Chapter 705: Time Power, Golden Yan Wang

Pfft!

The masked person spat out a mouthful of blood.

Through his tattered robes, one could see lines of demonic patterns lighting up on his skin.

"Roar..."

The masked person's head twitched suddenly, and a low, inhuman growl emerged from his throat.

He lifted his gaze with difficulty, shocked that he hadn't been defeated by the Tianji Kui Lei's fists, but rather by an Innate with endless trump cards!

This Innate was even more...

"Special?"

At that moment, the masked person's thoughts froze.

The instant the demonic patterns lit up, his consciousness began to slow.

His clear spiritual platform was gradually destroyed by bestial desires, as various inner demons and obsessions from his past cultivation surged forth.

Hah!

He let out another strange, guttural roar from his throat.

Xu Xiaoshou stepped back a little, watching the changes in the person before him.

Back in Bai Ku, on Li Jian Grassland, he had seen too many people fighting over the You Si Jian, only to end up with qi deviation.

This was a sword that, based solely on its reputation, could draw sword cultivators and talents from across the world to compete in the Bai Ku small world.

It wasn't a famous sword, yet it bore the title of one of the five great Chaos divine artifacts and had once shone brilliantly in the hands of the Eighth Sword Immortal, becoming known to the world.

It seemed that in this realm, nothing could withstand a single strike from this ferocious sword.

And reality confirmed this.

Not being a sword cultivator and not having the You Si Jian's approval, Xu Xiaoshou had never even seen anyone dare to hold it directly.

As for those bold enough to block a strike from the You Si Jian...

Even Zhan Dao or Tai Xu might find it questionable!

So, after one sword strike, Xu Xiaoshou stood still.

Arjue seemed to sense something and came to Xu Xiaoshou's side, stopping to curiously observe the twitching human nearby.

"Mama?"

Arjue asked curiously, reaching out as if sensing the power of the You Si Jian and wanting to draw it out for a taste.

"Stop."

Xu Xiaoshou quickly stopped it, turning Arjue back into a stone and tucking it into his embrace.

"Roar, roar roar..."

The masked person's body convulsed more violently, as if he could no longer hold on.

At that moment, the "Gui Yu Lian Hua" began to shatter.

Without its master's will, the domain started to wither.

Worried that the power of Bai Yan might be exposed, Xu Xiaoshou restrained his divine ability, drawing the Bai Yan back into his qi sea and suppressing the power of the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong," balancing it with the "San Ri Dong Jie."

"Sheng Sheng Bu Xi" operated frantically.

The wound on his severed arm healed at a visible speed after the battle.

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the itchy, numb pain that made him want to scratch, ignoring the state of his arm and continuing to watch the masked person.

He suddenly reached out and removed the shattered Yan Wang mask, which the man had protected even while being scorched by Bai Yan.

"What's the point? Is he just that ugly? Or does he have to marry whoever sees his face?" Xu Xiaoshou muttered sarcastically.

Removing the mask revealed a very young face.

Xu Xiaoshou stared in a daze for a moment.

Even though the face was twisted in agony and obscured by demonic patterns, it was still strikingly handsome.

More importantly, the person was at most twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old...

Not even middle-aged.

Just a somewhat older youth!

"Impressive..."

Xu Xiaoshou sighed in admiration.

He had never imagined that someone who mastered elemental mysteries, possessed a sacred body, and incorporated the "Ding Hun Jing" could be so young.

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly thought of Yu Ling Di.

Perhaps, if Yu Ling Di hadn't chosen to pursue him back then and hadn't encountered Sang Lao, his achievements might have been similar to this person's.

One was the head of the Spirit Department who mastered mysteries, and the other was from the unknown organization with the "Ding Hun Jing," the Yan Wang masked person...

Both were so young!

Both were incredibly powerful!

Both were supreme existences who could dominate at the same level or even cross realms!

"Too bad, you all made the same mistake..."

Xu Xiaoshou sheathed the You Si Jian, squatting in mid-air and gazing at the gradually clearing sky, lost in thought. "Why... why do you all enjoy bullying the weak? Sometimes, some Innate individuals aren't easy to bully at all!"

"Roar—"

The masked person's growls grew more ferocious and animalistic.

His qi sea raged chaotically, with spiritual energy swelling and constantly assaulting his body.

Yet, his sacred body was too strong; even the rampant spiritual energy couldn't destroy it.

Xu Xiaoshou stepped back a bit more.

As the domain dissipated, the noisy sounds of the street crowds returned.

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised to find himself still in the alley.

The near-apocalyptic "Gui Yu Lian Hua" and its aftermath, burned by Bai Yan, hadn't affected even a single weed in the alley's corner.

In the dark nook, green life still stubbornly thrived.

"Incredible..."

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but marvel at the masked person's exquisite control over power.

He truly deserved to be a man who mastered the mysteries of "Tie."

Others created domains that encompassed miles around.

Even after the battle, the covered area would be left in ruins by the residual waves.

But this masked person was different.

He used the technique of mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru to open another battlefield, without destroying any other life in the Wang Cheng streets.

If someone else had done this, the thrilling battle in this alley might have ended without anyone noticing or remembering.

"Is he about to die?"

Xu Xiaoshou listened to the increasingly ferocious roars from the person in front of him, realizing that this place would soon attract others.

But he didn't finish him off or leave immediately; he was waiting.

Yes, Xu Xiaoshou was waiting!

The masked person's appearance was too suspicious.

Showing up right after he took the "Tian Zhi Zhi Yan" and calling himself "Yan Wang," Xu Xiaoshou didn't believe this was just one person targeting the Jiang clan.

Even though this person was undeniably strong, it wasn't enough.

So, Xu Xiaoshou waited.

He believed that such an exceptional talent would shine even in the Sheng Shen Hall.

Could he really die so simply from the You Si Jian? Not yet.

"If there's a complete 'Yan Wang' organization, and everyone in it is at this level..." Xu Xiaoshou thought, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine.

That would be terrifying!

He had never heard of such an existence before.

And something like this would surely catch the attention of the Sheng Nu, making even the Sheng Shen Hall worry.

Because even if the organization wasn't strong now, its potential was limitless.

"Roar—"

The young man in front of him grew even more agitated.

It was surprising that his sacred body had held up this long.

But under his perfected Wang Zuo Dao Jing comprehension, the foundation of his qi sea and spiritual energy was extremely solid, making it hard to collapse even after qi deviation.

Xu Xiaoshou knew this, but he also knew that it was only a matter of time.

As he watched the person's muscles begin to swell and his body on the verge of exploding, Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit disappointed.

"It's over."

While disappointed, he also felt relieved that his judgment was wrong.

Indeed, someone like Yu Ling Di was unique in the entire Sheng Shen Hall Dao Division.

Encountering another was already a stroke of luck; things couldn't be as extreme as he imagined.

But just then, Arjue spoke from his embrace.

"Mama..."

At the same time, a sudden chill ran through Xu Xiaoshou's body, an inexplicable premonition making all his pores stand on end.

"Xiao Shi Shu!"

Without hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou activated his invisibility technique, as if he had never been in the alley at all.

"Roar roar roar—"

The young man's roars had become ear-piercing.

His sacred body cracked, and blood sprayed out.

His perfected Wang Zuo Dao Jing comprehension allowed his mindset to remain intact, letting him persist longer in this state of qi deviation.

But humans have emotions and desires; perfecting the Dao realm didn't mean life was perfect.

So, the You Si Jian's strike wounded not the body, but the soul.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou thought this person's injuries were beyond even immortals' help, a dark golden figure suddenly appeared.

He landed right next to where Xu Xiaoshou had been, just a step away.

Xu Xiaoshou jumped in fright, even in his invisible state, and quickly stepped back before looking up.

The figure wore golden robes, a dark golden color, and...

A Yan Wang mask!

Just like the one on the demonized masked person.

This person's attire was basically identical to the previous masked person's, except his robes and mask were dark golden.

The only other difference was that the purple masked person had small iron figurines on his neck and belt.

This golden one had no such ornaments but carried a sword and a knife crossed on his back.

The knife was a Tang Dao, and the sword was a long sword.

Xu Xiaoshou carefully retreated to the back, memorizing the knife and sword, then returned to observe the newcomer in a daze.

"Gold?"

"Purple?"

He pondered.

If so, were there red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, black, white, and more miscellaneous colors?

Was this the "Yan Wang" organization's mark?

Xu Xiaoshou didn't impulsively use his spiritual sense to probe the other's realm; he just observed.

After landing, the golden masked person didn't act immediately but scanned his surroundings, as if sensing others present.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly averted his gaze, took out a pill to maintain the "Xiao Shi Shu," and looked toward the purple masked person.

"Jiu You?"

The golden masked person retracted his gaze and spoke.

His eyes fell on the demonized purple masked person, frowning at the injuries, his voice growing more solemn. "Snap out of it, Jiu You Gui Ying!"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled.

Jiu You Gui Ying?

Was that the purple masked person's name or code name?

This golden masked person seemed so cautious, not even wanting to touch his companion, just trying to wake him.

"Roar!"

As if sensing his name being called, Jiu You Gui Ying's body trembled, and he roared even louder.

The golden masked person's brow furrowed deeper.

He couldn't figure out who could have inflicted such severe damage on his teammate during that simple mission.

Qi deviation?

Did he suddenly deviate during the fight?

Impossible!

A perfected Dao realm had no inner demons or flaws.

The only explanation was that the mission target had struck, but did the target have that capability?

The golden masked person thought for a moment, then suddenly drew the Tang Dao from his back.

Though it looked like a Tang Dao, when unsheathed, Xu Xiaoshou saw that its blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, almost like an invisible blade.

The masked person held the knife and lightly slashed toward his teammate's chest.

Sssch!

A large amount of blood tainted with demonic energy sprayed out.

The golden masked person formed a spiritual energy barrier in front of him, letting the demonic blood slide away.

But when he realized the demonic energy could invade his qi sea through the spiritual energy, he immediately cut off that portion with his knife.

"Xiong Mo Zhi Qi... You Si Jian?" the masked person murmured in surprise.

Xu Xiaoshou listened to this murmur, feeling astonished.

This person knew about the You Si Jian?

Then, the golden masked person suddenly reached out, grasping at his teammate from a distance.

Xu Xiaoshou clearly sensed that the Dao mechanisms in this space had completely disrupted!

Immediately after, Jiu You Gui Ying's body froze mid-struggle, his roars ceased, his movements stopped, and even the demonic patterns on his body halted their spread.

"What ability is that?" Xu Xiaoshou was shocked.

He had just detected something similar to Ye Xiao Tian's power, mixed with a familiar trace.

"Space, plus... time?"

Xu Xiaoshou's mind raced, recalling the second ability.

It wasn't unfamiliar!

It was what he had seen on Gu Qing Er in the Zang Jian Tomb and in Gou Wu Yue's sword that reversed the river of time—time power!

"This person..."

"Shocked, Passive Points, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed hard, quickly checking his qi sea and the number of pills in his hand, afraid that any slip might dispel the "Xiao Shi Shu" and expose him.

Jiu You Gui Ying was fixed in space and time.

Or rather, the space he occupied had been stripped of time.

Time, as the only unit in the world, when lost or stopped, turned all things into mere objects.

The golden masked person stored his teammate in a spatial ring.

This was the first time Xu Xiaoshou had seen someone put a living person into a spatial ring, and also the first time he felt such an intense threat of death.

He knew that without the "Xiao Shi Shu," spying on such an existence would be suicide.

"Come out!"

The golden masked person finished storing his teammate and spoke to the empty alley.

Xu Xiaoshou trembled, wanting to leave but not daring to move or respond.

Echoes rippled through the alley, and suddenly, vendors and elders carrying vegetables appeared at the entrance, followed by guards from the city lord's mansion.

"It's here. There were roars coming from this alley earlier—not human sounds. Must be some monster in the Wang Cheng, or maybe a fight," the vendor woman pointed, and the guards rushed in.

But they passed right by the golden masked person, who was looking up at the sky, as if blind, without even glancing back.

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't sensed the golden masked person's realm before, but now he understood.

Such an ability, he had only seen on the Bai Ku night watchmen.

Zhan Dao level, at minimum, with no upper limit!

The golden masked person withdrew his gaze, and seeing no response, he didn't even bother looking at the guards, muttering to himself as he turned and left.

"The Jiang clan is actually colluding with the Sheng Nu?"

"Interesting..."