Chapter 582: Spread Wings, Wings of Freedom

“Drizzle, drizzle…”

Rain fell from the high skies, leaving the earth barren and desolate.

The shattered void and the sky, half-stained with darkness, echoed the bizarre and contradictory world of Bai Ku.

People could see no hope.

The world was devoid of any vitality.

“Am I dead?”

Xu Xiaoshou, transformed into a dark giant fueled by the relentless infusion of You Si Jian’s demonic energy, struggled to contain his emotions.

Even though he knew the kindest option for himself right now was to let go of the You Si Jian in his hand…

Could he do it?

From a bird’s-eye view, as the wind whispered by.

The dismembered and wretched red-robed Shou Ye vanished like a fleeting bubble.

Black spots scattered with the wind, landing on the pitted ground without stirring any echo.

Silence.

The world fell silent in an instant.

Aside from the rhythmic patter of rain in the distance, there was nothing else.

Shou Ye was gone.

It couldn’t have disintegrated so completely from just a slash of black sword intent; that would be impossible.

At the very least, the severed body should have remained, right?

That meant…

“Under observation, passive value, 1.”

Thump.

The moment his spiritual sense detected that information, Xu Xiaoshou’s heart pounded like a evening drum, and he vanished into nothingness in an instant.

“Xu Xiaoshou…”

“Good one, Xu Xiaoshou!”

The voice echoed from nowhere, surging from all directions and converging, reverberating with echoes.

Shou Ye’s form did not appear.

Yet, his emotions—filled with astonishment and shock—were vividly expressed through the scattered sounds.

“Where are you?”

Xu Xiaoshou panicked.

He didn’t believe a mere sword intent could let him leap across so many major realms to directly slay a Zhan Dao expert.

But now, hearing Shou Ye’s voice without seeing him…

The opponent might not even be lightly wounded.

That meant his all-out attack…

Was completely ineffective against him?

“Disappear, and stay disappeared!”

Maintaining the Disappear technique, Xu Xiaoshou moved and turned with extreme caution, fearing what a Zhan Dao-level powerhouse might do to break his awakening skill.

No response came.

Fortunately, Shou Ye seemed unaware of his presence.

But that “observation”…

Xu Xiaoshou was panicking, truly panicking.

Shou Ye didn’t show himself.

His own “Perception” seemed to have lost all function, unable to trace the source of the drifting voice.

“Under observation, passive value, 1.”

“Xu Xiaoshou, this old man is truly scared by you. I have to say, your growth, your strength, your spiritual skills…”

Shou Ye’s voice resurfaced.

“Each and every one is unprecedented in this old man’s life.”

“In you, this old man can even glimpse a trace of the Eighth Sword Immortal’s legendary demeanor from back in the day.”

“A mere Bai Ku, a mere Tian Sang County, can’t confine you.”

“Once you step out of this remote corner, the world will be astounded.”

“But!”

Shou Ye’s voice paused, the echoes lingering in the black void, then shifted sharply. “But why must you head in this direction?”

His voice was laced with frustration, as if disappointed in a promising student:

“This old man has told you more than once—those like you, so self-assured and exceptional, have already fallen decades… centuries, even millennia ago.”

“Your path has been trodden before!”

“And not just once!”

“Why won’t you wake up?”

Accompanying that deafening roar, the void in a certain part of the sky rippled, and Shou Ye’s figure emerged.

In his tattered red robes, against the half-inked sky.

He stared into the emptiness before him.

Behind him, not a hint of dawn could be seen.

“Xu Xiaoshou, oh Xu Xiaoshou…”

Shou Ye shook his head with a sigh and a laugh. “You’re just a Xian Tian cultivator. Do you really think the gap in realms can be bridged by brute force?”

“There!”

Xu Xiaoshou shot forward in a single step, swinging You Si Jian before Shou Ye could react.

Only when it neared his neck did Xu Xiaoshou drop the Disappear state.

Shou Ye’s pupils contracted sharply.

The next second.

Swoosh.

Blood sprayed everywhere as the sword decapitated him.

“Ha ha ha ha…”

But black spots fell once more.

From the sky above, wild laughter echoed again.

Shou Ye’s figure reappeared.

This time, on the other side.

Xu Xiaoshou turned with fury in his eyes, drawing You Si Jian lightly from its sheath.

Whoosh!

The void cracked instantly.

The terrifying speed of the sword draw ripped through space, splitting the distant Shou Ye in two.

“Ha ha ha ha…”

Like a nightmare, the mocking laughter spread amid the splattering black spots.

Xu Xiaoshou’s mind was growing fuzzy.

He felt like he was trapped in an illusion.

But “Perception” could pierce illusions.

Each strike confirmed he was hitting a real body, the true form.

Shou Ye was dead!

Yet, he was still alive!

“What on earth is going on?”

Without daring to think further, as another Shou Ye appeared, Xu Xiaoshou chose to disappear again.

He was afraid.

If this old man couldn’t be killed, what was the point of all this futile effort?

“Xu Xiaoshou, oh Xu Xiaoshou…”

“This old man will let you kill me, let you try, but even with all your tricks, it’s all for nothing in the end.”

“Disappear?”

Shou Ye lowered his head with a sigh and a chuckle. “How long can your Disappear technique last?”

“This kind of technique that defies the heavens shouldn’t even exist for a mere Xian Tian cultivator. How long can you hold out?”

“Once your spiritual energy is depleted, what will you use to withstand even a single finger from this old man?”

“Rely on your silver tongue, or your so-called will?”

Xu Xiaoshou’s body stiffened.

He looked inward at his qi sea—it was nearly dry.

The Disappear technique consumed too much spiritual energy.

That’s why he always released it immediately after use.

But now…

If he didn’t use it, Xu Xiaoshou would die for sure!

If he did, even with his “abundant energy,” once the spiritual energy ran out completely…

Xu Xiaoshou recalled the first time he tested “One Step to Heaven.”

Back then, when his spiritual energy was exhausted, he plummeted from the void.

Imagine: the stance of the raging giant dissolved, his spiritual platform unguarded.

He wouldn’t even need to fall.

He wouldn’t need Shou Ye to act.

You Si Jian alone could end him!

“Xu Xiaoshou!”

Shou Ye’s sudden outburst interrupted Xu Xiaoshou’s thoughts.

He angrily raised his hands and smashed them into the void.

“This old man spares you because I see potential in you. I admire you, giving you chance after chance.”

“But why do you keep disappointing me?”

“You could catch me off guard and slay this old man.”

“But…”

Shou Ye flung his arms in rage, his torn robes fluttering wildly.

“But if one of me dies, thousands more will rise.”

“This old man can give you chances, but they won’t. Do you understand?”

In the boundless darkness, countless red lights suddenly illuminated the space.

Upon closer inspection, they were innumerable Shou Ye figures, an endless sea of red-robed forms.

“Xian Tian?”

“Zhan Dao?”

Countless red-robed Shou Ye spoke in unison, their expressions mocking, their tones derisive:

“This old man achieved Zhan Dao on the Sheng Shen Continent, and even the Dao couldn’t trap me. What chance does a mere Xian Tian have to kill me?”

“And you?”

The multitude of red robes threw back their heads in laughter, finally saying, “You can’t even break free from the world of Bai Ku. You have to disguise your pursuit of freedom. You haven’t even transcended the heavenly cage…”

“How do you plan to kill me?”

Shou Ye suppressed his laughter, his face turning solemn. “Without breaking the Dao, you’re just a caged bird; without establishing sainthood, you’re a fool in a dream… What can you, Xu Xiaoshou, a mere Xian Tian, accomplish?”

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath and abruptly dropped the Disappear state.

In an instant, the dark giant radiating thick demonic energy reappeared in the void.

Facing Shou Ye once more, Xu Xiaoshou felt completely at ease.

“Where the heart leads, charge forward without hesitation.”

His deep, hoarse voice rumbled through the void, lingering endlessly.

“Ha ha ha!”

“Good!”

“What a ‘where the heart leads, charge forward without hesitation’!”

Shou Ye burst into laughter and slowly extended a finger.

The space trembled instantly, and the heavens cracked.

Just as he had said earlier.

With just one finger, and a wisp of white mist coiling around it.

An aura of utter destruction and invincibility spread out, casting a heavy shadow over the dark giant’s heart.

“Fine words,” Shou Ye said softly, “but how will you withstand even a single finger from this old man?”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Xu Xiaoshou declared firmly. “You wouldn’t dare kill me. You wouldn’t dare disturb this world.”

“In Bai Ku’s precarious state, you don’t even dare use a trace of Zhan Dao power.”

“Because you’re afraid!”

Shou Ye’s face twitched at the words.

“Under intense gaze, passive value, 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou continued, “A Wang Zuo-level battle could influence or even cause the original Bai Ku world to collapse.”

“And in Bai Ku’s current condition, not even a Wang Zuo battle is needed—just a sliver of power beyond Wang Zuo could be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

“You, Shou Ye, might escape if Bai Ku explodes.”

“But what about your companions?”

Shou Ye’s eyes narrowed, murder intent flaring.

“Under angry gaze, passive value, 1.”

“In the end, you can’t let go.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s voice softened. “You’re like me—you have attachments, just on different sides, with different choices.”

“If Bai Ku explodes, the Storyteller won’t let the red robes off easy.”

“He could strike from the shadows, subtly guiding things to wipe out the red robes near the great array without a trace.”

“So, you wouldn’t dare!”

Xu Xiaoshou raised his sword horizontally, his gaze sweeping out, the sword intent and momentum pushing back Shou Ye’s killing intent.

“If you, Shou Ye, use Zhan Dao-level power to kill me, your companions will die.”

“But if you use Wang Zuo-level power to kill me, I, Xu Xiaoshou, won’t die.”

“The reason you’ve talked so much is that you’re powerless beyond words!”

“Ha ha ha…”

Xu Xiaoshou mimicked Shou Ye, throwing his head back in laughter. He dispelled the raging giant’s stance, gripped You Si Jian with a layer of spiritual energy, and said:

“Though you’ve achieved Zhan Dao, this mere Bai Ku still imprisons you.”

“I may be only Xian Tian, but standing here, I can face death without defeat!”

“You and I…”

Xu Xiaoshou gestured between them, “In this tiny Bai Ku, we’re no different—beasts in a trap, clowns performing, nothing more.”

Silence fell over the scene.

“Under angry gaze, passive value, 1.”

“Under admiration, passive value, 1.”

“Under respect, passive value, 1.”

Shou Ye smiled.

A silent smile.

What he admired most about Xu Xiaoshou wasn’t the young man’s dazzling spiritual skills.

It was his eloquence, his thinking, and his ability to stay clear-headed and rational in chaos.

He was right!

Bai Ku was on the brink and couldn’t withstand even a hint of harm from Zhan Dao or Wang Zuo levels.

If the battle here escalated and caused Bai Ku to collapse…

The feedback would reach Li Jian Grassland, and the Storyteller would know everything.

After all, he had pursued the so-called “Sacred Slave No. 2.”

And the Storyteller’s memory of Xu Xiaoshou still pegged him as “Sacred Slave No. 2.”

The feedback from this fight would mean Shou Ye had caught him, and the Sacred Slave had acted.

But Shou Ye couldn’t beat Sacred Slave No. 2.

That would mean the Sacred Slaves had struck down a red robe.

They’d attacked a Zhan Dao expert of the Sheng Shen Hall!

That would start a feud.

Lan Ling and the others would know.

Then, they’d have to be silenced!

The Storyteller wouldn’t let the red robes carry such information back to the Sheng Shen Continent.

Even in another scenario…

If Shou Ye defeated Sacred Slave No. 2—assuming that was possible—the consequences of the battle would still draw the Storyteller’s support.

If the red robes and Sacred Slaves truly clashed, would the Storyteller let the red robes on Li Jian Grassland scheme in the background before he arrived?

“You’re too clever.”

Shou Ye smiled and lowered his finger. “This old man sometimes wonders if you, Xu Xiaoshou, have been possessed by some ancient monster.”

“You flatter me.”

Xu Xiaoshou flipped his hand to stow the famous sword, and with a clench of his fingers, five fire seeds leaped to life on his fingertips.

He continued, “You, Shou Ye, have your concerns, but I, Xu Xiaoshou, have none.”

“You have your convictions; I have mine.”

“And mine is simply not to go with you, simply to… survive.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s gaze skipped over Shou Ye, taking in this dark, ravaged, lifeless world.

He flipped his left hand, stowing You Si Jian.

Casually, he extended his fist.

In his palm bloomed a brilliant ice lotus.

Left hand ice, right hand fire.

At that moment, even Shou Ye was stunned again.

“Yet another pair of abilities…”

“Jin Zhao Origin Seed, Three Days Frozen Calamity?”

“Are they all in his hands?” Shou Ye was baffled.

The destructive aura from the ice and fire clashed and repelled each other, yet under Xu Xiaoshou’s control, they subtly formed a Taiji-like fusion.

Where ice and fire met, gray energy merged, forming a misty haze.

Shou Ye’s mind flashed to the devastated scene of Ling Rong Marsh.

Weren’t these the two forces creating the ice-fire dichotomy there?

“So that’s it, so that’s it…”

Shou Ye suddenly realized, a hint of panic finally appearing in his eyes. “Xu Xiaoshou, what are you trying to do?!”

“What am I trying to do…”

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled mockingly, then raised his head with madness in his eyes.

“I can’t kill you, Shou Ye, but by blowing up this Bai Ku, I can still escape!”

He abruptly clasped his hands together.

The Jin Zhao Origin Seed and Three Days Frozen Calamity forces were forcibly merged.

The technique he had only half-tested in his Yuan Mansion—abandoned because the space couldn’t handle even a fragment of its explosive power—was now unleashed without reservation by Xu Xiaoshou.

Ice and fire fused, lamenting across the land.

The moment the two opposing forces touched, Bai Ku’s worldly rules lit up like spiritual array patterns, rapidly spreading in all directions.

Like wings of freedom, with Xu Xiaoshou at the center.

One blue, one white, across the heavens…

They unfurled!