Chapter 1060: Cannot Win, Can't Run... So Call for Backup

With a clang, the Martial Restriction Order dropped before him.

At that moment, Jiang Buyi's face, like charcoal placed in a bonfire, visibly flushed red at a rapid pace.

“How dare you!”

He roared, his robes billowed without a breeze, and his Holy Power condensed into a colossal palm in mid-air, about to strike the face of the brazen and disrespectful Teng Shan Hai.

“How dare you!”

Teng Shan Hai's sole eye also narrowed sharply, and he bellowed back. How could he not know that this palm was merely an illusion conjured by Xu Xiaoshou? Even though the Holy Power fluctuations from the opponent were incredibly lifelike, Teng Shan Hai, enduring the pressure, grudgingly pulled out another drop of Holy Blood and was about to consume it, to counter force with force. He had been preparing for this for a long time!

Before either of their movements could fully materialize, a delicate shout echoed from afar. Then, a streak of light whistled down from the sky, transforming into the divine sword Xuancang, which sharply pierced the space between the two, separating them.

Teng Shan Hai, holding the Holy Blood and looking down on the world, and Jiang Buyi, consumed by shame and rage and intent only on teaching the other a lesson, both froze after this sword strike, ceasing any rash movements.

“Rao Yaoyao?”

Xu Xiaoshou, who had vanished into thin air, saw this sword and knew he could no longer stay here. He immediately began to move, cautiously observing whether Jiang Buyi would react to his movements while in his vanished state.

The answer was no.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart leaped with joy, and he immediately quickened his pace, wanting to escape the area. This place had become extremely dangerous. All three people present were his enemies; if he were discovered, he wouldn't even know how he died. Earlier, due to Teng Shan Hai's personal reasons, the plan had unexpectedly come full circle and was proceeding smoothly. Xu Xiaoshou had wanted to leave then, letting the two of them fight it out. However, Teng Shan Hai's moment of glory had halted his actions, and human curiosity and the spirit of gossip also kept Xu Xiaoshou rooted to the spot, wanting to see how Teng Shan Hai would court death. Now was not the time. If he didn't leave soon, his life would be in danger!

A hundred miles away, the Void Servant was still deeply embedded within space, constantly devouring the Holy Power entwined around it, seeking to break free from its confinement. Xu Xiaoshou merely glanced at it, then withdrew his gaze, and tried to make his escape. But similarly, after he reached a hundred miles from Jiang Buyi, the Saint Emperor Dragon Scale suddenly accelerated, pulsating frantically at a frequency even greater than when facing a Saint under the deep sea.

“Startled, Passive Points, 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened. What did this mean? Was it warning him that if he took another step out of this battlefield, Jiang Buyi, who normally couldn't detect him, would notice something amiss?

“Saint…”

Thinking of Jiang Buyi's rank, and glancing back to see the Void Servant also trapped precisely a hundred miles away from Jiang Buyi, just like himself, Xu Xiaoshou's heart suddenly sank. He activated his 'Perception', switched to Ye Xiaotian by holding the Imitator, and then used his clearer spatial attributes to try and discern the distribution of spatial nodes in the area.

As expected! Centered on Jiang Buyi, a hundred-mile radius around him was densely packed with spatial nodes, forming a spherical domain that was no less impressive than Ye Xiaotian's personal domain! And this invisible domain, if he hadn't used spatial attributes before, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't have been able to perceive it at all!

“A domain?”

“No! The power level of these spatial nodes alone completely surpasses a normal domain. It should be called… a Saint Domain!”

“A Half-Saint inherently forms their own world… So, having lost the suppression of the deep-sea forbidden barrier, as soon as Jiang Buyi arrived, did his mere instinct divide the surrounding hundred-mile radius into a separate world?”

“I've vanished in this world, and he currently finds it hard to detect me, but if a vanished person were to leave his world and return to the world of Void Island…”

“This process would surely create ripples, no matter how small. A Half-Saint like Jiang Buyi would certainly detect my presence, and then use swift, decisive measures to pinpoint my location, and then… kill me?”

Gazing at the spatial nodes emanating Holy Power, in a flash of insight, Xu Xiaoshou understood. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbed, and a strong look of lingering fear appeared on his face.

Back in White Cave, the Storyteller was able to use the 'Heavenly Dao Banishment' method, when unable to find him, to narrow down the area incrementally and use elimination to pinpoint his presence. That was the first time Xu Xiaoshou's Vanishing Arts had been countered. This made him realize that 'Vanishing Arts' were not unsolvable; if used often enough, someone would always find a way to counter them. But he never expected that Jiang Buyi, a complete stranger, and facing a hidden opponent without even knowing of his presence, would use his Half-Saint instinct to trap him to death!

Xu Xiaoshou was certain that Jiang Buyi's 'Saint Domain' was not intentional, but merely the natural consequence of a Half-Saint establishing their presence, forming their own world. Even so, he was left with no options…

“Damn it!”

For a moment, he was frantic. Xu Xiaoshou clutched the Saint Emperor Dragon Scale, unsure of what to do. It was fortunate that the Water Ghost had given him this item. Otherwise, he would surely have suffered an unexpected calamity right now, and with a ninety percent chance, it would have been a catastrophic one!

Glancing back at the struggling Void Servant once more, Xu Xiaoshou understood even more. Perhaps it wasn't Jiang Buyi's exquisite control over his power that merely blasted the Void Servant a hundred miles away, without leaving a spatial rift stretching thousands or tens of thousands of miles. Rather, it was simply that after Jiang Buyi's strike, the Void Servant was blasted away and crashed into this invisible Saint Domain. See? That huge Void Servant was still struggling for survival against the invisible wall of the Saint Domain, devouring the Holy Power — which it didn't even know came from the spatial nodes — trying to break free from control after consuming it all.

“The Saint Domain is like a spiderweb. If I cross it, even in my vanished state, will I get stuck?”

“Or, even if I don't get stuck and can easily escape, how could Jiang Buyi, the one who created this spiderweb, not know that a fish just slipped through the net?”

“Phew.”

Xu Xiaoshou let out a heavy breath, suppressed his inner tension, clutched the Saint Emperor Dragon Scale, retracted his steps, and silently hid himself within the surroundings once more. At this stage, he could only pray that Rao Yaoyao's arrival would break the deadlock — in her capacity as the Red-Clothed Enforcer and Master of the Dao, she might forcefully order Jiang Buyi to withdraw his Saint Domain. But was that even possible?

Looking afar, Rao Yaoyao, in a cyan dress with shoulders as pale as snow, calmly descended from the heavens after the divine sword Xuancang had settled. Xu Xiaoshou calculated the distance. Rao Yaoyao had floated directly from a hundred miles away. This meant that she knew of the Saint Domain's existence, but she wasn't afraid of Jiang Buyi discovering her presence, so she directly entered the battlefield. If this were the case, if she wanted to take Teng Shan Hai away, she wouldn't need to order Jiang Buyi to withdraw his Saint Domain! Relying on 'accidents' and 'coincidences' was completely unrealistic!

“I'm finished…”

Xu Xiaoshou once again realized the power of a Half-Saint. It was a sense of despair that, simply by standing there, could render any Spirit Cultivator below the Half-Saint realm powerless, a feeling likely only unexperienced by Teng Shan Hai, who was still blissfully unaware. Xu Xiaoshou's mind was in turmoil, but he quickly calmed down. The more critical the situation, the more composure was needed.

“Jiang Buyi…”

“I really shouldn't have provoked this guy. I'm only a Grandmaster…”

The wildly pulsating Saint Emperor Dragon Scale, as Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts calmed and he stopped acting impulsively, its throbbing also began to slow. Clutching this most potent danger-warning treasure, Xu Xiaoshou felt a slight sense of security.

At one point, the Water Ghost's face suddenly flashed in his mind, along with the words the Water Ghost had spoken deep beneath the sea, regarding the 'Hand of God'. “Participating in the Great Dao struggle with a Grandmaster cultivation base, seeking change while staying stable will lead to self-destruction. Only greed and ambition can support a Spirit Cultivator's growth in the next stage.”

It was precisely because of these words that Xu Xiaoshou had developed ambition, daring to plot against Jiang Buyi. And now he faced a predicament… “Opportunity and danger coexist. A chess piece only needs to shine brightly, showing the chess player that it has the qualifications to be a 'Hand of God'. Things that other pieces cannot solve, the chess player will naturally step forward to resolve.”

Thinking about these words in his current state, they seemed utterly absurd. After all, the people present were only from the Holy Divine Palace and the Jiang clan, all his enemies. Xu Xiaoshou was isolated and helpless, yet he didn't believe the Water Ghost's previous words were completely baseless, or that he was merely being tricked. He trusted Eight-Finger Anu, and knew that Eight-Finger Anu valued him greatly. Knowing he would stir up trouble everywhere, then he must have left a contingency for him, as a way to solve predicaments like the current one. What could it be?

“Eight-Finger Anu knows my unique circumstances and lets me act on my own, but he wouldn't just leave me to my fate.”

“So, if I genuinely encounter a situation like this, which I absolutely cannot resolve with my own abilities, he should reasonably step in.”

“After all, Rao Yaoyao isn't foolish. As long as she negotiates with Teng Shan Hai and Jiang Buyi, even these two idiots will realize they've been played by me, and that I'm likely still hiding nearby, unable to escape…”

“But Eight-Finger Anu can't possibly come here right now!”

As Xu Xiaoshou thought, his thoughts began to fray again; after all, the current situation was too unique. Calm down! Calm down! He continuously reminded himself that he needed more composure.

His 'Perception', bringing enhanced memory, began searching for so-called 'support'. Xu Xiaoshou soon realized that due to his unique nature, Eight-Finger Anu couldn't possibly monitor him constantly and intervene in time. But he must have left something for him, to…

“Allow me to contact him in reverse?”

That's it…

“The Communication Bead!”

Xu Xiaoshou immediately pulled out the Communication Bead, trying to contact Eight-Finger Anu. Perhaps this guy was also on Void Island now? But he failed… The Communication Bead gave no response. Void Island was a self-contained world, unrelated to the Holy Divine Continent.

“The Eight-Character Token!”

Xu Xiaoshou then pulled out the Eight-Character Token, and quickly injected spiritual energy into it. “Save me, save me, I'm in danger right now…” Hidden in his vanished state, he whispered, holding the token without any regard for his image, begging for help. This wasn't shameful. It was simply a chess piece, caught in the game, starting to utilize a method of the chess player.

But it still failed… The Eight-Character Token clearly had no communication function.

“Damn it…”

Xu Xiaoshou panicked. He didn't even dare to listen to the conversation of the three people present, feeling that he would be discovered any second, dragged out, and executed. “What could it be, what could it be…” Frantically scratching his head, Xu Xiaoshou wished he could crack open his skull, to carefully check for any oversights on his part.

Suddenly, his thoughts settled, and his eyes burst with light. “Yes, I have one more item I haven't used!”

With a flip of his hand, two spiritual talismans, risked by Lei Shuangxing and Luo Leilei from the Yunlun Mountains, appeared in his grasp. Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he had found a lifeline. At that time, those two hadn't been able to explain what these talismans did. But with Eight-Finger Anu's capabilities, he must have known that no one below the Half-Saint realm could corner him into a death trap. Therefore, his intention in having Lei Shuangxing and the other bring these talismans was very likely to deal with a situation like this!

“The Connecting Talisman, the Death Talisman…”

Of the two spiritual talismans, whose functions he didn't know, Xu Xiaoshou weighed his options and chose the Connecting Talisman. He didn't believe the Death Talisman would be useful at this moment — if it claimed to kill a Half-Saint by being thrown, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't believe it for a second. But the Connecting Talisman was different.

“Spirit communication? Or telecommunication?”

“I hope it's spirit communication, to directly summon Eight-Finger Anu…”

Xu Xiaoshou clasped his hands together and hastily injected spiritual energy into the Connecting Talisman, only to find… Still no response!

“Damn it!”

At this, Xu Xiaoshou despaired. Had he made a wrong deduction? Was Eight-Finger Anu truly leaving him to fend for himself, without even leaving a contingency, expecting him to handle even this current situation alone?

“I don't believe it!”

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes were red, but he refused to give up. He even drew upon the Holy Power in his Qi Sea, desperately pouring it into the Connecting Talisman.

“Buzz!”

The talisman trembled. Xu Xiaoshou's hand shook slightly, and his eyebrows lifted in delight. It works! It really works!

But…

“Why does this talisman require Holy Power to activate? What if I hadn't obtained the Holy Relic Fruit?” Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened, and he began cursing inwardly. But then he reconsidered. He would only think to use this Connecting Talisman likely only when he had consumed Holy Blood and still couldn't defeat his enemy. Or perhaps, the Connecting Talisman itself could be taken out to block an opponent's Holy Power attack, thereby passively triggering?

“Damn it! Summoning someone is this much trouble? What if I died waiting?”

Xu Xiaoshou was too exasperated to complain further. He could only hope this Connecting Talisman would summon a powerful helper; if only the Storyteller came, it might not be enough to handle the current situation.

“Beep, beep, beep…”

The Connecting Talisman trembled, emitting faint beeping sounds. It had no 'communication' or 'spirit-summoning' functions; it simply continued to beep calmly, like a signal emitter. Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded and began to look around. No response for so long after trying to summon someone. If this were used during battle, by the time help arrived, it would be too late!

“Beep, beep, beep…”

But the Connecting Talisman just kept beeping like that. Other than that, it produced no other phenomena. “Not yet?” Xu Xiaoshou felt a dull ache in his teeth, clutching the life-saving talisman tightly and anxiously looking around.

Since no one was coming, he could only turn his gaze back to the three individuals in the field. After Rao Yaoyao entered the scene, she had already defused the tense atmosphere between Jiang Buyi and Teng Shan Hai. She turned sideways, standing in front of her comrade, and narrowed her eyes at Jiang Buyi.

Before she could say more, Teng Shan Hai, seeing that it was one of his own, excitedly pointed at the opposite side and shouted loudly: “Rao Yaoyao, he is Xu Xiaoshou! Let's combine our strength and finish him off here! This time, we absolutely cannot let him escape!”