Chapter 1393: Guardianship Is Not a Solitary Path, A Leap Like a Shooting Star Also Resounds

"Xiangxiang, you take the points for this Yi Gui. You have to claim them. I've taken so many already—I'm starting to feel embarrassed about it..."

"It's fine, Yan'er. You go ahead. We're good sisters, after all."

"Xiangxiang! I really can't take any more. We've only known each other for less than three days, and you're being so kind to me. At this rate, I might end up falling in love with you!"

"It's okay, I'm loved by everyone... oh, wait, no. What I mean is, I don't want to join the Sheng Gong. I'm only in this Shi Lian because my family insisted—I’m just going through the motions."

"Wahhh, Xiangxiang darling, how can there be such an adorable woman in the world? You're beautiful, you have a great figure, and your personality is amazing... If I ever get married, I won't bother with any smelly men—I'll just marry you!"

"There's no need for that! Not all men are smelly. I have a man, and he's really strong."

"Oh..."

The pretty girl named Yan'er heard this and her face fell. She pouted and thrust her dagger downward, easily severing the head of the tall Yi Gui.

Points were added to her account.

But Yan'er showed no sign of joy.

She glanced down, her view obstructed, so she reached up to adjust the two mounds of snow-white on her chest. Pouting dejectedly, she asked, "Xiangxiang darling, what's it like with men, generally speaking..."

"Uh?" Xiangxiang's mind went blank for a moment. Was this something she could even discuss?

"You're twenty-six, right? Never been in a relationship?"

"My family won't allow it..."

"You're kidding? Just because your family says no, you don't date? Yan'er, you're so beautiful, with a figure even better than mine—guys chasing you could line up from the Zhong Yu all the way to the Dong Yu's space fragments!"

"Mm, I'm scared, and I don't go out much, so I never see any boys. Plus, I heard that if you date, you have to hold hands, and holding hands leads to having kids..."

"Oh! You really..." Xiangxiang pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over her.

Was there really such an innocent girl in the Lian Ling Jie?

Had she been isolated for too long in places like You Gui Ge and Shi Zi Jie Corner?

"If you get the chance, I'll introduce you to a young master from Dong Yu. He's all about pure love and would probably go for someone like you—big chest and all."

"Roar roar! Darling, I love you!"

Yan'er blushed at the words, but she roared back without backing down.

Soon, she couldn't handle the topic anymore. She lifted her gaze to the sky, her eyes filled with worry, and said:

"Speaking of which, this year's Sheng Gong Shi Lian is full of surprises!"

"It's not too bad since we're in the Bai Hu Mai. I heard a ton of people died in the Qing Long Mai and Zhu Que Mai."

"Oh, right, Gui Gui went to that site. Xiangxiang, you're so strong—why not try your luck there? As long as you call out that name..."

"Don't you dare!" Xiangxiang's expression turned serious, cutting her off. "Yan'er, no matter what, trust me on this. Treasures go to those with strength, not fate. If we go in, we'd just be throwing our lives away—nine deaths out of ten. So, whatever you do, don't say the name!"

"Ah? Then what about Gui Gui..."

"Hah, that wretch has annoyed me for ages. She acts like a princess without the fate, all arrogant and spoiled, stealing your points and all. If she's dead, so be it!"

"Mm..." Yan'er was stunned, watching Xiangxiang sneer dismissively. For a moment, the world seemed to spin.

When Gui Gui was around, Xiangxiang had been so close to her. How could she talk badly about her behind her back?

"But for just a Sheng Gong Shi Lian, all this drama... Hmm, who knows what the higher-ups are thinking? It's certainly unexpected..."

Xiangxiang also looked up, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Still, Xu Xiao Shou hadn't contacted her yet—that was the best-case scenario, meaning everything was still under control.

Even if Dao Qiong Cang made a move against the Sheng Nu, with Xu Xiao Shou's abilities, he could hold out until the Sheng Gong Shi Lian was nearly over, right?

She just didn't know how things were going with Qi Lin—had they started acting yet? Xiangxiang's thoughts wandered.

Yan'er didn't dare continue the topic.

Xiangxiang was just too bold, living life in a way Yan'er envied most—having a man, speaking freely, and with a terrifying background. She was basically the heroine from a storybook!

"Xiangxiang darling, your star diamond earring is so pretty! Where did you get it? Your taste is amazing!"

"Is it?" Xiangxiang turned back, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. "My man gave it to me. He said it keeps us connected at all times. But men are all the same—they're smelly. He hasn't sent me a message yet."

"Ah? But you said men aren't smelly!"

"That was earlier. Now, they're all smelly—reeking!"

"Oh oh, I want one too... oh, wait, no. Is this earring really that magical? Can it send messages across realms? Isn't your man outside?"

"Yeah, he went to the Dao Department and had that Tian Bang number one make it with Tian Ji Shu! Impressive, right?"

"Wow, Tian Ji Shu..." Yan'er's eyes sparkled with stars. Suddenly, her expression shifted, and she pointed at the star diamond earring in surprise. "It's moving?"

Xiangxiang's eyebrows twitched as she noticed the subtle vibration on her earlobe, her heart sinking.

She smiled nonchalantly. "You should step away for a bit. This is going to get really cheesy. Or do you want to listen in on our long-distance chat?"

"Pah!" Yan'er's face turned red. "Who wants to hear your chat?"

She scampered off, even retracting her spiritual sense, afraid of catching any indecent words that might tarnish her pure heart.

"No experience at all, yet she knows so much?" Xiangxiang chuckled to herself and turned away, activating the communication.

"Aunt Xiang, save me!"

"It's urgent! Extremely urgent!"

The two calm yet anxious voices nearly made Aunt Xiang lose her composure.

Had it come to the final moment already?

Was Xu Xiao Shou cornered?

"Ba Zun An said to put pressure on the kid—ignore anyone below Ban Sheng and Ban Sheng level..."

Aunt Xiang considered responding to confirm the enemy's level, but she quickly dismissed the idea.

Xu Xiao Shou wasn't foolish; he wouldn't pull a cheap prank like this.

He hadn't even explained the situation—just asked for help—which meant things were dire enough that he could only spare those two short sentences.

Without hesitation, Aunt Xiang played her ultimate card, slamming her palm into the ground.

"Summoning Technique!"

A "bang" echoed through the underbrush, rippling with spiritual energy.

The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged wildly, outlining the form of an illusory bald man.

But this illusion was unusually dim compared to before!

"What's going on..."

Aunt Xiang frowned, realizing the illusion had no life in its eyes—it was just like any ordinary one, only useful for boosting power, not communication.

"Xiangxiang?"

A voice of surprise came from behind, clearly Yan'er sensing the energy fluctuations and worrying about danger.

Aunt Xiang's face grew solemn, but she didn't look back, teasing instead, "If you're curious, come take a look and learn a thing or two. My man is Tai Xu—I summoned his illusion, oh."

"Ah?!"

A shocked cry erupted from afar.

Hiding behind a tree, Yan'er widened her eyes, her face flushing red, her pupils trembling nonstop.

In an instant, her mind raced with countless steamy images.

Xiangxiang darling's words had completely upended her understanding of the sacred Lian Ling Dao!

Could illusions be used like that...

"Wake up!"

On the other side, Aunt Xiang leaped up and slapped the dazed beast's face hard.

The illusion didn't budge.

Aunt Xiang realized something, her red lips parting slightly.

"This big fool—did he recite the name and enter the site?"

"Damn it! How stupid can you be? Use your brain! How could I possibly go in?"

Aunt Xiang was furious enough to spit blood. "But Xu Xiao Shou can't wait! I have to get to him now!"

She rummaged through her space ring and pulled out a short sword, taking a deep breath.

The sword pierced into her own chest.

"Mm..."

Aunt Xiang let out a muffled groan.

The piercing pain made her delicate body tremble, her eyelids twitching.

"Xiangxiang?" Yan'er's worried voice came from behind again.

"Mm, don't..." Aunt Xiang let out an incredibly alluring moan.

Instantly, a soft "pah" sounded from afar, followed by complete silence.

The illusion shuddered.

Surrounding spiritual energy surged violently, exploding into invisible shockwaves.

The underbrush shook wildly from the blast, and Yan'er, hiding behind the tree, clamped her hands over her eyes, wishing she had more to cover her ears as well. She silently edged away a few steps.

Then, quietly, she stopped, wanting to turn back but not daring to...

"Xiang'er?"

The illusion of Shen Yi gained awareness in its eyes.

Upon waking, he saw Xiang Yao Yao gripping the short sword embedded in her heart and flew into a rage. "Who dares hurt you?"

Aunt Xiang had no time to explain: "Xu... Xu Xiao Shou..."

"Xu Xiao Shou? I'll go kill him right now! Don't worry, his soul won't even enter reincarnation!"

"You idiot, come back!" Aunt Xiang was so angry blood overflowed from her lips. "Xu Xiao Shou is in trouble—find him and protect him..."

"Ah?"

"Go, now!"

"Oh oh, okay."

"Wait! I can't sense who his enemy is—it might be a Sheng Di. Can you figure out who it is?"

In an instant, life within a thousand li vanished.

Yan'er, behind the tree, hadn't even peeked back when she felt all her strength drain away, collapsing weakly to the ground.

She still looked bewildered.

Strange—she hadn't heard any sounds or seen anything yet...

Activating the Ren Jian Dao, the illusion of Shen Yi solidified in a flash, as if the real person had descended. He merely glanced up, his eyes narrowing.

He gently rubbed Aunt Xiang's head, his voice tinged with concern: "You focus on healing first. Don't worry about the fight—I'll handle it quickly."

"Who is it?" Aunt Xiang pressed.

Shen Yi paused before replying: "Bei Huai."

"Bei Huai?"

Aunt Xiang was momentarily confused, then her pupils shook. "What? Bei..."

She quickly lowered her voice: "A Sheng Di?"

"Mm."

"Do you have a chance?"

"Merely Bei Huai..."

"Don't say 'merely'! You're not sealed as a saint yet! Don't get yourself killed... How about this—if we can't save him, forget it. Xu Xiao Shou isn't that important anyway... Have you entered the Ran Ming site?"

"Mm, I was worried about you."

Shen Yi finished speaking and glanced at the wound on Xiang'er's chest from the short sword.

Whenever she faced mortal danger, he would appear automatically—that was the passive trigger of the Summoning Technique.

Now, with no one around threatening Xiang'er, this was clearly self-inflicted.

Shen Yi wasn't naive.

If Xiang'er had to harm herself to call him out for someone, how could that person not be important?

"Don't worry, I won't die."

Shen Yi illusionarily embraced the petite and soft Xiang'er, rubbing her head. "You know better than anyone how strong I am."

"Mm..." Aunt Xiang closed her eyes, stopping her persuasion. "Be careful."

When she opened her eyes again, the towering beast had vanished.

Yan'er, who had gotten up from behind, sensed something was wrong and hurried over to check on Xiangxiang darling.

But she saw Xiangxiang darling clutching her chest and wiping sweat, looking utterly exhausted as she staggered over.

"Uh..."

"You two..."

Yan'er looked around, not seeing the "illusion," and hesitated for a long time before stammering, "Is that it? Already over?"

"What do you mean 'already over'?" Xiangxiang rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it usually... you know..." Yan'er gestured wildly with her hands before finally coming up with a bizarre term. "At least, it should take a quarter of an hour, right?"

Xiangxiang was stunned, then realized what she meant and snapped, "What are you thinking? Your mind is full of filth—the illusion doesn't even move!"

"Ah?!" Yan'er was even more shocked, clutching her head and staring at the extremely weakened Xiangxiang, her brain feeling like it was frying.

If the illusion doesn't move, then what was that...

Her thoughts settled, and she noticed the bloodstain on Xiangxiang darling's chest. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing, I just got hurt earlier." Xiangxiang shrugged, not planning to explain.

"Ah?!"

Yan'er short-circuited on the spot, her big eyes nearly popping out.

It could even injure the chest?

They play that rough?

In the Zhu Que Mai, at the Zhu Que Jin Ta.

Xu Xiao Shou, who had chosen to call for backup since he couldn't win, didn't get the super beast's support in time.

His Huan Mie One Finger only managed to scratch Bei Huai's soul form, interrupting his actions in the Xing Jie.

After a brief pause,

Within the Xing Jie, that dark-green soul hand reached down again, grabbing for the Tan Shen.

"Meow!"

The Tan Shen's cry was full of panic.

Xu Xiao Shou had no other choice but to trust that Aunt Xiang's help would arrive soon.

But the process of the Summoning Technique summoning someone, and then that person needing to activate Ren Jian Dao and travel—right now, it felt endlessly long!

"Hurry up..."

Xu Xiao Shou was anxious. As the lord of Xing Jie, he directly entered the Xing Jie.

The Xing Jie was completely sealed by the two soul hands; besides Long Xing and Xu Xiao Shou, nothing could enter or exit.

The only option now was to stall.

Stall until Shen Yi arrived, and maybe the situation could change. If not, there was only one last resort left!

"Get out of here!"

The berserk giant in the Xing Jie charged at the dark-green soul hand, completing its transformation.

In the next instant, Xu Xiao Shou absorbed nearly all the spiritual energy in the Xing Jie, pushing this awakening skill to its limit.

"Shen Min Moment!"

"Extreme Giant!"

The two second awakenings activated simultaneously.

It felt like all his strength was drained in that instant.

Xu Xiao Shou even released the Tian Zu power from the dragon pearl, gritting his teeth to hold on.

The Extreme Giant, retaining a trace of rationality, finally appeared in the Xing Jie, lunging at the soul hand overhead with a powerful punch.

"Boom!"

The entire space shattered completely.

But the soul hand, like a void, passed right through the Extreme Giant's fist.

Flesh and soul were like yin and yang—never intersecting.

"Long Xing!"

Xu Xiao Shou ignited all his power, not to block the soul hand, but to pry open the sealed spatial passage of the Xing Jie.

He called out, and Long Xing responded instinctively, extending branches that pierced into the Extreme Giant's shoulder, frantically drawing power.

"Boom!"

The Xing Jie shook violently.

In the space fragments, the two soul hands gripping Long Xing were briefly repelled by the surge of power.

Seizing the opportunity, just as the soul hand was about to touch the Tan Shen, the spatial passage opened ahead of time.

"Meow?"

The Tan Shen blinked, and its surroundings changed in a flash.

It glanced around...

So many people!

The battlefield was chaotic, with an upside-down tower and lots of young humans like its master, plus one...

The Tan Shen shuddered in fear.

That massive soul form in the void, smiling at the corner of its lips, had the exact same aura as the soul hand that had tried to grab it!

On the Zhu Que Jin Ta, Yu Zhi Wen watched Xu Xiao Shou suddenly vanish and the little white cat appear out of nowhere, sensing a faint ghostly beast aura. She realized something.

Her eyes, with their pearl-like star pupils, swirled as she looked toward the void and saw the surging Dao principles revealing the massive soul form.

This was...

Shang Xin Sheng Di?

"Finally out!"

Bei Huai smiled, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the Tan Shen like it was a priceless treasure.

Seeing this, Yu Zhi Wen finally understood why Xu Xiao Shou had suddenly appeared.

Shang Xin Sheng Di was after the cat...

And Xu Xiao Shou was protecting the cat...

This was a cat-snatching battle!

"Xu Xiao Shou..."

Yu Zhi Wen clenched her small fists, her eyes filled with worry.

No matter how strong Xu Xiao Shou was, how could he beat a Sheng Di? He would die!

What should I do?

How can I help him...

What am I thinking?

I'm from the Sheng Shen Hall!

This line of thought is wrong—I'm on Shang Xin Sheng Di's side. I should be against... Xu Xiao Shou?

With a buzz, Yu Zhi Wen felt like she'd been struck by lightning, her mind going blank.

"Am I Xu Xiao Shou's enemy?"

This had crossed her mind back when she vied for the Dao Department leadership.

But when that imagined scenario appeared so quickly before her eyes, Yu Zhi Wen was at a loss, unsure how to choose.

How could anyone plan for something like this in advance?

Yu Zhi Wen's heart was a mix of emotions.

She looked at the little white cat, then at Shang Xin Sheng Di, her nails digging into her palm without her noticing the pain.

Choosing was like flipping a coin. When time pressed down hard and the coin was tossed, you didn't need to wait for it to land—you already knew the answer.

Suddenly, Yu Zhi Wen's thoughts blurred, her memories shifting...

On one side were her master Dao Xuan Ji's teachings from childhood, demanding perfection.

But that extreme pressure made it hard to breathe, even driving her to escape the sacred mountain for a breath of fresh air outside, just to find herself again.

On the other side was the carefree, worry-free time in Bai Ku, the sense of security under the golden giant's protection, being trusted and needed, rather than constantly criticized with "you can do better, don't stop here."

But the scene shifted.

When Lu Ke's ghostly beast aura emerged, and Xu Xiao Shou looked at her with suspicion while she said nothing, that sudden strangeness, that doubt...

The piercing pain, the chilling cold, the instant distance, the lost trust...

Yu Zhi Wen shut her eyes in agony.

She never wanted to feel that again.

She had regretted it for too many nights and had long decided that if time could rewind and a second chance appeared...

Life couldn't miss that second opportunity!

"I'm sorry, Master. I long for freedom too..."

In her mind, thousands of images finally boiled down to one unexpected phrase, from the Dao Hall Master's cryptic advice not long ago:

"Follow your heart, stay safe."

Yu Zhi Wen snapped her eyes open, bursting with brilliant starlight—part disbelief, part unyielding determination.

She leaped from the upside-down Zhu Que Jin Ta, carried by the breeze and dancing starlight.

In that moment, it was as if the heavens played a symphony called "Error."

How could the Zhu Que Jin Ta be upside-down?

How could the Sheng Gong Shi Lian coincide with the Ran Ming site?

With trial participants right here, how could a Sheng Di break the rules, rampage on the Sheng Shen Continent, and cause such devastation?

Everyone was in the "wrong," so why should she alone pursue "perfection" and "correctness"...

Why?

Why can't I speak up?

Yu Zhi Wen soared into the air, eyes wide, and shouted in shock:

"Bei Huai Senior, what are you doing here?"