Chapter 660: Got Played Badly

To be honest, Xu Xiaoshou had no intention of sleeping tonight.

These two black-clad intruders, even with their disguises and altered voices, gave him a rough idea of their origins.

There weren't many forces capable of casually dispatching two Wang Zuo experts.

During the day, the only ones that fit the criteria and had a major conflict with his group were the Jiang Shi.

Especially when he recalled Jiang Xian's "San Yan Tong Mu" and his junior sister's unusual behavior, it wasn't hard to piece things together.

These people were after the "Shen Mo Tong"!

In the darkness at the far end of the hall, he quietly escorted the curious Mu Zixi away, then Xu Xiaoshou settled back onto the dragon throne.

The Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram turned out to be surprisingly effective.

It was no wonder this Ling Array was used as the protective formation for the Pilgrimage Tower—it was incredibly powerful. Mere two Wang Zuo experts stood no chance.

He had only activated three layers, and the two were already half-crippled by the illusion.

Yes, the black-clad figure slumped on the ground was real, not an illusion.

From Xu Xiaoshou's perspective, this person was roughly on par with Elder Qiao, a great master of Ling Arrays.

Given enough time, they might have broken the array.

But their teammate was just too foolish!

Xu Xiaoshou had originally planned to focus all his attention on this Ling Array master to prevent an internal breakthrough.

Yet, this individual was too composed—after entering the array, they didn't move a single step and ignored everything around them.

With no other choice, Xu Xiaoshou shifted his focus to the lightning wielder.

Fortunately, this guy's mindset matched his straightforward lightning attribute perfectly.

With a simple trick, combining illusion and reality through the Greed God, he completely fooled them.

The moment the other lifted their foot, the Ling Array activated, teleporting them right in front of the black-clad Ling Array master.

The Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram was an eight-layer nested Ling Array.

Though separated by different double-layer formations, in reality, the two were now just a few fist-lengths apart.

The black-clad Ling Array master was indeed close to breaking through one layer, which could count as an eighth of success.

But the lightning expert's impulsive punch shattered all their unrealistic hopes.

It had to be said, with the help of the information panel and Xu Xiaoshou's masterful grasp of human nature, the lightning expert's every reaction was basically within his plan.

That punch was like Xu Xiaoshou's own command, a stroke of genius.

Dazzling and brilliant.

Yet also heartbreakingly poignant.

"It's time to end this..."

Xu Xiaoshou tapped his fingers on the golden dragon throne, leaning back against the ergonomically designed backrest he had requested, watching the still clueless lightning expert who hadn't moved a step.

With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the third layer's dilemma.

The Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram had eight layers of dilemmas, which could ultimately be cracked, but its ability to stall for time was immensely valuable.

Entrants had to break through each layer one by one.

And these eight layers weren't fixed; as the controller, Xu Xiaoshou could generate them with a mere thought.

The first layer was a desert.

The second was a primeval forest.

The third was this reimagined Tian Shang First Floor, hiding his own location.

Illusion and reality intertwined.

Illusion contained reality, and reality contained illusion.

If someone else were controlling the Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram, they probably wouldn't think to incorporate the Greed God element or create a scene identical to the ground floor of Tian Shang First Floor.

But Xu Xiaoshou's thinking was entirely different.

Strictly speaking, from the moment these two landed under the tree planted by Mu Zixi outside the building, they had already fallen into a trap set by Xu Xiaoshou that was even more terrifying than the Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram.

Escape?

What a nice dream!

As the array dissipated,

A series of soft, rapid taps echoed in the hall from the low wooden table.

Following that, all the extinguished candles from the entrance to the deepest part lit up one after another.

The light stopped at the base of the nine-step staircase and went no further.

Jiang Tai, standing in place, sensed something and looked up.

Even without using spiritual sense, by the dim candlelight, he could vaguely make out the golden, dragon-embossed high-backed throne at the top of the nine steps in the darkness.

"Thud!"

The ancient wooden bell hanging at the side entrance struck again.

The deep, soul-stirring toll suddenly invaded Jiang Tai's mind, making his heart clench and a chill run from his soles to his scalp.

This was uncanny!

Too uncanny.

In this rundown building, at the end of the darkness, there was such an out-of-place golden dragon throne.

And on the throne, a young man sat lazily, head tilted, chin resting, with a smile playing on his brows.

The scene was eerily strange.

Jiang Tai was certain this young man barely had the cultivation of a Zong Shi.

Yet, from his elevated position, with an air of casual confidence, an invisible pressure bore down, forcing this true Wang Zuo expert to feel a cold sweat all over, almost dropping to his knees in submission.

"Xu... Young Master?!"

Jiang Tai channeled his spiritual energy, forcibly shaking off that servile illusion from every pore, steadying his expression and holding his ground without moving.

"Young Master Xu entered the city today, and you recognize me, which means you had dealings during the day..."

Xu Xiaoshou tapped the dragon throne's armrest lightly, looking down at the black-clad figure below the nine steps, his lazy voice echoing through the hall, captivating and mesmerizing.

From the black-clad figure's reaction, he figured it out.

It turned out that to truly unleash the "Qi Tun Shan He" effect, he needed the right timing and environment.

Just like now.

With a slight mental trigger,

In a state of calm detachment, aided by the high ground, the dragon throne, the dark surroundings, and the lingering fear from the Ling Array...

All these factors combined, allowing Xu Xiaoshou to maximize the power of "Qi Tun Shan He."

The unlimited suppression that usually only activated in extreme anger,

Was now achieved with just a few words, exerting extreme pressure on a Wang Zuo.

Sensing this, Xu Xiaoshou's demeanor grew even more arrogant.

From his angle looking down, the black-clad figure's head was barely visible between their knees.

Tilting his head slightly and narrowing his eyes, Xu Xiaoshou could clearly see the other's legs frozen in place.

Vaguely, it seemed they were trembling.

A sudden glance from him made Jiang Tai's knees wobble slightly, his teeth chatter, as if submitting under the pressure just as Xu Xiaoshou thought.

Jiang Tai was deeply shocked.

What kind of ability was this?

Just a single gaze, and before the other even spoke, an endless momentum surged like relentless waves crashing ashore.

By now, sweat was beading on his back.

"He's just an innate cultivator!"

Jiang Tai roared inwardly, clueless about what was happening.

The only explanation was that he was still trapped in the Ling Array.

The other was still using the array's power to pressure him!

"I..."

"Shut up."

As Jiang Tai tried to speak, Xu Xiaoshou's low command, devoid of anger or surprise, instantly caught his words in his throat, unable to emerge.

"Thud."

The ancient wooden bell struck again.

Jiang Tai's mind wavered, his aura flaring up in response.

"Sizzle—"

Lightning burst from his fists, as if only that could provide some defense.

But his feet were glued to the ground, not daring to move an inch.

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised.

"Qi Tun Shan He" was truly powerful!

He never imagined that with just momentum and arrogant words,

Under the passive trait of unlimited potential, mere pressure alone could force this Wang Zuo-level black-clad figure to this extent.

An empty city ploy... perhaps?

"Don't speak unless I allow it."

A smile tugged at Xu Xiaoshou's lips as he said mysteriously, watching the information panel pop up with notifications from the pressure, continuing to bear down on the one below.

"In this situation, you're the fish on the chopping block, and I'm the knife. Answer what I ask, understand?"

Crackling thunder filled the air as Jiang Tai clenched his fists tightly.

He had no idea where this young man on the dragon throne got the nerve to talk to him like this.

But precisely because of this fear of the unknown, he still had a shred of reason, suppressing his urge to charge forward and staying put for now.

"Who sent you?" Xu Xiaoshou asked slowly, timing it perfectly with the bell's toll, speaking calmly.

"Thud."

The old bell rang, and Jiang Tai's heart contracted sharply. He gritted his teeth against the pressure but didn't speak.

"Not saying?"

Xu Xiaoshou said calmly: "Then I'll guess... Jiang Shi? Jiang Xian?"

Jiang Tai's pupils shrank, his eyes narrowing as he used the darkness to conceal his emotional fluctuations.

Yet...

"Shocked, passive points +1."

"Guessed correctly, passive points +1."

Just from the information panel, Xu Xiaoshou could perfectly read Jiang Tai's thoughts.

"How is that possible?"

"How does he know?"

How foolish...

Xu Xiaoshou found it amusing inwardly.

This person was completely locked in the array.

Even though his physical body had escaped, his spirit was still trapped.

Now that the Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram was undone, he still couldn't distinguish illusion from reality, lost in his own world and unable to extricate himself.

Was he truly that stupid, or was the Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram just that strong?

Or perhaps, the doubt Xu Xiaoshou left about reality and illusion was too overwhelming?

Tap, tap, tap...

The light sounds echoed in the hall as Xu Xiaoshou remained composed, fingers lightly drumming the dragon throne's armrest, smiling as he watched below.

Until the psychological pressure peaked, he spoke again.

"Why did Jiang Xian send you two here?"

Only then did Jiang Tai suddenly look up, responding belatedly to the earlier question.

"You guessed wrong; we're not from Jiang Shi..."

"Oh? Here for my servant girl? What did you see during the day?" Xu Xiaoshou interjected abruptly, cutting off the black-clad figure's words.

Jiang Tai finally snapped. His pupils contracted, and his heart was in turmoil.

This person...

Knew everything!

"Feared, passive points +1."

At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou fully understood.

These people were indeed after his junior sister, after the "Shen Mo Tong"!

He had only suspected it when he saw the "San Yan Tong Mu," thinking it was unrealistic.

But he never expected the Jiang Shi to be here for that very reason!

"Damn it."

A flash of sharpness in his eyes; being targeted by a semi-saint family was no small matter.

Xu Xiaoshou decided inwardly that the person before him was doomed.

No matter what they were plotting,

Since it involved his junior sister, these two weren't getting away tonight.

Even if digging out the secrets was tough, he'd squeeze them out!

"Don't panic."

Thoughts raced through his mind, but Xu Xiaoshou remained outwardly unfazed. He pointed toward the base of the stairs.

"Actually, right now, I just want to have a serious talk with you. The Ling Array is already dispelled; you can move freely."

As if I'd believe that... Jiang Tai roared inwardly but hadn't spoken when Xu Xiaoshou changed the subject sharply.

"Does Jiang Shi still have ties to the old Lei Family?"

The question came out of nowhere, stunning Jiang Tai.

The next second, as if he couldn't bear the pressure any longer, lightning surged wildly from his fists, and he slammed them into the space ahead.

Boom—

Waves rippled through the space, kicking up dust.

Jiang Tai was stunned.

This punch, even if it didn't shatter the Ling Array illusion,

A Wang Zuo's furious strike shouldn't just stir up dust like this.

How was that possible?

"See..." Xu Xiaoshou sighed inwardly at the sight.

The black-clad figure, who hadn't dared move at first, reacted so strongly to the mention of "Lei Family," revealing everything.

This guy didn't want to say more and was desperate to leave, afraid Xu Xiaoshou would uncover more.

In this case, no need to ask further.

The Lei Family...

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt irritated. He stood up abruptly and said to the one below:

"Earlier, you asked True Young Master what the point of stalling was?"

"Now you should understand. Under high pressure, you can't perfectly control your body's natural reactions."

"Even..."

Xu Xiaoshou paused, his gaze dropping as he said calmly: "You wouldn't even realize you've wet yourself."

Jiang Tai froze, quickly looking down.

But his crotch was completely dry; aside from the chill on his back, there was no wetness.

"Are you messing with me?" Jiang Tai raged.

"Only noticing now?"

Xu Xiaoshou scoffed: "You have to verify your own reactions before believing them. Aside from your superior combat skills, you really don't live up to my expectations for a Jiang Shi night raid."

He paused, then mocked further: "I bet even if I said your cultivation is almost gone, you wouldn't believe it!"

"Ha ha ha..."

Jiang Tai laughed, using it to mask his inner panic.

By now, he truly felt completely in the other's grasp and didn't dare wait any longer for Jiang Yu's fate.

He turned, spiritual energy surging, intent on tearing through space and fleeing into the spatial currents.

But as he pushed off and swung his hand,

Jiang Tai only managed a slight jump from the spot before crashing back down with a thud, eating dirt like a dog.

As for spatial rifts...

He hadn't even scratched the air!

His laughter cut off abruptly, the pain on his face and knees deeply stinging Jiang Tai.

He felt his whole body go weak, completely baffled.

Probing his spiritual energy, he was horrified to find that his Qi Sea had been sealed at some point, utterly still as if it weren't his own.

Stalling for time...

Jiang Tai recalled the earlier words, his pupils dilating as he suddenly realized.

In the darkness and under the pressure, he hadn't noticed the steady stream of gray mist seeping into him through every pore.

This was Xu Xiaoshou's trump card!

Even if the two had eventually broken the array,

The time it took would have been enough for the sealing energy to turn them into ordinary people.

But clearly, tonight's intruders were a huge disappointment.

They couldn't break the array and, right up to the moment of capture, hadn't fully grasped the situation.

"North Domain, Pu Luo Jiang Shi?"

Xu Xiaoshou sneered.

A semi-saint family...

Perhaps he had been intimidated by the name.

After using every trick, he realized that not every member of a semi-saint family was a semi-saint, full of cunning, or packed with astonishing trump cards.

A single sealing energy had handled everything.

"How useless..."

Xu Xiaoshou sighed.

He still had his final trump card unused! Who knew the intruders would be so underwhelming, ending it all so quickly?

"Dismiss court!"

With a flick of his sleeve, his disappointed voice lingered in the hall.

As Jiang Tai desperately tried to unseal himself, he heard a sudden "bang" overhead and looked up in alarm.

In the last second before darkness enveloped his vision, he seemed to see two massive, fist-wielding giants plummeting from the ceiling above.

"Damn..."