Chapter 604: The Curtain Falls

"Damn!"

The crowd in white robes was nearly stupefied by this wave of self-introduction.

Listening to that tongue-twisting speech, they took a long moment to realize what "Qiao Qianzhi" was actually referring to, and suddenly their mouths twitched, each one feeling uncomfortable all over.

The scene had reached such a heated peak—it should have been time to draw swords and face off.

But hearing that infectious "hee-haw hee-haw" laughter...

At first, it hadn't seemed so grating.

But now, they were full of the urge to complain.

"What's with the ling zhen?"

"Did he do it?"

"Is this guy a ling zhen grandmaster?"

"But that can't be right! How could our team of ling zhen masters have their weak point exposed so quickly? Is he more than just a ling zhen grandmaster?"

"No, it's mainly his laughter..."

"Holy shit, stop! I can't take it, you guys hold on while I go to the back and laugh it out."

"Look, quick, look—Gou Wuyue seems like he can't hold it in either, see his mouth..."

"Holy shit! Gou Wuyue is looking over here!"

"Scatter! Scatter!"

The onlookers in white robes were like a bunch of spectators enjoying the show.

As soon as they saw Gou Wuyue's cold glance sweep over, they were immediately scared into silence.

But their momentum was rising with all the discussion and complaints.

Although Qiao Qianzhi kept saying "it's not about coming to fight," that mocking laughter made everyone want to throw down.

"Calm down, calm down." Qiao Qianzhi hunched over, putting on a very humble front.

Others might not be able to swallow their pride, but as the great elder of Ling Shi Ge, he was a pro at this.

"Gou Wuyue..."

"Ye Xiaotian!"

But Gou Wuyue had no intention of letting it go easily. He just glanced at Qiao Qianzhi before interrupting and speaking again, his gaze fixed on the white-haired boy.

"Be softer."

Qiao Qianzhi was helpless, clearly unable to get a word in.

He flicked his finger, trying to pull Ye Xiaotian's hand, but it passed right through.

"If you want to kill me, you can try."

Ye Xiaotian showed no fear at all, and hearing this made Zhao Xidong feel a chill run down his spine.

This...

This wasn't what they agreed on!

Weren't they just coming to get someone, without starting a fight?

And all those excuses, telling me to ignore the intel and jump to conclusions...

He'd jumped in way too deep!

They were about to clash!

Zhao Xidong shuddered and was about to say something.

Xiao Qixiu shifted his foot, stepping in front of him without a word.

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Xidong glared straight at him.

This wasn't the time to be polite with Xiao Qixiu.

One wrong move, and his wife might end up a widow!

"Watch and learn. If the sky falls, someone will hold it up."

Xiao Qixiu transmitted his voice calmly.

Zhao Xidong fell silent at once.

He glanced at the dean's height...

Rely on him to hold it up?

Are you serious?

The scene was tense, with both sides at a standoff.

Yet even if Gou Wuyue drew his sword, Ye Xiaotian showed no sign of fear.

And although Ye Xiaotian was spouting bold words that even the white-robed crowd found intolerable, Gou Wuyue still just held his sword.

He didn't even seem to intend to strike.

"Good!"

After a full dozen breaths of silence, while everyone was sweating profusely, Gou Wuyue shouted and sheathed his sword.

"Just that?"

Ye Xiaotian raised his right eyebrow, his provocative words almost making Zhao Xidong drop dead on the spot.

"Ye Xiaotian, I didn't expect that after all this time, you're still the same. I get your point now." Gou Wuyue's face regained its smile. "Perhaps it's because our paths differ, that's the reason."

"It's not about that."

Ye Xiaotian floated backward, glanced at the anxious onlookers outside, and then eyed the person in front of him sideways:

"I want to sever the dao on my own, not rely on external forces."

"As for you, Gou Wuyue, you just ended up choosing submission in the end."

"Our paths differ, not because of temperament, but because of the scale of our ambitions."

"My heart looks toward the vast sea, even if I'm in a remote corner, I can still see the whole continent."

"You dominate the white robes, high above the clouds, but now you don't even dare to draw your sword."

"Why?"

Gou Wuyue's mouth twitched, almost unable to force a smile.

Everyone outside was stunned by what they heard.

They had no idea how this white-haired boy had become the dean of Tian Sang Ling Gong.

The other side had given him an out—didn't he know to take it?

"You're not here just to mock me, are you?" Gou Wuyue's face turned expressionless.

He had no intention of explaining.

There were too many things in the world, and outsiders always had their own views.

If everyone expected him to meet their ideals, wouldn't he have to waste endless effort arguing and clarifying?

Things depend on actions, not public opinion.

Gou Wuyue knew Ye Xiaotian must have misunderstood him, but he didn't plan to say anything.

No other reason—he didn't have the energy.

Let time judge it all.

After a pause in the scene, Ye Xiaotian slowly shook his head.

"Of course not."

"But since I'm here, I just wanted to say a bit more."

"It's probably not just about saying a little more, right?" Gou Wuyue let out a cold laugh.

"Naturally."

Ye Xiaotian didn't continue, instead glancing at a Jian Nu Lan Zhi Sheng before landing on his feet and tilting his head back.

"I'm here only to take someone."

His tone was very amiable.

In fact, on this white-haired boy's face, a genuinely warm smile appeared for the first time.

But that smile, which felt like a spring breeze, almost made the onlookers' eyes pop out.

"What's going on?"

That guy who was so aggressive just a moment ago... his face changed faster than flipping a book!

Zhao Xidong was also completely baffled by what he saw.

He uncertainly turned his head to glance at Xiao Qixiu and pointed: "Learn... learn this?"

Smack!

Xiao Qixiu gave him a solid knock on the back of the head, making him wince and nearly crouch down.

Damn it, learn what? The dean's landing? I'd have to be as short as him to pull that off!

Zhao Xidong cursed inwardly.

But some things were impossible to say out loud.

He turned his attention back to the scene.

The atmosphere seemed to ease as both big shots relaxed, no longer as delicate as before.

Though it was still delicate, it was a different kind of delicate now.

Like...

"Building up then tearing down?"

"Or tearing down then building up?"

Zhao Xidong shook the nonsense out of his head. He realized his knowledge wasn't enough to make a precise judgment.

He could only feel... a feeling, that indescribable feeling!

"Got it?" Xiao Qixiu transmitted.

Zhao Xidong nodded, then shook his head.

"Clueless!" Xiao Qixiu muttered lowly, saying no more.

This group of old folks, playing their silent games... Zhao Xidong grumbled to himself and focused back on the scene.

Once Ye Xiaotian finished speaking, Gou Wuyue clearly understood something. He showed a slightly enlightened expression that he tried to suppress but couldn't hide, mixed with a hint of helplessness now exposed.

"Take someone?" His tone was a bit mocking.

Ye Xiaotian suddenly seemed to burn with anger. "Yes, take someone!"

"Take who?" Gou Wuyue asked.

"Don't you know who?"

"If you don't say, how would I know?"

"You know, so why should I say?"

"I don't know."

Ye Xiaotian was so annoyed that his white hair started to float. He raged, "Tian Sang Ling Gong!"

"What's up?"

"The people of Tian Sang Ling Gong!"

"What's wrong with them?"

The scene fell dead silent.

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat again, and the cold sweat that had just dried started to bead up.

So, they were going to flip it around again?

Why weren't these people acting like this in the past?

Today, they all seemed like children!

Ye Xiaotian reined in his anger and calmed his tone: "Gou Wuyue, I know you and I don't get along, but I'm not here today just for old grudges—it's for the new ones."

"Oh." Gou Wuyue's face showed no ripple.

Ye Xiaotian gritted his teeth, then let it go: "If they've already come out of Bai Ku, why are you still holding them instead of releasing them?"

The white-robed crowd perked up at this, sitting up straighter.

"Come out?"

Gou Wuyue smiled: "When have you ever seen them come out?"

"Right now! This very moment!"

Ye Xiaotian pointed at the white-robed crowd outside. "Isn't their reaction obvious enough?"

"Heh."

Gou Wuyue chuckled lightly: "Since when can 'reactions' count as evidence? I don't like talking without proof, and I don't like hearing it either."

"Is this a 'hall'?"

Ye Xiaotian pointed at the ground, then glanced sideways at the tents split by sword intent: "You've already chopped down the roof—if there was a plaque, it would be gone too. And you're telling me this is a 'hall'?"

"Hmm, you're right. A hall has rules, and if it's not a hall, then there are no rules."

Gou Wuyue spread his hands: "But now that there are no rules, are you going to talk to me about reactions?"

Ye Xiaotian's forehead vein throbbed. He took a sharp breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Gou Wuyue, let's speak plainly. Did you take the people out?"

"No."

"Good, and if there are?"

"You can take them."

"Alright, you said it!"

Ye Xiaotian shot up into the air, his eyes glancing toward a spot: "In this whole space, there's only one place I can't sense. Do you dare take me to see it?"

Gou Wuyue zipped up into the air as well.

"It's not that I don't dare, it's that I can't."

"You know, the white robes have their own rules. Your uninvited arrival has already broken them."

Ye Xiaotian burst out laughing: "Old... Gou Wuyue! You yourself said there are no rules!"

Below, some people sensed the situation was escalating.

That "old what" was just short of tearing faces completely!

Gou Wuyue was also angered by that "old what," but as someone of his age, he stayed steady. "There may be no rules in a hall without rules, but that doesn't mean the white robes here have no rules!"

"Is that your idea of rules?!"

Ye Xiaotian roared, his figure vanishing in an instant.

Gou Wuyue was startled, not expecting Ye Xiaotian to be so bold, and immediately chased after him.

But spatial teleportation was far beyond ordinary speed.

Gou Wuyue had barely moved when he felt the space around him completely repelling him.

His form hesitated for a split second.

By then, Ye Xiaotian had already reached above that space, thrusting one hand into the sky and ripping down a whole chunk, smashing it downward viciously.

Boom—

Everyone's hearts contracted sharply.

That move of tearing the sky apart with bare hands, "Bending Heaven Hand," was utterly shocking.

The sky cracked open, the black hole shattered.

The inside of that unknown space seemed about to be revealed.

"You see this for yourself—what is it?!" Ye Xiaotian didn't even turn back, pointing behind him angrily at Gou Wuyue.

But suddenly, a blinding light burst forth, nearly blinding everyone.

Under this light's barrier, nothing inside could be seen at all.

"Good one!"

Ye Xiaotian was furious but laughed it off, glancing at the person next to Zhao Xidong and shaking his head: "When did the white robes' methods become so dirty? Is this the team you're leading, Gou Wuyue?"

The white-robed people on the side were instantly provoked.

"How dare you!"

"Shut your mouth, you little runt!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? You broke the rules first and now you're criticizing others?"

The scene grew chaotic for a moment.

Gou Wuyue narrowed his eyes and swept a glance, and everyone quieted down.

"Damn, taking sides with outsiders!" Someone dared to mutter.

"Shut up, are you asking for death? This short guy clearly has a big connection with Gou Wuyue—maybe that kind of connection. Aren't you complaining in your head?"

"I'm transmitting it!"

"Damn, why transmit it to me?!"

Gou Wuyue turned back, smiling faintly: "Ye Xiaotian, what exactly did you want to show me?"

"Heh!"

"You really think a light attribute can cover up all the truth?"

Ye Xiaotian snorted, sliding his hands through the void, making the space suddenly crystal clear.

Then, in the void, a group appeared—people huddled together in the darkness, two or three at a time.

Anyone could tell at a glance that this was the scene just replaced by the light.

Now, it had been captured through spatial regression.

The white-robed people below shrank their heads sheepishly, not daring to speak more.

But Gou Wuyue didn't care at all.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?"

"The scene in that space?"

"Sorry..."

He shrugged: "With your weird space attribute, I can't agree with these subjective presentations."

Ye Xiaotian was clearly truly angry now.

After taking a heavy breath and inhaling sharply, he glared with wide eyes, ready to roar.

At this critical moment, Qiao Qianzhi suddenly darted in front of him.

"Shut up!"

He knocked a knuckle straight onto Ye Xiaotian's head. The latter was too furious to react in time and got knocked so hard his head bobbed down three times, deflating his anger.

Ye Xiaotian whipped around, glaring furiously.

"Hee-haw hee-haw hee-haw..."

Qiao Qianzhi pressed down on his head and apologized to Gou Wuyue: "Gou Wuyue, since it's a misunderstanding, we'll take our leave and not disturb you further. Farewell."

"What the hell are you... Mmph."

Qiao Qianzhi directly covered Ye Xiaotian's mouth and dragged him down to the ground.