Chapter 1053: Little Junior Sister, Wait for This Saint to Return, I Have a Big Surprise for You

Void Island, the Forest of Miracles.

“ROAR!!!”

With a single roar, ancient trees miles away were torn from the ground and sent flying, scattering debris everywhere.

The Forest of Miracles was already nearly half-destroyed by the Void Guardian, littered with wood chips and pockmarked with deep craters as far as the eye could see.

A day had passed since the Divine Farmer’s Medicinal Garden was emptied, and the Void Guardian was still in a frenzy!

However, everyone capable of reaching Void Island was exceptionally sharp. How could they miss a colossal super-giant raging?

All the Spirit Refiners present had employed their life-saving techniques, darting and hiding, terrified of being targeted by the enraged giant.

Yet, they didn't know why the Void Guardian was raging. They simply assumed an unusual phenomenon was occurring, signaling the emergence of a great treasure.

Consequently, while risking being spotted by the Void Guardian, they frantically searched for treasure amidst the chaotic ancient forest.

Unfortunately...

Apart from ever-larger deep craters, some spanning thousands of miles.

No one could find any “treasure.”

THUMP!

With a heavy stomp, it crushed another human Spirit Refiner from the Grand Void Realm, and the Void Guardian roared furiously at the sky.

“ROAR—”

This was only the third human Spirit Refiner it had found in an entire day!

When it had previously leaped into the air, it had seen far more people than this.

But the moment it spotted them, they spotted it too, and before it even landed, everyone vanished in a flash.

Those who hid well were still alive.

As for those who didn't, their shattered bodies were the fate of anyone who trespassed here!

“ROAR—”

The enraged Void Guardian couldn't detect the slightest scent of the Divine Farmer's elixirs on the three deceased human Spirit Refiners.

This meant that the three dead humans weren't the actual thieves; they were merely innocent scapegoats.

And the “thief” was still at large!

Blind with rage, the Void Guardian stomped the corpse into oblivion, but then a low, strange sound emanated from beside its foot.

The Void Guardian was furious.

It bent down to look, and it was just a small stone!

Its strange “honking” sounds, at this moment, seemed to mock its dimwittedness, as if it had been tricked into leaving its home, resulting in its loss.

“ROAR—”

The Void Guardian put its hands on its hips, bent down, and roared, then kicked, attempting to shatter the noisy stone.

THUMP!

The next second, the Void Guardian, having kicked with immense force, couldn't even budge the small stone. Instead, its own foot was torn open between the toes as if by a blunt instrument, and black blood splattered everywhere.

“HISSING ROAR!”

“HAAH!”

The Void Guardian collapsed to the ground in pain, clutching the gash on its foot, hissing continuously like a pug. Its rage was now completely suppressed by the agony.

“What’s going on?”

The Void Guardian was dumbfounded.

How many years had it been since it was last harmed? How could it kick a mere stone and end up crippling its own foot?

After all, this was a body that could devour even Saint Force, and a mere small stone...

The small stone continued to make noise.

Due to its height, the Void Guardian hadn't been able to discern the origin of this object.

Now, squatting down and carefully examining it while clutching its foot, the Void Guardian was startled.

“This... is...”

“The Void Suppressing Stele?”

That “honking” object was indeed the Void Suppressing Stele it had seen before, carried by a certain Void Island prisoner!

A sigh.

The Void Guardian exhaled its anger, and the red glow in its eyes faded considerably.

How could the Void Suppressing Stele be here?

Had its destructive actions enraged the Spirit of Void Island, causing it to want to punish the Guardian?

Listening to the rhythmic honking, the Void Guardian suddenly felt terrified.

Perhaps this wasn't mere noise, but a warning from the Spirit of Void Island, foreseeing the theft of the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden it guarded?

And now, the “warning” had become a “threat”:

“Dare to destroy the Forest of Miracles again, and you die!”

Inexplicably, the Void Guardian felt as though it had heard this warning.

“ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!...”

Clutching its foot, it hastily retreated, respectfully gesturing to the Void Suppressing Stele that it had no intention of destruction, only that it had been temporarily blinded by rage.

The Void Suppressing Stele continued its strange honking.

The spiritual object, which normally provided clear guidance, was now conveying an ambiguous message.

The Void Guardian didn't understand, but it felt a primal fear of the unknown.

“I will only kill one... the medicine thief!”

It raised a hand in promise, then dared not act recklessly again, nor unleash its temper on the innocent Forest of Miracles. It retreated cautiously and fearfully.

“The Void Suppressing Stele...”

Thinking of the Void Suppressing Stele, the Void Guardian was reminded of the Void Island prisoner who had previously carried out tasks.

Truthfully, previous Void Island prisoners had all been arrogant, relying on the fact that they wouldn't die as long as they didn't break Void Island's rules. Once accustomed to life on the island, they simply ignored the Void Guardian.

So, the one with identifier 800820 was one of the few prisoners it had ever seen who cooperated and carried out tasks.

Moreover, that human could gain the recognition of the Void Suppressing Stele's will and even transform into a giant.

This was no simple feat.

He could almost be considered half a kin.

The Void Guardian suddenly felt a longing. If it could find Identifier 800820 again, it could issue a task: use a human to defeat a human.

Surely, that medicine thief would then die without a trace?

“Achoo!”

“Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump...”

He had barely opened the passage to his Yuanfu World when a sneeze hit him, his heart raced, his eyelids twitched wildly, and even the throbbing frequency of the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales accelerated immensely.

With such an exaggerated premonition, Xu Xiaoshou had no choice but to halt all his movements.

“What the hell?”

“It's been a day already, and the crisis outside still hasn't subsided?”

“If I go out now, is the risk still this high?”

Clutching the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales, Xu Xiaoshou felt a tremor of fear.

Emptying the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden was exhilarating.

But after emptying the garden, the apprehension was immense.

Though he was currently flourishing in his Yuanfu World, the thought of the pursuit he might face upon returning to Void Island, and the wrath that the three-hundred-foot Void Guardian might unleash, made his calves tremble.

“It shouldn't be that exaggerated...”

“The risk is still within a controllable range.”

The throbbing of the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales continued. After careful comparison, Xu Xiaoshou concluded that even in a situation of near-certain death, there was indeed a single path to survival.

At least, this time, the Dragon Scales' throbbing wasn't as terrifying as facing a Saint.

Xu Xiaoshou regarded the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales' warning during his encounter with the Half-Saint Jiang Buyi in the deep sea world as a sign of an inescapable death trap.

Yet, under such circumstances, he had still managed to escape from danger.

In other words, if the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales' throbbing was weaker than when he faced Half-Saint Jiang Buyi, it generally meant the danger was controllable, not an unavoidable death sentence.

And such “danger” was equivalent to “opportunity.”

In other words, it was another treasure that could be “obtained with intellect, and contended for with ability”!

—Provided nothing went wrong, no unforeseen circumstances arose, and “man's schemes were not undone by heaven's plans.”

“I haven't offended anyone else on Void Island yet, so the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales' warning most likely only comes from the Void Guardian.”

“But a whole day has passed, and I never showed my face when I stole the medicine. The Void Guardian couldn't possibly remember me.”

“So why does the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales' throbbing accelerate whenever I think about returning to Void Island?”

Xu Xiaoshou began to ponder seriously.

His life was on the line, so he had to use his wits and choose to analyze the situation.

“How could a thousand-meter giant, who doesn't know me, is simple-minded, and physically powerful, possibly find and eliminate me the moment I think about returning to Void Island, causing the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales' throbbing to accelerate wildly?”

Xu Xiaoshou pressed a finger to his chin, turned his gaze to the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, narrowed his eyes, and inhaled the refreshing fragrance of the elixirs. A sudden thought struck him.

“The scent of the medicine!”

He slapped his fist into his palm, his expression excited.

“Yes, that's it—the scent of the medicine!”

“No matter how well a person hides or disguises themselves, their scent can't be concealed or faked.”

“Shuang Dai and Brother Hong Dang, who had picked Saint Miracle Fruits, were tainted with the divine elixir aura, so no matter how they fled, they could never escape the Void Guardian's pursuit.”

“And I've emptied the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden. The Void Guardian can't find me in the Yuanfu World now, but the moment I return to Void Island...”

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his fists, his expression filled with excitement.

“With the Void Guardian's nose, accustomed to guarding the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden for years, it could probably easily smell that I'm the medicine thief.”

“No matter how many layers of disguise I use!”

Xu Xiaoshou was almost certain this answer was spot-on.

Outside the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, his simple “lure the tiger from its mountain” ploy had succeeded without even the slightest resistance from the Void Guardian. From this, it was evident that the giant truly had no brains.

And a brainless giant's method of finding someone would undoubtedly be the most direct and simple.

Anything too complex, such as communicating through Void Island's rules, reversing time, or possessing fiery golden eyes, Xu Xiaoshou felt, would be overestimating the Void Guardian.

Great power inevitably came with shortcomings.

Given the Void Guardian's already formidable physical body, there was no reason it would also master time and space attributes, or comprehend Dao principles to the level of a Half-Saint.

In that case, its intelligence wouldn't be simple either!

It certainly wouldn't be just a Void Guardian, but a “superman” who had gained self-awareness and should have learned to defy rules and pursue freedom.

Like the Saint Servants' First Seat, Ba Zun'an.

Like the Lord of the Saint Divine Temple's Main Hall, Dao Qiongcang.

When “strength” and “wisdom” coexist, no one chooses to be controlled—the term “ignorant masses” stemmed from this.

Xu Xiaoshou, having clarified this point and understood that the Void Guardian likely tracked people by simple scent, wasn't discouraged. On the contrary, his expression grew even more excited.

“The scent, I probably can't eliminate it, no matter how much I disguise myself.”

“But I have 'Stealth,' so after returning to Void Island, the Void Guardian shouldn't be able to find me immediately. However, it will eventually find me; it will just take some time.”

“This must be why, even though the enemy this time is the Void Guardian, who is no weaker than Half-Saint Jiang Buyi, the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales' throbbing hasn't accelerated to the point of certain death.”

“Because the Void Guardian... is quite stupid!”

The more Xu Xiaoshou thought about it, the more excited he became. He wasn't afraid of strong opponents; he was afraid of strong opponents who were also intelligent.

In that case, he would have to expend much more effort to trick them.

But the Void Guardian, clearly, was easy to exploit!

“I am currently the culprit who emptied the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden, but the Void Guardian doesn't know my face. Even if it did, the medicine thief's face could be disguised, making it impossible to verify.”

“And if it's finding me by scent...”

“That means, no matter whose face I wear when I return to Void Island, that person will be the true culprit who emptied the Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden!”

Xu Xiaoshou stared at the spatial passage before him, a grin stretching almost to his temples.

He felt as though he had received an invitation from the Grim Reaper.

Whoever he wanted dead, he just had to write their name and send it through the spatial passage.

Past midnight, the Grim Reaper would knock, and that person would surely die!

“Damn! I'm way too devious...”

Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head, his face full of disbelief, utterly shocked by his own idea.

How could such a scheming old fox exist in this world?

Why have I become like this?

This is too evil! It must be Cang Ku's fault; he's corrupted me too!

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, gasping for breath, finally managing to calm himself down.

He stepped halfway into the spatial passage connecting his Yuanfu World to Void Island, listening to the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales' increasingly rapid throbbing, feeling an intense rush of adrenaline.

This was truly thrilling!

“So, the question is...”

“Who do I want dead now?”

Clutching the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales tightly, at this moment, Xu Xiaoshou's heartbeat synchronized with the Scales', accelerating to the same frequency, making his body flush with excitement and his mind race wildly.

“Old Sang? Ba Zun'an? The Water Ghost?”

“No, no, no, too small-scale, too narrow-minded. These are characters I can take revenge on myself once I grow stronger.”

“Yu Lingdi? Rao Yaoyao? Night Owl?”

“Not quite. They may be deeply sinful, but not to the extent that it's worth wasting the Void Guardian, such a powerful executioner, for a single strike to kill them.”

“Then, who else...”

Faces of enemies flashed through his mind, and Xu Xiaoshou captured each one, weighing his options.

From Shuang Dai's memories, the Void Guardian could even devour Saint Force, making it virtually invincible on Void Island.

Using such a powerful aid to deal with a Grand Void Realm expert would truly be a waste.

So, there was only one choice left.

SWISH.

His thoughts halted.

Frozen in his mind was the face he had seen beneath the deep sea, the one that made the Saint Emperor Dragon Scales throb the fastest.

Benevolent eyes and kindly brows, a long white beard, wreathed in mist, and unparalleled in the world.

Half-Saint, Jiang Buyi!

“Hee-hee-hee, ha-ha-ha...”

Xu Xiaoshou's smile turned maniacal.

He didn't even need a mimic; with a shift of 'Transformation,' his height, build, and face instantly became identical to Half-Saint Jiang Buyi's.

He then changed his clothes. They didn't need to be identical, just a simple, plain white robe.

With a thought, attribute-less white Saint Force bloomed in his Sea of Qi, and white mist appeared around his entire body, looking exactly like the emitted power of cloud-attribute energy.

Appearance, Saint Force, demeanor, oppressive aura...

Aside from his soul not bearing the Jiang surname, Xu Xiaoshou was certain that if Jiang Xian were to come and see him at this moment, feeling this clearly visible, unfeigned Saint Force, he would immediately kneel and call him 'Great-Grandfather'!

—'Jiang Buyi' enters the stage!

Turning back, he glanced once more at the silent broken tower, then the Half-Saint 'Jiang Buyi' stroked his beard, smiling, and without further hesitation, stepped into the spatial passage.

“Little Junior Sister, when this Saint returns, I'll bring you a huge surprise!”

“Hmm, or perhaps a fright...”