Chapter 946: The Guidance of the Holy Emperor's Will, The Formal Meeting on Ginyin Cliff

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly looked up, but all he saw was Ye Xiaotian's blood-stained back.

Although Ye Xiaotian's words were vague and tactful, Xu Xiaoshou could still understand the underlying meaning.

Qiao Zhanglao had already delved deep into the darkness; he had made all preparations and was just waiting for the right moment—or rather, the first ray of light.

So...

Would Arjie be Qiao Zhanglao's light?

Xu Xiaoshou felt his hand trembling slightly as he slowly reached out towards Arjie.

Arjie's voice was soft, as if it was also contemplating everything.

Ye Xiaotian's eyes moved downwards, looking at the iron ball that was Arjie's transformed form, and he smiled slightly. "Perhaps you should ask Arjie for its own opinion. After all, it is a sentient being."

Yes, I really should ask Arjie itself. No one else can decide for it... Xu Xiaoshou realized this and was about to speak up.

But Ye Xiaotian was faster than him: "Let me ask."

Xu Xiaoshou opened his mouth and then closed it again. He knew the dean wouldn't force anything, so it didn't matter who asked. Besides, letting the other handle it saved him the trouble of figuring out how to say it.

Ye Xiaotian then looked at Arjie with warmth and began:

"I know you understand everything we've discussed, Ye Xiaotian and Xu Xiaoshou.

"I haven't lied to you. The person you see as a devil has found a way to solve your problem—it's just missing your own consent.

"As I said before, I can't guarantee the experiment will succeed. If it fails, you might be completely destroyed, but if it does work, you can choose to return, back to Xu Xiaoshou's side, and stay with him forever.

"What do you say?"

Ye Xiaotian's tone was calm, and Arjie seemed to take it in. The red light in the iron ball's eye-like area flickered, as if weighing its options.

"Just follow your heart," Xu Xiaoshou said gently, stroking the iron ball, not wanting to influence it in any way.

Ye Xiaotian waited in silence.

Seeing Arjie's hesitation, he didn't press further or add more persuasion.

Yet, even if his words remained neutral, deep down, Ye Xiaotian leaned towards his old friend Qiao Zhanglao.

Moreover, he believed that going with him was the better choice for Arjie.

So, turning back and gazing at the sea of clouds over the cliff, Ye Xiaotian sighed with emotion:

"In the path of ancient sword cultivation, sword wielders always have their swords by their side.

"Just like Qing Ju with Ba Zun An, or Lie Gui with Hua Jian Xian, every renowned sword wielder is accompanied by a 'famous sword.'

"But famous swords aren't born that way—who knows...

"Qing Ju started as an ordinary sword and rose to fame, only to be weighed down by its mundane origins, eventually becoming a broken sword.

"Lie Gui ranks eighth among famous swords, but in ancient times, it was just an ordinary soul artifact that grew over time. Now, its blade is pitted and badly damaged."

Ye Xiaotian paused abruptly, then flung his sleeve dramatically and said with passion:

"No one or thing in this world has a smooth path!

"It's precisely because Qing Ju broke and Lie Gui was damaged—because of these twists and turns—that their legends shine even brighter, illuminating their masters!

"Arjie..."

Ye Xiaotian suddenly turned back, his eyes fixed on the still-deciding Arjie, about to say more.

"Enough!" Xu Xiaoshou interrupted quickly.

He had a sense of what the dean was going to say next, and if it continued, it would no longer be neutral—it would border on moral coercion.

Ye Xiaotian was caught off guard, his fervent demeanor broken, but he didn't stop. He glanced at Xu Xiaoshou and then refocused on Arjie.

"Arjie, do you want to become Xu Xiaoshou's light?"

With a snap, Xu Xiaoshou grabbed the transformed iron ball that was Arjie and stuffed it back into his embrace. He looked at Ye Xiaotian and said:

"I'm sorry, Dean, I need to leave this place. Rao Yao Yao will probably realize soon and come chasing after us. You should get out of here quickly too."

With that, he turned to leave resolutely, Arjie in tow.

But just then, the iron ball in his embrace trembled lightly and flew out, transforming into a bald little boy who landed in front of him.

It called out softly, its tone laced with reluctance, but Xu Xiaoshou could tell what Arjie meant: I want to go back...

"He's using every trick in the book; he's morally coercing you!" Xu Xiaoshou said sternly, pointing at Ye Xiaotian without holding back.

I want to go back...

There were no other words, no other intentions—Arjie simply repeated itself.

Xu Xiaoshou felt a headache coming on. He hadn't expected the dean's persuasive skills to be so troublesome. He should never have let him speak.

"You don't have to listen to him. It's a trap. I often use tactics like this against enemies, and you've been with me, so you should have learned something." Xu Xiaoshou said seriously to Arjie.

I know, but I want to go back...

Getting Arjie's firm response for the third time, Xu Xiaoshou was at a loss for words.

It knows...

Since it knows all that and still wants to go back, it's not just for me. A bigger part of it is Arjie's own obsession:

Going back will cure the root of its problems!

Going back will complete its transformation!

Going back will allow it to protect better!

"You've thought it through... Forget everything he just said and think it over carefully before answering." Xu Xiaoshou urged one last time.

Arjie didn't respond this time; it just shook its head slightly and flew over to Ye Xiaotian's side.

It slowly raised its hand and waved towards Xu Xiaoshou, making a "goodbye" gesture. For a moment, its mouth even curved into a smile, as if showing emotion.

But soon, it transformed back into the iron ball and turned into a streak of light, landing in Ye Xiaotian's palm.

Xu Xiaoshou watched all this, suddenly feeling irritated.

Ye Xiaotian secured Arjie and silently observed Xu Xiaoshou, choosing not to speak.

He knew that in this moment, he might have become someone Xu Xiaoshou disliked. More words of advice or comfort would be pointless; silence was best.

Only when Arjie returned transformed would this rift between them fully disappear.

"You should go back!" Xu Xiaoshou said after a long pause, waving his hand impatiently, as if shooing away a pest. "Tell Qiao Zhanglao to be careful—with Arjie, and with himself."

Ye Xiaotian raised an eyebrow, surprised that Xu Xiaoshou could still be so rational at this point. He nodded silently, then pointed to the nearby Gu Yin Ya and said:

"I'll pass that on.

"Also, this place is very dangerous. Don't explore it recklessly; steer clear of it."

Gu Yin Ya was too mysterious. With Arjie in hand, Ye Xiaotian knew his business in the Yun Lun Mountains was done. It was time to leave... and he felt a wave of relief.

Xu Xiaoshou forced himself not to dwell on Arjie anymore.

He trusted the four seniors from Tian Sang Ling Gong. Since Arjie had made its own decision, all he could do was respect it.

Glancing back at Gu Yin Ya, the vast sea of clouds and the eerie demon winds still swirled around the cliff, as if unchanging since ancient times.

"Gu Yin Ya..."

Xu Xiaoshou had originally considered exploring the cliff a bit, but after the incident with Arjie, he had completely lost his appetite for adventure.

"Let's go; we should leave here first."

The place was too dangerous, even if he and Ye Xiaotian speculated that no more law enforcers would come. There was always the chance of something unexpected.

Ye Xiaotian was about to tear open a spatial rift to leave, but seeing Xu Xiaoshou's dejected expression, he paused and glanced toward the other side. "Maybe you should pick up your friend first."

Xu Xiaoshou looked over.

On a small path by the cliff, among the scattered rocks, stood Lei Xier with her silver hair. Her clothes were wrinkled by the mountain wind, and she had a cold, ethereal beauty, like a celestial being.

The only thing marring this scene was the plump little white cat perched on her shoulder.

"Meow."

The girl and the cat seemed to have been waiting for a while.

Only then did Xu Xiaoshou realize that, absorbed in the matter of Arjie, he had completely overlooked Lei Xier's arrival.

He opened his mouth to speak, intending to introduce them—for example, this is the dean, and this is my junior sister Mu Zi Xi...

But thinking about it, what needed to be known was already known, and what didn't need explaining would just lead to a long story, especially with Mu Zi Xi in her current state.

So, Xu Xiaoshou kept quiet.

Ye Xiaotian, not getting an introduction, gave Lei Xier a curious once-over, nodded politely, then turned his gaze back to Xu Xiaoshou thoughtfully before slicing open the void with his hand—he was leaving.

"Arjie is gone?"

Lei Xier wasn't good at comforting people. Coming to Xu Xiaoshou's side, she started to say that but thought better of it, pausing before adding softly, "Everything will be alright..."

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly chuckled.

He realized Lei Xier had been through the worst of it.

And Arjie's departure wasn't permanent; it could come back. Yet here he was, needing comfort from her?

"I'm fine; I just don't know why my thoughts are so scattered..."

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't quite explain his sudden irritation; it just came out.

"By the way, what about Shou Ye?"

He suddenly remembered that Lei Xier must have been brought back by Shou Ye's portrait clone, so where was he?

As soon as the words left his mouth, he figured it out. His spiritual sense reconnected with Shou Ye's portrait clone, still standing far away beyond Gu Yin Ya. He realized he had been so focused on Arjie that he forgot to guide Lei Xier properly.

Slapping his forehead, Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself that he must be losing it—he nearly forgot something so important.

"Under threat, passive value: 1."

Just then, a notification popped up, making Xu Xiaoshou's heart skip a beat as he looked toward the other side.

"He suddenly stopped moving, but luckily he's not far. I can see you now..."

Lei Xier was about to respond when her words cut off abruptly. She turned sharply, her divine demon pupils spinning rapidly as black and white mist swirled around her, like a predator on guard, her body tensing.

The little white cat, Tan Shen, on her shoulder, puffed up its fur and let out a strange "meow," then pounced onto Xu Xiaoshou's head, claws gripping his hair tightly.

By the spatial rift.

Ye Xiaotian had completed his task for Qiao Zhanglao and was about to ride the spatial currents out of the Yun Lun Mountains.

He never imagined that this rift, like the one before, would produce the same shocking scene.

A head emerged!

"You're kidding me?"

Seeing that head with its smooth, long hair, Ye Xiaotian's scalp tingled, his face full of disbelief.

He could hardly believe that the same thing was happening twice in one day!

What kind of coincidence was this? It even made him wary of casually tearing open spatial rifts in his own backyard!

"One, two, three... four?

"You're all here!"

From the darkness, as a delicate face lifted, the figure of a woman in a backless long dress slowly emerged from the spatial rift.

She carried a three-foot sword with blue and white patterns, her eyes twinkling with amusement and surprise, her red lips parting as she spoke with evident delight.

Rao Yao Yao!

Xu Xiaoshou recognized that face, and his heart stopped.

How could she have found them so quickly?

"Startled, passive value: 1."

Rao Yao Yao stepped out of the spatial rift, her gaze not on Ye Xiaotian at all but fixed intently on Xu Xiaoshou in the background, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"At last, we meet again!"

She raised her fair fingers and gently stroked her smooth chin with the back of her hand, speaking with a mix of amusement and curiosity:

"Hmm... Should I call you Xu Xiaoshou, or Wang Chao, or perhaps Ba Zun An? You tell me, Xiao Shi Tan Ji, Zhou Tian Can?"

Those five names in one sentence left everyone stunned.

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed hard, realizing that Wang Chao must have woken up and rejoined the main group.

And if Rao Yao Yao had this information, she wouldn't have ignored the other Wang Chao who was chasing Ye Xiaotian with Murong Ying.

So, was it because of that detail that he was exposed?

"Why didn't I think of this earlier? It shouldn't have..."

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't understand how, despite all his precautions, he had overlooked these key points in his interactions with Ye Xiaotian.

Soon, his thoughts froze.

That's impossible!

I couldn't have overlooked these!

Information tied to my life—how could I make such a mistake?

But those crucial details had indeed been forgotten...

Xu Xiaoshou seemed to grasp something and immediately scanned his information panel, scrolling upward frantically. Quickly, he noticed the anomaly.

Every so often, there was a notification he had completely ignored:

"Under guidance, passive value: 1."

Judging by the timing, it must have started during or right after the great sage battle in the skies above the Yun Lun Mountains!

Guidance?

Who is guiding me?

I followed Ba Zun An's lead here, but all I did was save Ye Xiaotian and get nothing in return—not even a single hair.

Yes, that doesn't make sense.

Theoretically, Ba Zun An should have left something for me, like the Demon Sword Wan Bing Mo Zhu or other sage source crystals.

But there was nothing...

So, what was Ba Zun An's guidance—or rather, this guidance?

Xu Xiaoshou's neck creaked as he turned it slowly, considering a possibility.

By now, Rao Yao Yao, getting no response, shifted her gaze to the nearby Ye Xiaotian.

She asked curiously, "I'm really puzzled—why have you all been waiting here for so long? Did you set some kind of trap?"

As she spoke, the spatial rift behind her expanded, and figures began to emerge.

There was Wang Da Chui with his strange cackling laugh, Shou Ye with his complicated expression, and other Dao Slayers and Wang Zuo law enforcers—over thirty in total.

Trap... Ye Xiaotian was shocked by the enforcers' sudden appearance, but hearing her words, he seemed to realize something, a flash of horror in his eyes.

Out of 362 spatial channels, I picked one at random, and it led here...

Twice, my attempts to leave were mysteriously thwarted...

Add to that the "sage source crystal" that flew straight to me at the start, and right after getting it, I coincidentally received Qiao Zhanglao's request, then directly ran into Xu Xiaoshou and obtained Arjie...

"The interference of the Sage Emperor's will!"

Ye Xiaotian, no ordinary person, instantly understood why his day had been filled with such luck, coincidences, and misfortunes.

He struggled to turn his neck, just in time to see Xu Xiaoshou looking back at him with the same horrified expression in his eyes.

Their gazes met briefly in the air, and they both realized what the other was thinking.

That terrifying, hidden, untraceable "guidance" came from...

Gu Yin Ya!