Chapter 462: White Bone Giant

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

A Saintess?A Saintess from a branch of the Holy Divine Palace, or one from the main headquarters in the Central Region?Xu Xiaoshou pondered.His intuition told him that this seemingly simple-minded girl might not just be at the level of someone like Cheng Xingchu. After all, besides her innocent thoughts, almost everything about her was top-tier: her appearance, figure, cultivation...These weren't the most important things.The most crucial was...That pair of starry eyes!

Xu Xiaoshou stared at Yu Zhiwen's eyes for a long time, until she repeatedly avoided his gaze and even buried her head. Only then did he ask, puzzled:"I've always been curious, does such a beautiful pair of eyes have any special abilities? Like X-ray vision, for example?"Yu Zhiwen visibly stiffened, her earlobes flushing. She quickly replied, "It's not X-ray vision.""So that means there are indeed other special abilities?""Uh, no..."

Just as the girl was about to deny it, Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened, and she became speechless."Children shouldn't lie!""Your first answer was 'not,' not 'no,' which indicates something.""Do you really think I'm stupid?""We're already teammates. If you keep hiding things, and we encounter an emergency, I won't know your abilities, and I won't be able to assess your true strength, right?" Xu Xiaoshou said sincerely.

Yu Zhiwen's fingers coiled around her dress, her expression suddenly conflicted. What Xu Xiaoshou said made a lot of sense. Since they were already teammates, deception was indeed not good. However, the "Pearl Star Pupils" were her biggest secret. Her master had also told her not to reveal it, not even to her closest confidants. She had only known Xu Xiaoshou for a few days, less than a day in total. How could she tell him?"Not going to say?"Xu Xiaoshou's expression fell, as if he had been struck a blow."I can't say."Yu Zhiwen's tone was somewhat apologetic.

"Alright, I understand."Xu Xiaoshou didn't force her. After a moment of thought, he said, "If you can't say, how about I guess? If I guess correctly, you just nod?"Yu Zhiwen was stunned.That was an option?"Suspected, Passive Points, +1."Seeing no reaction, Xu Xiaoshou boldly suggested, "Why don't you give me a hint first, then I'll guess?""I..."Yu Zhiwen thought, *I don't want to give a hint*, but then remembered she had already refused her teammate's request once. It was already hard to refuse, and after feeling guilty, it was even more impossible to refuse a second time."A spiritual array master," she said helplessly.

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up instantly."A spiritual array master?""You're from the Holy Divine Palace, aren't you?"Yu Zhiwen nodded. "Yes."There was no point in denying that. Anyone could tell at a glance, and she didn't intend to hide it. After all, she was someone who had run away from home but still relied on her family's influence to get by...Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his chin, nodding slowly as he squinted, examining Yu Zhiwen up and down.Yu Zhiwen was amused by his demeanor and grew interested. She didn't believe that Xu Xiaoshou could deduce much from just "spiritual array master.""Heaven's Mystery Art?"Upon hearing "Holy Divine Palace," Xu Xiaoshou didn't associate the girl with a spiritual array master at all. At the very least, a Heaven's Mystery artist would be more fitting for her status.Yu Zhiwen was surprised. She didn't nod, but she didn't deny it either.

"That's amazing!""Are you really a Heaven's Mystery artist?"Xu Xiaoshou had seen Fu Zhi study the Heaven's Mystery Art, but that guy was self-taught, relying only on a Heavenly Pivot Compass. At best, he was only half-proficient. He never imagined that the girl in front of him was a genuine Heaven's Mystery artist."So, Dao Qiongcang... Ugh, I mean, Palace Lord Dao, what's your relationship with him? He wouldn't happen to be your master, would he?"Xu Xiaoshou was startled by his own thought. After all, few people studied the Heaven's Mystery Art in the world, and the most famous one was the contemporary Palace Lord of the Holy Divine Palace, Dao Qiongcang."No relation."Yu Zhiwen lowered her eyelids and slowly shook her head."You're lying!"Xu Xiaoshou declared definitively. The girl's demeanor and averted gaze clearly indicated she was lying."I..."

"Palace Lord Dao is either your master, your senior uncle, or your senior aunt. At the very least, he definitely taught you the Heaven's Mystery Art."Xu Xiaoshou stepped forward and leaned in, pressing her. "It's impossible for you to say there's no relation!""This..."Yu Zhiwen stumbled back repeatedly, startled. At such close proximity, Xu Xiaoshou could even faintly discern the outline of her slightly parted lips and teeth beneath her veil."I was right," Xu Xiaoshou chuckled.Yu Zhiwen pursed her lower lip, remaining silent. She suddenly didn't want Xu Xiaoshou to guess anymore. In front of this person, she felt completely exposed, as if her thoughts were laid bare.

Xu Xiaoshou tilted his head back, looking into the void. Inside the White Cave, there was no day or night, and no stars. Yet, with his hands behind his back, he seemed to perceive the intricate connections behind the glimmering fixed stars.Xu Xiaoshou seemed to understand something. He sighed, pacing back and forth."Heaven's essence of pearls, star-marked destiny.""The rules of the Grand Dao are simply that; through phenomena, one sees the essence. Everything operates under established rules.""This applies to heaven and earth, and the stellar rivers are no different.""I think..."Xu Xiaoshou turned back, gazing steadily at Yu Zhiwen."Since the Holy Divine Palace chose you as their Saintess, either they gave you the best resources, or you possess extraordinary talent.""Therefore, these starry eyes are either used to decipher the Heaven's Mystery Art, and even the rules of heaven and earth...""Or, they can analyze truth, helping you comprehend the Dao, thus allowing you to better cultivate the Heaven's Mystery Art?"

Yu Zhiwen's eyes widened."Incorrect."After a long pause, that was the only word she managed to utter."Ah."Xu Xiaoshou observed her reaction, knowing that even if he was wrong, he was very close."Little girl, how old are you? You're full of lies. Who taught you that?"Yu Zhiwen's pretty face flushed with annoyance, and she turned her head away, not daring to speak. She found that she could still speak when facing outsiders. But with Xu Xiaoshou, sometimes she couldn't even manage a complete sentence for a long time. Because this guy could either answer his own questions or hit the nail on the head, essentially saying what others were thinking.But..."Even though your deduction was wrong, I want to ask, how did you deduce it?"Yu Zhiwen looked back at him. She meticulously examined Xu Xiaoshou's head, curious about its inner workings. How was this guy's mind structured? Cheng Xingchu had also probed her origins and the secret of her starry eyes, but her simple "I can't say" had always silenced him. Yet Xu Xiaoshou...If she couldn't say it, he could!And he could make perfect sense of it!

Yu Zhiwen was unhappy. Earlier, her master had said that there truly were people in this world who could kill others just by using their minds. She hadn't understood it before, but now she did. The guy standing in front of her might not even need his mind; perhaps he could kill and destroy spirits with just his mouth?"A spiritual array master, didn't you say you're a spiritual array master?"Xu Xiaoshou asked, puzzled."That's it?"Yu Zhiwen was dumbfounded again. "Nothing else?""What else could there be?"Xu Xiaoshou retorted, "You're so stingy, did you give any other hints?"Yu Zhiwen: "...""Cursed, Passive Points, +1.""Awed, Passive Points, +1."

"Let's go!"She took a step forward, directly bypassing Xu Xiaoshou, and walked deeper. She couldn't stay here any longer. If they kept talking, Yu Zhiwen felt that even her ancestors for eighteen generations would be thoroughly exposed by that young man. They had only just met..."Feared, Passive Points, +1."Xu Xiaoshou watched her retreating back, amused. The girl seemed to have hardened her resolve. Her exasperation, leaving her speechless, had transformed into other energy, causing her to stomp her small feet forcefully as she walked. Yet, her ingrained elegant demeanor couldn't be changed so quickly. She looked uniquely charming.With a chuckle, Xu Xiaoshou followed her."A bit cute."

The White Cave was not white. Under the scorching energy, even the ground was slightly reddish. After walking to the end of the barren, uneven terrain, Xu Xiaoshou realized his position was a very remote cliff. Within the cliff, nothing had happened, nor had they encountered any accidents. It seemed as if this wasn't the White Cave, but just an ordinary, nameless small place."We're here."Yu Zhiwen, who was ahead, stopped in front of a black array pattern.Xu Xiaoshou also paused. Along the way, he had already sensed something was amiss. It was too quiet here. It was as if they were being protected. Or rather, it wasn't "as if," it "was"! The array pattern before them was the final answer.

"Those who possess a Linglong Stone are initially teleported randomly into a pre-designated protective spiritual array. This is a measure by the Red Robes to prevent people from immediately falling into danger upon entry.""Those who smuggle themselves in don't get this benefit."Yu Zhiwen glanced at Xu Xiaoshou's expression, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't know?"Xu Xiaoshou: "..."If I had known, I would've asked Elder Qiao for some basic information first!"Hehe, there's actually something you don't know?"Yu Zhiwen chuckled twice, quickly covering her mouth with the back of her hand, her face flushing. Her relationship with Xu Xiaoshou wasn't that close. How could she let down her guard?She stepped into the black spiritual array with a serious expression and motioned, "Come in."

As Xu Xiaoshou walked, he asked, "You haven't been to the White Cave before, have you? How do you know there's a spiritual array here?"He had walked all this way and hadn't even seen it. If he hadn't been close enough to discover it with his "Perception," he might have had to study it for a while even if he were inside the protective shield. The Red Robes' spiritual arrays were truly impressive."You can see it?"When the woman in front of him didn't speak, Xu Xiaoshou asked again.Yu Zhiwen's large eyes were fixed, unblinking, simply watching Xu Xiaoshou approach."What?"Xu Xiaoshou felt uneasy under her gaze."Nothing, just come in."Yu Zhiwen beckoned. Her eyes curved into a smile; she found this tactic surprisingly effective. As long as she ignored Xu Xiaoshou, didn't feel guilty, and didn't avert her gaze, he seemed to be at a loss."Why are you looking at me like that...?"Xu Xiaoshou frowned. His "Perception" confirmed there was nothing unusual on his face. He hesitated for a moment before stepping into the spiritual array.

The spiritual array was very small, barely enough room for one more person at most. The air suddenly fell silent. Yu Zhiwen couldn't take it anymore. She immediately shifted her gaze, her heart pounding furiously."Let's go."She took out her Linglong Stone, glanced at Xu Xiaoshou again, and saw that he was watching her. Yu Zhiwen's mind went into a flutter as her spiritual sense connected.Two streaks of light vanished.

"Roar—"It was a stark contrast to the quiet little space they had just left. It wasn't a teleportation, merely a transition from inside the spiritual array's protective shield to the outside, and a cacophony of roars immediately assailed their ears.Xu Xiaoshou instantly lost his playful mood, becoming highly vigilant."Roar!"Another earth-shattering roar echoed, making the ground tremble.Clutching a small mound in front, Xu Xiaoshou crouched down. Yu Zhiwen did the same beside him. She was even more flustered than Xu Xiaoshou. However, while her spiritual sense scanned their surroundings, she still spoke words that seemed to have been prepared in advance to avoid awkwardness after emerging."That protective shield can be used by anyone with a Linglong Stone."Her voice softened. "If we encounter danger and have a Linglong Stone, we can hide back inside.""Oh.""Cursed, Passive Points, +1."Xu Xiaoshou's mind was no longer focused on that.

The "Perception" showed a scene: beneath the small mound, dozens of skeletal giants, three to four zhang tall, each wielding bone blades and bone staffs, were hacking at each other. They looked like two small factions locked in a fierce, deeply resentful battle."Roar!"When one massive bone hammer struck an opponent's skull, the battered skeletal giant suddenly let out a pained shriek. The ground shook momentarily, and dust fell from the small mound. It was clear that the previous two roars had also come from this scene."What are these?"Xu Xiaoshou was baffled. He had thought that the so-called extra-dimensional creatures would at least be special humanoid monsters. After all, the Grey Fog people were born here, and they seemed manageable back then. But these skeletal giants... They had absolutely no resemblance to the Grey Fog people!Looking at their height and width... These creatures indeed lacked muscles, but even a single forearm bone was as thick as a tree trunk!

"White Skeletons."Yu Zhiwen curiously glanced at Xu Xiaoshou. This guy was truly strange! It was as if he could only fly but not walk. The more basic something was, the less he seemed to know; yet, the more difficult and profound something was, the more he seemed to grasp it instantly?"These are White Skeletons?"Xu Xiaoshou was a bit astonished. He had heard of the White Skeletons. He also understood some of the most basic common knowledge. But these were completely different from the scrawny "bone spirits" he had imagined!"Looking at the intensity of their attacks, they're at least at the peak Xiantian level... Could their physical bodies be at the Xiantian physical body stage?"Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat doubtful. He could discern some familiar Ember energy within the slightly reddish White Skeletons."Can these guys attack from a distance?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"No.""That's fine then. Unbeatable in close combat, but they can't kill from a distance, so we just need to avoid getting too close.""But some can," Yu Zhiwen added.Xu Xiaoshou froze, slowly turned back, and saw a fleeting glint of slyness in the girl's eyes. His lips twitched. "How so?"Yu Zhiwen's eyes sparkled with a smile as she said:"These guys are probably the most basic creatures in the White Cave.""At least, we don't see any energy cores within them. I estimate they only possess pure combat desire, without even true sentience.""The truly powerful ones would likely be smaller in size, with higher mobility and execution, proficient in both close-range and long-range combat."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened. These most common ones already had strength close to the Xiantian physical body level and combat power that completely overpowered Xiantian cultivators in close combat. Going higher, wouldn't they be starting at the Master level?At this point, he suddenly understood why the Red Robe woman had tried to dissuade the group of people pulled into the sky when the White Cave opened. Without being at the Spirit Realm, without being a Master, it would truly be difficult to survive here!"Are they pack creatures?"Xu Xiaoshou asked, looking at the two distinct factions below."Yes."Yu Zhiwen nodded. "Pack creatures."Terrifying!Strong combat power wasn't enough, they were also pack creatures?Xu Xiaoshou estimated that if he went down there, he could probably send them flying with one punch each. But if someone like Yu Zhiwen was suddenly discovered, wouldn't she be instantly killed?"You..."He turned back, asking somewhat woodenly, "How do you know so much? Or is this basic knowledge, and everyone else is just like you?"

"No."Yu Zhiwen's smile bloomed. "I'm more knowledgeable. Others who come in are probably just like you, knowing nothing!""Oh, so you're getting cocky now?"Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, pointing at the warring factions below. "Isn't this just a matter of having hands?""Huh?"Yu Zhiwen froze.Then, she saw Xu Xiaoshou utter those words, and amidst the clamor of battle and swirling dust, he shot forth."Hah!"With a loud shout, the dozens of towering skeletal giants below suddenly froze. A cracking sound arose. After a confused turning of heads, all the White Skeletons saw the man standing in the void, and sparks erupted from their eyes.Actual sparks!Yu Zhiwen's heart instantly skipped a beat. Her cultivation was only at the peak of the Spirit Realm. Without using the Heaven's Mystery Art, she would struggle against even one White Skeleton below. But Xu Xiaoshou just charged out like that?Yu Zhiwen knew he was strong, but she still felt a slight disappointment. This was exactly like those guys in the past who would frantically try to show off whenever they saw her. She disliked that feeling. That feeling of deliberate exhibition.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, had no such thoughts. Coming to the White Cave, he had only three objectives. First, the Four Swords, which was optional and dependent on fate. Second, Passive Points; this was the main objective. Even if he could only find the "Ember Great Fire Seed" to farm, he would relentlessly level up his passive skills to the Master stage! As for the third..."White Cave, no rules!"Xu Xiaoshou clearly remembered Elder Sang's words. Under his "Perception" scan, he could also see that there were no Red Robe figures nearby. At this moment, if he didn't unleash his combat power and assess his true cultivation level, wouldn't it be a waste of this trip? Fighting to his heart's content was his third objective!These skeletal giants, with such high physical hardness, truly and precisely met Xu Xiaoshou's combat standards. And it was the most exhilarating kind!

"Kill!""Roar!!!"Both sides ignited the battle almost simultaneously, stomping on the accelerator and charging headfirst without looking back.Behind the small mound, Yu Zhiwen's scalp prickled."Forty-five, forty-six...""Almost fifty White Skeletons, Xu Xiaoshou, are you crazy?"The scene was too shocking. A mere ant-like human figure directly confronted nearly fifty roaring skeletal giants? Without even dodging an inch, Xu Xiaoshou met the ancient cauldron-like white fist with a punch."Bang!"The void rippled, and a hot current directly swept through, causing the small mound to explode. Yu Zhiwen couldn't crouch anymore and rose in astonishment. The several-zhang-tall skeletal giant only paused for half a breath after Xu Xiaoshou's punch. The next instant, with a whoosh, it was sent spiraling into the air.As for Xu Xiaoshou...He hadn't moved an inch!

"This..."Yu Zhiwen's pupils contracted. She knew Xu Xiaoshou was strong, but this punch was simply unreasonable! Such a massive skeletal giant, with such high bone density, its sheer weight alone could probably crush an ordinary Xiantian cultivator!Xu Xiaoshou's punch...Sent it flying?"Is this a Master's body?""Is a Master's body truly that strong?"While her thoughts were stunned, the battle below did not cease. Xu Xiaoshou punched the skeletal giant away, and relying on his "Toughness" and "Counter-Shock," he didn't retreat a single step. But the long-lost intense tremor from his body was exhilarating."This is the kind of battle a true man should have!"Blood surging, Xu Xiaoshou was exhilarated. Facing the massive hammer smashing from his left and the huge axe cleaving from his right, he suddenly raised both palms."Clang—"A deafening clang, like the clash of weapons, reverberated as Xu Xiaoshou, with bare hands and fists, directly stopped the heavy hammer and giant axe."Good stuff!"His gaze instantly fixed. These bone hammers and axes didn't seem to be just weapons held by the White Skeletons. Instead, Xu Xiaoshou could see with his "Perception" that these items were not separate from the White Skeletons' bodies!

"Connected?"The weapons were connected to their bodies, but the energy within them was many times greater than that of their bodies. Clearly, most of the White Skeletons' energy was used to nurture their weapons.Xu Xiaoshou was astonished. He dodged the next few attacks, instantly relocating to the head of the White Skeleton wielding the heavy hammer."Boom!"The skeletal giant roared, craning its neck, seemingly trying to shake Xu Xiaoshou off. Xu Xiaoshou was disappointed to find that this creature still possessed some rationality; it wouldn't smash its hammer directly at its own head.In that case...He raised his fist and brought it down with a punch."Boom!"The horizontal airwaves not only stunned Yu Zhiwen but also caused the other skeletal giants to halt their movements. The armor-like skeletal skull exploded into fragments after a single punch. Pieces of white bone scattered, some even embedding into the crevices of other skeletal giants' bodies, such as their eye sockets or ribs..."Awed, Passive Points, +1."Xu Xiaoshou was startled, thinking it was the White Skeleton that had granted it, which would have been excellent. But then he looked back and saw Yu Zhiwen, wide-eyed and stunned.

"Is this the real Xu Xiaoshou?"Yu Zhiwen was truly shaken. Only then did she realize that he was completely different from those who used to try to show off. Xu Xiaoshou wasn't showing off at all. Was this just a warm-up?One punch, sent flying?One punch, head gone?Who was the skeletal giant here?Xu Xiaoshou, you must be the White Skeleton, and those guys are your younger brothers?"Suspected, Passive Points, +1.""Feared, Passive Points, +1."