Chapter 1276: I want to give you another surprise.

Feeling grateful, passive value, 1.

Xu Xiaoshou gazed in the direction where Tianren Wushuai had vanished and finally understood the intention behind Shui Gui's earlier actions.

This guy seemed like a madman and held grudges, but his stance was clear-cut.

All his pretense was just for outsiders.

At the very least, when Tianren Wushuai was in his weakened state, Shui Gui had forced Xu Xiaoshou to step in and save him, all so that Tianren Wushuai would owe Xu Xiaoshou a favor.

Meanwhile, Shui Gui himself took on Tianren Wushuai's resentment.

"What a strange person."

"I clearly beat him up badly, and he forgot about it so quickly?"

Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself that this favor wasn't necessary at all.

But what puzzled him was that Shui Gui and Tianren Wushuai seemed to have some deeper, unspoken communication beyond words.

In the end, when Tianren Wushuai left, Xu Xiaoshou didn't detect any resentment toward Shui Gui's actions.

"Yesterday, today..."

"Maybe in the past, Tianren Wushuai was saved by Shui Gui?"

Muttering to himself, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't figure it out, so he decided to let it go.

He couldn't understand the encrypted exchange between them, but the forced favor just now felt familiar to him.

It reminded him of the minor events when he first encountered Tianren Wushuai in Zui Yi Dian.

From what followed, Tianren Wushuai's attitude toward him was indeed similar to how Shui Gui treated him—seeming sinister on the surface but essentially good-natured.

But back then, Tianren Wushuai had nearly killed Gu Qing'er.

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't understood it before, but now, combining it with the void crystal on Gu Qing'er and Tianren Wushuai's subsequent friendly actions, he got it!

It was another case of a forced favor!

In this instance, Shui Gui had made Tianren Wushuai owe him a favor.

In Zui Yi Dian, Tianren Wushuai had made Gu Qing'er—or rather, Zangjian Zong—owe him a favor.

"So, I've been protected all along?"

Xu Xiaoshou realized this belatedly, lowering his head to look at Long Bao, his expression turning a bit odd and complicated.

He wasn't alone anymore...

A crisp sound echoed from the Ban Sheng position.

Yan Wuse's remnant body shuddered violently, his aura plummeting sharply.

The saintly intent on him vanished into thin air, his realm falling from Ban Sheng to Taixu peak, and then dropping further—from complete, to late stage, mid stage... and nearly breaking through Taixu entirely. From outward appearances, based solely on his aura, Yan Wuse seemed like someone who had just entered the Taixu realm not long ago.

Moreover, his "breakthrough" was so unstable that his state felt incredibly unsteady, even weaker than a typical Taixu.

Only then did Xu Xiaoshou understand why Yan Wuse had chosen to exchange his life for clarity.

A dragon in shallow water gets played by shrimp; a tiger fallen to the plains gets bullied by dogs.

For someone in a high position, no matter how well they behaved, there would always be those who coveted them or held grudges—and plenty of them.

What's more, Yan Wuse didn't seem like the type with a good temper.

After being one of the Three Emperors for so many years, he had enjoyed endless glory, keeping the petty schemers hidden and afraid to show themselves.

Now that his realm had fallen to Taixu, even if he returned to Sheng Shen Dian Tang, he theoretically had a chance to recover to Ban Sheng.

But he would likely be killed on the way back.

So, instead of clinging to a wretched existence, it was better to die openly and clearly. Xu Xiaoshou realized the deeper meaning behind Yan Wuse's choice.

"Yan Lao..."

In the downpour, everyone felt a deep sorrow as they looked at the elderly figure in the sky, on the brink of death. The former Light of Lian Ling was still alive in body but fallen in spirit.

In the silent atmosphere, Shui Gui put away the two Ban Sheng positions in his hand and restrained his smile.

After all, they had once worked together in Sheng Shen Dian Tang. His ideals differed from Yan Wuse's.

Yet he understood that Yan Wuse had his own principles and sense of justice.

Different fields, different outcomes of success and failure—winning today didn't mean he had to erase the validity of others' ideologies.

He looked at Yan Wuse seriously and said,

"I respect you, so I'll give you one more chance."

"Choose to leave now, don't trust anyone else, and go straight to your Dao Dian Zhu. You'll survive."

Yan Wuse coughed heavily, covering his mouth with his hand as blood seeped through his fingers, impossible to contain.

He looked up with a miserable smile, took a breath, and said with difficulty,

"This emperor doesn't need any sympathy."

"So your choice is..."

"Continue."

Shui Gui smiled, closed his eyes, and nodded.

There was no agreement or contract between him and Yan Wuse.

At this point, Yan Wuse had no bargaining power left.

If Shui Gui wanted, he could end the confession at any time, leaving Yan Wuse helpless and doomed to die.

"A little cleverness..."

After a low chuckle, Shui Gui didn't break his word. Instead, he glanced at Xu Xiaoshou and said,

"Just now, where were we?"

"Uh." Xu Xiaoshou was startled. "We were at... Huang Quan blowing your head off, Jiang Buyi blowing your head off?"

Shui Gui's eyes turned suddenly ice-cold.

"Feeling locked on, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou shivered. "Tianren Wushuai! We were at Tianren Wushuai. You left a backup on them, and after Zui Yi Dian ended, you should have come out."

Back to the topic.

Not only was Yan Wuse curious, but Xu Xiaoshou was too, and the people on Void Island even more so, pulling their scattered thoughts back together.

After Zui Yi Dian exploded, they could watch the battle firsthand.

But afterward, Yu Ling Di showed no abnormalities—in fact, he was quite unassuming.

So everyone was both shocked and doubtful about how Shui Gui had orchestrated everything in this chaotic situation, step by step arranging everyone into this position.

He hadn't done anything obvious...

Leaning on the golden beast mask, Shui Gui's malicious gaze savagely flayed Xu Xiaoshou for a moment before he withdrew it and said to Yan Wuse in a bored tone,

"What happened next, you were there, so you know it well. I didn't do much."

"After leaving Zui Yi Dian, surprisingly, Xu Xiaoshou's performance kept getting better."

"Mei Yiren controlled you, he punched you to pieces, the Three Talents Sword appeared, and your true body was restrained."

"By then, I was almost exposed."

Shui Gui paused, shaking his head.

"I knew you hadn't used your full strength and were still in good condition, but under the Three Talents Sword, your weakness was too tempting—I felt the urge to kill."

"If I got close and had a chance, the Gate of the Other Side could have killed your true body directly."

"So I watched Rao Yao Yao leave, Huang Quan depart, everyone disappear, and I even sent Si Tu Yong Ren away, planning to strike at you."

At that, Yan Wuse remembered.

On Duo Yuan, his Angel of Light was confronting Xu Xiaoshou while heading to Zui Yi Dian and had indeed noticed something odd about "Yu Ling Di."

"So that's what it was..." Yan Wuse's eyes flashed with annoyance.

Shui Gui laughed, sighing.

"If you had arrived a bit earlier or later, I might have been discovered and exposed prematurely."

"Just right, when I was about to act, your Angel of Light appeared."

"Maybe my disguise was successful up to that point—at least then, you had suspicions, but your attention was diverted by other things and you didn't focus on it."

"Or maybe it was your good luck, or the strong instinct for gain and avoidance of harm that Ban Sheng have, because in the end, you never accepted my 'Gate of the Other Side.'"

Shui Gui stopped there, letting out a long sigh.

Yan Wuse closed his eyes heavily. If he had taken the "Gate of the Other Side" back then, made a contract, and used it...

There probably wouldn't have been so much trouble afterward.

He would have died directly.

"You hid yourself deep enough." Yan Wuse scoffed. "From the beginning to the end."

Shui Gui stirred slightly, his gaze suddenly shifting to Xu Xiaoshou. "Your technique is indeed hard to cultivate."

"Technique?" Xu Xiaoshou was confused. "What technique do I have?"

Shui Gui didn't answer.

What outsiders didn't know was that his method of hiding on Void Island and transforming into Yu Ling Di was something Ba Zun An had made him learn from Xu Xiaoshou.

But the process was truly something no normal person could endure!

When acting as a son, he had to be so humble that even his own thoughts couldn't surface.

He had to fully embody Yu Ling Di, completely thinking from the perspective of Sheng Shen Dian Tang, considering every problem that way.

Anything else, he couldn't even think about.

If any selfish motives appeared early on, his disguise might have been broken on the spot. Fortunately, Xu Xiaoshou had demonstrated it multiple times in person.

Learning was one thing, but actually using it was another—the hardship involved meant Shui Gui never wanted to go through it again.

After using Xu Xiaoshou's technique, Shui Gui admired the guy.

Of course, he wouldn't mention any of this to Xu Xiaoshou and let him get cocky about it.

"I didn't hide well enough; I almost got exposed."

"After that, I discarded all my own thoughts again and obediently played the role of son."

"Even when I went to Duo Yuan, I stayed dormant, always thinking from your Sheng Shen Dian Tang perspective, doing everything for your benefit."

Duo Yuan... Yan Wuse murmured silently, his expression complex.

That was the start of his nightmare.

First, he was struck by Xiao Kong Dong.

Then Xu Xiaoshou exploded with power, using the time, place, and people to his advantage, even manipulating the enemy's Tianji Shen Shi.

Completely reducing Yan Wuse's state to zero.

That gave Shui Gui the final opportunity to appear.

"Still, as I said, Xu Xiaoshou finally grew up. His performance not only won you over but also impressed me."

Shui Gui's gaze of approval came, making Xu Xiaoshou a bit embarrassed, but then he continued, "If you had put in a little less effort and let Yan Wuse realize the importance of the Gate of the Other Side earlier, you wouldn't have ended up this miserable."

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't expected such a sudden twist and said speechlessly, "I didn't know it was you; you didn't tell me."

Shui Gui raised an eyebrow high and said,

"Sorry, from the start, I looked down on you and didn't think you could pull off so much."

"On this point, I believe you can understand. Xiantian, Zongshi—it's all just small-time squabbles; victory doesn't mean much."

"The struggles above Wang Zuo, involving Sheng Zhan and Dao seizing, I told you, will definitely involve blood."

"If something goes wrong, that blood won't just be yours—it'll be mine too."

Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth, blew out a breath, and sighed, "Sigh, I guess I can understa—"

"Just like your master." Shui Gui's words didn't stop, speaking calmly. "Before you carried the fire seed, he also thought you were just a waste."

You bastard!

Xu Xiaoshou's intended "I can understand" turned into boiling anger, his hair standing on end as he glared furiously.

If you can't say anything nice, shut up!

Would it kill you to be quiet?

Your account, including Sang Lao's and Lao Ba's—when I get up...

I'll smash all your dog heads!

Though he thought that, after Shui Gui said so much, Xu Xiaoshou started to worry.

This guy looked like a classic big villain spouting nonsense after the fact.

He was probably about to flip the script.

Xu Xiaoshou wanted to speak up and warn him, since if Shui Gui fell, he really wouldn't have any support left.

But after thinking about it...

Someone who could plan something as big as Void Island wouldn't overlook what he was thinking right now. Yet Shui Gui was still rambling on, dragging things out with Yan Wuse—he must have some trump card.

Xu Xiaoshou lowered his head.

He began thinking from the perspective of the one controlling the board, pondering the deeper meaning behind Shui Gui's actions and what his trump card really was.

"Heh."

Seeing Xu Xiaoshou silently bow his head, Shui Gui finally vented a bit of the frustration from being beaten up earlier by that certain someone.

He turned back to Yan Wuse and said,

"At Duo Yuan, I still didn't do much—just followed what you needed, sent Si Tu Yong Ren to his death, and gave you the Gate of the Other Side."

"Of course, there was also Rao Yao Yao... she almost took the Gate of the Other Side, and that would have been troublesome."

"Oh, right."

At that, Shui Gui seemed to remember something, pulling a Xuan Xu Xia from his embrace. "Xu Xiaoshou, your Tianji Shu—was it really taught by Dao Qiong Cang?"

Damn!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart skipped a beat.

You, a mere Taixu, how dare you directly invoke the saint's name?

But thinking that if Dao Qiong Cang were on Void Island, he would have shown up by now.

And if he wasn't, invoking his name on Void Island probably wouldn't affect Sheng Shen Dalu.

Xu Xiaoshou relaxed and, in front of Yan Wuse and everyone on Void Island, nodded.

"Though I'm unworthy, I keep my word."

"In the Zero Plan, the Dao Dian Zhu who taught Tianji Shu wasn't mainly me, but it was passed down to me through generations."

He even subtly embellished the details of this nonexistent Zero Plan.

In the heavy rain, the people on Void Island buzzed with discussion:

"The Zero Plan—so what exactly is that?"

"Did the Dao Dian Zhu really teach Tianji Shu? Isn't that like betraying... that thing?"

"Impossible! That dog Xu Xiaoshou's mouth never spits out ivory; he's definitely deceiving you. How could you believe it?"

"Little brother, take it from this old lady—sometimes, the truth hides in the absurd."

Shui Gui naturally heard the Lian Ling Shi on the island discussing.

He admired Xu Xiaoshou for having such quick thinking in the midst of Sheng Zhan to smear Dao Qiong Cang like that.

Though it probably wouldn't stick to Dao Qiong Cang, it was enough to disgust him.

Besides, Xu Xiaoshou was good at creating surprises.

Maybe in the end, this "disgust" could be turned into a handle to punish Dao Qiong Cang?

A casual move, nothing important.

But if it worked wonders, he'd applaud.

After emphasizing that, a black water hand emerged from Shui Gui's palm, grasped the Xuan Xu Xia, and sank back into his body.

At the same time, a ink-black hand pierced out from Xu Xiaoshou's chest, palm open, revealing a Xuan Xu Xia.

"Feeling controlled, passive value, 1."

"Feeling startled, passive value, 1."

This sudden change really scared Xu Xiaoshou.

The info bar clearly showed control, but he felt no discomfort at all.

It was as if this ink-black hand from his chest was completely natural, innate!

Looking up, after this move, not even an Ou Yi array lit up under Shui Gui's feet.

"Is this the absolute gap between father and son?"

Xu Xiaoshou stared blankly as he picked up the Xuan Xu Xia, already understanding Shui Gui's intent.

"Can you adjust the permissions? I need to use it," Shui Gui said.

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the turmoil in his heart, clasped his hands behind his back, puffed out his chest arrogantly, as if he had expected it all along.

Space shifted, and a Xuan Xu Xia appeared in front of Shui Gui.

On the dragon head, Xu Xiaoshou slightly lifted his chin, flicked his sleeve, and said,

"Take it, use it as you like. If it's not enough, there's more."

Void Island erupted in exclamations.

"Feeling suspected, passive value, 894."

"Feeling affirmed, passive value, 323."

"Feeling in awe, passive value, 669."

After a moment of stunned surprise, Shui Gui let out a laugh.

Working with a smart person was truly refreshing for both body and mind!

Without hesitation, he dripped a drop of blood into the Xuan Xu Xia, then closed his eyes to sense something. Finally, his lips curved, and he smiled as he opened his eyes.

"Very good, Yan Wuse, I'm giving you another surprise..."

That smile under the golden beast mask made Yan Wuse's heart palpitate, Xu Xiaoshou feel vaguely uneasy, and everyone on Void Island shiver with chill.

Before anyone could ask,

From the crack in the burning red Xuan Tie Jian on Duo Yuan, a miserable wail echoed.

"Urgh—ah—"

"What... what is this?"