Chapter 1671: Gazing at the Holy Mountain, All Are Common Soldiers; The Ground Full of Half-Saints, Light as Goose Feathers

"Grandpa Shou Returns!"

These simple four words, like a plague, rapidly spread throughout the Spirit Cultivation world across the Five Domains. Everyone rushed to the nearest Preaching Mirrors, surrounding the spectator stands in each region and causing an immense sensation.

And why not? By now, after a month of the intense Seven Sword Immortals' battles, even reclusive old Spirit Cultivators had heard whispers of the new Seven Sword Immortals list. People had been fiercely competing, battling with great enthusiasm. Yet, for all this time, no one had been able to shake the position of Grandpa Shou, who had claimed the top spot shortly after the list was announced.

"The First Sword Immortal!" How weighty these four words were! Previously, the "Eighth Sword Immortal" hadn't even been on the official list, merely recognized in the Eastern Domain, yet it had caused severe continental upheaval and reshaped the landscape for the next three decades. This time, the Seven Sword Immortals were directly ranked. Under such circumstances, someone had defended the top position for so long with only three battles. It could be said that his achievement was 100% genuine, almost entirely untainted by any exaggeration!

The most crucial point was… if one were to delve into "Grandpa Shou," they would discover that "The First Sword Immortal" was merely one of his many titles, not the sum of his identity. Even before earning the title of Sword Immortal, "Grandpa Shou" had, as the foremost figure among the younger generation, defied all opposition to claim the position of second-in-command of the overlord-level dark force, the Holy Servants. Ba Zun'an, the Holy Servants' Chief, was his backer. Lei Xi'er, the last orphan of the Lei family, was his junior sister. Sang Qiye, one of the Four Scions of the Holy Palace, was his master. He had battled Gou Wuyue, the White-Clothed Dao Master, in the Eight Palaces; slain Rao Yaoyao, the Red-Clothed Dao Master, on Void Island; personally torn apart the Saint Emperor Qilin associated with Bei Huai; formed a contract with the Holy Beast Gluttonous God of the Xu Yue Gray Palace; and even became one of the "Four Divine Pillars," the mainstays of the Ghost Beasts within Void Island's inner sanctum.

And there was so much more! Compared to all this, the title of "The First Sword Immortal," which had caused the continent to boil with excitement and fierce competition for so long, yet remained unclaimed by others, was perhaps the most insignificant of his many accolades. Ultimately, all these scattered threads of his past could be traced back to a single common denominator: Grandpa Shou was the antithesis of the Holy Divine Palace!

The Holy Divine Palace represented justice and the will of ninety-nine percent of the Saint Divine Continent. From this perspective, it was no exaggeration to say that Xu Xiaoshou stood against the entire world.

"How could a young man barely in his twenties have more experience than us old relics?" The reclusive Half-Saints, self-imprisoned across the Five Domains, had initially scoffed at the idea of a great era approaching. However, after researching Xu Xiaoshou's rise to prominence, they all felt a resurgence of youth, with hot blood secretly stirring, eager to act.

Under such a string of "anomalous" achievements, even Ba Zun'an, known for being a "先天 in three breaths and a Sword Immortal in three years," seemed to pale in comparison. Who wouldn't be filled with anticipation? The Ten Revered Seats were renowned! But it didn't matter if one hadn't witnessed the emergence of the nine great prodigies of the last Ten Revered Seats. This time, the entire continent had their eyes wide open, daring not to miss this opportunity, waiting with bated breath.

Everyone wanted to see whether Grandpa Shou, who had dominated an entire generation, would fall under Emperor Cang Sheng's arrows, or continue his undefeated path, suppressing the entire Holy Mountain, and even ascending the Heavenly Staircase.

"Holy Servants, Holy Servants...""Even Half-Saints must imprison themselves; who among us is not born a holy servant?""If Xu Xiaoshou can tear open a corner of this Saint Divine Continent's cage, defying destiny and changing his fate, why should it be impossible?!"

"Impudent!""What an arrogant brat! Quickly release the North Sword Immortal and surrender obediently!""First, you used another's hand to kill, playing old Qiu for a fool, then you detained the Feng family descendant to preach to him alone... Xu, do you truly believe you are some favored child of destiny, able to defy fate and overturn the heavens, to suppress the entire Holy Mountain by yourself?"

In stark contrast to the relaxed mood of the many onlookers before the Preaching Mirrors outside, on Holy Mountain, once the initial shock of the otherworldly scene passed, and they realized who Grandpa Shou was and what he intended, the Half-Saints of the external aid faction were fuming, their beards bristling and eyes glaring. Qin Duan, a white-haired elder just over three hundred years old, a hot-blooded veteran still eager to achieve great deeds, instantly pulled out a menacing Red Lion Head Halberd. His tiger-like eyes snapped open as he pointed it from afar:

"Xu Xiaoshou, I, this Saint, will count down from ten!""Immediately release the two individuals in your hands, and I will grant you an honorable opportunity to face me in battle and meet your death!"

As soon as he declared "I, this Saint," a clamor erupted among the Spirit Cultivators gathered before the Preaching Mirrors across the Five Domains.

What? A Half-Saint? It was actually a Half-Saint expert! It was widely known that the Supreme Void realm was the peak of continental combat power in most people's minds—a realm that one could realistically hope to reach with diligent effort. Historically, regarding the concept of "Half-Saint," ordinary Spirit Cultivators didn't even know which specific Saint each Half-Saint family revered. They might barely know figures like Dao Qiongcang, the Palace Master, or Ai Cangsheng, one of the Three Emperors, but they couldn't even recall the full names of Zhong Yuanzi or Fang Wenxin. And now, this elder, who held a spear and declared himself "this Saint," was someone the world had never heard of. Yet, with a single glance, even through a Preaching Mirror, one could feel his aura soaring to the heavens, his power capable of piercing the sky, truly irresistible!

And such "Saints"... there was a whole line of them standing proudly on the left side of Holy Mountain, and another line looking dejected on the right, truly an eye-opener. Compared to him, compared to them, though Grandpa Shou's title included "Grandpa" and his demeanor was certainly unconstrained, high above the clouds, his aura, from a distance, appeared as calm as still water. If one were to try and discern anything more from him...

Feng Zhongzui understood what everyone was thinking, so after hearing Qin Duan's words, he aimed the Preaching Mirror at Grandpa Shou. However, apart from being handsome, this guy seemed utterly unremarkable at first glance!

"Is this a return to simplicity?""Grandpa Shou can't seem to be measured by Spirit Cultivation realms, but he probably only has Half-Saint battle power, right?""When he tore apart the Qilin, I heard the Qilin was supposedly on its last legs, its power drained by the Four Symbols Secret Realm...""Didn't all the Half-Saints who entered the God-Slaying Official's ruins die? Even if Xu Xiaoshou managed to survive this time, he must be riddled with injuries, right? He's definitely faking it!""Where does he get the courage to face more than ten Saints alone? Isn't this pure blasphemy?""Remember, a Saint must not be insulted!""Well said, Elder Qin, get him!"

"Under observation, Passive Points, 9999.""Receiving aversion, Passive Points, 9999.""Receiving admiration, Passive Points, 9999."

Grandpa Shou, now the world's focus through the Preaching Mirror, seemed deaf to the commotion. Qin Duan had already counted five, yet Grandpa Shou continued to feign ignorance, not uttering a single word, merely smiling with a crooked mouth.

His smile contained three parts indifference, three parts mockery, and four parts nonchalance, as if meticulously practiced. The sheer roguishness emanating from his very soul caused the wanted criminals and devoted disciples of the Southern Domain's Sinful Land to burst into curses, temporarily switching from Grandpa Shou's side to that of the Holy Divine Palace. Supporting justice was everyone's duty.

Just as Qin Duan's aged face turned as dark as ink, and his countdown reached "one," as he finished building momentum and was about to erupt, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly let out a soft laugh, slightly raised his hand, and beckoned with two fingers. Feng Zhongzui was instantly pulled closer. The Preaching Mirror gave Grandpa Shou a close-up side profile, transmitting his disdainful gaze towards the minor Half-Saints equally to everyone before the Preaching Mirrors across the Five Domains: "And you are, sir?"

Qin Duan, holding the Red Lion Head Halberd, was about to charge. Seeing Feng Zhongzui's Preaching Mirror cut to the scene at the opportune moment, he raised an eyebrow, straightened his posture, and boomed into the air with full vigor: "Qin Duan, Half-Saint of the Qin family from Xiama, Northern Domain!"

Indeed, if this were a private, personal battle, Qin Duan would never have given Xu Xiaoshou ten breaths. To cultivate to Half-Saint, one's reputation was often secondary; Qin Duan would resort to deception, ambush, or assassination—anything to achieve his goal. But not now! Xu Xiaoshou held the advantage of timing. He commanded Feng Zhongzui and controlled the Preaching Mirror, a single person capable of manipulating continental public opinion. This current battle was destined to be recorded in history and celebrated across the Five Domains. Qin Duan might be shameless, but the Xiama Qin family could not afford to be, at least not in front of the world.

What was the purpose of battling Xu Xiaoshou? Naturally, it was for fame, for profit, and for the moral high ground of righteousness and integrity! If he were to attack while Xu Xiaoshou was speaking, even if he had counted down beforehand, and the Preaching Mirror broadcasted it, the Qin family would be seen as winning unfairly and be scorned by the world. However, by announcing his full name and family, when the Holy Divine Palace inevitably achieved victory, Qin Duan would be the foremost contributor, and the Qin family would gain immense favor. With various rewards, would the clan still fear not being able to cultivate a third Half-Saint after Qin Duan and Qin Guan? Perhaps, they might even directly join the Ten-Member Council, which was highly probable!

"Qin... Duan..." Xu Xiaoshou murmured to himself, his gaze casually sweeping across the entire scene, then he chuckled. It was hilarious! Truly absurd! He had merely tested the waters, never expecting such outstanding results. With the Preaching Mirror, which held absolute control over all reputation-conscious individuals in the world, Xu Xiaoshou no longer needed to guide or scheme. Feng Zhongzui alone could rival Dao Qiongcang's thirty million Heavenly Seer Lions; the deterrent power was maximized indefinitely! Xu Xiaoshou had no interest in learning about Qin Duan, whatever kind of minor Half-Saint he was. His interest lay in the rapidly accumulating Passive Points he gained as the other party counted down. And since this was not the main opponent, his gaze quickly bypassed "that Qin fellow" and turned towards Ai Cangsheng in the wheelchair.

Without any unnecessary movements, Xu Xiaoshou's gaze swept over the numerous minor Half-Saints on the square before he dared to speak: "Ai Gou, is this your trump card?"

The Five Domains immediately erupted. Preaching Mirrors across the regions nearly shattered from the roaring waves of sound. What did Grandpa Shou just say? Was he truly determined to shock everyone to death with his words? He dared to call Emperor Cang Sheng... Ai Gou?

"What a wonderful nickname!""I unilaterally declare that from today onwards, the 'Most Arrogant in the World' title no longer belongs to that good-for-nothing Eight-Fingered Cripple, but to Grandpa Shou alone!""Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! The venerable patriarch of the Xiama Qin family was directly ignored by Grandpa Shou. Is he really not afraid of the Braised Lion Head Halberd? That's an ancient relic artifact!""Look, look! Ai Gou hasn't even spoken, and Qin Duan... uh, Elder Qin's face has turned black. I really want to be there to watch! How can they not fight after this?"

Impudent! So incredibly impudent! Qin Duan's beard nearly snapped off from the sheer rage. Xu Xiaoshou's blatant disregard truly inflamed his fury. A mere brat in his twenties, not even a fraction of his age, dared to show such disrespect. Who gave him such courage?

"Die, for this Saint!" The Red Lion Head Halberd flipped in his palm, its tip glowing brightly. A surge of murderous aura enveloped Qin Duan, causing red light to burst around him. He bent a knee, dropped an elbow, and glared with tiger-like eyes, at which point an earth-shattering lion's roar echoed. "Blood Punishment Halberd!" Blood-red light soared to the sky, and murderous intent even dyed half the heavens. The Red Lion Head Halberd flashed, striking straight towards Xu Xiaoshou's forehead with crushing force, as if to shatter his skull with a single blow.

"What ferocious aura!" The crowd before the Preaching Mirrors held their breath. Everyone wanted to see if the renowned young man could withstand the first challenge from the Half-Saint level old veteran.

Grandpa Shou merely shifted his gaze. He, the First Sword Immortal, did not draw his sword. He, who had torn apart a Qilin, did not raise a hand. The scene captured by the Preaching Mirror showed the arrogant young man, whose nose had already touched the halberd's gleam, remaining completely unperturbed, calmly curling his lips and uttering words like pearls: "Old dog, begone!"

At this instant, whether on the battlefield of Holy Mountain or among the people of the Five Domains watching through the Preaching Mirrors, everyone's heart sank. Time seemed to freeze... Space seemed to warp... Time *did* stop! Space *was* fixed!

Feng Zhongzui, holding the Preaching Mirror, saw the situation clearer than anyone. He witnessed with his own eyes that at that very moment, as Grandpa Shou's gaze shifted, even the drifting osmanthus flowers on the entire Holy Mountain plaza froze in mid-air. Everyone ceased their movements, stopped their breathing. Half-Saint Qin Duan's skull-shattering halberd strike halted directly before Grandpa Shou, who remained still with a cold sneer, a chilling glint in his eyes... This was the final image!

Feng Zhongzui continued to hold the mirror, slowly circling the two. The world was still, only I moved; this feeling was too wonderful, as if I were the destined protagonist! After leisurely completing a circle, Feng Zhongzui was quickly startled awake—he was pulled back into the spatial sphere, forced to give Grandpa Shou an eye-level close-up...

"Boom!" A strange yet brilliant image of the Dao of Intent flashed and vanished. Dazzling silver sword intent surged abruptly from Grandpa Shou's eyes. Instantly, a heavy aura, like a giant pressing down, exploded from his gaze, sweeping in all directions. That terrifying aura shattered the time-space freeze, forced Feng Zhongzui back, and compelled the Preaching Mirror to pull back to a full shot, encompassing Qin Duan within the frame...

"Clap, clap, clap, bang, clang!""Rip!"

After his defensive spiritual artifacts shattered, another sharp sound followed as Qin Duan's clothes ripped into shreds. The old man didn't even have time for terror to register in his eyes. Intersecting cracks appeared on the skin of his halberd-holding hand, and blood instantly splattered. Immediately, his entire naked body was smashed inward by the boundless aura contained within that single gaze, as if struck by a heavy hammer to the chest, sending him hurtling backward.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!" The R-rated image of the elderly naked body lasted only a blink of an eye in the Preaching Mirrors of the Five Domains, yet it defiled the viewers' minds. Qin Duan, with bones fractured throughout his body, couldn't even let out a scream or utter a plea for repentance. He was blasted from the front mountain plaza, through the Sacred Heaven Hall, past the back mountain grotto-heaven, and finally slammed against the protective spiritual array of Mount Gui Zhe with a thud.

"Oh, my..." It happened too quickly for Feng Zhongzui to even finish his astonished cry. Suddenly, the spatial sphere that contained him lifted again, pulling him high into the sky once more. After spinning twice, his body stopped, and the Preaching Mirror displayed a bird's-eye view of Mount Gui Zhe... The world fell silent again.

This time, the mirror showed tens of thousands of Spirit Cultivators at the mountain's waist and foot, standing within the spiritual array points, completely engrossed in watching the battle, oblivious to the impending disaster. "No way?" Feng Zhongzui's pupils dilated as he watched the protective mountain array transform from invisible to visible, then slowly ripple with waves, which then converged into a tsunami-like surge, twisting and changing. He had just gasped in disbelief when, in the next breath...

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!" The great protective mountain array was directly pierced by the residual force of that single gaze. From the waist to the foot of Mount Gui Zhe, blood light and lightning streaked across, as countless individuals were blasted away by the array's backlash, vividly demonstrating what it meant to be "scattered in disarray"!

"Gasp!" The people before the Preaching Mirrors collectively recoiled, their hearts nearly stopping from the shock of the power and force contained within that single gaze, even from afar. In contrast, the roar of the Holy Mountain's explosion, after pushing a massive mushroom cloud towards the sky, left behind only a deathly silence across the entire mountain.

"Gulp." Feng Zhongzui swallowed hard. He finally understood completely: he was merely a bipedal human tripod for the Preaching Mirror. From filming techniques, to geometric framing, to pacing and rhythm, to switching between wide shots and close-ups... Grandpa Shou had his own vision and absolutely no need for outside interference!

So, what use did he still have? Without value, wouldn't he just be a disposable pawn for Grandpa Shou? After sensing the deathly silence across the entire scene and catching a glimpse of Grandpa Shou's nonchalant expression, Feng Zhongzui quickly realized. He could still serve one purpose: providing emotional value!

Feng Zhongzui snatched the Preaching Mirror back, aimed it at himself, and began to yell with a distorted face, as if tearing his heart out: "Sword Intent!" "The profound mystery of the Dao of Intent!" "This is the perfect fusion of ancient sword arts and Penetrating Spirit Sense, the new oppressive type of Penetrating Spirit Sense that Cao Erzhu spoke of, another entirely new cultivation path that Grandpa Shou is demonstrating!" "This is history, a milestone, and it will undoubtedly be another epoch-making feat!"

"What exactly happened just now? Didn't see clearly? No problem! Let's take a look at the replay..." Feng Zhongzui desperately wanted to see the replay. He manipulated the mirror, immediately showing the details. After confirming that it was indeed a combination of Sword Intent and Spirit Cultivation profound mystery, he clapped a hand to his forehead, shouting in disbelief again: "How exquisitely brilliant is this!"

"With one glance, Grandpa Shou shattered Elder Qin's clothes, gravely wounded him, blasted him off the battlefield, and simultaneously, the residual force broke through the Holy Mountain's grand array, giving the Holy Divine Palace a direct show of dominance?" "He is utterly lawless, unrivaled even by Saints!" "The Holy Servants are like this, the First Tower in Heaven is like this, and Grandpa Shou is so powerful... Now, Ai Gou... ah, no! Emperor Cang Sheng, how will he possibly respond?"

Despite saying all this, Feng Zhongzui knew where he stood and whom he should speak for, act for, and promote. He understood ancient sword cultivators too well! He knew that if you didn't show off after a fight, it was almost as if you hadn't fought at all. Carrying the Preaching Mirror, he was about to rush to Grandpa Shou, to give him a moment to speak...

Feng Zhongzui was directly pulled by the spatial sphere behind Grandpa Shou. He immediately knew he had crossed a line; his preaching talent had no chance to be displayed before Grandpa Shou. He could only barely capture Grandpa Shou's back, which wasn't good... So Feng Zhongzui adjusted his position, bringing the small figure of Ai Cangsheng in the wheelchair into the shot, wanting to observe his micro-expressions.

Before he could see anything, the essence suddenly changed! The world abruptly darkened, a silver moon formed in the high sky, and a lonely tower rose from the void. Grandpa Shou, now clad in black robes, stood coldly atop the solitary tower, the hem of his black attire fluttering in the wind. With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed down at the entire scene with an inscrutable First Sword Immortal demeanor—a demeanor Bei Bei had always yearned to achieve but never once succeeded—and shook his head with a light sigh: "Ai Gou, if this is all you have, I am very disappointed in you."