Chapter 767: Mr. Si Ren, Please Wait a Moment, Let Me Slay One More Taixu

A punch was thrown.

The void erupted with a high-frequency, piercing shockwave, distorting everything in sight.

"Mi Shan!"

In a flash of lightning, a cunning glint passed through Yi's eyes.

Then, with his back turned to Xu Xiaoshou, Yi's body, having expended its forward momentum and caught between the old force fading and the new one not yet rising, surprisingly summoned Ling Yuan again to dodge sideways by several body lengths.

"Little guy…"

After doing this, Yi turned back with a mocking smile.

He was certain that even if his opponent had activated the Sheng Xiang and wielded Sheng Li, their lack of combat experience meant they couldn't land this punch perfectly after he had deliberately exposed a minor flaw.

But as soon as he turned his head,

The punch from Xu Xiaoshou, which should have missed, clung to him like a shadow, growing larger and larger in his pupils.

"What!"

Yi's shock barely had time to show on his face.

The next second, a terrifying force struck.

"Boom—"

The massive explosion rang out.

On Yi's face, which had taken the form of Sang Lao, the first thing to be sent flying and shattered was the straw hat on his head.

Then, under the immense force, his facial features were abruptly caved in toward the back of his skull, his face twisting completely out of shape.

Next, the fragile cervical bones connecting his neck gave way with a faint crack…

"Crack!"

His head streaked through the void as a blur.

When it reappeared, it was already dozens of zhang away in mid-air.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

The headless corpse below and the young man looking up with a smile were frozen in Yi's mind as his severed head flew through the air.

Up to this point, it was still just the aftermath of the Sheng Li strike.

When "Passive Fist" as the second wave of force, combined with Xu Xiaoshou's full output from exploding all the power of the Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong, fully unleashed,

That flying head burst into a black hole with a bang in the sky.

Completely pulverized and gone.

"Sorry."

Only then did Xu Xiaoshou's voice begin to echo.

"You might have anticipated my anticipation, but I didn't think a Tai Xu like you would fall for my punch so easily…"

"So, I aimed for your Sheng Li aura!"

Xu Xiaoshou curled his lips into a grin.

He had decided to use "Passive Fist" to take down that old face, so how could he allow it to miss?

As the leader of the Yi clan, Yi was undoubtedly a battle-hardened veteran.

And whether the flaw he showed was real or fake, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't tell.

But regardless,

Once he threw that punch, his steps never stopped.

No matter what Ling Ji Yi used or where he teleported,

Xu Xiaoshou would follow with Step to the Heavens, and that punch would absolutely land on Sang Lao's face.

What was laughable was…

His opponent seemed to have mistaken Xu Xiaoshou for some inexperienced innate-level novice.

Yi only teleported once and then stopped.

But when Xu Xiaoshou threw that punch, he had cautiously used "Step to the Heavens" no less than five times.

Though the later ones were just on-the-spot adjustments,

It was all to ensure it didn't miss!

The moment Yi consumed the Sheng blood, Xu Xiaoshou knew his chance had come.

Tai Xu power couldn't fully conceal the Sheng Dao aura, and that was the fundamental reason he was confident Yi would be exposed to this punch.

Shaking out his arm, Xu Xiaoshou winced in pain.

He looked down at his completely shattered right arm, but thanks to the Sheng Li, it hadn't exploded outright.

Still, it was close to bursting…

Now, it was utterly useless!

This time, the power accumulated in "Passive Fist" wasn't as much as before.

Because Xu Xiaoshou hadn't faced many attacks lately.

But after building it up for so long, it still packed a punch.

Plus, with the boost from Sheng blood and Sheng Xiang,

As he gazed at the headless body in front of him, though he wasn't sure if Yi was dead, he figured that even if not, the guy had to be severely wounded.

Thud!

Hooking the falling headless body with his foot,

Xu Xiaoshou thought it over—for a Tai Xu who had drunk Sheng blood, one punch wasn't enough insurance…

So, he drew the You Si Jian with his left hand and drove it straight down, pinning it deep into the headless body, leaving only the hilt exposed.

Whew.

Only after that did Xu Xiaoshou let out a slight breath of relief.

"Half Sheng power…"

"Amazing!"

The Sheng blood from Sang Lao was incredibly potent.

It let Xu Xiaoshou summon the Sheng Xiang without going through the long, battle-delaying process of building Sheng Li that Jiang Xian went through.

In just a few breaths, the Sheng Li in his Sheng Xiang was fully charged.

"So, is he dead?"

Xu Xiaoshou stared at the headless body in front of him, now covered in spreading demonic patterns and rising demonic energy from the You Si Jian insertion.

In his "perception," Yi's aura had vanished completely, leaving only this body.

He had never faced a Tai Xu head-on like this before, so he didn't know if injuring someone this badly meant they were dead.

First time around, he was inevitably inexperienced…

So, Xu Xiaoshou kept his eyes fixed on the headless body, ready for any tricks.

But it seemed he was overthinking.

After the demonic energy fully overflowed, the headless body suddenly swelled up.

Then, with a bang, it exploded into pieces.

Grasping the You Si Jian now exposed in the air, Xu Xiaoshou still felt uneasy.

He swept his gaze around, and the Jin Zhao white flames instantly incinerated the remaining body fragments, helping Yi complete the final rites of his life.

"Completely gone."

"Now, that should mean true death, right?"

Even then, Xu Xiaoshou felt a lingering unease.

He always thought a Tai Xu wouldn't die so easily, but in his memory, death and downfall generally looked like this.

He had seen a Wang Zuo die before.

Even when their body wasn't shattered this thoroughly—just half a head blown off—it meant they were already halfway to the underworld.

At most, they could crawl and struggle a bit, making a symbolic counterattack in their last gasp, like Hong Gou.

But with the body completely dissipated like this…

Generally, revival was impossible.

"Ling Nian!"

Suddenly, it occurred to Xu Xiaoshou.

He was used to relying on "perception," so he rarely used something as basic as Ling Nian to scan the surroundings.

But now, with Sheng Li at his disposal…

Whoosh!

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes and extended it, and when he opened them again, his face was full of shock.

Boosted by the Sheng Xiang power, his Ling Nian coverage nearly encompassed the entire Dong Tian Wang Cheng, with energy to spare!

Through his Ling Nian, he sensed:

The trading event site, packed with a crowd of stunned people staring in his direction…

The airspace above, where a Tai Xu ghost beast, a sword-bearing female Tai Xu, and below them the now less conspicuous Shou Ye and Lan Ling stood in confrontation…

Not far away, the halted battle, with Teng Shan Hai, the Storyteller, and Wang Da Chui and the Scruffy Uncle all gazing at him in shock…

And finally, several streets away, Mr. Si Ren standing still, his eyes wide with surprise…

Everyone was looking at him!

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily astonished.

And it didn't stop there.

Beyond the white Long Rong Jie hovering like a blazing sun over the central district, the scene was one of ruins, cries, and devastation.

The boundary domain had shattered!

So, from the moment Long Rong Jie appeared, the shockwaves had leveled nearly every building in a radius of over ten li.

That was the aftermath of Sheng Li—utterly terrifying!

Dong Tian Wang Cheng had too many Lian Ling Shi.

Almost as soon as the fight began, many sensed something wrong and evacuated in time.

But still, countless people couldn't escape. Those not burned by the white flames were shaken to death or left gravely injured by the burst of Sheng Li…

Yes!

Just from that single explosion, so many innocent lives were lost!

In that moment, Xu Xiaoshou fell silent as he took it all in.

He finally understood why battles at the Wang Zuo level were fought inside boundary domains or in the air.

But the world was just that cruel.

Survival of the fittest, the strong prey on the weak.

When gods fight, mortals suffer.

As those gazes filled with fear, shock, and awe turned toward him, Xu Xiaoshou was overcome with mixed emotions.

"Sorry…"

All he could do was offer this heartfelt apology in his mind; there was nothing else.

It was self-defense, a necessary counterattack.

And after the counterattack,

This was the harsh reality…

Xu Xiaoshou steadied his thoughts and regained his composure.

He had long since stopped harboring pity.

From the moment he set foot on the Lian Ling path, everyone should prepare for the possibility of "one general's success built on ten thousand bleached bones."

It was like going to war.

Mercy has no place in command.

Pity would only drag you into a deeper quagmire.

Likewise, every Lian Ling Shi should be ready for disaster to strike from above one day.

After all, this was the Lian Ling world—this was their predetermined fate.

Today, it was Xu Xiaoshou with the Sheng Xiang power disrupting the peace.

Tomorrow, it might be another god's fight bringing calamity to others.

Those who crave comfort are better off hiding in the mundane corners of the secular world; they have no right to step into the brutal Lian Ling realm!

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

At that moment, Mei Si Ren flew over and asked the young man in front of him.

"Mr. Si Ren."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded in greeting, no longer hiding.

Mei Si Ren saw that after the battle, the young man's mind was still focused on those affected by his shockwaves.

Right then, he snapped back to reality.

Indeed, this was just a young man, still only at the innate level…

But by now, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't dwelling on it much. He asked, "Mr. Si Ren, I took down a Tai Xu, but I'm not sure if he's dead…"

"He's escaped."

Mei Si Ren had witnessed everything and knew the ins and outs.

"Escaped?" Xu Xiaoshou was taken aback.

The outcome was logical yet unexpected.

Mei Si Ren chuckled, "You're only at the innate level, and even with Sheng Xiang power, being able to severely wound a Tai Xu and drive him off isn't something to be proud of? What more do you want—he dies right in front of you?"

Xu Xiaoshou had no retort.

After thinking for a while, he said, "His head was gone, and his body was pierced by the demonic sword. He shouldn't survive that."

"Are you sure nothing was left?" Mei Si Ren asked.

"Yes."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded firmly: "Everything related to him was completely destroyed. Even if he took Sheng blood, it wouldn't help."

Mei Si Ren fell silent for a moment.

This was just an innate-level fighter…

How could he speak of achieving all that as if it were perfectly normal?

But looking at Xu Xiaoshou's Sheng Xiang, it was truly formidable!

Honestly, Mei Si Ren had never seen anyone summon a Sheng Xiang and reach its peak power so instantly. This was highly unusual.

He didn't know how Xu Xiaoshou did it.

For anyone else, the summoner themselves would likely have perished—how could they wound the opposing Tai Xu?

Yet because Xu Xiaoshou's Sheng Xiang was so bizarre,

A full-force strike from it might not match a Ban Sheng, but its Sheng Li could easily overwhelm Tai Xu power.

It was like an infant wielding a great sword, but with a giant holding it from below—the infant's swing might not hurt much, but the giant's does.

And it hurts badly! Badly enough that even Mei Si Ren might have to back away.

In that scenario, the infant's enemy is just an ordinary adult…

At most, one boosted by giant's blood for a bit of extra strength.

So, Yi's defeat seemed…

Almost inevitable?

Shaking his head slightly, Mei Si Ren shifted his thoughts back and met Xu Xiaoshou's confusion. "He's not dead, and you didn't erase all of him completely."

"Impossible…"

Xu Xiaoshou instinctively objected.

But Mei Si Ren's words made him ponder.

The head was gone.

The body was gone.

Clothes, weapons, Ling Yuan—nothing else remained.

And Yi clearly wasn't a Tai Xu at Wang Zuo Dao realm perfection, so no chance of rebirth through heavenly ties.

So, what could have been overlooked?

As Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts raced, he suddenly froze, his pupils contracting.

"The candied hawthorn?"

He was stunned by the realization.

Could it be that stick of candied hawthorn Yi had used to pierce his chest at the start, which then fell behind him and was completely ignored amid the chaos?

It seemed that was the only thing from Yi that Xu Xiaoshou hadn't destroyed.

Mei Si Ren nodded slightly. "Tai Xu are hard to kill. They can use all sorts of methods to shed their shell and evade death, especially as the leader of the Yi clan. What you said is just one possibility—it's not absolute."

Xu Xiaoshou was amazed, a bit baffled, and humbly asked, "So, how can you make sure a Tai Xu dies for good?"

Mei Si Ren's mouth twitched at the corners.

You're just at the innate level!

Have you forgotten your place?

What on earth is going through your head?

"Yi Nian."

With a sigh, Mei Si Ren answered seriously: "Or rather, their spiritual consciousness. Completely wipe out a Tai Xu's spiritual consciousness, and they'll truly die. Without the 'intention,' the 'form' is meaningless."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded in understanding.

As he pondered, the whole world seemed to quiet down.

After a long while, Xu Xiaoshou looked up and asked earnestly, "Mr. Si Ren, is my Sheng Xiang really that powerful?"

Mei Si Ren was startled.

He glanced at Xu Xiaoshou's back.

The Sheng Li was still radiating, manifesting as a phantom.

Behind Xu Xiaoshou, nine massive white flame dragons loomed, clawing and roaring across the sky.

Though illusory,

The higher one's cultivation, the more real and formidable it appeared.

Even for Mei Si Ren, standing before this Sheng Xiang required him to secretly channel most of his power just to keep a calm facade.

Because once the Sheng Xiang emerged,

It meant facing the summoner was like confronting a Ban Sheng's will directly.

As Mei Si Ren watched, he unconsciously swallowed hard, then said gravely, "Very powerful! This is 'Jiu Long Fen Zu,' right? I've only seen it on Sheng Gong Mu Lin—it's passed down from the Jin Zhao Ban Sheng?"

"Mm." Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

"By the way, how did your Sheng Xiang reach its peak power so quickly? That's… quite unusual." Mei Si Ren voiced his curiosity.

"Just a little trick." Xu Xiaoshou didn't elaborate.

He sensed movement from many people around and asked finally, "Mr. Si Ren, are you afraid of my Sheng Xiang?"

Mei Si Ren was taken aback, then laughed. "Why would an old man like me be afraid?"

Tap tap tap.

The rapid, crisp sound of a folding fan tapping against a palm echoed, somewhat out of place.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced discreetly at Mei Si Ren, who was rhythmically tapping his fan.

No need for the information panel to confirm—he understood now.

This Sheng Xiang was incredibly strong!

Strong enough that, with it, he felt like the protagonist of heaven's dao!

"I've got it…"

With this realization, Xu Xiaoshou nodded slightly, turned toward the Storyteller's direction, and fixed his gaze on Teng Shan Hai. He said calmly,

"Mr. Si Ren, please wait a moment. Let me take down another Tai Xu, and then we can have a proper chat."