Chapter 1549: A Thought Reaches Back to Investigate the Evil Plant, A Thought Returns Amidst Danger to Decapitate the Fierce Bird

"It's huge! It's huge!"

"Even Master Shou couldn't withstand the power of the Living Forest; his belly has also grown large, hahaha, he deserves it!"

The pursuing legion had completely transformed into a crowd of spectators, their faces flushed with excitement. The atmosphere was even more fervent than when they were chasing Zhou Tiancan.

The allure of the Divine Destiny Stars was simply too deadly!

For its sake, Zhou Tiancan willingly risked danger, allowing himself to become pregnant.

For its sake, hundreds couldn't stop themselves and collectively conceived.

And now, for its sake, even Master Shou, who was thought to be infallible, faltered and became pregnant!

Who was Master Shou?

He was a formidable figure in the dark forces, one whom even Sword Saint Rao couldn't defeat, Dao Qiongcang was always a step behind, and Palace Master Xuanji could only regret failing twice.

Even he couldn't acquire the Divine Destiny Stars.

Who else could possibly withstand the power of this Living Forest?

In contrast, the very source of these numerous transgressions, the Divine Destiny Stars that had caused countless people to become pregnant, remained.

At that moment, stripped of their cloth bag coverings, they lay shyly and timidly on the ground of the Living Forest. Just a few steps away, as they freely exuded their mesmerizing charm, they seemed to silently communicate two words to the distant, profane observers: innocence.

"Hahahahaha..."

The closer spectators roared with laughter at Master Shou's swollen belly, simultaneously grappling with a difficult choice between preparing for pregnancy and seizing the opportune moment.

Ultimately, everyone looked enviously at the six 'troublemakers,' their teeth aching with bitterness. They could only give up, letting out helpless and jealous shouts:

"No one can have them, not even Master Shou!"

"Let them all be destroyed, hahahaha!"

The laughter hadn't ceased.

Suddenly, the Life Profound Array Diagram ahead flickered.

Master Shou's body shuddered, and his belly, after reaching its maximum size, rapidly deflated like a leaky balloon.

Simultaneously, fresh red blood began to seep from all the pores on his body and the seven orifices on his face.

"Huh?"

"He... he got rid of the child..."

This sight left the spectators utterly bewildered.

Had Master Shou regained consciousness?

Among all the people who had entered the Living Forest, was he the only one who had resisted that strange power, woken up successfully, and aborted the child?

"Received a horrified gaze, passive value: 2445."

"Received admiration, passive value: 4686."

Break free!

As the information panel flashed wildly, Xu Xiaoshou's eyes were bloodshot; he no longer had the energy to pay attention to these external matters or the people around him.

At that moment, he was entirely focused on dealing with his own body.

Yes!

He was fighting himself!

This Dark Living Forest actually contained a life force of comparable, if not greater, strength than his 80 Life Dao Disk!

That strange power, the moment he stepped inside, infiltrated his body, simultaneously guiding his Life Dao Disk to autonomously emerge and plant a black seed within his Qi Sea.

"Are you also Elder Sang?"

Xu Xiaoshou was terrified at that moment.

He harbored a deep-seated fear of being forcibly impregnated, even if the source this time was a Dark Living Forest.

However, times had changed.

He was no longer a fish on a chopping board, helpless to resist.

The moment the dark life seed was planted, it seemed to sense that this body was unlike others, overflowing with endless vitality, and immediately grew excited.

And so...

The seed rapidly absorbed nutrients, germinated, sprouted leaves, bloomed, and bore fruit, all almost instantaneously.

Within Xu Xiaoshou's Qi Sea, an oval-shaped "thing" resembling a baby's head quickly grew. He couldn't determine what it was; it lacked intelligence, sentience, and even a physical body.

He froze for a moment.

Not because he was controlled, but out of sheer shock.

That overwhelming urge for reproduction, which could control Zhou Tiancan and others, simply held no sway over Xu Xiaoshou in his current state.

He didn't even need "Spiritual Awakening."

This intense desire, which couldn't even be compared to the guiding power of a Saint Emperor, Xu Xiaoshou resisted with his inherent resilience.

He fixed his gaze on the baby-like head within his Qi Sea.

Rather than a "child," Xu Xiaoshou preferred to call it a "Dao Fruit."

Because this 'thing' contained the insights from the various Daos he had mastered: fire, sword, space, life, and more.

Even though it had just condensed, its level was inferior to his own Great Dao Disk.

At first glance, Xu Xiaoshou estimated that the Dao Fruit possessed roughly the power of ten Dao Disks.

But even if this 'thing' were fully formed, it shouldn't be consumed.

This was because, compared to the normal spirit refinement power it had stolen and replicated, the overwhelming "evil force," even stronger than its inherent life force, had corrupted this Dao Fruit!

Even so...

"This is simply outrageous!"

Xu Xiaoshou was undoubtedly frightened.

What kind of entity could possess a life level higher than his 80 Life Dao Disk, invade his physical body and drain its power in an instant, condense a Dao Fruit of approximately ten times that power, and even wield an "evil force" more sinister than that of the Evil God of Loving All Beings?

And this was merely the beginning!

If this malevolent Dao Fruit were allowed to develop fully, could it cultivate another "embryo" of himself, one that possessed 80 Space Dao Disks, Life Dao Disks, Sword Dao Disks, and more?

If someone consumed it, would they go insane while simultaneously becoming him?

I'm already strong enough!

What would become of a crazy me?

Xu Xiaoshou's thought process was already quite peculiar, and upon considering such a possibility, he gasped sharply.

He had no desire whatsoever to conduct this experiment.

Or rather, if it needed to be tested, it shouldn't be by him, but by his second true body. His main body's life was far too precious!

"Splat."

Without hesitation, he cleaved the Dao Fruit in two with a sword thought from his Qi Sea.

Once the baby-headed Dao Fruit split, it detonated into chaotic energy within his Qi Sea, tearing through his internal organs.

This, however, seemed to be merely a side effect.

The potent life force from the Dark Living Forest seemed to realize it had provoked an uncontrollable entity.

Through the momentarily ruptured wound, that power escaped from Xu Xiaoshou's body, retreating to the depths of the Living Forest.

"Just enter and then flee?"

"Where in this world can one find such a convenient arrangement?"

Xu Xiaoshou abruptly looked up, his eyes gleaming fiercely.

Others might not be able to discern the origin of this malevolent life force, but his 80 Life Dao Disk was more than sufficient to trace it back to its source!

"Buzz!"

The Profound Array Diagram paused, then spun once more.

This time, however, it emitted a sharp aura—not from the Life Dao Disk, but from the Sword Dao Disk!

"Master Shou drew his sword?"

"What is Master Shou doing? Is he striking at the air?"

"Master Shou has gone mad! After his child is gone, he wants to attack the child's father... no, mother... no, some 'parent'—he wants to hack down this Living Forest?"

The spectators beyond the grey-black demarcation line watched as Master Shou fixed his gaze on empty space, then unleashed a sword strike with Hidden Suffering.

As the brilliant silver-white sword intent flew forth, countless cyan Mo Swords materialized behind it, roaring like a river, slashing through the forest.

"Boom!"

This eerie Living Forest, filled with trees so massive that ten people couldn't encircle them, was forcibly torn open, creating a colossal gap!

Wherever the sword intent and Mo Swords passed, darkness withered, and life was diminished, truly transcending the unseen to harm the very essence.

"That sword..."

Everyone stood frozen in place, staring blankly as the grey-black demarcation line beneath their feet was pushed inward, extending to the very edge of the forest cleaved by the sword—a full ten li!

"What?"

"This line... it can be pushed inward?"

After a moment of stunned silence, the area erupted into an uproar.

Everyone claimed Master Shou was proficient in multiple Daos, but when compared to the absolute masters of the Ten Thrones, it was generally understood that he was lacking something in each.

But now, how did that seem to be the case?

In the Yunlun Mountains, when he battled Sword Saint Rao, didn't he mention needing to borrow the power of other Saint Emperors?

Yet now, he wielded the Mo Sword Art with such effortless mastery, his sword intent felt so perfectly natural, and even the Sword Dao Profound Array Diagram...

"I don't recall it being that bright before?"

"I witnessed Master Shou's battle with Saint Emperor Qilin in the Qilin Realm, and what followed..."

"In short, it wasn't like this at all!"

Recalling previous rumors that Master Shou had already assaulted Jade Capital City, killed Palace Master Xuanji, and engaged in several battles with the Seven Sword Immortals...

Some even went so far as to claim that Master Shou had already opened the Mysterious Gate with his sword, possessing the demeanor of a deified ancestor.

Could it be that all of it was true?

"Received suspicion, passive value: 5113."

"Received fear, passive value: 1849."

As the demarcation line advanced deeper into the Living Forest, the crowd outside simultaneously retreated more than a single step.

Everyone stared at Xu Xiaoshou as if he were even more terrifying than the Dark Living Forest itself.

Not only could he resist bearing children.

He even scared away the strange entity that forced others into pregnancy, with a single sword strike?!

"Scared?"

Xu Xiaoshou scoffed at that notion.

He withdrew his gaze from the depths of the Living Forest, casually wiped the blood crust from his face, and let out a cold snort.

That damn thing was *forced* to flee by him!

That strange entity, a bully who preyed on the weak, immediately scuttled back to its source the moment it realized he possessed the ability to resist.

"Life force, Dao Infant, malevolent power, tree..."

Based on these observations, Xu Xiaoshou had already formed a hypothesis about the strange entity's origin. He held back from pursuing it, choosing instead to let events unfold.

What he saw...

Viewed from the perspective of Life Profound.

With a single sword strike, the life patterns coiled around the surrounding ancient trees visibly receded like a tide.

Each tree was a hand, an eye.

The source, naturally, was the life force that, after being genuinely wounded by his Mo Sword and carrying a wisp of his sword intent, hastily retreated, inadvertently revealing its true origin.

Once it was scared enough to find its way home...

This young master will strike straight at its heart!

"Apricot Treasure."

Xu Xiaoshou attempted to call out to Long Xing.

There was no response.

He could faintly sense the fluctuations of Long Xing, and even those of the Apricot Realm itself. He could, with a mere thought, return to the Apricot Realm.

However...

Xu Xiaoshou could also sense that...

If he did so, he would become the next Loving All Beings, forever unable to return to this Divine Ruin, and would miss out on all sorts of opportunities.

Having mastered the Space Profound, Xu Xiaoshou had a clearer understanding of the essence of space.

If the Apricot Realm was an independent minor world attached to the vast Sacred God Continent, akin to a small circle tightly clinging to a larger one.

The Divine Ruin, though smaller in scale, existed parallel to the Sacred God Continent.

There was no intersection point; apart from entering by shouting "Ran Ming," the only other way was likely to *become* Ran Ming and forcibly cross over.

Unable to get a response from Long Xing, and with Li Fugui not by his side, there was no one who could provide him with an answer.

Xu Xiaoshou, possessing his own sharp mind, speculated that this entity was very likely one of the Nine Ancestral Trees: the Infant-Forming Holy Plant!

"But..."

"A Holy Plant... is it truly this malevolent?"

"How about changing its name to Infant-Forming Evil Plant? The word 'Holy' just feels like a mockery to the Sacred God Hall..."

Silently smacking his lips, Xu Xiaoshou remotely sensed the sword intent's aura frantically traversing and retreating into the distance, quickly retracting his gaze.

He was a master of Space Profound.

No matter how vast this Dark Living Forest was, or how far the life aura fled, it wouldn't escape him.

As long as the mark remained, if a single step wasn't enough to reach it, he would simply take a few more.

Returning to the present.

After the grey-black demarcation line receded inward, the hundreds of individuals who had remained, stroking their pregnant bellies with gentle smiles, gradually regained their senses.

"Huh?"

"What happened? Damn it, why is my belly so big!"

"Damn, damn, damn, there's a baby's head in my Qi Sea! What the hell is this?!"

"You bastard, me, you... who did this? Step forward! What's going on, holy crap!"

"Little Shou Shou... huh?"

Zhou Tiancan was still rubbing his distended belly. His pupils refocused, and memories flooded back into his mind.

His face abruptly turned pale. He looked at his Qi Sea and found a 'child' within. He then scanned his surroundings, realizing everyone else was also pregnant.

"Damn!"

Zhou Tiancan was utterly shocked, springing up from the ground.

As a grown man, he couldn't tolerate such a thing happening and slapped his own belly hard.

"Huh?"

His hand hadn't yet landed.

The small thing in his belly hadn't been aborted yet.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhou Tiancan suddenly caught sight of a face that was both familiar and strange.

He thought he was seeing things.

Xu Xiaoshou?

No, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't this handsome or tall, and he had freckles on his face...

Yet that face stared directly at him, and soon its eyes and the corners of its mouth curved into a mischievous grin.

The face could be fake.

But that smile was unmistakably real!

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

"It really is you, Xu Xiaoshou!"

Zhou Tiancan was overjoyed, completely forgetting about the 'child'. He rushed forward, intending to embrace Xu Xiaoshou in a long-awaited bear hug.

However, his own swollen belly bounced him away, sending him sprawling onto the ground, his head throbbing.

"Oh!"

Xu Xiaoshou's face was beaming. He bent down and poked Zhou Tiancan's pregnant belly.

"Long time no see, you've gotten pregnant?"

"Whose child is it?"

"Uh, I'm pregnant... uh..." Zhou Tiancan's face flushed instantly. He stammered for a long time, unable to string together a single coherent sentence, his linguistic functions completely in disarray.

"Received an angry glare, passive value: 1."

"Received an explanation, passive value: 1."

Xu Xiaoshou's expression was subtle. He turned and pointed, "I heard there were thousands of people chasing you just now, and you said if they caught you, you'd let them..."

Zhou Tiancan's brow furrowed, and he erupted like a volcano.

"Xu Xiaoshou, don't spout nonsense!"

"Where did I ever say such a thing?"

Xu Xiaoshou's lips curved into a grin. Just as he was about to tease Little Zhou again, a startled cry came from his side.

"The Divine Destiny Stars!"

This was bad... The moment Zhou Tiancan fully sobered up, he disregarded any potential injury from aborting the 'child' and spun around, lunging towards the large cloth bag.

Simultaneously, those who had recovered from the shock of their own pregnancies also noticed the light on the ground and swiftly darted towards it.

"Scram!"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned serious. Hidden Suffering, his flying sword, shot out, its small application of the Tremor Dao pinning down the large cloth bag.

Boom—

All the converging figures were blasted away.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou was about to step forward...

At that very instant, in a distant location.

Relying on his sword intent perception, he detected that the strange life force had ceased its flight, returning to the embrace of its origin.

"It's here!"

At that very instant, even before he could turn to look, an information pop-up appeared.

"Received a sneak attack, passive value: 1."

From a distance, outside the Dark Forest, behind the pursuing legion, a cold shout rang out:

"Nian!"

The world instantly grew cold.

Before Xu Xiaoshou could turn his head, he sensed a figure already pouncing from behind.

It was an individual who had blended into the crowd rushing towards the Divine Destiny Stars, seizing the opportunity amidst the chaos.

Disguised as a man, she had waxy, bronze skin and unremarkable features, completely unmemorable—the kind of person one would forget at first glance.

Her eyes were too bland, or rather, as empty as a blank sheet of paper.

She darted forward, gripping a dagger that shimmered with a faint, chilling light.

In stark contrast to her own unremarkable appearance, the dagger was intricately woven with gold and silver, its patterns appearing naturally formed and exceptionally exquisite.

Even before it drew near, its keen edge caused a stinging sensation.

Xu Xiaoshou's pores dilated; he had the uncanny sensation of being targeted by the Sinister Bow and pointed at by the Wounding Profound Sword.

"Received an attack, passive value: 1."

His combat awareness was exceptionally sharp.

In that instant, several methods of resistance clearly flashed through his mind, but those thoughts seemed to have been devoured by something; he forgot to retaliate.

When he finally regained his senses, the gold and silver dagger had already slashed across his throat, severing the skin and piercing his windpipe, nearly decapitating him!

"Thump!"

The dagger was finally flung away.

The wielder of the dagger seemed to grunt, and then...

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts abruptly ceased; he couldn't recall what the person had done last, what they looked like, their gender, their age, or where they had vanished to after striking him with the dagger!

"Splat..."

He clutched his throat, his pupils dilated with disbelief.

Everything happened in an instant.

To outside observers, it appeared that Master Shou had brandished his sword, turned, and his head was nearly severed, with blood gushing from his throat and splattering all over Zhou Tiancan's face.

As for the assassin, no one had any memory of them!

"Received a fright, passive value: 1."