Chapter 1284: Entering the Bureau Alone, Calculating Everything Inside and Out

What does Xu Xiaoshou fear the most?

A brute!

What's the best way to deal with a smart person?

Either be smarter than them, or become Mu Zixi!

After several encounters, Xu Xiaoshou realized that in a direct verbal showdown, he wouldn't gain any advantage in the short term. Moreover, he couldn't see through the many designs of Dao Qiong Cang for the time being. If he continued to engage, he would likely be drawn into a larger trap—one of his own usual tricks. So, he decided to set aside the battle of wits and transform himself into the epitome of stupidity, becoming the very type of person he feared most.

A brute!

"Drip, drip, drip..."

When the contact tianji array successfully outlined and awakened the response from Dao Qiong Cang's personal jade pendant, not only did Xu Xiaoshou freeze, but Dao Qiong Cang's expression also stiffened, as if he hadn't anticipated that the crafty Xu Xiaoshou would play such a foolish card. The people watching from afar on Xukong Island were baffled by the "drip" sounds. Most of them believed that the Sheng Divine Palace was the Sheng Divine Palace, and the holy slaves were the holy slaves—despite appearing cordial, Dao Qiong Cang and Xu Xiaoshou were unlikely to truly align. These two were like a pair of old and young foxes! Their words were best taken with a grain of salt; believing even a tenth of them was generous. To take them seriously would mean something was wrong with your own head.

But now, with the contact tianji array proving real, didn't that mean most of what they had discussed earlier was true? "Is Dao Dianzhu really trying to recruit Xu Xiaoshou, and truly ignoring Yan Lao's death?" "Not just Yan Lao—Xu Xiaoshou admitted to crippling more than half of the six department heads, and Dao Dianzhu doesn't seem to care at all?" "And what about Rao Xianzi? Xu Xiaoshou severed one of her arms and nearly killed her, leading to her current state. Can that be forgiven?" "Dao Dianzhu must be confused! We're on the verge of a deadly battle, so why betray us? Ha... hmm." Li Fugui hid in the crowd, stirring up the public opinion.

Was this pulling the rug out from under them? In the distance, Dao Qiong Cang stopped the jade pendant's vibrations, his face calm and unchanging. He could see that Xu Xiaoshou no longer dared to continue the game with him. But this brute-like move had caught him off guard—it had to be said, it was very effective!

"Wow."

On the dragon's head, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly shrank back to his normal form with a pop. He was intimidated by the ancient text that read "Xukong Island, Xu Xiaoshou sees." But he didn't back down; instead, after landing a fatal blow, he immediately withdrew from the game, refusing to be countered and leaving his opponent even more frustrated.

Xu Xiaoshou's face showed a mix of expressions as he paced back and forth on the dragon's head. He pointed at Dao Dianzhu's jade pendant, then at Dao Dianzhu's face, covering his mouth and chuckling sneakily. He kept making sounds like "wow" and "wow oh," creating an air of sarcasm:

"A bit exciting, huh, Dao Dianzhu? I didn't think you'd actually go through with it?"

"If you really recruit me into the Sheng Divine Palace, how will the people there see you? They'll curse you, right?"

"Have you got space spirit drops in your brain?"

Seeing Dao Qiong Cang's expression change slightly, Shui Gui reacted as well, making Xu Xiaoshou jump in fright as he realized he'd offended two people at once. He was ready to use his vanishing technique, ducking behind the dragon's horn, only to pop his head out again and aim at Dao Qiong Cang:

"Wow."

It had to be said, those "wow" sounds really got under Dao Qiong Cang's skin. He finally understood why people like Rao Yaoyao always lost control around Xu Xiaoshou. The kid had maxed out his provocation skills—Dao Qiong Cang almost wanted to strike. But who was he? In an instant, he composed himself and smiled as he spoke:

"Xu Xiaoshou, you know that people..."

"I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it—the turtle is chanting scriptures!" Xu Xiaoshou clapped his hands over his ears.

"People"? Are you lecturing me on realms now?

At this point, Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare to keep sparring with Dao Qiong Cang. He couldn't even figure out how "Xukong Island, Xu Xiaoshou sees" had appeared. So, he chose to hand the battlefield back to Shui Gui, because if he kept going, he could already foresee his own disastrous end.

"After a narrow win, flip the board—that way, the opponent can't win." This was undoubtedly a nasty tactic. Therefore, anyone pulling these stunts needed top-notch survival skills. If you couldn't keep playing, the other side might just decide to beat you outright!

Dao Qiong Cang was choked up again, but his face remained impassive: "Xu Xiao..."

"Shui Gui Qianbei, this is your opponent! He came at me with traps right from the start, completely ignoring your great presence. If I were you, I couldn't stand it!"

Xu Xiaoshou shouted loudly, his voice full of petty scheming, interrupting Dao Qiong Cang's attempt to continue.

On Xukong Island, gasps of cold air rose at just the right moment. This kid really had no fear of death—he'd openly challenged Dao Dianzhu and now brazenly tried to use Shui Gui as a shield? With Shui Gui's intelligence, could he not see through it?

But everyone seemed to have forgotten... In the current situation, no matter how grudge-bearing Shui Gui was, he was still on the holy slaves' side. How could he just stand by and watch Dao Qiong Cang keep targeting Xu Xiaoshou?

"That's enough, Dao Qiong Cang. He's just a junior. If you keep this up, people will think you're serious."

Under the black storm, Shui Gui adjusted the half golden beast mask on his high-bridged nose and calmly took on the pressure from Dao Qiong Cang for Xu Xiaoshou.

The back-and-forth conversation between the two had been full of psychological twists, though it hadn't taken much time. Shui Gui had been silently watching and listening, his face expressionless. Rao Yaoyao was still in the back, groaning in pain as her semi-sheng status was fully forced out. But Shui Gui didn't move; he didn't lift his halberd to take that third semi-sheng status. Because he knew Dao Qiong Cang was seemingly bantering with Xu Xiaoshou, but if he acted, Dao Qiong Cang would follow suit immediately. Since Dao Qiong Cang had shown up, it meant he wanted to protect Rao Yaoyao, so the semi-sheng status wouldn't be easy to claim.

Dao Qiong Cang had taken a silent loss and could only smile helplessly, turning his gaze back to the other side—to the once familiar figure, the true main player in this battle.

"Shui Gui..."

"Stop, stop!"

As soon as he spoke, Shui Gui cut him off, his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia: "I like it when others call me Shui Gui, but from you, I prefer the old way we used to address each other."

The old way?

Xu Xiaoshou had retreated behind the dragon's horn, effectively exiting the front lines. While pondering the details and mistakes from his earlier clash with Dao Qiong Cang, he grew increasingly curious about the exchange between the two.

Did these two have a close relationship?

Of course—they were former comrades, the Ling Department Head and Dao Department Head... Probably around the same age, fighting side by side on Guizhe Sheng Mountain...

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Dao Qiong Cang stared at the familiar yet strange figure in the golden beast mask and spoke with a touch of emotion:

"Yu Mo Xiong..."

"Enough!"

Shui Gui smiled in satisfaction and cut him off again. He seemed to have plenty of experience dealing with Dao Qiong Cang, choosing to plug his ears even faster than Xu Xiaoshou had: "Today, I can only hear that one form of address from you. I can't go on."

"If you want to catch up, we can talk another day, or you can turn around and go find Ba Zun An right now."

Dao Qiong Cang's eyes flashed with a subtle light as he replied meaningfully: "So, you're saying Ba Zun An's true body is on Xukong Island."

It was phrased as a question, but as Dao Qiong Cang looked at Shui Gui and finished speaking, it turned into a statement.

Shui Gui opened his mouth to argue something, but he quickly stopped himself. He gave Dao Qiong Cang a deep look, as if gazing at a monster, and chose to say nothing.

"Good grief!"

From just a couple of exchanges, Xu Xiaoshou, hiding behind the dragon's horn, saw far more than he expected. Did Shui Gui have a fear of Dao Qiong Cang? He wouldn't even say half a sentence more? A slip of the tongue could be fatal? But Dao Qiong Cang was terrifying too—he could extract so much information from an incomplete sentence. No wonder Shui Gui didn't want to talk to him at all...

Thinking about how he'd just traded barbs with this Dao Dianzhu, Xu Xiaoshou felt a lingering fear. Had he accidentally revealed anything without realizing it? He didn't think so, but remembering "Xukong Island, Xu Xiaoshou sees," he felt like he'd lost a lot of secrets.

"Yu Mo Xiong, why be so distant? We haven't seen each other in years, and though our positions differ now, we don't need to skip pleasantries. I'm still very curious about your past experiences and how you joined the holy slaves." Dao Qiong Cang spoke in the tone of an old friend meeting again.

"As I said, after Yan Wuse's death, I'll play the holy fall lament for him, and now it's time." Shui Gui spoke to himself, completely ignoring Dao Qiong Cang's words.

"You can play the lament anytime; I won't stop you. But when the Yuhai Shenji and you both went missing, I was utterly devastated and investigated thoroughly." Dao Qiong Cang said with a half-smile.

"I've already said everything you needed to hear. Sorry, but I don't want to say another word to you now." Shui Gui sped up his speech, and suddenly, a semi-sheng status appeared in his hand.

"How could I not know you're stalling for time by resolving things for Yan Lao? You've noticed me all along!" Dao Qiong Cang smiled knowingly, changing the subject: "But back then, I discovered..."

"I'm not interested at all!"

"No, you are interested! Back then, I knew you weren't dead and were still waiting..."

"Then as you wished, I'll seal my sainthood right here!"

"What's the rush? Do you think I'll fall for your trap? You're stalling to create more variables outside Xukong Island, aren't you?"

"Dao Qiong Cang, you can't calculate everything!"

"Yu Mo Xiong, I've calculated it all."

Under the storm, the two exchanged rapid-fire words, speaking faster and faster. Shui Gui had already raised the semi-sheng status, his eyes wide with anger as a water system mystic array unfolded at his feet. Dao Qiong Cang held the Tianji Sinan, expressionless, as if everything was under his control.

Xukong Island's inhabitants were all confused by their conversation. They'd seen fast dialogues before, but never one where each spoke their own piece, so vaguely, yet still connected.

"A total loss is a loss; a slight loss is still a loss. Now that I've admitted defeat and am only defending, do you really think I can afford to lose more pieces?" Dao Qiong Cang slowed his tone, his gaze fixed on the semi-sheng status in Shui Gui's hand.

"You've figured it all out, so go stop it!"

Shui Gui sneered, blood seeping from his fingertip and merging unhesitatingly into the semi-sheng status.

"How could I come here without any arrangements behind me?"

Dao Qiong Cang retorted, and with a twitch of the star scoop on the Tianji Sinan, the drop of blood fusing into the semi-sheng status was instantly erased by the tianji principles. At the same time, Dao Qiong Cang's figure blurred as he charged toward Rao Yaoyao.

Whoosh!

As expected, the blood drop was just a feint; Shui Gui didn't care about contracting the semi-sheng status. He gripped the Yuhai Shenji, and with a flash of the mystic array under his feet, his form shattered on the spot. He reappeared from Rao Yaoyao's chest, his upper body emerging as he swung the Yuhai Shenji high toward the semi-sheng status above her head.

"So fast!"

Not just Xu Xiaoshou—everyone on Xukong Island was stunned by this sudden battle. From conversation to combat... It was as if these two had rehearsed it countless times, their coordination like that of the closest friends.

Dao Qiong Cang's speed wasn't slow, even with his preemptive judgment, he was still half a beat behind Shui Gui, who had emerged directly from Rao Yaoyao. But after pausing, he smiled and turned the star scoop.

"Tianji Thirty-Six Styles: Great Separation Technique!"

A faint light flashed from the Tianji Sinan, striking the hand Shui Gui used to grip the Yuhai Shenji as he tried to smash the semi-sheng status.

Buzz!

Across the vast sky, centered on the struck point, tianji principles quickly outlined a complex tianji scroll.

"A mystic array?"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened in disbelief. Soon, he realized it wasn't exactly a mystic array. However, under the enhancement of this scroll, the power of the tianji technique was no less than that of a mystic array boosting a refiner's abilities.

"Cangqiong Scroll!"

"That's Dao Dianzhu's 'Cangqiong Scroll'!"

"It's out—the legendary tianji technique that replicates a mystic array, a special spiritual artifact Dao Dianzhu created through his lifelong accumulation, essentially a 'tianji mystic array'!"

This voice was particularly loud, as if trying to echo from Sin One Hall to the Abyss of Depravity.

"I remember, during the Ten Venerable Seats battle, this 'Cangqiong Scroll' wasn't this complex. Decades have passed in a flash, and now it's on par with a real mystic array, right?"

"The key is, Dao Dianzhu created this when he was young, and it evolves with his growth—like an upgradable mystic array."

"Shui Gui is done for! He's at the Taixu level, while Dao Dianzhu is a semi-sheng; he has the Yuhai Shenji, but Dao Dianzhu has the Tianji Sinan; he masters the water system mystic array, but Dao Dianzhu possesses the 'Cangqiong Scroll'... He has no chance of winning!"

On the dragon's head, Xu Xiaoshou quickly grasped the essence of the "Cangqiong Scroll" and was even more shocked. Wasn't this just like the "Great Dao Disk"?

You didn't have to wait to break through an attribute to awaken a mystic array. Instead, it started as a weak array to enhance yourself, growing stronger with your insights and accumulations, eventually reaching the same level as a mystic array—but with no upper limit!

"Can tianji techniques create something like this?"

Xu Xiaoshou's head throbbed. The previous generation of the Ten Venerable Seats truly lived up to their reputation as a group of anomalies. Not only had Dao Qiong Cang achieved this groundbreaking feat, but even conceptualizing a way to replicate and improve upon refiner mystic arrays in the declining era of tianji techniques was a leap in courage and innovation!

Of course, Shui Gui had mastered the traditional refiner path to perfection. Dao Qiong Cang had blazed his own trail, reaching an ultimate form in his own right. It was hard to say which was superior; the great dao had a thousand paths, each with its merits, leading to the same destination.

Xu Xiaoshou stared wide-eyed, observing and learning. He stepped out his array dao disk at the right moment, desperately trying to take Dao Qiong Cang as his master and replicate the "Cangqiong Scroll."

"It's mine!"

"As long as it appears, it'll be mine in the future!"

In the battle, Dao Qiong Cang easily used the "Great Separation Technique" to shatter Shui Gui's plan to seize the third semi-sheng status. He watched as the Yuhai Shenji, Shui Gui, and Rao Yaoyao were divided into three distinct parts under the tianji technique, like separate spaces that didn't interfere with each other.

But Dao Qiong Cang had no intention of pressing his advantage. Instead, he smiled thoughtfully, as if sparking Shui Gui's desire to chat was more important than suppressing him:

"Let me guess—what's your plan, since you insisted on drawing me to Xukong Island, and I played along? Well, now that I'm here, the Xukong Island setup probably won't succeed easily for Ba Zun An."

"So, it's outside, then?"

Dao Qiong Cang chuckled, then suddenly turned the technique on himself with the "Great Separation Technique." Instantly, a Shui Gui that had just emerged behind him was thrown out and isolated by the flashing Cangqiong Scroll.

Dao Qiong Cang turned to face that Shui Gui and probed:

"Are you planning to release that monster? At the crossroads?"

"Or perhaps the Ran Ming ruins, forcing a crossing of the Four Symbols Secret Realm?"

"Or, send someone straight to Guizhe Sheng Mountain to rescue the holy slave Wuxiu?"