Chapter 442: Soft and Hard Tactics Fail, Revealing Bottom Cards One After Another

The Night Watchman's eyes gleamed brightly under the starlight.

He subtly glanced at the center of the battlefield, where enormous giant footprints were visible. Everyone present was extraordinary. With just a glance, everyone could tell. The massive footprints didn't belong to a single creature, but to two!

"With two demonic beasts clearly confirmed, what more does Xu Xiaoshou want to argue?"

"Or does he truly believe that even if he demonstrates another way to slay demonic beasts, I'll just ignore these obvious footprints and drop the investigation?"

"Or is it truly as he claimed, that one of the footprints was merely a special spiritual skill of his, Xu Xiaoshou's?"

The Night Watchman sighed inwardly. To be honest, seeing such a genius trapped in a quagmire, he wanted to help him out. But Xu Xiaoshou was going too far; not only was he deeply entangled in this demonic beast vortex, but even after being discovered, he still offered countless excuses.

But...

His reasoning was quite perfect! Such excuses.

"I'll give you this chance. Go on, try." The Night Watchman said coldly, "But if you cannot demonstrate strength sufficient to slay a Throne, I won't let you speak another word. Regarding the roars and the footprints here, you'll have no hope of defending yourself. Do you understand?"

Xu Xiaoshou nodded silently. He didn't say much more; everything that needed explaining had already been explained. As for the rest, no matter how much more he said, it would be futile. The Night Watchman's suspicion could not be dismissed with a single word. What's more, if he were to speak further at this point, even Xu Xiaoshou himself would feel that he was making excuses or trying to evade. Some things, it's best not to overdo.

As for why it was necessary to go to such lengths, demonstrating from another angle that he possessed enough strength to slay a Throne... Xu Xiaoshou wasn't acting out of boredom. He could easily take out the bronze carving, grasp it fiercely, and immediately enter his "Furious Giant" state. But what about afterward? It was foreseeable. Not to mention what unexpected things he might do in his berserk state, if he were to simply reveal his trump card like that, would the Night Watchman truly believe him?

No! Xu Xiaoshou was absolutely certain. Once he revealed "Furious Giant," the Night Watchman could still find the next flaw, continue to suspect him, and exhaust all his trump cards. Things laid out in the open, even if correct, are not easily believed by others. On the contrary, after their own disdainful exploration and diligent study, the answer they arrive at, even if wrong, they will consider the true solution. Such is human nature.

What Xu Xiaoshou needed to do now was to give the Night Watchman this process of exploration. Even in the end, no matter how much the other party doubted, he wouldn't reveal "Furious Giant." This way, when he relentlessly tried to uncover his secret, he would later "accidentally" stumble upon what he perceived as the "true solution" — "Furious Giant." At that point, his guard against him would truly and completely drop!

It could be said that tonight's crisis was not about Zhang Taiying, nor about the Night Watchman's arrival. When truly getting to the bottom of it, it was merely a psychological battle about who could think one step further. And in terms of psychological warfare, Xu Xiaoshou believed he was second to none.

"Be careful."

Stepping back one pace, Xu Xiaoshou held his breath and concentrated, and sword intent suddenly surged in his eyes. At this moment, the night was bleak and the wind whistled; an unnamed wind danced, and everyone felt a jolt in their hearts.

"Grandmaster Sword Intent!"

Fu Zhi and the Yin-Yang Protectors, seeing Xu Xiaoshou's sword talent for the first time, were still greatly astonished, even though they were mentally prepared. So young, yet to have reached such a realm... The continent indeed had such geniuses! But the fact that this Grandmaster Sword Intent could be displayed also meant that the previous descriptions by others of Xu Xiaoshou's talents in other Daos might truly not have been false. This was terrifying. Such an all-round genius was extremely rare, even if one surveyed the entire Saint God Continent!

"It's coming." Fu Zhi murmured softly.

Under the cover of night, as the sword intent on Xu Xiaoshou's body surged, a sudden, incongruous tearing sensation bloomed in everyone's hearts. Yes. A tearing sensation!

Fu Zhi's pupils suddenly constricted. He stared at Xu Xiaoshou, only to see that after a tremor ran through his body, a terrifying sword intent capable of tearing apart heaven and earth suddenly erupted from him.

No...

"Swordwill?!"

Several people present cried out in alarm simultaneously. Fu Zhi and the others, who had never seen such a young person able to generate such Swordwill, were instantly dumbfounded. In stark contrast to their reactions were Feng Ma and the Night Watchman, who had already witnessed Xu Xiaoshou's Swordwill in the banquet hall.

"This Swordwill, why is it completely different?" The Night Watchman suddenly felt a chill down his spine. What's going on? He actually felt the aura of death from a junior? How is this possible?! He couldn't believe it. But from Xu Xiaoshou's trembling body, the terrifying Swordwill that emerged utterly crushed his will.

"This is definitely not Xu Xiaoshou's Swordwill!" The Night Watchman roared in his heart. He felt as if Death itself had set its sights on him, and his pores erupted all over his body. With a bang, his figure rapidly retreated.

"Startled, Passive Point, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. "That exaggerated?" He remembered that he had tried to unleash that Swordwill from the scruffy uncle, which coiled above his dantian, before. But his enemies hadn't reacted so strongly! How come this Red-Clothed official, instead, seemed like a startled bird and was directly frightened away? Could it be that the Night Watchman actually knew that scruffy uncle? Or is it that the higher one's cultivation, the more one could feel the terror of this indescribable Swordwill?

He had a mind to call for a halt. But Xu Xiaoshou suddenly didn't want to do that anymore. To be honest, this Red-Clothed official before him was too aggressive, a bit excessive. Since you really want to try, then let's see if you'll die!

"Clang—"

Although there was no actual sword, a clear sword cry echoed through the heavens in an instant. Xu Xiaoshou tried his best to communicate with the Swordwill that was usually very arrogant. This time, it didn't resist. As if it also felt indignant about the Night Watchman's continuous pressing.

"Receive... Take this!"

With a loud shout, Xu Xiaoshou flicked his finger. That Swordwill from the scruffy uncle shot out along his meridians and leaped from his finger like a bolt of lightning.

"Whoosh!"

The scene at this moment seemed to slow down. The strong wind from the flying Swordwill swept past, barely stirring the hair of the surrounding few. The next second, the Night Watchman, who had already retreated a long distance, found his clothes being pushed backward by the howling wind.

"What kind of Sword Finger is this?" Fu Zhi was astonished. The reaction speed of his naked eyes surprisingly couldn't keep up with the Swordwill unleashed by Xu Xiaoshou. Even his spiritual sense could only barely catch the tail of the wind stirred up by this thing! As for the Swordwill itself, he saw nothing at all!

"This thing came from Xu Xiaoshou?" The Yin-Yang Protectors were similarly stunned.

"Doubted, Passive Point, 1."

Even Feng Ma, who had come from the banquet hall, now looked as if he was seeing Xu Xiaoshou for the first time, and in his retrospective gaze, there was incomparable shock.

"Awed, Passive Point, 1."