Chapter 587: Ah Jie, Receive the Sword

"Gratitude received, passive value, 1."

A Jie couldn't see his Mama, but he could feel her rescuing him.

At that moment, the Youming Longshou that had A Jie in its jaws was gradually losing control under the influence of the You Si Jian's demonization. With a few angry roars, it released its grip, freeing A Jie.

However, the black demonic energy had already transferred to A Jie's body when the two had been connected earlier.

"Harm!"

Xu Xiaoshou snapped awake at the sight of the demonic patterns coiling around A Jie, his fear surging before he could even process it.

"This is…"

A Jie seemed to absorb the demonic energy from the You Si Jian just as he had once absorbed the corrupted aura from the fallen statue fragments, drawing the ferocious power directly into his body.

"Swallowed it?"

Xu Xiaoshou was truly shocked. This appeared to be the first non-ancient sword cultivator who could handle the You Si Jian without being affected.

"Sizzle."

As if he had eaten his fill, A Jie's chest puffed out slightly. The next second, a earthy yellow aura surged from beneath his feet.

"Tai Xu Force?"

Shuo Shuren was startled on the spot, completely ignoring Wenming's presence for a moment. A Dao-cutting peak guardian who hadn't even passed the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation was one thing, but now this Tian Ji Puppet, which lacked even second-realm combat awareness, also had Tai Xu Force?

"Does that mean I, as a storyteller, don't deserve it?"

"Good!"

Xu Xiaoshou nearly jumped for joy at the sight of the earthy yellow aura. So that's how it is! A Jie's Tai Xu Force only emerges when he's full and energized, like milking a cow?

In that case, back at the city lord's mansion, he must have relied on continuously absorbing spiritual energy from following Xu Xiaoshou, plus the energy from his own outburst transforming into a raging giant, building it up until he could unleash the Tai Xu power.

"This makes it easy!"

Xu Xiaoshou felt a huge weight lift from his heart. Maintaining this Tai Xu Force would be straightforward now.

"Mama?"

In the void, A Jie sensed his vanished Mama calling him. He turned his head, and a black light shot toward him from nowhere.

"A Jie, catch the sword!"

Even though the voice from the vanished state shouldn't carry, A Jie instinctively raised his hand.

"Click."

The You Si Jian landed firmly in his grasp. With a sizzle, the ferocious demonic energy burst forth, but in the next second, it was completely absorbed into A Jie's body. The earthy yellow Tai Xu Force swirling at his feet grew and strengthened visibly.

"This…"

Shuo Shuren, not far away, froze in astonishment. A Tian Ji Puppet wielding the You Si Jian?

"Suspicion received, passive value, 1."

With the fierce sword in hand, A Jie felt a surge of endless power within him. He swung back instinctively.

"Boom!"

The space several li behind Shuo Shuren shattered instantly, followed by black aura seeping from the void along the path.

"This speed…"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. That single swing was so fast he couldn't even track the sword energy's path before it exploded miles away.

"Wait, no!"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized this space had been exiled by Shuo Shuren. That meant A Jie, under the You Si Jian's control, had power strong enough to break through this confinement?

"Great job!"

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but cheer inwardly. But the next second, his expression froze.

Shuo Shuren, who looked equally dazed, had his left shoulder burst open in a spray of blood, his entire arm breaking off and falling.

"Injured?"

Even Shuo Shuren himself wore an expression of disbelief as he slowly looked down. It was broken! Truly broken! A Jie's unsparing strike had severed Shuo Shuren's shoulder.

The folded space snapped back.

Last time, Shuo Shuren had dodged A Jie's attack with this technique, but not this time.

"Is it because of the Tai Xu Force?"

Sensing the faint earthy yellow aura at his severed shoulder, Shuo Shuren understood everything, his eyes darkening instantly.

Luo Leilei was behind, the sword energy barely missing her along its trajectory. Luckily, it had deviated slightly and moved too quickly for the demonic energy to linger, so she escaped unharmed.

But seeing Shuo Shuren's injury shook her to her core, perhaps even more than if she had nearly died herself.

"Senior Shuo Shuren, you're wounded?"

"Suspicion received, passive value, 1."

"Good… good!"

Shuo Shuren's previously somber gaze suddenly ignited with a fierce light after a few breaths. He murmured unconsciously, and when he looked at A Jie again, his eyes were filled with cold killing intent.

"Good for you, Tian Ji Puppet. You can wield the You Si Jian and have Tai Xu Force… What kind of breed are you? A new pet from Dao Qiong Cang?"

"And how did you end up in Wenming's hands?"

Glancing toward the empty void, Shuo Shuren seemed to be questioning Xu Xiaoshou.

By now, after absorbing the energy, A Jie had fully adapted to the feel of the You Si Jian. He flourished it a few times, handling it like an extension of his arm.

"Mama."

In a flash, he vanished and reappeared behind Shuo Shuren.

But this time, Shuo Shuren didn't dare take A Jie's attack head-on.

"Yin Yang Life and Death, seal!"

He flipped open the ancient book in his hand. As he uttered the words, the void before A Jie trembled, as if turning into a page of paper about to flutter away.

Yet right after,

"Boom!"

A swing of the You Si Jian shattered the ancient book's space. Crystalline fragments scattered as A Jie followed up with another strike, aiming straight for Shuo Shuren's position.

"Outrageous!"

Shuo Shuren didn't understand why his emotions were suddenly spiraling out of control. His words boomed like thunder.

The symbolic golden text from Yin Yang Life and Death emerged, repelling A Jie mid-air.

Wrapped in Tai Xu Force, A Jie wasn't flung far. He steadied himself with a shake and broke free from the heavenly dao power.

"Swoosh!"

Another black shadow streaked through the sky. Shuo Shuren rolled awkwardly on the ground, barely dodging the demonic sword energy by a hair's breadth.

"Boom."

More space exploded in the distance.

A Jie's eyes glowed red; he was reveling in the thrill of long-range combat.

"Swish swish swish…"

His arm blurred into shadows, unleashing countless black sword energies.

Even the onlookers, Xu Xiaoshou and Luo Leilei, felt a chill run down their spines. This was terrifying! The black demonic sword energy, enhanced by the throne's physical strength, Tai Xu Force, and incredible speed, was something even a single strike that no ordinary throne could withstand.

And now, there were countless of them!

"Boom boom boom boom…"

The surrounding spaces detonated like fireworks, the surging demonic energy turning the void into a pitch-black ink pool.

"Excellent strike!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't have time to check Shuo Shuren's injuries. He stepped out, crossing beyond the exiled space's boundaries.

The scene before him shifted.

A vast blackness… even the earth, rocks, and dust—everything proving the world's existence—was gone. Only darkness remained.

"What's going on?"

Xu Xiaoshou was bewildered. The area outside the red-skirted man's exiled space should have been Bai Ku, but now everything looked completely different.

He froze, the scene feeling eerily familiar.

The next second, it hit him.

"Ancient book space!"

This was an ancient book space that Shuo Shuren hadn't fully replicated yet! So once they left the exiled space, everything around them was pure darkness, like the chaos before creation, with no light or substance.

Checking his information panel confirmed it.

"Confinement received, passive value, 1."

They were imprisoned! But…

"When did this happen?"

Xu Xiaoshou panicked. He hadn't realized Shuo Shuren's abilities were this vast—he could trap them in his ancient book space without a trace. It was impossible to guard against!

A Jie, still firing You Si Jian's demonic sword energies, also sensed something was wrong. His target had vanished? The red-skirted human who'd been dodging frantically was suddenly gone? In the midst of battle, his opponent just disappeared?

"Mama?" A Jie looked around, confused.

"A Jie, don't act rashly, get closer to me!"

Xu Xiaoshou hurried over, sticking by A Jie's side. Separating now would be suicide.

But how to break this ancient book space?

"Suck…"

While he racked his brain, a strange sound came from beside him. Xu Xiaoshou turned to see A Jie sheathing the You Si Jian on his back, his other hand gathering the earthy yellow Tai Xu Force along with the demonic energy into his body, condensing it to the point of near transformation.

"Mama!"

He threw a punch.

"Rumble rumble—"

The void cracked like a spiderweb, shaking the entire world before it collapsed.

Xu Xiaoshou jumped in surprise. A Jie had realized they were confined and shattered the space with one punch?

Just one punch?!

His heart tightened, bracing for danger. As expected, world collapse meant facing space fragments and Shuo Shuren.

But the anticipated space fragments didn't appear. The space before them caved in, revealing a more complete Bai Ku world upon reformation.

Yet, it was still incomplete!

"Still inside the ancient book space?"

Xu Xiaoshou's mind raced. He glanced at his information panel.

"Confinement received, passive value, 1."

Indeed! Nested spaces! This red-skirted man was too formidable. In the heat of battle, he'd shifted them outside the battlefield entirely. If the enemy hadn't noticed, all their efforts would be wasted on empty air!

"This ability is disgusting. How can there be such a spiritual technique?"

Watching A Jie raise his fist again, Xu Xiaoshou grabbed his hand to stop him.

"It's useless."

"One layer means there could be two."

"Smash this space, and there's another one waiting."

"I don't know if Shuo Shuren's power has limits, but…"

Glancing at the faint demonic patterns on A Jie's body, Xu Xiaoshou knew the You Si Jian wasn't something anyone could master easily. Even if A Jie could absorb the demonic energy, there was a limit. Push it too far, and the situation could turn dire!

"Ding ling ding ling…"

As the compressed energy points in his hand leaked a bit of aura,

"Crack crack!"

The ground beneath Xu Xiaoshou froze instantly with frost, spreading to seal dozens of li in an instant.

As before, he located the space node… Xu Xiaoshou proceeded methodically.

From his previous experience of being trapped in the ancient book space, he'd broken out by sensing the Bai Ku world, using it as a furnace to burn everything away and return.

Similarly, now, no matter how many layers Shuo Shuren's spaces were nested, each one had a node leading to Bai Ku.

Find it, and A Jie's punch could resolve everything.

"I'm counting on you."

In his palm, the Three Days Frozen Tribulation power surged, following the heavenly dao rules to seek the familiar Bai Ku world. Meanwhile, another part of the Jin Zhao energy was being compressed, refined, and condensed repeatedly!

"Buzz!"

After some time, the ice elements in the world suddenly flowed into a certain node.

"That's it!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up, treating this space as the outer wall of a dan cauldron and reverse-refining it toward the Bai Ku world.

"A Jie!"

No need for the laborious Jin Zhao Condensing Pill Technique.

With a shout,

A Jie swung his fist, brimming with Tai Xu Force, as the final step in the condensation process, striking the space node.

"Boom!"

As the world collapsed, a black hole appeared, filled with space fragments. Xu Xiaoshou stomped his foot, transforming into a raging giant, grabbed A Jie, and charged into the node.

"Want to trap me, Xu Xiaoshou? Not a chance!"

Back in Bai Ku.

"Senior Shuo Shuren…"

Luo Leilei landed beside him, worried as she looked at the black and earthy yellow auras mingling at his severed arm.

"It's fine."

Shuo Shuren gritted his teeth in pain but was slowly erasing the Tai Xu Force and demonic sword intent from the wound using heavenly dao power.

Yes, what should have been an instant recovery was made complicated by these stubborn forces.

But…

"Got them in."

Shuo Shuren grinned, his eyes full of delight. That young Wenming was incredible! The Tian Ji Puppet he summoned, combined with the You Si Jian, was beyond anything he'd imagined. Being careless led to this outcome, but from the results, it was worth it.

"Tian Ji Puppet…"

Having dealt with the white-robed one before, Shuo Shuren knew how terrifying these were—nearly on par with Tai Xu entities.

"This one from young Wenming is a bit odd."

"But why does its initial combat ability feel… lacking?"

Shuo Shuren furrowed his brow in thought. Whether in size, power, or reaction speed, that adorable little boy seemed weaker than the uniform war machines he'd encountered before.

"A Tian Ji Puppet with only first-realm combat awareness? Is that even called a Tian Ji Puppet?"

He couldn't quite figure it out, but he didn't dwell on it. All of this would be clear once he showed it to his brother.

"Hmm, he can see it."

"But young Wenming is already taken."

Weighing the Yin Yang Life and Death in his hand, Shuo Shuren smirked with satisfaction.

"Hey!"

Just then, the surrounding space turned completely dark, like the primal chaos, with no light in sight. Soon after, a figure in red robes, carrying the only speck of white light in the darkness, approached.

"Tai Xu Force again?"

Shuo Shuren felt the incoming power, his smile freezing instantly.

"Injured?"

Shou Ye, in fresh red robes, saw the gash on Shuo Shuren's arm and couldn't help but curl his lips. At any other time, he wouldn't believe the mighty Saint Slave Shuo Shuren could be hurt like this, but thinking about it, he knew exactly who was responsible—that unfathomable young man.

"Where's Xu Xiaoshou?"

Shou Ye, radiating righteous energy, landed a few zhang away from Shuo Shuren and frowned. "Escaped?"