Chapter 476: The Place for Nurturing Saints

"Senior Wuyue, what did you see?"

The white-clad Chang Yi stopped beside Gou Wuyue. The main force was still rushing towards the White Cave in the Eastern Celestial Realm. He had sensed the sudden surge of sword intent from Gou Wuyue at the very end of the team, which was why he halted.

"It's nothing," Gou Wuyue quietly withdrew his gaze, saying no more.

Doubt lingered in his heart. With just a fleeting glance, he seemed to have detected a very familiar scent.

"Void Island?" he mused inwardly. "Are those guys planning to stir up trouble again?"

However, Gou Wuyue's expression remained calm. Such information was beyond the access of even high-ranking white-clad members like the one before him.

"Is that the direction of the White Cave?" he asked, pointing to the location he had seen through the barrier a moment ago.

Chang Yi was startled. The main force's direction of travel was directly opposite to where Gou Wuyue was pointing.

"This... Perhaps? I need to ask Dasheng. Dasheng!" Without delay, he immediately turned and called out, and a plump black man holding a spirit compass flew over from the middle of the team.

"Senior Wuyue." After a respectful bow, the plump black man, Dasheng, turned to Chang Yi. "What is it?"

"The direction of the White Cave?" Chang Yi pointed to the location Gou Wuyue had just indicated.

Dasheng frowned, picked up the spirit compass in his hand, and began to calculate.

"Correct," he confirmed after a long pause. "We are heading to the Eastern Celestial Realm, but we need to pass through the Eastern Heavenly King City first. Using the teleportation array there will get us there faster."

"It seems the direction doesn't match our current travel, but the 'Heavenly Luo Compass' shows it's normal. Why do you ask?" Dasheng was puzzled why they were suddenly asking about the White Cave's direction.

Gou Wuyue nodded silently upon hearing this. He largely understood. So, those guys were trying to cause trouble by taking advantage of the White Cave's opening? Fortunately, the dimensional fluctuations of Void Island couldn't escape his notice. After centuries of failed attempts, were they still unwilling to give up?

"They want to come out again..." Gou Wuyue murmured, frowning. He looked at the team before him and suddenly felt a headache. This contingent was originally dispatched for the "Sacred Slaves." But if the matter of Void Island was added to this mission, their current strength might be insufficient.

"Senior Wuyue, has something happened?" Dasheng asked cautiously. By this point, anyone could tell that Gou Wuyue had clearly discovered something significant.

Chang Yi anxiously clutched Dasheng's sleeve. He had already asked the Sword Immortal Wuyue this question. If he didn't want to answer, it meant that they were not yet qualified to be involved in this matter. Asking again would only make them seem foolish.

Fortunately, it was Gou Wuyue. He wasn't angry, but at the same time, he didn't directly answer Dasheng's question. Instead, he said solemnly, "Send a message to Cangsheng."

"Lord Cangsheng?" Chang Yi and Dasheng were both shocked. Ai Cangsheng was one of the Three Emperors stationed at the headquarters of the Sacred Temple, with a status almost on par with the Hall Master Dao. The matter Senior Wuyue had just discovered was so serious that it required Lord Cangsheng to be prepared? What exactly had happened? They hadn't detected the slightest sign themselves.

"What's the message?" Dasheng asked with a serious expression. At this moment, he dared not relax at all.

Gou Wuyue chuckled softly. "Don't worry, it's not a big deal. Just tell him to be prepared. If the situation changes, he might be needed for a single arrow shot."

"A single arrow!" The two white-clad figures before him trembled instantly, looking at Gou Wuyue in horror. A single arrow? This discovery not only required Lord Cangsheng to prepare but also needed his assistance with one arrow? And this wasn't a big deal? This was a world-shaking event!

"Understood." After just one startled glance, Dasheng instinctively lowered his head, not daring to speak further on the matter. Affairs of this magnitude were far beyond his clearance level. He felt extremely annoyed by his casual question just now.

"Does Senior have any other instructions? If not..." Dasheng was already eager to transmit the message immediately. For matters of this level, even a moment's delay made him uneasy.

"Wait a moment." Gou Wuyue waved his hand, stopping him, and after a slight hesitation, said, "Also, have Yu Lingdi bring some people over."

"Lord Yu?" Chang Yi and Dasheng exchanged a furtive glance, their inner panic at this moment indescribable. Yu Lingdi, the head of the Spirit Department, one of the Six Departments of the Sacred Temple, needed to come in person? Senior Wuyue, what exactly have you discovered?!

"Yes, yes." Dasheng responded repeatedly, suddenly noticing his voice trembled slightly.

Gou Wuyue saw their panic and chuckled, "Don't fret. It's just a precaution, for unforeseen circumstances. It's possible nothing will be needed in the end. Of course, it's best if nothing is needed. That young Yu Lingdi has been staying in the Spirit Department... there's really nothing much for him to do. It's just to get him out and about."

This gentle, comforting laugh instantly calmed the minds of the two white-clad members. As they looked at the man before them, with his slightly graying hair and sword strapped to his back, they suddenly felt as if the world had become peaceful. Indeed! For this mission, Sword Immortal Wuyue, one of the "Seven Sword Immortals," was leading the team. In this world, where could they not go? What could they fear? To panic themselves was truly laughable!

"Go," Gou Wuyue said with a warm smile, waving them off like a benevolent elder. His calmly smiling face brought a sense of reassurance to those who saw it.

"Sacred Slaves. Void Island." Watching the two depart, he turned his gaze back towards the White Cave, his eyes slightly narrowed. "And the White Cave..."

After gazing for a long time, Gou Wuyue finally lowered his head, lost in silent contemplation. An impractical thought began to take root. But he also found it truly absurd. "Is it a coincidence that they've all come together? But there shouldn't be any connection between these two, right?" His heart felt a slight tremor.

The demonic sword, Nulian, on his back, vibrated with a faint hum. With the soft buzz, Gou Wuyue raised his head again, his gaze now completely calm.

"Don't worry," he murmured, gently patting the sword's hilt, indicating that he was fine. Then he looked down at the countless living beings below, a silent vow forming in his eyes. Regardless of the path of destiny, why fear the remaining storms of life? I, Gou Wuyue, have but this one sword. With one sword, I shall bring peace!

"Whoa." The illusion shattered. Xu Xiaoshou returned to reality. The scene, like a fleeting dream, left him disoriented. "A Saint bestowing a sword? Sword intent breaking barriers?" This utterly perplexing situation made Xu Xiaoshou feel dizzy at the moment.

However, his skin felt somewhat parched. A gust of wind made his sweat-soaked clothes cling tightly to his body. Xu Xiaoshou immediately understood. This was not an illusion. The scene from moments ago had been real. He had indeed been favored by a Saint!

But... "This Saint seems a bit... off, doesn't he?" Xu Xiaoshou hesitated. If he hadn't misheard, the Saint who had fled in a panic, without even revealing his intentions, the "clanking" sound he made at the end might genuinely have been the sound of chains he forgot to conceal. It was too clear! That last wave of sound. Even as the vast white mini-world collapsed, the heavy clanking of chains remained so jarring to his "perception." But... "This is too absurd!" "A confined... Half-Saint?" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt he must have misheard. In this world, the Grand Void was already the strongest fighting force; even the existence of Half-Saints was a mysterious legend. And now, not only had he encountered a powerful being who might be a Half-Saint, but this Half-Saint was also in such a sorry state. How could anyone believe what he had just witnessed was real?

"Hearing may be false, and seeing isn't necessarily believing. Forget it!" His intuition told him that if he took this matter seriously and dwelled on it, he might well fall into another unknown vortex. Xu Xiaoshou instinctively chose to forget. But as soon as he thought this, he felt a faint pain in his head. Upon inspection, he found a hot white luminous pearl in his primal abode.

"This is..." Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized this must be what the disheveled Saint had left behind after touching him. Perhaps everything he didn't have time to say was contained within it?

"This..." Xu Xiaoshou became even more panicked. If he could choose to forget, he would certainly want to end all of this. But now, there was this unknown object in his head... "First a sword spirit, now a white pearl. Am I a storage jar?" Xu Xiaoshou wanted to cry. For a moment, he didn't know whether to touch the white pearl or just leave it be.

"Xu Xiaoshou? Xu Xiaoshou, what's wrong?" A few calls in his ear completely pulled Xu Xiaoshou back to reality. He collected himself and found that everyone around him was looking at him. However, apart from "looking," there seemed to be no additional emotion. Not even Shounye... Xu Xiaoshou glanced at Shounye. The old man looked back with equal bewilderment.

"So, everything that just happened, even a Dao Severer didn't notice?" Xu Xiaoshou was horrified. That disheveled Saint truly seemed to be a Half-Saint! Otherwise, how could he have remained undetectable even to the strongest combatant here? If he had wanted Xu Xiaoshou's life, couldn't he have ended it in an instant?

*Phew.* "I'm overthinking it. A being of that caliber probably wouldn't even have a flicker of emotion over my life or death, let alone personally try to kill me!" Xu Xiaoshou secretly gave himself a pep talk, then looked at Gu Qingsan, who had spoken, and said, "It's nothing, just a little dizzy."

"How long was I paused just now?" he asked.

"A few breaths, I suppose." Gu Qingsan asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

A few breaths... Xu Xiaoshou was startled again. Not to mention the agonizing, seemingly eons-long wait in that mini-world, even the interaction with the disheveled Saint surely lasted more than a few breaths? Was this the true control over the flow of time...? Xu Xiaoshou exhaled softly, momentarily speechless.

"Relax." Seeing his state, Gu Qingsan comforted him, "Actually, your enlightenment period was quite short. I remember when my second senior brother was recognized by a famous sword, he even directly pushed his Grandmaster realm to its peak and comprehended the Void Condensing Sword Art."

"Compared to that, you actually lost out; the time was too short, not good enough. But still," he said with a proud smile, "not everyone is like my senior brother. It's already great that you were recognized by the sword!"

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but look at the famous sword in his hand. Recognition... Although the phenomenon of recognition seemed to have been directly cut off by someone, along with the loss of enlightenment, with just a drop of blood, Xu Xiaoshou still felt the intimate connection with the Blazing Python in his hand, which had been fully established. With just one drop of blood, this famous sword seemed to have become an extension of his arm. It felt as if wherever he wanted it to appear, it could appear. Whatever action he wanted it to perform, it could perform. In fact, due to the famous sword's sentience, the intimacy felt even stronger than with Cangku. After all, their tiers were different, making a direct comparison impossible.

*Buzz!* With just a thought from Xu Xiaoshou, the Blazing Python immediately flew into the sky. After a sudden halt, a burst of fiery red energy exploded, instantly heating the surroundings to an extreme temperature, even warping the void as it was evaporated.

"A famous sword! Is this... a famous sword?" Everyone was stunned by the sudden appearance of the sword. Staring blankly at the Blazing Python constantly circling above the void, continuously releasing molten energy, everyone felt an undeniable envy.

"Received Envy, Passive Points, 252.""Received Jealousy, Passive Points, 213."

"A good sword," Gu Qing'er said, looking up and praising it sincerely. His eyes were filled with admiration, but at this moment, there was no trace of greed. If this famous sword had been masterless, he would have fought tooth and nail to acquire it. But after all the contention, he realized that this famous sword had long ago chosen Xu Xiaoshou. Perhaps, compared to everyone else present, the famous sword's discernment was sharper!

Gu Qing'er silently glanced at Xu Xiaoshou, who was also staring dazedly at the famous sword in the sky, and chuckled.

"Junior Brother, let's go."

"Ah? Oh." Gu Qingsan was startled. He turned around and saw that his second senior brother had already left without a backward glance. This time, he finally didn't walk but decisively flew away.

"It's time to continue Master's mission..." Gu Qingsan sighed helplessly and flew to follow.

"Disperse, disperse." Everyone watched Xu Xiaoshou, who was joyfully commanding the Blazing Python. Some indeed had many thoughts. But as soon as they saw Shounye standing before Xu Xiaoshou, a sense of despondency settled in their hearts. What if they had thoughts? As long as the Red Guard was here, let alone snatching it, they probably couldn't even get close! Moreover, Xu Xiaoshou already seemed strong, and now with the famous sword's enhancement...

"Disperse!" The crowd scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only a few reluctant individuals who took lingering glances back. But they didn't stay long either. Although the White Cave was only open for a few months, if the Red Guard's mission was completed early, all the cultivators inside would likely have to exit prematurely. Therefore, every moment spent inside was precious. People couldn't waste their valuable time ignoring most of the White Cave's resources just to gawk at a famous sword here. After all, how long had they been in the White Cave? If one famous sword had appeared already, would the next one be far behind?

"Hey, don't leave!" Xu Xiaoshou was still playing with the Blazing Python when he noticed everyone was almost gone. He immediately shouted anxiously, "The famous sword is gone, but I still have exquisite stones! I specialize in selling exquisite stones, come over here!" He pulled out a handful of exquisite stones, but at this moment, no one wanted to bother with him. Xu Xiaoshou was too annoying. Even though exquisite stones were indeed good life-saving items in the White Cave, at this moment, no one wanted to interact with him further.

"Received Curse, Passive Points, 241."

Xu Xiaoshou disappointedly put the exquisite stones back. Looking around, the area that had been packed with people was now desolate, with only Shounye and Yu Zhiwen remaining.

"Desolate..." Xu Xiaoshou disliked having few people around. There was simply no 'wool' to fleece, which was truly frustrating.

"Senior Shounye..." He looked at Shounye, just about to speak, when the other side waved a hand. "Wait." With that, the Red Guard looked into the distance.

"Lu Ke!" A sharp reprimand. Xu Xiaoshou was startled. He had never heard the old man use such a forceful tone! His "Perception" then saw a masked young figure among the still-not-fully-flown-away crowd, who shuddered violently before flying off even faster.

"This is..." Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat surprised. If he remembered correctly, among those present, the only ones who posed a threat to him, aside from the two swordsmen, were this seemingly very young boy. Xu Xiaoshou could sense the aura of an ancient sword cultivator, originating from the same source. This guy was definitely not as simple as he appeared. Even though he hadn't had a chance to interact with him or even queue up, after what had just happened, Xu Xiaoshou no longer dared to doubt his own intuition.

"Is he also a swordsman?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

Shounye nodded and scoffed, "A mischievous fellow. Dares to run away, truly thinking that having a master means he can disregard rules. He'll have a reckoning when he gets back!"

"Escaped... Master..." Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. "Red Guard?"

"A Junior Red Guard," Shounye nodded. After a pause, he looked at Xu Xiaoshou and said, "It's someone who trains within the Red Guard ranks and has a high chance of becoming a successor in the future."

Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit uneasy under the piercing gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Shounye's lips curved. "Perhaps you'll meet him in the future."

"No," Xu Xiaoshou flatly shook his head.

Shounye didn't respond, only sighed. He knew that Xu Xiaoshou currently didn't seem too keen on organizations like the Red Guard. But it didn't matter. In this world, there were people born with a strong sense of justice. However, the majority of people lacked a strong sense of justice simply because they had not yet witnessed the cruel side of the world. Once they possessed strength and the ability to solve problems, when faced with those difficult choices, human morality would compel them to make a decision, even if it was forced. No one could avoid making a choice, no matter how difficult!

Having understood Xu Xiaoshou's state of mind and knowing that this guy was indeed an opponent of the ghost beasts, Shounye no longer harbored any reservations when facing the young man.

"The gates of the Red Guard are always open for you," he stated solemnly.

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. Even Yu Zhiwen, at his side, suddenly widened her starry eyes in surprise. While Shounye's actions clearly indicated something, to issue such an invitation to an outsider, and a young one at that, without them having risen through the Sacred Temple's internal system... Yu Zhiwen felt that even she had never witnessed such a thing before!

"I... I'll consider it?" Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, not expecting Shounye to suddenly lay everything bare and get straight to the point. Thinking of the Gluttonous God still idling in his primal abode, he found himself in a dilemma. It would certainly be false to say he disliked the Red Guard or didn't envy the privileges of such an existence. Xu Xiaoshou had even fantasized about joining these two organizations when he first heard of the White and Red Guards. Just seeing Shounye count to ten and scare away the ghost beast Hieming, if he joined, he would certainly be incredibly imposing!

But was it truly suitable for him? Xu Xiaoshou asked himself again. If he were to truly pursue strength, even if he joined the Red Guard, there might not be many who could truly teach him at this moment. Not even Shounye. On the other hand, there were the "Sacred Slaves." That day, facing Luo Leilei and the masked man's invitation, he might as well have just accepted it directly. At least in terms of sword dao achievements, just those few pointers from the masked man would probably be enough for him to study for a long time.

As for justice... Xu Xiaoshou had his own definition of justice. He revered strength but would never commit heinous acts for it. Just as he disliked the masked man slaughtering the Su family's high-ranking members for the famous sword, he also disliked the Red Guard's arbitrary decision to supposedly eradicate ghost beasts in the name of justice.

"I... I'll consider it?" Xu Xiaoshou looked up at Shounye, his gaze wary. He was afraid the old man might suddenly lose his temper, snap, slap him, then grab his neck and bellow, "I've already spoken, are you joining or not?!"

Clearly, Shounye was not that irrational at the moment. He smiled and said, "I know you're still considering, so what I mean is, the gates of the Red Guard are always open for you."

"As long as you're not on our opposing side, with your abilities, I believe you can shine even if you join this team. Of course, this consideration also has a time limit."

"How long?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"Half a year." Shounye replied, "I can give you a maximum of half a year."

"Why half a year, not one year, or ten?" Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened, and he instinctively stepped back. "Isn't a round number better?"

Shounye chuckled, somewhat annoyed. "I'm giving you half a year because you might still have a chance to participate in a Saint Palace trial. If you pass that, it'll definitely be better than joining the Red Guard."

"This is for your future... And you, kid, talking about ten years!" Shounye angrily went to slap him, but the vigilant Xu Xiaoshou dodged. He rolled his eyes, "You've gone too far! I don't even know if I'll live for ten years!"

"Saint Palace trial?" Xu Xiaoshou was surprised. What kind of trial could be better than joining the Red Guard? One must know, this was one of the continent's two most peak and authoritative organizations! Wait, Saint Palace? Xu Xiaoshou suddenly recalled that Elder Sang seemed to have mentioned the Saint Palace too. The Saint Palace had a Great Goose Lake, and that old geezer had cultivated the Burning Heaven Incineration there?

"What exactly is this Saint Palace trial?"

This time, Yu Zhiwen was stunned. "You don't know about the Saint Palace?"

"I know of it, but I don't understand it well," Xu Xiaoshou looked over.

Yu Zhiwen blinked her starry eyes, clearly taken aback. "Aren't you suppressing your cultivation realm precisely for this trial?"

Xu Xiaoshou sensed the innate peak aura from the other party. He suddenly thought of Cheng Xingchu and many other young cultivators who could clearly break through to the Grandmaster realm but were desperately suppressing their cultivation. Such as the deceased Zhang Xinxiong... He suddenly understood something and looked back at Shounye, asking, "Is the Saint Palace really better than the Red Guard?"

Shounye chuckled softly, amused by the question. "Of course," he affirmed.

"One is an organization of veterans who are constantly fighting on the front lines, risking their lives to hone themselves. The other is a true cultivation ground for young talents to become Saints. How can these two be compared?"

"A cultivation ground for Saints?" Xu Xiaoshou was surprised.

"Have you heard of Half-Saints?" Shounye suddenly asked.

Xu Xiaoshou thought, *Of course, I might have just met one.* Naturally, he wouldn't say this. "Half-Saints... legends, who doesn't know about them?" He spread his hands.

Shounye, however, smiled and shook his head. "Half-Saints are not legends. In the Saint Palace, there are true Half-Saints, and more than one! That place is the ultimate destination for all the continent's Spirit Palace prodigies and aristocratic descendants; it's the true inheritance of the Saintly Path. A cultivation ground for Saints, indeed. It cultivates true Half-Saints, and even Saint Emperors!"