Chapter 44: Passive Victory

The situation reached a stalemate.

Xu Xiaoshou, covered in blooming flowers, stood motionless in place.

Behind him, Mu Zixi's feet were plunged into his waist and her hands pierced through his shoulders; only her small head, adorned with twin ponytails, could move.

Under the stunned gaze of the crowd, Mu Zixi inhaled deeply from Xu Xiaoshou.

"Ah~"

"This is the taste!"

The little girl moaned, her face filled with intoxication.

This surging life force, which she had coveted from the start, was utterly captivating!

All her schemes had finally succeeded.

Who could possibly resist?

"Time to dig in!"

"Holy crap!"

Xu Xiaoshou's scalp tingled at her words; although he couldn't see, he could already imagine what was about to happen.

"No..."

"Chomp!"

Mu Zixi bared two gleaming fangs and bit down hard on the carotid artery in his neck.

Those in the audience felt their legs tense up.

"Is this really okay?"

"Isn't the referee going to stop this?"

Xiao Qixiu was indeed about to intervene, but Xu Xiaoshou gave him a look.

What did that look mean? Did he not want to be rescued, or was he asking for help?

"Forget it," he thought. "That girl Mu Zixi should know her limits, and Xu Xiaoshou really needs to be taught a lesson!"

He watched the little girl's satisfied expression and could feel her life force surging rapidly.

"Tsk tsk..."

Xiao Qixiu found it a bit too much to watch and decided to rescue Xu Xiaoshou.

However, when he turned back, he froze.

Xu Xiaoshou...

...also had an expression of enjoyment???

At first, Xu Xiaoshou was indeed a little flustered—who wouldn't be when faced with a kidney-stabbing vampire? But he quickly calmed down.

It turned out that Mu Zixi wasn't merely sucking blood; she was devouring his life force!

If he hadn't been paralyzed, Xu Xiaoshou would have almost burst out laughing.

He had nothing else in abundance, but life force? He had plenty!

With the Innate-level "Ever-flowing Life," his life force was practically boundless, wasn't it? As long as he was injured, his internal life force would surge forth, more intensely than any drug.

So, Xu Xiaoshou watched as the life force he lost one second was instantly replenished the next.

If it weren't for the fact that it couldn't overflow, there would probably be even more...

Mu Zixi had already noticed something was off; why did this guy's life force feel inexhaustible?

If it were a regular person, they'd have turned into a dried corpse by now!

Yet, asking her to stop now...

...was impossible!

Her small face was flushed, as if she were drunk, as she gulped down large amounts of life force, her expression clearly showing addiction.

She simply couldn't stop!

Heavens knew how immense the appeal of this surging life force was to her, given her wood attribute!

Some sharp-eyed people in the audience had also realized something was wrong; continuing to absorb like this would surely lead to trouble!

"What exactly is Junior Sister Mu absorbing? Is it really life force? Can one person have so much life force to be absorbed?"

Some were terrified, wondering if Xu Xiaoshou would instantly turn to dust the moment Mu Zixi stopped!

"No, look closely at Xu Xiaoshou's expression—his life force seems endless..."

"But how is that possible? Is an Innate Body truly this powerful? It's practically unresolvable!"

"Phew... I don't understand either. Perhaps if you cultivate an Innate Body, you'll find the answer..."

Someone pointed to the arena: "Look, Xu Xiaoshou moved!"

Xu Xiaoshou had indeed recovered a tiny bit of mobility.

As time passed, he distinctly felt that the girl behind him was truly intoxicated, and her control over the "Paralysis Flower" on his head had clearly weakened.

Xu Xiaoshou subtly, without a sound, worked to regain control of his body.

Soon, he could slightly move his head.

"Calm down, think of a way, she can't find out!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes darted around, and a faint smile suddenly curled his lips.

"Sharp Light" instantly gathered at his hair; Xu Xiaoshou's head gave a slight shake, and the red flower was severed.

"Whoa, how did that flower fall off?"

Not only were the distant spectators unable to see it, but even Xiao Qixiu, floating in mid-air, couldn't clearly make out how the flower had fallen.

But everyone knew that Mu Zixi was in trouble!

The little girl was clearly in a trance, her eyes narrowed, continuously sucking and chomping, her teeth deeply embedded in Xu Xiaoshou's neck.

Xu Xiaoshou had regained basic control of his body, but his shoulders and both kidneys were still under her control, so he didn't act rashly.

"Sharp Light" circulated once more, reaching these four points, and Xu Xiaoshou's body trembled.

Swish!

The four thick vines plunged into his body were instantly severed.

He swiftly twisted around, grabbed Mu Zixi by the neck, intending to subdue her before she could react.

"Mmm, let me go, I want to suck more!"

Mu Zixi's face was hazy, her will evidently overcome by the surging life force; she flailed her arms and legs, trying to bite Xu Xiaoshou's hand.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly stretched out his left hand, cupping her chin and pushing her head far up.

"Mmm, I'm getting high..."

"Suck..."

"So good!" Mu Zixi murmured unconsciously.

"'Requested,' Passive Points +1."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

"What the hell 'requested'? She's sucking my blood and it's 'requested'?"

He looked up at Xiao Qixiu, wondering how to handle this situation.

Xiao Qixiu also looked utterly bewildered. What exactly had happened?

Wasn't Mu Zixi supposed to be attacking? How did the roles completely reverse mid-fight?

The one doing the sucking lost her mind, and the victim looked innocent...

This Xu Xiaoshou truly was something else!

It was the first time he'd ever seen such an oddball win a fight passively.

He waved his hand helplessly: "The match is o—"

"Wait!"

Mu Zixi suddenly sobered up. With a sharp cry, she shook her head.

"What happened? How did I end up in Xu Xiaoshou's hands? What happened?"

The girl, looking very much like someone from a drunken video clip, also stared blankly at Xu Xiaoshou.

"Let me go!"

Xu Xiaoshou silently stared at her, pondered for a few seconds, then suddenly covered her mouth with one hand.

"No!"

"Mmm-mmm-mmm!"

"Heh heh!"

"Mmm-mmm-mmm!"

"You don't want to talk!"

"Chomp!" Mu Zixi bit down again.

"Holy crap!" Xu Xiaoshou cried out in pain, pushing her head upwards again. "Are you a dog or something?!"

He lifted Mu Zixi and dashed towards the edge of the arena.

"What are you doing?!"

Mu Zixi's wide eyes filled with panic, and countless vines suddenly shot out from her body.

Xu Xiaoshou smiled.

"Are you kidding? You're in my hands now. Do you think an Innate Body is just for show?"

He exerted a slight force with his right hand...

"Cough, cough,"

Mu Zixi instantly choked on her saliva, and the vines all snapped.

"Woah, still high..."

Thud!

Without another word, Xu Xiaoshou tossed the biting girl off the stage, then strode away himself.

He casually wiped the saliva from his neck, and upon smelling it, Xu Xiaoshou's face contorted.

"It stinks!"

Mu Zixi watched him with teary eyes, almost rushing forward to fight him to the death.

"'Cursed,' Passive Points +1, +1, +1, +1, +1, +1..."

Xiao Qixiu, looking somewhat dazed, waved his hand down.

"Match over! Xu Xiaoshou wins!"