Chapter 928: The Strongest Combination of the Young Generation

On the other side.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The ancient tree exploded, sending the trial takers flying and sprawling in all directions.

Amidst the mountains and wilderness, Xu Xiaoshou, disguised as Mu Xiaogong, successfully seized the sacred power treasure from the terrified onlookers.

The trial takers who had been blown away but survived no longer dared to challenge the little girl with twin ponytails.

Someone seemed to recognize the fierce leader of the group of over a dozen, the green-skirted little loli, and cried out in panic.

"She... she seems to be the girl beside Xu Shao, the Dragon Master of the Fourth Dragon Vein!"

"Run!"

Once her identity was exposed, the trial takers vanished in an instant.

Xu Xiaoshou did not order his subordinates to pursue them, as he had already accumulated all the necessary points. He simply held the highly spiritual shield in his hand and fell into deep thought.

His subordinates, seeing the battle had ended, cheered excitedly.

"Congratulations to Gang Leader Mu for securing the fourth 'Shengli Baowu'! In just half a day since descending the mountain, you've earned four hundred thousand points. Gang Leader Mu is truly formidable!"

"Gang Leader Mu is blessed by the heavens, a woman of great fortune! Your treasure-hunting speed is undoubtedly the fastest in Yunlun Mountains. Impressive!"

"Ever since the heavenly treasures descended, Yunlun Mountains have had fewer landing spots because most were intercepted by the Yunjing World. Yet, Gang Leader Mu, you've made such progress in the treasure hunt—it's simply astonishing. We're truly in awe."

"That's right, it's as if these four treasures came straight to you... uh, no, as if you found them all yourself!"

Even when flattering, the members of Xu Gang chose their words carefully, not daring to offend Gang Leader Mu.

On their way down the mountain, with Gang Leader Mu leading the charge, the rest of them had barely been injured. They mostly stayed back to provide support, and the treasures were obtained with ease.

Xu Xiaoshou listened to the flattery around him, smiling so widely his mouth wouldn't close, but his heart felt heavy.

He turned to a nearby subordinate and casually asked, "What number sacred power treasure is this?"

"The fourth one!" The subordinate replied with excitement, still in disbelief that their gang leader had claimed four treasures so quickly.

Xu Xiaoshou pondered and said, "In less than half a day, this girl has gotten four treasures. Don't you think that's a bit..."

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, choosing to hold his tongue.

Four pieces...

That's too many!

Even with his "perception" ability making the treasure hunt twice as efficient, the sacred power treasures had come far too easily.

Just as his subordinates had said, it was like they were delivering themselves right to him...

Maybe it really is?

His thoughts paused, and Xu Xiaoshou boldly speculated.

The sacred power treasures were thrown out by Ba Zun An, and Ba Zun An was one of his own. If he had to scatter so many treasures across the world, even with a mindset of not wasting them, he would probably favor his people, right?

So, these treasures might truly have Ba Zun An's guidance?

"Then, what does he want me to do?" Xu Xiaoshou's train of thought suddenly halted.

"Gang Leader Mu?"

The members of Xu Gang around him noticed that their flattery wasn't landing as expected and called out in surprise.

When Gang Leader Mu had seized the first three treasures, she had been extremely excited, boasting that with just over a dozen people, they could scour Yunlun Mountains clean.

But now...

Had she gotten overexcited and frozen up?

"Gang Leader Mu!"

Someone gently nudged her, and only then did she snap back to reality.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just thought of something..." Xu Xiaoshou replied absentmindedly.

The members of Xu Gang were all speechless.

That was just like something Gang Leader Mu would say—nothing and something at the same time.

"Gang Leader Mu, what's next? Which direction should we head?" someone asked.

Xu Xiaoshou pulled out the trial jade pendant upon hearing this, his gaze sharpening as he focused on the map with a sense of realization.

From the map, he had descended from the Fourth Dragon Vein, and following the "guidance" of these four sacred power treasures, along with his active pursuits during the seizures...

His route had already deviated...

"One at the base of the Fourth Dragon Vein, one at Shui Ting Jian, one at Yue Shan Gu, and here..."

Xu Xiaoshou marked the treasure locations on the map and keenly noticed that the four points formed a rough arc.

"Is there really a connection?"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled by this arc.

He hadn't realized how much his original route had shifted.

Based on his initial plan, the closest areas to the Fourth Dragon Vein were the Second, Third, and Ninth Dragon Veins.

And the Second and Third Dragon Veins were currently controlled by Mo Beibei and Tai Xing, who were his own people.

Xu Xiaoshou had originally intended to rendezvous with the main group and discuss with everyone, including "Xu Shao," whether to focus on the treasure hunt or take advantage of gaps in others' hunts to quickly claim the "Nine Dragons Master" title.

So, his planned route was toward the Third Dragon Vein.

But under the "guidance" of these four sacred power treasures, his path had veered off, heading toward the Ninth Dragon Vein.

"Does the Ninth Dragon Vein have some good thing that Ba Zun An wants to give me?"

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but think this, as the only things that could subtly influence him, besides coincidence, were the schemes of a great power.

And trapped in the grand game of Yunlun Mountains, Xu Xiaoshou no longer believed in coincidences.

He instinctively felt that the Ninth Dragon Vein might hold the "Shengyuan Crystal Stone," or the "Magic Sword · Wanbing Mozhu," or something even more important.

And these were undoubtedly treasures left for him by Ba Zun An!

In that case...

Xu Xiaoshou pondered and glanced back at the members of Xu Gang around him.

Clearly, they couldn't come along.

"Everyone," he said, composing himself and looking at the group seriously, "this girl just realized that if we all leave the Fourth Dragon Vein, someone might take the opportunity to steal it. Then we'd lose our home."

The members of Xu Gang were stunned. "Gang Leader Mu, didn't you plant a lot of poisonous seeds at the base of the mountain?"

"But I'm not on the mountain right now." Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands, giving them a look that said, "Are you out of your mind?" He continued, "I need you all to go back and guard the Fourth Dragon Vein!"

"This..."

As soon as he said it, the members of Xu Gang were all taken aback.

They weren't Xu Shao, and they didn't have Gang Leader Mu's ability to leverage the terrain and fight a hundred enemies alone. How could they hold the mountain?

Xu Xiaoshou had anticipated this and chuckled, pulling out the "Longzhu Flag."

He scanned the group, his eyes landing on a familiar face.

"Li Yan!"

"Ah?" Li Yan was dumbfounded, staring at the "Longzhu Flag" in Gang Leader Mu's hand, seemingly realizing what was coming.

Xu Xiaoshou handed over the flag and patted his shoulder earnestly. "I'm entrusting the Dragon Vein Array to you. I believe in your abilities and your talents—they need a stage to shine!"

Li Yan's face darkened, and he nearly knelt down, pleading, "Gang Leader Mu, please think twice! I don't have the capability to take the 'Longzhu Flag,' and I, Li Yan, have no intention of overstepping my bounds!"

You've got it all wrong... Xu Xiaoshou thought amusedly:

"I know you're loyal to Xu Gang, which is why I'm giving you the 'Longzhu Flag.'

"Rest assured, as long as Xu Gang stands and its reputation holds, few will dare to target the Fourth Dragon Vein.

"What I'm worried about is just the 'what if.' With the 'Longzhu Flag' in your hands and the 'Dragon Vein Array' to assist, you can eliminate even that slim possibility!"

Li Yan still hesitated nervously. "But..."

"No buts!" Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand firmly. "Everyone, listen up! Return to defend the Fourth Dragon Vein at once. If our Xu Gang base falls, bring me your heads!"

With that order, the members of Xu Gang had no choice but to obey.

"Yes!"

The dozen or so members responded in unison, took the "Longzhu Flag," and hurriedly headed back.

"They're gone now."

Xu Xiaoshou watched the members of Xu Gang disappear into the distance, and bold ideas began to form in his mind.

He focused his thoughts and sank into the Yuanfu World.

The Yuanfu World was overflowing with life spiritual energy, where poisonous flowers, grasses, and vines grew wildly. Broken towers and fish ponds dotted the landscape, the land area was expanding, and chaotic mist lingered at the edges.

At the center of the world, treasures like the Bodhi Ancient Tree and Blood Tree Yin Branch—nine ancestral tree-level items—thrived, surrounded by various high-grade spiritual herbs.

On the other side, the Greedy God tirelessly hopped between the one hundred thousand dan ding, working non-stop.

"What happened here?"

As soon as Xu Xiaoshou's consciousness entered the Yuanfu World, he was stunned.

The once chaotic layout had been neatly organized.

The most prominent spiritual herb fields had all been moved to the center, positioned below the "Life Spiritual Seal" and "Daoze Source Stone."

"Lei Xier?"

Xu Xiaoshou's consciousness shifted to his portrait clone and suddenly curved into a smile as he thought of someone.

Without a doubt, the only one who could tidy up the Yuanfu World's mess like this was the new little farmer, Lei Xier.

Glancing toward the center of the herb fields, sure enough, Lei Xier with her silver hair, wearing one of Xu Xiaoshou's robes, was carrying a small wooden watering pot and moving among the spiritual plants.

A majestic Wangzuo powerhouse, a descendant of the Lei family, a host of the Shenmo Tong...

Reduced to this because of the monotony of the Yuanfu World!

Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit awkward and walked over to the herb fields. He instinctively wanted to call out "little shimei," but looking at the tall, graceful silver-haired woman, he paused.

"Lei Xier," he called her real name.

"Hmm?" Lei Xier stopped, turned back with a gentle smile, and a breeze brushed her silver hair across her delicate face.

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily dazed. "What are you doing?"

Lei Xier returned to her serene demeanor, lightly gesturing to the small wooden pot in her hand before bending down to water the spiritual plants again.

Manually cultivating spiritual herbs did require timely watering, but Xu Xiaoshou didn't understand any of that.

His method was brute force: dump everything into the Yuanfu World and flood it with life spiritual energy.

Luckily, the Yuanfu World was newly formed and had the "Life Spiritual Seal"; otherwise, those herbs would have withered long ago.

Lei Xier walked through the herb fields and came to the side of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, squatting down to gently touch it, as if sensing a kindred aura.

"I can help you nurture the Bodhi Ancient Tree. You already have the Hongmong Zqi; it's just a matter of time. With the nine ancestral trees in place, once your Yuanfu World fully forms, it will be extremely stable."

Lei Xier paused and glanced at the nearby Blood Tree Yin Branch. "But that one won't work. It's just a broken branch from a blood tree, containing its power but with no chance of growing into a full tree."

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly remembered that his shimei had wood attributes, so nurturing these things was her specialty.

But he hadn't entered the Yuanfu World to discuss gardening.

He got straight to the point. "Can you change back to my shimei's appearance? I need your help."

Lei Xier turned back. "I can't."

"Really can't?" Xu Xiaoshou still didn't believe it. The Yuanfu World had such vast life energy; even the Bodhi Ancient Tree could potentially be restored. Couldn't Lei Xier absorb more and revert?

Lei Xier seemed to read his thoughts, her lips curving slightly before returning to a calm expression. Her voice was ethereal as she said, "If you absorb more life spiritual energy, can you shrink in size?"

Xu Xiaoshou was at a loss for words. That was impossible.

"Neither can I." Lei Xier immediately let go of the small wooden pot, which turned into wood energy and retracted into her body. "This is my normal appearance. What you saw before was the anomaly."

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent.

If she couldn't change back, then half of his plan was already doomed.

"I want to go out." Lei Xier stepped forward to face Xu Xiaoshou directly, her words firm.

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, smelling a faint fragrance from her. "It's still dangerous outside. After Rao Yao Yao, there might be more moves, and Ba Zun An has only just started acting..."

"I want to go out." Lei Xier interrupted, her voice soft but her eyes resolute.

"This..." Xu Xiaoshou wavered.

Lei Xier tucked her silver hair behind her ear and looked to the side. "I'm not the Greedy God, and I'm not your pet. You have no right to keep me locked up here forever."

She paused, swallowing the words "it's so boring here" before they could escape.

Not far away, the Greedy God, who had been eavesdropping with perked ears, wilted in fear and quickly lowered its ears, meowing once before busying itself with alchemy again.

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized his own mistake.

He was worried about his shimei's safety, but he had overlooked Lei Xier's right to freedom as a person.

Who would want to be confined by someone else indefinitely?

In the past, Xu Xiaoshou could use danger as an excuse to keep his shimei and others he deemed important in the Yuanfu World until the threats passed.

But that was because his shimei had been weak back then and hadn't dared to object.

Now, she had grown stronger, and her name had changed.

She was a Wangzuo with the Jiewei Baiku, Shenmo Tong, and other mysterious abilities.

In terms of combat power, if caught off guard, she might even overpower him.

What reason did he have to keep her in the Yuanfu forever?

Lei Xier wasn't a caged bird.

And the Yuanfu World wasn't her prison...

Xu Xiaoshou thought about how he had deliberately ignored this point before.

He had wanted to keep his shimei by his side forever, but now it seemed that was just selfishness.

"You..."

Xu Xiaoshou started, feeling a bit guilty, when a sudden inspiration struck him.

His original idea was that if Lei Xier could revert to his shimei's appearance, she could take over his "Mu Xiaogong" identity... well, that was her identity anyway.

Regardless, as long as she could change back—even if just in form and not in personality—Xu Xiaoshou could free up his hands.

He could become "Xu Shao" or transform into "Shengnu Xu Xiaoshou."

In short, his own combat power would be liberated, allowing him to handle the next actions better.

But since Lei Xier couldn't change back, the plan seemed dead.

However, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized he didn't necessarily need a real person to play "Mu Xiaogong."

With major events unfolding and Rao Yao Yao not focusing on "Mu Xiaogong," he could use a portrait clone to deceive others while he...

Not only he, but Lei Xier could also leave the Yuanfu.

Her current strength was formidable; she might not handle a Yimo alone, but with the Shenmo Tong's abilities, controlling others would be effortless.

If he used the portrait clone as a cover and summoned "Shengnu Xu Xiaoshou" and "Lei Family Descendant Lei Xier" in Yunlun Mountains...

This powerhouse duo of the younger generation might not sweep away all the Taixu intruders, but at least most Wangzuo and Zhan Dao level experts wouldn't stand a chance!

Thinking of this, Xu Xiaoshou's expression shifted, and he said, "I can agree to let you out of the Yuanfu, but for the sake of my shimei's safety, you have to agree to one condition."