Chapter 1058: Seeing me, not seeing me...

My original intention was merely to impersonate Jiang Buyi and swindle. But I didn't expect you, Teng Shanhai, to be so uncooperative, so I'll just have to make you my test subject first.

While invisible, Xu Xiaoshou watched Teng Shanhai being severely beaten by the Void Attendant in the distance. His heart tightened slightly, and he confirmed his previous deduction. The Void Attendant determines the thief by sensing the aura of spirit herbs and sacred medicines from Shennong's Medicinal Garden! Just now, for this experiment, he reluctantly plucked one sacred medicine and three first-grade spirit herbs, crushing them into a paste and smearing it on Teng Shanhai. If the Void Attendant already knew who the true thief was, it wouldn't be attacking Teng Shanhai right now; it would drop the current person and frantically search for him, who was invisible. But it didn't.

"So, from now on, if I want someone dead, I just need to smear the medicinal paste on them, and the Void Attendant will strike wherever I point!"

"The only pity is..."

Xu Xiaoshou felt a pang of regret when he considered that this method cost spirit herbs and sacred medicines.

"It's a heavy price to pay!"

In the distance, Teng Shanhai was still being brutally beaten. Even after unleashing the demonic power from one arm, he was still like a mere toy in the Void Attendant's hands, utterly powerless to resist, only able to endure the blows. Teng Shanhai also attempted to retaliate. But the Void Attendant's physical body was incredibly tough and could absorb energy attacks. His sacred blood power, when unleashed upon the Void Attendant, was immediately devoured. What remained was like tickling an itch, completely unable to disrupt the Void Attendant's fluid barrage of left and right-hand strikes. This action was not only futile but also provoked the dark giant, making it even more ferocious and its blows more brutal.

"That really hurts..."

Xu Xiaoshou watched with his heart pounding, yet he keenly noticed that no matter how much the Void Attendant's attack intensity increased, Teng Shanhai, despite appearing disheveled, hadn't died. His Azure God Armor, under the high-frequency heavy blows, only showed slight indentations, without even a single crack. Although blood seeped from the armor's seams, most of the Void Attendant's attacks were absorbed by the Azure God Armor. It was clear that Teng Shanhai was currently just unable to resist. But it seemed the Void Attendant couldn't actually kill him?

"Is the Azure God Armor really that tough?"

Xu Xiaoshou frowned, vaguely recalling that even the Twin Imbeciles, also at the Grand-Void stage, couldn't withstand a single kick from the Void Attendant, their bodies instantly disintegrating. And theoretically, the full set of Azure God Armor should only be able to withstand Grand-Void level attacks, right? Does this mean the Void Attendant, despite appearing powerful, still hasn't reached the Demigod level of attack strength? Or is Teng Shanhai's Azure God Armor special, capable of even withstanding Demigod-level attacks?

"Regardless, Teng Shanhai probably won't die anytime soon. How long will it take the Void Attendant to shatter Teng Shanhai's true body through the Azure God Armor?"

Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve, deciding to escalate the bloody scene further! He swiftly conjured another portrait clone, and regardless of how unwilling the clone appeared, he threw it out. Naturally, it bore the face of Demigod Jiang Buyi.

"Teng Shanhai, we agreed on a sixty-forty split of the spirit herbs from Shennong's Medicinal Garden. This Saint cooperated with you and showed you such equal respect only out of consideration for your position as the War Department Chief of the Saint Temple. Look at you now... This is the consequence of defying this Saint!" The 'Demigod Jiang Buyi' entered the fray, appearing instantly with arms crossed, mockingly staring at Teng Shanhai's brutal beating, and sneering, "Beg me. As long as you ask this Saint, I can resolve this tribulation for you."

"Roar!"

Hearing the sound, the Void Attendant instantly halted its attack, scooped up Teng Shanhai with its left hand, gripping him tightly in its palm, unwilling to let go. Then, it turned its gaze, glaring furiously at this human who was also enveloped in saintly power. "Since when did saintly power become so abundant..." The Void Attendant barely had time for this thought before it was drawn by the aura of spirit herbs emanating from this person. Soon, it recognized the face! Just moments ago, this person was confronting the human it held, discussing something together. From his words, it seemed these two humans had a disagreement over the distribution of spirit herbs from Shennong's Medicinal Garden? So they were using it as a weapon to deal with the other party?

"Roar!"

The moment it thought of this, the Void Attendant's eyes became bloodshot again. Damn it, it truly was these despicable humans who had emptied Shennong's Medicinal Garden! So, they weren't just one person... They were a group!

"Roar..."

In the Void Attendant's grasp, Teng Shanhai, whose mind was muddled from the beating, couldn't hear anything clearly. From his swollen single eye, he could vaguely discern that the one opposite him was an enemy. But at this moment, he could only let out a low roar alongside the Void Attendant, unable to utter a single human word.

"Boom!"

The Void Attendant wouldn't wait; it grabbed Teng Shanhai and stomped down, intending to crush the other human as well. However, Xu Xiaoshou's portrait clones were inexhaustible. The Void Attendant's foot was enormous; he didn't even bother to dodge, instead manipulating the portrait clone to dissipate into spiritual energy, then throwing out another 'Jiang Buyi' from a different direction.

The enraged 'Jiang Buyi' narrowed its eyes, its voice turning cold. The surrounding world seemed to be affected, growing frigid, and even the ground began to frost over. "Insignificant Void Attendant, do you know what you are doing? This Saint merely borrowed your Shennong's Medicinal Garden as a courtesy; do you know my name, and yet dare to lay a hand on me?!"

"Roar—" The Void Attendant paid no heed to this human's name. It furiously hurled Teng Shanhai, who was in its hand, directly at the Demigod Jiang Buyi, who had appeared in another direction.

"Boom!"

Space shattered instantly. Teng Shanhai, clad in his Azure God Armor, became the hardest weapon in the Void Attendant's hand, launching into the fragmented spatial currents. However, the Void Attendant's hand swept out, retrieving that indestructible turtle shell, only to find its target had vanished from the attack's trajectory.

"Insolent wretch!"

The annoying voice reappeared. The incredibly frustrated Void Attendant turned its head, discovering that the human Demigod had, at some unknown point, flown behind it and was now audaciously lecturing it. "How dare an insignificant Void Attendant like you blaspheme this Saint's status? If you have a grievance, direct it at this Saint! Most of the spirit herbs from your Shennong's Medicinal Garden are on this Saint. Release my friend, and I shall spare your life today!"

"Roar—" The Void Attendant roared, bending its body, its rage boiling over. So, of the 'sixty-forty split' they mentioned, this human Demigod in front of it took 'sixty percent'? This was Shennong's Medicinal Garden, which it had guarded for millions of years, yet with one oversight, it was all stolen... The Void Attendant felt its fury ignite, and its already halting human speech became even more disjointed: "You should be... confined... to the inner island! Who... are you?" This human's name wasn't on the Void Suppressing Tablet. The Void Attendant knew this was a Demigod-level intruder. The reason it hadn't attacked again was that it had tried twice and failed. Therefore, it managed to suppress its rage and ask the question.

"Heh!"

The portrait clone of Jiang Buyi smiled. Xu Xiaoshou, hiding in the shadows, not daring to show himself, also smiled. After waiting so long, this big fellow finally asked that question?

"Alright then!"

"As you wish!"

Xu Xiaoshou, controlling the portrait clone of Jiang Buyi, lifted its chin, a haughty expression on its face. In the most provocative manner, it plucked one of the few second-grade spirit herbs remaining in Shennong's Medicinal Garden, crushing it in its hand, allowing the medicinal juice to splatter. Then, in the most irritating tone, it uttered what it considered to be the most ostentatious line.

"This Saint is Jiang Buyi!"

"Now that you know my name, what can you do to me?"

At the edge of the Forest of Miracles.

Demigod Jiang Buyi disregarded the hundreds of stone giants roaring in the heavens, and also ignored the battle currently erupting in a certain location. None of this mattered to him. Having heard external sounds from the Underworld Ghost City, one of the Nine Great Forbidden Lands, he was able to break free from its maze and enter another forbidden land, the Forest of Miracles. Jiang Buyi's original intention was not to cause trouble. The dangers of this ancient forest were less severe than the Underworld Ghost City, and its forbidden land properties were less easily provoked. However, Jiang Buyi knew he was a Demigod, and any action he took could potentially agitate the Forest of Miracles. Thus, upon arriving here, he only followed the rich medicinal scent, hoping to find something to console himself for a while. Yet, after searching for so long, he had scoured more than half of the Forest of Miracles. Jiang Buyi hadn't found the legendary 'Shennong's Medicinal Garden'; not even a single weed was present. But at this moment, he suddenly sensed something and abruptly turned his head.

"This Saint is Jiang Buyi—"

From tens of thousands of miles away, a voice remarkably similar to his own reached his ears. These words were not unintentional. On the contrary, calling out his Saint name directly meant it was entirely directed at him!

"Who is it?"

Jiang Buyi's expression turned stern. He made no discernible movement, yet at that instant, the Forest of Miracles, spanning hundreds of thousands of miles, seemed to freeze in time. To call out a Saint's name directly was a grave disrespect! As a Demigod, how could Jiang Buyi not understand such a principle? What's more, the voice, from its very essence, was imitating him, which was an even greater blasphemy against the Demigod's esteemed position!

"Whoosh."

Clouds and mist transformed. In but an instant, Jiang Buyi's figure flickered, and he arrived at the source of the voice.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

The Void Attendant of this area was still immersed in its rage after the 'insignificant Demigod' vanished again following its pronouncement. It tossed Teng Shanhai high into the air and slammed its two arms together.

"Bang!"

A deafening explosion echoed. This blow, filled with vented rage, finally caused the Azure God Armor to crack with a sharp snap. Teng Shanhai himself, protected within, could no longer withstand such impact force. With a 'pfft,' his mouth erupted with blood, bursting forth along with cracked wounds all over his body. After venting and enduring pain, both sides seemed to have regained a slight bit of clarity. Just then.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

A great wind rose, sending dust and sand swirling. The sky changed color, abruptly growing dim. In the eyes of the Void Attendant, who had vanished and reappeared, the so-called 'insignificant Demigod' seemed to have changed appearances? Yet his appearance hadn't actually changed; only his clothes were different. This time, his reappearance caused the entire world to be frozen! It wasn't 'it seemed,' 'as if,' or 'apparently'... The world truly *was* frozen!

Teng Shanhai's heavy breathing ceased. The Void Attendant's hands, clasped above its head, poised to shatter the turtle shell, froze. The flying sand and shattered wood, swirling in the air, which should have rapidly fallen due to the terrifying gravity of the Void Island, were now completely motionless.

"Who calls my name?"

Amidst swirling dust and widespread wreckage, Jiang Buyi, with his crane-white hair and beard, clad in a white robe, descended like an immortal banished from heaven, his calm voice carrying a hint of displeasure. As the Saint's voice spoke, the deathly silence shattered. The clouds above, like shifting forms, seemed to catch up on all the previously frozen time in an instant, rapidly changing. The floating stones and scattered wood in mid-air also crashed to the ground, instantly returning to their destined end, settling among the dust.

"Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump!"

While invisible, the Saint Emperor Dragon Scale in Xu Xiaoshou's hand pounded against his chest. Beads of sweat, as large as beans, seeped from his forehead, converged, and slid down, past his brow bone, unwilling to linger on his cheeks, only to drip directly into the air from the twitching of his long eyelashes.

"Whoosh!"

Xu Xiaoshou moved at light speed, cupping that drop of sweat, terrified that if it left his body, it would break his invisibility, thereby allowing the 'True Demigod Jiang Buyi' to detect him. The moment the 'True Demigod Jiang Buyi' appeared, he felt his heart stop beating! "Truly terrifying!" Were true Demigods really this formidable?

Xu Xiaoshou distantly recalled Water Ghost's admonition to him beneath the deep sea: "When the Saint Emperor Dragon Scale throbs, do not harbor any illusions, nor attempt to resist. The power of a Demigod is not something you, at your current level, can fight against." "Run as far as you can!" When he was pursued by Jiang Buyi beneath the deep sea, Xu Xiaoshou had felt death approaching, but the sense of threat then was less than one ten-thousandth of what he felt now!

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou finally understood. It turned out that the Demigod's oppressive aura he had felt beneath the deep sea was already at its safest level, weakened by the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier.' It turned out that away from the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier,' the oppressive sensation brought by a true Demigod's every word and action was far more terrifying than any unknown in the world!

So... "Water Ghost, how dare you speak of desecrating and slaying Saints while only at the Grand-Void stage? Ba Zun'an, are the ones you're suppressing on the inner island of Void Island truly monsters like this, and even Saint Emperors who transcend Demigods?" Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of a breakdown, roaring inwardly, "You're orchestrating a scheme, so why drag a small fry like me in as bait?!" The person involved was now utterly terrified. Xu Xiaoshou was so consumed by regret he could have kicked himself.

He had encountered Demigod Zang Ren, but was pushed back by the formidable wills within Zang Ren's body; he had on numerous occasions experienced Ai Cangsheng's Evil Sin Bow arrows, only to realize that Water Ghost, despite being at the Grand-Void stage, could withstand a blow with the Ocean-Controlling Divine Halberd; he had heard tales of Ba Zun'an suppressing a group of Demigods and Saint Emperors, leading him to believe that Demigods were nothing special, merely a realm achievable with time and effort. But now he realized... He was wrong! Completely wrong!

These monsters had lived for too long, and their own strength was immense. As members of the Saint Servants' Nine Seats, capable of confronting the Saint Temple, the strongest force of the current era, it was natural that individuals like Ba Zun'an and Water Ghost were certainly up to no good! But if even a small fry like him, who had cultivated for less than a year, after getting involved, ambitiously believed that Demigods were nothing special, and that with enough scheming, they could be tricked to their deaths... Then that would truly be like an ant trying to shake a tree – utterly deluded!

"Huu..."

After a long, deep breath, Xu Xiaoshou's heart rate calmed, and even the involuntary trembling of his body ceased. Dare to move? He didn't dare to move a muscle now. He felt that even 'Disappearance Art' wasn't secure enough, and despite his efforts to develop 'Concealment' from a passive skill into an active one and push it to its limits, Xu Xiaoshou still felt it wasn't enough. At this moment, he realized that 'Concealment' was the true divine skill; as long as Jiang Buyi couldn't find him, that would be enough, more than enough, with no further demands.

"I really, truly went insane..."

Thinking of his recent actions, Xu Xiaoshou was filled with bitter regret. Calling out the Saint's name directly was no accident; it was one of Xu Xiaoshou's tactics. He had originally planned to fight halfway, lure Jiang Buyi out, then use 'Painting Mastery' to draw a hand for the fellow, slap a Sacred Miracle Fruit onto his face, thoroughly mash it, and let the juice splatter everywhere. Like this, even if the Void Attendant was intelligent, with his prior words setting the stage, it would be impossible for it not to fight Jiang Buyi. In this way, Xu Xiaoshou would play the role of the master strategist, calmly watching the tigers fight from the sidelines, awaiting his moment. The plan was perfect, wasn't it? But now... Crouching under the Disappearance Art, Xu Xiaoshou watched Jiang Buyi, whose every word carried the Saint's aura and whose every movement could even stir a reaction from the Void Island's Heavenly Dao. He felt a chill run through his entire body. He only regretted that his clothes were so thin, providing utterly insufficient sense of security!

"Can't see me, can't see me, can't see me..."