Chapter 1686: Unfathomable as Gods and Ghosts Drunk in the Wind; Tactical Betrayal by the Sword Immortal of the North

"Dead, he's dead?"

Everyone in front of the Five Domains Communication Mirror was stunned by this sudden, major turn of events. In just a moment of inattention, while Grandmaster Shou in the Southern Domain was still speaking, Grandmaster Shou on the Holy Mountain was shattered by Emperor Lovesky's arrow?

"That fast?""Impossible, he even enlarged himself!""I think Grandmaster Shou revealed a weakness... He's trying to use a trick to make this fake body disappear. There must be a deeper meaning behind his actions!""I, an old man, beg to differ. If you young people had witnessed the battle of the Ten Revered Sages, you wouldn't be saying such things."

"What do you mean?""Revealing a weakness is based on the premise that both sides have comparable strength and neither greatly exceeds the other. Once there's a vast disparity in power, or if both sides' attacks are overwhelmingly strong, whoever reveals a weakness first, whether intentionally or unintentionally, will die if the opportunity is seized."

"In that case, I did remotely witness the God-Love War at the Extermination Deity Official's ruins. It was an overwhelming torrent of arrows, impenetrable, completely different from the current intensity. After all, Emperor Lovesky had to consider the lives of the Central Domain... And at that time, even a powerful figure like God Yi didn't dare to 'reveal a weakness'.""Exactly, revealing a weakness is equivalent to giving up the first move, and whoever gives it up will die."

"So, it seems Grandmaster Shou..."Everyone looked towards Grandmaster Shou in the Southern Domain's communication mirror, seeing his stunned expression, as if he too had been bewildered by that arrow. If it were anyone else, people could immediately discern something from their reaction. But this was Grandmaster Shou! His inscrutability was almost on par with the Dao Lord. Who knew if he was genuinely terrified or just feigning it?

"Jin Ren, dead again?"In reality, Xu Xiaoshou's first reaction at that moment was truly hard to suppress. He was genuinely shocked by the Broken Wing Arrow. It wasn't a deliberate design. It wasn't anything else. It was purely being instantly killed the moment he appeared!

Just how fast was that arrow? It was so fast that Jin Ren could only instinctively use a few of his main body's commonly used, life-saving techniques like "Extreme Giant," "Godly Agility Moment," and "Isolated from the World," before it was over. Other abilities like "Immovable Guardian," "Instant Ascent," "Disappearing Art"... He couldn't even use them; they were all interrupted by the permeating power of the Evil God. Finally, he was struck by the strongest arrow from the sky, dying instantly without even the "life review" and "leaving a last message" moments he was most skilled at in his previous lives. Soul and consciousness, all wiped out! Decisive, fluid, smooth!

"Gulp."Xu Xiaoshou swallowed, and Li Fugui's voice echoed in his mind once again. The fully formed Ten Revered Sages... And unlike Dao Qiongcang, who relied on intellect, or Kui Leihan and Ba Zun'an, whose combat power was limited. This particular type, he had never seen before.

He had actually seen it! Didn't that small half of the Holy Mountain, shattered by an arrow, resemble the crumbled body of Su Yin, similarly devastated by God Yi's Overlord Cudgel?"This output...""This speed..."

Was it because the reaction of the Transcendent Dao Intent Disc was not fast enough, or because the passive enhancements from all the passive skills after the first and second awakenings were not strong enough? Neither! The fault was not with Jin Ren. The root of the problem lay in Lovesky's combat awareness.

"From the very beginning, this guy wasn't targeting me in the Southern Domain, but Jin Ren.""He had already grasped Jin Ren's 'habit' of activating 'Isolated from the World,' found a weakness, and then shattered him in one swift move?"

How could an arrow that could turn mid-flight not have been premeditated? Xu Xiaoshou no longer dared to assume that Aigou's arrows couldn't hit people. In previous battles, his understanding of a master's combat awareness was limited to everyone having fast reaction speeds. Even Dao Qiongcang didn't transcend this; he relied on calculations and schemes to solve problems. But with Lovesky, Xu Xiaoshou discovered that combat awareness wasn't just about reaction speed. Even the habit of using spirit abilities, once exposed, could be fatal?!

"I got careless...""No, Jin Ren got careless. He didn't even have the Shattered Jun Shield. How dared he lower his guard?"Xu Xiaoshou carefully replayed the events and realized that Jin Ren's death was deserved, but it was also valuable, at least serving as a warning to himself. Previously, he had decided not to confront Lovesky directly. But now he realized that even if he didn't intend to face him, would Lovesky necessarily refrain from forcing a confrontation with him? If they truly had no choice but to meet, Lovesky knew him inside out, but what about himself? Aside from the Evil Sin Bow, he knew nothing about Lovesky's fighting style, cultivation techniques, habits, or anything else!

"Whose guidance is this?"Xu Xiaoshou was a bit startled. Was it the guidance of arrogance? Equating it to God Yi's Overlord Cudgel, he didn't have much confidence in withstanding it; it would depend on whether his shield artifact was effective. Given this, how could he underestimate Lovesky, who could initiate a God-Love War?

Xu Xiaoshou quickly messaged Li Fugui, asking for detailed information about Aigou, mainly wanting to know if Aigou knew battle amplification methods like the Six Paths or Four Abandonments. At the same time, he used Spirit Link to contact Dao Qiongcang, unhesitantly requesting a brief report on Lovesky's information, though he wasn't sure if he'd get it. However, he couldn't show fear, and the plan still had to proceed.

He collected himself, blinked, tapped the mirror, and addressed the people of the Five Domains:"Impressive, Aigou, you've somewhat exceeded my expectations... No, the current you now fits my conception of a Revered Sage's frontal combat power.""I must mention, you looked truly pathetic when you couldn't hit me before; I even had to provide you with a weakness.""But is this all I am? Is this merely it?"

Xu Xiaoshou turned around, his back to the mirror, and gestured towards Huifang Peak, as if facing Gui Zhe Holy Mountain:"Even if your arrow could shatter half a holy mountain, you only killed an insignificant clone of mine.""And I..."He paused, then turned back, held up two fingers to the camera, and slowly formed a hand seal:"Art: Dreamfall Three Thousand."

Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo...Within the small world where the Xu Yue Grey Palace was located, tens of thousands of divine lights rained down. As the light faded, they transformed into tens of thousands of Xu Xiaoshous. A single person multiplied into thousands, making it impossible to discern whether his art was righteous or evil! At this moment, the Five Domains held their breath, feeling as though the ridiculous legend had suddenly materialized.

"Go."Grandmaster Shou in the mirror waved his hand, and the tens of thousands of Xu Xiaoshous cheered, some riding swords, some flying on cranes, scattering in all directions. Grandmaster Shou turned his head. At this moment, no one could be certain that the Grandmaster Shou still speaking in front of the mirror was the true Grandmaster Shou.

He smiled broadly, a cunning smile:"And I can still embody thousands.""Even if you, Lovesky, personally rush to the Southern Domain, can you possibly shoot all of these?"

"No!"Grandmaster Shou's challenge from the Southern Domain hadn't yet reached them. Upon hearing that Lovesky was heading to the Southern Domain, all the Half-Saints in the square panicked. The disheartened faction, led by Zhong Yuanzi, no longer looked downcast; every single one of them spoke out to dissuade him.

"Lovesky, Plan Sixteen is underway; we can only retreat to the Dead Sea.""If you choose to go alone to the Southern Domain in the middle of the plan, you will fall for Xu Xiaoshou's devious scheme.""Don't let him succeed!"

The proud and confident faction, led by Qin Duan, who was famous for previously calling him "Aigou" and was merely pointed at by the Evil Sin Bow without being killed, now nodded in agreement like chickens pecking rice:"Lord Lovesky, please think twice before acting!""You should know that Xu Xiaoshou's body was offered for you to kill, precisely to create the illusion that 'I'm ready' for you, thereby luring you away from the mountain.""If the Holy Mountain loses your presence, how can a few of us possibly deal with that Xu Xiaoshou?"

Rough words, but sound reasoning. Lovesky naturally knew all this. However, he remained indifferent to the admonishments from the crowd in the square. He still sat upright in his wheelchair, his Grand Dao Eye gazing towards the Southern Domain, fixed on the tens of thousands of Xu Xiaoshous summoned by that "Dreamfall Three Thousand," which was clearly not the Art Ancestor's technique.

"Fake..."He seemed already able to distinguish Xu Xiaoshou's true body, fake body, and clones. The true body was fearless because he possessed many trump cards, and even if he miscalculated, he could probably withstand the Broken Wing Arrow. The fake body lacked ancestral power and other spiritual artifacts; it hadn't even revealed one of the Four Swords or Yan Mang before dying, thus its vigilance would be higher. The clones were simply too "thin"; against the Grand Dao Eye... Even Dao Qiongcang's Situ Yongren, Lovesky could instantly see were all technical traces, making the other party beg him not to spread it around. Xu Xiaoshou's clones, with a glance, were similarly easily seen to be entirely pieced together from Dao principles, all "drawn" out. They might fool others, perhaps even Half-Saints, but they couldn't deceive the Lei Family's Pupils.

Lovesky stared intently at the original Xu Xiaoshou, the one still standing in front of the communication mirror, seemingly waiting for him to come and fight. The Grand Dao Eye could see through the Grand Dao, but it could not see through the human heart. Yes, Lovesky couldn't be certain whether Xu Xiaoshou had used another external avatar, but this time, having learned his lesson, he was acting calm, pretending to be his true self, waiting for him.But... Was there a choice?

Lovesky didn't even turn his head, speaking in a deep voice:"I said, cut off the Grand Dao connection to the Five Domains and banish the Southern Domain. Didn't you hear?"The square fell silent. Everyone suddenly realized that all those who became Lords were stubborn, just in different ways.

The Dao Lord's stubbornness was indirect, making everyone willingly comply with the plan he wished to choose. The Xuanji Lord's stubbornness was direct; come what may, he simply wanted to fight, he could not tolerate it. Emperor Lovesky's stubbornness was born from capability; externally, his decisions seemed no different from the Xuanji Lord's, but fundamentally, they were vastly different. He possessed the confidence and strength to be stubborn.

"But look behind you, Emperor Lovesky, if you'd just turn around and look at us, the people behind you, we don't believe you could remain so oblivious..."Qin Duan gritted his teeth, cupped his hands, and spoke again: "Emperor Lovesky, please prioritize the common people, do not go south!"

Lovesky completely ignored the Half-Saint. Qin Duan gritted his teeth again: "Or, if you truly must go, we will all rush to the Southern Domain together and besiege Xu Xiaoshou."If it weren't for the bad optics of publicly killing his own people, Lovesky would have truly wanted to smash that idiot's head with his bow. He called out by name:"Lord Jiujie, are you deaf?"

Repeatedly ignored, humiliation flashed across Half-Saint Qin Duan's face, but he dared not speak further, only silently retreating. Divine Envoy Jiujie had intended to hide, but now that he was called out by name and was the center of attention, a conflicted expression appeared on his face. Lovesky's reasoning was easy to understand. Cutting off the Five Domains' Dao connection and banishing the Southern Domain was ultimately to prevent Xu Xiaoshou, who was currently in the Southern Domain, from escaping it by any means, such as spatial teleportation.

On this basis, Lovesky, personally rushing to the Southern Domain, was determined to bury or seal Xu Xiaoshou within that domain, even risking the dire outcome of destroying the entire Sinful Land. However, there were too many flaws! Using the Southern Domain's Sinful Land as a battlefield was certainly better than using the Central Domain's Holy Divine Palace, but were the only ones living in the Sinful Land criminals? Were they born to die?

Stepping back, even if you, little Lovesky, were prepared to sacrifice a whole domain, could Xu Xiaoshou truly not escape the Southern Domain? Was it possible that he was currently in the Central Domain, and the one in front of the Southern Domain's communication mirror was just a fake body, merely a bait waiting for you to go there?

"Once Emperor Lovesky goes to the Southern Domain, Xu Xiaoshou's true body will undoubtedly return to the Holy Mountain. At that point, it will be a wolf entering a sheepfold, and he will decide who lives or dies!"The fact that the Spirit Refiners in front of the Five Domains Communication Mirror could clearly see, why couldn't you, little Lovesky, understand it? Were you guided?

Divine Envoy Jiujie, however, knew that even if she were guided, little Lovesky couldn't possibly be so muddled. She asked:"Why?"The square fell silent once more. Everyone listened intently, eager to see whether Emperor Lovesky had gone mad or had been driven foolish by Xu Xiaoshou's provocations, to make such a decision.

Yet, Emperor Lovesky, from his wheelchair, unexpectedly changed the subject, mentioning another name that no one had considered:"Because of Dao Qiongcang.""The Dao Lord?"

From far away in the sky, Drunken Wind, who had witnessed Grandmaster Shou's death and lost his protection, no longer dared to be too presumptuous in his broadcasting. He now stood on his spirit sword, flying in the distant sky outside the Holy Mountain, not daring to approach, only using the communication mirror to zoom in on the scene, similar to Feng Tiantian in the Southern Domain broadcasting from across the Misty Forest. The discussions among the people on the Holy Mountain were not concealed and were clearly audible. Just as Grandmaster Shou used an overt scheme to force Lovesky to leave Gui Zhe Holy Mountain, the discussion on Gui Zhe Holy Mountain also became very open due to Emperor Lovesky's obstinacy.

Seeing that no one was bothering him, and adhering to the principle of "every extra breath is a gain," Drunken Wind did not stop voicing his insights:"The Dao Lord, huh...""Emperor Lovesky has indeed proposed an idea I hadn't considered before..."In front of the Five Domains Communication Mirror, everyone eagerly waited.

Everyone expressed confusion over Emperor Lovesky's choice; it clearly seemed like a trap, yet he insisted on leaping into it. With a single draw of your bow, you want the entire Southern Domain to be buried with Xu Xiaoshou. Have you considered the feelings of the Southern Domain, or the feelings of us who are currently watching the battle from there? And now, Drunken Wind, you understand this stubborn fool? Come! Tell us!

Drunken Wind truly dared to speak, frowning as he began:"Let's put ourselves in Emperor Lovesky's perspective. Is Grandmaster Shou terrifying? Not at all, he's merely a junior!""Who does Emperor Lovesky truly fear? The other Ten Revered Sages, nothing more!""Among them, the Dao Lord has been by my side for over thirty years. Others may not understand him, but can I, Lovesky, not understand him?"

As soon as he spoke, the people in front of the communication mirror understood. What Emperor Lovesky primarily feared was that Xu Xiaoshou had already teamed up with the Dao Lord!"Was Grandmaster Shou's earlier 'mountain without ridges' claim truly baseless? At least as Lord Lovesky, I cannot gamble on that."

"Therefore, he could only consider it as 'exaggeration,' and in such a situation, with the Dao Lord behind Grandmaster Shou offering strategies... how terrifying would that be?""Grandmaster Shou alone is cunning enough; add a Dao Lord, and who would dare engage them in a prolonged battle?"

When Drunken Wind imagined that scenario, his face contorted like a bitter gourd:"I don't know about anything else, but if those two team up, the longer it drags on, the more miserably everyone will die. That doesn't need explanation, does it?"His words were quite unreasonable. But it must be said, they were easy to understand, and all spectators in the Five Domains agreed, requiring no further explanation.

Drunken Wind continued his analysis: "From this perspective, if I were Lovesky, and even if I still wanted to execute 'Plan Sixteen'..."He paused. The people in front of the Five Domains Communication Mirror knew what he meant. Although they didn't know the exact contents of "Plan Sixteen," what if "continuing the plan" was part of the Xu-Dao Alliance's strategy? While unsure how to break the deadlock, not executing it, and not following his original intent, could it indirectly crack the Xu-Dao Alliance's scheme from a "third-level" perspective?

As everyone pondered this, they heard Drunken Wind speak again:"But then another problem arises!""Not following the original plan might indeed disrupt the Xu-Dao Alliance's strategic rhythm, but what then should I execute?""It would be like 'harming the enemy by eight hundred, but losing a thousand yourself.' If I disrupt my own formation and lose direction just to sabotage someone else's plan, it would be better not to disrupt it at all.""At this point, with nowhere to go, someone needs to step up and bear the banner!""Who?"

Drunken Wind paused, then patted his chest and declared:"I am Lovesky. Now Xu Xiaoshou offers me a weakness; I killed him, and he was nothing more than that.""I pride myself on being invincible. Now I will enter the fray alone and head to the Southern Domain. If Xu Xiaoshou is there, I will kill him.""If Xu Xiaoshou is not there and returns to Gui Zhe Holy Mountain to cause trouble, then what if I consider that I've offered him a weakness too?""What does Xu Xiaoshou want?"

Drunken Wind shook his head, returning from his role-play, and said:"Brothers, Grandmaster Shou is simply aiming to rescue his master, Wuxiu!""If Emperor Lovesky goes to the Southern Domain, Xu Xiaoshou will come to the Holy Mountain and inevitably enter the Dead Sea to rescue his master.""Grandmaster Shou will lose this golden opportunity if he doesn't seize it now. And can't Emperor Lovesky, while presiding over the Holy Mountain and shooting arrows towards the Southern Domain, also preside over the Southern Domain and shoot arrows towards the Holy Mountain?""Rather than waiting for death, it's better to take the initiative, accelerate the battle process, even if it means offering a weakness and an opportunity. At least this way, we won't fall into Grandmaster Shou's rhythm again, nor will we engage in the prolonged battle that the Xu-Dao Alliance is most skilled at!"

After these words, the Five Domains were all astonished. "Good heavens, kid, we thought you were just putting on a show, but you actually figured out a thing or two?"The communication mirror faced the Holy Mountain. The world clearly saw that after Drunken Wind finished his explanation, the Taixu and Half-Saints on the Holy Mountain all cast surprised glances at him.

Those eyes, that expression... The proud and confident faction seemed fine. The disheartened Half-Saints, however, looked like a group of dragons who had found their minds, each resembling someone who had witnessed the Dao Lord's return."I heard that under the Dao Lord's leadership, the former Ten-Member Council often acted without thinking, I wonder if that's true..."

The discussions among the people of the Five Domains could not be heard on the Holy Mountain. Lovesky, in his wheelchair, was already surprised enough to hear his own thoughts articulated by someone else, but when he turned his gaze, he saw it was merely an unknown junior.He narrowed his eyes: "You are not Drunken Wind. Who are you?"

Perhaps some could discern Xu Xiaoshou's intentions, his own intentions, his apprehension towards Dao Qiongcang, Xu Xiaoshou's apprehension towards him... But it would require time, and thought, certainly not this fast! To make such quick judgments, to precisely pick out the most probable few from a host of intricate choices, and articulate them so methodically... Across the entire Holy Divine Continent, Lovesky had previously only known of one Dao Qiongcang, but now he felt he might have to add Xu Xiaoshou to that list.

Drunken Wind, holding the communication mirror, faced the gazes of the Half-Saints, looking as if he was too scared to speak, his eyes glazed over. He hadn't moved yet, when not far away, Beibei, whose whereabouts had been unknown since Jin Ren's death, flew out, drawing her sword.

She landed in front of Drunken Wind's communication mirror, found a good angle, and under the attention of the people of the Five Domains, pointed at Drunken Wind, her gaze obliquely fixed on Lovesky:"Whether he's Dao Qiongcang or Xu Xiaoshou, he's merely borrowing this young man's body to express his views.""Aigou, you wouldn't be so ruthless as to kill even a junior from the Feng family who's only responsible for broadcasting, would you?"

She paused, then twirled the Emperor's Sword, which was taller than herself, raised her chin slightly, and declared proudly to the crowd:"If you dare to kill him...""What about me, Beibei? Do you dare to kill me?"