Chapter 1710: Three Hundred Years Through Generations, Rare to See Such a Talented Demon Here

My name is Ah Si. Si, as in the "four" of Four Swords.

Three hundred years ago, even within the Cold Palace Imperial Realm, I was a well-known figure. Back then, I even had my own name: Moon Palace Si.

However, the Saint Emperor families change leadership every hundred years. After three generations, few now remember my full name; not even Moon Palace Li remembers.

If you ask why? The reason is simple: I lost the battle for the Saint Emperor heir and became a shadow. Shadows have no names. Moon Palace Qi started calling me Ah Si, and over time, everyone followed suit.

And I can no longer call him "Ah Qi," "Ah Q," "Qi Qi," "Kiki," or any other such names.

Being a Saint Emperor heir's shadow is exhausting. I had to handle all sorts of trivial clan matters, and I gradually aged, became hunched, and lost my sense of humor. Perhaps it’s because the stereotype of a shadow is cold, taciturn, ruthless, and bloodthirsty? So be it!

My maximum power was permanently limited to the Half-Saint level; I could never aspire to the Saint Emperor position in my lifetime. I used to be eager to advance, but later, I simply gave up all ambition. My life originated from the Cold Palace Imperial Realm, so I might as well sell it back to the Realm.

Over the centuries, other Saint Emperor families have seen several generations of leaders, and their shadows have changed multiple times. In this regard, should the Moon Palace family be considered to have a dearth of talent, or is Moon Palace Qi truly an exceptional leader? He has been the family head for nearly four hundred years. Naturally, his shadow has been too.

Sixty years ago, I subtly mentioned something about Moon Palace Qi's descendants and the future of the Cold Palace Imperial Realm. To my surprise, he took it seriously, as if he truly had such a need. A few years later, the siblings Nu and Li were born one after another.

The good days had finally arrived! To better nurture the next generation, I applied to become Moon Palace Nu's shadow in advance. Even if her aptitude was ordinary, I vowed to train her to become a Saint Emperor—who, I ask, understood Saint Emperor heirs better than I? I was truly fed up with living as a shadow! I wanted to retire! I wanted a comfortable life! I succeeded... halfway.

Moon Palace Nu was adorable, like a finely crafted porcelain doll. At just six years old, her talent was even more astonishing than her father's, truly a perfect and flawless work of art. Her brother was also a person.

As for Moon Palace Li... how to put it? From my nearly four centuries as a shadow, that fox-eyed boy, smiling all day long, from inside out, from head to toe, seemed oblivious that the word "shadow" was practically plastered across his face. Haha, it was comical, and he was unaware of it. Hmm, I certainly wasn't that obvious back in my day, I'm sure!

I wholeheartedly assisted Moon Palace Nu, because in at most twenty years, I should be free. She would have her own shadow, and naturally, she would lose her brother. I taught her the arts of emperorship, the ways of governance, the power of ancestral origin... Of course, I also didn't stop her from being curious about ancient sword arts and spirit refining, which were considered third-rate in this era. Her brother would also play in the mud nearby.

As for Moon Palace Li... how to put it? Theoretically, knowledge concerning Saint Emperor heirs was not for outsiders to overhear, not even a brother. But he was Moon Palace Qi's only son, and he was inseparable from his sister. Of course, the main reason was that this dirty mud-man didn't look like he was eavesdropping; he was mixing mud with urine, having an absolute blast. So be it.

His happiness would only last twenty years. After twenty years, mixing mud with urine would be a luxury only found in dreams. So I didn't stop him.

Such a trivial matter, compared to achieving apotheosis and becoming an ancestor, certainly didn't warrant disturbing Moon Palace Qi, who was always in seclusion, to report. In nearly four centuries as a shadow, everything I had done, I had done correctly. This was the only mistake. Yet, in nearly four centuries as a shadow, everything had also been wrong, but this one thing, I had guessed correctly.

Moon Palace Li was never just playing in the mud! No, to be precise, he was indeed playing in the mud at first, but the turning point was when he met a "good friend"...

This generation of Saint Emperor families truly produced many talents. There was the heaven-blessed prodigy Moon Palace Nu; the cold young man, Hua Changdeng; the proud princess, Rao Yaoyao; the persistent Kubei Huai, known to weep from sheer persistence; and Dao Xuanji, who could foretell and calculate... Compared to them, the mud-mixing Moon Palace Li and the blockhead Dao Qiongcang were truly inconspicuous at first.

Their academic performance was actually quite good; their scores were no weaker than those mentioned above. Dao Qiongcang even had astonishing performances occasionally, winning first place a few times, almost making people look at him differently. However, their actual displayed ability was weak; it was as if theory remained theory, and they couldn't apply it in practice, making them seem like mere bookworms. The weak always seem to gravitate towards each other. Moon Palace Li's "good friend" was Dao Qiongcang.

It was only later, after his brother successfully defied fate and became the Saint Emperor heir, that I asked him about it, and he mentioned it.

During an argument, six-year-old Dao Qiongcang snapped at his brother: "Go play in your mud! I'm not becoming the Saint Emperor heir because I don't want to, but you'll always be just a shadow, and you don't even know it."

His brother was hurt. After a sleepless night, he never played in the mud again and truly began to listen in. The shadow came to life.

Living long certainly allows one to witness many things. Moon Palace Nu, whom I favored, spent half her life in the Cold Prison. Rao Yaoyao, whom I also favored, died suddenly on the Stairway to Heaven. I watched the seemingly ordinary Hua Changdeng ascend as a Saint Emperor without hindrance. I thought Bei Huai was capable, but he strayed from the path and began studying the origins of life. Moon Palace Li, whom I thought incapable, became my master, and his good friend, the blockhead Dao Qiongcang, was actually faking it!

Now, I have come to Sacred Mountain. Three hundred years later, this is my second time on the Sacred God Continent. But I've heard too many stories about the Sacred God Continent from above, the most interesting of which are the Ten Venerables.

I heard that there were several geniuses whose talents were no weaker than Moon Palace Nu's. "When things reach their extreme, they can only decline, and when they decline, they can only improve." This must describe the current era, right? So, this time has seen an explosion of talent, and Ba Zun'an is the last one?

Ba Zun'an might be the most astonishing, but definitely not the last. Because not long after, I heard of another rising star named "Xu Xiaoshou," known in the martial arts world as "Master Shou." When Young Master Li mentioned him, I feigned ignorance to avoid provoking him. But among the Five Great Saint Emperor families, who doesn't know "Xu Xiaoshou" now, and who hasn't heard of "Master Shou"?

People who stay in high positions for too long always become disconnected from the general public. That fellow, in less than a year after his rise, had already slain Rao Yaoyao with his sword, breaking the Five Great Saint Emperor families' record for swift kills in the outside world!

A genius? Even geniuses might not be as astonishing as him. His talent even once surpassed Ba Zun'an, who could pluck the Moon Palace Lotus!

"Aspirations as high as the sky, fate as thin as paper." The me of today is no longer like the me of my youth; I now know there's always someone better, and a mere Half-Saint is insignificant, especially in front of true prodigies. And now...

Young Master Li ordered me to go and inform Ai Cangsen when Master Shou ascended the Osmanthus Sacred Mountain, conveying the Moon Palace family's stance and suggestions.

A small matter! That's what I thought before. But now, having witnessed the battle between Master Shou and Ai Cangsen, looking at the utterly shattered Sacred Mountain, and seeing that audacious villain even digging up the Nine-Sacrifice Osmanthus and the God-Worshipping Willow... "Can this mission even be completed?"

Others who couldn't climb the mountain could still descend. After I climbed the mountain, I glanced back. Oh, wow! The mountain exploded!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" Above the nine heavens, the void echoed with continuous explosions. Arrows from the Sinful Bow shot down from beyond the heavens, one after another, riddling Sacred Mountain until it was utterly devastated, its entire body collapsing. Only Master Shou, hunched beneath the Shattered Jun Shield, with his shoulder against the shield, was constantly pushed back by the bombardment but remained completely unharmed.

Ah Si had seen high-level combatants. Perhaps the huge explosions had thrilled people throughout the Five Regions. He had realized early on that if Ai Cangsen didn't truly exert his full power, he would be completely helpless against the Shattered Jun Shield. Master Shou was retreating, yet he could still shout loudly:

"They're just two trees, what's the difference between planting them on Osmanthus Sacred Mountain and planting them in the Apricot Realm? Your realm is my realm, your home is my home. The Apricot Realm welcomes everyone to dig for spirit herbs! Conversely, the Sacred God Continent raised me. If I become strong, can I just abandon it? Of course, it also welcomes me to dig up trees for cultivation! Besides, do you really distrust the ancestral trees so much? Do you all think that the trees, which have been nurtured on Sacred Mountain for so many years, will immediately betray you the moment I dig them up and move them to the Apricot Realm?"

Boom, boom, boom... The arrows from the Sinful Bow were the best response. Feng Zhongzui, who had been hiding far away, was forced to temporarily join the Sacred Mountain Saints again, feeling out of place and very uncomfortable. The Sacred Mountain Saints, however, had no time to mind this minor character. Upon hearing Xu Xiaoshou's outrageous remarks, they exchanged glances, all unable to speak.

Difficult to evaluate! Xu Xiaoshou's audacity was beyond words. At first, everyone thought he genuinely wanted to dig. He tried, then gave up. Just when everyone breathed a sigh of relief, he dug up two in one go. These were ancestral trees, and two were dug up at once. How many were there on Sacred Mountain? Just these two! All dug up!

But then again... "Shooting like this is useless. If Emperor Cangsen doesn't return and doesn't unseal the spell-seed imprisonment, he simply can't break through Xu Xiaoshou's turtle-shell defense." A Half-Saint saw the truth. "It seems we've fallen into a trap. Under this seemingly equal 'agreement,' as long as Xu Xiaoshou doesn't enter the Dead Sea, he is invincible." Another Half-Saint realized belatedly.

"If it were me, I certainly wouldn't go in either. Not just the ancestral trees, I'd dig up everything I could and take everything I could...""What's your stance?""Ahem, I'm one of you."

The Half-Saints of the External Aid faction, now that Emperor Cangsen was absent and seeing Sacred Mountain in such disarray, showed signs of leaning towards the External Aid faction. At least they were no longer fawning, their tone was no longer humble, and some even began to think from Master Shou's perspective, as if they also had an Apricot Realm and wanted to empty Sacred Mountain. As for the Sacred Mountain faction, their very backbone was gone. Their backbone had already been moved into a golden house by Master Shou!

"What should be done?" Fang Wenxin was merely an original Red-Clothed, with a title but no real authority, incapable of making definitive decisions. After the Nine-Sacrifice Divine Envoy went missing, he looked around and found that among those remaining who could make decisions... Oddly enough, there really was one!

When the Nine-Sacrifice Divine Envoy was present, Fang Wenxin couldn't see her. Now that the ten-person council was completely wiped out, another council member had appeared out of nowhere: Beibei!

What was Beibei's identity? The White-Clothed Path Ruler, a genuine member of the ten-person council! Did she possess the authority to make definitive decisions? Yes! Did she possess the mindset to make definitive decisions? Yes! Did she possess the ability to make definitive decisions? Yes...

"Oh Beibei, Beibei..." Strangely, an image flashed through Fang Wenxin's mind: Beibei performing an arm wave dance and humming a catchy tune in front of the Five Regions. Even stranger, a thought crossed Fang Wenxin's mind: "How is she even qualified to be elected a member of the ten-person council?" Was Sacred Mountain so devoid of talent?

Not exactly. Beibei was already very strong, with excellent comprehensive abilities in all aspects. Even though her fate was difficult and her cultivation path was arduous—when fostered in the Cloud Mountain Imperial Realm, Hua Changdeng happened to be in self-imprisonment in the Screen Candle Land; when she became the White-Clothed Path Ruler, Hua Changdeng ascended as a Saint Emperor and returned to Cloud Mountain, perfectly missing the guidance of the former Sword Immortal. She still, by herself, cultivated her synergy with the Emperor Sword to its peak, becoming a formidable ancient sword cultivator. She tried her best.

The impression she left on the world, becoming what it is today, wasn't her fault; it was Xu Xiaoshou's. But regardless, looking at Beibei again... Fang Wenxin truly couldn't muster the energy to ask for her opinion, and even more, he feared her opinion would actually be Xu Xiaoshou's suggestion.

Just then... Fang Wenxin, who had been searching for someone to take charge, keenly noticed a stranger appearing in the Sacred Mountain evacuation group. He was hunched, looking like an ordinary old man, but a closer examination revealed he was also a Half-Saint! How many Half-Saints were there on the Sacred God Continent? Fang Wenxin could count them all. He had never seen this person before, yet now he was hidden silently within the evacuation team... Transformed by Xu Xiaoshou?

A flash of insight. While Fang Wenxin was searching for someone in charge, on the other side, Ah Si was also looking for someone among the Sacred Mountain Saints who could wield the "scepter" after Ai Cangsen and Zhong Yuanzi had left, and after the Nine-Sacrifice Osmanthus had been dug up.

"Oh Beibei, Beibei..." Upon seeing Beibei, Ah Si quickly dismissed her. Shortly after, feeling a slight itch on his cheek, Ah Si turned his head and saw Fang Wenxin's questioning gaze.

"Original Red-Clothed, White Shadow Copper Coin..." The information that appeared in his mind was scarce, proving this was not the strongest person on Sacred Mountain, and someone he hadn't paid much attention to before. But compared to everyone else, whose names he couldn't even recall, at this critical moment, there was a Half-Saint who could provide two important pieces of information. This was truly a godsend!

"I am..." His Saintly Thought was about to transmit a message. Ah Si keenly sensed something. How could a mere Half-Saint dare to act presumptuously under Master Shou's nose? Using people as cover, he quietly lifted his sleeve and flashed a token in Fang Wenxin's direction.

"Stairway Envoy?!" The golden token in his sleeve flashed and disappeared. Fang Wenxin's mind was shaken, and he became slightly excited. They're here! I've finally been waiting for you! Osmanthus Sacred Mountain has been waiting for you until the mountain itself has withered!

Fang Wenxin subtly dodged the aftermath of the explosions while moving closer to the Stairway Envoy, lowering his voice to transmit a message: "Why be so secretive?"

It wasn't that Fang Wenxin had never seen a Stairway Envoy. When the Hall Master was replaced, he had been invited by Dao Xuanji to participate in the grand ceremony and had witnessed the imperious demeanor of the golden-robed figures from the Judgment Division. At that time, even the Dao Hall Master dared not defy their will. The strength of the Stairway Envoys was evident from this. Although he couldn't stand the golden-robed man, Fang Wenxin now somewhat wished this Stairway Envoy would put on that golden robe and adopt that imperious manner, to order Master Shou around.

What kind of ability is it to only act tough among your own people? Go be tough with Xu Xiaoshou!

"I..." Ah Si wasn't from the Judgment Division, but he could also be imperious. Although he really wanted to act that way towards these low-level beings from the Sacred God Continent, to maintain his identity, after thinking it over, he abandoned his distance, moved closer, and whispered: "I can't beat him." His gaze flickered towards the Shattered Jun Shield.

What? Fang Wenxin was shocked. Are these words a Stairway Envoy would say? Shouldn't you now be donning a golden robe, publicly enumerating Xu Xiaoshou's ten great sins before the Five Regions, and then sentencing him to either immediate erasure or imprisonment in the Dead Sea? And then, shouldn't you unleash the Saint Emperor's power to "judge" that fellow who dug up two World Trees? If not... "Then what are you doing here?" Fang Wenxin's tone became less friendly. He needed a stronger person, not a secretive coward. So you don't reveal your aura not because you're so powerful you've returned to simplicity, but because you're also afraid of Master Shou?

"I'm here to convey a message!" Ah Si was slightly annoyed. How dare a mere lower-plane inhabitant speak to him in such a tone? If not for the special circumstances... He was too lazy to think further; he just wanted to convey Young Master Li's message and quickly leave this troublesome place.

"I represent the Cold Palace Imperial Realm and convey instructions to your Sacred God Hall. You must relay this message to Ai Cangsen. First, immediately recall Yu Kunpeng to guard the mountain. Given the special circumstances, I can assist you with a Saint Emperor's golden decree, ordering him to return quickly. Second, if circumstances are extreme, you are permitted to unlock the eighteen layers of the Dead Sea to combat Xu Xiaoshou. Third, at a critical moment, our clan's Saint Emperor..."

Fang Wenxin's expression turned a bit horrified, as he stared blankly behind him. Ah Si also felt a chill at the back of his neck, and so his voice abruptly ceased mid-sentence. "You, behind you..."

Gulp! His Adam's apple bobbed, and Ah Si slowly, with difficulty, turned his head. He felt as though the entire world had stilled; at that moment, everyone was looking at him. It wasn't an illusion. This, was reality!

"Go on, why stop? What does your clan's Saint Emperor mean?" Xu Xiaoshou stood with his arms crossed, tilting his head and staring at him with an amused expression. "I've been watching you for a while, ever since you crept out of that Sacred Mountain cave. From when you ascended to the peak of Sacred Mountain, hesitating whether to meet Ai Cangsen, and then even after Ai Cangsen left, you still didn't dare show your face. Of course, I truly confirmed you were problematic from this very moment."

This was like a final blow, striking Ah Si hard and sinking him into the abyss. The world was surreal, as if everything was falling apart. Wait, where's the Sinful Bow? Why isn't it shooting him? Why is it behind me now?

Ah Si's only remaining thought wasn't resistance, but rather bewilderment as to why Ai Cangsen had stopped attacking. But at the same time, he keenly noticed. The surrounding environment was rapidly changing: sometimes it became wilderness, sometimes a swamp, sometimes a city, sometimes a desert... The surreal world was no illusion, nor was it a hallucination caused by his own nervousness.

Master Shou was staring at him. But beneath his feet, spatial profoundness unfolded. With arms crossed, he was leading the Sacred Mountain evacuation team, rapidly switching battlefields across the Five Regions! He was casually interrogating him. The arrows from the Sinful Bow were shooting from behind him, so slowly that he couldn't even hear their roar. At this moment, the spatial profoundness of "Ultimate Speed" had manifested!

"How is this possible..." Ah Si's lips trembled. Throughout his life witnessing major events in the Cold Palace Imperial Realm, he had rarely experienced such terror and had almost forgotten the taste of fear. But this time, it had been three hundred years! As Master Shou stared at him, Ah Si gazed blankly, and images of his life flashed before his eyes at light speed.

"My name is Ah Si...""Si, as in the 'death' of Death Sword..."