Chapter 46: Terror Right Hand

Xu Xiaoshou awoke as if from a dream.

In the group stage, he battled fiercely against many opponents. In the breakthrough rounds, he consecutively defeated Liu Zhen, a Ten-Stage master, and Wen Chong, who was ranked seventh. For the promotion rounds, he even faced Zhou Tianshen, who was half-Congenital, and the full Congenital expert, Chao Qingteng.

Both of these guys also possessed Acquired Intent!

And then there was the 'parasite' and 'vampire' Mu Zixi in the semifinals…

His journey through the 'Wind and Cloud Grand Competition' had been arduous and full of hardship, as if he had overcome countless obstacles and defeated many formidable foes.

Xu Xiaoshou felt he was the unluckiest person in the world.

Just look at Mo Mo; she had only used one hand throughout her entire journey.

What a stark and miserable contrast…

Suddenly, a cool sensation on his face roused Xu Xiaoshou. He slowly awoke to see a staff member wiping his face, which touched him.

“Is it the finals?”

“Yes.”

The staff member replied, put the rag back into the basin, and watched as Xu Xiaoshou strode away.

Sigh, what kind of person is this? So carefree that they can fall asleep moments before the finals…

“Received Admiration, Passive Value, +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly turned around, startling the staff member, who quickly moved the basin behind them to conceal the rag.

“What do you want?”

“Why? What’s up?”

Xu Xiaoshou was perplexed. He summoned 'Hidden Bitterness' and jumped onto it, facing away from the door.

The black sword slowly ascended, carrying a person of elegant demeanor.

Staff member: “…”

“Received Curse, Passive Value, +1.”

Why the heck do you have to ride your sword backward? Can’t you just face forward?

Don't you know that looking at people like that can easily lead to misunderstandings?

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly bewildered. Why was he cursing himself for no reason?

He had always felt that the two staff members in the waiting area were inexplicably strange, but now, with this farewell, he probably wouldn't see them again.

He waved goodbye to these two simpletons who could only provide him with a maximum of '+2' passive value.

“Received Scorn, Passive Value, +449.”

“Received Doubt, Passive Value, +224.”

“Received Admiration, Passive Value, +3.”

Stepping out of the waiting area, Xu Xiaoshou cheered up again. He held his 'Wind and Cloud Token' in one hand, twisting his head as far as it would go to display his most sincere smile.

As expected, a crowd was his true battleground.

Look at these passive values…

Hmm?

Why only three admirations?

Heh heh, how dare you humans, who can't even fly, mock me?

As Xu Xiaoshou thought this, the black sword ascended even higher, seemingly wanting to distance itself from ordinary people.

“Received Scorn, Passive Value, +541.”

“Received Scorn, Passive Value, +623.”

Oh?

Extra gains?

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up, and he ascended another ten feet.

“Received Scorn, Passive Value, +777.”

Oho…

Again!

“Received Scorn, Passive Value, +864.”

Good, good!

Continue…

“Ow!”

He suddenly felt his head hit something above him…

This was high up in the sky; could there be a mid-air collision?

Xu Xiaoshou looked up.

Xiao Qixiu's face was as dark as stagnant water, his right hand gripping the longsword on his back, his tone as calm as if speaking to a dead man.

“Keep flying. It’s fine. You can fly even higher.”

“Oh dear, it’s Master Referee!”

Xu Xiaoshou immediately forced a smile and quickly dived into the barrier.

Holy moly!

That scared the living daylights out of me!

“Hahaha, Xu Xiaoshou, I truly admire him!”

The audience members roared with laughter, leaning back and forth. No one else could provoke Elder Xiao to such a degree of anger.

On the other side.

Mo Mo had not left the arena; she had been recuperating on the stage the whole time. Naturally, she had witnessed Xu Xiaoshou's swift shift in demeanor.

A smile played on her lips: “Xu Xiaoshou, I watched your matches during the group stage. You are very… humorous.”

She pondered for a while before finally coming up with that word.

“Received Praise, Passive Value, +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou kept his gaze fixed on her bronze cauldron. More precisely, he was staring at Mo Mo’s right hand holding the cauldron.

“So beautiful!”

This sudden compliment made Mo Mo's cheeks flush. It was the first time someone had directly told her she was beautiful in her life.

Just as she was about to return the compliment, she heard Xu Xiaoshou hastily clarify from the opposite side: “I was talking about the bronze cauldron.”

Mo Mo: “…”

Xu Xiaoshou scratched his head, realizing that his words might have been inappropriate.

“Of course, you are beautiful too. It’s a different kind of beauty than the bronze cauldron.”

Mo Mo: “…”

“Received Curse, Passive Value, +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

What's going on? I just complimented your beauty, and you curse me?

Heh heh, women!

He stepped forward, seemingly drawn to the bronze cauldron. He looked as if he wanted to touch it but felt it would be presumptuous. Finally, he couldn’t resist asking: “May I take a look at this item?”

Mo Mo hesitated, but still extended her hand and offered the bronze cauldron.

For anyone else, it would have been impossible, but this guy…

Never mind. He did, however awkwardly, compliment her just now, so she might as well take it seriously.

There’s no harm in letting him look.

Upon receiving permission, Xu Xiaoshou immediately stepped forward and grasped Mo Mo’s right hand. It felt warm and comforting.

“You…”

Mo Mo’s hand instinctively recoiled as if from an electric shock, leaving the bronze cauldron cradled in Xu Xiaoshou’s palm.

Xu Xiaoshou stared at her with a bewildered expression, then his gaze dropped to her right hand, seemingly only then realizing something.

He quickly apologized: “I’m sorry, I was presumptuous. I was simply drawn to this bronze cauldron, with no other intentions…”

“Phew… it’s fine.”

Mo Mo exhaled in relief, waving her hand slightly, thinking to herself that this guy seemed so sincere, he probably didn't do it on purpose.

The audience was temporarily confused by their exchange. So polite?

First complimenting each other, then holding hands – why don’t you two just hold hands successfully and end the match?

“What are they doing? Aren’t they going to start yet?”

“What’s the rush? Xu Xiaoshou has time to rest. Besides, is it not okay to just look at a bronze cauldron? If you can’t wait, don’t watch!”

“What’s so special about a bronze cauldron?”

“Heh heh, it’s a divine artifact that the number one ranked contestant never lets go of. If it were me, I’d want to see it too!”

Xu Xiaoshou paid no mind to the outside world. He feigned examining the bronze cauldron, but his heart was pounding wildly.

It’s real!

His feeling was true!

The moment he entered, under the cover of his 'Perception,' he could vaguely sense a terrifying energy within the barrier, unlike anything he had encountered before.

After searching for a long time, his target finally settled on Mo Mo’s right hand, which held the bronze cauldron.

However, without physical contact, perception would remain unclear. To touch that right hand, he had slowly lured Mo Mo, step by step, until he finally achieved his goal.

In that brief moment of contact, he clearly perceived that the energy contained within Mo Mo’s right hand was greater than all the spiritual energy in her entire body combined…

At least ten times more!

And that didn’t even include the energy he couldn’t detect!

What the hell…

What kind of terrifying monster is this?!

To think that Mo Mo had reached the finals using only her left hand!

Xu Xiaoshou panicked. He felt that the opponent before him was not on the same level as Chao Qingteng or Mu Zixi.

He remembered Elder Qiao's letter.

Sealing technique…

“Don’t scare me. It can’t be sealing an entire arm covered in eyes, right?!”