Chapter 837: Negative Gate Inheritance, Three Swords Break Body

Rong Dahao was furious.

He had never imagined that his desperate struggle for survival would actually attract the attention of Xu Shao.

This kind of "talent recruitment" was precisely the last thing Rong Dahao wanted.

From the beginning, I had no intention of associating with demons and beasts.

"Damn it all!" Rong Dahao let out a sharp cry, flicking his sleeve as the Zongshi behind him charged forward in unison.

"Good!"

Xu Shao praised with a smile, extending an invitation, "That's the spirit! You're courageous, but I appreciate your audacity even more. Join my Xu Bang, and your abilities will be fully utilized!"

Rong Dahao said nothing.

The twenty-eight Zongshi behind him charged out in perfect coordination, and he wondered just how far this Xu Shao could go.

"Bring it on!"

Xu Shao drew his hidden blade into the air, still full of admiration, then sheathed his sword with a quick movement.

Rong Dahao: "???"

He was stunned.

What did that mean?

"Has this guy lost his mind?" Rong Dahao's face showed complete shock.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The twenty-eight Zongshi, without exception, all soared through the air.

At that moment, they all felt the blatant contempt emanating from Xu Shao.

This guy didn't take them seriously at all.

"Kill!!!"

"Wave Devouring the Heavens!"

"Devour Yuan Slash!"

"Golden Phoenix Cry Gun!"

Twenty-eight streaks of light, each displaying a Zongshi Ling Ji in dazzling colors—some appearing as elemental shadows, others as phantoms of ancient beasts—rushed towards the smiling young man from all directions.

Xu Shao remained completely relaxed, casually saying, "Let the sword qi fly for a while."

In the prisoner camp, the nine Zongshi closed their eyes in tears, flashes of painful memories appearing in their minds.

Back then, they had been just as arrogant, assuming Xu Shao's action meant he couldn't counter.

But now, as Zongshi prisoners, they knew that the moves they couldn't understand, these twenty-eight new Zongshi also couldn't understand.

If those newcomers could understand it, they wouldn't be in the second or third squads—they would be leading the zero or first squads.

Among everyone, the only one who sensed the impending danger during the charge was Lei Ze, the leader of the zero squad.

He unleashed his attack, but a sudden coldness spread across his back, a chill creeping up his neck that filled him with dread.

Yet, before he could react...

Xu Shao's sword was already sheathed!

"Watch out!" Lei Ze roared.

Rong Dahao, as a bystander not directly under attack, didn't sense the danger immediately. It was only after his initial shock that he realized... Xu Shao had already drawn his sword.

"Watch out!"

Rong Dahao also shouted loudly.

But it was too late.

Just as the twenty-eight Zongshi closed in on Xu Shao, the void erupted with a series of explosions.

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

Each of the twenty-eight Zongshi was struck by a white Jian Qi. The qi wasn't overwhelmingly powerful—it precisely shattered their protective Gang Yuan and defensive Ling Ji.

However, it was incredibly precise, breaking through each person's unique defenses without even tearing their clothes.

Hiss!

Gasps echoed through the void.

Everyone present was a genius and could see the intricacies of that sword strike.

All the Zongshi's Ling Ji were instantly destroyed and halted, leaving the Zongshi frozen in mid-air, staring at their own bodies in shocked disbelief.

"This level of control..."

"What is this?"

Rong Dahao was also dumbfounded.

What kind of sword technique was this?

Facing twenty-eight Zongshi, who could instantly gauge everyone's defensive strength and break through them one by one?

And what kind of speed was this?

After being attacked first by the twenty-eight Zongshi, he could still counter with a single strike that stopped everyone in their tracks?

"My heavens!"

In the Xu Bang camp, the Five Tiger Generals stared in wide-eyed astonishment.

They were close enough, and as fellow Zongshi, they had prepared themselves to understand Xu Shao's sword. They saw it more clearly than anyone.

But precisely because they saw it so clearly—the Jian Qi vanishing into the void and flashing at each enemy's neck—they realized just how formidable Xu Shao's sword was!

"Is this the power of a Jian Dao Wang Zuo?"

"Even if someone trained sword techniques from birth, they couldn't reach this level, could they?"

Jian Xiu from the central domain were rare, and ancient Jian Xiu even rarer.

To all the Ling Lian Shi from outside the eastern domain, ancient Jian Xiu were simply mythical legends. At first, they didn't believe that ancient Jian Xiu could be unbeatable in their era or fearless against groups.

Figures like the Seven Sword Immortals were just cases of survivor bias—they were the exceptions!

But after witnessing Xu Shao's single sword strike...

"I'm convinced." Tai Xing shook his head in awe. "I dare say, not even a Wang Zuo could react to this, and it seems like just a casual swing from him?"

"It really does..." Zhu Dong picked up his dropped jaw, his eyes full of shock. "His sword completely masters the Dao rules, like a fleeting antelope—seamless and natural. Forget tracing it—if you're not paying attention, you won't even know when he drew it!"

"Genius!" Mo Beibei exclaimed.

"Monster!" Xi Guanghan agreed.

"He showed off so much it hurts my balls. Damn!" Zhao Xiu from the prisoner camp wasn't one for flowery language—he just cursed outright.

"Received fear, passive value +24."

"Received admiration, passive value +846."

In the void, Xu Shao stood with his hidden blade at his side, smiling after halting the twenty-eight Zongshi with one strike. "So, what do you think? I only used one-tenth of my strength."

He held up one finger, grinning.

Even knowing this might be a bluff, the twenty-eight Zongshi felt a shiver down their spines.

One-tenth of his strength?

They didn't know if it was really one-tenth.

But seeing how effortlessly he held back, they all realized that if that strike had been even a little stronger, there might be twenty-eight heads rolling on the ground right now.

"How can he be this strong?"

"We had no defense at all—are all ancient Jian Xiu this terrifying?"

"If he strikes first and we don't defend in time, we're in real danger!"

The twenty-eight Zongshi panicked.

Lei Ze swallowed hard, touching the chill on his neck where a faint blood mark lingered.

He was shocked and corrected his comrades' mistake.

"He's not striking first—he's countering!"

The noise died down, and silence fell over everything.

After his words, the Zongshi in the void all stepped back half a pace.

Xu Shao's presence had already been overwhelmingly intense.

Now, after that single sword strike, his figure with the sword at his side seemed to grow into a towering giant in their eyes.

That aura was utterly unstoppable!

Like gods gazing down—how could mere ants dare to block the way?

Xu Shao waited a moment, and seeing no response, he knew that one strike had left an indelible shadow in their hearts.

After all, his strike had been restrained.

But the Wang Zuo-level "Qi Swallowing Mountains and Rivers," combined with that dominant stance, had branded itself deeply into everyone's minds—that was truly unforgettable!

In short,

Even if Xu Shao stood still now, these people probably wouldn't dare to draw their swords against him.

Just as he had faced that towering giant in "Qi Swallowing Mountains and Rivers," Xu Shao knew how hard it was to muster the courage against such a god-like being!

"Will you surrender?"

Xu Shao turned away from the twenty-eight Zongshi and looked at Rong Dahao.

To be honest, the only one here he truly respected was this little fatty.

"Surrender?" Rong Dahao gritted his teeth so hard his back molars ached. He wanted to retreat, but behind him was a bottomless abyss—one step back, and he would be doomed.

"Better to shatter as jade than live as tile!"

With another thunderous shout, the twenty-eight Zongshi under Rong's faction showed a glimmer of clarity in their eyes.

But now, no one dared to echo him or draw their swords.

"I'll fight you myself!"

Rong Dahao stepped out alone.

He had no choice—he had to act, even if his opponent was incredibly powerful, with no way out.

"Tai Xu successor, right?" Xu Shao smiled slyly, spreading his hands. "I've already defeated one before."

That earlier strike was just him casually testing his insights from "Jian Shu Proficiency."

It was powerful, sure.

But essentially, it was built on Xu Shao's own solid foundation.

Constant exposure to swords made the intent flourish.

Even a simple Flying Flower style could pierce anything.

That was all!

But this Tai Xu successor, Rong Dahao, gave Xu Shao a unique feeling—different from the average Zongshi.

"Come on!" Xu Shao shouted, eager to use Rong Dahao to test just how far his own cultivation had advanced.

As Rong Dahao leaped into the air, his Qi Hai Ling Yuan surged, and a massive, ancient gate shadow appeared behind him.

The moment the ancient shadow manifested, his body seemed to pierce through the void, turning translucent like glass, allowing glimpses of the mountains and grass beyond.

"Is that an illusion, a movement technique, or some spatial art?"

Xu Shao was surprised, running through various theories in his mind. To verify, one sword would suffice.

"Drawing Sword Style!"

He sank his body and drew his sword with his right hand.

With a soft "click," others only saw the black sword, Hidden Bitterness, as if it had been sheathed.

Then, several li away, a tremendous Jian Qi shot up, blasting into the mountain and toppling its peak sideways.

Hiss!

The twenty-eight watching Zongshi were terrified.

This strike's power was at least five times stronger than the last!

"Brother Hao, he's not dead, is he?"

Everyone watched anxiously, but Rong Dahao, who had been run through by the sword, looked completely unharmed and kept advancing.

His speed was blistering.

As he raced like the wind, everyone could see him muttering incantations with his hands forming seals, fluttering like butterflies.

"Xuan Zhong Ancient Gate, open!"

Rong Dahao roared, and the ancient gate shadow behind him turned pitch black, becoming incredibly heavy.

An aura of bearing the weight of the world and mountains emanated, and suddenly, the ground within ten zhang of Xu Shao sank, collapsing into a deep abyss.

"Received heavy pressure, passive value +1."

Xu Shao's Wang Zuo body, enhanced by passive skills, still felt the force slamming him into the ground.

"What kind of technique is this?" He was astonished.

This move produced almost no Ling Yuan fluctuations when activated.

It was as if the guy was more like a humanoid beast, simply unleashing his bloodline ability, unrelated to Ling Lian Dao.

"Xuan Zhong Ancient Gate?"

"Heavy gravity pressure?"

In the deep pit, the void twisted wildly.

Xu Shao's clothes were pressed tightly against his skin, even his facial muscles being pulled downward.

If he didn't tense his lower eyelids, gravity would drag them down, making it look like his eyeballs might fall out.

"Interesting."

Xu Shao found it amusing.

This was a first for him—not an elemental Ling Ji, but more like the exclusive inheritance of a Tai Xu successor.

"Received heavy pressure, passive value +1."

"Received heavy pressure, passive value +1."

Notifications kept popping up.

Xu Shao assessed the pressure on himself, deducing that this gravity could crush an ordinary Zongshi's bones in an instant.

For him, though, it was like swallowing a barely effective Ember Glow fire seed.

Besides adding a passive value point per second, any damage was instantly "converted" and healed by "Everlasting."

"Not bad. This little fatty might be the first Zongshi to give me attack-based passive value boosts," Xu Shao thought with delight.

Then, he drew his sword.

Whoosh!

A piercing sound rang out.

Hundreds of spectators outside focused their spiritual senses, not daring to blink.

In that instant, they were shocked to find that Xu Shao, who had been crushed by gravity to the point his eyeballs seemed ready to pop, drew his sword at full speed...

No reduction at all!

His original speed!

Still a sword so fast no one could react or see when it was drawn!

"Damn!" Rong Dahao cursed inwardly.

He had been waiting to see if his technique worked, to gauge the gap between them and decide his next move.

But he couldn't gauge anything!

Xuan Zhong Ancient Gate had no effect on this guy—it was like hitting air or cotton, not even slowing him down!

"Are you kidding? He's an ancient Jian Xiu, right? Isn't their physical weakness their biggest flaw—the most vulnerable part? What kind of monster is this?!"

While cursing in his mind, Rong Dahao saw Xu Shao draw his sword and quickly switched techniques.

His hands formed new seals, and his body turned translucent again.

Boom!

Hundreds of zhang away, another mountain peak was shattered.

Rong Dahao was sweating profusely. What kind of damage was that!

Invincible in body.

Invincible in swordplay.

Ancient Jian Xiu were supposed to be warriors, yet this Xu Shao could also deliver ranged attacks.

How was he supposed to fight?

A six-sided warrior with no weak points?

In the deep pit, Xu Shao slowly rose back into the air.

He stroked his chin, seeming to gain some insight, and raised an eyebrow. "It seems I've figured out how to fight you."

Rong Dahao's heart tightened.

Was that for real?

After just one technique, this guy had seen through his moves?

"The moment you make another move, you'll be defeated," Xu Shao said, staring at him with a chuckle.

Rong Dahao was on edge, unsure, but seeing Xu Shao standing firm with nearly a thousand people waiting silently, he felt a strange urgency, not realizing how much the momentum had affected him.

"Again!"

This time, Rong Dahao didn't charge forward. He formed seals on the spot.

In an instant, the ancient gate shadow behind him turned dark.

"Zhen Shen Ancient Gate!"

Rong Dahao shouted angrily, and from the sky, a massive ancient gate descended at lightning speed.

The gate was enormous, like a tower, with strange chains of void Dao rules at its corners. It appeared with a speed even more exaggerated than Xu Shao's sword draw.

The moment it materialized, it plummeted.

In the blink of an eye, it suppressed the void.

Boom!

As space shattered, everyone saw Xu Shao's figure being smashed into pieces by Zhen Shen Ancient Gate, turning into stardust.

"He's dead?"

The crowd's pupils contracted.

Swoosh.

At that moment, a soft sound of a sword piercing flesh came from Rong Dahao's position.

Everyone turned in unison and saw blood spraying.

Xu Shao was pressed against Rong Dahao's back, his elbow against the fatty's chest, and the Hidden Bitterness in his hand was already thrust into the latter's chest.

Blood splattered.

The sword pierced straight through!

"As I said, the moment you made your move, you would be defeated," Xu Shao said lightly, glancing at the towering Zhen Shen Ancient Gate that had shattered his afterimage, still feeling a lingering fear.

This technique was strong.

The Tai Xu successor lived up to his reputation.

He knew that if he had been hit directly, he would have been seriously injured.

But...

It was too slow!

The instant Rong Dahao moved his hands, Xu Shao had reacted. Their combat awareness was on completely different levels.

"If my guess is right, you do control spatial arts, or perhaps the spatial gate?" Xu Shao said, glancing sideways at the fatty with a teasing tone.

"However, it seems you're not quite skilled yet..."

"When you open one gate, the other has to close?"

Xu Shao eyed him mockingly.

Rong Dahao's eyes flashed with horror, blood spurting from his mouth as his vitality faded.

Had he really seen through it?

Looking down, his body, which had entered the spatial rules under "Liu Li Ancient Gate" defense, was directly exposed because he changed the seals.

The black sword trembled.

Each quiver brought more pain to Rong Dahao.

But he didn't care about that.

What he cared about was why, as peers, the gap between them could be so vast?

Tai Xu successor.

Half-saint successor.

Was the chasm between them really this insurmountable?