Chapter 1202: Good child, listen, don't resist...

Boom.

Thunder rumbled incessantly.

Even though Mei Yiren had already attained sainthood, the mutations from the Three Tribulations did not subside; one layer had been removed, leaving two.

Now, the saint tribulation surged down toward the old Jian Sheng below.

However, after Mei Yiren's ascension, his Jian Xiang combat prowess had surged unprecedentedly. Merely guarding himself, he repelled the Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation without a scratch.

—After all, Che Shen Nian was meant to exhibit its greatest power only after reaching the semi-saint level.

"Xu Xiao Shou."

Mei Yiren lay curled on the ground, his eyes filled with grief, clutching a charred severed arm, his vision blurred by tears. He had been just a step too late!

During the moment he severed the tribulation and ascended, Mei Yiren had glimpsed Xu Xiao Shou's arrival.

This made him reluctant to linger in enlightenment after becoming a saint; he quickly ended his state of comprehension. But when he regained his senses...

The once-mighty Xu Xiao Shou, despite his incredibly strong physical body, had been struck dead by the remaining saint tribulation! It had only taken a brief moment... and all that was left was this severed arm!

Mei Yiren held the arm, trying every method he knew, but he couldn't revive his newly accepted student. He was a Jian Sheng, not a Yi Sheng.

Having just ascended and already losing such a promising disciple, it filled his heart with immense complexity.

"Xu Xiao Shou, oh Xu Xiao Shou, how could you be so foolish?"

"This is my saint tribulation, a Threefold Saint Tribulation. How dare you enter it alone?"

"I know you think highly of yourself, but young people like you often meet an early end because of that... wahhh..." Mei Yiren wiped away his snot and tears, suddenly sensing something off.

Foolish? Was Xu Xiao Shou foolish?

That didn't even qualify as a question.

More crucially, why had the saint tribulation obliterated every other part of Xu Xiao Shou's body, yet left only this arm intact?

"Did he use Wu Xiu · Chi Jiao Shou before dying, defying the saint tribulation with his stubborn will to remain in this world?"

The absurd idea barely flashed through Mei Yiren's mind before he realized his thoughts were being influenced. He grabbed the arm from his embrace and shook it...

It was real!

"Xu Xiao Shou wouldn't recklessly enter a Threefold Saint Tribulation alone; he's far too cautious about his life."

"But he still separated this real arm to find me, so he must have encountered some danger."

"Danger..."

In an instant, Mei Yiren's saint thoughts spread across half of Zui Yi Dian, searching meticulously.

He found no signs of danger, but in the direction of Zhen Huang Dian, a certain area was almost completely shielded by the Heavenly Dao. Even his saint thoughts couldn't penetrate to see what was happening.

If he hadn't escaped from that very place while fleeing the saint tribulation, Mei Yiren might have thought it was a natural forbidden zone in Zui Yi Dian, like Qi Wei Ting.

A normal person might adventure into such a place or hesitate and back away.

Mei Yiren wasn't one for adventure; his last entrapment in Qi Wei Ting had been an accident, and he only escaped thanks to Huang Quan. This time, if possible, he didn't want to enter another similar forbidden zone.

Because the countdown in his mind had evolved into a "Ban Zhu Countdown"!

But Zhen Huang Dian was different...

He had been there before; it had no special or bizarre rules and wasn't restricted.

Now, however, it had transformed into something completely shielded by the Heavenly Dao and Saint Dao, impenetrable even by spatial forces.

Add to that the charred severed arm of Xu Xiao Shou in his hand, which couldn't communicate but clearly indicated his dire situation.

"I have to go check!"

Mei Yiren suppressed his sorrow, made his decision, endured the saint tribulation, and flew toward Zhen Huang Dian.

He feared that Xu Xiao Shou might be trapped there because of something, so he had to see for himself, confirm there were no accidents, before he could leave with peace of mind and deal with the Ban Zhu Countdown.

"Yes, Xu Xiao Shou is clever and astute; he's unlikely to fall into peril."

"Probably, I'm just overthinking it."

Within the dark labyrinth walls.

Xiao Kong Dong lightly pinched the void with his fingertips, sensing another wave of explosive aftermath sweeping through the spatial fragments. He could easily detect traces of Jian Nian and the abilities of the Jin Zhao lineage within.

"Xu Xiao Shou again?"

"This guy wasn't satisfied with blowing up Zui Yi Dian; now he's targeting the spatial fragments beneath it?"

"With moves like that, how's his death countdown holding up?"

"Could Xu Xiao Shou have been wiped out by Void Island's rules?"

Xiao Kong Dong furrowed his brow for a long time, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

Xu Xiao Shou wasn't a fool; the appearance of such signals twice clearly meant he was in a deadly predicament. Perhaps he was being surrounded and hunted by the Tai Xu Hong Yi and Bai Yi on Void Island.

Or maybe he had encountered a semi-saint...

"I hope it's the latter."

"Wait, let me counter-predict: he must have run into the former."

Xiao Kong Dong comforted himself, stowed the sack in his ring, and temporarily hid the Magic God Great Spear. He touched the batch of exemption orders—Mian Si Ling and Mian Zhu Ling—in his embrace, feeling invigorated.

"Good thing no one on Void Island is selling Mian Si Ling or Mian Zhu Ling anymore; they're all with me."

"So, even if it's a semi-saint, as long as I can withstand a few of their strikes, they'll be hit by death or banishment."

"Isn't that straightforward?"

Xiao Kong Dong chuckled, organizing his thoughts, and realized something.

"Now, with this wealth in hand, I'm undoubtedly the strongest on Void Island."

"Once I find Xu Xiao Shou, I'll sell him a Mian Si Ling."

"How much should I charge...?"

Absurd thoughts flashed by, but Xiao Kong Dong's expression turned gravely serious.

He straightened his newly changed pristine black Jian Ke robe, pulled on black gloves to conceal his eight fingers, and his demeanor shifted to one of aloofness and coldness. He swiftly flew toward Zhen Huang Dian.

"I'm the teacher, I'm the teacher..."

"I'm the Eighth Jian Xian, I'm the Eighth Jian Xian..."

After self-hypnosis, Xiao Kong Dong's eyes grew turbid, his brows sharper with chill.

"My name is Ba Zun An!"

"Xu Xiao Shou, even if a semi-saint stands before you, I'll always have your back!"

...

"Under stealth attack, Passive Value +1."

At Zhen Huang Dian, Xu Xiao Shou thought to himself, as expected.

He couldn't react at all to Er Hao's attacks after entering combat mode!

When he realized negotiations were futile, and even the ploy of joining Sheng Shen Dian Tang was rejected, with Er Hao opting for force, Xu Xiao Shou didn't dare take it lightly. He immediately used "Xiao Shi Shu".

I dodge!

"Tian Ren Wu Shui"

Just before vanishing, Xu Xiao Shou played his final trump card, flinging it right in Er Hao's face.

The resonant cry, powered by saint force and borrowing "Tou Dao" power, directed by Jian Nian, echoed in all directions. In an instant, the four words "Tian Ren Wu Shui" spread across half of Zui Yi Dian.

Er Hao's foot, glowing with a faint red light, passed through Xu Xiao Shou's waist, leaving him drenched in cold sweat. Even in his vanished state, he felt a pain as if he had been kicked to pieces.

He even clutched his waist and doubled over, only to realize it was just "phantom pain". Er Hao's attacks were formidable, but "Xiao Shi Shu" could still isolate them—truly a divine skill!

"But it won't isolate for long..."

Xu Xiao Shou knew full well that back in Bai Ku, even the storyteller had quickly devised a way to counter Xiao Shi Shu. Er Hao, with his superior intellect and the strength of the mightiest semi-saint, would surely figure it out.

And now, the hostages he had used to restrain Er Hao were all gone. Yu Ling Di had revived and gained self-protection.

Si Tu Yong Ren was nowhere to be seen, likely whisked away by Er Hao's arm.

"Wait for death?"

Xu Xiao Shou realized that besides waiting for death, he couldn't find a good way to resolve the danger.

After Er Hao activated combat mode and regained full mobility, the surrounding Heavenly Dao, Saint Dao... all rules were sealed. Xu Xiao Shou tried using the Space Dao Pan to teleport again.

It failed!

His understanding of spatial attributes and Space Dao Ze was shallow, perhaps even weaker than his fire system. Er Hao's battlefield seal was so absolute that it could block even Han Ye's "Chao Sheng Dun".

The best window for escape had passed... No!

That was an illusion!

In reality, aside from the openings Er Hao deliberately left, there had never been any real "escape window" from the start. Everything was under Er Hao's control!

"Move, think..."

Xu Xiao Shou pressed his temples, his mind racing in the face of crisis, even conjuring ideas from nothing. He had to think of another brilliant strategy, like how he had previously used Si Tu Yong Ren to trap Er Hao wave after wave.

This Tian Ji Shen Shi wasn't invincible!

"Tian Ren Wu Shui is one step, and then... 'Si Tu Yong Ren'!"

In Xu Xiao Shou's mind, the scene froze.

Relying on his powerful memory, he rewound to the moment Si Tu Yong Ren was protected by the arm and swept into the spatial fragments during Er Hao's suppression.

"Where did they go? Inside Er Hao's body?"

"That doesn't make sense... But what if not? If Er Hao prioritized using his severed finger to save Yu Ling Di and didn't have time to retrieve Si Tu Yong Ren..."

"Yes! That's absolutely it!"

"My reactions are quick, and Er Hao knows that. He wouldn't gamble—Yu Ling Di is far more important than Si Tu Yong Ren!"

"Or rather, the Ci Mian Zhi Men is more important than anything!"

"So, Si Tu Yong Ren and Er Hao's severed arm should still be in the spatial fragments!"

In a flash, Xu Xiao Shou completed his thoughts and channeled his "Gan Zhi" into the spatial fragments.

In the vast, boundless world of spatial fragments, if he hadn't broken through, Xu Xiao Shou might not have seen much.

But at Saint Di Lv0 level, even weakened in the spatial fragments, his "Gan Zhi" could perceive far more than before! It was still chaotic, violent, filled with spatial blades and nodes...

Compared to his previous entry with Hong Yi, Xu Xiao Shou felt less helpless this time. This dark, disordered place wasn't meant for humans.

Even a semi-saint entering without navigation methods would get lost. But for a semi-saint in the spatial fragments, self-preservation was possible, and the stronger ones, like Er Hao, could navigate freely.

Xu Xiao Shou's cultivation wasn't high, but his "Gan Zhi" was already at semi-saint level!

Without leaping in to die, just searching for items, he wasn't much weaker than an average semi-saint.

Soon, Xu Xiao Shou found what he wanted.

—A silver, battered giant arm, its hand clenched tightly, seemingly protecting something inside.

"Er Hao's severed arm!"

"And in its palm, Si Tu Yong Ren!"

Fierce, violent spatial blades turned into a storm, relentlessly assaulting the silver arm, trying to erase this foreign object from the fragments. But Er Hao's defense was too strong.

What Four Swords and Yan Mang could damage didn't mean the spatial storm could.

In this dark fragment realm, the arm was like an anchored warship, unmoved by wind or rain. It was damaged, but those wounds were likely from the Sheng · Xi Gai Wen Zhong Zhi Shu explosion.

"Shatter it, pull out Si Tu Yong Ren, and I can take another hostage."

"This time, I won't need to swap; I can get out alive myself!"

A surge of desire erupted in the depths of Xu Xiao Shou's mind, his eyes turning red as he drew his sword, ready to drop his vanished state and strike the silver arm.

Suddenly, his information panel jumped: Mental Awakening triggered. "Under influence, Passive Value +1."

Thump—Xu Xiao Shou's heartbeat nearly stopped, and he instantly regained his senses.

"Influence..."

"That's right, Lei Xi Er said the Xue Shi Zhu's influence is still here. Damn it, how could I be so impulsive?"

"This emotional fluctuation would get me killed by Xue Shi Zhu, let alone Er Hao!"

"Damn Tian Ren Wu Shui..." Xu Xiao Shou shuddered with aftershock.

Calming down, he immediately recalled.

In the prolonged standoff with Er Hao, exchanging intel, did Er Hao really have no time to retrieve Si Tu Yong Ren? The fact that the arm and Si Tu Yong Ren were still here was definitely a trap!

"What a pity, I'm not falling for it."

Above the Zhen Huang Dian ruins, a flood of ancient characters flashed in Er Hao's eyes, and his sigh carried a hint of regret. Even he hadn't immediately cracked "Xiao Shi Shu".

So earlier, he had left a good card for Xu Xiao Shou, waiting for him to use Xiao Shi Shu and then play it. It was a bomb card.

But now, it seemed ineffective.

Xu Xiao Shou's reactions were swift; after vanishing, knowing Tian Ji Shen Shi's power could quickly crack it, he would use the shortest time to think of survival.

If he hadn't thought of Si Tu Yong Ren by now, he wouldn't deserve the name Xu Xiao Shou.

And since the Si Tu Yong Ren card hadn't been played, it proved he lived up to his reputation. "The intellect of a master player!"

The ancient characters in Er Hao's eyes vanished, his gaze firm—he had found the way to crack "Xiao Shi Shu". At the same time, from within the Bronze Ding, Yu Ling Di's voice came:

"Xu Xiao Shou's Xiao Shi Shu can be forced out step by step with spatial and rule banishment methods."

"Er Hao Qian Bei, give the signal for his position, force him to appear, and I can lend you a hand."

"With the strong control of Water System Principles, he won't withstand it!"

Yu Ling Di gritted his teeth, as if itching to tear Xu Xiao Shou apart.

He had finally coalesced his physical form to the knee area; with a bit more time, his legs would form. Undeniably, the damage Xu Xiao Shou inflicted this time was massive!

If he didn't vent this anger, Yu Ling Di wouldn't rest in peace!

Er Hao nodded slightly, without responding.

Of course, he knew Yu Ling Di's combat strength; otherwise, he wouldn't have spent time stalling against Xu Xiao Shou, waiting for Yu Ling Di's revival.

Xu Xiao Shou had guessed wrong on one point.

The Yu Ling Di he dismissed as worthless was, in Er Hao's eyes, nearly as important as the Ci Mian Zhi Men.

As the Ling Bu Shou Zuo, Yu Ling Di's one-on-one capabilities might currently fall short of a semi-saint or even the present Xu Xiao Shou. He used to act alone because he wanted to prove he wasn't inferior to his father.

But Water System Principles weren't meant for direct combat!

So how could Yu Ling Di handle Xu Xiao Shou's insane, explosive output, with gigantification at the drop of a hat? Even Er Hao had barely endured it.

Someone like Yu Gua, who cultivated Water attributes to the pinnacle of combat, wasn't something a junior could easily match.

With the same talent and Water System Principles, decades separated Yu Ling Di and the deceased Yu Mo—how could that gap be erased?

But from another angle...

Yu Ling Di's attributes and principles, paired with Er Hao for output, were simply a perfect match!

Yet Er Hao hadn't acted yet, because Xu Xiao Shou's final cry intrigued him.

"Tian Ren Wu Shui?"

Was that a curse or a title?

If a title, that Tian Ren Wu Shui of Yan Wang, with Tai Xu cultivation and Nan Yu Shu Jin Men heritage... wasn't present!

Er Hao was certain; if even he couldn't sense it, then it truly didn't exist.

Based on that, Xu Xiao Shou was bluffing!

But just as Er Hao was about to move, an orange figure appeared in his saint thoughts from nearby.

Er Hao turned in surprise.

There was someone here, yet he hadn't sensed it... a variable? The ability was unclear!

But the realm was undoubtedly semi-saint!

A whoosh echoed in his ears as the orange figure, like a ghostly phantom, appeared before Yu Ling Di the moment he turned to look.

"Someone is calling me... is it you?"

Tian Ren Wu Shui murmured softly, his hoarse voice piercing into Yu Ling Di's scalp.

Yu Ling Di's face appeared before him, the distance closing from far to near, his pupils contracting sharply!

But upon hearing that eerie sound, his pupils dilated!

In that instant, he desperately wanted to roar, "It's not me!"

Yet as his pupils contracted and dilated, three gray spots emerged from Yu Ling Di's eyes, freezing his silent terror before flowing back into his pupils, carrying away endless dread.

Tian Ren Wu Shui reached out, touching Yu Ling Di's head.

"Good child, be obedient, don't resist..."