Chapter 1315: You're Next

Void Island fell silent.

The only sounds echoing in everyone's ears were the taunting words Xu Xiaoshou spat out after piercing the materialized intent of Wang Zhe Sheng Di with his sword.

His combo was smooth and practiced, the Red Plum Three Flows · Falling Petals Realm deployed as if he had mentally rehearsed it countless times.

As soon as Wang Zhe Sheng Di shattered, Xu Xiaoshou attacked without hesitation.

There was no escape, no way to evade.

Under Xu Xiaoshou's fierce, tiger-like gaze, the vast Void Island offered not even an inch of refuge for Wang Zhe Sheng Di.

"He's usually so unreliable..." someone murmured in a trembling voice.

Indeed, Xu Xiaoshou was incredibly unreliable!

When he played it safe, he shrank back more than a turtle, desperate to avoid even the slightest attention.

But when he let loose, he became outrageously showy and unrestrained, far beyond what "attention-seeking" could describe.

Every move, every strike, every sword thrust, every taunt.

He killed not just the body but the spirit, his words cutting straight to the heart.

Xu Xiaoshou wielded his silver tongue to its fullest, uttering lines that made even bystanders feel ashamed and uncomfortable, yet he delivered them with effortless ease.

And yet, this utterly unreliable person had just shattered Wang Zhe Sheng Di!

Earlier, his remote Dragon Fusion Realm explosion had turned Wang Zhe Sheng Di into a bloody mess, but because of the distance, everyone had found it absurd and not quite real.

Now, as the spirit mirror displayed Wang Zhe Sheng Di's form shifting from vague to solid, then twisting into a grotesque face, the crowd was left utterly speechless.

One punch, another punch, and yet another...

From Sin First Hall, to Fallen Abyss, to Blood Realm, Xu Xiaoshou had successively sent Yan Wu Se, Dao Qiong Cang, and Wang Zhe Sheng Di flying.

In an era where people dismissed the younger generation and still revered the Ten Venerables of the previous era as the mainstream, was this scene of the underdog rebelling truly possible?

Fantasy shattering reality...

A dream awakening to reveal it was all true...

This absurd feeling was exactly what filled the silenced hearts of the onlookers—they couldn't accept it, yet they had no choice.

At the edge of Miracle Forest, on a winding, secluded path,

Mei Si Ren had regained some energy and spirit after taking a pill from Ba Zun An, who was experienced in treating ailments.

The outsiders watched for the spectacle, but the insiders scrutinized the technique.

Xu Xiaoshou's punches and explosive realms meant nothing to Mei Si Ren.

Essentially, those powers weren't his own; he was merely a vessel blending the forces of the four Sheng Di, a medium to unleash them.

Fighting one against four with borrowed power, it was normal to win; losing would be the surprise.

What truly shocked Mei Si Ren was the impromptu Heart Sword Technique Xu Xiaoshou used after his punch to control and seal Wang Zhe Sheng Di's fleeing intent.

"All Under Eyes Are Demons..."

"Is this really his All Under Eyes Are Demons?"

Ba Zun An, being blind, could only sense the distant power, but Mei Si Ren saw it all clearly and was completely stunned.

As everyone knew, the imagery of Heart Sword Technique couldn't be altered!

Mei Si Ren had seen Xu Xiaoshou's imagery before—it was powerful, the imagery of Sword God Gu Lou Ying.

In terms of imagery's rank alone, regardless of current realm, he could almost dominate 99 percent of the ancient sword cultivators in the world.

But in that previous strike, this All Under Eyes Are Demons had changed!

Mei Si Ren quickly turned to Ba Zun An and, keeping it brief, described the battle process before asking,

"From Black Heaven, Silver Moon, Gu Lou Ying, and the silhouette..."

"It turned into a raging giant with feet trampling the Demon Emperor's black dragon, seven blood trees on its back, a white sea of flames around its body, a green prison hovering overhead, and two charred arms..."

"This is clearly the Heart Sword Technique imagery of Heavenly Resolution! Did you teach him?"

Mei Si Ren finished heavily, his eyes still lingering with disbelief.

He knew Ba Zun An hadn't had the time to teach Xu Xiaoshou sword techniques; otherwise, he, Mei Si Ren, wouldn't have gotten the chance to benefit.

Regardless of whether Ba Zun An had the time...

Even if he wanted to teach it, not every ancient sword cultivator in the world had the talent to learn it, right?

Just look at Xiao Kong Dong from Participate Moon Immortal City—Ba Zun An's only disciple, one of the new generation's quasi-Seven Sword Immortals, with unmatched sword talent.

And even he didn't know this technique!

Yet Xu Xiaoshou had mastered it?

When, where, and how had he learned it?

Mei Si Ren had far too many questions in his mind. If he could get the answers, he could spread this method far and wide, benefiting sword cultivators everywhere.

Then, a new era for ancient sword cultivators could dawn once more!

That time, Heart Sword Technique would surely lead the trends of ancient sword arts and become the foremost of the nine great sword techniques!

Thinking of this, how could Mei Si Ren, ever eager to teach, hide his excitement?

"All Under Eyes Are Gods, Heavenly Resolution?"

Ba Zun An furrowed his brow at Mei Si Ren's words, disagreeing slightly, and said,

"Are you saying it changed from Sword God Gu Lou Ying's imagery to the four minor Sheng Di's imagery?"

"This kind of downgrade isn't Heavenly Resolution; it's more like Heart Sword Technique 'self-concealment,' right?"

"Did Xu Xiaoshou weaken it for you?"

Ba Zun An's face took on a hint of suspicion.

He still had some confidence in Xu Xiaoshou's talent: it was indeed worthy of the word "possible."

So, he didn't believe that with a reversed Heavenly Resolution in Heart Sword Technique, Xu Xiaoshou could still control Wang Zhe Sheng Di.

"Not at all!"

Mei Si Ren grew anxious, nearly smacking Ba Zun An on the head with his fan, chiding him as if scolding a disappointing student:

"You should see that Xu Xiaoshou has mastered Gu Lou Ying's imagery."

"But before, he was only replicating it based on descriptions of the Sword God's legends, still in the imitation stage."

"As for the four... ahem, the four Sheng Di's imagery, he towers above them, with an extraordinary aura, fully entering the realm, achieving great mastery in Heart Sword Technique."

"If there's no ambition in your heart, how can you look down on the world?"

"These words were yours, weren't they? Dare you say this technique wasn't passed down by you?"

Mei Si Ren leaned in closer, narrowing his eyes with a sly smile: "Tell this old man. If Heart Sword Technique imagery Heavenly Resolution can be spread, it's a great boon for all ancient sword cultivators. No harm in sharing."

Ba Zun An tried to pull his arm away from the old man's grasp, but it was held fast by immense strength. He sighed helplessly and said,

"If you could learn it... um, let me think... I should say..."

"If it could be taught, I'd definitely want to pass it to you... um, that doesn't seem right either?"

A cold glint flashed in Mei Si Ren's eyes, and he nearly lost his temper.

He flung away the young man's arm and glared, stroking his beard: "Why beat around the bush with ancient sword matters?"

"Perfect!"

Ba Zun An was practically clapping as he replied, "If you could master it, Xiao Kong Dong would have spread this technique in Participate Moon Immortal City long ago."

"Unfortunately, even he doesn't know it, let alone the other... wastes."

"Of course, that doesn't include you, elder."

Pausing, Ba Zun An continued,

"As for Xu Xiaoshou, our 'mentor-student' relationship boils down to just half a scroll of the Ten-Section Sword Finger and the Observing Sword Canon passed down by Xiao Kong Dong."

"This barely qualifies as a 'mentor-student' bond; there was no more teaching or learning beyond that."

"Maybe he gained some insight from the Observing Sword Canon?"

"Maybe he had a new realization after seeing your famous sword Heavenly Resolution."

"Or maybe the assistance of the four Sheng Di pushed his '勢' to a new peak."

Ba Zun An took a deep breath, as if tired from speaking.

"Heart Sword Technique cultivates the heart, the intent, and the momentum."

"When the opportunity arrives, even without my teaching, one can self-realize imagery Heavenly Resolution. Nothing more to say."

Did Xu Xiaoshou have that kind of talent?

Mei Si Ren harbored a trace of doubt.

It wasn't that he underestimated Xu Xiaoshou, but with Ba Zun An as the benchmark, later talents, even if they matched up, still seemed inferior—unless they surpassed him in every way.

But who had the confidence to surpass Ba Zun An?

Mei Si Ren still held a bit of faith in his own student and didn't voice this doubt.

He shifted to another question, with a peculiar mix of humility and eagerness, asking,

"Heart Sword Technique cultivates the heart and intent—I understand that—but cultivating momentum..."

"Did you get that wrong?"

Mei Si Ren glanced up cautiously, as if reverting to his childhood: "Cultivating momentum is the domain of the Ten Thousand Sword Techniques, led by the Feng family and culminating in the Great Red God's Fury!"

"How can Heart Sword Technique have anything to do with momentum?"

Ba Zun An opened his mouth to speak but swallowed his words.

"Say it or don't!" Mei Si Ren's expression turned serious.

"Ah." Ba Zun An sighed softly and countered, "Do sword techniques have factions?"

"A drawn sword brings ferocity, a sheathed sword brings courtesy, but a sword is just one blade—how can ferocity and courtesy not coexist?"

"Sword techniques number nine, sword styles eighteen, Emotional Sword has three realms, and long practice leads to divinity... But can Rao Shi's second realm, the Sword of Forgetting Emotions, withstand your one Sword of Prajna Emptiness?"

"Is it that Shan Hai's defenses are insufficient, or your Mei Si Ren's sword imagery is too strong?"

"Neither!"

Ba Zun An spoke with conviction, not holding back: "It's just that she, Rao Shi, practiced swordsmanship to the point of obsession. The other Sword Gods mastered the eight great sword techniques as the core, using Emotional Sword as support, borrowing the power of the mortal world's mountains and seas to unlock divinity."

"She was naive, making Emotional Sword the main focus, building a towering structure on thin air— all show, weak at the core."

"Now she's come to her senses and is focusing on other sword techniques, but you, elder, are getting more stuck in your ways, narrowing your view."

Mei Si Ren's face flushed with embarrassment, yet he felt a sudden clarity and urged, "Keep scolding."

Ba Zun An choked a bit, his sarcasm unfounded, but he didn't want to continue and simply said,

"The momentum of drawing the sword is for the ten thousand, the momentum of sheathing is for the heart—this momentum isn't that one, yet it is that one... There, elder, ponder it yourself!"

Mei Si Ren gripped his fan, his body trembling as if enlightened by sudden insight.

When he recovered, Ba Zun An was already walking away, leaving only a distant shadow.

Mei Si Ren hurried after him.

"Explain a bit more?"

"Here, let this old man first tell you about what I just felt. Listen..."

"Sir Mei Si Ren!" Ba Zun An stopped and turned back, exasperated, spreading his hands. "Look, is this the time for deep discussion?"

Following his gesture, Mei Si Ren saw the battlefield of Blood Realm and snapped back to reality.

That wretched Xu Xiaoshou was truly a buzzkill!

"Heh, you're right, but the journey is lonely. Why don't we discuss more... it won't take much time!"

"I'll make up the time you owe later. How about that?"

"If you have any matters, this old man will be at your beck and call!"

Mei Si Ren patted his chest with his fan, chuckling.

Was this about time or favors? Faced with Mei Si Ren's intense gaze, Ba Zun An finally gave in:

"Fine."

He walked alongside Mei Si Ren, discussing as they went.

How many years had it been?

Ba Zun An hadn't discussed the Dao with anyone like this in a long time.

The last time was intense, when he was traveling below Kong Dong Mountain and encountered a Formless Body, tasked with capturing a disciple.

What followed was not worth recalling.

Mortals were just too troublesome; their questions were endlessly repetitive.

Ba Zun An went from answering everything at first, to growing weary of it, and finally understanding the value of silence.

He had experienced too much!

Re-explaining why one plus one equals two, or one plus two equals three, was torture for him.

But these people kept asking, and even after answers, they asked why.

Defining the basics further was something Ba Zun An couldn't do; he couldn't grasp their way of thinking.

He turned his insights into simple phrases, a single sword point, letting people comprehend for themselves.

He stopped speaking altogether, yet was elevated to a divine pedestal, accused of lofty indifference.

Until the end...

Some offered beautiful jade and gems for a single insight;

Others threatened with swords for a mere technique.

If the world's affairs and people all deserved fulfillment, what time would Ba Zun An have left for himself?

Return and laugh amidst it all, unaware he had become an immortal in the heavens.

Half a poem, half a sword point, gods and demons learning for a millennium.

What a pity...

The world revered him, but no one truly understood him.

Blood Realm was no longer Blood Realm, and the wild winds were no longer wild winds.

In stark contrast to the two leisurely discussing outside Miracle Forest,

On this shattered piece of the nine great forbidden lands, the sole victor, Xu Xiaoshou, gripped his four swords and roared to the sky, his spirit soaring.

He had crushed a Sheng Di!

And driven his vicious sword into the enemy's lingering regret!

This battle's outcome was decided, even if he had borrowed external power—after all, Wang Zhe had been bullying the weak with strength.

In the end, they were evenly matched, but this fight was his win.

As someone not a sword cultivator, with the four swords almost driving him mad, Xu Xiaoshou could imagine Rao Wang Zhe's tragic fate.

But he hadn't completely lost his reason; there was the precedent of Yu Ling—oh, the water ghost—being freed from the sword in an instant.

So, to be safe, Xu Xiaoshou chose to believe in the resilience of Rao Wang Zhe's Dao heart.

"Rao Wang Zhe, do you have any last words?"

Facing the mass of black demonic intent, Xu Xiaoshou stayed on guard while probing.

Hiss, hiss, hiss...

Strands of demonic energy splattered out, as if Wang Zhe Sheng Di couldn't break free.

Or perhaps, he realized that even if he escaped, he wasn't a match for Xu Xiaoshou now.

Being captured repeatedly was more shameful than a single defeat.

In that moment, Wang Zhe Sheng Di made his final choice:

"Dao! Qiong! Cang!"

The resounding Sheng sound echoed across the field.

Though no other words were spoken, with that call, Rao Wang Zhe chose to ignite his remaining Sheng Di intent.

Outside Sin First Hall's ruins, Dao Qiong Cang frowned, clearly intending to stay out of it.

But he couldn't ignore Wang Zhe Sheng Di's final roar:

Sacrifice the Sheng Di power, transform it into ultimate energy, use Heavenly Mechanism Technique to manipulate and merge into the Si Wu Array, and seal Void Island once more.

This round could end!

Once they returned to Sheng Shen Continent, Xu Xiaoshou would be in the Sheng Di's sights, and his life would no longer be protected by outsiders.

"Ah." Dao Qiong Cang sighed in resignation and finally raised the Heavenly Mechanism Compass, preparing to intervene.

But Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't allow it!

He had been on guard all along. Hearing the sound, he roared explosively, and the green chains around him surged wildly.

"Bind them!"

At White Tiger Gate, the Cold Heaven Weasel let out a piercing shriek, channeling vast Sheng Di suppressive force through the Four God Pillars into Xu Xiaoshou's body.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

This time, no Dao sounds, no explanations.

Xu Xiaoshou's body transformed into an illusory green prison, shrouding the heavens.

Order chains shot out from all directions, piercing into Wang Zhe Sheng Di's body as he tried to sacrifice himself, binding him into a chain-wrapped bundle.

"Suppress!"

With a rumble, the green chains retracted, dragging this strand of Sheng Di regret into the dark depths of the prison.

Xu Xiaoshou's body returned to the form of the raging giant.

In everyone's view, that Sheng Di regret entered Xu Xiaoshou's qi sea, then was reverse-transmitted through the Four God Pillars into the Cold Heaven Weasel's body.

Gulp.

Visibly, the massive Cold Heaven Weasel swallowed something.

And the aura of Wang Zhe Sheng Di's regret completely vanished from Void Island.

"Eaten... eaten?"

Countless people watched in horror.

If Wang Zhe Sheng Di had been killed, that would be a relatively good outcome.

But being imprisoned in this mysteriously ominous green prison...

Could the other side use this strand of Sheng Di regret to influence Wang Zhe Sheng Di's true body?

The thought was terrifying!

The battle on Void Island ended with Xu Xiaoshou's victory, concluding with the Sheng Di's imprisonment.

Not quite!

After subduing Wang Zhe Sheng Di, Xu Xiaoshou let out a sinister laugh, like a mad dog gone berserk, turning toward Sin First Hall:

"Good, Rao Wang Zhe said the next one is you..."

"Dao Qiong Cang!"