Chapter 1150: The Only One in the World

"How can I trust you?"

Grandpa Han actually put on airs again, his eyes filled with caution and suspicion. "What if your token was picked up..."

With a slap, Xu Xiaoshou directly swung his palm, and Grandpa Han narrowly dodged it.

"I said you were stupid, and you really proved it? If Bazun'an's token could be picked up by an outsider, would he still be Bazun'an?"

"You have a point, but what if..."

Grandpa Han's concerns were not unfounded.

He could reveal a bit of his identity because of the Eight-Character Token, but if the matter involved the plan's details, and if any future issues arose from today's leak, he would bear full responsibility. At that point, even death might become a problem!

Xu Xiaoshou was furious; this guy was truly foolish. But fortunately, he had a bottom line and wouldn't reveal everything just because he was threatened. Thinking about it from another perspective, perhaps this was a small advantage?

"This, you recognize, right?" Xu Xiaoshou displayed his Ten-Segment Sword Finger.

"I do."

"And this?" Xu Xiaoshou then revealed his Sword Will.

The Sword Will belonged to the second generation of Thorough God Sense, a unique creation of Bazun'an. If there was anything in the world that could prove a close connection with Bazun'an, the moment the Sword Will appeared, any discerning person would naturally understand.

"I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Grandpa Han had clearly been affected by this Sword Will before; just one glance made his scalp tingle, and he no longer dared to question Chen Tan's identity. The two ancient sword cultivators outside were Bazun'an's grand-nephews. Could this one be Bazun'an's direct disciple? Very likely! Otherwise, how would they be together?

"The plan is actually quite simple. After Lord Shenyu Qingshi let me leave the inner island, he only gave me one instruction," Grandpa Han recalled.

"What was it?" Xu Xiaoshou looked at him.

"Escape! While escaping for my life, I was to find an opportunity to exchange for the 'Sub-Plane Gate.' If I could get it, I would soon meet Bazun'an, and after handing him the item, I would be free... After that, as long as I escaped Void Island, it would be very difficult for me to be caught again."

This "escape" had a certain flair. Xu Xiaoshou learned from Rao Yaoyao that the strongest ability of a creature like the Icy Sky Weasel wasn't its ice-element combat power, but its escaping ability. This guy had evaded capture multiple times before finally being sent to the inner island of Void Island. Presumably, given Grandpa Han's 'intelligence,' Lord Shenyu Qingshi's 'plan' was carefully customized for him after much consideration.

However...

"What if you can't exchange for the Sub-Plane Gate?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, knowing that Grandpa Han might not yet be aware that the Sub-Plane Gate had been exchanged for a day earlier.

"If I can't, then I'll be in trouble. I won't be able to see Bazun'an, and Lord Shenyu Qingshi told me to find someone else."

Then you probably are in trouble... Xu Xiaoshou nodded. "Who?"

"I don't know." Grandpa Han shook his head blankly. "Lord Shenyu Qingshi said that person would find me himself."

"If I can't exchange for the Sub-Plane Gate, I'll have no more use."

"The person I'm supposed to find next, if he can find me, I might survive; if he can't, I'll have to rely on myself and escape Void Island as quickly as possible..."

Grandpa Han's expression was somewhat solemn; he clearly believed every word Lord Shenyu Qingshi had said.

"Is that all?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, surprised.

"Uh, actually, there was a second half..." Grandpa Han hesitated, then spoke awkwardly, "Lord Shenyu Qingshi said that if I went out alone, I would just wander around and eventually return to the inner island anyway, at which point I should just obediently accept my punishment."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

That made perfect sense! Given your intelligence and abilities, once Rao Yaoyao completes her sanctification and is determined to catch you, you won't stand a chance.

"Old Brother Chen..."

Grandpa Han still had some small cleverness. After a moment of hesitation, he whispered, "Do you think the person Lord Shenyu Qingshi mentioned... could it be you?"

"Huh?" Xu Xiaoshou was startled. "What do you think?"

"I think..." Grandpa Han frowned, saying worriedly, "To be honest, I originally thought that if I couldn't wait for Bazun'an, I might be waiting for Xu Xiaoshou instead..."

"Xu Xiaoshou?" Xu Xiaoshou stumbled, nearly losing his balance.

"That's right!" Grandpa Han's tone became somewhat reverent. "I heard he's Bazun'an's successor. His reputation has spread throughout the inner island now. It seems the Three Ancestors of the White Vein and the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon have all placed their bets on him. I wonder what he looks like."

Why the hell don't I know? I *am* Xu Xiaoshou!

Xu Xiaoshou was flustered. But then he thought, he had Patriarch Jinzhao's Flame Serpent and Jinzhao's power, as well as the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon's Saint Emperor Dragon Scales. Except for Emperor Seven Trees and Shenyu Qingshi...

"Wait, what kind of person is Emperor Seven Trees?" Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he had overlooked something.

"Emperor Seven Trees?" Grandpa Han was bewildered, unsure how the topic had suddenly shifted, but he still replied, "Emperor Seven Trees is the true spirit of the Seven Blood Trees. He is brutal, bloodthirsty, and not to be trifled with."

Blood Tree... Blood Tree Yin Branches... Xu Xiaoshou first thought of Cen Qiaofu. Then he thought of Liu Changqing, and the Patriarch Wuji within him. These two had appeared with Blood Tree Yin Branches and had recognized him at the Spirit Market Trade Fair. Also, the Elder Xie and Granny Gui he had previously killed had each yielded Blood Tree Yin Branches.

"Do you know Patriarch Wuji?" Xu Xiaoshou asked again.

Grandpa Han raised his eyebrows high, feeling that Chen Tan's topics were extremely jumpy and hard for him to follow, but he still nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Whose subordinate is he?"

"Patriarch Wuji isn't specifically anyone's subordinate. He's one of the highest-ranking individuals on the inner island, apart from the Three Ancestors of the White Vein and the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon. He's the only one there who commands Divination Arts, and most people are sent in by Divination Arts." Pausing, Grandpa Han added, "If I had to say who he's closest to, it would probably be the Three Ancestors of the White Vein. He's also somewhat close to Emperor Seven Trees, and it was with Emperor Seven Trees' strong support that he got the chance to leave the inner island."

No wonder he was so arrogant... Xu Xiaoshou immediately realized. "How does he compare to you?"

"Compare to me?" Grandpa Han was startled; he had clearly never considered such a thing. "He holds an Emperor rank; I hold a Disciple rank..."

Grandpa Han was being very modest. A talent like Patriarch Wuji, who commanded Divination Arts, would be highly sought after anywhere. He was different. When people on the inner island were happy, they'd show him some respect and call him 'Grandpa Han.' But when they weren't happy, if they met him on the road, they'd just wave him over with a sinister chuckle, "Little Han, come here! Hehehe."

Both being Semi-Saints, was the disparity on the inner island truly so vast...? Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat puzzled. He found that Grandpa Han's actual intelligence was unclear, but the greatest benefit of this guy was his ability, as an inner island member of Void Island, to reveal some secret information to him.

At the same time, Xu Xiaoshou also recalled and understood why Patriarch Wuji dared to confront Feng Yujin when he appeared at the Spirit Market Trade Fair. A mere Semi-Saint daring to challenge Feng Yujin, even claiming their statuses were similar—he hadn't understood it before, but now he finally did.

"Do you know Feng Yujin?"

"Feng who?" Grandpa Han was startled.

"Fengtian Saint Emperor, Feng Yujin, the one with the sealing attribute," Xu Xiaoshou said.

At this moment, Grandpa Han was so scared his pupils dilated slightly. "Feng... Fengtian Saint Emperor, you know him too??" Who *is* this Chen Tan?! Grandpa Han was flustered. Chen Tan was clearly not from the inner island, yet how did he know increasingly important figures, even daring to call Fengtian Saint Emperor by his name? On the inner island, that was no different from calling the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon 'Little Hei, come here.'

Grandpa Han trembled, saying, "Fengtian Saint Emperor is subordinate to the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon. His status appears lower than the Three Ancestors of the White Vein and the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, but no one dares to think that, because in the outside world, he is a Saint Emperor, on the same level as the Three Ancestors and the Demonic Emperor... Moreover, those from the Black Vein are all extremely irritable and not to be provoked."

On this Void Island's inner island, is there anyone you, Grandpa Han, consider easy to provoke? Xu Xiaoshou really wanted to spit at this guy. He was too cowardly; everyone was difficult to deal with.

"Why is he a Saint Emperor, yet his status is similar to Patriarch Wuji? Was he beaten by the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, puzzled.

"Yes." Grandpa Han was actually somewhat hesitant to speculate, but under Chen Tan's pressure—Chen Tan was no longer an ordinary person in his eyes; his connections were terrifyingly strong—he could only try to explain: "The forbidden spell barrier on Void Island's inner island is very strong. Others still have their own strengths, relying on their physical bodies or their true forms..."

"Fengtian Saint Emperor relies on his sealing attribute and his sealed body. Under the suppression of the forbidden spell barrier, he has less than half his power left..."

"I understand." Xu Xiaoshou waved him off, not wanting this guy to keep babbling.

So that's how it is! Emperor Seven Trees' true form was the spirit of the Seven Blood Trees. Even under the forbidden spell barrier, the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon still possessed the physical strength of his Saint Emperor Dragon body. That weakling Feng Yujin, under the forbidden spell barrier, was like a pure Spirit Refiner whose spiritual power had been sealed away. What good was he then?! He was left with only a human shell, and it was already incredibly difficult for him to secure a top position under the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon amidst various Semi-Saint ghostly beasts, ancient behemoths, and chaotic oddities.

Even Patriarch Wuji probably had an easier time on the inner island than Feng Yujin; at least people would seek him out when they needed Divination Arts, but Feng Yujin... Xu Xiaoshou somewhat understood why Feng Yujin had immediately forgotten his mission and lived as he pleased after getting out. This guy belonged to the Saint God Continent; he could thrive in the Five Domains, but on the inner island, he was bullied by everyone. If not for Bazun'an personally stepping forward after the battle in the Eight Palaces and telling him to cooperate, Feng Yujin, holding Mo Mo with her sealed body, would probably have flown off to who-knows-where by now.

"I think I understand now."

Having understood some of the power dynamics within Void Island's inner island, Xu Xiaoshou was no longer in a fog. He sorted through what he had just learned, pondering the true intention behind the 'plan' Grandpa Han had brought him—a plan that couldn't even be called intelligence.

First, from Shenyu Qingshi's perspective, it was impossible to explicitly state all plan details to someone with Grandpa Han's intellect and combat power. This way, even if he were accidentally captured, the Holy Divine Palace wouldn't be able to extract any useful information from what he knew. The Holy Divine Palace might already possess intelligence regarding Void Island's inner island, unlike his own ignorance. Therefore, the true intention of Shenyu Qingshi's plan had to be deduced from what Grandpa Han had recounted.

"Patriarch Jinzhao has some connection to me... Emperor Seven Trees, through the Blood Tree Yin Branches or Patriarch Wuji, can also somewhat be connected to me... I even have the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon's dragon scales..."

"So, among the four major power holders on the inner island, only Shenyu Qingshi has no current connection to me..."

"Could it be that the bet he's placing... uh, the treasure he's sending me, is that stone in Grandpa Han's hand?"

"Hmm, doesn't feel like it. He said he merely lent it to Grandpa Han for temporary use..."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered, scanning the adorably brainless Grandpa Han from head to toe, making the latter somewhat flinch—a Semi-Saint acting so awkwardly, Xu Xiaoshou had never seen it before! From beginning to end, this guy truly didn't live up to the 'Grandpa' title; he was too foolishly adorable. Perhaps the 'Grandpa' in his title was meant to prevent outsiders from being intimidated upon first meeting him, as in the Unforgivable Hall.

"Grandpa Han couldn't possibly guess my identity, but judging by the rumors on the inner island, the name 'Xu Xiaoshou' has probably become legendary."

"The person Shenyu Qingshi wants Grandpa Han to wait for is very likely me."

"Grandpa Han doesn't know me, but that doesn't mean Shenyu Qingshi doesn't... Perhaps this current meeting is the best scenario he envisioned?"

Speaking of which...

Xu Xiaoshou felt he had grasped some blind spots.

"Shenyu Qingshi, directly sending a Semi-Saint for me to use?"

"This foolish Saint doesn't even know who is using him... But the one using him must be able to understand Shenyu Qingshi's intentions, find Grandpa Han's weakness, and know how to use him?"

"Phew, this feeling..."

At one moment, Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he had floated out of the chessboard, gradually dealing with the behind-the-scenes players who manipulated the world's developments. This was something he would never have felt before coming to Void Island! But at this very moment, everything felt within reach. Though the veil hadn't been fully pierced, their intentions were clear to each other. It was profound! This feeling was incredibly profound!

They had never met, yet there was this unspoken understanding, this tacit agreement... or rather, under the other party's arrangement, he felt like he could immediately take charge the moment he took over, like a grand intoxication, thoroughly exhilarating. But Xu Xiaoshou also feared that this illusion, like wine not intoxicating people but people intoxicating themselves, was merely self-deception. Could it be that he had deified Shenyu Qingshi, and the latter hadn't thought to this extent?

"What kind of person is Shenyu Qingshi?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

Grandpa Han replied without hesitation, "Lord Shenyu Qingshi is the most mysterious person. Even the other two of the Three Ancestors of the White Vein and the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon hold him in awe. He is the most ancient leader; no one knows his true form, his abilities, or anything else about him... It's only rumored that he possesses unmatched wisdom and courage, and that he's the only one on Void Island's inner island who doesn't wish to leave—though of course, these are all just rumors."

Such a talent was terrifying! Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but sigh. He detested such characters: elusive, unfathomable, always hidden behind the scenes, suddenly delivering a fatal blow. At this point, he no longer doubted his earlier thoughts. Because figures like Dao Qiongcang and Bazun'an all evoked the same feeling as Shenyu Qingshi. Even if Xu Xiaoshou were foolish enough to doubt his own intelligence, he wouldn't doubt that someone so good at hiding would be brave but lack strategy, like Grandpa Han.

"He's given me quite a problem..."

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He was really tempted to keep Grandpa Han! After all, this was a Semi-Saint. From that one move, 'Ganges,' it was clear that this guy possessed combat power, and this was even during his weakened state! If he were given a Saint Elixir to heal his injuries, and found a suitable ice-element host from the Grand Void realm for Grandpa Han to inhabit, this guy would instantly become like a drawn sword, unrestricted, killing gods and slaying Buddhas! He was weak on Void Island, holding a Disciple rank, but that wasn't a fair comparison. Outside Void Island, in the Five Domains of the continent, having Grandpa Han would be like gaining a brilliant chess piece. If used well, he might even be able to kill Jiang Buyi!

But... "Too much trouble!"

Grandpa Han lacked strategy, but Xu Xiaoshou wasn't worried in the slightest. As long as the person using him had a strategy, he would hit whatever he aimed for, without fail. Just like with the strategic Rao Yaoyao, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't afraid in the slightest. But when Rao Yaoyao fearlessly cleaved open the seal with a sword and released Grandpa Han, Xu Xiaoshou grew afraid. Because he knew that once Rao Yaoyao successfully achieved sanctification, she would definitely deal with the Semi-Saint level ghostly beast she had personally released. At that point, it would be a fight to the death.

This was Xu Xiaoshou's only point of concern. If he took Grandpa Han in, he would no longer be able to operate in the shadows with a hidden identity. Rao Yaoyao would only need to pinpoint Grandpa Han, and she would always be able to follow the trail to find the person behind him who was using him. He himself would surface, fully exposed to the scrutiny of the Holy Divine Palace's various powerful figures. The one using Rao Yaoyao was definitely far stronger than the one using Grandpa Han—Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't underestimate himself, but he still didn't dare to equate himself with 'Dao Qiongcang.'

"What are you thinking about?" Grandpa Han asked, watching the silly young man in front of him frown in deep thought, his one and a half small arms retracted towards his chest, extended straight down, presenting a humble appearance.

"Too foolish." The more Xu Xiaoshou looked at his posture, the dumber he found Grandpa Han, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

"What did you say?" Grandpa Han used his severed arm to scratch his head—oops, he couldn't reach?

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly speechless. He lowered his head, thought for a very long time, and finally moved, finding a healing Saint Elixir from his Yuan Mansion World and tossing it over.

"Eat it."

"What's this?" Grandpa Han held the Saint Elixir, his expression hesitant. "It's not poisonous, is it..."

"Just eat it when I tell you to, why so much nonsense?! Do I need to use poison if I want to kill you? If I let you go for a stroll outside, you'd probably be caught by that person and chopped down with a single sword stroke!"

"Oh."

Grandpa Han looked somewhat wronged but didn't dare to refute. He just held the Saint Elixir and munched on it with grunts. He ate very meticulously, like a rabbit nibbling on grass, pushing it into his mouth little by little, but his speed wasn't slow, and he quickly finished the Saint Elixir.

The change was obvious. Almost visibly, the various sword marks on Grandpa Han's body were repaired. His essence, energy, and spirit also seemed to instantly recover to their peak state. His scorched fur regained its luster, no longer bearing the wretched appearance after being mercilessly struck by the Saint Tribulation. Even his severed arm, Grandpa Han clearly felt flesh and blood rapidly regenerating on it, but restricted by the power of fate from the Xuancang Divine Sword, the recovery speed was very slow.

"Here." Grandpa Han seemed to have returned to the inner island of Void Island; as soon as someone was 'above' him, he stopped thinking and held up his severed arm for Chen Tan to see.

"Solve it yourself." Xu Xiaoshou's mouth twitched. Staring at the wound on his severed arm, he decided that if Grandpa Han, even with a Saint Elixir, couldn't resolve the power of fate, then he wouldn't take in a useless person.

"Oh."

Grandpa Han flung his hand, and under the nourishment of the Saint Elixir's power, frosty white aura surged wildly, quickly breaking through the power of fate, and his severed arm regrew.

He could do it perfectly fine! Xu Xiaoshou was annoyed again. You can solve this yourself, so why did you hold up your severed arm to me... Are you crazy?!

"What's next?" Grandpa Han asked. He clearly felt Chen Tan's attitude towards him had changed. If it were still the same as before, how could he have given him a Saint Elixir? This guy even had Saint Elixirs and could give them out so casually... Grandpa Han swallowed, feeling that the person Lord Shenyu Qingshi told him to find might not be Xu Xiaoshou, but Chen Tan himself!

"I want to use you," Xu Xiaoshou said after a moment of contemplation.

With a thud, Grandpa Han knelt on one knee and bowed his head. "I, this old master... uh, this humble one shall obey your every command. From today onwards, I will follow Bazun'an and no longer take orders from Lord Shenyu Qingshi... that fellow. I will only obey..."

"Stop flattering others. I said, *I* want to use you!" Xu Xiaoshou emphasized.

"Uh..."

Grandpa Han was stunned. He wasn't actually foolish; he just seemed simpler compared to those with cunning hearts, so how could he not understand Chen Tan's meaning? But such a young man—Grandpa Han couldn't truly approve of him from the bottom of his heart. His two genuflections were to Bazun'an, the venerable figure of both Black and White Veins, and to the powerful hidden figures behind Chen Tan, never to Chen Tan himself. A mere young man—forget Semi-Saints, even ordinary Grand Voids wouldn't follow his lead.

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the person below him and said calmly: "The person Shenyu Qingshi wants you to find isn't Xu Xiaoshou, it's me, Chen Tan!"

"Xu Xiaoshou is merely a pawn pushed to the forefront by the Holy Slaves, a pig at the eye of the storm. Under the gaze of the Holy Divine Palace and various other powerful figures, he's doomed sooner or later."

"I am different. I am the only one Bazun'an secretly cultivated, the only one holding the Eight-Character Token."

Grandpa Han stared blankly at Chen Tan, thinking, *You're spewing nonsense!*

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the frosty world bathed in Shenyu Qingshi's Saint Emperor power, took a deep breath, and opened his left palm, from which Jinzhao White Flame surged forth.

"This is..." Grandpa Han's pupils constricted.

"The person Patriarch Jinzhao bet on was actually me."

As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he flipped his right hand, and a Blood Tree Yin Branch appeared there.

"This!" Grandpa Han's pupils jolted.

"The person Emperor Seven Trees bet on was not Xu Xiaoshou, but also me."

Xu Xiaoshou curled his palm to withdraw both items, then took out a Saint Emperor Dragon Scale from his embrace.

"The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, the sole master of the Black Vein, also bet on me. My name is Chen Tan; Xu Xiaoshou is just a cover."

"???" At this moment, Grandpa Han's mind went blank. He couldn't comprehend everything that was happening, but he was profoundly shaken. These abilities, these items, weren't something one could simply talk about or pretend to have. Without the recognition of a Saint Emperor's will, let alone possessing a Saint Emperor Dragon Scale, merely touching it would likely result in instant death!

"I..."

"You... do you want to live?" Xu Xiaoshou calmly interrupted Grandpa Han.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Grandpa Han was completely stunned, unable to regain his senses.

Xu Xiaoshou looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the frosty world imbued with Shenyu Qingshi's Saint Emperor power. At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to Tiansang Spirit Palace, to Goose Lake, to that night... That night, he 'ate' the biggest 'pie' in the world, along with gaining a 'Cage Theory,' and even now, Elder Sang's nightmares still often disturbed his sleep.

"What is this?" Xu Xiaoshou pointed to the void, then to the earth.

"Huh?"

*You dense idiot...* Xu Xiaoshou said to himself, "This is Void Island. From Void Island, what else can you see?"

"Wh-what?"

*Sigh, this is truly hard to explain...* Xu Xiaoshou could only answer his own questions and justify his own words, then asked again, "Have you ever played chess?"

"P-played..."

"Void Island is a chessboard, and you are a chess piece on it. With your Semi-Saint abilities, you might be able to charge recklessly, acting as a 'rook.' But you must understand that there are other players watching this game, and other pieces. Once the path of your 'rook' is blocked, and you find yourself in a dilemma, what will you do?"

"W-what will I do?"

"You will die! Sacrificing a rook to save the king is an ancient and constant principle. When you lose your usefulness and are stopped by Semi-Saint Rao, Shenyu Qingshi won't be able to save you. To preserve the overall situation, he will have to discard you, and you will die a tragic death."

Discarded piece? Grandpa Han half-understood, half-didn't. He didn't play this kind of chess, but he understood Chen Tan's analogy.

"Shenyu Qingshi has already abandoned you, because you couldn't exchange for the 'Sub-Plane Gate'—it was exchanged for a day ago."

Grandpa Han was greatly alarmed. Xu Xiaoshou remained unperturbed.

"Fortunately, I appeared again, which is both destiny and coincidence."

"You encountered me. Shenyu Qingshi's intention was to give you to me as a gift, to forge a good relationship and curry favor with me."

"But I don't want to use you in that way, so I'm laying everything bare for you."

That scoundrel... Damn him! Grandpa Han, unaware that he had been treated as a gift, naturally grew furious.

"You've already seen it: Patriarch Jinzhao favors me, Emperor Seven Trees is secretly connected to me, and Shenyu Qingshi curries favor with me..."

"When I was at the Innate realm, I fought Feng Yujin to the death and made him submit. Now he serves as a minor guest elder in my Number One Tower in the Heavens."

"When I was at the Master realm, I allied with Patriarch Wuji, using him merely as a grand array, and I alone slew Yi, one of the Holy Divine Palace's Six Department Heads, who was a Grand Void expert."

"Bazun'an saw my extraordinary sword physique and wanted to teach me sword arts. I refused, only accepting his token, and reluctantly helped him clean up the Holy Slaves' mess."

"The Seven Sword Immortals, particularly Mei Jiren, secretly owed him a favor, and taught me sword arts. I saw through it but didn't expose them, saving their face, and learned a bit."

"It's rumored that the Eighth Sword Immortal reached Innate in three breaths and became a Sword Immortal in three years. I scorned such claims, learning sword arts to two mastery levels in a single night—unprecedented and unmatched."

As he spoke, Xu Xiaoshou continued to speak confidently, no longer suppressing his aura, breaking through his 'concealment,' and fully unleashing his Master realm cultivation.

"I am now at the Master (Star Ritualist) realm, having reached the peak, though not yet the Throne realm. I have achieved countless feats, engaging Semi-Saints in battle with effortless ease."

"Rao Yaoyao, who chopped off your arm, I once toyed with her in the Yunlun Mountain Range, and she remains utterly unaware to this day."

"Jiang Buyi, who is also a Semi-Saint like you, I once manipulated him in the Forest of Miracles, using him to kill, then slaying Teng Shanhai, effectively severing another arm of the Holy Divine Palace after cutting off one."

"The Master of today will be the Throne of tomorrow. Whether a common sparrow or a great swan, the future is yet unknown."

"I only ask you..."

Xu Xiaoshou leaned down, his expression so calm that it seemed as if these achievements weren't his, a Master, single-handedly created, but rather myths transformed into new classics, simply used to deceive others.

"Ask me... what?"

Grandpa Han was completely dumbfounded. He still didn't know if what Chen Tan said was true or false. But seeing his tranquil expression, it seemed unlikely to be false. Yet how could such grand achievements be accomplished by a mere Master? However, once he observed Chen Tan's cultivation realm... Before, he couldn't see through it and thought he was a Grand Void expert. Now that he revealed it, he was indeed a Master! This guy, while still a Master, was already confronting Night Owl, Rao Yaoyao, and even himself in the Unforgivable Hall? He really dared! It truly seemed like he was capable of doing all the things he claimed!

"Stand up."

Xu Xiaoshou commanded. Grandpa Han tremblingly stood up.

"I only ask you: if Saint Emperors dare to bet on me, do *you* have the guts to bet on me?"

At this moment, Grandpa Han's mind buzzed and went completely blank. He looked out from the hazy blankness, feeling as if the young man before him had transformed into a giant. He stood atop the peak of all ages, gazing down at the world, surrounded by draconic energy. Even now, merely resting on the shoals, he could achieve so much. Should he truly encounter great changes in the future, he would undoubtedly soar upwards, becoming a second Bazun'an... Perhaps even surpassing Bazun'an!

"I, I, I..."

Grandpa Han was at a loss for words. He felt this was an excellent opportunity, but he didn't know what to do.

Xu Xiaoshou watched him calmly, his hands clasped behind his back, chest high, and chin slightly raised.

"When you've decided, kneel."

"This time, you won't be bowing to Shenyu Qingshi, nor to the distant Bazun'an, but to Chen Tan, to the one standing before you... the peerless being of this era!"