Chapter 1149: Give Me a Knee

"So, you know Eight-Revered An?"

"Yes, this lord once followed Eight-Revered An as a guardian for a period. He thought highly of me, which is why I know he has a Ten-Decay Sword Demon exactly like yours. That's how I recognized you."

"Are you from the Saint Servant organization?"

"Saint Servant? This lord knows nothing of that. When I was with Eight-Revered An, you weren't even born yet! 'Saint Servant' must be a later development; by then, we had already gone our separate ways."

"Then where did you go afterwards?"

"Xuyue Grey Palace! This lord told you, don't ask the same question twice!"

"Heh, how do you prove your identity?"

"Hmph! This lord wouldn't bother proving it to you... Er, alright, I'll tell you... I later joined the Xuyue Grey Palace. By your age, I'd be an elder from the previous generation there. It's perfectly normal that you wouldn't know me."

"Senior Brother, you can't believe him, that's just his side of the story!"

"You annoying brat, aren't you... Er, excuse me, could you tell it to put its sword down first? Let's talk properly. This lord does indeed have a companion; I didn't come alone this time. If fate allowed, you might have met the other companion from your age group who accompanied me this time—his name is Chen Tan."

Watching Han Ye, who was acting so serious, Xu Xiaoshou almost burst out laughing. If he had been mostly skeptical of the earlier statements, then the moment that last sentence was uttered, everything Han Ye said became nonsense, completely lacking credibility. This fellow's ability to fabricate lies with a straight face was simply masterful.

But to claim he knew Chen Tan... The Chen Tan you're talking about is standing silently right behind you, watching you this whole time!

Gu Qingyi and Gu Qing'er also stopped their questioning, falling into hesitation. Not many people knew about creatures like the Ten-Decay Sword Demon. When Han Ye could still mention Eight-Revered An's name and explain everything logically, Gu Qingyi became wary and dared not kill him. Moreover, while the Ten-Decay Sword Demon was powerful, Han Ye might still have other trump cards to escape a fatal situation if they truly tried to kill him. And don't forget the Half-Saint avatar! If they killed him, there would likely be endless retaliation.

"Chen Tan..." Gu Qingyi mulled over the name but didn't recognize it. He did know Chen Shu, who was standing just behind the three of them and the Ten-Decay Sword Demon, silently and calmly observing from the beginning to the end of the battle. "Brother Chen, what do you think?" Gu Qingyi threw the problem back to him. He remembered that at the last moment, Brother Chen had said that Han Ye shouldn't be killed, as keeping him would be very useful.

"Could you hand him over to me?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"Of course, you can do whatever you want with him. I have no connection to him whatsoever; you can even kill him if you wish," Gu Qingyi said, gesturing with his hand. He was curious to see how Chen managed to remain so calm under the Half-Saint's pressure, like a mountain unmoving before an avalanche, especially since he himself wasn't afraid thanks to having the Ten-Decay Sword Demon.

Inside the True Radiance Hall, under the bored yawns of the Ten-Decay Sword Demon, who wore a benevolent expression, everything seemed orderly. Gu Qingyi and Gu Qing'er were relaxed, showing no signs of vigilance. Han Ye, hearing this, dutifully shifted his gaze from Gu Qingyi to the young man at the back, his face full of politeness. He dared not act rashly again; his eyes, now well-behaved, showed no desire to possess the demon beast's body, as if he had never considered the possibility of taking over one of the three people before him.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled and shot Gu Qingyi a warning glance. "I might need a private space to talk."

"Of course," Gu Qingyi said without hesitation, pulling his junior brother back. He had no resistance to the request of his savior.

"You don't need to retreat. Stay right here. I'll talk to him one-on-one," Xu Xiaoshou stopped them. Gu Qingyi paused slightly, then seemed to realize something and nodded. "Be careful of body possession."

"Understood." Xu Xiaoshou looked at Han Ye, lifting his chin. "Private talk."

Han Ye's cute, obedient round face, with intelligent black eyes, didn't hesitate when he heard this. He raised a hand.

"Buzz!"

The Saint Domain unfurled, materializing, forming a world of ice and frost that isolated the Ten-Decay Sword Demon, Gu Qingyi, and Gu Qing'er outside. In that moment, the True Radiance Hall and the world of ice and frost became like two separate dimensions; nothing inside could be seen from outside, and nothing outside could be seen from within.

"What do you want to say?" Only then did Han Ye seem to regain his sharpness, a flash of fierce malice in his eyes. At this point, if he truly intended to possess a body, the Ten-Decay Sword Demon outside wouldn't have time to stop him. So what was this young man thinking? Daring to place his life directly in his hands? Wasn't he afraid of death?

Xu Xiaoshou surveyed the icy environment, feeling a biting cold that seemed to slow his thoughts. It had to be said that Han Ye was utterly dominated by the Ten-Decay Sword Demon not because he was weak, but because he was in a weakened state, while the Ten-Decay Sword Demon was at its peak. Against anyone below the Half-Saint level, Han Ye could still achieve an instant kill.

"Can this place of yours isolate the influence of the Saint Emperor's will?" Xu Xiaoshou looked at the main person.

Han Ye frowned, clearly confused. Saint Emperor's will? What was this young man trying to do?

"Just talk if you want to talk. So much nonsense. Don't tell me you want to take over my body?" Despite his words, Han Ye obediently pulled out a greenish stone, about the size of a baby's fist, from his embrace. He held the stone, and as holy power slowly infused it, the ice and frost world seemed to be coated with a thin, greenish film. All power quieted down, as if sealed. Xu Xiaoshou couldn't even feel the severe cold for a moment. He retracted his greedy gaze from the greenish stone in Han Ye's hand, realizing it was a treasure comparable to his own Saint Emperor Dragon Scales!

"What are you trying to do?" Han Ye narrowed his eyes, quickly hiding the greenish stone away, daring not to show it off for even a moment longer. This kid seemed to have low cultivation, yet he was more brutal than himself? Was he just now trying to snatch his treasure?

Xu Xiaoshou looked deeply at Han Ye. "If you want to possess a body, now is your best chance."

Han Ye's intentions stirred. This kid wasn't wrong. If he took over a body now, with the Saint Emperor's power isolating them, the Ten-Decay Sword Demon wouldn't be able to break through his ice world's defense anytime soon. Then he could escape by following the rules of Void Island... The Ten-Decay Sword Demon's swordsmanship was strong, but in terms of understanding the great principles of heaven and earth, it was weak. Han Ye figured if he ran, the demon wouldn't even catch a glimpse of him. What was a Sky-Cold Weasel? It was the species most skilled at escaping; even Rao Yaoyao, undergoing a Saint Tribulation, couldn't stop him. If Han Ye truly wanted to run, even a Half-Saint couldn't catch him.

As for the humiliation just now... Being held by the Ten-Decay Sword Demon just now was purely an accident, alright? Who would have thought that any ancient sword cultivator could summon a Ten-Decay Sword Demon? And this Ten-Decay Sword Demon wasn't in its infant stage but its mature form, with combat power close to the one Eight-Revered An had! Even when he was held and on the verge of death, Han Ye was still questioning his existence, not looking for an opportunity to escape. Had times changed? Could this lord not even beat a young man anymore?

Han Ye shook his head, no longer dwelling on these meaningless things. He looked at the young man before him, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to recognize him. "What exactly do you want to say? Talk any more nonsense, and I'll really possess you!" Han Ye's large eyes widened, and he stroked his tail fur, threatening in a menacingly cute way.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. After eliminating that last possibility, he could now get down to business. "I am Chen Tan!" His expression shifted, and he instantly reverted to his previous appearance, adding a further explanation: "Unforgivable Hall, I, Night Owl, Rao... Half-Saint, you were unsealed by her sword strike."

In that instant, Han Ye's pupils constricted violently. He was so scared he almost ripped his tail off his back, as if he'd seen a ghost, and with a whoosh, he took a large step back.

"You, you, you..." He stammered, his fingers trembling, unable to speak, recalling the fabricated lies he'd told in front of Gu Qingyi earlier. Damn it, the real person was listening the whole time?

"You can fool them, but you can't fool me." Xu Xiaoshou pinched his chin. "Tell me, what's your identity? Hmm... If you still want to possess my body, feel free to try."

Han Ye felt cornered. In that brief moment, amidst his shock, he felt as if happiness had struck him. The body he had coveted in Unforgivable Hall had fallen from the sky once more. Even if it wasn't ice-elemental, the aura of evil god power and the extraordinary mastery of spiritual arrays could greatly assist him. But Chen Tan played his cards too well; by saying that, Han Ye became even more hesitant to act.

"You brat..." Han Ye sighed, shaking his head, looking up and down at the young man before him, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, "Gigi-gigi—"

"Are you crazy?" Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

"You brat... Tell me! Why do you know the 'White Vein Three Ancestors'!" Han Ye's eyes were wide with fury. Knowing Chen Tan's true identity, the young man had torn off his veil of mystery, and Han Ye had no more reservations.

"You seem to have forgotten, you are beneath me now, and I am above you." Xu Xiaoshou felt the oppressive Half-Saint aura, but he raised his brows, and his own aura surged upwards, not yielding an inch.

"Presumptuous!" Han Ye's icy wings unfurled with a whoosh behind him. "I haven't even settled scores with you for what happened in Unforgivable Hall. Who do you think you are, daring to speak to me like that? Do you also have a Ten-Decay Sword Demon?"

In Unforgivable Hall, Chen Tan had turned the tables and dumped all the blame on him, causing Rao Yaoyao to turn into a mad dog, chasing and attacking him while undergoing tribulation. Heaven help him, Han Ye had never seen such a lunatic! She was undergoing tribulation! A Half-Saint tribulation at that! Normal people would prepare carefully, but that madwoman carried the Xuan Cang Divine Sword, chopping the lightning tribulation in half with one strike, and dared to use the next to attack him. From Sin Hall One all the way to Void Island, sword light mingled with lightning. Han Ye lost half an forearm and was severely injured by the lightning tribulation and sword qi. Only then did Rao Yaoyao's tribulation reach a critical stage. Taking advantage of the madwoman being unable to be distracted and focusing on her tribulation, Han Ye flashed and evaded, finally making his escape.

Now, the instigator who created that "mad dog" was acting smug in front of him? What are you being smug about?! I'll chop you to pieces!

Under the cover of the ice world, Han Ye grew angrier the more he thought about it. His wings stood upright, transforming into ice cones, ready to stab. He wouldn't kill him, but he had to give him a few bloody holes first, to let him know that some people shouldn't be provoked, especially a Half-Saint! A Saint, cannot be insulted!

"I concede." Xu Xiaoshou was amused and annoyed at the same time, watching Han Ye charging at him. This fellow was both weak and temperamental, unable to hold back, but his attacks weren't thorough enough. If you really had the guts, you'd possess a body right now. What's with this physical attack? Pure venting? You're leaving loose ends, waiting for someone to retaliate, aren't you? You can't even compare to a single hair on Jiang Buyi's head!

Xu Xiaoshou looked at Han Ye with exasperation. He had actually been waiting for Han Ye to reveal more about his identity, so he could make a firm judgment before proceeding with negotiations. Who would have thought that this impulsive fellow, besides fabricating lies, accomplished nothing else! While fabricating identities meant that even if he was temporarily caught by the Holy Divine Palace, he wouldn't reveal his true information, still... Who was he? What kind of idiot would think that a person with no background would dare to shout so loudly at a Half-Saint like you? Just think about it, you should know I'm not simple; you could probe further!

Xu Xiaoshou decided not to wait anymore. From what Han Ye had revealed earlier, he was 70% certain that Han Ye was one of Eight-Revered An's people. No more pretending! I'm laying my cards on the table! If you're truly what I think you are, then you can just wait for death!

"Presumptuous! How dare a mere demon beast like you attack me?" Thinking quickly, Xu Xiaoshou shouted sternly, his face hardening. With his Grandmaster cultivation facing off against a Half-Saint, he even took on the tone of a superior reprimanding a subordinate. His words and actions came so naturally, as if it were only right. As a result, Han Ye, who was trying to attack but felt something was off and thus didn't dare to kill him, was truly halted by the shout.

Han Ye's movements stopped. The next second, he was embarrassed and enraged. "You little brat, do you really think you're the reincarnation of the Ten-Decay Sword Demon? I must kill you today!" Han Ye's icy wings, transforming from cones to sweeps, no longer held back. He truly wanted to give Chen Tan a harsh lesson to vent the shame of Unforgivable Hall.

Xu Xiaoshou calmly watched Han Ye approaching with momentum, his expression unperturbed. He put two fingers together, slowly reached into his embrace, and pulled out the "Eight-Character Token" from his Inner Abode World, hurling it to the ground with a whoosh.

"The Eight-Character Token is here! Seeing the token is like seeing the person himself!"

"Kneel!"

With a clang, the black token shot into the ground almost at the very edge of Han Ye's foot. With such force, it opened a narrow crack in the ground. The aura of sword intent spread out from it. The hall fell silent abruptly.

"Screech—" Han Ye seemed to have stomped on the brakes. His upper body lurched forward abruptly, but his feet came to a sudden halt. He dared not cross even an inch of the long, horizontal crack created by the Eight-Character Token. He finally retracted his momentum, but his face flushed crimson. Finally, unable to hold it in, he spat out a mouthful of thick, dark blood with a "pfft" sound.

Shock, panic, doubt, unease, trepidation... All kinds of emotions came flooding in. In that instant, Han Ye's expression changed at least dozens of times. Finally, his large eyes widened, and his face froze into a mottled greenish-white and purple. His cheek muscles twitched, convulsing uncontrollably. Han Ye's icy wings shattered with a 'bang', and he gasped for air, shaking his head repeatedly, disbelief etched on his face. He glanced at Chen Tan, then lowered his gaze to the Eight-Character Token.

Examining the Eight-Character Token carefully, the blood seemed to drain from Han Ye's entire body, and even his body became icy cold.

"No!"

"This isn't right!"

"This shouldn't be happening..." Han Ye couldn't believe it. He raised his head again, staring intently at Chen Tan, as if trying to find some familiar trace on this young man.

"You, you, you... You..." The more he looked, the more terrified he became!

Xu Xiaoshou's expression was indifferent, his eyes devoid of emotion, as he spoke calmly. "Kneel."

"I told you, kneel."

"No..."

"Do I need to say it a fourth time? Or do you need to stand to calm down?" Xu Xiaoshou stood with his hands behind his back, chest puffed out, chin slightly raised, feeling as if he was the supreme... uh, Saint Emperor, at that moment. From the moment Han Ye slammed on the brakes, he knew. He had this person under his thumb!

"Thud." Han Ye's knees trembled. His legs, recently healed, finally gave way, and he knelt down weakly. He didn't feel the slightest bit of humiliation, as if only by kneeling could he get a better look at whether the Eight-Character Token was real. So, once he knelt, he immediately leaned forward, reaching out with his half-hand, about to pick up the Eight-Character Token.

"Try moving an inch?"

Han Ye froze instantly like an ice sculpture with a 'click'. His half-hand stopped just outside the Eight-Character Token; he dared not touch it. His head was bowed extremely low, as if he dared not raise it even an inch above the token. And at such close distance, he finally saw the details of the Eight-Character Token clearly. What appeared before him was not the side with characters, but the other side, carved with an image. It was a gracefully proportioned naked woman, holding her knees and bowing her head, a pitiable sight. Heavy shackles bound her limbs, and chains extended to the edges of the token, as if connecting to the great principles of heaven and earth, condemning her to eternal torment.

"This is impossible! Damn him to hell!"

"What's this kid's background? This is absolutely impossible!"

"Ahhh-ahhh-ahhh—" Han Ye went mad, his inner voice practically screaming hysterically. Yet, at that moment, he understood that the token was not fake. It bore the unique aura of that devil... The token was absolutely real!

Han Ye remained kneeling, tremblingly raising his head. This time, he no longer saw just Chen Tan's ordinary face. Layered illusions appeared behind the young man. These were the various Saints of Void Island's inner realm who had submitted. Above those Saints, a young man stood on the Black Dragon Demon Emperor, pointing his sword at the White Vein Three Ancestors, arrogant to the extreme, utterly unbridled. Yet, beneath him, no one dared to utter a sound. Even the proud Black Dragon Demon Emperor had to lower his head and serve as that person's mount. Even the once omnipotent White Vein Three Ancestors were as obedient as cats, pitifully meek, at that time. In such a scene, Han Ye... no, Little Han, was nothing more than a background figure, one of the Saints below, only daring to sneak a glance, not even daring to utter a single sound.

"Calmed down?"

"Calmed down."

"Can you talk properly now?"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

With a clang, Xu Xiaoshou retrieved the Eight-Character Token, carefully wiped it clean, and put it away. "Then stand up and talk. It's too undignified for a Half-Saint to kneel."

Watching Han Ye obediently stand up, occasionally sneaking glances at him, Xu Xiaoshou's expression remained calm, but his heart was filled with mixed emotions. This broken token was a bit too easy to use, wasn't it?! Xu Xiaoshou didn't know how to describe what he was feeling at the moment. It felt good! But it wasn't completely satisfying. Because Xu Xiaoshou knew that Han Ye feared not him, but the other person represented by this token—Eight-Revered An.

But even so, with just this one broken token, Xu Xiaoshou had already reprimanded too many people. Feng Yujin, Xuan Wuji, Han Ye... Each one starting from Half-Saint, topping out at Saint Emperor. Damn it, a normal person wouldn't even dare to dream like this in broad daylight; he alone, relying on a single token given by Eight-Revered An, had lectured so many people.

One day... Xu Xiaoshou swore, one day, he wouldn't need this token, nor any disguise. Just with the face of Xu Xiaoshou, the Saint Servant himself, he would still achieve the same, making people tremble with fear!

"Chen, Brother Chen..."

"Stop being so timid and hesitant like a woman. Call me Chen Tan, or whatever you called me before. Just pretend you don't know this Eight-Character Token exists," Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

"I..."

I wouldn't dare! Han Ye was utterly flustered, and he timidly said, "I... uh, I have a question..."

"Are you going to raise your hand and act like this outside too, letting people see through you?" Xu Xiaoshou scolded him immediately. Seeing Han Ye so fearful, even worse than Xuan Wuji, he directly reached out and poked this big white weasel's forehead. "Do you even have a brain? I sensed your identity was off earlier and revealed 'White Vein Three Ancestors.' Is this how you test me?"

"You were hunted by Rao... uh, you couldn't beat her, you ran out, and then you encountered an ancient sword cultivator and wanted to kill him? Are you sick or something? Were you locked up in the inner island until you went mad? Don't you know that in this era, the people you absolutely cannot provoke are ancient sword cultivators?"

"And you're an ice-elemental Half-Saint! Oh, so there are temperamental people... demon beasts, in the ice element too? Damn it, even with a brain seemingly 'frozen' (calmed), you can be so impulsive. Have you thought about your mission? What did you come out here for? For freedom? For killing? For pleasure?"

Han Ye's forehead was almost pierced through, and he remained silent, his mouth pursed in a wronged expression, daring not to respond. His eyes glistening with tears, suddenly, ice crystals began to fall from his eyes with soft plinks. Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. What the hell, are you crazy! You're crying? You're a Half-Saint! You can't even compare to a single bit of Ancestor Wuji; Xuan Wuji wasn't this submissive, and he sometimes even dared to talk back. How were you even sent out to execute a mission like this?

"Chen... brat, what's your identity?" Han Ye cried for a while, then suddenly remembered that this fellow wasn't Eight-Revered An, just had his token. After realizing this, he quickly stopped his tears and blurted out the question.

"Is it your place to ask questions?" Xu Xiaoshou, seeing that he could bully Han Ye, immediately took advantage of the situation. "I ask, you answer. Dare to fabricate another word, and I'll cut you down."

"Oh, oh..."

"You came out from Void Island's inner realm?"

"Yes."

"Which faction are you from?"

"Under the Venerable Lord, there are no factions. I... uh... this lord is Lord Eight-Revered An's beast in life and his ghost in death; I have absolutely no second thoughts..."

"Nonsense! You don't need to pledge your loyalty to me. I'm not Eight-Revered An. Just tell me, whose subordinate are you?"

"White Vein Three Ancestors, under Lord Divine Prison Azure Stone!"

"Is that so..." Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes. The White Vein Three Ancestors: Ancestor Jinzhao, Emperor Seven Trees, Divine Prison Azure Stone. So, that thing Han Ye took out just now was the Saint Emperor's treasure bestowed by Divine Prison Azure Stone? The greenish stone...

"How many of those did he give you?" Xu Xiaoshou's sneaky eyes blinked.

"No, don't!" Han Ye was about to cry, timidly waving his hands in refusal. "This isn't mine; it belongs to Lord Divine Prison Azure Stone. He merely lent it to me. There's only one. I can't give it to you; it still has its uses..."

Xu Xiaoshou looked at Han Ye's pitiful expression, took a deep breath, and only then calmed his mind. Damn it, someone like you, fair-skinned and chubby, with such a weak personality, in a madhouse like Void Island's inner realm, wouldn't you be under constant attack? No wonder... No wonder when he first saw him in Unforgivable Hall, he was a Half-Saint without any airs. No wonder after being unsealed and liberated, he became so arrogant and temperamental. It seemed he had been suppressed for too long, and now that things were looking up, he was finally releasing it. I'm truly impressed!

If this Half-Saint had put on airs, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't have dared to treat him like this. But compared to the Heaven-Sealing Saint Emperor Feng Yujin and the decisive Ancestor Wuji Xuan Wuji, who dared to think, kill, and act, Han Ye seemed to be nothing more than a soft and cute little white weasel. After seeing the Eight-Character Token, he truly couldn't stand firm. Xu Xiaoshou decided not to scold him anymore; he was tired of it himself.

"Alright, tell me your mission, everything in detail."

"Including Divine Prison Azure Stone's plan, all your schemes concerning the White Vein and Black Vein factions in the inner realm, and your accomplices... You damn well aren't alone; you definitely have accomplices. Tell me everything!"