Chapter 74: The Night is Truly Beautiful

Is he weak?Well, not exactly.

Xu Xiaoshou realized he had seriously overestimated these two based on their strength alone. In a real life-and-death battle, unless the opponents were complete fools, the outcome wouldn't solely depend on cultivation levels. This was entirely different from arena fights – factors like timing, terrain, and human elements…They were all absolutely crucial.

He had detected their intentions early thanks to his "perception," and the terrain, which had been altered by his cultivation and lottery draws, had influenced their judgment, leading to the subsequent chain of suspicions. Of course, it was undeniable that his quick thinking and adaptability had saved his life.Hmm…Putting it simply, it was just being smart!

Xu Xiaoshou felt a little scared in hindsight – if he hadn't bluffed them back then and they had attacked, the result would have been two more deaths. Still, after this fight, he thought that even if the two of them had ganged up on him, they might not have been his match."Getting a bit ahead of myself…" Xu Xiaoshou smacked his own head.

Gazing at the misty rain over Ge Hu, Xu Xiaoshou fell silent. This was the first rain since he arrived in this world, and it had cost two lives…Adding Wen Chong, that made three lives on his hands. Indeed, the world had changed; if he didn't adapt properly, he could be the next one to die.Hmm?Wen Chong?Could these two have come to avenge Wen Chong?

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly thought about it. Although the arena fight was to the death and Wen Chong had struck first, that didn't mean he was alone. It was entirely possible for someone to seek revenge after his death!"This…"Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. He had truly suffered from being an orphan in this situation – he hadn't even considered that possibility. Looking at it this way, the idea made perfect sense.

Today, two assassins had died, and more would likely come in the future…"Heavens, this could go on forever!" Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head.

Oh, right! Who were these two guys anyway?Just simple assassins?Not necessarily!

Only people from within Ling Gong could freely enter and exit, so they had to be insiders. But if he said they were from the inner court, Xu Xiaoshou could accept it at first, but now he didn't believe it. Were they really that weak after cultivating for at least two years in the inner court?

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes darted around as he suddenly realized something – was it that they were too weak… or that he was too strong?"Getting ahead of myself, getting ahead of myself…" Xu Xiaoshou slapped himself again.

The only thing he was curious about was how that deep-voiced guy couldn't block his single sword strike…"At least he was in Ju Wu Jing – there's no reason he should be that weak…""But even Mo Mo could block two strikes…"

Xu Xiaoshou was certain that even after swallowing ten Lian Ling Dan, the power of his "Ba Jian Shi" had increased, but not to the point of doubling. And yet, it couldn't even be blocked… How was that possible?! Mo Mo had taken a full strike, after all!"Could Mo Mo be stronger than that guy?"

Xu Xiaoshou found it absurd, but he thought again about Mo Mo's unopened right hand and that mysterious "Feng Yin Zhi Li." He had never seen such a strange power in anyone else. Even with those two earlier, he could vaguely deduce their innate attribute powers. The first one was probably metal attribute, similar to his own "sharpness," but it only managed one strike; the second was blood attribute, with his blood hand… Hmm, not even a single effective attack!"Feng Yin Shu…"

Xu Xiaoshou sank into thought. Maybe there really were people like him, with extraordinary talents!"I'll ask Qiao Zhanglao about it sometime…"

He didn't dwell on it much. The world was vast and full of wonders – his own innate physical body probably seemed just as bizarre to others. And on top of that, he had innate sword intent…"Heh heh!"

Xu Xiaoshou snapped back to his senses. This battle had mostly helped him gauge his own strength. His long-range output was already impressive, with instant-cast super cutting techniques that even a suspected Ju Wu Jing expert couldn't block after taking pills – though there were exceptions for certain special people.

As for close combat… That should actually be his specialty, but for safety's sake, he hadn't used it tonight. Still, from that guy's strike in the courtyard, it was clear that with "Fan Zhen," few people could kill him outright. So, his close-quarters fighting was probably ridiculously strong too, especially with eight innate passive skills combined… In short, whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger.

Oh, and that disgusting "Jin Zhao Tian Yan"… Actually, it should be "Jin Zhao Tian Fen," but that's a pure spiritual technique. Without higher cultivation, he couldn't fully unleash it – burning one person was already good enough. Instant incineration over ten thousand li…

Hmm, time to go back and catch some sleep. Anything's possible in dreams."Still, I need to cultivate properly!""If my strength could just crush everything mindlessly, fights wouldn't be so exhausting – they'd save so many brain cells…"

Xu Xiaoshou stretched and yawned as endless fatigue washed over him. What a night it had been… First, tormented to death by the "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong," then going through dozens of lottery draws with wild emotional highs and lows, his spring dream cut short, wracking his brain and even killing two people along the way… It was insane!

Better head back to sleep, or who knows what other trouble might crop up.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou was about to turn around, a message flashed in his mind:"Under surveillance, passive value +1."

"…"Damn!

Xu Xiaoshou froze completely, unsure whether to turn or stay put. What the hell? I was just thinking about it, didn't say it out loud – can't count as jinxing myself! Since when could even thoughts trigger this?

Xu Xiaoshou turned pale with shock. He desperately activated his "perception," but couldn't detect anyone around him."Sang Lao?"

He swallowed hard and tentatively called out.No response.

Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of losing it. He realized this information bar could be terrifyingly scary, with a single line popping up out of nowhere and scaring someone to death. Right now, he wished he could erase the words "under surveillance" from his vocabulary and never see them again.

Who could it be? If not Sang Lao, who else had this creepy habit of staring at him? Could it be a third assassin? That wasn't the point – the key was that whoever it was could "surveil" him without being detected by his perception, which only someone at Sang Lao's level could do!

Xu Xiaoshou's body was half-turned, and he didn't dare move further. He just bent at the waist, gripping the white jade railing as he shuffled forward: "So beautiful…""The night is truly beautiful!""The rain is beautiful too…""So, so beautiful!"

He blurred his mental image and tried to expand his "perception" range. Finally, at the end of the path, in the direction of the small grove, a vague figure appeared.That far away?

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. Now he wasn't afraid anymore and turned directly, wanting a clearer look…

A pair of dark, shiny eyes suddenly entered his sight.Right in front of him, just a few punches away."Holy shit!"

Xu Xiaoshou's heart leaped into his throat as a black sword shot out from his chest in an instant.

…

PS: One update today, I have something in the afternoon so I'm taking a leave, see you tomorrow.