Chapter 780: Xu Shao, Be Careful, There's an Assassin

Above Dongtian Wangcheng, an even more magnificent and massive ancient metropolis abruptly appeared.

One corner of this colossal city seemed to be bound by void chains, yet it had been summoned nonetheless.

Such a sight was utterly unprecedented in the world.

For a moment, the people of Wangcheng were all stunned and disoriented.

Everyone had believed the great battle was over.

Little did they expect that, at this critical juncture, the Sky City would be pulled into the conflict once more.

"Assemble!"

Almost simultaneously, through the scattered Red Clothes and White Clothes communication channels, Rao Yaoyao's commanding voice rang out.

Everyone understood.

With the emergence of the Sky City, nothing else could compare in terms of scale or severity.

"Senior Shouye..."

At the square table, after looking up in shock, the group of Red Clothes turned their gaze towards Shouye, who sat before them.

Without a doubt,

The most crucial task now was to follow Sword Immortal Rao's orders and have everyone fall back to defend Yunlun Shanmai.

Because they had all seen that the Sky City's final landing point was in the north.

And the Shengshen Diantang's arrangements, prepared months in advance, were also located in the north.

However, due to the Sky City's summoning, the timeline had been forcibly accelerated by about a month.

Now, looking back at the personnel drawn from the trade fair, it was fair to say they had been completely caught off guard.

Summoning the Sky City...

This method was unheard of!

Yet, as the saying goes, it's not too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been stolen.

Even though the Sky City had been summoned, whether it could truly descend remained uncertain.

Retreating now would at least help stabilize the deteriorating situation at Yunlun Shanmai.

So, the Red Clothes quickly grasped this and directed their final request for approval to Shouye.

Shouye was now in a difficult position.

He was fairly certain that the Xu Shao in front of him was most likely Xu Xiaoshou.

But at this critical moment, such a mess had occurred...

Coincidence?

"Senior."

At this point, Xu Xiaoshou seemed to snap out of his daze and said hesitantly, "What's going on with this Sky City? Is Wangcheng still in danger?"

Shouye turned back and stared at him for a long time.

Even though he believed deep down that Xu Xiaoshou could cause trouble, he didn't think the boy was capable of this.

So, was it really just a coincidence?

After pondering for a while, Shouye sighed: "Regarding the trial of Xu Shao, we'll set it aside for now. We will meet again later."

With that, he turned around.

"All of you, head to Yunlun Shanmai immediately!"

Whoosh—whoosh.

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't even had time to say goodbye.

The figures of the Red Clothes vanished in a hurry.

"Xu—Xu—Xu Shao, is it over?"

At that moment, Xiao Wanfeng looked at the Red Clothes team that had arrived suddenly and disappeared just as abruptly, stammering as he spoke.

At that time, with the domain gone, the two of them plus a square table were just standing out in the open on the main street.

Passersby, after recovering from their fear of the Sky City's descent, couldn't help but be puzzled by the sight of the two.

"What's going on?"

"In broad daylight, setting up a table for tea right here?"

"Hey! Isn't that Xu Shao from Tian Shang First Tower? So relaxed... The Sky City has appeared, and he's still in the mood for tea?"

"Hey, Xu Shao, aren't you going to get involved with the Sky City?"

People chattered away.

Some bolder ones, having seen Xu Shao's actions at the Chaosheng Square before, knew this successor of the Semi-Sage had no airs, and they even joked with him on the spot.

"The Sky City? I don't have the ability to get involved."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled and waved to the crowd, then turned back to signal Xiao Wanfeng to pack up the table.

With the Eight Venerables pulling off something like this and saving him from the fire, how could he possibly go and stir up more trouble?

"Void Island..."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered.

This time, the Sky City's appearance was too sudden; no one from any side had been prepared.

In such a situation, the Shengshen Diantang, with its months of prior arrangements, was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary.

So, Xu Xiaoshou not only had no intention of getting involved but also wanted to stay far away.

He hadn't received any instructions to participate in Void Island matters; his task from the Saint Slave was simply to cause disruption in Dongtian Wangcheng.

He wasn't about to wade into this murky water just yet!

Most importantly, Xu Xiaoshou felt that even if the Eight Venerables had summoned Void Island, they might not have the time to guide it to land at Yunlun Shanmai.

Because Rao Yaoyao definitely wouldn't give them that opportunity.

So, in essence,

This appearance of Void Island was just the Eight Venerables putting a more perfect end to the Wangcheng affair.

And conveniently, drawing the Shengshen Diantang, as well as all the Red Clothes and White Clothes, back to Yunlun Shanmai.

If anyone thought the descent of this sacred secret place, the Sky City, was an opportunity to intervene, they would likely end up being counterattacked by Rao Yaoyao's forces upon their return, losing everything—including their underwear.

"Let's go!"

"Back to Tian Shang First Tower!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't hesitate and made his decision instantly.

His people were in the Yuanfu.

If Liu Changqing managed to escape in the end, he should return to Tian Shang First Tower.

Only by getting back to his base, with the Bagua Chaosheng Diagram and Mei Si Ren holding the fort,

Could Xu Xiaoshou truly feel confident that even if Shouye came back and suspected him again, he wouldn't find a shred of evidence?

Whoosh—whoosh.

The wind howled.

In the skies above Wangcheng, at that moment, too many Red Clothes and White Clothes abandoned their tasks and raced northward.

Everyone knew that Yunlun Shanmai was an overt scheme.

Perhaps by the time they arrived, they wouldn't even find the culprit.

But there was no choice in the matter.

The Sky City couldn't appear before the Wangcheng trial.

Otherwise, this Dongtian Realm's Wangcheng trial would be utterly ruined.

And the Wangcheng trial was tied to the Shenggong selection.

That would mean Dongtian Realm would lose out on numerous promising candidates for the Shenggong selection.

No faction would accept that.

The Shengshen Diantang couldn't bear such pressure either.

So, the Sky City had to be stopped from descending—no matter what.

Above the central district,

Shouye led a group of Red Clothes charging forward.

It was precisely because of concerns like these that he had immediately set out to support Yunlun Shanmai.

But as soon as he turned back,

Honestly, Shouye regretted it right away.

Whether Xu Shao was indeed Xu Xiaoshou, strictly speaking, was something only he had judged with about seventy to eighty percent certainty in his heart.

But these were just gut feelings.

Even if he voiced them, they wouldn't count as evidence.

Without solid proof, an ordinary person could be taken straight to the Red Clothes prison for interrogation, but a Semi-Sage successor was untouchable.

So, with this turn, Shouye knew he was missing the best chance to verify Xu Xiaoshou's identity.

Perhaps... this was the only opportunity!

"Xu Xiaoshou isn't someone who shows his flaws easily..."

Almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, Shouye suddenly realized.

If he let Xu Shao return to Tian Shang First Tower and regroup, he might not find even a trace of a clue later.

Shouye was a decisive man.

Once he thought of this, he halted mid-air.

"Senior?"

The Red Clothes following behind nearly collided with him, exclaiming in surprise.

"Yunlun Shanmai won't miss me; one more or one less doesn't matter. You all go ahead and provide support. I have another matter that needs urgent verification." Shouye declared firmly.

"But Sword Immortal Rao's order was to assemble immediately..."

"No buts!"

The more he was challenged, the clearer Shouye's thoughts became.

The matter of Xu Xiaoshou could be seen as minor or major.

He believed that even if Rao Yaoyao were here now, she wouldn't understand why he, Shouye, would make such a choice.

After all, between a mere Saint Slave junior and the Sky City, which was more significant was obvious at a glance.

But having witnessed Xu Xiaoshou's growth firsthand, Shouye knew that from his rise to now, it had only been a few months.

This rate of growth was terrifying!

Back at the Bai Ku, the kid was still fleeing in panic everywhere.

In the battle at the Eight Palaces, he hadn't even gotten a chance to act.

But here in Wangcheng...

Xu Xiaoshou could already take down a Tai Xu and blow up an entire city.

From start to finish, that was just about a month, right?

If he were allowed to continue unchecked, once Xu Xiaoshou gained momentum, no one would be able to stop him!

"You all go north; I'll act alone." Shouye issued the order seriously.

"But Senior, we know you want to..."

"Execute it!"

"...Yes!"

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh. The Red Clothes behind him disappeared.

In the Red Clothes ranks, a superior's command was not to be disobeyed.

Shouye hovered in the air, sensing the figure in the central district heading back to Tian Shang First Tower, lost in thought for a long while.

Then, he opened his domain, removed his red robe, and changed into black attire along with a mask.

"Xu Shao?"

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

"I refuse to believe this superstition!"

In the central district,

Dark clouds obscured the sun.

With the massive city looming overhead,

But aside from the initial panic, everyone had started to carry on with their normal lives calmly.

Because there was no use panicking.

The pressure from the overhead city was immense if it were to fall, but Wangcheng clearly wouldn't let that happen.

And the Sky City's descent would take a lot of time.

The Wangcheng's spirit refiners, aside from waiting, had no power to pull down the city above.

So, even though this city-over-city scenario blocked out the sky like the end of the world, with even the heavens seeming to collapse,

The spirit refiners, accustomed to such sights, besides maintaining their daily routines, had nothing else to do.

On the street, two figures moved slowly through the bustling crowd.

Xiao Wanfeng held a teapot, continuously refilling Xu Shao's teacup, while chattering nonstop.

"Xu Shao, this Sky City is full of mysteries. Yunlun Shanmai has been heavily fortified by the Shengshen Diantang for a long time, partly to prevent the Sky City from descending early and delaying the Wangcheng trial."

"Now that it's happening, I think it's man-made."

"Someone must have taken advantage of last night's bombing by Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou to fan the flames and seize the Sky City!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't respond.

He held his teacup, deep in thought, his mind clearly not on the same wavelength as Xiao Wanfeng.

Shouye had left.

But why was there still this faint sense of unease?

Was there still danger?

"Xu Shao?"

Seeing Xu Shao remain silent and lost in thought, Xiao Wanfeng assumed his speculation had set Xu Shao thinking, so he continued:

"Xu Shao, I think the Sky City has the legend of the 'Feng Sheng Daoji,' but with the Shengshen Diantang's defenses so strong, it's obviously to ward off enemies and keep people out."

"In other words, a gimmick like 'Feng Sheng Daoji'—if it could really achieve 'sealing the sage,' the Sky City should be open to all. Why keep it so secretive?"

"I feel there's a trap in this!"

"But it's still 'Feng Sheng Daoji'... Xu Shao, are you really not going to get involved?"

Xiao Wanfeng subconsciously wanted to nudge Xu Xiaoshou's elbow but didn't dare.

Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

Xiao Wanfeng's words faded into the background.

The pedestrians on the street grew more illusory in his eyes.

That throbbing sense of unease grew stronger.

"Something's wrong!"

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't foolish.

The "Perception" ability had saved his life many times.

In this spirit refining world, one had to believe in such mysticism.

But for the moment, he couldn't pinpoint where the danger was coming from, which made him anxious.

"That's right, I'm a Zongshi now!"

A flash of insight struck his mind, and Xu Xiaoshou felt reassured.

He glanced at his information panel.

"Passive points: 1,769,455."

Originally, he had planned to wait until things stabilized and return to Tian Shang First Tower before using these over a million points to upgrade his passive skills in one go.

Then, with the enhanced strength of "Semi-Sage Successor Xu Gotie," create a stark contrast with his Zongshi-level "Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou," fully separating the two identities.

But now, this sense of crisis made him feel he couldn't wait any longer.

"Perception!"

"Upgrade Perception first!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't hesitate and spent 100,000 passive points to directly upgrade the "Perception" passive skill.

"Perception (Zongshi lv.1)."

"Perception (Wangzuo lv.1)."

The passive skill level jumped ten tiers, reaching the Wangzuo level.

Unlike the more subdued and restrained effect after "Concealment" reached Wangzuo,

The Wangzuo-level "Perception" practically amplified the scenes Xu Xiaoshou could glimpse in his mind tenfold.

At Zongshi lv.1, "Perception" had a range of ten li.

Within the Zongshi level, each upgrade increased the range by one li.

But upon reaching Wangzuo, it was a qualitative leap!

Xu Xiaoshou felt as if the world had shrunk.

His "Perception" range directly expanded to a hundred li!

In that instant, Xu Xiaoshou realized why, at the Wangzuo level, events in the east of the city could be instantly detected by Wangzuo experts dozens of li away in the west.

And why Zhandao could overlook the entire city.

Because of the "Dao"!

Yes, the Wangzuo-level "Perception" not only boosted his range but also presented the elements and Dao principles of the heavens and earth in a clear, vivid way directly to the user.

This was incredibly powerful!

And beyond that,

The source of the unease he hadn't detected before became crystal clear once "Perception" hit Wangzuo level.

A shadowy figure, hidden in the void Dao principles and unseen by others, was hurtling toward him at light speed, sword in hand, from the north.

"Under attack, passive points +1."

Beside him, Xiao Wanfeng suddenly turned toward the direction of the invisible shadow, not seeing anything with his eyes, but his whole body broke out in goosebumps.

"Xu Shao, watch out—there's an assassin!"

He shouted in alarm and shoved.

Thud!

Xiao Wanfeng felt a massive force strike back.

He couldn't push Xu Xiaoshou; instead, he was flung back himself, as if he'd touched a porcupine, his hands covered in blood.

Xiao Wanfeng was stunned.

On the other side, Xu Xiaoshou had no time for that.

He first wondered who the assassin was.

But the familiar power of the attacker... and the extremely sharp mental reaction brought by reaching the Wangzuo level,

Allowed Xu Xiaoshou to make a judgment in an instant.

"It's Shouye, returning to strike—posing as an assassin to pierce my physical body, feel the power related to 'Xu Xiaoshou,' and verify my identity..."

Buzz—

The ring on his finger trembled as if to fly out and protect him.

"Ma ma..."

From his chest, A Jie murmured, about to transform and punch out.

But Xu Xiaoshou quickly stopped everything.

Shouye wasn't here to kill.

He was here for final verification.

If these things belonging to Xu Xiaoshou appeared, then Xu Gotie would be sunk, no matter what!

He couldn't use Instant Shift.

His signature Disappear technique was even more forbidden.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth, deciding to directly activate his Wangzuo body and rely on the "Shengti" defense to withstand the strike,

Clang—

A figure suddenly dropped from the sky.

With two fingers, it clamped down on Shouye's Zhandao-level dark sword.