Chapter 1136: The Five Decays of a Celestial Being? Really Ridiculous

Damn it!

Xu Xiaoshou felt he wouldn't be able to sleep for quite some time.

He had thought his act of pretending to be outsmarted by the air was already incredibly absurd, something only someone extremely cautious— bordering on paranoid—would do.

But he never imagined that even this seemingly reckless self-verification would actually reveal something real.

"Someone is watching me!"

Is it Ye Xiao?

Ninety-nine percent certain, it's Ye Xiao!

The remaining possibility is definitely not Kong Yuhen— absolutely not Kong Yuhen!

Xu Xiaoshou was almost certain this was the dangerous woman he hadn't encountered after escaping from the Bu She Ting passageway, not Kong Yuhen at all.

Because throughout his journey, Xu Xiaoshou had never met anyone so bizarre, someone who could watch him without any hint of killing intent.

Even if Yu Lingdi was watching, or Ba Zun An, or Gou Wuyue, or Rao Yaoyao—even they would at least trigger a "notice" in his information bar.

But this Dark Division leader watching him...

She wasn't even watching in the typical sense; she was like a persistent shadow, always right beside him!

If it hadn't been for his face-washing stunt that wiped away his features and startled her slightly, drawing her attention, Xu Xiaoshou would have already revealed his true form and started causing trouble.

A true killer never shows any killing intent before the dagger is plunged into the target's neck.

A seasoned hunter never trusts any opportunity that seems to speed up the hunt until the prey has breathed its last.

Ye Xiao was undoubtedly that kind of person!

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't believe that after pretending to be weak for so long here, if it had been Rao Yaoyao, she would have struck with her sword ages ago—who could resist that temptation?

But Ye Xiao could!

Her endurance was incredibly high; she ignored all the flaws and opportunities he presented, sticking to her own hunting rhythm, silently watching.

"Is it because of what I said in Bu She Ting?"

Xu Xiaoshou was alarmed. He thought the cleverness he had shown in Bu She Ting was nothing special, so why was Ye Xiao paying such close attention to this minor character, Chen Tan?

Regardless, Xu Xiaoshou had already labeled her the most dangerous hunter.

He realized his fear of this woman from Tai Xu was even greater than his fear of facing Ban Sheng Jiang Buyi, or Han Ye, or Rao Yaoyao.

Crack, crack!

Amid his swirling thoughts, Xu Xiaoshou faced the bronze mirror and quickly pinched his face with his hands, his bones cracking as his flesh and skin shifted.

After seeing the prompt in his information bar, he froze for just a moment, masking it with his thoughtful expression.

He believed that brief "stunned gaze" from Ye Xiao meant she was shocked too, losing focus momentarily, so she probably didn't notice his cover-up.

Either way, following Chen Tan's idea, Xu Xiaoshou quickly molded himself a face that looked like a refined scholar.

This face was quite handsome, fair and smooth, giving off an air of complete helplessness in a fight, yet his eyes sparkled like stars, exuding an otherworldly vibe that suggested deep knowledge and a wealth of learning.

Of course, in Zui Yi Dian, most people valued martial prowess over scholarship.

So, the face Xu Xiaoshou created was rather ordinary compared to the crowd here.

However...

It was Kong Yuhen's face!

After finishing his face, he put down the bronze mirror but didn't pull out the Shi Zu Shadow Staff. He just glanced discreetly at his information bar again.

No reaction.

"So, Ye Xiao has never seen Kong Yuhen?"

"Or maybe she has seen him, she recognizes this face, but after her 'stunned gaze' nearly exposed her earlier, she's not daring to react now."

"No! Absolutely not! Anyone who's seen Kong Yuhen couldn't stay calm upon seeing this face on me—it's more shocking than a faceless person with no features!"

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts shifted, and he quickly realized that Ye Xiao definitely didn't know Kong Yuhen.

Otherwise, the face of the most mysterious Shi Zun seat, who mastered space-time attributes, appearing on a South Domain evil cultivator—how could that not be shocking?

Not just Ye Xiao—even Dao Qiong Cang would probably react with surprise!

In the labyrinth of Zui Yi Dian, the mist lingered as before, dim and lightless.

Distant explosions echoed occasionally, with battle shockwaves sometimes shattering the labyrinth walls, freezing everything before it was torn apart by sword intent, but none of it seemed to affect this area.

The Sheng Jie was already far away; the battlefield had shifted to who-knows-where.

Chen Tan seemed quite fond of his newly crafted face.

After sorting everything out, he patted his cheeks with both hands, pinched the flesh on his cheeks, pulled it to the sides, and let it snap back.

"Very good. From now on, I'll go by 'Chen Ruye'."

Acting as if nothing was amiss, Chen Ruye muttered to himself, glanced up at the sky, and then dashed off in a random direction.

Time was life itself.

His current options for self-preservation were twofold:

First, under the premise of finding the main hall of Zui Yi Dian, locate his own people, like Yi Ren Mister or Xiao Kongdong.

Second, still under that premise, if he encountered anyone who wasn't his own, use external forces to divert Ye Xiao's attention—for example, by making the person he met become Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou was Ye Xiao's lifelong enemy!

Ye Xiao knew it, and Chen Ruye knew it too—Xu Xiaoshou could be anyone, thanks to his Mimic. This second method was incredibly difficult, but Chen Ruye knew that turning some innocent lucky soul into Xu Xiaoshou wasn't impossible for him.

Because in this world, no one understood Xu Xiaoshou better than Chen Ruye!

As for who that lucky soul might be...

Who cares?

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Golden sword light flashed through the dim labyrinth.

Decaying Void Servants turned into chunks of flesh that hit the ground, then sizzled into gray-black gas streams that merged into the orange robe.

"Senior Tianren, I really have to rely on you to step in. I'm no match for these Void Servants on my own."

Gu Qing'er, covered in blood with his sword robe in tatters and his face smeared with stains that obscured his features, sheathed his sword and turned respectfully to the orange-robed, masked figure behind him.

Gu Qing'er carried a sword wheel on his back, with eight spiritual swords inserted in it.

He slid his famous sword, Absolute Beauty, back into the center of the sword wheel, then sat down cross-legged to begin meditating.

"Senior, I need to rest for a bit."

"The absolute ground attributes of Zui Yi Dian don't affect you, but they're tough on me. I feel my life force draining fast; I can barely hold on."

As Gu Qing'er spoke, he brushed off some weeds from his shoulder and threw them away, trying to ignore the foul odor emanating from his body as he closed his eyes.

His once-black hair had turned white, and amid the bloodstains, his forehead looked darkened, his whole body exuding a deathly aura—as if his time was running out.

Tianren Wushuai walked over from a distance and said calmly,

"You're the disciple of Wen Jianxian—how can you be so fragile?"

"Get up. The path of the sword still needs you to lead it. The main hall of Zui Yi Dian isn't hiding behind your closed eyes; it's far ahead on the road."

The extremely weak Gu Qing'er didn't argue. Hearing this, he immediately stood up, his spirits lifting. "Senior, you're right!"

Tianren Wushuai walked alongside him, continuing as they went,

"Little one, you can't fall now. You have to hold on until someone comes to save you."

"Remember, until that moment arrives, you're the esteemed disciple of Wen Jianxian. You've said your master has entered the Ban Sheng realm, so in Zui Yi Dian, no one would dare touch you."

"In the eyes of outsiders, Zang Jian Family and Yan Wang are the best of partners."

"When danger comes, you're also my strongest shield—bar none."

A spark returned to Gu Qing'er's scattered eyes. He thumped his chest with his fist and declared loudly, "My honor!"

Sounds echoed from the end of the labyrinth passage, like water droplets falling in the quiet, amplifying clearly in their ears.

"Senior, someone's coming."

"Go on. Ask what needs asking, kill what needs killing. This is your trial for growth."

"Yes."

Xu Xiaoshou calmly looked at the person in front of him, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

This blood-soaked, deathly figure was actually the second of the Gu family brothers from Zang Jian Family. Back on Gu Yin Cliff, he had used the first realm of Wan Jian Technique, "Absolute Dominion," to shatter the inner world of Yun Jing, freeing himself, only to jump off the cliff in despair the next second.

Meeting again here in Zui Yi Dian...

"What on earth happened? How did he end up so drained?"

Xu Xiaoshou was baffled. He knew this man was the beloved disciple of Qi Jianxian Wen Ting, the throne of Jian Dao.

His strength should rank among the top of the younger generation on this Void Island, and with his status and treasures, he shouldn't be in such a state. Did the Void Servants beat him down?

Oh, right—there's the absolute ground attribute here; ordinary people really struggle against it...

But Gu Qing'er had survived from the deep sea until now, so he must have ways to counter the draining of spiritual energy and life force. How could he be this wretched?

Soon, Xu Xiaoshou spotted the figure trailing far behind Gu Qing'er.

An orange robe, orange hood, orange mask—everything exposed was just the lightless eyes hidden in the shadows under the mask.

A Yan Wang member?

This orange one—he'd never seen him before.

Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind flashing with thoughts that branched out like lightning, surging like a tide he couldn't stop.

"Who are you!"

Gu Qing'er advanced aggressively, arms crossed as he shouted angrily.

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts paused. He looked up at him, feeling as if the man in front of him had become a different person.

The old Gu Qing'er was at most youthful and arrogant—that was normal; who wouldn't be in their prime? Especially as a leader among the younger generation.

But now, this guy was all cocky and overbearing, like some spoiled brat—it was off-putting.

Had he been possessed?

Xu Xiaoshou stared at him calmly and, instead of answering, asked, "And who are you?"

Gu Qing'er sneered, full of self-importance. "I'm the second disciple of Wen Jianxian from Zang Jian Family—Gu Qing'er. Who are you? State your identity and background!"

Xu Xiaoshou sensed something was wrong.

How could someone change this much in such a short time?

You're not Rao Yaoyao—she's at least on a path to Feng Sheng.

This is just plain foolish!

As his "perception" scanned the orange-masked figure far in the distance, Xu Xiaoshou thought of Yan Wang and then Lei Family Tong, quickly linking it to "San Yan Tong Mu."

Back in Tian Qi Lin, Jiang Xian's two San Yan Tong Mu—one was with Tan Shen now, and the other had been taken by Yan Wang.

Was that other one on this orange-masked person?

Xu Xiaoshou figured the only thing that could alter someone so directly was "San Yan Tong Mu."

But that would require the advanced ability Lei Xi'er mentioned—Transfer Pupil, which could forcibly twist and change a person's will, turning them into a puppet.

Even Tan Shen couldn't do that yet.

That little fat cat's San Yan Tong Mu could only make people meow...

Xu Xiaoshou grew wary. His gaze skipped over Gu Qing'er and locked onto the real threat in the distance, speaking casually, "Cheng Yue Hui Gong—Chen Ruye."

In that instant, the atmosphere froze.

Cheng Yue Hui Gong...

Gu Qing'er never imagined he'd run into someone from that infamous South Domain force here—one of the few openly aligned with ghosts and beasts on the continent. He was stunned.

Warnings from his eldest brother echoed in his mind, and Gu Qing'er instinctively wanted to back away.

But soon, a flash of light in his eyes stopped him, and he stepped forward instead.

"Cheng Yue Hui Gong? Are you a ghost beast host? What kind of ghost beast is it?"

Xu Xiaoshou clearly saw that as Gu Qing'er asked this, the orange-masked figure in the distance, lurking in the corner with lowered eyes, had a gray San Yan pattern swirling in his right eye, amplifying endlessly under "perception."

Damn it!

It really is San Yan Tong Mu!

Who is this guy? How did he get the right to use it from Huang Quan? Isn't Huang Quan afraid of being controlled?

Xu Xiaoshou's composure cracked.

When Tan Shen used San Yan Tong Mu, it didn't faze him much; he didn't think Lei Family's eyes were that powerful.

But now, seeing Gu Qing'er act against his own will as a puppet for the orange-masked man, speaking for him...

Xu Xiaoshou felt chills run down his spine.

He quickly used "Bian Hua" to suppress any unusual reactions on his body, remembering there were four people here—the fourth one watching invisibly at all times.

"Shh."

Xu Xiaoshou raised a finger to his lips and shushed Gu Qing'er gently, signaling him to quiet down.

"Shh?" Gu Qing'er's eyes flashed, his anger igniting instantly as he gripped the Absolute Beauty in the center of his sword wheel. "Chen Ruye, what do you mean by that?"

He drew his sword and lunged.

Xu Xiaoshou was furious.

The Gu Qing'er he knew wasn't like this.

Even when he was chatty around his eldest brother, he was still a proper gentleman.

How could San Yan Tong Mu control someone like that?

In that moment, Xu Xiaoshou's gaze turned sharp, and boundless killing intent surged forth.

"Qi Tun Shan He" formed a torrential aura in an instant, slamming down on Gu Qing'er.

Boom!

The air waves churned.

Xu Xiaoshou aimed to overwhelm Gu Qing'er with his aura and knock him out, freeing him from control.

But Gu Qing'er didn't budge!

He was the first among his peers that Xu Xiaoshou had seen who could nearly ignore the suppressive power of "Qi Tun Shan He"—something even rare among veteran Tai Xu masters.

Gu Qing'er's sword wheel on his back whooshed as nine swords flew out, turning the sky behind him into endless golden light. A majestic aura rose to counterattack, ready to overpower Chen Ruye's.

"Absolute Dominion?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly recalled the technique he'd glimpsed on Gu Yin Cliff.

He couldn't let this guy unleash it—Gu Qing'er was too weakened now, not in his right state; his body was on the verge of collapse!

If he fought back for real, they wouldn't need a prolonged battle; a little standoff would leave Gu Qing'er drained to death!

Realizing this, Xu Xiaoshou changed tactics immediately.

He narrowed his eyes, making no other move, but a flash of demonic energy appeared in his eyes.

Heart Sword Technique—Eyes Under Gods and Buddhas!

Buzz—the labyrinth walls of Zui Yi Dian echoed with a faint sword hum.

Xu Xiaoshou had restrained most of his power, targeting only Gu Qing'er, but some sword intent still leaked out.

In that instant, before Gu Qing'er's aura could fully form, he felt himself transported to a world filled with decay. There were nine heavenly thunder disasters, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunamis... endless apocalyptic catastrophes.

At the end of the disasters stood a solitary tower.

A shadow atop the tower turned to look.

Boom!

Endless demonic energy engulfed everything.

The world turned completely black, with demons clawing and devouring all.

The intent image of Xu Xiaoshou's Heart Sword Technique was crushing for ordinary people and absolutely devastating for ancient sword cultivators.

Even Yi Ren Mister had fallen for it unguarded—let alone Gu Qing'er, who was at his weakest.

With just one glance.

From start to finish, Xu Xiaoshou used only a glance.

Gu Qing'er's mind exploded; blood streamed from his seven orifices, and he collapsed unconscious.

The demonic energy that had just begun to seep from him was swallowed up after Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes, leaving his foundation intact.

"Sword intent..."

The distant orange-masked man couldn't stay put any longer. He looked up in surprise.

He knew Gu Qing'er's abilities better than anyone, having spent half a day with him.

Among the younger generation, who could comprehend the first realm of Jiu Jian Technique, "Infinite Numbers"? Who could grasp the first realm of Wan Jian Technique, "Absolute Dominion"?

As far as he knew, Gu Qing'er was the only one!

But now, this Chen Ruye from Cheng Yue Hui Gong had defeated him with a single glance? Granted, Gu Qing'er was extremely weakened and at less than ten percent of his strength, but that still proved how terrifying Chen Ruye's cultivation in ancient sword arts was.

A disciple of Zang Jian Family's Wen Ting wasn't easy to beat, even in that state!

"What technique is that?"

Xu Xiaoshou listened to the hoarse, low voice and watched the orange-masked man approach step by step. He just chuckled softly, "Nothing worth mentioning. I call it Demonic Sword Technique."

"South Domain has talents like you? And Cheng Yue Hui Gong has practitioners of ancient sword arts?"

Xu Xiaoshou heard the surprise in that voice and shook his head with a laugh. "There are plenty. Not just sword arts—all sorts of unorthodox paths, you name it. Want to experience it? Mr. San Yan Tong Mu?"

For Chen Ruye, backed by Cheng Yue Hui Gong, Xu Xiaoshou portrayed him as someone who feared no one and had vast knowledge.

After all, anyone representing Cheng Yue Hui Gong in the outside world couldn't be ordinary.

So, he didn't mind revealing that he'd seen through the man's San Yan Tong Mu.

But as the orange-masked man drew closer step by step, Xu Xiaoshou felt an inexplicable unease for no reason.

It was as if a thought in his mind was urging him to flee quickly—staying longer meant certain death.

This was a premonition!

Yet Xu Xiaoshou didn't move.

You're strong, sure, but do you surpass the invisible grim reaper on me?

"Right."

As the orange-masked man closed in, Xu Xiaoshou acted as if he felt no burden at all and smiled lightly, "I haven't asked for your title yet. I recall Yan Wang members all have some pretty ridiculous nicknames. Yours is...?"

The footsteps stopped in front of the fallen Gu Qing'er, then casually stepped on him.

The orange mask nearly pressed against Chen Ruye's nose, and the San Yan Tong Mu in his right eye suddenly emerged.

"Tianren Wushuai."

The words fell, and the gray San Yan pattern spun rapidly, finally flowing into the black pupil in Tianren Wushuai's right eye, leaving only a tiny black hole.

In the next second, that hole expanded suddenly, filling the entire eye like a black void.

From the void, a needle-like intent of enslavement shot straight into Chen Ruye's spiritual world.

Chen Ruye...

Didn't even blink!

After a full three breaths, a lazy, mocking laugh echoed in the depths of the labyrinth walls:

"Tianren Wushuai? What a ridiculous name!"