Chapter 770: The Dragon Fusion Realm Adorns Your Eyes, You Shattered Someone's Dream

At the Transaction Fair site.

Unlike everyone else who was fixated on the bizarre battle in Zhongcheng District, in private box number 208, Hua Luo merely glanced at one of the combatants, Xu Xiaoshou, before quickly averting her gaze in shock.

"Xu Shibo..."

There was no doubt about it.

The young man who claimed his master was Sang Qiye and his grandmaster was Long Rong Zhi was undoubtedly the Xu Shibo she had been searching for!

At that moment, Hua Luo didn't even have time to marvel at the fact that Xu Shibo's actual age was indeed similar to that of his friend Zhou Tianci.

What truly astonished her was...

If one side of the Zhongcheng District battle was confirmed to be her Xu Shibo without a doubt,

Then who was the person in the adjacent box number 209, whom Zhou Tianci had been so absolutely certain was Xu Shibo's Xu Shao?

Or perhaps, the two were the same person.

But at some unknown time, the incredibly powerful Xu Shibo might have used some extraordinary technique to escape—no, slip away—from the Transaction Fair site and cause trouble elsewhere?

That possibility was far too slim.

Hua Luo decided to verify it herself.

The Transaction Fair site was in utter chaos right now.

If not for a group of people in white robes and red robes appearing like shepherds to corral the crowd,

The barrier would have collapsed, and everyone would have fled in all directions.

Ignoring the people around her, under the puzzled gazes of Dong Ling, Shi Ti, Zhou Tianci, and others, Hua Luo casually pushed open the door of her box and headed straight for the door of box number 209 to check.

But just as she raised her hand to knock,

The door of box number 209 creaked open.

Under Mo Mo's instructions, three people emerged from the box, all looking toward Zhongcheng District with deep reverence and shock.

It seemed they simply couldn't see clearly from inside the box and wanted to get a better look.

Among these three,

Besides Mu Zixi and Xiao Wanfeng, there was Xu Xiaoji, who had been chanting scriptures all along.

At that moment, Xu Xiaoji was actually trembling with fear but mustered the courage to step outside.

His imitations had always been flawless; he just lacked a bit of confidence.

But once he stepped out, he had to steel himself and, as Mo Mo had advised, expose himself to the gazes of all the red-robed and white-robed figures.

Then, he lifted his eyes.

Xu Xiaoji gazed at the figure of Xu Damo Wang, who was flying higher and higher alongside Rao Yao Yao, with an expression that was three parts surprise, three parts disdain, and four parts casual indifference.

"Tsk tsk..."

Once he was in character, everything felt natural, and Xu Xiaoji even started shaking his head slightly.

Though he didn't say a word, his face clearly said, "That's nothing special; I could do it too."

Meanwhile,

Hua Luo, who had just reached the door of the box, froze in place.

After a long pause, she finally spoke in surprise, "Xu Shao... you're really here?"

Xu Shao was still here?

And Xu Shibo was simultaneously battling Rao Jianxian?

That meant...

This was two different people?

Hua Luo suddenly realized, her eyes widening in shock, her pretty face trembling with anger.

Damn it, Zhou Tianci!

If you couldn't recognize him, you should have just said so—I wouldn't have blamed you.

But you went and pointed randomly, even calling a deer a horse—aren't you playing with your life here?

Do you even want to live?

In that instant, Hua Luo even considered turning around and throwing Zhou Tianci into a large cauldron to refine him!

But she couldn't help feeling bewildered and wanted to ask for confirmation, though she didn't know where to start, so she hesitated, words on the tip of her tongue but unsaid.

Xu Xiaoji hesitated.

The moment he appeared, he was extremely cautious.

He could tell that the girl in front of him was approaching him specifically.

That meant she knew Xu Damo Wang.

But the problem was, he didn't know this girl at all!

She had shown up right as he and Mu Zixi came out, even making such a look of extreme surprise and fury...

Could this be one of Xu Damo Wang's romantic entanglements from outside Yuanfu?

Xu Damo Wang had hidden it well before, keeping this girl from crossing paths with Mu Zixi, but now that he was playing the role, he had accidentally exposed it.

Thinking along the most straightforward lines, Xu Xiaoji felt like dying on the spot.

He immediately turned to ignore everything.

But Hua Luo grabbed him, her voice trembling as she asked, "Xu Shao, you... you really don't..."

Hua Luo stopped herself mid-sentence.

There were too many people around, and Xu Shibo's identity couldn't be revealed.

To Xu Xiaoji, those words sounded like they were confirming his own suspicions.

Feeling targeted, Xu Xiaoji had no way to resist and reluctantly turned back.

He chose his words carefully, thinking about how Xu Damo Wang himself would respond.

Most people, at this point, would probably clarify their true feelings, right?

So, after a moment's hesitation, Xu Xiaoji spoke coldly, his voice full of indifference: "Sorry, I really don't like you."

With that,

Xu Xiaoji shook off Hua Luo's hand, turned, and strode back into the box, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Hua Luo: ???

The young girl was completely stunned, her mind going blank.

In the midst of the ruined Transaction Fair site,

The representatives of other factions, who were watching the Zhongcheng District battle while secretly using their spiritual senses to observe this scene, all wore expressions of sudden realization.

So, the treasure sent from box number 209 earlier had such deeper implications...

No wonder...

It all made sense now!

High in the sky, in the most conspicuous spot,

Shou Ye and the others, who had broken free from Gui Shou Wuxia's dark chains, had taken over Rao Yao Yao's task of guarding Wuxia's movements.

But at that moment, Shou Ye's attention was no longer on the captured Wuxia.

He was lost in a daze.

—Because of Xu Shao!

This person had stepped out, glanced toward the Zhongcheng District battle, and then gone back inside.

He even acted like a true stranger to Wangcheng, showing no reaction at all when his gaze passed over Shou Ye.

Shou Ye was bewildered.

But the one thing he was absolutely certain of was:

"He's not Xu Xiaoshou!"

Because, based on their earlier deductions, if Tian Shang First Tower had been brought out by Xu Xiaoshou, this Xu Shao couldn't possibly remain so calm upon seeing Shou Ye.

From the moment Xu Shao left the box, Shou Ye's spiritual sense had been locked on him.

He knew that no matter how clever Xu Xiaoshou was, the human body's instinctive reactions couldn't be completely suppressed.

Surely, the real Xu Xiaoshou, even if he tried to hold back from looking, would be forced by memories of their past to show some instinctive response when seeing Shou Ye leading the team again.

For example, wanting to look but not daring to.

But Shou Ye was certain that this Xu Shao showed none of that.

Not even a subtle tense of the body, a tightening of muscles, or a slight twitch of the head to glance back—nothing at all!

Even if, retreating a step further, this Xu Shao had seen Shou Ye enter earlier from inside the box and prepared himself mentally to suppress his instincts,

Shou Ye also knew that the real Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't dare show his face like this, knowing Shou Ye wanted to take him away.

So...

"He's really not!"

Shou Ye looked toward Zhongcheng District.

Now, a real Xu Xiaoshou had appeared there, identical in ability, speech, and mannerisms.

Shou Ye knew that the true Xu Xiaoshou's appearance meant his own judgments were completely wrong.

But he didn't dare confirm it.

What if?

Xu Xiaoshou had joined the Saint Slaves, and the Saint Slaves had a storyteller.

The storyteller had mastered a half-saint's body outside the body back in Taixu.

What if one of those two figures was Xu Xiaoshou's body outside the body?

Such an idea, if shared with others, would surely make everyone think Shou Ye had lost his mind.

Innate mastery of a body outside the body? What a ridiculous joke!

But Shou Ye didn't see it that way.

Were there other innate abilities that could rival Taixu?

Were there other innate abilities that could instantly activate a saint image, with no delay, pushing its power straight to the peak?

In Shou Ye's view,

No matter how absurd something was, when it came to Xu Xiaoshou, the chances were always fifty-fifty.

No certainties.

It was always... half and half.

"Investigate him!"

A cold glint flashed in Shou Ye's eyes.

He didn't believe it, but Xu Xiaoshou had tricked him too many times. What if this time, what he thought was disbelief was actually part of Xu Xiaoshou's third or fifth hidden layer of deception?

Though...

Shou Ye looked at Zhongcheng District and knew that the young man "battling" Rao Jianxian there clearly had no energy to influence events at the Transaction Fair site, which was over a dozen li away.

But...

Others might not be able to, but that guy could.

He was Xu Xiaoshou.

The Xu Xiaoshou who could barely manage a fifty-fifty chance at anything.

Even...

An innate ability versus Taixu!

"Lan Ling."

Shou Ye turned in mid-air and called out softly.

At that moment, Lan Ling had also noticed the subtle movements from box number 209. She clearly understood everything and was shocked by it.

In the end, she made the same choice as Shou Ye.

And Lan Ling was even more rational.

"Shou Ye, no need to rush."

"Box number 209 belongs to a half-saint family, after all. If he's innocent, the fallout could be huge."

"If he's guilty, we'll investigate in order, and he won't escape."

"And if he tries to run..."

"That would mean he's guilty, playing right into our hands!"

Lan Ling smiled, patted Shou Ye on the shoulder, and signaled him not to be too hasty.

Shou Ye desperately wanted to dive down, tear open box number 209, and get to the bottom of it.

But he knew Lan Ling was right.

"I understand."

Elsewhere,

Outside the Xiaojiu Pavilion where the Transaction Fair was held, in a nearby teahouse,

The moment Xu Xiaoshou fought Taixu, the moment Long Rong Realm's power erupted, and that blazing white sun of flames descended,

Yu Zhiwen already knew who had made an appearance.

And when she realized the truth, for some reason, a strange impulse surged within her.

This impulse drove her to take a step forward.

Perhaps more than one step.

In fact, Yu Zhiwen knew she suddenly wanted to descend directly to the Zhongcheng District battlefield. The feeling was incredibly urgent.

—Just to see him!

It was a bizarre sensation.

Just to see him once—no worry, no words, no other random reasons, or perhaps no reason at all.

Seeing him once would be enough.

Because when that flash of white flame lit up the entire night sky,

In Yu Zhiwen's starry pupils, everything else inexplicably lost its color.

The images that followed in her mind were only of the moment in the White Cavern when Mingjian Yanmang was born, with lava erupting and the world like doomsday.

When she finally opened her eyes,

She was already standing in the most dazzling golden light beneath that doomsday world, on the palms of that golden giant.

The gold within reach, the lingering warmth that wouldn't fade.

Yet...

Impulse is the devil.

Knowing her own position, Yu Zhiwen ultimately let reason overcome the impulse.

She didn't move an inch, not even lifting a foot.

Apart from that momentary inner turmoil, she showed no emotional fluctuations on her face.

This self-control lasted until Rao Yao Yao left to support Zhongcheng District,

Until Shou Ye, Lan Ling, and the other white-robed and red-robed leaders departed the teahouse for the Transaction Fair site,

Until Chu Lisheng set down his tea stove and went to guard Cheng Ji, leaving only her and Si Tu Yongren, the two younger generation members.

Finally, Yu Zhiwen couldn't hold back. She floated up, silently activating her Zhuji Star Pupils to high intensity, peering into the vast Long Rong Realm that seemed to divide the world into two distinct halves, at that young figure within.

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

After truly confirming it was him, even Yu Zhiwen's steady temperament couldn't help it—beneath her veil, the corners of her lips curved slightly, her starry pupils sparkling with vitality.

Just for a moment.

Realizing someone was nearby, she deactivated her Star Pupils, and her face returned to its usual calm.

"Shimei, do you know that person?"

Si Tu Yongren suddenly spoke from the side.

His keen observation made Yu Zhiwen's heart skip a beat.

"I don't know him..."

Yu Zhiwen denied it instinctively, then added coolly, "Well, I suppose I do. We crossed paths a few times in the White Cavern small world."

"Oh."

Si Tu Yongren responded flatly, asking no further.

But what Yu Zhiwen didn't know was that she thought she had hidden it well, yet all of it had fallen into Si Tu Yongren's eyes.

Just as you stand on the bridge watching the scenery, the person watching the scenery is in the tower looking at you.

The Long Rong Realm had adorned her eyes, and she had shattered someone's dream.

In the Shengshen Hall, in the Dao Department, even among the many saints, Si Tu Yongren had openly and boldly pursued Yu Zhiwen.

His intentions were so clear, his determination so firm, that others had no choice but to back off.

And the two of them—

One was first on the Dao Department's heavenly list, the other second.

One was Dao Qiong Cang's closed-door disciple, the other Dao Xuanji's beloved student.

A match made in heaven.

Or so Si Tu Yongren believed.

His background, cultivation, divination skills, demeanor, speech, and even personality were all top-notch, unmatched by anyone.

Even his master, Dao Qiong Cang, had once joked about him and Yu Zhiwen: "What a perfect pair!"

At the time, Yu Zhiwen had waved her hands and shook her head in denial.

Si Tu Yongren, however, had smiled and taken it to heart.

Yet, even while studying divination in the Dao Department, Si Tu Yongren had only seen Yu Zhiwen activate her Zhuji Star Pupils three times—and those times were etched in his memory.

In his mind, those starry pupils were the most wondrous treasure in the world, an unparalleled beauty.

Si Tu Yongren didn't know what else, besides studying the most profound divination arts, could make Yu Zhiwen reveal her Star Pupils like a peacock spreading its feathers, like a fleeting epiphyllum bloom.

And now...

There was something!

Not a thing.

A person!

Yu Zhiwen thought she had concealed it perfectly, but how could Si Tu Yongren, who was always watching his shimei, not notice?

Her sudden floating, the brief flash of her eyes, the faint smile beneath her veil...

All just to catch a glimpse of that person.

A man!

—What nonsense!

Si Tu Yongren suddenly burned with jealousy, but he kept all his emotions hidden, his face as calm as a spring breeze.

This dreamlike turn of events had still happened...

In that moment, Si Tu Yongren didn't know how to describe his feelings.

A wolf staring at meat wouldn't miss it being bitten by a mosquito.

And Si Tu Yongren, who was always focused on his shimei, certainly wouldn't mistake such a small detail for something else.

The only thing Si Tu Yongren couldn't figure out was...

When had this person appeared?

He and Yu Zhiwen had met in the White Cavern—what had happened in between?

The White Cavern existed for such a short time—how had they developed so quickly?

And, most importantly!

Si Tu Yongren's jaw clenched, his eyes trembling as his inner voice roared like a tidal wave.

"Xu Xiaoshou—who the hell is he?!"