Chapter 1494: The Nine-tailed Giant's Path of Destruction, Fish Leaping Star Shark Guards the Jade Capital

Yu Lao, Xuan...

Xi's ghost spirit reappeared in the skies above Yu Jing City, welcoming back Yu Lao. He was just about to issue orders for the San Sheng to mount a fierce defense against Xu Xiaoshou when he suddenly froze.

Gazing into the distance, the ghost beast contract book, formed from the Tianji Daoze, transformed into two beams of light. One fell upon the soul of Tan Shen, ensnared by the Wan Gui Shehun Technique. The other landed on the spot of Xu Xiaoshou's true self, at the center of his forehead in the Zifu.

"Ghost beast contract?!" Xi's eyes widened in shock, a chill running through him from head to toe.

Who was Xu Xiaoshou? Aside from his mastery in unorthodox paths, he already possessed unparalleled physical techniques, swordsmanship, and refining skills—thanks to the Daotu researched by Senior Zhong Yuanzi. With such talents, did he really need to add another "devouring body"?

Never mind the risk of failure. If it succeeded, and he transformed into that colossal giant capable of rivaling a Shengdi, he could devour Fang Wenxin, Yu Kunpeng, and Zhong Yuanzi all at once...

"Hiss!" The thought made Xi's entire body go numb.

A Phishang Kunpeng giant with mastery over all attributes? Even a Shengdi would be smashed, devoured, and digested into his own power?

"Be careful!" Xi had no time to give Yu Lao more orders about interception. He quickly changed his words to a warning, then turned and dashed toward Sheng Huan Hall. If this intelligence wasn't reported in time, when Xuanji Dianzhu emerged again, not even bones would be left!

"Lord Xu..." Li Fugui had already run outside Yu Jing City's walls when he suddenly saw the situation in the sky shift. Lord Xu was actually attempting to contract Tan Shen on a whim?

This didn't make sense! How dire was the battle? Even if Lord Xu respected Fang Wenxin and didn't want to seize by force, did he really need to reclaim Tan Shen in a way that would put him in the spotlight?

"No..." Perhaps it wasn't such a superficial reason? Recalling Lord Xu's earlier self-declaration in front of everyone, Li Fugui had a moment of realization. His understanding of Lord Xu was still stuck at the "Xu Xiaoshou" from before and during Xukong Dao, which didn't quite match the current "Lord Xu."

The truth was... After Xukong Dao, "Xu Xiaoshou" had truly become "Lord Xu"—his mindset had completely changed! This was evident from the Four Symbols Secret Realm, where he could have chosen to evade Shengdi Beihuai but instead faced the challenge head-on!

Similarly, right now in Yu Jing City... Li Fugui had previously doubted whether Lord Xu's attack on Yu Jing and Sheng Mountain was influenced by the Xue Shi Zhu, making it an irrational decision. Now he understood—it wasn't like that at all! Maneuvering might seem the best choice now, but like the earlier evasion, it was too passive.

Anyone could see Lord Xu's long-term vision if they looked ahead: For instance, in the Four Symbols Secret Realm, if Shengdi Beihuai had pursued relentlessly, another battle would have followed. Or right now, if they didn't fight, once the Sheng Mountain sages returned, whether Lord Xu stayed in Yu Jing or not, a battle was inevitable. Better to turn defense into offense and strike directly!

"He really has changed..." This was a major shift in mindset. After standing on his own, Lord Xu had matured so much. In the past, from Ling Palace to Xukong Dao, he was merely following Ba Zun An's arrangements, accepting fate as a pawn. Now, he had woven everything together, turning passive skills into active ones—he was the one holding the pieces!

From this mindset shift, Li Fugui could easily understand why Lord Xu was contracting Tan Shen now. No matter how difficult the situation, was it harder than Xukong Dao? No matter how strong the enemy, were they stronger than Dao Dianzhu? No matter how great the crisis, was it greater than the pressure from Shengdi Beihuai? Lord Xu had shouldered all that— what was there to fear now?

"Du." Li Fugui left the city and moved away from the shattered Xuanji array, then pulled out his communication pearl. With the master of Tian Shang Di Yi Lou on the front lines, he, as the future second-in-command, had to handle the logistics.

Soon, the communication pearl connected to the internal network of Huacao Ge:

"It's me, Li Fugui."

"Lord Xu is contracting the ghost beast Tan Shen in Yu Jing City—it's a done deal. Please contact Xuyue Hui Gong on behalf of Tian Shang Di Yi Lou as soon as possible."

"...Yes, don't use the Sheng Nu banner. Bai Zhuo Gongzhu doesn't like Ba Zun An, but Tian Shang Di Yi Lou can work—I've already paved the way. I'm tied up here, so I can't go myself; just send someone."

"...Not as allies! Things are different now—you can take a firmer stance in negotiations, with Tian Shang Di Yi Lou leading and Xuyue Hui Gong as support. That's the baseline; handle the rest yourselves. You know Lord Xu's personality."

"...Ha, Lord Xu will definitely succeed! After the Seven Sword Immortals list is settled, we'll head to the South Domain. I'll tell Lord Xu to bring Tan Shen along for a visit to Xuyue Hui Gong—you should start preparing the welcome ceremony."

"...Yes, for the war faction, find Feng Xiaose; for the conservatives, find Jiaotangtang and Xingugu. Follow that line to reach Bai Zhuo Gongzhu... Oh, and Wuxia Zhanglao can help—he's met Lord Xu before."

"Believe me, Bai Zhuo Gongzhu will agree! If he's still hesitating, just tell him that Xuanji Dianzhu has declared war on the South Domain, especially Xuyue Hui Gong. This news will spread across the five domains soon... Yes, Dao Dianzhu has confirmed his position; his sister is in power now—it's Lord Xu's doing!"

"Mm-hmm, thanks for your hard work. I'll let Lord Xu know about Huacao Ge's help. After all, I'm from Huacao Ge too—we help each other."

"Good, that's it."

The communication pearl beeped as the connection ended. Li Fugui lowered his hands, his face flushed with excitement. He clenched his fists, gazing at the figure in the sky, his heart pounding.

"Tian Shang Di Yi Lou..."

"Heaven and earth, number one!"

It was an extraordinary feeling.

Xu Xiaoshou could now confirm that the contract book Jiaotangtang had given him for contracting Tan Shen was indeed no ordinary item. Using his Textile Mastery to scrutinize everything, he memorized all the patterns and functions inside. Then, with Textile Technique, he modified and imitated it, stripping away many "clauses," eliminating various "sacrifices" and "costs." The new contract book he drew up essentially only established the link between the person and the ghost beast, with no master-servant concepts or consequences for breaking it. This way, it effectively freed him from any indirect control by Xuyue Hui Gong.

At that moment, as the contract book turned into two streams of light—one entering his Zifu Yuan Court and the other Tan Shen's soul—this special "bond," once just a concept, now flowed out as a tangible sensation.

Xu Xiaoshou had always wondered... In abnormal cases, like when a ghost beast forcibly possessed someone, it created a relationship like that between Mo Mo and Feng Yu Jin. In normal cases, through a contract book, the external manifestation seemed similar to Mo Mo and Feng's state.

—He still didn't know if Xingugu was a pure ghost beast, a possessed human, or a human-beast fusion sharing one consciousness. In any case, it appeared as "two becoming one"!

So, was it possible that after a human contracted a ghost beast, it strengthened the mental link, while weakening the "fusion" concept a bit? Or, more boldly, they could fuse when they wanted and separate when they wanted, with power flowing between them just like in possession?

In short: All benefits, no drawbacks!

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't one for wishful thinking—he was a man of action. But he was lazy, so his second true self usually handled the actions. When the second true self was bored in the Yuanfu, it didn't just study Tianji Technique—Textile Mastery was only one of his passive skills. He had also delved into the concept of "contracting" between humans and ghost beasts. The new contract book that Xu Xiaoshou seemed to casually draw was actually one of the long-term results from his second true self. And it aimed exactly for what he wanted!

But fantasy and reality did have some gaps—that was inevitable, since Xu Xiaoshou couldn't actually test it on a few ghost beasts. The first experience was still wondrous...

"Buzz!" The moment the contract power flowed into his Zifu Yuan Court, Xu Xiaoshou entered a mysterious "space." It was a completely new sensation. His consciousness seemed to detach from his body. He could clearly "see" that everyone below in Yu Jing City had faded into gray, becoming irrelevant. The center of the world was only Tan Shen and himself, standing out starkly. The special "link" from the contract book became two visible streams of light, one hitting his divine soul and the other Tan Shen's.

It was like growing a third arm... Or somewhat like the first time he split off his second true self... Xu Xiaoshou distinctly felt another "self"! It was cheering, raging, craving, going mad, greedy, confused... It was so contradictory! This wasn't him—it was Tan Shen!

Before he could fully process this new sensation of intimate fusion, the chaos made him lose control on the spot.

"Roar—" Under the watchful eyes of all, in the skies above Yu Jing City, Xu Xiaoshou's eyes turned blood red with bestial desire. A burst of golden light transformed him into a raging giant.

At the same time, under the Wan Gui Shehun Technique, the red in Tan Shen's eyes receded like a tide. Its nine tails lowered, and its once ferocious beast head softened, showing a hint of confusion in its eyes.

"Meow?" Tan Shen hesitated, looking at the chaotic city below and the humans around warily watching it. Wasn't I refining my master in the Apricot Realm... Never mind! It quickly spotted its master, that glowing figure charging toward it.

"Meow!" Tan Shen let out a joyful cry, completely forgetting its massive size, and instinctively pounced.

The raging giant kicked out, striking the smaller against the larger, sending the terrifying beast flying back.

"Wu..." Tan Shen whimpered in grievance, not understanding what it had done wrong to deserve punishment from its master. Before it could think, the red flooded its eyes again, and its nine tails stood erect.

"Roar!" A furious beast roar snapped Xu Xiaoshou back to his senses. Looking up, Tan Shen's claw was coming straight at him, like a turn-based game, trading blows to settle the score.

"How dare you!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted. By now, he realized that his earlier "calmness" and Tan Shen's "rage" had swapped after their souls merged. Now, it had switched back. This was an unforeseen downside of the contract book—without experience, Xu Xiaoshou had to adapt on the fly. He raised his hands to block, trying to withstand Tan Shen's strike.

But as soon as the two touched in the sky, something unexpected happened! In the spiritual world, the "link" binding them shook, pulling their wills together. In the real world, a massive vortex of ghost energy formed at their point of contact. Tan Shen lost control completely, sucked in by the immense force and slammed into the vortex. The raging giant was pulled in too, its body twisting involuntarily.

"Ghost beast possession... no, fusion!?" Fang Wenxin's pupils dilated—he could barely comprehend what was happening. One thing was clear: the Wan Gui Shehun Technique was utterly overwhelmed by this special ghost beast contract book! Tan Shen's soul had broken free and was about to fuse with Xu Xiaoshou's!

"Stop him!" Fang Wenxin shouted at Yu Lao and Zhong Yuanzi. He refused to let Xu Xiaoshou be burdened by a ghost beast, carrying the same heavy fate as himself. Perhaps the young man spoke lightly of it before, but once he reached that point and wanted to back out, it would be too late—with no way out!

Nine blood shadow coins shot into the air, expanding as they went, bombarding the ghost energy vortex to force them apart. But at that moment...

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

Roars from both Tan Shen and the raging giant echoed in unison. From the vortex, nine tails whipped out, and the giant's fists and feet lashed out... As if controlled by a single mind! Their coordination was flawless! One from above, one from below, one in front, one behind, they struck in succession. Fang Wenxin's blood shadow coins hadn't even reached their target when they were blasted back.

"Bang bang bang bang bang..." The terrifying force repelled the coins, which were blocked by the soul of the tree spirit ghost beast descending from the nine heavens. Yet the immense power still shook Fang Wenxin, making him spit blood and stagger back.

"I can't hold it!" Fang Wenxin looked horrified. Even with resonance to deflect the force, he was overpowered—one force breaking all techniques, rebounding onto himself. Tan Shen's body and Xu Xiaoshou's were both incredibly strong. How could a mere human withstand this temporary "ghost beast possession" form created by the vortex?

"Yu Lao!" Fang Wenxin glared at Yu Lao, who was still rubbing his own ribs—this guy was clearly not seriously injured but just avoiding the fight!

"Sigh." Yu Lao sighed. Xi had told him to "be careful," so how could he not know how terrifying this "Tan Xu" form was? But since Fang Wenxin called him out, he couldn't dodge anymore.

"Wu—" A resonant Kun cry echoed. The world rippled with water curtains, turning the distant sky into a mirage of blue depths. A massive sea beast, too vast to fully see, charged head-on toward the ghost energy vortex.

"Roar!!!" The vortex mutated, and the "Tan Xu" form stood upright as an extreme giant with nine tails! White fur grew on it, three blood lines on its forehead flowing down its back to the massive white-furred nine tails. Suddenly, it threw a punch, covered in purple lightning, sword intent, dragon scales, spatial energy, white flames, cold fire... Before it even connected, the punch shattered the heavens and earth!

Fang Wenxin, Yu Lao, and even Ye Xiaotian and Mei Siyi, were all stunned. The fusion was underway! This human and beast had transformed, entering a second raging state!

"Stop—" Yu Zhiwen leaped into the air, shouting in alarm. Seeing her grandfather's Kun form about to clash with the nine-tailed giant's fist, and glancing at the terrified crowds in the city... Her face turned pale! Regardless of who won, just the fallout from this full-power clash would be like a Shengdi's strike. Without protection, Yu Jing City would be destroyed, its people annihilated! Over ten million lives!

It was understandable that Xu Xiaoshou had lost consciousness, but why was her grandfather so reckless?

"The Xue Shi Zhu!" Yu Zhiwen suddenly realized—this must be what Dao Dianzhu had warned her about. But it was too late to stop now.

"Ye Bansheng!"

"Siyi Mister!"

"Fang Lao, Zhong Lao, help protect them!"

Yu Zhiwen quickly named the four sages. As they turned back, she bit her tongue, offered a drop of sacred blood, and formed seals with her hands, pressing a blood seal to her forehead.

"Release!" With a whoosh, clouds of mist surged above Yu Jing City. The trembling people under the sacred pressure looked up to see the mist rapidly forming... A sea of stars? It was a vast, blue starry ocean! Amid the rising fog, accompanied by sacred power, a shy, gentle mermaid emerged. Her slightly curly, pale golden hair spread out under the starlight, framing her slender swan neck, gliding over her snowy shoulders, and falling to her slim waist. Her upper body was bare, covered only by a glistening pearl shell that shimmered with light. Her lower body was a long fish tail, its scales faintly visible as they swayed gracefully in the starry sea. Her deep, jewel-like eyes concealed everything, yet in an instant, she channeled the power of her sacred blood and body to its peak, bursting into dazzling starlight.

"Xuanji Array, activate!"