Chapter 1181: Accept it, just say whether you want to jump or not?

If in the past, had someone told Yu Lingdi, "I'll give you a pebble, then cast a spell, and with a single word, I can steal your Crystal Palace," Yu Lingdi would have simply scoffed, dismissing it as nonsense.

What a joke! The Crystal Palace was a lost artifact from the Ancient Rune Stele! As long as the Dragon Clan didn't relocate, it remained the renowned Deep Sea Dragon Palace, possessing a status as high as the Azure Abyss Divine Sword, capable of stabilizing destiny. Had it not been lost along the way and left to gather dust for tens of thousands of years, it would have easily ranked among the top renowned artifacts.

But now, the Crystal Palace had been recovered and was bound to his bloodline and divine soul, completely under his control. How was this statement different from saying, "I'll give you a pebble, and I can sever your arm?" There was no connection whatsoever! So Yu Lingdi absolutely didn't believe that the stunningly beautiful but shifty-eyed Taixu could truly move his Crystal Palace to Xu Xiaoshou with a mere phrase, "Heaven-Swapping Illusion."

Those who travel a hundred miles may speak freely of the world, but those who travel ten thousand miles are cautious in their words and actions. Yu Lingdi prided himself on his extraordinary abilities, yet he had never spoken boastfully or underestimated anyone in the world. But today, he once again had his worldview shattered, realizing that... there is always someone better, a higher power. This saying was truly profound.

"Come here!"

Zhu Yike's neck veins bulged as if he were exerting every ounce of his strength. His spell was countless times faster than the water-elemental profound spell Yu Lingdi cast – no hand seals were needed! And as his spell took form, Yu Lingdi felt the Crystal Palace beneath his feet tremble violently. Black cracks, spatial fissures, traced along the four walls of the void, instantly enveloping the entire deep-sea palace!

"Splat!"

Yu Lingdi felt his body lurch and stumble downward. As a water-elemental profound spiritualist, his concentration had been solely on competing with Zhu Yike in the speed of spell formation. Now, suddenly losing his footing, he almost drowned, his spiritual energy spiraling out of control.

"Boom!"

In that brief moment of stumbling, a resounding blast erupted beneath him. Distant currents surged, creating endless ripples. Waves rolled, disorienting everyone in the deep-sea world and clouding their vision.

Yu Lingdi stared blankly downwards... The Crystal Palace was gone? It wasn't a hallucination; it was truly gone! Such a massive palace had vanished without a trace from beneath his feet! Yu Lingdi's eyes widened in disbelief. After repeated confirmation, he looked up and gazed into the distance...

In front of Zhu Yike, a magnificent palace had appeared, reflecting a hazy light underwater, opulent, noble, and majestic. The infinitely displaced water, caused by the palace's sudden appearance, was now surging into the empty space where Yu Lingdi had been.

"What?!" At that moment, Yu Lingdi's eyes almost popped out. What kind of spell was this?!

"You..."

On the other side, Xu Xiaoshou, Feng Xiaose, and the others were also dumbfounded. The Crystal Palace, which had looked so vast even from high above, was actually moved right in front of Zhu Yike in just a few words?

It wasn't until the Crystal Palace was right in their faces that Xu Xiaoshou confirmed this fact, and he could see the details within the palace more clearly. The Nine Dragons Chasing Pearl technique, after being shattered by Zhu Yike's river-splitting, sea-cleaving attack, had returned inside the Crystal Palace, transforming into a lifelike spectacle of nine dragons holding pearls.

Furthermore... the Bixi carrying the stele, mermaids dancing with halberds, coral worms spitting foam, and other mysterious phenomena that Yu Lingdi clearly hadn't had time to activate, all ceased their movements. This Crystal Palace was truly enormous! In front of the palace stood various mysterious sculptures made of crystal, glazed tiles, and other materials. The main seat inside the palace was a glazed dragon throne, with a crystal round table as the secondary one. Beside this round table were a dozen or so coral thrones, all in pale hues and exuding a noble aura.

His "Perception" could cover a radius of ten thousand miles. Yet, this Crystal Palace now occupied a full tenth of that area! Under Yu Lingdi's control, the Crystal Palace had looked large before, but not this absurdly massive. But after the "Heaven-Swapping Illusion," Yu Lingdi apparently lost control of the Crystal Palace for a moment. As a result, the true size of the palace was completely exposed.

It was vast and boundless! It would be no problem for the Void Attendants and True Dragons to fully unleash their true forms and play freely inside! The Deep Sea World was barely able to contain it, starting to crack outwards, only then just managing to accommodate the palace. As for the maze walls outside the True Flames Palace ruins, and a few Void Attendants who were running so fast they were almost breaking into the battlefield—they were instantly suppressed and completely shattered by the Crystal Palace as it unfolded its true form!

"Master Xu, a small gift for your acceptance."

Zhu Yike turned around and chuckled, his small eyes and short eyebrows crinkling, appearing surprisingly endearing at this moment.

"I..."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless for a moment. Looking at the Crystal Palace, he found it too magnificent. It was even more magnificent than the True Flames Palace before the great battle, making one want to claim it! The splendor of the Crystal Palace completely met Xu Xiaoshou's imagination of "grandeur." He even started to daydream at this moment...

For example, if the First Sky Mansion truly built a building in the future, it definitely couldn't use the Pilgrimage Tower of the East Heavenly City. It was too cheap, and it was rented, lacking prestige. Instead, they could directly occupy Void Island, the Sky City, then transplant the Forget-Sorrow Tower of Ancient and Modern Times, enlarge it with spatial magic, and place it somewhere as a landmark. In front of the tower, they could erect such a Crystal Palace... How wonderful would that be?

Never mind anything else, the Crystal Palace would simply be used for dining, meetings, and sleeping together! When discussing important matters, Master Han would transform into the Han Sky Weasel. If there were True Dragons or giants, they would be allowed to unleash their true forms, and they would all sit down, just sit down and talk. And release Ah Bing and Ah Huo... The main reason wasn't for them to attend meetings, but with their size, those coral thrones would be a perfect fit! They could just sit there to fill the space!

And also... Setting aside these wishful fantasies and returning to reality, the Crystal Palace's strength and hardness were simply too high! This palace could smash through the maze walls of the First Sin Palace and Void Attendants like it was nothing. Although he hadn't transformed yet, theoretically, his "Toughness" had already reached the Saint Emperor Lv0 level, and his Rage Giant form could probably grow even larger. Could he lift the Crystal Palace then? If he could, then whenever he disliked someone, he could directly transform into a Golden Light Giant, holding the Crystal Palace, and smash everyone he saw. What did "Rage" mean? This was "Rage"!

"Get, get it!" Xu Xiaoshou's trembling finger pointed at the Crystal Palace as he gave Zhu Yike a direct order: "You must seize it for me!"

"I have a Yuan Mansion; I can completely fit this palace inside!"

He was just like an irrational client, or rather, a deranged bandit. He didn't care that the Crystal Palace was already bound to Yu Lingdi; his entire mind and eyes were filled with the idea that this thing *must* belong to him. It was too beautiful! If it was beautiful, he had to have it!

"Huh?"

Zhu Yike was stunned to hear such a practical thing as "Yuan Mansion." He swore that his previous talk of presenting a gift or treasure was just boasting. Who wouldn't want to show off a little before a fight? Moving this Crystal Palace from a water-elemental profound Dao expert, thus cutting off the opponent's subsequent attack methods—this was already an extremely challenging feat! But listening to Master Xu's words, to his tone... Did Master Xu take his joke seriously? He really wanted this palace! And he had a Yuan Mansion that could hold it?

"I must be crazy to speak so boastfully! Master Xu is not a normal person at all; these abnormal remarks play right into his hands!" Zhu Yike struggled. There were no water-elemental spiritualists present; taking this Crystal Palace would be useless. If Yu Lingdi resisted, he would only need to exert a fraction of his strength, and they would have to divert most of their forces to engage him in a protracted battle for the Crystal Palace! It would be completely difficult and unrewarding!

"Crazy, all of them are crazy..."

Beside them, Feng Xiaose was also dumbfounded by the conversation between the master and his subordinate. The Crystal Palace was beautiful and a treasure, but who in their right mind would think about seizing someone else's treasure during a major battle? "Isn't this giving someone a handle, inviting the palace to backfire and counterattack from behind at some unknown time?"

"If you want to seize a treasure, shouldn't it only be done after killing the person?"

"Killing and seizing treasure... this is a matter of sequence!"

"Receiving doubt, Passive Points, +3."

Xu Xiaoshou didn't care about any of that. He had the same idea as Mu Zixi, whose eyes were shining with greed. When he first fought Teng Shan Hai, he was able to pull out Xiao Shen Qiang's divine spear. This Crystal Palace looked even more effective than Xiao Shen Qiang's spear – using a palace to smash someone versus using a spear to smash someone, regardless of the power, the visual effect was already very different, wasn't it?

"Seize this Crystal Palace for me! In the battle against Yu Lingdi, you will be credited with the greatest achievement!"

"If you truly succeed, you will immediately become an official member of the First Sky Mansion, without needing further assessment."

"From now on, you can pick any coral throne in this palace... You pick first; I'll wait!"

Xu Xiaoshou pointed at the Crystal Palace, his fingertips trembling, his voice filled with uncontrollable delight. With that statement, Zhu Yike felt a surge of fiery heat in his mind, and his eyes reddened. The potential of the First Sky Mansion now seemed poles apart from when he first joined!

"Just by seizing the palace, I'll be an official member, and I can pick a coral throne right now..."

"This... isn't this on par with the Nine Thrones of the Saint Slaves?"

Joining the Saint Slaves, according to Master Xu, might mean working under one of the Nine Thrones and never rising in rank. But if he could help elevate the First Sky Mansion to the level of a dominant underground force like the Saint Slaves... If he, Zhu Yike, could pick a coral throne first today, then in the future, it would surely be equivalent to being the second or third in command of the Saint Slaves!

"Master Xu, rest assured, if this palace doesn't bear the Xu surname today, then I, Zhu Yike, will no longer be named Zhu!" Zhu Yike pounded his chest with a loud thud, startling everyone.

High above, Yu Lingdi's entire face turned completely dark. Discussing the fate of his Crystal Palace right in front of him—even poachers wouldn't be so brazen.

"Return!"

With a thought, he tried to communicate with the Crystal Palace and summon it back. Yu Lingdi was horrified to discover that the Crystal Palace transmitted a strong desire to connect, but the connection was blocked. A very clear barrier had appeared between him and the Crystal Palace!

"This is..."

"The aura of Ancestral Source power?"

Yu Lingdi's heart stopped abruptly, feeling like he was the only one on the scene who had discovered Zhu Yike's secret. If Xu Xiaoshou had also discovered this, how could he still be evaluating Zhu Yike? This aura was too faint, almost imperceptible! If it were anyone else, they truly wouldn't have noticed. But Yu Lingdi could, as he had cooperated many times before with similar levels of power. And what was most astonishing was this:

Logically, such a faint aura of Ancestral Source power would be difficult to even form a spell, let alone use to cast a spell and enhance its power. For example... The Ancestral Source power of the Night Owl was substantial enough to be manifested and used like a cooking pot. But Zhu Yike's, could he just grasp a wisp of air and use it to flip a spatula?

"What level of exquisite control is this?"

"If he could master true Ancestral Source power, not just its aura..."

Yu Lingdi instantly changed his perception of Zhu Yike. This person was too deeply hidden, so much so that perhaps even Xu Xiaoshou hadn't realized his true power. He further analyzed that almost imperceptible aura. "It has a bit of an evil god's power aura, but it's completely different from that of the Southern Domain's evil cultivators; it's not entirely malevolent."

"On the contrary, most of its aura is very pure, with only a faint hint of sinister trickery..."

"But that's impossible! How many years has the orthodox lineage of the Ancestor of Spells been broken?"

Yu Lingdi knew that any spiritualist in the Southern Domain who could grow to the Taixu level would, to some extent, be touched by a faint aura of evil god power, regardless of whether they realized it or could utilize it. This was a blessing, and also a curse! It had cursed the entire Southern Domain into its current state as a land of sin, leading all spiritualists astray. And what Zhu Yike wielded was perhaps one of the few instances touched by an orthodox lineage? Was it the Ancestor of Spells, not an evil god?

"Water says many, collective effort, supporting the land and universe."

Yu Lingdi murmured a chant, and the profound array pattern beneath his feet unfurled again. Ancestral Source power was not invincible; its power only increased the higher the level of the person wielding it. Furthermore, what Zhu Yike controlled was just such a faint wisp.

"Command!"

Having learned his lesson, Yu Lingdi dared not form hand seals this time. His move took shape extremely quickly, utilizing the power of the Heavenly Lake Nation, which had been split in two. Within water-elemental profound arts, as long as water didn't dissipate, its geometric form—whether split into two halves or separated into pools—didn't matter. Anyway, its residual power could always be recovered and utilized!

"He moved, he moved!"

Mu Zixi nervously warned. She wasn't as optimistic as Xu Xiaoshou, thinking about other people's treasures during a fight. She had been constantly watching Yu Lingdi for any movement. Now, seeing the profound array pattern flash in the distance, Mu Zixi's Divine Demon Eye power immediately followed suit. But before the Divine Fall could even be unleashed...

"Buzz—"

The Deep Sea World of the Heavenly Lake Nation, which had been split in two, suddenly trembled violently. Water rippled, and power was drawn from all directions, converging at the center. And precisely at the center of the deep-sea ripples stood the Crystal Palace, right in front of Xu Xiaoshou and the others.

"Ugh!"

Mu Zixi grunted, realizing that the spiritual energy and saint power flowing into her Divine Demon Eye were all rapidly draining away. The loss of spiritual energy was extremely fast, completely beyond her control. "Isn't this the siphoning power of that water orb?"

Xu Xiaoshou once again noticed the similarity between Yu Lingdi's and the Water Ghost's moves; one could say they were largely identical! Everyone else present, both people and beasts, also suddenly became aware of their own strange changes. Feng Xiaose and Zhu Yike felt their spiritual energy surge in their Qi Seas, then quickly lose more than half in a short period. The spiritual energy, like the water-elemental energy of the split Heavenly Lake Nation, flowed into the Crystal Palace, injecting into the Bixi carrying the stele spectacle.

"He's going to use the Crystal Palace to attack again!"

Mu Zixi shouted, revealing what she thought was a small detail known only to her.

"Master Xu, look at me."

Xu Xiaoshou had already realized this and wanted to counterattack, but then Zhu Yike's voice, without even turning his head, came from beside him. The few people present suddenly realized... The guy who was originally just providing support suddenly spoke with significant weight, instilling an inexplicable sense of security.

"Alright, I'm looking at you!"

Xu Xiaoshou put down his raised fist. He really wanted to see how many more tricks Old Zhu had up his sleeve.

"Ancestor of Spells protect, Ancestor of Spells protect, this move can succeed, it *must* succeed!"

Zhu Yike's voice was very soft, using a vague language that only he could understand. Everyone thought he was chanting a spell. This guy was too bizarre! He didn't even need hand seals, so why did he need to chant a spell to cast a move now? While still pondering, they saw Zhu Yike bite his fingertip again. This time he didn't even draw a rune; he simply pointed a finger forward, aiming at the Crystal Palace.

Feng Xiaose's eyes widened. Mu Zixi's mouth opened. Master Han cocked a claw, awaiting the unknown mystical changes...

At this moment, the Crystal Palace had finished gathering power, its entire structure glowing faintly. The enormous palace, spanning thousands of miles, under Yu Lingdi's control—after he had broken through the Ancestral Source power aura's isolation—suddenly expanded in size!

No one reacted to this sudden expansion.

"Boom!"

After a tremendous crash, several people and beasts in front of the palace were instantly sent flying, their blood coloring the sea. Feng Xiaose had two and a half teeth knocked out, his front teeth all gone. "My goodness, Zhu Yike, didn't you say 'look at me,' what are you doing, damn it!" Feng Xiaose's sword was even blasted away.

"I..."

Mu Zixi was also sent flying. But she reacted extremely quickly, thanks to her constant focus on Yu Lingdi and not hearing Zhu Yike's words. As soon as the change occurred, she crushed the tree seeds in her hands, transforming them into ancient wood that blocked much of the impact.

"Chirp!"

Master Han quickly erected an ice wall, also placing it in front of Mu Zixi, not caring that he himself was thrown back. Even so... "Pfft!" Mu Zixi still coughed up a mouthful of blood, having been forcibly blasted by the Crystal Palace. She felt dizzy and almost suffocated.

Xu Xiaoshou's face immediately darkened. He was the only one not injured, merely thrown back. The Crystal Palace was too heavy; his "Toughness" wasn't maxed out yet, and he couldn't withstand the force of that collision.

"Zhu! Yi! Ke!"

Seeing his junior sister spitting blood, Xu Xiaoshou immediately felt like killing someone, pulling out his Four Swords. But when he turned his gaze... Zhu Yike, who was the first to be hit by the Crystal Palace, had an arm broken, leaving only a blood-soaked, mangled body tracing a faint blood trail underwater.

"Heh, what an idiot."

High above, Yu Lingdi sneered. He had long seen that Zhu Yike wasn't that reliable. Or rather, the team below had no experience cooperating at all. This was evident from the previous combined attack, where Zhu Yike managed to control his teammate Feng Xiaose. After drawing out the remaining power of the Heavenly Lake Nation, that faint aura of Ancestral Source power could no longer block Yu Lingdi's control over the Crystal Palace.

"Bixi Flings the Stele!"

With a triumphant command, the Bixi spectacle within the Crystal Palace suddenly glowed brightly, its size rapidly increasing, instantly reaching five or six hundred zhang tall.

"Whoosh!"

The Bixi, shaped like a dragon-turtle, came to life, snorting out streams of air, producing a low rumbling sound that echoed throughout the deep sea. It arched its massive shell, and a colossal black stele, like a mountain, even larger than itself, was flung off its back.

"Boom!"

The stele's speed was extremely fast, leaving behind afterimages, tearing through water and space. In the blink of an eye, it reached Zhu Yike.

"Can you actually do it, dammit?!"

Xu Xiaoshou, eyes reddened, brandished his sword, rushing towards Zhu Yike almost simultaneously with Feng Xiaose. This guy's spell was powerful, but his physical body was utterly useless. The expansion of the Crystal Palace alone could break his arm. If he were truly hit by this Bixi stele, wouldn't he die on the spot?

"G-give me some face, let me..."

Zhu Yike, who looked on the verge of fainting in everyone's eyes, weakly spoke. He clenched his jaw, feeling something missing in his mouth, but it no longer mattered.

"Stone, turn to Gold!"

He stretched out his other arm and lightly tapped the mountain-like object hurtling towards him.

*Crack!*

The deep-sea world seemed to pause for a moment. Everyone heard a strange sound. Zhu Yike, whose body glowed with rich Taixu power, seemed to have broken through the shackles of Dao principles, broken through the space of the First Sin Palace, even broken through Void Island, connecting to the sky beyond the sky. Starlight descended from the nine heavens, showering Zhu Yike's entire body.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. He realized he hadn't imagined it.

*Crack!*

That sound, like an object instantly turning to stone, echoed heavily again. The black, mountain-like stele, upon touching Zhu Yike's fingertip, surprisingly didn't transfer its power to his body and send him flying. Instead, black turned into gold! A golden stele, shooting from afar at a ninety-degree angle, grazed Zhu Yike's fingertip and then sank vertically.

"What?!"

Yu Lingdi's head almost exploded again. What in the world was this spell?! He didn't understand! But what was even more shocking was yet to come... The black stele turning gold and falling into the deep sea was one thing. Even the giant Bixi in the distant Crystal Palace, with only half a breath of delay, was also dyed gold and immediately lost all signs of life.

"Thump."

The golden Bixi crashed onto the floor of the Crystal Palace, making a heavy sound and sending out endless ripples. Yu Lingdi's scalp suddenly tingled. He remembered! Before Zhu Yike's arm broke, he seemed to have touched the wall of the Crystal Palace, too???

"Let my spell last a little longer..."

Zhu Yike, his mouth bloody and lacking teeth, forced a tragic smile at Master Xu.

*Crack!*

Hearing that sound again, Xu Xiaoshou felt a chill down his spine and sharply turned his head. Under the horrified gazes of everyone, the enormous, crystal-clear Crystal Palace, thousands of miles wide, suddenly transformed into a dazzling golden... inanimate object!

No one could control it. The golden palace plummeted straight downwards.

"Rumble, rumble, rumble!"

The deep sea was struck with furious waves and tides, distorting everyone's shocked vision. Yu Lingdi seemed to have also been touched by the "Stone into Gold" spell, as his entire being went blank for a full half-breath.

"What happened..."

"Who is he?"

After realizing that these questions no longer mattered, Yu Lingdi's hands quickly formed seals again.

"Return!"

"Return!"

"Come back!"

It couldn't return... The palace, now completely transformed into dazzling gold, still contained only that faint wisp of Ancestral Source power aura. But it seemed that, from the beginning, it had never been crystal-colored; it had always been gold. At least, Yu Lingdi could no longer sense any spirit within the Crystal Palace. His treasure had been forcibly stolen by a thief right in front of his eyes!

"Master Xu, do you have any elixirs?"

Zhu Yike's face suddenly turned ashen, and his lips lost their color. "I'm so cold, my spiritual energy is... depleted, I feel like I'm going to die..."

"Y-yes!"

Xu Xiaoshou, who had rushed over menacingly with his Four Swords, now approached Zhu Yike as if holding a treasure, pulling out a Grade One spiritual herb from his Yuan Mansion world and stuffing it into Zhu Yike's mouth.

"I want elixirs..."

Zhu Yike struggled slightly, then realized that the medicinal properties of this spiritual herb were no worse than Grade Two or Three elixirs. His eyes lit up. Like an ox, he chewed with his gums since he had no teeth, then gulped it down.

"What flavor... Bah, are you still feeling weak?" Xu Xiaoshou asked urgently, holding Zhu Yike. This was a great treasure! With him around, what could the First Sky Mansion not have?

"It tastes like grass... Uh, no longer weak. With Master Xu holding me, I feel very secure."

Zhu Yike said, then suddenly his eyes and mouth twitched simultaneously. "Master Xu, are you scratching my back? It stings a little..."

Xu Xiaoshou froze, silently wrapping his arm in a layer of spiritual energy. "No such thing, don't talk nonsense."

Mu Zixi stared, dumbfounded. They were fighting! Why were the two of them suddenly exchanging sweet nothings? And talking while in a princess carry?

"Receiving curse, Passive Points, +1, +1, +1, +1..."

"Master Xu, do you have any paper?" Zhu Yike asked again.

"Paper? What kind of paper?" Xu Xiaoshou saw that the injuries on the person in his arms were slowly recovering, and there was no need for paper.

"Any paper will do. I've recovered a bit of spiritual energy, and I want to give you a gift."

A gift?

Xu Xiaoshou went blank, then glanced back at the golden palace at the bottom, his lips twitching. He said: "That's enough; what more gift do you need? I've approved your entry into the First Sky Mansion; you don't have to try so hard!"

"No, it's not enough!"

Zhu Yike shook his head, firmly saying, "Stone into Gold is only temporary, and there are lingering issues. I need to make another move to completely sever Yu Lingdi's connection with the Crystal Palace, to completely steal... uh, to permanently eliminate future trouble!"

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded. What kind of person are you, to be so ruthless? Yu Lingdi will cry! Just a symbolic grab now, we'll put it in the Yuan Mansion, and when we're powerful in the future, he won't dare come back to reclaim it, understand? That's what I was thinking...

Yet, despite his thoughts, Xu Xiaoshou's actions were honest and decisive. He tore a page from an ancient spiritual skill book, donated by some lucky soul from his ring, and handed it over. Zhu Yike clutched the ancient page, which still bore mysterious characters, swallowed a mouthful of bloody foam, and made space to exclaim: "Master Xu's paper is truly good paper!"

"Receiving flattery, Passive Points, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou's face stiffened. Are you sick?! At a time like this, you're still messing around? Even the system detected you flattering me... What exactly do you want to do? Can't you just do it directly?!

High above, Yu Lingdi was completely numb. He couldn't comprehend Zhu Yike's abilities, but at this point, it wasn't hard to see that the one named Zhu was the greatest threat to him among everyone below! His ability was unknown, but bizarre! His spells were unstable, but incredibly powerful! This kind of unstable factor, if he were to mess up at a crucial moment, would be fine. But expecting an enemy to mess up at a crucial moment—wasn't that absurd? As long as he didn't mess up, his own life could be stolen at any moment!

*Swish.*

As soon as Yu Lingdi's hand moved, and the profound array pattern beneath his feet barely spun... Zhu Yike, still in Xu Xiaoshou's arms, suddenly turned his head, his gaze meeting Yu Lingdi's from afar, his smile disgustingly sweet.

"Don't you learn? Do I have to say it myself...?"

"Don't play with spells in front of me! Including spiritual skills! I am your ancestor!"

Zhu Yike didn't even make a hand seal. He spat out a mouthful of blood, smearing it on the ancient book page. Holding the page between two fingers, he lightly flicked it, and the spell, or whatever it was, seemed to have ended.

"Master Xu, close your eyes."

Xu Xiaoshou paused, then closed his eyes.

"Master Xu, open your eyes."

Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes.

"For you..."

Zhu Yike's face, after the closing and opening of eyes, became terribly pale, but he smiled and handed over a familiar yet strange page. Familiar because it was given by Xu Xiaoshou. Strange because, above the text on this page, there was now a lifelike golden palace.

Xu Xiaoshou silently shifted his gaze downwards. He had actually seen it earlier, in his "Perception." But without seeing it with his own eyes, he simply couldn't believe it!

—He didn't even sense any spiritual energy fluctuations. This isn't a spell; it's magic, isn't it?!

His gaze went downwards... Below, the magnificent golden palace, spanning thousands of miles and resting on the ruins, had vanished without a trace. Clearly, that thing had flown into this page!

"Are you really cultivating the Golden Gate spells? Do Golden Gate spells all look like this?" Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath... and choked on a mouthful of deep-sea water, almost dying.

"Does Master Xu want the truth, or pleasant words?" Zhu Yike asked weakly.

"The truth."

"Then I cultivate a branch of Golden Gate spells. Strictly speaking, it's called 'Golden Gate Thievery Art.'"

Xu Xiaoshou choked on water again, his gaze shifting to the page in his hand. "What do you call this move?"

"Leaping onto Paper."

"...You're so absurd."

"Master Xu, just tell me if it leaped or not?"

"Receiving curse, Passive Points, +1, +1, +1, +1..."

Beside them, Mu Zixi's silver teeth were almost shattered, and her gem-like eyes filled with intense anger, and even a hint of jealousy! What could be more romantic than a spell that transforms a crystal palace into a golden palace, then shrinks it into a single page of a book, to be casually given as a gift? This move even impressed Mu Zixi, making her feel inferior.

And what kind of magic did Xu Xiaoshou possess, anyway? Just meeting him once could make someone follow him so devotedly? Zhu Yike even risked being almost killed by the Crystal Palace just to show off this move and fulfill Master Xu's wildest fantasy. And what he sought was merely to join the First Sky Mansion!

"I want to learn this spell too..."

Mu Zixi bit her lower lip, feeling wronged. If she also learned this trick, how could she fail to win Xu Xiaoshou's heart?

"Receiving curse, Passive Points, +1, +1, +1, +1..."

"Master Xu, the rest is up to you all. That guy probably wants to tear me into a thousand pieces now."

Zhu Yike's trembling finger pointed at Yu Lingdi, clearly sensing two killing intentions. His body shivered, his face turning even paler, and without turning his head, he weakly said, "I can't go on, I need to go into seclusion."

"Seclusion?" Xu Xiaoshou was bewildered. He suddenly realized that even his own thoughts and communication couldn't keep up with Zhu Yike's spells and words. This was a Southern Domain evil cultivator? This was an unorthodox path?

"Yes, I need to go into seclusion. See you later."

Zhu Yike finished speaking, not daring to look at Sister Mu Zixi beside him. He spat blood and immediately closed his eyes.

"Solid as a rock..."

Beneath the deep sea, the lingering sound of waves echoed faintly. Zhu Yike's body, with that final sound, turned golden and lost all signs of life.

"Ah, this..."

Xu Xiaoshou was completely baffled. He felt a slight increase in weight in his hands, and Zhu Yike had no aura left, like a dead object. In a different scenario, if a stranger encountered this golden human sculpture, their first reaction would only be, "I'm rich!" and then they'd carry it away, not "Could he possibly come back to life?" Recalling that Zhu Yike had also performed this move outside the First Sin Palace before...

"Absolute defense, but losing all mobility?"

"If he were caught and carried away like this, wouldn't he never dare to wake up?"

Clearly, Zhu Yike had decided that in Master Xu's embrace, he couldn't be captured by Yu Lingdi or backstabbed by a certain sister, which was why he dared to close his eyes directly.

Xu Xiaoshou thought for a moment, then threw the golden figure to Feng Xiaose. "You look after him."

Feng Xiaose caught the figure, his face turning green. "Oh, you... you've screwed me over twice, and now I have to take care of your corpse?" Feng Xiaose spoke with a lisp, then wiped his front teeth—they were gone! The more he thought about it, the angrier he got!

Feng Xiaose was so angry that he grabbed the sword in his hand and made two cuts at the golden figure's neck, but couldn't break its defense!

Zhu Yike's lips suddenly lost their golden hue, parted, and a low voice transmitted: "Brother Xiaose, help me out. My consumption is too great; I truly need to recover, or I won't be able to withstand Yu Lingdi's sneak attack."

"Now that I'm a high-ranking member of the First Sky Mansion, if we cooperate with your main combat faction in the future, I can secretly open a convenient door for you."

Feng Xiaose was dumbfounded, his eyes twitching violently. What kind of person is this?! Zhu Yike, before joining the First Sky Mansion, seemed perfectly normal, taciturn... Uh? Feng Xiaose decisively cut off his thoughts.

Soon, he pulled out a bundle of golden rope from his ring, threw the golden figure onto his back, and tied it securely. "Remember what you said."

"Of course."

"By the way, in your current state, can you act as a shield?"

The golden figure on his back suddenly trembled, giving no reply. Feng Xiaose smiled, raised his sword, and like the others present, looked into the distance.

High above, Yu Lingdi's heart felt as if Zhu Yike had stolen it, his expression utterly foul. The battle had just begun, and the Crystal Palace was lost. It was stolen right in front of him, and then its bloodline and soul connections were severed. A single page, a dimensional reduction attack... Who could endure this?!

Yu Lingdi could endure. He realized that Xu Xiaoshou hadn't just brought a bunch of people to their deaths. Every Taixu under his command possessed the ability to possibly win even in a one-on-one fight against him. Just like that sword-wielding Feng Xiaose... Yu Lingdi wasn't Red-Clothed, but he had sensed the fleeting Ghost Beast power just now, though he couldn't be absolutely certain.

This battle couldn't be fought! He had to stall!

Standing high in the air, the distant Saint Tribulation roared, and faint, extremely severe curses could be heard. Yu Lingdi took a long breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart. After taking another deep look at Xu Xiaoshou and the golden figure, he turned around and exploded into water droplets, rushing towards the direction of the Saint Tribulation.

"Old Jiang, where are you? I'm coming to save you! Hold on—"