Chapter 792: North Tai Xiang Xu Family in the Northern Region, Groundless Talk

"Can you stop repeating my words?"

"I'm not repeating your words, Senior Brother Two. I'm learning... Senior Brother Two, are you jealous that I broke through before you did? Hehehe."

"Senior Brother One, aren't you going to control Junior Brother?"

"Senior Brother One, Senior Brother Two is being mean to me!"

"You're rebelling! Do you still see me as your Senior Brother Two?!"

"No, I... I meant I wasn't rebelling..."

The bickering from behind was driving him crazy.

The leading swordsman in green, holding a sword, rubbed his forehead and looked back: "Are you two ever going to stop? Has arguing all this way not been enough? By all accounts, both of you could be kings in the outside world, yet you're still bickering like children?"

"Senior Brother One, we're sorry.""Senior Brother One, we're sorry."

"Alright, you've grown wings now, haven't you? You don't even see me as your Senior Brother Two anymore, do you?!"

"Senior Brother Two, you're sorry too."

"Now that's more like it!"

Gu Qingyi, the swordsman holding the sword: "..."

The three brothers were, of course, the three brothers from the Sword Tomb.

Ever since their last trip to the White Cave, where they prepared for the Fierce Sword, fought a near-death battle with the Four-Sword contenders on the Sword Departure Plains, but ultimately missed the Fierce Sword, their master had remotely retrieved them with immense power back to the Sword Tomb headquarters. They had not participated in, nor were they aware of, any subsequent events. Their mission was halfway complete when their master suddenly forced them to stop, naturally leaving the three brothers bewildered.

They could have still contended for the Four Swords; Gu Qingyi hadn't even made his move yet, so there was still a chance to secure the mission objective. However, Junior Brother was severely injured, and none of them were particularly concerned about seizing the sword anymore. Later, after the White Cave incident concluded and news spread, the three realized that they no longer needed to contend for the Four Swords. During the battle in the Eight Palaces, an Eighth Sword Immortal was rumored to have appeared.

Outsiders might not believe it, but the three brothers knew the relationship between their master and the Eighth Sword Immortal. If Eight-Venerate An hadn't wanted to personally retrieve the Four Swords, there would have been no need for them to fight to the death, only to be suddenly forced to abort their mission and be taken home. But precisely because the mission was terminated, they remained unaware of many subsequent events.

Naturally, the three brothers couldn't connect the so-called "Holy Servant Xu Xiaoshou" with the "Xu Xiaoshou" they already knew.

"Senior Rao Yaoyao is a Seven Sword Immortal. If that Holy Servant Xu Xiaoshou can block the Red Dust Sword, it means he can withstand one of our master's strikes."

"If that truly is the Xu Xiaoshou we know, then he must have been possessed." Gu Qingyi, holding his sword, analyzed softly.

Precisely because their master, Wen Ting, was one of the Seven Sword Immortals, they understood better than anyone how terrifying the Seven Sword Immortals were. For Holy Servant Xu Xiaoshou to withstand a blow from a Seven Sword Immortal, he'd need at least a Way-Cutting cultivation, wouldn't he? As for the rumor that Holy Servant Xu Xiaoshou was a junior of the Innate realm... Haha! If an Innate could withstand a blow from a Seven Sword Immortal, what would be the point of cultivation realms like Grandmaster or Sovereign? Even Eight-Venerate An couldn't have withstood a blow from a Seven Sword Immortal when he was in the Innate realm! Legends are just for amusement.

"If not that Xu Xiaoshou, then who?" Gu Qingsan also doubted the rumors. He had fought Xu Xiaoshou before and knew his capabilities. "If that guy could withstand a strike from Rao Yaoyao, wouldn't that mean Senior Brother One could slay a Sword Immortal?"

"Overthinking is pointless. Our top priority is to secure a spot in the Imperial City Trial." Gu Qing'er, carrying the Nine Sword Wheel, also analyzed the mission: "Master said the Void Island is an opportunity. Not only Senior Brother One, but Junior Brother and I are also qualified to participate this time. Others need to bring seniors, but we don't."

"Indeed!" Gu Qingyi nodded. "This is not just my opportunity; with your improved strength, you can both contend. However, the difficulty of this mission has risen sharply. Our competitors will be at least Way-Cutting cultivators, and even Grand-Void cultivators are normal."

The three's expressions turned solemn. The Sacred Foundation. Those genuinely drawn to it would be individuals qualified to become saints. Such individuals are either at the peak of Grand-Void, just a step away from breakthrough, or possess extraordinary talent, capable of glimpsing the threshold of the Saint Path while in the Sovereign Dao Realm or Way-Cutting Realm. If they acquire a "Sacred Foundation," they are bound to become Half-Saints in due time.

Rumors say the Void Island holds a "Sacred Foundation" and also great terror. Outsiders didn't know if these two claims were true, but the Gu brothers knew, because their master had confirmed it. The "Sacred Foundation" was real, and the great terror was real. However, to seize the opportunity, one needed both strength and fortune.

Thinking this, Gu Qingyi, the swordsman, waved his hand, saying nothing more.

"Let's go. First, we'll go through the formalities at the Heavenly Net Arena. Remember not to damage our harmony if you fight."

"Then, we'll visit Sword Immortal Rao at the Holy Divine Palace. She just returned from the Cloud-Dwelling Mountain Range and must have sensed our presence."

"Finally, we heard Mr. Si Ren is at the First Tower in the Sky. We must visit him as well; etiquette cannot be overlooked."

Gu Qing'er and Gu Qingsan nodded and trotted along behind. Both of them had made breakthroughs. However, Senior Brother One's cultivation progressed at an astonishing rate; now, even they didn't know what realm he had reached. The only certainty was that the Sovereign Trial was just a formality. The main event still lay on the Void Island. Among their peers, the three of them had no rivals.

At this point, Junior Brother Gu Qingsan's eyes darted around, and he asked curiously, "By the way, Sword Immortal Rao and Mr. Si Ren seemed to have made a move that night, didn't they? Legends say they were still only at the Sword Immortal and Grand-Void realms. Does this mean our master has already taken a half-step lead...?"

Gu Qing'er glared back and reprimanded him, "Shut up! You yourself said it's a legend. Can you trust legends? Besides, are the Seven Sword Immortals people you can discuss so casually?"

Gu Qingsan shrugged. "Just curious. What do you say, Senior Brother One?"

Gu Qingyi, the swordsman, didn't even pause his steps, saying indifferently, "If you have that much free time, you'd be better off thinking about how you'll fight back if you encounter the person who defeated you again."

Gu Qingsan chuckled. His strength had already made a qualitative leap during the sword seizure incident, turning misfortune into a blessing and achieving profound cultivation. Otherwise, how would he dare to talk back to Senior Brother Two?

"This Xu Xiaoshou isn't that Holy Servant Xu Xiaoshou who can withstand a Sword Immortal. To be blunt, he's just so-so. I'm a Sword Dao Sovereign now; beating him is like crushing an ant!" Gu Qingsan puffed out his chest and held his head high. His dream was to talk back to Senior Brother Two, then Senior Brother One, and finally his master, seizing his Seven Sword Immortal title. Just thinking about it made him happy.

Gu Qing'er nodded, expressionless: "Right, geniuses just stand still, only you are making progress."

Gu Qingsan's face stiffened. He held up five fingers: "Among my peers, those who can beat me now are no more than a hand... no, a mere..." He paused, then pressed down three fingers: "Just two!"

Gu Qing'er: "Hehe."

Gu Qingyi: "I hope so."

"Senior Brother Two, I want to fight you to the death again!" Junior Brother was enraged, feeling that since he had broken through a step earlier, he could now do it.

"You've died eighteen times already. I told you, next time I won't hold back." Gu Qing'er completely ignored his somewhat transformed junior brother.

"...Senior Brother One, Senior Brother Two is bullying me again, boo-hoo-hoo."

"Shut up!"

"Oh."

***

Holy Divine Palace, Council Hall.

Cheng Ji sat at the head seat. As the Branch Hall Master, his status dictated that he neither needed nor could yield his position to others. However, this clearly didn't prevent him from setting up a side seat for Sword Immortal Rao, renowned throughout the continent, a seat no smaller than the main one.

Seated on the side seat, Rao Yaoyao actually paid no mind to such formalities. Once the dozen or so leaders in the hall had assembled, she immediately got to the point.

"Three matters." Rao Yaoyao tapped the armrest of the side seat and spoke indifferently: "The defenses in the Cloud-Dwelling Mountain Range are complete. From now until the end of the Imperial City Trial, no one is permitted to withdraw any defensive forces from the Cloud-Dwelling Mountain Range, in any form."

Everyone responded, "Understood!"

No one dared to glance at Hall Master Cheng Ji. Cheng Ji sat in the main seat, but his expression was awkward. The Imperial City Night Battle, the vast net, had been his idea. In terms of process, this battle had indeed dismantled the dark schemes of major dark forces, bringing them all to light. Undoubtedly, his strategy was incredibly precise, even precise enough to uncover other dark forces they hadn't considered facing after the Void Island's arrival. But precisely because it was *too* precise, the outcome was somewhat unbearable. Because, solely in terms of results, the Holy Divine Palace gained almost nothing from this battle.

If the battle had concluded in the Imperial City, his vast net could have reaped immense credit. However, the mysterious figure in the Cloud-Dwelling Mountain Range made a subsequent move, summoning the Void Island, forcing everyone to fall back defensively. This led to the final outcome being... All the cooked ducks flew away, not a single one remaining!

The idea was Cheng Ji's. The combat leader was Rao Yaoyao. Therefore, in terms of merits and demerits for this battle, Cheng Ji had great merit, but Rao Yaoyao had a great demerit! This demerit even surpassed the massive demerit incurred by Gou Wuyue when he led the Eight Palaces, resulting in the loss of seven hundred white-robed cultivators! So many substantial achievements had surfaced; one could say they were all within reach, ready to be netted. But in the end, all the fruits drifted away! To describe Rao Yaoyao as "incompetent" in this battle would not be an overstatement.

However, everyone knew that the summoning of the Void Island was too fantastical. No one had anticipated it, catching everyone off guard. In all the world, there had been almost no one capable of achieving such a feat before. Now everyone knew, because Dao Qiongcang, the Hall Master of the Holy Divine Palace headquarters in the Central Region, had personally responded. In this world, there truly was one person who could command both the Black and White lineages of the Void Island, making everyone obey his sole command; and with immense power, manipulate the Void Island's main body to summon it and make it descend at a designated point.

—Eight-Venerate An!

"Both the Black and White lineages regard Eight-Venerate An as their sovereign!"

Outsiders could not know the internal situation of the Void Island; Dao Qiongcang obtained this information after paying a great price to peek into the heavenly secrets. What even a Saint Emperor couldn't accomplish, that man, who wasn't even a Half-Saint, had done! Unbelievable. Unimaginable. But, now that things had come to this, with a definitive outcome, everyone could only look forward.

Rao Yaoyao, serving to atone for her demerits, continued to execute the subsequent mission. Cheng Ji's merits and rewards would be settled after the Imperial City Trial concluded.

Therefore, this led to an awkward situation. Rao Yaoyao had been outmaneuvered by Eight-Venerate An, yet she couldn't blame Cheng Ji. After all, what Cheng Ji said was true; her final retreat was due to her own lack of preparation. However, bearing a major demerit was also true, so Rao Yaoyao could only accept the punishment with great frustration and continue her mission.

Cheng Ji had gained great merit, but now he was terrified that Rao Yaoyao might turn around and decapitate him with a single sword stroke. After all, the Imperial City Night Battle had started because he believed there was a loophole to exploit, a vast net that could capture all dark forces. The snowball began to roll... It grew bigger and bigger, and the behind-the-scenes situation became increasingly unnerving, eventually even disrupting Rao Yaoyao's plans, forcing her to act prematurely. As a result, a single misstep led to him not only losing to Eight-Venerate An but also causing Rao Yaoyao to incur a demerit. This was the most terrifying part!

"I laid out the plan, I only made one mistake, yet I gained great merit while another person took the blame..."

If their statuses were equal, Cheng Ji would dare to assert that he was the strongest mastermind in the world, and this battle could make him famous throughout history, as few on this continent could achieve such accomplishments. But they weren't. He was merely a Branch Hall Master of the Holy Divine Palace. If Rao Yaoyao truly wanted to blame him, one sword strike would be enough, and headquarters wouldn't even be able to stop her. Trembling with fear. Treading on thin ice. This was the truest depiction of Cheng Ji's inner state at that moment.

Fortunately, Rao Yaoyao didn't care about these things and certainly had no intention of blaming Cheng Ji. All the impotent rage stemmed from her own lack of strength. She wouldn't exercise the right to decapitate Cheng Ji with a sword, even though she knew that if she beheaded Cheng Ji, headquarters wouldn't even dare utter a single word of reproach.

"Second matter." Rao Yaoyao continued with the main topic: "The Imperial City Night Battle was not without gains. My covert operatives have tracked the approximate movements of the major forces that surfaced then and are maintaining constant surveillance. If anyone fails this task, bring me your head."

Bringing one's head was irrelevant. After all, losing one's head wouldn't mean death. The most important thing was... Covert operatives? Everyone was surprised. The forces that truly surfaced in that Imperial City battle were top-tier masterminds of the continent. Even if Sword Immortal Rao personally acted as a covert operative, she might risk exposing the target. She still had people under her who hadn't appeared, people who could track these individuals' movements discreetly and unnoticed? Who?! Everyone was extremely curious, but no one dared to ask.

Since Sword Immortal Rao could provide such clues, subsequent surveillance was a minor matter. The people in the hall still responded in unison.

"Understood!"

Cheng Ji breathed a sigh of relief. So, Sword Immortal Rao still had a trick up her sleeve? Impressive! In that case, the Imperial City battle wasn't entirely fruitless after all. At the very least, they had understood the networks and origins of the major dark forces. This was too important; it could even influence the subsequent course of battle.

Rao Yaoyao tilted her head and looked at Cheng Ji, who was deep in thought. Her red lips parted: "As for the major forces recently drawn to the Imperial City by the Sky City, I trust you know what to do; I don't need to remind you."

"Naturally." Cheng Ji nodded; he had already made arrangements.

"Good." Rao Yaoyao continued, "Then, for the last matter, how is the investigation into the First Tower in the Sky progressing?"

Cheng Ji raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Sword Immortal Rao to specifically focus on such a new force during such a crucial meeting. However, recalling what Chu Lisheng had told him after the trade fair—Red Cloak's speculation about the First Tower in the Sky—he felt certain and had a direction.

"Elder Chu."

Chu Lisheng stepped forward, composed and clearly well-prepared. He looked around, his voice solemn and serious, stating earnestly:

"Hall Master Cheng, Senior Rao, over the past few days, I have sent people to thoroughly investigate."

"In the Northern Region, there is only one major city named Taixiang; there is also only one minor city, properly named Tairang, which some might mispronounce as Taixiang; additionally, there is a Taixiang Plain stretching over three thousand miles. These three are completely unrelated. Beyond these, there are no other places connected to 'Taixiang'. Finally, among the Half-Saint forces, none are named 'Xu'."

Chu Lisheng's expression became stern. He scoffed, "In conclusion, the 'Xu family of Taixiang in the Northern Region' is pure nonsense!"