Chapter 927: The Power of Time Targets Ye Xiaotian

Ye Xiaotian's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression growing somber.

Dwarf? Dwarf?

Glancing up, he saw that behind the rapidly flying hexagonal crystal, a group of over a dozen figures was hurrying after it.

These people wore clothes stained with dried blood, their hair disheveled and faces grimy, exuding a fierce killing intent, like warriors who had temporarily retreated from a battlefield to rest and recover.

"Trainees..."

Ye Xiaotian could tell at a glance that among them, the strongest was only at Zongshi Yin Yang Jing level.

But this was under the lifted cultivation suppression in Yunlun Mountains; back in Tian Sang Ling Gong, at the same level, most of them would likely lose to the top ranks among the Inner Court's thirty-three members.

For example, Rao Yin Yin, Su Qian Qian, or even the late Zhang Xin Xiong, who had suppressed his cultivation for years during the Wang Cheng Trial.

Ye Xiaotian took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Even though these people had touched his sore spot,

they were just petty nobodies—why bother getting angry with them?

With a "snap," Ye Xiaotian reached out and caught the speeding hexagonal crystal in his palm without it even veering aside.

"Good!"

The leader among the pursuing group, a man with a scarred face, shouted excitedly and said,

"Brother, you did well. Hand over this Shengli Baowu to me, and I'll transfer you fifty thousand points."

Ye Xiaotian hovered slightly in the air, watching the group approach without reacting.

The dozen or so people were still a bit far away,

and it took them a moment to reach him,

all the while whispering to each other as they rode the wind:

"Weird, is this dwarf an idiot, or maybe a mute who can't speak?"

"No, the strangest thing is, that Shengli Baowu clearly has its own spirit—it fled from us on its own, but when it got to that dwarf..."

"It didn't escape?"

These people weren't fools; they all sensed something odd about the situation.

And not just the situation—the dwarf himself seemed off.

A handsome man in white robes pondered for a moment, then patted the scarred leader on the shoulder and whispered,

"Lei Zhou, this guy is trouble. I can't gauge his cultivation at all—he's no ordinary person, could be a monster."

Who would be an ordinary person in Yunlun Mountains?

The man called Lei Zhou landed in front of Ye Xiaotian, his expression serious,

carefully sizing up the person before him.

He looked about twenty years old, but his height was like that of a ten-year-old boy, only reaching Lei Zhou's chest... For a kid who grew fast,

he might be over ten and still taller than that.

Lei Zhou narrowed his eyes and tentatively asked,

"This... sir, my brothers were rude in their words earlier. I'll apologize on their behalf first. May I ask who you are?"

He cupped his fists in salute, but his gaze quickly fixed on the hexagonal crystal in Ye Xiaotian's hand.

This Shengli Baowu had its own spirit and shouldn't tolerate being restrained, yet in this person's hand, it was like returning to its rightful owner, showing no sign of struggle—it was eerie.

Ye Xiaotian kept his eyes lowered, slowly floating higher to level himself with the person in front of him, so he wouldn't have to look up, and then said indifferently,

"I am Zhou Can."

Zhou Can?

Lei Zhou and the others exchanged glances, all shaking their heads, indicating they had never heard of anyone by that name in Yunlun Mountains.

They knew Zhou Tian Can, who had ranked high on the points leaderboard, but Zhou Can...

Lei Zhou relaxed a bit and chuckled,

"Brother Zhou Can, my earlier offer still stands. Give me this Shengli Baowu, and I'll transfer you fifty thousand points. What do you say?"

Without waiting for a response, Lei Zhou paused and added,

"The Wang Cheng Trial has gone on this long, and those who remain are all real fighters. I'm Lei Zhou, and I never like making enemies without reason—I prefer making friends.

"Seeing you wandering alone near the Ninth Dragon Pulse, you must have some backing. Honestly, I can't quite figure out your strength either...

"So, we're just strangers meeting by chance—let's both save face, alright?"

The group behind him started murmuring, seeming dissatisfied with their leader's attitude toward this unarmed dwarf, but Lei Zhou just raised a hand to silence them.

As the saying went, anyone who survived this long in Yunlun Mountains, aside from the lucky ones, had real skills.

Lei Zhou didn't think he'd coincidentally run into one of those lucky types, so he figured this person in front of him had his own tricks up his sleeve.

Better not to make enemies if he could avoid it—that was one reason Lei Zhou had lived this long.

Ye Xiaotian calmly watched the dozen or so people land in front of him and eye his treasure, but the resentment over being called a "dwarf" faded thanks to Lei Zhou's smooth words.

He glanced subtly at the empty void beside him, pondered for a moment, then raised the hexagonal crystal in his hand and smiled,

"Fifty thousand points might not be enough."

Lei Zhou's eyebrows shot up. Seeing that the person before him had an air of composure and didn't panic, he quickly hushed the crude remarks from his brothers behind him and said,

"A Shengli Baowu is only worth a hundred thousand points. I'm offering you half—that's already giving you face, Brother Zhou Can. If you start demanding more like some greedy lion..."

He stopped mid-sentence, shaking his head slightly, thinking a smart person didn't need more hints.

"We're not pushovers either!"

One of the brothers behind couldn't hold back and snarled, "You dwarf, don't push it too far!"

Lei Zhou's face darkened, and he whipped around, snapping,

"All of you, shut up!"

"Oh, oh..." The brothers immediately cowered and fell silent.

Ye Xiaotian just smiled at the sight, knowing these followers were just small fry, so he wasn't annoyed. He looked at the crystal in his hand and said,

"This isn't an ordinary Shengli Baowu."

"What do you mean, Brother Zhou Can?" Lei Zhou instinctively touched the large knife at his waist, furrowing his brow.

"This is a 'Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone.'"

With a click, the thirteen people in front froze in place.

"Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone?" Lei Zhou's eyes widened, and his sudden grip on his knife caused it to partially slip from its sheath, flashing a sharp edge.

The dozen or so people behind him were equally stunned.

"Impossible!"

"How could this be a 'Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone'? The holy force it's leaking is only this faint."

"'Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone' is the 'Sealing Holy Origin' as spoken of by the Eighth Sword Immortal—it should have a much stronger holy force fluctuation. How could it be so similar in that aspect to the spirit sword we found earlier..."

Before he could finish, Lei Zhou turned back and barked,

"All of you, shut up!"

Everyone instantly went quiet, realizing they had said too much.

Ye Xiaotian found it amusing.

These people weren't simple.

In such a short time, they had already found another Shengli Baowu?

From what they said, the "Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone" had holy force leakage similar to the spirit sword they had encountered before.

So, without knowing what it was, they had mistaken it for just an ordinary "Shengli Baowu"?

Thinking of this, Ye Xiaotian's expression grew subtle. He glanced again at the empty void beside him and said,

"The 'Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone' is extremely valuable—worth a hundred million points. You think you can trade for it with fifty thousand points? Do I look like a beggar to you?"

Ye Xiaotian chuckled softly, his words mild as he calmly stated something that would make most people furious.

Lei Zhou felt more and more that the person in front of him was no ordinary foe.

But where would he get fifty million points to give to Zhou Can?

If he had the strength to earn that in ten days, he'd be leading the Ninth Dragon Pulse as its lord right now, not chasing "treasure" quests for points.

"You say it's a 'Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone,' so it is? What's your proof?" Lei Zhou stared at the hexagonal crystal in the other man's hand, his eyes growing greedier.

"Heh, ignorant junior." Ye Xiaotian shook his head with a smile and infused spiritual energy into his hand.

A nearly transparent, profoundly mysterious holy light swept across the area, as if cleansing the soul.

In an instant, Lei Zhou and all his brothers felt a spring breeze wash over them, their past doubts about rules and the great dao melting away like snow, suddenly clear.

"Big brother, I..."

At the back, a black-clad swordsman suddenly froze, his face twisting, then he shut his eyes and sat down cross-legged.

In mere moments, he opened his eyes again, spiritual energy surging around him, dao principles faintly appearing.

—The sign of a qi sea breakthrough!

He had broken through!

"Brother Wu Guan..." Lei Zhou's voice started to stammer, his lips trembling.

The black-clad swordsman called Wu Guan was overjoyed, exclaiming ecstatically,

"Big brother, Yin Yang Jing! I've broken through to Yin Yang Jing! I took that final step!"

After his words, the whole scene fell deathly silent.

Even the excited Wu Guan seemed to realize something.

Everyone's eyes turned back to the hexagonal crystal in "Zhou Can's" hand, like a pack of wolves starved for ten days spotting a lamb and its tiger friend—eyes glowing green.

The tiger was intimidating,

but this one looked a bit underfed.

If they could take him down, that lamb would solve all their hunger and confusion forever!

"Brother Zhou Can..." Lei Zhou couldn't tear his eyes away from the "Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone," his murmur laced with rising killing intent.

"What?" Ye Xiaotian smiled, moving the "Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone" from his right hand to his left. "Thinking of killing me for it?"

Everyone's gazes followed it from right to left in unison, making the scene absurdly comical for a moment.

The next second, with a sharp ring, Lei Zhou drew his knife and swung it through the air.

"Sorry, brother, I really don't have fifty million points for you. This time, I'm the one letting you down. In your next life, pray you don't end up with a treasure you can't protect!

"This 'Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone' is mine now!

"Everyone, attack!"

With that final shout, Lei Zhou and the five brothers closest to him drew their weapons and charged.

The seven others at the back, led by Wu Guan, formed hand seals, unleashing sword techniques or spiritual skills in a suppressing barrage overhead.

Blade lights and sword shadows, water and fire energies, all erupted together.

Ye Xiaotian immediately saw why this team had survived in Yunlun Mountains so long—their coordination was seamless.

Impressive... he thought.

But only impressive compared to juniors at Zongshi level.

Attacks like these, Ye Xiaotian could hardly remember when he had last faced them.

Maybe when his hair was still black?

Maybe before entering the holy palace?

He couldn't recall.

Still, these people were kind of endearing, reminding him of the past and old experiences.

So, facing this group who looked like slow-motion pitiful creatures in his eyes, Ye Xiaotian simply lifted a foot and stepped forward.

Whoosh—he passed through the crowd and the elemental onslaught without a speck of dust on him.

"Ah—"

Cries of pain erupted behind him.

"Who? Who attacked me?"

"You bastard Dong Wu, can't you aim? Your flames burned me!"

"Wu Guan, what the hell? Did you lose control of your sword intent right after breaking through? Damn it, you almost sliced my leg off!"

The ones who had charged ahead were complaining.

But the ones at the back were baffled.

They had clearly seen all the blades and swords hit "Zhou Can," and all the techniques land on him.

Yet, it was as if they were in different spaces—the attacks passed through like mist, not harming "Zhou Can" at all.

"This..."

After turning back and patting out the flames on his backside, Lei Zhou thought of the scene and felt a chill down his spine.

"Zhou Can's" strange move made him think of a terrifying attribute—space attribute!

"No way?"

At that moment, Lei Zhou's heart trembled.

He was well-traveled, so he knew his guess might be right.

If this guy had the space attribute...

By the Eighth Sword Immortal, how had they provoked such a monster?

Space attribute users were rare across the world, and each one was a freak!

"I'll only kill one as a warning. The rest of you, get out of my sight in ten breaths."

While Lei Zhou and the others were still reeling, "Zhou Can," who had somehow moved behind them, spoke indifferently, like the grim reaper swinging his scythe.

Lei Zhou spun around abruptly.

Wu Guan and the others did the same.

They saw "Zhou Can" speaking as he slowly extended two fingers and pinched at the empty air.

It was as if he were grasping an invisible sheet of paper and gently pulling it from the void.

Sssch—

Blood sprayed.

Lei Zhou suddenly felt the ground sinking, the world spinning.

As it spun and spun, he saw his own headless body...

"Am... I dead?"

With a pop, Lei Zhou's headless body and head turned into streaks of light, teleported out of Yunlun Mountains by the trial jade pendant.

The remaining people were all terrified.

"Space attribute!"

"This guy has the space attribute—that was 'Space Slice'!"

"Damn it, what have we provoked? Big brother Lei Zhou..."

Ye Xiaotian watched the panic and smiled slightly, holding up one finger and counting down,

"Ten!"

Whoosh—

No one dared resist; they scattered like birds and beasts.

"Run!"

"It's total domination—space attribute versus anything else is just crushing. Run!"

As Ye Xiaotian watched everyone flee in all directions, his smile faded, and a true seriousness finally appeared in his eyes.

"Come out..."

He turned toward the sky beside him and said calmly.

He hadn't been waiting here for Lei Zhou and his group to attack; he was waiting for this faceless figure, to see how long he could hide.

Clap, clap, clap!

Applause echoed.

Ye Xiaotian suddenly felt his thoughts slowing, the space around him freezing.

The dust and debris from the earlier fight hung in the air, moving sluggishly; the fleeing members of Lei Zhou's team struggled with every heavy step.

Whoosh...

The wind blew, and the twelve escapees aged visibly before turning to dust and vanishing into the void.

"Why be so kind and spare the lives of those lackeys who could expose your identity, letting them spread the word to Rao Yao Yao?"

A vague, ethereal voice rang out.

From the empty sky, light bloomed.

Then, a figure in golden robes, carrying a knife and sword on his back and wearing a Yan Wang mask, stepped out of the void, flanked by two guards.

With each step, space and time shifted.

The golden-robed masked man reached him in an instant, tilting Ye Xiaotian's chin up.

"No need to thank me—I've taken care of them for you, including that one you 'kindly' killed... their lives are preserved."