Chapter 842: The Mischievous Demon King Mu Xiaogong

Inner circle.

Chong Yuan was stunned.

He had just dug up a peculiar crystal stone overflowing with fire system Daoze from the soil and was verifying whether it was the legendary Daoze Yuanshi. But the information from the trial jade pendant completely shattered his composure.

"Why?"

He immediately opened the map.

Sure enough, the trial map now showed a prominent red coordinate at the top. The location was exactly where he was.

"Are they messing with me?!"

Chong Yuan's lips twitched uncontrollably.

He was at the top of the points leaderboard, but his points came from hunting Yun beasts using the search cloud disk. In terms of real combat strength, he probably couldn't match those from Yunlun Shanmai who were Tai Xu or Ban Sheng successors.

Yet, at this critical moment, the map had exposed his coordinates.

"What should I do?"

The fire system Yuanshi felt like a hot potato.

It was a great item, but holding onto it meant he, Chong Yuan, would face relentless pursuit from all the fire system refining spirit masters in Yunlun Shanmai!

"I have a million points, but they're in the gold system."

"If this Yuanshi were gold system, with my million points, I could stay ahead on the leaderboard for a while, then stop farming points and just run while sensing and comprehending it."

"Who knows, I might even stir up battles everywhere and reap benefits from the chaos."

"But..."

Chong Yuan looked at the fire system Yuanshi in his hand, deeply troubled: "But why is it fire system? It doesn't help me at all!"

They were all geniuses, all smart people.

Soon, Chong Yuan made his decision.

"Instead of holding onto this and forcing myself to end my points-farming journey, I might as well let it go and let them fight to the death here."

"Who knows, this struggle for the Yuanshi could ruin the trial paths of several Tai Xu or Ban Sheng successors."

"After all, they might not be fire system themselves, but their clans definitely have fire system members who need this."

"And as for me..."

Chong Yuan gazed into the distance, his eyes regaining calm as he muttered to himself coolly: "My goal is the Sheng Palace!"

Those who achieve great things don't sweat the small stuff.

He decided to act immediately!

Chong Yuan fired dozens of shots on the spot, blasting an entire mountain peak to pieces. He buried the fire system Yuanshi deep underground, then used Ling Yuan to manipulate the rocks, rebuilding it into a high valley.

As he left, he couldn't help but glance back a few times, feeling a bit reluctant and melancholic.

"What a waste. If I were a spirit array master, I could use this Yuanshi as a trigger to set up a massive killing array, seizing the timing of heaven and the advantages of the terrain for the first strike—kill one, slay one; kill ten thousand, slay ten thousand!"

But he wasn't.

So, he gave up and headed toward the Jiulong Mai direction.

"Charge!"

"Turns out being first has rewards like this. If I reach the Jiulong Mai region first, will I get another million points and maybe a gold system Yuanshi?"

With endless thoughts racing through his mind, Chong Yuan quickly left the area.

At the same time.

In the outer regions of Yunlun Shanmai, everyone went crazy.

Forget about Yun beads or Yun beasts for now.

For a single fire system Yuanshi, and for the even more Daoze Yuanshi in the inner circle, everyone dropped what they were doing and rushed straight in.

The most obvious landmark on the way was that very conspicuous location of the fire system Yuanshi.

In the east.

Xu Xiao Shou saw the prompt on his trial jade pendant and burst out laughing.

"Heaven is helping me!"

A single fire system Yuanshi wasn't enough to excite him.

The key was, he could already imagine the kind of battle this would spark!

In less than a day.

The person holding the fire system Yuanshi—Chong Yuan—would attract a swarm of refining spirit masters.

In that kind of chaos, if he, Xu Xiao Shou, could suppress everyone single-handedly, how impressive would that be?

Most importantly...

Passive points! They were all passive points!

If this drew in thousands of people, then as long as he suppressed all the refining spirit masters once, he'd gain nearly ten thousand passive points!

The members of Xu's gang around him watched as their young leader laughed maniacally in the void, with no idea he was already picturing himself against an army. They just assumed he was interested in the fire system Yuanshi.

"Congratulations, Young Leader Xu!"

Zhao Xiu was the first to scurry over, fawning as he said: "Young Leader Xu, you're space system, but you also cultivate the Dao of elixirs, so the fire system Yuanshi would still be a big help to you. Are we heading over for this wave?"

The other Five Tigers Generals, including the acting commander of the sixth squad, Rong Da Hao, and the rest of Xu's gang, all turned to look.

Everyone knew Xu Xiao Shou's combat strength.

Everyone had anticipated the bloody battlefield that would unfold in the inner circle.

But no one was afraid.

On the contrary, with Xu Xiao Shou leading them, they had a good chance of seizing the fire system Yuanshi.

And as Xu Xiao Shou had said before, while he was only interested in the Yuanshi, what about the points from the other trial participants?

With a casual swing of his sword, Xu Xiao Shou could make the members of Xu's gang filthy rich!

Who wouldn't want to go and grab a share?

Rong Da Hao and the many masters who had newly joined Xu's gang were also thinking about the benefits of following Xu Xiao Shou as their leader.

After all, in Yunlun Shanmai, even if Xu Xiao Shou wasn't the absolute peak in strength, he was one of the top few.

With so many people under him now, like stars surrounding the moon, they had no doubt they could take the fire system Yuanshi and the trial participants' points.

"Of course we're going!"

Xu Xiao Shou decided on the spot, without any hesitation.

He turned to the Five Tigers Generals and asked: "Does anyone know Chong Yuan's combat strength?"

Tai Xing said: "The Chong family only produced this one genius, but their foundation can't compare to a Tai Xu family. Chong Yuan wouldn't beat you, Young Leader Xu."

"Exactly." Rong Da Hao nodded.

He had only heard of Chong Yuan's reputation.

But as a Tai Xu successor himself, he knew all too well the gap in heritage between an ordinary family and a Tai Xu family.

Let alone facing a Ban Sheng successor like Xu Xiao Shou!

Xu Xiao Shou asked again: "What's his attribute?"

"Jin system," Mo Bei Bei replied, pausing as if realizing something.

"Jin system is perfect..." Xu Xiao Shou laughed immediately and looked at everyone, asking: "If you had a million points and knew you couldn't take on an army, and the Yuanshi you got didn't match your attribute, what would you do?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Rong Da Hao's eyes lit up: "Give it up!"

Xu Xiao Shou looked at the others.

Zhu Dong hesitated: "I might not want to let go, but I'd probably do the same as Brother Rong and choose to give it up."

"Give it up!"

"Same here!"

"It's like a hot potato!"

Without exception, everyone gave the same answer.

Xu Xiao Shou held his trial jade pendant and smiled: "Then take a look—since the message came out, has Chong Yuan's coordinate moved?"

"It hasn't moved," Zhu Dong said, surprised.

"Huh, that's weird. Why isn't he running?" Zhao Xiu scratched his head.

"Fool, he must have ditched the Yuanshi and chosen points instead, wanting to keep leading the leaderboard," Xi Guang Han sneered.

Xu Xiao Shou nodded: "Right, Chong Yuan must have dropped the fire system Yuanshi and run. That guy... he really knows when to play it smart!"

He felt a bit impressed.

Not everyone could stay that calm when holding a rare treasure.

The fact that Chong Yuan had kept leading the points leaderboard made sense.

"But since he's dropped the fire system Yuanshi, now it's our chance!" Xu Xiao Shou said.

Rong Da Hao probed: "Young Leader Xu, we're still some distance from the inner circle, and the fire system Yuanshi isn't even near the east side. By the time we get there, it might already be taken."

"That's what I was going to say."

Xu Xiao Shou knew time was of the essence and said seriously: "Bringing the whole Xu's gang along is too slow and makes us too big of a target. I'll go ahead with the two guardians—you all follow later."

"This..." The Five Tigers Generals were shocked.

Xu's gang was built around Xu Xiao Shou—if he left, they'd be leaderless. How would that work?

And if Xu Xiao Shou went, what if Rong Da Hao led the original sixth squad's masters in a rebellion? What then?

Xu Xiao Shou waved his hand with a smile, silencing the hesitant remarks from those in front of him.

"Don't worry, Xu's gang has developed to this point—it's strong enough to sweep through most of Yunlun Shanmai, if not all. Even if you run into other big groups, they won't want to fight now, because the outcome would just let others reap the benefits as bystanders."

"In that case, Xu's gang can move forward without any real threats."

"You all just focus on farming points—I'll go ahead and clear the way for you!"

The Five Tigers Generals were touched, but still worried.

Xu Xiao Shou was clever enough to see what they wanted to say.

He looked straight at Rong Da Hao: "While I'm gone, you're the big leader with full authority. But I can trust you, right?"

Rong Da Hao was moved.

Truth be told, he had no thoughts of rebellion.

Only after fighting Xu Xiao Shou could you know how terrifying he was.

But with the atmosphere around them, he knew others suspected him.

Now, with Xu Xiao Shou addressing it directly, Rong Da Hao felt a weight lift, and he said sincerely: "Young Leader Xu, rest assured—when you left, Xu's gang had nine hundred people. When we meet again, it'll be at least that many, if not more!"

"I don't want more people."

Xu Xiao Shou shook his head and laughed: "I want all of you to make it alive to the fire system Yuanshi location and see me. And while you're at it, I hope each of you earns enough to hand over ten thousand points to me and gain your freedom."

Rong Da Hao nodded firmly: "Definitely!"

Xu Xiao Shou turned to the Five Tigers Generals.

Trust those you use, and use those you trust—especially in Yunlun Shanmai, where he feared no betrayal.

"Definitely!" the Five Tigers Generals chorused.

Xu Xiao Shou transformed into a streak of light and left with the two guardians.

Watching Xu Xiao Shou depart, Rong Da Hao suddenly straightened up with an overwhelming presence, like a dark cloud that had been pressing down on him had finally dissipated, allowing his Tai Xu successor aura to shine.

He turned around.

Rong Da Hao declared with fierce resolve: "Everyone in Xu's gang, you all heard what Young Leader Xu said, right? Our task is to reach the inner circle with enough points so each of us can hand over ten thousand to him. From now on, there's only one thing to do..."

Just as Rong Da Hao was about to shout the impassioned words "farm points," a streak of light returned from the distance.

Xu Xiao Shou was back, appearing right in front of him with a sudden stop.

"Uh!" Rong Da Hao's momentum choked off.

With Xu Xiao Shou back, it was like his borrowed authority was instantly suppressed, and his presence deflated.

His arm was still raised, the shout stuck in his throat, nearly making him cough up blood on the spot.

Even holding it back, his face flushed red and pale.

"Young Leader Xu?" Rong Da Hao suppressed his urge to act out and asked through gritted teeth, puzzled.

Xu Xiao Shou chuckled, scratching his head: "I forgot to mention—if you run into people from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou on the way, don't start any conflicts."

"Because none of you know my people, so if you're going to fight, you have to ask about their identity first." He emphasized it heavily, as if it were crucial.

Rong Da Hao and the Five Tigers Generals were all baffled.

Just for that?

He had interrupted Xu's gang's entire momentum buildup for this?

Xu Xiao Shou internally sighed, I'm just worried you'll cause trouble and end up fighting our own!

If you mess with people like Mu Zi Xi or Mo Mo, they could single-handedly wipe out the whole Xu's gang!

"That's it, I'm off."

Xu Xiao Shou didn't wait for more questions, finished speaking, and vanished again.

Rong Da Hao stood there dumbfounded, arm still raised, and after a long moment, he rallied his presence again.

"Did you hear that!"

"Before killing anyone, ask first: 'Are you from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou?'"

And so.

As Xu's gang advanced, a strange phenomenon emerged.

Hundreds of people would suddenly burst from a mountain peak, surrounding a few weak lambs, shouting in unison: "Are you from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou?"

"No..."

"Attack!"

As soon as the answer came, a barrage of elemental attacks rained down, knocking them out.

Then.

"Good, they're out... stop, stop! Don't hit them anymore, or we'll shatter them!"

"Plunder time, I'm first!"

"I'm second!"

"I'm third!"

Everyone took turns based on their damage output, ruthlessly stripping the trial jade pendants of all points before sending them on their way.

This cycle repeated.

Until much later...

In a dense Shenluo Valley, while surrounding a delicate-looking girl with twin ponytails, she beat them to the punch.

"You up there, you've been surrounded by me. All show yourselves and stop hiding!"

The members of Xu's gang were stunned.

The original Rong clan team vaguely felt this line was familiar, like they'd heard it before, but couldn't place it.

Following routine, the Xu's gang members shouted: "Are you from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou?"

The girl froze: "Huh, how did you know?"

"Attack!"

Out of sheer habit, no one processed it.

Everyone was in a killing frenzy; the question had become routine, with no time for thinking.

After the answer, almost everyone charged forward regardless.

By the time the Five Tigers Generals and Rong Da Hao realized something was off, the entire dense forest was twisting wildly.

The girl just clapped her hands with a pat-pat sound.

In an instant, hundreds of Xu's gang members were pierced by countless vines, covered in wounds, and hoisted up together.

Rong Da Hao's scalp tingled as he exclaimed in horror: "We're on the same side! We're with Young Leader Xu! May I ask who you are?"

Only then did he understand what Xu Xiao Shou meant.

Turns out, anyone from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou could take on a thousand alone?

"I'm called Mu Xiao Gong. Are you people brought by Xu Xiao Shou?" Mu Zi Xi asked curiously.

In the dense forest, she was like a goddess, blessed by nature.

Her Zongshi Tianxiang realm cultivation allowed her to unleash effects similar to a Wangzuo domain here, slaughtering gods or Buddhas in her path.

Of course, her biggest trump card was the Shenmo Tong.

But these innate weaklings weren't worth it.

With the source power of the Bai Ku world, she could lock them down one by one and devour them all.

Rong Da Hao nodded blankly: "Yes, we're Young Leader Xu's people."

After leaving Xu Xiao Shou alone, Mu Zi Xi was like a mischievous demon king. Hearing this, she stopped draining everyone's life force and released the limp members of Xu's gang.

"How interesting..."

Her eyes lit up as she pointed at Rong Da Hao and declared loudly: "Alright, from now on, you're all under my command, Mu Xiao Gong!"