are you the sword spirit of You Si Jian?"

"Huh?" Mu Zixi widened her eyes in disbelief, staring at the straw hat on Xu Xiaoshou's head.

This timid creature was the sword spirit of the mighty You Si Jian?

"Uh... I'm not sure."

Xu Xiaoji hesitated.

Honestly, it was starting to doubt itself.

But if it was the sword spirit of You Si Jian, why didn't it know?

"I told you, for my questions, just say 'yes' or 'no'."

Xu Xiaoshou said.

"Uh, yes."

"Received deception, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart skipped a beat.

Not the sword spirit?

That couldn't be...

He remembered speculating about Xu Xiaoji's identity at the city lord's mansion gate using the information panel.

Back then, it showed this thing was neither a ghost beast nor a human.

And among the connections to You Si Jian, aside from being a sword spirit, what else could it be?

"Let me rephrase..."

Xu Xiaoshou used his "perception" to watch You Si Jian still darting away amid the chase, noting the vast difference in their auras.

"Were you born from within You Si Jian?"

Xu Xiaoji paused.

Just as it was about to say something, it recalled Xu Xiaoshou's earlier words and quickly answered, "Yes!"

The information panel remained still.

Xu Xiaoshou let out a deep breath.

Not the sword spirit, but born from You Si Jian?

Another consciousness?

He frowned slightly.

This small twist exceeded his original expectations.

But it was still manageable.

If Xu Xiaoji was born from You Si Jian, everything made sense.

After losing the Eighth Sword Immortal, You Si Jian was left alone to suppress "Jin Zhao Yu Hai."

But could an unguided You Si Jian hold back "Jin Zhao Yu Hai" for years?

Thus, for some reason, You Si Jian's original sword spirit might have perished or fallen dormant...

In the decades of mutual restraint, Xu Xiaoji emerged!

According to what Xu Xiaoji had said before,

It had broken through two unknown spaces to reach the Sheng Shen Continent.

The first space was likely inside You Si Jian.

The second was Bai Ku.

And the city lord's mansion, which even Xu Xiaoji couldn't figure out why it went there,

Was probably because the stolen "Tian Shu Ji Pan" from the city lord's mansion, after years of contact with You Si Jian, had formed a subtle bond that subconsciously summoned Xu Xiaoji to save it.

"That should be it, assuming no other major factors..."

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his fist.

All of this aligned closely with his speculations.

So, he could be fairly confident that his mind was still sharp.

In short, he was smart!

Thus...

Xu Xiaoshou turned his attention back to the conflict outside.

By instinct, he just needed to wait.

Wait until You Si Jian couldn't escape the red-clad group's encirclement and needed help—then it would seek assistance on its own.

Maybe from that man beside Lan Xinzi, or perhaps Yu Zhiwen...

But with something like a second sword spirit—Xu Xiaoji—right here, did You Si Jian need to go through such detours for help?

Xu Xiaoshou smiled and relaxed his fist.

Everything was under control!

"Charge!"

"You Si Jian is mine! Get out of my way, all of you!"

"Move it!!!"

In the air, the eager crowd was still being outpaced by You Si Jian, but they started fighting among themselves prematurely.

And in Li Jian Grassland, the lurkers weren't just in one spot.

—Ambush on all sides!

When You Si Jian reached a certain area, the people hidden there could no longer resist the temptation and soared up.

In an instant, several figures dashed forward to seize the oncoming You Si Jian.

At that moment,

A shadowy figure materialized directly on You Si Jian's blade and grasped it with a palm.

"Smack!"

With a light sound, the black ferocious sword, hurtling at high speed as if piercing space itself, halted completely under that palm, frozen in place.

The air seemed to freeze for a second.

"Sorry, this sword is mine."

The man who appeared murmured.

His voice carried across half of Li Jian Grassland, reaching everyone's ears.

The holder of You Si Jian had appeared?

Xu Xiaoshou, hidden in the shadows, immediately extended his "perception."

The man was unfamiliar.

An utterly ordinary square face with nothing remarkable about it.

Yet, Xu Xiaoshou felt like he'd seen him before.

Not the face, but the aura!

"Ghost beast host!"

His pupils contracted suddenly.

He recalled seeing a few men with a special aura when the teleportation array in the Eight Palaces activated.

And earlier, he'd encountered one.

That one had been slain by Shou Ye, unquestionably a ghost beast host.

This person, with a similar aura, might have a new face, but as Shou Ye said...

The stench remains the same; no matter the face, the smell doesn't change.

In midair, the pursuing figures all halted.

In just a few breaths, cries of shock rang out.

"Wang Zuo?"

"Smuggler?"

From a distance, Xin Tiao landed beside Lan Ling and whispered in her ear.

"The first big fish has been caught."

Lan Ling chuckled lightly and leaped forward.

With a flick of her finger,

The shattered "Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array" suddenly glowed brightly.