Chapter 454: The Businessman in the Eighth Palace

"This is quite difficult to bear…"

After seeing off Elder Qiao, Xu Xiaoshou stood silently alone in his spiritual dwelling. The arrival of the two spiritual palace grandmasters not only brought a highly troublesome leadership task but also informed him that he might soon face opponents like the Seven Swordsmen.

Xu Xiaoshou felt it was absurd. With his current strength, he wasn't even fit to carry the Seven Swordsmen's shoes, so how could he possibly confront them directly?

"No, even four swords are too dangerous; I can't fall for Elder Sang's trick."

"The top priority is to improve my own strength."

"Of course, remaining hidden might be the best way to preserve my life."

Xu Xiaoshou was immensely grateful that he had drawn the "Concealment" passive skill. Unfortunately, his last 50,000 passive points had already been spent on "Breathing Technique" during his previous training in the Yuan Mansion.

"No matter; concealment can wait for another day."

"The most important thing..."

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly smiled confidently. His three days of arduous training hadn't been in vain. At the very least, after hundreds of attempts, he could now barely maintain his consciousness after transforming into the Raging Giant.

Although he only succeeded once in the end, the power displayed that time... Indeed, the unsuspecting Xing Gugu was still lying in the Yuan Mansion. Thinking of this, Xu Xiaoshou felt a little comforted.

The Raging Giant form was merely a foundation. Upon this foundation, as long as he remained conscious, he could layer his other abilities. Such combinations were far from a simple one-plus-one equals two. If he could prepare in advance, he might even be able to trap and kill one of the Seven Swordsmen in the White Cave...

"Ahem, I'm getting a bit carried away."

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his head. This thought was a bit unsettling. He steadied his mind and continued to list his current abilities.

He hadn't yet tried combining the Raging Giant form with the Explosive Stance. "There's no rush for this; he could try it in the White Cave. After all, after transforming into a giant, his Yuan Mansion was almost at its limit."

The White Cave was good because it had no rules. "Even if discovered, he'd likely just be mistaken for some monster that appeared out of nowhere, allowing him to easily bluff his way through."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded in satisfaction. Setting aside dangerous eventualities, a rule-less alternate dimension was truly perfect for him. Since the very beginning, whether during the Outer Court's "Wind and Cloud Hegemony" or at the "Tianxuan Gate," or later in Tiansang City, where he fought his way to the City Lord's Mansion, various restrictive rules had always bound Xu Xiaoshou. This meant he hadn't once unleashed his full power so far.

The White Cave was different. If he chose not to stick with the Spiritual Palace group, but instead to operate as a lone wolf... Xu Xiaoshou's heart was deeply stirred.

He also hadn't tried layering sword techniques, fire abilities, and other spiritual array skills after "dual activation." "This time, he absolutely had to utilize them effectively in the White Cave. At the very least, he needed to gauge the extent of his power when fully unleashed."

"...a Throne?"

Xu Xiaoshou was a bit unsure. What he lacked most currently was a Throne's domain. If he had no means to break through one, Red Dog's fate served as a grave warning. If an opponent gained the initiative, or even simply activated their domain during a battle, his various abilities would be completely suppressed.

"So, did he lack the means to break through domains?"

Xu Xiaoshou sorted out his thoughts. He felt that if he could overcome this one obstacle, he might truly be able to surprise and slay a Throne, taking advantage of their likely underestimation due to his mismatched strength!

"Then..."

Narrowing his eyes, Xu Xiaoshou immediately thought of several methods.

"Sword Will!"

The first, naturally, was the Sword Will from the sloppy uncle. He believed this particular ability would have no trouble piercing domains. However, Sword Will was highly mysterious, not his own, and Xu Xiaoshou truly dared not use it unless absolutely necessary. Aside from its after-effects on returning to the body, the sheer fear of the unknown kept him from acting rashly.

"Is there really such a good thing?"

"That guy just gives me Sword Will to use?"

"Perhaps if he used it too much, there would be hidden dangers, such as being assimilated or controlled..."

Xu Xiaoshou frowned and shook his head, no longer thinking about it. After all, he was powerless to resist at this moment, so overthinking was useless.

"'The Sword Observation Canon' was a good thing; he should practice it more and refine that troublesome Sword Will as soon as possible!" Xu Xiaoshou mused.

"Beyond that, there was 'Passive Fist'."

Xu Xiaoshou checked his information panel.

"Passive Fist (Charge Value 238)."

He had accumulated it for so long, yet it hadn't even reached its previous charge of 314. But Xu Xiaoshou deeply understood how terrifying this ability was: a powerful skill capable of destroying a Throne in a single blow! Red Dog's shattered figure flashed before his eyes, and Xu Xiaoshou temporarily dismissed it. This was his biggest trump card, still charging, and absolutely not to be used until a critical moment.

"Then..."

Xu Xiaoshou paused, then pulled out two jade slips from his ring: Elder Sang's gift.

"White Flame, Dragon Assimilation Domain!"

After a long silence, Xu Xiaoshou finally sighed. "That old man's calculations were truly terrifying. Even if he hadn't accounted for Xu Xiaoshou's other trump cards, he must have anticipated a scenario where he would be forced to practice this."

It was too tempting! Thinking of the terrifying "Dragon Assimilation Domain" that had repelled the masked man, he had to admit, Xu Xiaoshou was finally tempted. This domain-type flame spiritual skill was not only functionally similar to a standard Throne's domain, but its offensive capabilities might even be more formidable. Once he mastered this spiritual skill, it would be akin to possessing a domain in advance. He would then possess the means to directly confront a Throne with his Yuan Court cultivation! Even if those means only lasted for a few seconds. But if he truly encountered a Throne and couldn't instantly kill them within a short time, then perhaps no matter how many trump cards he had, they would be unusable.

"So, in the end, would he still need the 'Cinder Flame Great Fire Seed'?"

The very thing he had once abhorred for the sake of survival, he now had to pursue for strength. Xu Xiaoshou shook his head with a smile. He hadn't been in this world long, yet he already felt deeply entangled.

"Isn't living just a constant struggle in a swamp?"

"Either break free from this fate, or drown and perish."

Silence.

"Cinder Flame Great Fire Seed..." A cool breeze swept by as Xu Xiaoshou murmured, his gaze fixed on the distance. He paused, choosing not to rest. Abandoning even his favorite sleep-training method, he walked directly out the door. Elder Qiao's information was more than just a warning. Xu Xiaoshou was also aware that the Spiritual Palace team had departed early, and that the White Cave would open in a few days.

"The White Cave..."

Slamming the door shut behind him, Xu Xiaoshou, after having returned dusty, went out once more.

"Destination: Eight Palaces Town!"

***

The next day.

"Rumble!"

The sky was dark and gloomy; though there was no lightning, the heavens still roared ominously. The sky seemed on the verge of collapse, cracking and tearing open at times, as if some ancient creature was about to emerge from within, an exceptionally eerie sight.

"Pitter-patter."

A series of footsteps ceased, and the bustling residents of Eight Palaces Town all turned their heads.

"Someone's here!" someone whispered, their voice filled with eagerness and desire.

"No, it should be, 'the sheep have arrived'."

These burly men, armed with knives and axes, watched the group of young cultivators slowly approaching the town entrance, their eyes practically overflowing with green light.

"Which Spiritual Palace are they from? Will they be easy to deal with?"

"Who cares which Spiritual Palace? Just remember their faces. These young cultivators will at least have an Exquisite Stone on them."

"When their elders aren't around, or if they're caught alone..."

"Heh heh!"

"I heard that Old Du and his gang have already ambushed and killed several aristocratic disciples here. Now, not only are their pockets filled with Exquisite Stones, but I've heard even their eating bowls are specially forged from them."

"Hahaha, Old Du's amazing. After those few scores, he won't have to worry for the rest of his life."

"I'm so envious! When can I be as successful as Old Du and auction off Exquisite Stones?"

"I heard the last of those three has been bid up to tens of millions?"

"Tsk tsk!"

The people nearby suddenly let out sinister, eerie laughs. Indeed, this opening of the dimensional rift was truly unlike any before. Many people, styling themselves as Spirit Array Masters, sported badges stolen from who-knows-where, even if they weren't officially recognized. But at least, they gained the right to reside in Eight Palaces Town. And as the opening day of the White Cave gradually approached, Eight Palaces Town also transformed from a desolate, uninhabited place into a bustling hub for Spirit Array Masters, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

Here, everyone claimed to be a Spirit Array Master. Whether you were a sword cultivator, a body cultivator, or any other type of miscellaneous cultivator, if your secondary profession wasn't a Spirit Array Master, you likely wouldn't even qualify to enter. All of this stemmed from the Red Cloak's invitation: "Inviting all Spirit Array Masters under heaven to the White Cave to break the arrays."

Indeed, this move attracted a considerable number of extremely powerful Spirit Array Masters. However, those who exploit loopholes in rules are clearly abundant, no matter the world. And desperate outlaws were certainly no less common. Convinced that the Red Cloaks were few in number and disdained to interfere in 'low-level' situations, some individuals began directly engaging in black market dealings.

In recent days, these 'old foxes' had used bloody lessons to brutally teach the various budding young cultivators more than one lesson. For some things, if you didn't possess the strength, you truly didn't even have the qualification to lay a hand on them. Some thresholds, even if you acquired the key, you didn't even possess the qualification to step up to them, let alone cross!

"Brother Wolf, these people..." a white-robed sword cultivator called out to the young man leading them, who had wolf-tail blue hair. Facing those predatory 'old foxes,' his voice already held a hint of panic and apprehension. After all, even on missions for the Spiritual Palace, he had never encountered so many Spirit Refiners. Moreover, these individuals in front of him, all with fierce expressions, clearly weren't the type to be reasoned with.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Luo Qinglang turned his head, his cold eyebrows raised high, his voice full of indifference. "Those who have time to put on airs here are basically trash. Even if the White Cave opens and they manage to get in, they're probably just the lowest cannon fodder. What's there to be afraid of? Besides, they're not even qualified to enter." He snorted coldly, his eyes slightly narrowed as his gaze swept to the dark corners. "The ones you truly need to guard against are the dark hands planning to strike from the shadows. These are the ones who 'lick blood from blades'—they'll scam, abduct, and kill, stopping at nothing. Who knows, when you're asleep at night, they might just stab your little brother, and then conveniently snatch those three Exquisite Stones from you."

A shiver ran down the white-robed sword cultivator's spine, a sudden chill striking him. After a pause, he asked doubtfully, "But Brother Wolf, I only have *one* Exquisite Stone!"

"Heh." Luo Qinglang smiled without speaking. Without further explanation, he stopped. His spiritual sense had already detected the elder subtly hidden behind the team, whose nervous fluctuations had given him away.

"Damn old man, I told you I'd lead; there's no need to follow. He's like a damn pendant, hanging far behind. Does he truly think I won't see him if he keeps his distance? Fool!"

Muttering to himself, he turned and smiled at a masked woman behind him. "Miss Zhiwen," he said, "that's Eight Palaces Town ahead. Shall we go in?"

Yu Zhiwen's star-like eyes remained calm and unruffled as she nodded serenely. She didn't speak. Beside her, another sword-wielding man glanced at Luo Qinglang's fawning expression and couldn't help but grumble.

"We're already at Eight Palaces Town. If we don't go in, are you just going to stand here and 'drink the northwest wind'?"

"Cheng Xingchu," Luo Qinglang turned back with a smile, "do you have any objections?"

"I..." Cheng Xingchu's hand went to his sword, suppressing the urge to strike. "This imbecile, does he truly think that just because his cultivation realm is a bit stronger than mine, he can disregard my status? What a blockhead! Breaking through to the Grandmaster realm at such a young age—isn't that just a waste of an opportunity to strive for the Sacred Palace? Such promising talent, yet wasted for a moment's bravado. Ridiculous!"

Cheng Xingchu sneered. If the cost of his intervention wasn't too high, no matter how strong Luo Qinglang was, he would certainly teach him a lesson.

But... Still, he'd bear it. After all, securing two White Cave slots from the Azure Adamant Spiritual Palace hadn't been easy.

"No objections, let's go in." He waved his hand helplessly.

"Heh heh." Luo Qinglang had no intention of letting him off. With a mischievous chuckle, he said, "I heard the Tiansang Spiritual Palace people arrived early and are already inside. Want to go say hello?"

Cheng Xingchu's pupils immediately constricted. Tiansang Spiritual Palace... Wasn't that Xu Xiaoshou's spiritual palace? The memory of being publicly humiliated, failing to provoke, and instead being knocked unconscious, surged, and Cheng Xingchu's face flushed crimson. His heart clenched. But a true man could take it and let it go... This demeanor still needed to be shown in front of Miss Zhiwen. So, Cheng Xingchu waved his hand indifferently.

"Whatever."

Yu Zhiwen's eyes also flickered. At the mention of Tiansang Spiritual Palace, that unreliable fellow immediately sprang to her mind. She still couldn't forget the youth's charming "Sword, come!" in the main hall at that time.

"No need." Yu Zhiwen, however, shook her head rationally. "Our paths diverge," she stated, "so we should not conspire together." She had already obtained the White Cave slot from the Azure Adamant Spiritual Palace—a privilege the Tiansang Spiritual Palace couldn't secure. When they met again, they would undoubtedly be competitors. Going there now might directly lead to a clash of arms.

"No need... then shall we simply forget it?" Luo Qinglang ran his hands through his wolf-tail hair, his gaze returned to the front, and his expression turned cold once more. "Then, shall I clear the path?"

With a few swishes, as his words fell, the young people behind him all retreated simultaneously. At this, even Yu Zhiwen and Cheng Xingchu didn't dare to be careless, directly flashing behind Luo Qinglang.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Three sword hums, and three long swords were drawn by Luo Qinglang from his ring. With both hands, and one held in his mouth, he presented them one by one.

"Bang!"

The instant the three swords were assembled, a terrifying killing aura burst forth, shattering the stone floor in Eight Palaces Town. At this, even the 'old foxes' within were astonished.

"My goodness, a Grandmaster?"

"Damn, as expected of someone from the Spiritual Palace! He's truly different from ordinary aristocratic family disciples."

"At such an age, Grandmaster cultivation? I'm so jealous!"

"No!" A sharp-eyed individual's pupils constricted, and terror appeared on their face. "Not just a Grandmaster, not just at the Heavenly Manifestation Realm – this young man, is he in the Yin-Yang Realm?"

"Hiss!" At this, everyone at the town entrance collectively gasped. Grandmaster, Yin-Yang Realm? Even at their uncle-like age, reaching the Grandmaster Heavenly Manifestation Realm was already impressive. This young man in front of them had so greatly surpassed his peers' innate cultivation, even surpassing most people present, directly reaching the Yin-Yang Realm?

"Good heavens, a Grandmaster from a major power, he should possess the strength to challenge beyond his realm, right?"

"Looking at such intimidating killing intent, this kid is definitely not an easy target. Perhaps this 'wave' isn't something the various hidden forces in Eight Palaces Town can handle."

"Yeah, didn't Old Du and Cui Wei team up to secretly mess with the Tiansang Spiritual Palace before? That leader, tsk tsk..."

"With one glance, Old Du immediately foamed at the mouth. I heard he doesn't even touch his wife anymore; I wonder what ability was crippled."

"What else could it be? He's a softie!" someone sneered.

"I was there that day. That woman named Rao Yinying was too terrifying. Although I couldn't discern her cultivation, this guy in front, though seemingly strong, probably couldn't handle her."

"Are you guys crazy? Your intel is so outdated?" Someone scoffed, "The truly strong one in Tiansang Spiritual Palace isn't Rao Yinying, but someone named Tan Ji. I heard that guy wanted to make a move that day, but he was held back. However, after sunset, he went alone, armed with a Heavenly Spear, and directly stormed Cui Wei's 'Wind Hall,' staining the courtyard with blood that night!"

"Holy cow, that happened? How did I not know?"

"Isn't Old Cui already at the peak of the Yin-Yang Realm, with so many subordinates, and Tan Ji, all alone?"

"That's right."

"I don't believe it!"

"Don't believe it? If you don't believe it, have you seen Old Cui these past few days? He's probably lying 'dead' somewhere, recuperating!"

"This..." The onlookers' attention was immediately drawn. Indeed, this incident happened just one day ago. Eight Palaces Town wasn't big. But among the many Spirit Refiners, truthfully, there weren't as many interactions as among common folk. Some information, if not openly discussed, might not even be known to the closest individuals. After all, on that day, many people had settled down, activated their strongest protective spiritual arrays, and were diligently cultivating.

Luo Qinglang looked at the noisy scene ahead and was stunned. He had thought these fierce-looking guys would rush him if provoked. Thus, his Three-Form Sword would have served its purpose. But how had these people's conversation drifted so far off topic?

"Tiansang Spiritual Palace?"

"Tan Ji?"

Someone stronger than him? Luo Qinglang's expression turned fierce. Such a perfect opportunity to show off, and no one was cooperating? He secretly lowered his head and glanced at the masked woman behind him. Luo Qinglang felt that even though he had seen countless women, he had never in his life encountered a woman with such beautiful, star-like eyes. With just those eyes, he was utterly captivated.

No chance to show off? I'll create my own chance!

"Whoosh!"

A luminous Exquisite Stone was thrown up. Luo Qinglang swiftly caught it, then retracted his hand. But in that instant, everyone's gaze immediately straightened.

"Exquisite Stone?"

The people who had just been uniformly discussing the 'Tiansang Spiritual Palace' were instantly blinded by the Exquisite Stone's glow.

"Don't you all want this?" Luo Qinglang watched everyone turn back, finally revealing a hunter's smile. "Come on, I'll set up a challenge arena here! Whoever can kill me will get it! But the challenge comes at a cost!" He paused, bowed with sword bent, and said coldly, "The cost is death!"

Yu Zhiwen's star-like eyes showed a hint of confusion. Weren't they supposed to enter Eight Palaces Town? How did they end up setting up a challenge arena right here?

"He's lost his mind..." Cheng Xingchu put one hand to his forehead. He had heard of Luo Qinglang's title 'Battle Maniac' back in the Azure Adamant Spiritual Palace, but he never expected the man to be so terrifying when he went mad. He understood Luo Qinglang's mentality! But to win a beauty's smile, he'd challenge everyone present? Absurd!

"Oh my goodness!" The white-robed sword cultivator who had initially followed Brother Wolf's legs went weak. He looked at the group of burly men opposite, whose eyes had suddenly turned bloodshot, as if they would pounce at any second, and his scalp tingled.

"Brother Wolf is at it again."

"Quick, get out of the way!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh — those behind him immediately got out of the way. Luo Qinglang's fighting spirit soared to an extreme, his killing aura raging so fiercely that even the tattered lanterns hanging from the town's inn rattled and tore. The town's various villains felt their blood boil, the image of the Exquisite Stone and that longing completely overwhelming their minds.

In an instant, someone darted forward, stepping into the fray. "I'll kill you!"

"Snap!"

Just then, at this critical moment of fervent battle intent, a faint sound rang out between the two sides. Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn.

It was a tall, slender figure, completely concealed beneath a straw hat and a thick black robe. Behind him were two smaller, similarly dressed figures. And behind them, another tall figure, similarly dressed.

"Are you all looking?" With a low, hoarse greeting, the straw-hatted masked leader waved his hand. A short figure behind him remained still. The other tall and short figures hesitated, then hesitantly unfurled the banner in their hands.

"Masked Men Organization: 'Straw Hat'."

A line of small text below:

"—Specializing in selling Exquisite Stones."

Luo Qinglang raised an eyebrow. "What kind of idiotic group was this four-person formation? I'm about to start a fight here! And you're doing promotions?"

Before he could speak, Luo Qinglang's pupils constricted the next second. Not only did he react this way, but all the villains at the town entrance did as well. The leader of the 'Straw Hat' organization, the masked man completely covered from head to toe, sat down at a wooden table he casually set up.

Then.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter!"

Three Exquisite Stones were placed directly on the table. Everyone's eyeballs practically popped out.

"Yo!" The leader of the 'Straw Hat' organization gave a shout, and for a moment, the wind whistled and the banner rustled. "Come and take a look, everyone! Exquisite Stones! Freshly 'baked' Exquisite Stones! Don't miss out if you're passing by! Exquisite Stones! The last three pieces! Guaranteed genuine, absolutely no fakes! Those with money, please support with money; those without, please support with your presence. Come and watch, everyone!"