Chapter 682: Seizing the Bamboo Shoot King

Luo Yin's expression suddenly changed.

That tone...

His face turned slightly unpleasant, and he shifted his gaze to Mu Zixi, narrowing his eyes as he asked, "You actually know him?"

"Mmmph! Mmmph!"

All he got in return were a few muffled sounds from the still restrained Mu Zixi.

At this, Luo Yin could no longer suppress the nameless anger in his heart. He took a step forward, about to say something.

But at that very moment, Xu Xiaoshou released his hand from covering his junior sister's mouth.

"What's it to you?!"

The young girl, now free, blurted out words that stunned everyone present.

The audience erupted in an uproar, everyone shocked as they stared at the impudent girl on the stage.

It was clear to all that Luo Yin was trying to stand up for her...

But she seemed completely ungrateful?

The competitors on the field instinctively backed away, clearing out the central arena.

It was a subtle, tense atmosphere, like a storm brewing.

—An instinctive premonition that couldn't be ignored.

As for Luo Yin himself,

He froze mid-step, staring at the rude yet adorable little loli as if he had heard something unbelievable, almost doubting his own ears.

Clearly...

She was the one who had been captured!

So why did she look like she was enjoying it?

"Didn't you hear me?"

Even in her impulsiveness, Mu Zixi still held to the principle of not revealing her relationship with Xu Xiaoshou.

Besides, the guy opposite her looked just as obnoxious as Zhang Xin Xiong, so she felt no goodwill toward him. She repeated it word by word: "I said... it's none... of... your... business!"

Bang!

The floor under Luo Yin's feet exploded instantly—it was the raw physical force leaking from his uncontrollable anger.

The onlookers trembled in fear.

Though everyone had seen Luo Yin in action during the previous match,

That final showdown had only involved three people, and he had targeted Mu Zixi specifically without much direct offense.

More than anything, he had maintained a calm, effortless demeanor amid her explosions, indirectly showcasing his strength.

But now, it was different.

Everyone could clearly sense that the man before them was on the verge of unleashing his primal power.

"Good one."

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at his junior sister in surprise, impressed by her natural talent for provoking enemies.

But from the moment he laid eyes on Luo Yin, he had no intention of letting him off easy.

First, once they were in the arena, everyone except his own people was an enemy.

Second, Luo Yin had acted all too familiar, jumping in to protect his junior sister the moment he entered the central area.

If someone blind to the situation saw that, they might even mistake who Mu Zixi's real senior brother was.

And most importantly...

Luo Yin's overly intimate tone had grated on Xu Xiaoshou's nerves.

That alone was reason enough.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have had Xiao Wanfeng speak first, starting with a friendly greeting: "Who are you?"

"Step back."

Xu Xiaoshou tossed his junior sister aside and strode forward, directly confronting Luo Yin.

He glanced down at the cracks in the stone slabs under Luo Yin's feet, pondered for a moment, then—

Boom!

Without any visible movement, the ground beneath Xu Xiaoshou suddenly erupted in a cloud of dust. When the haze cleared slightly, a massive crater had formed in the arena.

"Whoa!"

The audience was on the edge of their seats, nearly jumping up.

The arena in Tianluo Field was built from high-quality crystal stones and protected by a grandmaster-level spirit array.

Normally, even innate-level competitors couldn't break it.

Luo Yin was one thing—they could all see his exceptional physical prowess.

Even though he was still at the innate realm, his destructive power rivaled that of a grandmaster, which was obvious.

But as for that Xu fellow...

"Turns out Xu's explosive attributes earlier weren't even his trump card?"

"Is he also a spirit body? One that enhances the physical form?"

"Or a special spirit body? Nah, I think not—he's from a semi-saint family, so he must at least have a Shengti body."

"Yeah, exactly. Standing on that stage right now are probably two Shengti bodies!"

"This is going to be a show."

The audience couldn't wait to see a clash of this magnitude.

Because even in Tianluo Field, contestants who could fight above their level were rare.

It wasn't that the competitors in Tianluo Field lacked skill or that there weren't people at that level.

But when such fighters appeared, others at the same level usually followed an unspoken rule and waited for the next match.

After all, there was only one champion spot per event, and ten qualifying slots for the Wangcheng Trial in a day.

For ordinary people, those slots were precious.

But for those who could fight above their level, they were easy pickings, so there was no need to risk too much for them.

So, typically, after a full day of fights, seeing even one innate-level fighter go all out against a grandmaster was already a treat.

But now, with the way things looked on the field, it was clear the two were about to clash head-on.

"Dear grandma..."

On the field, Xiao Wanfeng huddled behind Mu Zixi, eyeing the surrounding competitors who lingered nearby with greedy eyes.

He was still carrying that bounty on his head, making him a prime target.

"Don't be afraid."

Mu Zixi's eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the two men ahead as she reassured him: "Xu's just about to fight. No big deal."

"That's not what I mean..." Xiao Wanfeng wasn't even thinking about Xu anymore—he had his own problems.

Mu Zixi paused, noticing the people around them, and wrinkled her delicate nose in disdain: "Those guys are nothing to fear. I could take them out without Xu lifting a finger. Just sit back and enjoy the show!"

She patted her hands lightly.

With a rumbling sound, several ancient trees burst from the ground, creating a safe haven for Xiao Wanfeng.

Then, thinking it over, she felt this posture wasn't quite satisfying.

A fleeting image crossed her mind—of Xu Xiaoshou lounging and sipping tea earlier...

Though she hated to admit it, her senior brother's carefree and unrestrained vibe in such a dangerous situation was truly impressive.

"Tea."

Mu Zixi tilted her head, grabbed Xiao Wanfeng, and hopped up to the treetop several yards high, extending her hand toward the back.

"I... uh..."

Xiao Wanfeng looked down at the height and went weak in the knees, completely tongue-tied.

He was afraid of heights, and feeling the slender branch sway under their weight made it even worse.

Forget pouring tea—his hands were shaking too much to even pull out a teacup or kettle.

"Tsk tsk..."

The young girl lost her patience with Xiao Wanfeng, snatched the teacup herself, and poured while shaking her head.

"I mean, you're just hopeless. Xu might not be great, but if you're following him, couldn't you pick up a thing or two?"

"At least act a bit carefree!"

"Panicking like this—do you even look like a man?"

Xiao Wanfeng wore a bitter expression: "How is that carefree? I'm just a regular guy, you know..."

"It's starting!"

Mu Zixi had no interest in the boy anymore, her eyes glued to Xu Xiaoshou as she muttered absentmindedly.

"Take notes, huh? I picked it up secretly myself."

"Mainly because that guy's so awful—you have to be even worse to handle him. As he puts it, something about 'senior aunt'... wait, what was it?"

On the other side,

Since Xu Xiaoshou had chosen to step up, he wasn't going to hold back.

He wasn't one for rules anyway, so he skipped any formal pleasantries.

With one stomp, he created a crater dozens of times larger than the one Luo Yin had cracked in anger, asserting dominance right off the bat.

Then, with a smirk, he taunted, "You want to fight me?"

That arrogant demeanor made even Luo Yin, with his good self-control, bristle. But he was also startled by Xu Xiaoshou's physical strength, so he asked, "Xu is also..."

"Hey, things are like this now—what's with calling me 'Xu'?"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't even let him finish, cutting in: "Since you're already at your limit, and I can't stand you, let's just fight!"

"We're about to throw down, so drop the 'Xu' crap."

"Being all polite just makes you sound like a wimp!"

Xu Xiaoshou paused, then said firmly, "How about this—skip the surnames. I'll call you 'Yin', and you call me 'De Ye'. If you get too angry to hold back, I, the young master, allow you to use my full name—Xu De Ye!"

"Xu..."

Luo Yin nearly choked on his anger, about to spit out the full name.

But he suddenly realized that even in rage, using that name would let this guy trample him even more.

"Dammit!"

Luo Yin never swore—he was a man of status and composure.

But this time, he couldn't help cursing inwardly. The guy opposite was infuriatingly flawless!

He decided to drop the topic, glancing down at the crater under Xu Xiaoshou's feet. "Is Xu also a Shengti?"

"Ha ha ha!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the audience exploded with excitement, some even shouting wildly.

"Also..."

Everyone picked up on that key word "also."

Clearly, Luo Yin was applying pressure.

Whether Xu was a Shengti or not, no one knew.

But with that statement, Luo Yin had positioned himself on a pedestal.

A Shengti was rare even in Dongtian Wangcheng, let alone across the continent.

Yet Xu Xiaoshou scoffed.

"Shengti?"

"What's a Shengti?"

"Is it something like you—getting angry but only managing to crack this measly fifth-grade Wuyan Qinggang Stone a little, without even touching the grandmaster-level spirit array guarding the arena, the Da Jin'gang Zhen? Just garbage?"

The audience's blood was pumping.

"Roar! Roar!"

"Garbage! Garbage!"

They loved this kind of trash talk, howling like a pack of excited monkeys.

"But hey, garbage or not... he's still impressive. Xu's also a spirit array master?"

"How does he know about that array? And the arena's made of Wuyan Qinggang Stone? I had no idea!"

"Heh, who are you? And who is my Xu dude? Don't even think about comparing yourself to him!"

"What's that supposed to mean? I..."

"Fine, fine, you're worthy, you're so worthy you could be a key. How many keys are you worth? What? You're not? You can't even be a key... Damn, don't hit me! How are you a grandmaster?"

"Heh."

The audience below was as chaotic as ever.

But Luo Yin on the stage wouldn't be swayed by petty insults anymore.

He saw through it—Xu was trying to goad him into losing his cool for an easy opening.

"I am the Saba Shengti." Luo Yin raised his hand, and a holy radiance burst from his body, revealing his origins.

"Oh, big name, huh? Saba Shengti? Never heard of it."

Truth be told, Xu Xiaoshou had never messed with a Shengti and felt a bit wary, but in a verbal showdown, he feared no one.

"Your Shengti doesn't look that great!"

He eyed the cracks under Luo Yin's feet and laughed: "Is that it?"

"I disdain to do more, not that I can't."

Luo Yin replied expressionlessly. He wanted to fight, but before that, he needed to figure out this guy's background. "So, what kind of Shengti is Xu? A semi-saint heir who hasn't even heard of the Saba Shengti?"

"Is your Shengti that famous?"

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow, turning to Mu Zixi in the treetop. "Do you know it?"

Mu Zixi's big eyes blinked innocently as she shook her head, even spitting out a tea leaf.

She really didn't.

Xu Xiaoshou then looked at Xiao Wanfeng. "What about you? Do you know?"

"I have..."

Xiao Wanfeng instinctively wanted to explain for Xu to avoid underestimating the opponent, but seeing Xu's suddenly cold face, he panicked and quickly changed his tune: "I have heard of the 'Look-through' Shengti, but not the 'Say-through' one."

"Pfft! Look-through but don't say-through?"

Xu Xiaoshou burst out laughing at Xiao Wanfeng's quip.

He hadn't expected the guy to play along so well and even land a dig.

After that exchange, Xu Xiaoshou turned back to Luo Yin with a genuine smile he couldn't hide, shrugging as he said, "See? Out of all these thousands of people, not a single one knows your Shengti, and you claim it's famous?"

Luo Yin nearly coughed up blood from frustration.

Thousands of people, and you only asked two—your own people?

That's not how you generalize!

But Luo Yin knew it was deliberate. Getting caught up in such a trivial point would just put him at a disadvantage.

Still, he had underestimated the man opposite.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't mess with people lightly.

But once he decided to, it was a relentless barrage.

"So, your so-called Say-through Shengti can only talk, I guess. When it comes to showing it..."

Xu Xiaoshou pinched his fingers together to mimic the tiny cracks under Luo Yin's feet. "Tsk tsk, pathetic!"

Shh—

The audience hissed, and some even whistled.

Others mimicked Xu's gesture, examining it closely before waving it off.

"So small... utterly pathetic!"

Luo Yin had never experienced provocation like this before, but now he felt that anyone with restraint would make the same decision as him.

Anyone would!

So...

Boom!

He tapped his toe, and the ground erupted with a thunderous blast, creating a crater twice as large as the one Xu Xiaoshou had made.

The audience was stunned into silence, the vast Tianluo Field suddenly as quiet as a grave.

"How about that?"

Luo Yin shone with radiant light, like a war god descending, full of vigor.

Yet, under everyone's gaze, Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head as if in disbelief, his eyes wide.

Outsiders thought even Xu was intimidated.

But then he turned around and roared with laughter, slapping his thigh and doubling over as he addressed the crowd behind him.

"Look at that!"

"Is he a kid? Is that a Shengti?"

"H-He... He's actually trying to one-up me on crater size? Ha ha ha..."