Chapter 120: The True Genius

Xu Xiaoshou didn't go back to his new spirit site; instead, he went straight to Ling Zang Ge.

The token opened the barrier, and he quickly ascended to the third floor, feeling a bit more secure.

"Zhang Xin Xiong..."

He had expected that guy to lie low for a while, but he never imagined there wouldn't even be a day's break—the assassination failed last night, and here he was again today.

As for whether Chao Shu was genuinely only after the Tianxuan Gate spot to kill him, or if he was being manipulated by Yuan Tou, it was no longer important.

No matter the reason, he wouldn't let anyone who wanted him dead off the hook.

"It's just a pity about my new spirit site!"

"I guess I'll have to sleep in Ling Zang Ge for the next three days."

Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit helpless. After this battle, he basically had a clear understanding of his own strength.

If he fought desperately, he could take down one of the newly promoted inner courtyard thirty-three, but against those veteran big shots, he'd likely be in trouble.

One Chao Shu, with his strong control and chilling attacks, had nearly turned the tables on him several times.

Xu Xiaoshou decided to play it safe and hide like a turtle for now, as long as he could get through these three days...

He had to break through to Xiantian for Tianxuan Gate!

Otherwise, if he went out again, he might not survive the next wave of assassinations!

The next day at noon.

Sang Lao entered the third floor of Ling Zang Ge and was startled by the bloodied figure lying on the ground. It took him a moment to recognize it as Xu Xiaoshou, and he kicked him awake.

"Aren't you supposed to go select a spirit site and refine pills elsewhere?"

"What are you doing here?"

Seeing the blood on the boy, Sang Lao felt a chill in his heart. Thankfully, this time the explosion hadn't happened in Ling Zang Ge—it was on the boy himself. What a relief!

Xu Xiaoshou slowly woke up, and upon seeing the old man, he immediately felt a surge of anger.

"Did you steal your Tianxuan Gate spot?"

Sang Lao realized from that question what had happened to the boy. So, this blood wasn't from refining pills gone wrong—it was from being attacked?

"The Tianxuan Gate spots are limited. Your getting one means someone else loses out—that's normal."

"The total resources in this world are finite. Every step you take in your growth will directly or indirectly step on someone else. Be prepared for that."

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath. The old man's words were so profound and realistic that he couldn't even argue.

Sang Lao chuckled.

"Got revenge on you, huh?"

"To be honest, when the Tianxuan Gate spots were announced last night, Ye Xiao Tian didn't plan to reveal your name."

"But I figured it would come out sooner or later, and besides, your earning that spot isn't anything shady, so I just said it outright."

"Did that guy come after you?"

Xu Xiaoshou shook off his blood-stained clothes and rolled his eyes.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Hmm, not dead yet—that's pretty good. Keep it up; next time, try to fight back and kill..."

"He's dead."

Sang Lao raised an eyebrow, surprised.

In his mind, Xu Xiaoshou might not die, but managing to escape unscathed would be impressive enough. He actually turned the tables?

"You're sure you killed one of the newly promoted thirty-three?"

"Yeah."

"Two came, and I killed one."

Sang Lao felt he needed to put more pressure on this boy. If he didn't push him harder, he might not fully tap into his potential.

"What did it feel like?"

"He wasn't supposed to die..." Xu Xiaoshou shook his head expressionlessly. "But a killer will always be killed in return. Besides regret, I don't feel much else."

Sang Lao's lips curved up involuntarily. Finally, no more feelings?

Maybe this boy didn't even realize how much he'd changed under his own harsh guidance.

"It's not enough. You'll have truly grown when you don't even feel regret anymore."

Xu Xiaoshou snorted.

"If I don't even feel regret, wouldn't that mean I've lost all humanity?"

Humanity...

What a long-forgotten word!

Sang Lao's face showed a touch of nostalgia. He lifted his hat with one hand, rubbed his head vigorously, and put it back on.

"When you finally touch the Great Dao, you'll understand what true human warmth and coldness really mean."

"The Great Dao?"

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised.

"Let's not talk about that..."

Sang Lao waved his hand, not wanting to add too much pressure. Young people with passion was a good thing—he knew better than to overdo it.

But some necessary challenges were still needed. He hadn't expected those so-called thirty-three to be so weak... Ling Gong was indeed declining day by day.

He gazed out the window, his expression full of memories, and said slowly, "Do you know what a true genius is?"

Xu Xiaoshou paused, unsure. "Xu Xiaoshou?"

Sang Lao's reminiscence was abruptly interrupted, a vein bulging on his forehead, and his eyelid twitched twice.

"Very good, very confident. So, do you think you're a genius?"

Xu Xiaoshou recalled his own experiences. In less than a month, he was confident he could break through to Xiantian, while others in Ling Gong were still lingering at the eighth or ninth realm after two or three years.

Even if he didn't compare to Ling Gong people, taking his speed outside, it was rare—maybe not one in a million, but still extremely uncommon.

"Half, I guess!" Xu Xiaoshou said modestly.

"What about Su Qianqian?"

Xu Xiaoshou froze. He knew the legends about that girl: breaking through to Xiantian at thirteen, mastering Xiantian sword intent at fourteen, specially admitted to the inner courtyard in just a month—she was incredibly strong!

"A tenth of a genius, maybe... But we can't compare." He felt a bit deflated.

"You said your ambition is the Five Domains, right? So, what level do you think Su Qianqian's talent would be in the Five Domains?"

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

"Sorry, I don't deserve to call myself a genius. I apologize."

Sang Lao laughed and turned back. "Actually, her talent is quite exceptional, even on the continent."

Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself that it was a relief. He was really afraid the old man would call it something like "trash" or "garbage"—that would be too demoralizing.

"But it's just exceptional. There are plenty of others with similar talent." Sang Lao said surprisingly. "And the Five Domains' acknowledged strongest genius isn't far from you—it was just thirty years ago."

"The acknowledged, strongest one?"

Xu Xiaoshou picked up on the key words, his eyes full of doubt. The entire continent acknowledged the strongest?

What a joke!

"Could he have surpassed history?"

Sang Lao's lips curled, and he actually nodded. "Exactly, he surpassed history."

"The Five Domains' acknowledged strongest genius, from Dongyu Jian Shen Tian, just like you—a famous sword cultivator."

"He wandered for years and only started on the path of refining spirits at eighteen. The first time he wielded a sword, he shocked the world."

"Three breaths to Xiantian, three years to Jian Xian, and at just twenty-one, he reached heights others could never touch in a lifetime."

"This story, any sword cultivator in the world could tell you—ten out of ten."

He pulled back his nostalgic gaze, saw the shock on Xu Xiaoshou's face, and quickly corrected himself. "Nine out of ten!"

Xu Xiaoshou was truly stunned. Was this a genius? This was a monster!

Three breaths to Xiantian, three years to Jian Xian?

Weren't there only seven Jian Xian on the continent? How did he achieve that?

Glancing at the red interface in his mind, Xu Xiaoshou felt dizzy. Compared to this, what right did he have to call his system anything special?

He suppressed his shock and asked seriously, "Who is this person?"

"The Eighth Jian Xian, Ba Zun An!"