Chapter 1309: Holy Emperors of the Cinders-Illuminated Prison Sea Emerge Together

Xu Xiaoshou double-checked, confirming his perception was accurate.

Last time, he had acquired the Shengdi power with the help of catalysts like the Juejin Fire Domain, his treasures, the Duoyuan Upper Profound Iron Sword, and others. These had combined to open a channel to the inner island's power. Although fragile, the Shengdi power could be drawn through it. However, this time, Xu Xiaoshou found that the source of the power in his body had absolutely no connection to the Juejin Fire Domain, Duoyuan, various places on Xukong Island, or even Si Wuzhen and others.

It came from Yuanfu!

"Ka—"

A spatial channel cracked open in front of him. A surge of overwhelming power rushed out, even pushing out a staggering figure. It was a petite girl with twin ponytails, wearing a cute light green fluffy skirt. She had a flustered little white cat on her head, a pill in one hand, a bowl in the other, and unused bandages hanging from her wrist.

She had been tending to the wounded in the Yuanfu world just before emerging.

"Mu Zixi?"

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily stunned. In such a dangerous situation, how did you dare to come out, and how were you even able to? Soon, he noticed something amiss with his junior sister's condition. The surging power was centered on her! She hadn't come out willingly; she had been pushed out by the Shengdi power!

Was Xukong Island not the catalyst? Was the last appearance of the Shengdi power just a ruse to deceive Dao Qiong Cang? Was Mu Zixi the real key?

But...

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't understand. Why could Mu Zixi, who had no connection whatsoever to the Shengdi power, become the catalyst?

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

Mu Zixi panicked. As soon as she appeared, she saw her senior brother, exuding an extraordinary aura but looking in pain, and the chaotic battlefield on Xukong Island. She even caught a glimpse of that vague, lake-like figure in the distance...

What level of spirit refiner was this? Just one glance nearly made Mu Zixi's mind collapse, but fortunately, the Shengdi power protected her. A semi-saint? Or even beyond a semi-saint? Had Xu Xiaoshou's opponents reached this level? No wonder wounded people kept being thrown into Yuanfu...

Her internal power swelled, and Mu Zixi looked around frantically, completely baffled by what was happening to her body. She turned to her senior brother in desperation, seeking help. Whenever she was confused or in danger, as long as Xu Xiaoshou was there, everything would be fine.

"Mu Zixi, what are you doing?"

"My little ancestor, you can't just run out here!"

At that moment, accompanied by a few voices, Xiao Kongdong, looking weak, and Zhu Yike, looking panicked, ran out from the Yuanfu spatial channel. Their intention was to pull back Mu Zixi, who had suddenly run out while they were treating her. But as soon as they appeared, they also noticed the abnormality of the Shengdi power on her.

The ruined surroundings, the scattered holy energy, and that solid but vaguely featured figure left the two of them stunned. Xiao Kongdong froze in his steps, glanced at Wangze Shengdi, and nearly retreated back into Yuanfu. He managed to stop himself and gave Xu Xiaoshou a questioning look. Zhu Yike was even more bewildered, his mouth hanging open in shock.

Saint... Shengdi? Wasn't Xu Xiaoshou fighting someone like Yuling Di? His opponent should be at the Zhan Dao level, right? How did he wake up to find Xu Xiaoshou facing off against a Shengdi?

"Pa!" Zhu Yike slapped his own face and quickly retreated back into the Yuanfu world. He must have been hallucinating—seeing Xu Xiaoshou fight a Shengdi...

He stepped out again from the Yuanfu world, with a self-mocking smile, slowly raising his head and opening his eyes. His heart suddenly stopped, and his pupils lost focus.

"Damn! It's not a dream?"

"Questioned, passive value, 3."

"Speculated about, passive value, 213."

Catalyst, catalyst... Xu Xiaoshou murmured silently and quickly, as if grasping something. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, he easily detected that Wangze Shengdi's playful expression had frozen, and Sin One Hall's Dao Qiong Cang's smile had stiffened. The many spirit refiners watching on Xukong Island looked utterly confused, and even the Water Ghost showed a surprised expression.

Finally, Xu Xiaoshou saw Bazun An outside Miracle Forest, still relaxed and carefree, as if everything was under his control without him doing a thing.

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized.

"Bazun An..."

"Bai Ku, world source seed?"

In Tian Sang Ling Gong, in the thatched hut, the apparent new dean Xiao Qixiu, the actual true administrator Qiao Qianzhi, and Ye Xiaotian, who had stepped down as dean and nominally left Tian Sang Ling Gong, were all gathered in one room. Also present was Zhao Xidong, chewing on a blade of grass and being groomed as the next generation's high-level figure for the Ling Gong. They sat around a wooden table with a plate of roasted goose, a pot of wine, a few cups of tea, a semi-saint rank, a Shengyuan crystal, and Ajie with his eyes closed, discussing something.

"Honestly, I think it's a success—nothing went wrong, but he just hasn't woken up, which is a bit odd." Qiao Qianzhi said as he infused the Shengyuan crystal into Ajie's body.

"This is success?" Ye Xiaotian pointed at the motionless Ajie, suppressing his anger. He had guaranteed this and couldn't let Xu Xiaoshou down.

"Theoretically, nothing went wrong, but this is the first-generation Tianji puppet with its own intelligence... Maybe it needs some stimulation."

"Like what?"

"Like Xu Xiaoshou." Qiao Qianzhi said confidently. "If Xu Xiaoshou is here to wake him, there's a high probability Ajie will come to."

"How high is that probability?"

"Fifty percent."

"Fifty percent?" Ye Xiaotian slammed the table. "What's the difference between that and not saying anything?"

"Fifty percent is already high. Even if the Dao Hall Master came, he wouldn't dare say more. Once Ajie wakes up, he'll be a semi-saint, stronger than you." Qiao Qianzhi casually tore off a piece of goose leg and ate it, his eyes gleaming as he said, "We're not just creating a person; we're creating a saint!"

Ye Xiaotian fell silent. Xiao Qixiu sat quietly on the side, just sipping tea. Only Zhao Xidong, with a look of enjoying the show, took a sip of wine and suppressed a laugh, thinking these old guys were really outrageous!

Tianji puppet... Creating people and saints... And discussing that semi-saint rank—if it fits, could it be implanted into Ajie to grant him power...

Look at that! Listen to that! What kind of bold talk is this? Tianji techniques are advanced stuff played with by the Dao Hall Master! Elder Qiao, your spirit array skills are impressive, but how dare you act like you're even better than the Dao Hall Master?

"Can't tell, these old folks are even more out there than Xu Xiaoshou..." Zhao Xidong moved his lips but didn't dare laugh out loud.

Suddenly, the thatched hut trembled, as if Tian Sang Ling Gong was experiencing an earthquake. The old guys reacted quickly, jumping up from the wooden table. Qiao Qianzhi swiftly collected everything on the table, including Ajie, while leaving the semi-saint rank with Ye Xiaotian for safekeeping. Xiao Qixiu glanced sideways with a look.

"What was that sound?"

Zhao Xidong muttered as he got up and pushed open the thatched hut door. Looking up, he saw dark clouds gathering in the distant sky. Day was quickly turning to dusk. Not just around the hut—the entire Tian Sang Ling Gong, including Tian Sang City, Tian Sang County, and nearby counties, felt oppressively heavy.

Faint, distant black rifts, which must be infinitely vast up close, were etched across the sky like cracks in the heavens, creating a spectacular scene. Zhao Xidong stared in astonishment. What kind of heavenly phenomenon was this?

That direction, those black rifts... Zhao Xidong recalled a familiar feeling.

"Bai Ku, extra-dimensional space rift?"

"Dean Xiao, this feels off. Is it ghosts or ghost beasts coming out? Like that time a few years ago?"

An invisible, vast, ancient wave gently swept over the counties around Bai Ku. Tian Sang Ling Gong shook again. This time, even the palace's protective barrier was triggered.

"I..." Zhao Xidong's knees buckled, nearly collapsing. He leaned on the arm that Dean Xiao had timely extended, his face still showing shock. "From this far away, just one wave of aura, and I can barely handle it... Is this the legendary semi-saint power?"

The old guys who emerged from the thatched hut fell silent in unison. Soon, Xiao Qixiu slightly raised his eyelids, gazing quietly at the distant spatial rifts, and said clearly, "Shengdi!"

Zhao Xidong turned back with a ghostly expression, seeing the three elders' uniformly shocked faces. He opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Dean Xiao, are you joking? At a time like this, have you even seen a Shengdi?"

But these three actually looked like they had seen one!

"You'd better not look." Ye Xiaotian said this while waving his hand through the void, creating a spatial mirror.

How could they not look? Zhao Xidong couldn't suppress his curiosity and glanced over, seeing the battlefield ruins of the Eight Palaces in the spatial mirror. Traces of the past battle between Bazun An and Gou Wuyue remained, attracting countless Eastern Domain sword cultivators for observation.

There were still people... or rather, remnants on the ground.

"Got too close and got crushed by that aura?"

Zhao Xidong marveled while also admiring how much stronger former Dean Ye Xiaotian had become—to observe outside Tian Sang County from within the Ling Gong. Suddenly, the spatial mirror's image shifted, cutting from the Eight Palaces to the extra-dimensional space rifts in the sky.

"It's really Bai Ku reopening!"

"Wait, why is so much white flame flowing out? The aura of Bai Ku feels a bit off."

Zhao Xidong looked puzzled at Dean Xiao. That white flame resembled Xu Xiaoshou's ability? Something's not right! Very not right! Thinking back, not just Xu Xiaoshou, but also Sang Lao as Shengnu Wuxiu seemed off. Even the knowledge and abilities of these three elders left in the Ling Gong—forget the rest, just the unparalleled spatial mysteries emerging here—seemed very off!

It's as if they were all hidden big shots, and I'm just an oblivious fool... Zhao Xidong's confusion deepened.

Xiao Qixiu narrowed his eyes, shocked in his own thoughts, without responding. Qiao Qianzhi immediately saw that the level of the extra-dimensional space had risen and explained, "It's no longer Bai Ku..."

"I heard that the four swords, Tianji disk, and even the world source seed that suppressed Bai Ku were all lost when it last opened."

"So, obviously, this time it's been freed, and this extra-dimensional space is likely reverting to Jinzhao Prison Sea."

Jinzhao Prison Sea? Zhao Xidong paused, remembering something, and nearly choked. Wasn't that one of the Seven Broken Bans that opened once and wouldn't appear in the same place again? Elder Qiao, what are you even saying...

"I guess it's related to Xu Xiaoshou." Xiao Qixiu said something even more shocking, attributing everything to Xu Xiaoshou.

Zhao Xidong's mouth dropped open, too stunned to retort. Before he could speak, he heard Elder Qiao nodding seriously, "Probably, since Sang Lao has been secretly planning something—he even deceived us!"

Zhao Xidong fell silent. Over this period, as the successor, he had been exposed to many exaggerated pieces of information, but none shocked him as much as this.

Ye Xiaotian was eager to try, floating higher. "I think it's best not to, but I want to see what's inside Bai Ku."

The other three's eyes lit up at once. Zhao Xidong asked, "Can we see it?"

"Ye Xiaotian, remember, curiosity killed the cat!" Xiao Qixiu said solemnly, though his eyes flickered with interest.

"Absolutely not!" Qiao Qianzhi shook his head, but his gaze was fixed on the spatial mirror.

You guys... Zhao Xidong looked at the three, their words not matching their expressions—they clearly wanted to see.

In a flash, the three turned to him in unison and said, "What do you think?"

Zhao Xidong swallowed hard and hesitated. "Not seeing it would leave us unsatisfied, right?"

"Then as you wish." Ye Xiaotian, as if afraid Zhao Xidong would change his mind, shifted the spatial mirror, truly cutting into the extra-dimensional space rift.

Booming rumbles!

The world was collapsing, waves rolling. The spatial mirror twisted repeatedly but was maintained by Ye Xiaotian's spatial mysteries. Bai Ku—no, it should be called Jinzhao Prison Sea now—was in utter chaos under the sweep of Shengdi aura.

Ye Xiaotian began searching for the source of the Shengdi power while spotting the "familiar" places described by his disciples in the palace.

"This is the Lingrong Marsh that Zhou Tian and the others mentioned."

"There's sword aura here—the birthplace of Xu Xiaoshou's famous sword, Yanmang."

"This should be the Sword Parting Grassland, right? Lao Xiao, can you sense the power of the four swords?"

"And this is..."

The spatial mirror shifted, revealing a distant extra-dimensional space rift separated from Sword Parting Grassland. Zhao Xidong was dumbfounded. An extra-dimensional space rift inside another extra-dimensional space? Where does it lead?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a terrifying power surged from the black rift. The group sensed danger and tried to look away, but it was too late!

"Pfft—"

White flames erupted. Starting as a spark, they instantly turned into a sea of fire spanning tens of thousands of miles. Above the flames, a disheveled saint in prison clothes, with shackles on his hands and feet, and Jinzhao aura burning on his body, stepped out.

"Shh, shh, shh..."

Behind him, almost simultaneously, the shadows of seven blood-red ancient trees expanded infinitely. In an instant, they grew from tiny shadows to towering giants, shifting from illusion to solid reality. The blood trees had lush canopies, with crimson flowing down the trunks and white bones hanging from the branches—utterly eerie.

"Rest!"

Without pause, after the seven blood trees, a square green stone flew out. It enlarged in a flash, turning into an ancient green prison that nearly filled the entire Jinzhao Prison Sea. The prison was pitch-black, with row after row of cells. countless spine-chilling wails and screams echoed from within, enough to make anyone lose their mind, destabilize their Dao heart, and easily fall into qi deviation.

"Ah!"

Zhao Xidong glanced at it and was blasted flying backward. White flames ignited on him, his mental power completely out of control from the blood trees' influence, and his Dao foundation nearly collapsed from qi deviation.

The other three were similarly blasted away, almost simultaneously—Ye, Qiao, and Xiao flew back in unison, and the spatial mirror shattered.

"Zhao Xidong! How could you suggest looking at anything?" Xiao Qixiu instinctively scolded his underling, as they silently agreed Zhao Xidong would take the blame.

"Stop scolding, save him first—he looks bad." Qiao Qianzhi's jade pendant shattered, allowing him to recover faster than Ye Xiaotian, and he rushed to Zhao Xidong.

"I told you not to look..." Ye Xiaotian clutched his head, dizzy, and seeing the other two helping Zhao Xidong, he relaxed a bit.

Three great Shengdi! This is terrifying! Is something huge happening on Xukong Island? Ye Xiaotian thought repeatedly, wiped the blood from his lips, and secretly drew another spatial mirror to peek alone at the black rift in Bai Ku.

"Roar—"

A more excited dragon roar echoed as a winding five-clawed black dragon emerged, its ferocious massive head charging straight at the peeping spatial mirror, enlarging in 3D.

"Xu Xiaoshou, this emperor is coming for you!"

This scene was too shocking! Ye Xiaotian was blasted straight back by the roar and impact, blood spurting from his seven orifices. His hand trembled as he tried to raise it but couldn't. "Save..."

"Uh, uh, save me first..."

"Damn it, Xu Xiaoshou, it really is you..."