Chapter 234: Xu Xiaoshou, Charge for Me

Two figures soared high in the sky, one tall and one short, like a father leading his child.

“This is infuriating, truly infuriating!”

Ye Xiaotian’s white hair and beard fluttered, and even his figure, soaring through the air, swayed slightly.

“Oh, he’s not an infiltrator. Why are you so bothered? To acquire so many Boundary-Suppressing Treasures, it just shows the kid’s capability, doesn’t it?”

Qiao Qianzhi held Ye Xiaotian, who was beside himself with anger, fearing he might lose control and crash.

After steadying him, he spread his hands and said, “Think about it from another perspective: having such an exceptionally talented disciple emerge from the Spirit Palace doesn’t that signify the Spirit Palace’s flourishing and vigorous development?”

“It’s just four Boundary-Suppressing Treasures. What’s the big deal?”

“When the White Cave opens, and we have a few disputes with the surrounding Spirit Palaces, we’ll make our money back…”

“Don't mention ‘four’ to me!” Ye Xiaotian roared, unable to hold back.

Four Boundary-Suppressing Treasures!

He practically moved a third of the Heavenly Profound Gate’s minor world and utterly shattered the trial mystic realm. Who could endure that?

“Xu Xiaoshou…” Ye Xiaotian murmured unconsciously, then suddenly said coldly, “Make sure someone keeps a close eye on him these next few days. We absolutely cannot afford any more trouble!”

“Right, absolutely right.”

Qiao Qianzhi stroked the head of the infuriated white-haired man, gesturing for him to calm down. Passing by Swan Lake, he casually plucked a few startled, plump geese from it.

“Let’s go, roast some geese!”

Ye Xiaotian’s mind, however, was not on food at all. He was still somewhat dazed, shaking his head.

“No, I need to find a way to get him out of the Spirit Palace. Even old man Sang won’t be able to stop me!”

“It’s not that serious, truly it’s not.”

Qiao Qianzhi quickly waved his hand, about to say more, when suddenly a hurried dark figure landed before them.

“Dean! Elder Qiao!”

Ye Xiaotian instantly regained his composure, asking expressionlessly, “What is it?”

“Phew…”

“Xu Xiaoshou…” The black-clad man was clearly out of breath from rushing, speaking in gasps.

“What about Xu Xiaoshou?”

Ye Xiaotian’s heart immediately sank. No way! How long had it been since he left? What new mischief had he gotten into?

“Xu Xiaoshou… he, he and Zhang Xinxiong are on the Life-and-Death Arena!”

These words were like a bolt from the blue, utterly stunning both of them. Ye Xiaotian stared blankly for a long moment before question marks slowly appeared on his face.

The next second, his white hair flew wildly, and he exploded in a rage!

“What did you say?!”

The Life-and-Death Arena. This was an enormous arena, more than twice the size of the one used for the Outer Court’s Grand Tournament finals. There was only one such arena in the entire Inner Court! It meant that once you stepped onto it, there was virtually no possibility of retreating or surrendering. It was a matter of life or death!

A large crowd gathered around the arena. The Inner Court only had about a hundred disciples, and most of them who could come were already there.

“This is the big show of the year! The Outer Court’s senior disciple facing the Inner Court’s senior disciple? Tsk, tsk…”

“Xu Xiaoshou really dares! I thought he was just talking, but he actually stepped up. He doesn’t look nervous at all?”

“Maybe his legs are already like jelly, and he’s just putting on a brave face!”

“Hmph, what nonsense are you spouting? Would you dare to go up? Just for that, I, Zhou, admire Xu Xiaoshou!”

“Huh? Zhou Tianshen? Aren’t you Xu Xiaoshou’s friend? Aren’t you going to try and persuade him?”

The one-armed Zhou Tianshen leaned on his great saber with one hand, his newly cut short hair fluttering in the wind. He had awakened from Xu Xiaoshou’s doomsday predictions, and his mind was now perfectly clear. Looking at the gracefully clad youth on the arena and hearing the words of the person beside him, the tall man fell silent.

Back then, pressured by Zhang Xinxiong’s dominance, Zhou Tianshen had refused to yield even when his knees gave way, and he secretly made a one-year vow: within that year, he would grow incredibly strong and defeat Zhang Xinxiong with his saber! This was precisely why he had recklessly entered the Slaughtering Corner in the Heavenly Profound Gate, desperately honing himself. Yet now, less than a tenth of the time stipulated in his vow had passed, and Xu Xiaoshou had already stepped up to challenge Zhang Xinxiong!

Regardless of victory or defeat, this rebellious spirit alone filled Zhou Tianshen with a sense of love… no, admiration!

“Xu Xiaoshou, survive!” he cheered internally.

“Hey? Why aren’t you saying anything?” The person beside him nudged him. “Quickly, tell him to calm down. Maybe he can still avoid this disaster!”

“Heh!” Zhou Tianshen sneered. Retreat? Was that possible?

He recalled the scene of his battle with Xu Xiaoshou, feeling a surge of emotion and blood rushing, and immediately let out a fierce shout: “To fear before battle is a great taboo against an enemy; to flee without fighting is a disgrace to a Spirit Cultivator; to surrender with clasped hands is a stain on one’s life!”

“Xu Xiaoshou, charge!”

With that roar, the chatter beneath the arena instantly died down. Even Xu Xiaoshou, confronting Zhang Xinxiong on stage, was momentarily startled. He tilted his head and saw Zhou Tianshen, his short hair fluttering, rising into the air. The tall man thumped his right fist against his chest, then pointed at himself, a clear gesture of "I support you."

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. “So… so melodramatic…” But why did it also feel so exhilarating? He quickly turned back, fearing he might be infected by this guy’s antics. In this battle, he had to be completely focused!

Zhang Xinxiong was no ordinary person; if he could have broken through to Grandmaster three years ago, then his current combat strength couldn’t be measured by his cultivation level alone.

“Are you ready?”

Zhao Xidong looked at the two of them, his gaze finally settling on Xu Xiaoshou’s face. His lips moved slightly, wanting to offer one last piece of advice. Just then, Xu Xiaoshou spoke loudly and defiantly: “Zhang Xinxiong, are you ready to die?!”

This…

Zhao Xidong stumbled slightly, but ultimately chose to remain silent.

Zhang Xinxiong glanced at his opponent, then looked back at Zhou Tianshen, scoffing softly, “Two fools.”

“Begin!” Zhao Xidong immediately waved his hand and swiftly retreated. This battle needed no referee!

“Hah!” Xu Xiaoshou, like one possessed, rushed forward without a word, fists raised.

“Is he crazy? Fighting Zhang Xinxiong hand-to-hand?” Those below the stage were immediately astonished. They had assumed Xu Xiaoshou must have done his homework to dare fight Zhang Xinxiong. But looking now, it didn’t seem to be the case? It looked as if this guy just got a surge of hot blood and stepped onto the arena?

“Holy crap, he’s doomed!”

“Although Xu Xiaoshou has a congenital body, Zhang Xinxiong is blessed with the Zhang family’s ‘Ancestral Bear Bloodline,’ a rare occurrence in a millennium. In terms of physical strength alone, he seems to be no weaker than Xu Xiaoshou…”

“If he activates his bloodline, will this battle be over?”

Zhang Xinxiong’s expression also turned cold as he watched Xu Xiaoshou charging with raised fists.

“Ignorant!”

After a soft sneer, his cape billowing, he slowly raised his hand, and a translucent black bear phantom appeared behind him. The phantom was exceptionally tall, several zhang in height, and appeared to be roaring skyward. With such a black bear standing behind Zhang Xinxiong, who was already a small giant, its aura was terrifying, directly forcing the crowd to recoil.

As Xu Xiaoshou reached midway, Zhang Xinxiong clenched his fist, and the black bear behind him instantly roared.

“ROAR!!”

With that, the arena exploded with a deafening roar, shattering into pieces, and huge rocks flew everywhere!