Chapter 477: A Map?

“Saint Emperor?”

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart tightened. Even a Half-Saint was already a legendary realm. Did people like Saint Emperors truly exist in this world? Perhaps they were no longer considered human, but rather gods transcending the Heavenly Dao!

Shouye nodded and said, “Yes, it is the Saint Emperor.”

“However, even with the Saint Palace’s hundreds of years of inherited history, there has been no news of a Saint Emperor appearing in the outside world. Information about the Saint Palace is, in essence, not open to the public. Therefore, what you want to know about the so-called Saint Emperor realm can perhaps only be learned by actually going to that place.”

Shouye let out a soft chuckle. The Saint Palace, an existence transcendent to the continent, was almost like a heaven in the refining spirit world. How could ordinary people reach it? Even as a Dao Breaker, even as a Redguard, his understanding of the Saint Palace remained superficial.

“Saint Emperor…” Xu Xiaoshou was immersed in this title, which sounded invincible, and couldn't pull himself away for a long time. If he could reach that height, he thought that the so-called grand schemes of the mighty would be nothing more than child's play.

“What is the Saint Palace like?” He was filled with curiosity.

“You’ll have to prepare well for that yourself. If you can get in, I won't need to explain. If you can't get in, anything more I say would be useless,” Shouye replied.

Xu Xiaoshou asked again, “Then, how can one enter the Saint Palace?”

“The Saint Palace Trial!” Shouye explained, “But before that, you need to secure a spot for the Saint Palace Trial. That is, the selection competition will be held in Dongtian Royal City in a few months, though the exact date is still undetermined.”

“What are the conditions?” Xu Xiaoshou had just spoken when he suddenly realized, “Below the Grandmaster cultivation level?”

“Precisely,” Shouye added. “For the younger generation, below the Grandmaster cultivation level, no matter how fiercely you suppress your cultivation, as long as you are at the Innate realm before the Saint Palace Trial, you are eligible to participate. For this qualification, almost all the top talents across the continent are holding back with all their might, refusing to break through. The very best among them can even slay Grandmasters as Innates and contend with Thrones. So, your current cultivation and combat strength seem acceptable, but only in the context of Tianxang County. If you look at the entire Eastern Heaven Realm, or the Eastern Region, or even the Saint Spirit Continent, perhaps they might be slightly insufficient.”

Shouye paused, then said, “But it doesn't matter. As I said, the Redguard's door is always open for you. If the Saint Palace doesn't want you, we do.”

Xu Xiaoshou: “...” It hasn't even started yet! How do you know the Saint Palace won't want me?

He calmed down a bit. He didn't expect to receive such significant news just after entering the White Cave. The main thing was that this news seemed to be connected to him. Xu Xiaoshou remembered that Elder Sang's master also seemed to be from the Saint Palace? If that were the case, wouldn't he be able to walk around freely once he entered that place? With such a close lineage, he should be able to do whatever he pleased without facing deadly consequences, right?

“Perhaps...” Perhaps Elder Sang was already preparing for him to take the Saint Palace path after he finished with the White Cave? That old man really didn't reveal a single thing!

Turning to Yu Zhiwen, Xu Xiaoshou sized her up and down, then asked, “So, you're suppressing your cultivation for the Saint Palace Trial too?”

“Mm.” Yu Zhiwen nodded.

“You need the Saint Palace Trial too?” Xu Xiaoshou didn't believe it.

“Perhaps,” Yu Zhiwen said, slightly distracted, then suddenly came to her senses, “Oh, yes, I do.”

Xu Xiaoshou and Shouye were both surprised at the same time. “‘Perhaps’?” They were confident they hadn't misheard. Which meant the woman in front of them might not necessarily need to take the Saint Palace Trial path to enter the Saint Palace, which was extremely transcendent throughout the entire continent?

“This is...” Shouye asked in surprise.

“This humble one is Yu Zhiwen. Greetings, Senior.” Yu Zhiwen quickly bowed.

Shouye nodded calmly in response. But even though he had many questions about the woman in front of him, he didn't ask further. He looked at the sky, though he couldn't discern anything. But the matter here was concluded, and he had no more time to waste. The main force was still rushing deeper, and he had to leave immediately.

“Xu Xiaoshou.”

“Hmm?”

“Remember, although the renowned sword in your hand has been officially recognized, there are still many bandits in this world.” Shouye's tone was grave as he continued, “This sword can bring you convenience, but it can also bring you fatal danger.”

“I know.” Xu Xiaoshou naturally understood. When he obtained the sword, he already knew what risks he had to bear.

“Good that you know.” Shouye also knew of Xu Xiaoshou's cunning, but still admonished him, “You can take it easy with others, but there's one organization you must treat with extreme caution if they target you.”

“What organization?” Xu Xiaoshou asked.

“The Holy Slaves!” A look of apprehension flashed in Shouye's eyes. “This organization has already begun causing trouble across the continent. What they seek are the Twenty-One Renowned Swords. Not just the one in your hand, but also the ones held by those two swordsmen just now, or renowned swords from other people and other places... They seem to have a way of sensing them and can always find them precisely. Didn't your Tianxang Spirit Palace lose a renowned sword? So remember!” Shouye leaned forward, admonishing, “Once you detect any signs of being targeted by the ‘Holy Slaves,’ come find me immediately, find the Redguards immediately. Do not treat it lightly!”

Xu Xiaoshou's heart stirred. He naturally knew about the Holy Slaves. Perhaps Shouye understood the full extent of the Holy Slaves' invasion of Tianxang Spirit Palace, but he could never have noticed that Xu Xiaoshou, a mere Innate, had truly been targeted by them.

“Are the Holy Slaves very terrifying?” Xu Xiaoshou asked. Whenever he asked Elder Sang this question in the past, he always refused to answer. This left him almost completely ignorant of the organization's inner workings. But because of the unknown, he was even more curious.

“Extremely terrifying!” Shouye rarely spoke in such a serious tone, but now he was frighteningly earnest. “Whether it's the currently known Holy Slaves' leader, or their second-in-command, or fourth-in-command, almost all of them possess exceptional cultivation. Even an entire squad of Whiteguards encountering them could face total annihilation. In such a situation, if you are targeted, you will surely die.”

Shouye's gaze was unusually chilling. He stared intently at Xu Xiaoshou, with a few unspoken words in his mind. Not only were the Nine Seats of the Holy Slaves terrifyingly strong, but even their new generation were almost all top-tier geniuses. They were also incredibly loyal, as if brainwashed! Shouye was very afraid. If Xu Xiaoshou were to encounter the Holy Slaves, it would be fine if he simply died. But if he didn't die, and instead was valued and poached... His earlier statement that Xu Xiaoshou's talent was only slightly above average compared to the continent was truly Shouye deliberately downplaying it. If Xu Xiaoshou were truly that mediocre, as a Redguard who had traversed the continent for so many years, why would he, Shouye, pay so much attention to the young man in front of him? Furthermore, Xu Xiaoshou's unconventional way of doing things meant that such a person, once led astray, once cultivated, the harm he could cause, just thinking about it, made Shouye feel a little terrified.

“Did you remember?” Shouye urged.

“I remember...” Xu Xiaoshou was startled by this guy's sudden concern. He took a step back, avoiding Shouye's breath, still wanting to ask something else.

Shouye, however, had already straightened up. “Time's almost up. I need to leave. You two should get going too! Farewell.” With that, he didn't even pause for a step, disappearing completely.

Xu Xiaoshou: “...” He left so decisively? One second they were having such an intense conversation, the next second the figure was gone. Even with "Perception," Xu Xiaoshou still couldn't see how Shouye had left. Just like earlier, he hadn't detected when Shouye arrived.

“Everyone's gone.” Xu Xiaoshou sighed. No more passive points to gain! What a pity.

“Aren't I still here?” Yu Zhiwen spoke softly from the side.

Xu Xiaoshou turned his head, looking at the girl who hadn't left, and felt a slight sense of comfort. “Good thing, you're still here.” This tender tone, like caressing a lamb's wool, made Yu Zhiwen's ears instantly turn red.

She turned her head away. “W-what are you talking about!” Xu Xiaoshou saw how easily the girl blushed and couldn't help but chuckle, “What are you thinking about!”

“I-I didn't!”

“If you didn't, then why are you blushing?”

“Then what were you talking about?”

“Then you tell me what I was talking about?” Xu Xiaoshou replied with a smile.

“You were just...” Yu Zhiwen was choked up. Her words stopped, her cheeks burned even redder, and she didn't dare to continue, instead taking a step and walking straight away.

“Where are you going?” Xu Xiaoshou asked.

“Ignored, Passive Points +1.”

“Do you know the way?”

“Ignored, Passive Points +1.”

“Hurry up! Why are you walking so slowly?” Xu Xiaoshou immediately caught up. Yu Zhiwen looked at the man beside her, then stumbled, almost falling over on the spot. *I'm walking this slowly, aren't I waiting for you?! Aren't we a team? I'm just waiting for... this teammate to catch up!*

She glanced back furiously, her star-like eyes wide, unable to believe this was a question a person would ask. *I'm staring you down! Believe it or not?*

“Glared at, Passive Points +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou looked back, unwilling to show weakness. After a long silence, his gaze suddenly softened, and he asked, “Am I good-looking?” The killing intent in Yu Zhiwen's eyes shattered.

“Pah!” She lightly spat, her face blushing, then flew away, feeling like she probably wouldn't be able to look Xu Xiaoshou in the face again. She couldn't out-argue him, nor could she out-stare him. This...

“Wait for me! Why are you running so fast? Are you in a hurry to reincarnate?” Xu Xiaoshou watched Yu Zhiwen vanish into the horizon and immediately followed. This girl was still useful. It was just that the ghost beast incident they encountered earlier truly transcended the scope of ordinary people. In this treacherous White Cave, before finding A'Jie and Xing Gugu, he absolutely couldn't let such a good teammate get away.

“I'm coming!”

Crackle.

In a somewhat dim cave, a bonfire burned. The White Cave had no night, but Xu and Yu, having traveled a long way, found a deep, dark cave to rest. The reason, naturally, was that Xu Xiaoshou was tired and needed rest.

“Hoo~” Yu Zhiwen pouted and blew on the meat, which was now fully roasted on her spirit sword. Golden oil dripped from the spirit sword, sizzling on the Emberfire mini-fireball. However, upon contact with the flame's surface, it was immediately vaporized. The meat was brought by Yu Zhiwen. Originally, Xu Xiaoshou wanted to show off his skills and roast some meat. But since the beauty didn't trust him, he could only take on the task of tending the fire.

“It's ready!” Yu Zhiwen held the spirit meat in her hand, involuntarily swallowing as she smelled its enticing aroma. She realized she had started getting used to not wearing her veil in front of Xu Xiaoshou. Scenes like this, where roasting meat would have been impossible in the past, now felt completely natural. She wanted to hand over the spirit sword with the meat skewered on it, but Yu Zhiwen found that Xu Xiaoshou, who had initially clamored to roast the meat himself, now seemed to be asleep, showing no response at all.

“Asleep?” Getting up and leaning over, Yu Zhiwen checked Xu Xiaoshou's breathing, finding his state extremely stable. It didn't look like he was sleeping. Rather, it seemed more like he was cultivating. Realizing that checking his breath was a somewhat intimate action, she hastily pulled her hand back and sat down again.

She glanced at Xu Xiaoshou again, but he still didn't react. “Not eating?” Yu Zhiwen pouted, “Fine, if you don't eat, I will!” She took a small bite, then cast another sidelong glance at Xu Xiaoshou, but he remained motionless. Crackle... The bonfire burned, and the cave was very quiet. The spirit meat in her hand suddenly didn't smell as appetizing. It was clearly her best skill, and even her master loved it... Yu Zhiwen hugged her knees, tilting her head as she watched Xu Xiaoshou cultivate. She suddenly realized that once this guy became quiet, she actually felt a little unaccustomed to it.

“Hmm? What are you thinking?”

“Cultivation!”

“Unpack it or not?”

Inside the Purple Mansion Spirit Court. Xu Xiaoshou used his spiritual sense to observe the white glowing orb floating in the void, feeling hesitant. This was given by the dishevelled Saint. Maybe it was a good thing, but what if it was bad...?

“I'll have to interact with it eventually.” Xu Xiaoshou cut off his wild thoughts. Leaving this thing inside his body, let alone it potentially being a huge hidden danger, just his OCD wouldn't allow him to not poke it. It would make him uncomfortable. His spiritual sense quietly approached, and with a light touch, Xu Xiaoshou made contact with the white orb.

“Boom!” In an instant, his head felt as if a bomb had exploded. The light on the white orb flared, and his entire Spirit Court seemed to become scorching hot. His mind throbbed with intense pain. Immediately after, Xu Xiaoshou saw the true appearance of the object inside after the white orb's light dissipated.

“A seed?” It was a white seed, similar to an Emberfire seed, but smaller, perhaps only half the size of a mung bean. However, the compressed high temperature within it was many times greater than that of an Emberfire seed.

“A great Emberfire Seed?” Xu Xiaoshou was surprised. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Even without having encountered a great Emberfire Seed, he knew that its size alone couldn't be associated with the word "great." Perhaps even a great Emberfire Seed wouldn't be as hot as this thing!

“Try it?” His spiritual sense gently touched it again.

“Sizzle!” This attempt brought more than just pain; Xu Xiaoshou almost felt his consciousness vanish entirely. When he reacted, he found that the wisp of spiritual sense that had just touched the white fire seed had already been burned into nothingness.

“This...” Xu Xiaoshou instantly broke out in a cold sweat. This thing had already gone beyond the scope of a time bomb! If he kept it in his Spirit Court, wouldn't a single careless movement burn his entire Spirit Court to cinders?

“Indeed, that old geezer definitely had ill intentions!” Xu Xiaoshou cursed inwardly. But he quickly realized that this white fire seed didn't seem to possess its own sentience, unlike the slovenly uncle's sword intent. On the contrary, it was very quiet. It quietly remained in the void of the Spirit Court, like a compressed ember beneath a bonfire. If one didn't touch it, it was a temperature low enough for roasting meat. But once touched, it would instantly incinerate into nothingness!

“What does this mean?” “So, in the end, he gave me a renowned sword and this white fire seed without hinting at anything else?” Xu Xiaoshou became distressed. This kind of inexplicable gift was the most troublesome. He couldn't understand what the dishevelled Saint's true intention was.

As he pondered, within the now quiet Spirit Court, an incredibly faint sound suddenly became clear. “What sound?” Xu Xiaoshou was startled, holding his breath and focusing his mind. It was only after a quarter of an hour that he heard that illusory sound again. This time, Xu Xiaoshou was completely certain. This sound was emanating from the white fire seed.

“But, I can't understand it either?” Xu Xiaoshou was exasperated. What tricks was that old man playing? Couldn't he just say it directly? Did he have to use such an extremely indirect method?

“A summons?” Xu Xiaoshou pondered. He speculated about the essence of this sound. From the two sounds just now, he seemed to be able to discern something beyond the mere sound from its ethereal resonance. “A summons, huh...” Xu Xiaoshou felt a little terrified. “Could it be that there's still life within this white fire seed? Do I have to wait for that summons to appear and then attempt to decipher the secret at the cost of burning my spiritual sense?”

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what to do. But it seemed that the only way to unravel the mystery of this sound, at present, was the method he had envisioned. His intuition told Xu Xiaoshou it would be best to stop now, otherwise, the consequences might be too much to bear. But his reason also told him that this white fire seed, which seemed to be nurturing a life force, if left unattended, might lead to even more terrifying consequences in the future!

“I'll try...” Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of tears. He timed it perfectly. Sure enough, exactly ten minutes later, the summoning sound appeared on time. Xu Xiaoshou, with quick hands and eyes, directly sent a wisp of spiritual sense to attach to it.

“Sizzle!” The sound of searing incineration echoed. But this time, Xu Xiaoshou endured the pain transmitted to his consciousness, and by seizing the 0.1-millisecond before his spiritual sense was burned away, he seemed to glimpse a certain image.

“What was it?” He tried his best to recall and discern the scene he had just seen. But it was too fast, too blurry. Besides some white light dots and a crack-like entity, he could hardly see anything else.

“Try again?” Xu Xiaoshou had no words to describe his misery. But if he didn't get a clear look at this thing tonight, he probably wouldn't dare to sleep or cultivate. So...

“Sizzle!”

“Sizzle!”

“Sizzle...”

Finally, after more than ten attempts, accumulating experience and images bit by bit, Xu Xiaoshou was barely able to see these things clearly.

A map! Those white light dots, Xu Xiaoshou vaguely discerned, were traces of white skeletons. In other words, this was a map of the White Cave! And the crack he had seen earlier was indeed a dimensional rift. That "Om" summoning sound was transmitted from that dimensional rift!

“This is getting interesting.” Xu Xiaoshou tiredly stayed before the white seed. Judging by the seed's implication, he had to find that dimensional rift based on the map he saw before he could proceed to the next step? Only then could he find some answers? Only then could he find that dishevelled Saint?

“What kind of international joke is this!” Xu Xiaoshou slapped away that thought. Not to mention finding it, just the dimensional rift itself, he had no interest in going there at all! That Saint, that chain... Just recalling it felt utterly wrong! Even if he had taken the other party's renowned sword, taking something didn't necessarily mean he had to do something!

“What 'summon' nonsense, what 'dimensional rift,' what 'Saint'...” “Why me?” Xu Xiaoshou was mentally exhausted. His original intention was just to enter the White Cave, find a treasure spot, and earn some passive points! Why did he always stumble upon such major events everywhere he went? He still hadn't found the Four Swords!

“Wait!” Thinking of treasure spots, thinking of the Four Swords, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly had an idea. This map, hidden within the white fire seed, seemed to exist solely to help him find the dimensional rift. But the supreme power contained within it could, in an instant, project the terrain of almost the entire White Cave. In that case...

“A treasure!” Xu Xiaoshou suddenly became excited! He didn't necessarily have to use this map to find the dimensional rift. But as long as he timed it right and memorized the other treasure spots on the map, wouldn't this mean he could completely control all the resources in the White Cave?

“This...” Xu Xiaoshou's heart surged with excitement. He made an immediate decision, once again timing it perfectly, listening to the "Om" sound, and at the cost of his spiritual sense, he "stole heavenly secrets" to glimpse the fleeting map of the White Cave. Indeed, as long as his attention wasn't drawn to the location of the dimensional rift, when placed on other areas, they became even clearer.

“It's feasible!” Xu Xiaoshou almost slapped his thigh. Realizing this was his Spirit Court and spiritual sense didn't have thighs, he suddenly materialized a thigh, which then shattered with his slap. “First, find the current location!” The birthplace of the Fiery Python was too easy to find. That huge pit, even on such a small map, should be extremely conspicuous. Furthermore, this map was one where he could freely zoom in on any location.

In just two attempts, Xu Xiaoshou found that black dot. Upon re-contact, as he focused his attention, he saw the height, which was clearly lower than the surrounding terrain. “It's definitely here!” After seeing it clearly, Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. Immediately, an incredible light bloomed in his eyes. Because with this attempt, he not only saw the location of the pit but also, not far away on the map, an extremely eye-catching fiery red light spot. That scorching aura, which felt as if he could directly smell it by clicking to enlarge, had appeared repeatedly in his nightmares. It couldn't be more familiar!

“Emberfire Seed?”

“No!”

“It's the Great Emberfire Seed!”