Chapter 1141: I Will Take Action

Drip.

A drop of water fell from the crossbeam of the grand hall, making the environment of Zhenhuang Dian extremely humid.

Jiang Buji stepped over the small puddle in front of him, leading the Taboo Doll behind him, and approached the statue of a giant that stood about ten feet tall in front of the main hall's table.

It seemed like a statue of a giant?

It was clad in tattered black heavy armor, gripping a black halberd in its hand. Spiderwebs crawled through the gaps in the armor, and it was covered in dust, suggesting it hadn't been cleaned in ages.

This was normal; Xukong Dao had been desolate for many years.

"Wait!"

Jiang Buji had intended to bypass the statue and search the grand hall for what he wanted.

Suddenly, as his gaze left the giant statue for a moment, he felt as if something was staring at him, sending a chill down the back of his neck.

But when he turned back, the giant statue hadn't moved.

Its eyelids were closed, revealing only the slits of eyes without visible pupils. Though the statue was lifelike, it showed no sign of life.

"Who?"

Jiang Buji spoke calmly, certain that it wasn't his imagination.

If the statue hadn't just glanced at him, then there must be someone else in Zhenhuang Dian, secretly watching.

Mu Zixi, following behind, still had a pale face, so Jiang Buji's words didn't change her expression much.

She heard the old man's words but didn't even glance around; she just stared blankly at the tall statue in the distance, her eyes unfocused.

"Big watermelon, big watermelon, everything is big watermelons, so fragrant and sweet..."

The doll's thoughts raced; she had finally seen her good friend, the statue.

Since you're a statue, don't play tricks; just be like me.

Let's all behave, stay quiet, and not let anything happen, okay?

Jiang Buji received no response and suddenly struck out, channeling Sheng Li into a palm strike that fiercely targeted the giant statue's head.

He had already verified that such a level of probing wouldn't waste his limited strikes.

In a flash, the Sheng Li-infused palm was about to shatter the statue's head.

At that moment, the giant statue shuddered, dust flying everywhere. Its eyelids suddenly lifted, its pupils trembling as two bursts of spiritual light shot out.

—Sheng Li fluctuation!

"Swish!"

Jiang Buji reacted instantly, withdrawing and retreating dozens of zhang in a burst, exiting the hall entirely.

Having a Banishment Order in his mind was incredibly burdensome, making his first instinct in danger always to retreat rather than charge forward aggressively.

However, his retreat left someone else exposed.

Mu Zixi was stunned.

As soon as the giant statue awakened, the bodyguard-like old man vanished, leaving her alone to face this terror.

Her feet felt like they were filled with lead; she couldn't even lift them.

She was like a wind-up machine, her head creaking as it turned stiffly toward Jiang Buji, her eyes vacant.

"Big watermelon, save me, how can you retreat alone..."

Mu Zixi's words didn't escape her lips, but they made Jiang Buji's pupils contract sharply.

In that instant, even this Bansheng felt a shiver of dread, for now, there were two gazes fixed on him!

Originally, he only needed to face one enemy, the statue.

But his retreat seemed to have provoked the Taboo Doll, as she too turned a curse-like gaze on him...

"Huff."

Without hesitation, Jiang Buji used cloud-attribute Sheng Li to gently lift the Taboo Doll, moving her out of the hall and placing her at a safe distance beside him.

Only then did he feel that one of those gaze-like curses had vanished.

"Almost facing two enemies..."

Jiang Buji glanced at the Taboo Doll, who now hung her head as if giving up, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He then had time to reexamine the giant statue in the grand hall.

"Sinner... why... visit... Zhenhuang Dian..."

The giant statue spoke, its voice hoarsely grating, like the friction of dry stones.

Jiang Buji barely made out the meaning, his guard still up but his worries easing slightly.

It can communicate...

This was great!

At least, it was far better than the enigmatic Taboo Doll.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Jiang Buji asked coldly.

Even without acting, his Bansheng aura was imposing, undaunted by the unknown.

This unknown came from a native being of Zuoyi Dian, different from the Xukong Shi, though only the mysterious Taboo Doll could match it.

Hmm, and there's that Sheng Li fluctuation...

Is this a statue creature at the Bansheng level?

Jiang Buji speculated, then heard the stone giant speak again: "Xukong Jiangjun... sin..."

Xukong Jiangjun?

Xukong Shi?

Jiang Buji couldn't help but connect the two, quickly recalling some information about Xukong Dao from his memory.

The leader of the Xukong Shi?

Is there still a living Xukong Jiangjun on Xukong Dao today?

Sin—is that its name?

Jiang Buji didn't dare act rashly. If the statue was indeed the Xukong Jiangjun, it might have the ability to slay saints.

Xukong Dao was just right for a Taixu, with opportunities and dangers coexisting, but for a Bansheng, it was far too difficult.

Especially for a Bansheng with limited strikes!

"Splash." Jiang Buji stepped forward, his foot landing in one of the small puddles outside the hall, and he cupped his fists solemnly.

"This saint has come to Zhenhuang Dian solely to seek an item called 'Mian Zhu Ling.' If it can be exchanged, so be it; if not, I will take my leave."

He made it clear he wouldn't linger or disturb the peace, nor awaken the giant statue from its slumber, aiming simply for a peaceful resolution.

The giant statue's responses were slow.

After a while, a white light appeared before it.

It was a light sphere enveloped in white Sheng Li, containing an object shaped like a token.

Jiang Buji was overjoyed and stepped forward again. "May I have it?"

Mian Zhu Ling!

This had to be the Mian Zhu Ling!

It seemed Zhenhuang Dian was different from the other "halls" they'd encountered, ending in "Dian" because it was the main hall of Sin.

Here, he could find what he wanted.

He had come to the right place!

The giant statue paused for a long time before responding mechanically: "Mian Zhu Ling... fifty... Xukong Jiejing..."

Jiang Buji froze on the spot, his earlier excitement doused like a flame in cold water.

Fifty Xukong Jiejing?

What were Xukong Jiejing?

Wait, Tianren Wushuai had mentioned them before?

When he killed Xukong Shi, they sometimes dropped special hexagonal crystals...

Was that Qinxi—wait, Xukong Jiejing?

Jiang Buji's face turned ashen.

Along his journey, Tianren Wushuai had led the way, so he hadn't needed to act and thus obtained no Xukong Jiejing.

Of course, Tianren Wushuai hadn't shared any spoils with this idle Bansheng trailing behind.

Later, with the Taboo Doll following, Jiang Buji didn't dare make a move.

Encountering Xukong Shi, he avoided them like fierce tigers, fearing that fighting would attract more unknown dangers.

As a result, he had no Xukong Jiejing at all now!

"Could I..." Jiang Buji hesitated, his face slightly flushed, and tentatively asked, "Put it on credit?"

"Pfft!"

A muffled sound came from beside him, like a laugh.

Jiang Buji was startled and quickly turned, but in the grand hall, there was only himself, the statue, and the Taboo Doll—no fourth person.

So, where did that sound come from...?

Jiang Buji eyed the Taboo Doll suspiciously.

She still had her pale face, stiff limbs, and the same drooping posture as before, seemingly muttering to herself.

Jiang Buji fell silent and approached; the curse-like murmurs in his ears faded.

He knew these were the only incantations the Taboo Doll uttered, though he didn't know their purpose, and the words were unclear—something like "gua" or "xi."

"Do you have any Xukong Jiejing?"

Jiang Buji squatted down, looking at the exquisitely doll-like figure, and asked softly: "It's that kind of hexagonal crystal, black... probably like this."

He used black clouds to simulate the shape of what Tianren Wushuai had collected—presumably Xukong Jiejing—so she might recognize it.

Mu Zixi's vacant gaze swept over the black clouds and settled on Jiang Buji's face.

Of course, she recognized Xukong Jiejing; she had some on her!

But could she say it out loud?

Any action resembling a normal person, or showing the ability to communicate, would bring endless probing and trouble.

Mu Zixi wasn't foolish. Her lips parted as if to speak.

Jiang Buji watched with anticipation, his eyes wide.

"Gua..."

Whoosh—Jiang Buji flashed back into the hall, distancing himself from the Taboo Doll.

Staying longer would let the curse fall on him.

Indeed, that thing was impossible to communicate with successfully!

"Is there any way I can get your 'Mian Zhu Ling' now and trade it for something else later? I don't have Xukong Jiejing." Jiang Buji directed the question to the communicative giant statue.

"Mian Zhu Ling... fifty... Xukong Jiejing..."

The giant statue spoke haltingly; it was better than the Taboo Doll in that it could communicate, but clearly, not much.

Jiang Buji was furious.

He began considering the possibility of seizing it by force.

Just then, a piercing scream echoed through the grand hall.

"Gah—"

The Taboo Doll's body trembled, and she suddenly lifted her gaze, her small face utterly bloodless. Her Sheng Li flashed briefly, as if she were about to act.

Jiang Buji was terrified.

He wasn't afraid of the scream; it was the Taboo Doll's reactive behavior that scared him half to death.

Whoosh—Jiang Buji flashed in front of the exquisite doll, pressing his hands down to calm her. "Don't act; I'll handle everything."

Only then did the Taboo Doll calm down, her eyes returning to their vacant state.

Jiang Buji had enough of this heart-pounding life!

He swore that once he got the Mian Zhu Ling and could act freely, the first thing he'd do is eliminate this Taboo Doll!

Then, he'd strip away everything—her life force, world aura, Sheng Li fluctuations—taking all her abilities for himself.

If he couldn't, he'd expel her from Xukong Dao and bring her back to Beiyu Puxuan Jiang Clan for study.

How strong could she be? Could she surpass a Bansheng?

But for now, with his actions still restricted, Jiang Buji had to prioritize stabilizing the Taboo Doll's mood whenever danger arose.

Because even now, he couldn't figure out why she was following him.

The situation itself was eerie, especially in the peril-filled Zuoyi Dian; any more surprises, and Jiang Buji's heart couldn't take it!

The crow's caw came suddenly, without warning.

After calming the Taboo Doll, Jiang Buji scanned Zhenhuang Dian again but still couldn't spot any crows.

The giant statue suddenly moved.

A drop of golden water floated before it, showing a blurry image inside.

It depicted a black crow desperately fleeing—perhaps another native being of Zuoyi Dian, similar to the Taboo Doll?

Jiang Buji thought this because the giant statue accompanied the golden water drop with words:

"Bring it... reward... Xukong... Jiejing..."

A reward?

A task?

Jiang Buji knew that Xukong Shi on Xukong Dao occasionally issued tasks.

"Agreed."

He nodded, took the golden water drop, studied the crow's form inside, then abruptly turned and left Zhenhuang Dian with the Taboo Doll.

Time for the Mian Zhu Ling was running out.

If this Zuoyi Dian native could be exchanged for fifty Xukong Jiejing, every second counted.

From the image, the crow was clearly in danger and fleeing for its life.

After Jiang Buji and the Taboo Doll left Zhenhuang Dian, the grand array sealed, but the giant statue's stumbling words hadn't finished.

It rasped for a while, as if verifying the number of sinners in Xukong Dao's halls.

After careful consideration, it determined the reward for the task.

"Two..."

"Boom!"

The wilderness spacetime created by Tianren Wushuai's Spacetime Symbol collapsed with his disappearance.

At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou barely returned to the familiar Zuoyi Dian labyrinth when a crow's caw echoed from an unknown distance in the sky.

"Gah—"

Xu Xiaoshou's hair stood on end instantly; he felt like his soul had left his body, making him jump.

"She hasn't died!"

In the labyrinth passage nearby, Tianren Wushuai, still in his orange mask, maintained the pose of holding the golden symbol, as if the battle had been merely a dream.

He withdrew his hand, glanced at the shattered fragments of the symbol dissipating into the air, and let the aura fade away.

Only then did Tianren Wushuai look over. "She is already dead."

"Are you deaf... cough!" Xu Xiaoshou caught himself mid-outburst and calmed down, tilting his head to ask, "Senior, didn't you hear that caw just now? That's Ye Xiao; she's not dead yet."

Following the trail of the vanishing three-legged black crow shadow in the sky, a flash of insight connected some pieces in his mind.

Xu Xiaoshou arrived at a bold, fantastical, yet plausible possibility for why Ye Xiao was still alive!

"Senior, haven't you noticed that Ye Xiao always has a three-legged black crow on her shoulder when she appears?"

"Your curse technique is so powerful; any normal Taixu—or even a Bansheng—would be gone by now."

"With that massive dose of decay aura, how could she survive after dying?"

Tianren Wushuai remained unmoved, not wanting to engage, and said indifferently, "You don't need to think about it. Outside the Spacetime Symbol, every action leaves traces and can be seen, so next, you can't make a move."

Xu Xiaoshou slapped his thigh, his thoughts clearly on a different track from Tianren Wushuai's, muttering to himself:

"You said she hasn't achieved an immortal body, so if it's just a death body, she's already been killed by you!"

"But she's still alive... that means maybe the Ye Xiao we killed wasn't the Dark Division Chief Ye Xiao—it was just her puppet."

"Ye Xiao's true body is that three-legged black crow???"

This idea was brilliantly clever; Xu Xiaoshou felt he'd nailed it.

If he were the Dark Division Chief, he'd do the same—use an eye-catching, beautiful body to draw all the danger, then exhaust the enemy's means on that puppet.

By the time the enemy realized, all his tricks would be spent, and he'd be laid bare.

Then, the one doomed would be the fool targeted by the true Death God form.

Ye Xiao's survival and escape now was purely because Tianren Wushuai was too disgusting!

A Bansheng probably wouldn't want to fight him; his abilities were disgustingly persistent!

Xu Xiaoshou could almost imagine: if he were alone against Ye Xiao, after exposing all his abilities and barely killing her body, when the three-legged black crow revealed its true form...

What a miserable end he'd face!

Covered in cold sweat, Xu Xiaoshou's lips turned pale.

Ye Xiao was too insidious!

The more insidious the Dark Division Chief, the less Xu Xiaoshou dared let her live.

He turned to Tianren Wushuai, wanting to join forces to take down the three-legged black crow—Ye Xiao's true body.

But after his words, he saw no ripple in Tianren Wushuai's gaze.

"You knew?" Xu Xiaoshou realized belatedly, breaking into a sweat. "You knew everything?"

"You don't need to know." Tianren Wushuai was completely calm.

"How can I not know? She's after me; as long as she's alive, maybe one day I'll..."

"I said, you don't need to act."

Tianren Wushuai's tone was calm and indifferent.

He glanced deeply at Chen Ruye in front of him, then turned, looking toward the vanished shadow in the sky, his body turning into a mist of decay and dissipating.

"I'll handle it."