Chapter 1601: Summoning Friends to Call the Eighth Immortal, Smile Changes to Defy Heaven

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Hui Wu Ren's face turned ashen—if he even had a face.

From the moment the Fengdu Sword came to aid, he had already realized that Xu Xiaoshou was watching this battlefield.

But what good was that?

Hiding in the shadows, what could it achieve?

That kid, after losing the Four Divine Pillars on Void Island, couldn't even handle Yao Yao, let alone a young girl like Bei Bei—he'd have to step in himself.

That earlier sword strike was his limit. How could he dare show his true form and enter the real battlefield between a Ban Sheng and a Sheng Di?

Yet, in his most wretched state, when even Mo Mo was nearly giving up on him...

He pulled off a heroic rescue!

"What is this supposed to be?"

Feng Yu Jin glanced sidelong at Mo Mo.

Earlier, her eyes had been utterly dim, filled with despair—you could picture it without looking.

Now, though Mo Mo was naturally reserved, as she gazed at the young man standing on the coffin, her eyes held a soft smile, her face full of delight.

She had never looked at him like that...

Feng Yu Jin's mind was like a stew pot kicked over by some yellow-haired brat during a full boil—chunks of meat, sauce, and random ingredients splattering everywhere.

Yes, his emotions were that chaotic right now.

He couldn't even put his jumbled thoughts and feelings into words. Staring at that yellow... no, black-haired kid, he broke down and roared,

"Xu Xiaoshou, what are you doing here?"

Xu Xiaoshou gently flicked his sword, and Zang Ku "buzzed" like a wriggling worm. Under the watchful eyes of the Sheng Di and Ban Sheng, it shamelessly twisted its graceful form, making its master's voice sound all the more noble and upright:

"Saving you."

Saving...

Saving what? Me?

The Hui Wu Ren form of Feng Yu Jin exploded with a bang, and then a voice from Mo Mo's body rang out like a mad elder:

"You saving me? Wahaha, does this emperor need your saving?"

"Xu Xiaoshou, are you joking? Have you even looked at the situation? This emperor has the upper hand; this emperor is just giving Yue Gong Li some face..."

"Feng Yu Jin, you're so noisy." Mo Mo showed her disgust.

"Gah?"

Everything stopped abruptly.

The black-clad youth on the Feng Shen Coffin brushed his fingertip over Zang Ku, trying to straighten the embarrassing thing, but to no avail. He stared at the sword and sighed:

"It's fine to fool the brothers, but don't fool yourself... You're just really soft."

Zang Ku froze, then stiffened, its blade straightening and trembling.

Mo Mo paused, then burst out laughing, covering her mouth with a "pfft."

Feng Yu Jin was furious, bellowing:

"Xu Xiaoshou, so you're the hard one, huh?"

"From start to finish, this emperor protected you all the way, but everyone else is soft—you're the hardest among them, with the hardest mouth!"

"But what's the use of a hard mouth? This is the power of an Evil God; this is a Sheng Di heir. One's named Hua, the other's Yue— what can you do? What can you accomplish?"

"Even dealing with a little girl, you..."

"Shut up." Mo Mo interjected from the sidelines.

"Oh."

Ah? What's wrong with dealing with a little girl... Yue Gong Li watched this internal squabble among the Sheng Nu with keen interest, his eyes burning with flames.

Keep going!

Spill all your stories!

Little girl... What did Xu Xiaoshou do to a little girl, or what couldn't he do... Oh? Oh, oh?

And how did this Sheng Di get manipulated by his host, following orders so obediently... Is this Bei Huai's new research?

Yue Gong Li stroked his chin, his eyes growing brighter.

"There's something fishy!" Outside the scene, the growing crowd of onlookers started murmuring, all eyes fixed on Mo Mo and Xu Xiaoshou, their discussions bouncing between "Sheng Di," "Gui Shou," and "Shou Ye."

No helping it—rumors of "the ruins sealed, everyone doomed" were rampant.

Faced with life and death versus curiosity, they all chose to finish the spectacle before dying.

It seemed like human nature.

But as soon as Xu Xiaoshou opened his mouth, he suppressed the chaotic buzz:

"How do you know that my whole body isn't as hard as my mouth, with nothing else?"

Xu Xiaoshou knew exactly where Feng Yu Jin's impression of him stopped—it was right before their parting in the Si Xiang Secret Realm.

And trying to use such words to damage him and benefit oneself? Now, it just seemed clumsy, not even stirring a ripple in his emotions.

Xu Xiaoshou smiled and added:

"How do you know that right now, I'm just one person?"

Oh, right, right, you alone can create thousands of avatars with that mouth of yours. You could summon ten thousand people in an instant, but what good would it do? Can it turn the tide against a Sheng Di heir?

This was the moment Feng Yu Jin decided not to twist Mo Mo's face to the skies.

But he really wanted to mock him: How could a mushroom know about the cycles of the moon, or a cicada grasp the seasons, or a frog at the bottom of a well imagine the disaster behind "Sheng Di heir"?

Yet, before he could speak...

The black-clad youth on the coffin, under everyone's gaze, slowly raised his hand. As his sleeve robe slid down, revealing his distinct, faintly glowing fingers, he snapped lightly.

"Pa."

The sound echoed crisply in everyone's hearts.

The next instant, raindrops pattered down, and brilliant Ao Yi Array Diagrams descended from the sky.

It had to be said, as the Great Elder of Tian Shang First Tower, Shui Gui was fully embodying the demeanor and style of a Great Elder.

And as the former supreme Ling Bu Great Demon King, famous even before the Ten Venerables, Shui Gui knew exactly how to make a grand entrance and build atmosphere.

He mastered the way of "masters speak little, and the world speaks for them." Stepping down on the Ao Yi Array Diagram, he adjusted the half-golden beast mask on his face and stood quietly behind the Feng Shen Coffin, not uttering a word.

The onlookers were stunned for a moment, then erupted:

"It's him, Shui Gui!"

"The one who dominated the Sky City round and tricked so many Ban Sheng from Sheng Shen Hall to their deaths!"

"This golden beast mask... I know him; I was there in Sky City. He put it on and turned from Yu Ling Di to Yu Mo, thrusting a halberd through Yan Wuse!"

The crowd's excitement peaked in an instant.

At one point, Feng Yu Jin really thought some big shot had arrived. After listening and watching for a while, he realized it was just a mere Ban Sheng.

Even if it was an Ao Yi Ban Sheng—still useless!

"Haha, Xu Xiao..."

Before he could mock, another Ao Yi Array Diagram unfolded in the sky.

This time, an old man entered, wearing a straw hat and ragged prison clothes. His body was charred and withered, like a burned corpse, but the terrifying power in his torso and arms was alarming.

"Wu Xiu!"

"That straw hat, those scorched hands... He must be the second-in-command of the Sheng Nu—no, the former second-in-command, Wu Xiu!"

"He's sealed as a saint? And an Ao Yi Ban Sheng at that?"

"No, wasn't he just an ordinary Tai Xu? How did he seal as a saint and grasp Ao Yi? He..."

The scene's spirit refiners were shocked, their thoughts diving into an unbelievable realm, shifting from the fight to reflections on spirit refining, completely derailing.

Feng Yu Jin was speechless.

Compared to Shui Gui's low profile in the Sheng Nu Nine Seats, the second-in-command Wu Xiu, even as a mere Tai Xu before, had a formidable reputation on Void Island's inner island.

Feng Yu Jin might dare to mock Shui Gui a bit, since he didn't know him well, but Wu Xiu? He was someone who dared to challenge Ba Zun An—better leave that alone.

Amid the buzzing crowd, Bai Zhou and Cen Qiao Fu also entered.

Relatively speaking, these two seemed quite ordinary. They had no idea why the Great Elder and Tower Master of Tian Shang First Tower were suddenly competing for attention and jealousy.

What's so impressive about an Ao Yi Array Diagram? There are already two here.

"Just this?"

Feng Yu Jin fell silent, but Yue Gong Li found it amusing inwardly.

If it was just these few, he had already prepared himself back on the Eighteenth Heaven.

Xu Xiaoshou was all thunder and no rain, ending up with helpers that were ultimately futile in the grand scheme.

The crowd turned back with similar thoughts, looking toward Shou Ye.

The black-clad youth on the Feng Shen Coffin waited over ten breaths after the saints entered, as if anticipating something.

Just as everyone waited expectantly, and even Xu Xiaoshou grew impatient—while Yue Gong Li thought that since his people had finished entering, he should call in his own forces and pull out his Dao Da Die to take control— a "whoosh" sounded.

Sand and stones flew, and everyone's hearts tensed with a vague sense, gazing toward the west.

"I come from the west."

A ethereal chant echoed from afar, rhythmic and full of emotion.

No grand entrance like the Ao Yi Ban Sheng, but not as understated as Cen Qiao Fu and Bai Zhou.

That figure with flowing long hair stood out in the yellow sand, his simple white robe exuding freedom. As he approached with steps that shrank the ground, one hand held a cup, the other a fan, singing and drinking as he went:

"I come from the west, drifting east with the flow."

"By day, I watch the common folk; at night, I share a bed with ghosts."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoshou on the Feng Shen Coffin stumbled, nearly falling, and bit back his words.

You're insane!

Don't you have your own lines?

Glancing back, in the swirling dust, the white-robed man singing and drinking became clearer yet more blurred as he neared.

He walked slowly, his Dao principles manifesting behind him—a great river flowing east, waters murmuring, time like arrows, with humans and ghosts as guests.

Suddenly, the scene shifted, turning eerie. A cool wind blew, shattering the image and sweeping it into the dimness under broken willows, where a candlestick swayed on a square table.

"Sizzle..."

The candle flame extinguished, and the hunched shadow under the willow shattered.

Yue Gong Li's heart skipped a beat—he had glimpsed the scene behind the screen and candles!

But that was a forbidden ground on Gui Zhe Sheng Mountain. Which one of Xu Xiaoshou's side had entered the screen and candles?

Before he could think more, the chant continued:

"A mayfly guesses my intent; a cool wind extinguishes the candle wax."

"Drunk on human waters, I awake as an immortal, just so."

As the deeply emotional voice faded, the white-robed man finally entered everyone's view.

He bent down to scoop a handful of moon from the water, then stood, smoothing his hair back to his waist, revealing his true face.

"The Eighth Sword Immortal!"

Screams erupted from the crowd.

No matter from the front, back, left, or right, when they looked up, that face was Ba Zun An.

Actually, from the moment "I come from the west" sounded, some had recalled the memory: back when the Eighth Sword Immortal fished at Yun Lun, drawing the world into Void Island and then retiring victoriously.

But when the man truly lifted his head, the shock in their hearts far exceeded what they saw now!

"Ah—"

A strange cry came from Mo Mo's body.

She flailed her limbs awkwardly, looking ridiculous.

Then, she tilted her neck, her expression strained as if a ghost were choking her and pulling her back, starting to "run backward"...

"How did Ba Zun An get here?"

Yue Gong Li's heart filled with great fear, his eyes nearly popping out.

What he saw wasn't just Ba Zun An. After decades, this guy had become so unsettling—he was smiling!

You're Ba Zun An; you have an image to maintain. Why are you smiling?

Fine, you're smiling, but with your mouth splitting to your skull, are you trying to scare my sister to death?

"Brother-in-law!"

Without thinking, Yue Gong Li leaped down from the Chong Yin Evil God's palm, letting out a mewling sound like a cat seeking affection, and rushed for a hug.

Halfway, he saw Ba Zun An grab his chin and flip his head up on his own.

"Gek?"

Yue Gong Li let out a chicken-like hiccup, his little heart stopping for a moment.

The crowd outside did the same.

Everyone hurriedly rubbed their eyes to confirm.

Oh, so Ba Zun An hadn't ripped off his head; he had just torn off that "smiling face mask" belonging to Ba Zun An, revealing the face beneath...

Yue Gong Li narrowed his eyes.

Then widened them.

Then his eyeballs nearly escaped!

"Dao Qiong Cang?!"

He shrieked.

After all that searching, here you are, delivered without effort.

I hadn't even called for you, and you've already figured out I would, you clever thing. Now you're coming to me on your own? Yue Gong Li was overjoyed!

—Yes, that face could only be the flashy old Daoist.

By now, hundreds had gathered around.

Among them, most from the Sheng Nu or Sheng Shen Hall recognized him at first glance:

"Dao Dianzhu?"

Those who didn't know rummaged through their Jin Shang Hang issued spirit crystal cards, comparing the sketchy portrait, and soon clutched their heads:

"It's really him!"

"How did Dao Dianzhu end up in the ruins?"

"Something this big, and I'm only hearing about it now... Oh, wait, it's normal I didn't know."

"Did Dao Dianzhu avoid the God's Fate Stars and hide himself?"

"Or maybe he's already collected eighteen God's Fate Stars and found a way to evade the Zhan Shen Guan ruins' lock."

"No, perhaps he's obtained the Ancestral God position and taken all the Zhan Shen Guan inheritance, so now he's surfacing."

"Definitely... No, more than that! His appearance means he has full confidence. Today, not only will God's ruins have Dao Dianzhu as the biggest winner, but even if the Sheng Nu's second, third, fourth... fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth hands show up, they'll all be captured!"

"But Dao Qiong Cang isn't Dao Dianzhu anymore; Xuan Ji Dianzhu is..."

"How dare you speak the holy name of my Dao Dianzhu!"

"Shut up; Sheng Shen Hall has no such sister... I mean, Dianzhu!"

On the Feng Shen Coffin, Xu Xiaoshou listened to the surrounding discussions from Wang Zuo, Zhan Dao, and others, his scalp tingling.

Never had anyone's reputation been like this!

Even after Dao Qiong Cang's outrageously flashy entrance, everyone moved past it?

All they discussed were his plans, his ideas, his... unfathomable depths!

Including his sister, who might or might not have backstabbed him or been set up, now caught in the bad press.

Dao Qiong Cang— just by standing there, it was as if he had schemed a thousand plots.

If he took two breaths of northwest wind, everyone would rack their brains wondering the deeper meaning.

If he squatted and farted, would they all think it was fragrant and could break through bottlenecks to seal as saints?

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. What kind of massive, silent brainwashing had this flashy guy done on the continent's spirit refiners?

Mo Mo... no, Feng Yu Jin returned, trembling with anger not far away, glaring at that fake Ba, real Dao, full of resentment.

Yue Gong Li had been genuinely scared earlier, but hearing the discussions, he remembered he needed something from Dao and that he was still Dao Qiong Cang, so he decided to play it soft to avoid future trouble.

I can get close to Ba Zun An.

But Dao Qiong Cang is my good brother!

Thinking this, Yue Gong Li stepped forward, fawning as he reached to pull Dao Qiong Cang's hand:

"Old Dao, don't you have your own style? Why use that eight-fingered waste's voice and words? You nearly scared me half to death..."

Dao Qiong Cang stepped back half a pace, smiling faintly:

"Too lazy to think of any."

Yue Gong Li grabbed at empty air, looking at Dao Qiong Cang, now a few steps away, his smile seeming strangely distant. Yue Gong Li was momentarily stunned, then laughed it off. "Ha, haha."

This is my brother!

Brother, you know?

Not just sharing underwear, we grew up in the same pants, through thick and thin!

Him stepping back—is that rejecting affection?

No, it's got deeper meaning. He's just like that: dirty!

The basic understanding is he doesn't want to ruin his flashy but upright image in public.

My brother, right? How could he harm me?

Yue Gong Li, after having his warm face met with a cold butt, decided to keep trying:

"Qiong Cang brother, honestly, Xu Xiaoshou's side just brought four Ban Sheng, two with Ao Yi, and it scared me witless."

"Luckily, luckily, you arrived in time to save me. You don't know, Hua Yuan's been out of practice; he got sealed by a little girl the moment they met..."

He reached out to drape an arm over Dao Qiong Cang's shoulder.

This move would show the world our closeness without causing misunderstandings—ironclad proof of brotherhood.

But Yue Gong Li advanced two steps, arm out, and missed.

Because Dao Qiong Cang retreated three steps.

"Gek!"

Under everyone's eyes, Yue Gong Li hiccuped again, his handsome face tinged with awkwardness.

He chuckled, shifted his weight, and leaned in, pretending to brush non-existent dust from Dao Qiong Cang's sleeve:

"Dirty, haha."

He brushed at nothing; Dao Qiong Cang stepped back again.

Now, Yue Gong Li's hand froze in mid-air, his body stiffening completely.

"Old brother, why..."

Before he finished, a light call came from the Feng Shen Coffin:

"Dao Qiong Cang!"

Everyone turned, looking toward Shou Ye.

The black-clad youth sneered at Dao Dianzhu, staring for a while before shaking his head and saying:

"My Dao, are you defecting? Why are you so far from me and so close to that Yue fox?"

Yue Gong Li, half-turned, perked up an ear and burst out laughing:

"My... Dao?"

He covered his mouth, chuckling, pointed at Xu Xiaoshou, and slapped his thigh in glee: "What did you call him?"

He turned, pointing at Dao Qiong Cang: "Hahaha, Old Dao brother, did you hear what he called you?"

"I heard."

Dao Qiong Cang nodded, walking past him and snapping the pointing finger, his calm voice spreading gently:

"My Xu, don't be hasty."

"Meals are eaten one bite at a time, paths walked one step at a time, and I will come to your side, to scheme for you."

Dead silence fell over the scene!

Only Xu Xiaoshou's face showed a relaxed expression.

Yue Gong Li clutched his bleeding broken finger, lifted his left knee, hunched over, and hopped around like an injured little fox.

He trembled uncontrollably, the phrases "my Dao," "my Xu," "my Dao, oh my Xu" echoing endlessly in his mind, turning into demonic blades that killed and revived him repeatedly.

His world shattered, his eyes bulged, he clutched his head, hissing in pain, and finally roared at that distant, flashy figure:

"Dao Ni Tian, you rebel, what are you trying to do!"