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"What kind of joke can I be making?"
"At a time like this, am I joking with you?"
Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes and said, "You've already said that the guy in the red skirt outside can't get in or interfere with us right now. We have all this time, so why can't you break through the space?"
He pointed to the two treasures floating in the void and continued, "Isn't this what you want? If you're short on power, just absorb them. Once you've done that, you can blast this space open, right?"
"Blast it open..."
Hui Wu Ren chuckled dismissively. "You make it sound so simple. I'm neither ice nor fire attribute. Even if I use sealing power to temporarily take these two supreme treasures, drawing out their full strength..."
"Is tough!"
"Tough is perfect."
Xu Xiaoshou slapped his thigh. "You're not fire attribute, but I am!"
Realizing he was getting too excited, he paused, calmed himself, and pressed on, "So, you're saying you can't take these treasures in the short term, right? Are you sure?"
"Um."
"Hmm?"
Hui Wu Ren was taken aback. "You little brat, what are you getting at?"
"I can do it!"
Xu Xiaoshou grinned slyly. "If you can't take them, that's fine. Just wait for me. I might not take as long as you think to claim these two treasures. Once I do, I can blow this space apart and get you out."
Hui Wu Ren's face darkened at once.
Good grief!
Here I am discussing the situation with you, and you're already scheming to take the treasures for yourself?
We're trapped in this space, and you're still fixated on those two items?
With A Jie's presence, Hui Wu Ren already knew that, given the circumstances, it might not be able to seize the treasures quickly.
But for Xu Xiaoshou to say...
I want it all?
"Received abdominal slander, passive value, 1."
"Received suspicion, passive value, 1."
"You should focus more on how to get yourself out!" Hui Wu Ren snorted derisively, realizing the conversation was going nowhere, and flew off toward the "San Ri Dong Jie" without looking back.
"You don't believe me!"
Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the info panel as notifications kept popping up, instantly understanding Hui Wu Ren's thoughts.
"How could I believe you?"
Hui Wu Ren turned back with a mocking smile. "Even if time is short, I can still take the 'San Ri Dong Jie.' When that guy interferes with this space, I can seize the moment to find a spatial rift and escape."
"What about you?"
It paused, glancing toward the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong," and said, "You can have that one if you want. Go ahead and take it."
"But once you have it, will you even make it out alive?"
"Received doubt, passive value, 1."
The traces of sealing energy in the void were fading. Xu Xiaoshou looked up briefly.
As the heavenly mechanisms restored themselves, the massive eye in the sky gradually vanished, returning to an invisible state.
Xu Xiaoshou didn't say more. He lowered his head and said seriously, "I only have one question: Is there a way to block that guy up there from spying on us?"
Hui Wu Ren's eyes narrowed.
It was starting to feel uncertain.
Xu Xiaoshou's solemn demeanor didn't seem fake.
But asking it to believe that this guy, who wasn't even at the grandmaster level, could break the seals of this space...
Nonsense!
With a whoosh, thick gray mist transformed into a domain, enveloping the area where the two stood.
"Within the sealing domain, even in that freak's space, he won't see much."
"So, what do you really want to talk about?"
Hui Wu Ren decided to give itself one last chance.
With its current strength, venturing into spatial fragments was risky.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have passed up a great opportunity to slip away, exposing Mo Mo as a ghost beast host in Ba Gong earlier, all under the watchful eye of the red figure, just to enter Bai Ku.
"If it's something like the explosion we just had, could that blow apart this space?" Xu Xiaoshou cut straight to the point, no longer beating around the bush.
"Received suspicion, passive value, 1."
Hui Wu Ren's pupils shrank. "From the way you're talking... Was that explosion your doing?"
"Not entirely."
Xu Xiaoshou didn't want to take the blame. "You know about the catalyst? The main cause of the explosion was the extreme clash of ice and fire forces. I just induced them to combine."
Hui Wu Ren: "..."
So, this guy really could do it?
"Received suspicion, passive value, 1."
"No need to doubt it—there's no time to explain." Xu Xiaoshou waved him off, stopping any further questions. "Now, you go for the 'San Ri Dong Jie.' At least try to harness its icy power."
"I'll go for the 'Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong.' As long as you're fast enough, the plan can succeed."
Hui Wu Ren looked utterly skeptical.
"You..."
"Listen to my commands!"
Xu Xiaoshou flicked his sleeve, cutting him off, his expression full of confidence.
Hui Wu Ren: ???
"Received curse, passive value, 1."
Listen to your commands?
You, a green kid, dare say that to me, the emperor?
"I..."
"I'm fire attribute!"
Xu Xiaoshou stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "You just need to handle yourself and not drop the ball."
Hui Wu Ren was momentarily speechless.
This guy...
How dare you?!
For a moment, it even felt like slapping this brat to death.
"And don't cause any trouble."
Xu Xiaoshou added, "I can get you out, but you have to agree to one condition."
"What condition?" Hui Wu Ren's face started twitching.
"I can blow apart the space, but in the resulting spatial fragments, I need your sealing power." Xu Xiaoshou said.
Hui Wu Ren suddenly understood.
At his core, this guy was also underpowered.
He was afraid of getting lost in the spatial fragments, even if he could break through the space, he might not make it out.
So, in the end...
The control would still be in its hands!
"Hmph, I can get out on my own. No need for your nonsense." Hui Wu Ren sneered.
"You could get out, but if you didn't have to pay a price, why would you be here listening to me?" Xu Xiaoshou chuckled.
"Besides, since you have the time to listen to my commands, that means any plan you've come up with alone is probably the worst option."
"Not only would it drain your energy badly..."
"Even if you got out on your own, do you dare say you'd still have the strength to take on that guy outside?"
Hui Wu Ren fell silent.
It had to admit, it was impressed by Xu Xiaoshou's quick thinking.
Most people would be terrified at the sight of a ghost beast.
But this guy acted like it was nothing, bargaining as casually as haggling in a market.
Just for that boldness...
"Fine, I agree." Hui Wu Ren lifted its chin. "As long as you can break this space, I'll get you out."
"Pleasure doing business."
Xu Xiaoshou smiled and extended his hand.
The void filled with a hiss of gray mist, spreading widely and eventually enveloping the two supreme treasures in the distance.
Hui Wu Ren's body dispersed and reappeared beside the "San Ri Dong Jie."
"Little brat! Still playing hard to get?"
Xu Xiaoshou stared intently at the distant void, unembarrassed as he withdrew his hand and patted A Jie's shoulder.
"Let's go!"
A faint rustling sound burned through the void.
The air twisted in waves.
Even the space seemed on the verge of being scorched by the intense heat.
Xu Xiaoshou fixed his gaze on the milky-white fire seed before him.
Truth be told, he wasn't entirely confident about claiming this treasure.
But with the "Jin Zhao Ning Dan Technique," even if he couldn't take it, he could detonate its power at the last moment.
What he'd said earlier wasn't a lie.
As long as Hui Wu Ren didn't falter and could harness even a bit of the "San Ri Dong Jie's" power, Xu Xiaoshou felt he could blast this world apart again!
"It's a shame about the 'San Ri Dong Jie' though..."
He murmured softly, knowing with others around, he couldn't keep both treasures for himself.
He glanced toward the other side.
There, Hui Wu Ren was already in action.
Thick sealing mist had completely enveloped its form and the "San Ri Dong Jie," making it impossible for outsiders to see what was happening inside.
"Has it started?"
Xu Xiaoshou refocused his mind.
Though they'd agreed to cooperate, deep down, he only held a fraction of hope that Hui Wu Ren would keep its word.
Who knew?
Without A Jie, that thing would definitely be aiming to take everything.
And since the control after blowing the space apart would be entirely in its hands...
Given Hui Wu Ren's cunning nature...
If it managed to take him out, Xu Xiaoshou figured he'd need to light some incense in gratitude.
Not every ghost beast was as straightforward as Xin Gu Gu.
This one would likely try to betray him in the end...
With a temptation like the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" right there, would Hui Wu Ren give it up and set aside old grudges to save a nobody like Xu Xiaoshou?
"Only if it's lost its mind!"
Shaking his head, he stopped overthinking.
Dwelling on Hui Wu Ren's intentions was pointless; he just needed to stay alert.
Even without its help, Xu Xiaoshou only had one way to open the path to Bai Ku: by exploding it.
What he'd said before was just to lower its guard.
If Hui Wu Ren didn't sabotage him or strike while he was claiming the fire seed...
Xu Xiaoshou would count his blessings.
"So, how do I take it?"
His eyes returned to the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong," and he pondered.
Without a doubt, the name "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" from Hui Wu Ren's mouth was genuine.
Combined with the power emanating from it that resonated with his own, Xu Xiaoshou figured this must be the highest-level treasure of the Jin Zhao lineage.
Perhaps the "Jin Zhao Great Fire Seed" could forge a king seat body.
Then this "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" could forge a saint body!
"A saint body..."
The unexpected gain was thrilling.
But its appearance now was awkwardly timed.
Too soon!
Xu Xiaoshou frowned in frustration.
He'd only consumed a "Jin Zhao Fire Seed" before, and his physical body was merely at the grandmaster level.
The "Jin Zhao Great Fire Seed" wasn't even digested yet—it was just locked away in his Yuan Mansion for now.
Asking him to leap so many levels to claim the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong"...
Would that kill him?!
"Swallow it?"
Xu Xiaoshou tentatively reached out to test the temperature around the milky-white fire seed, and the info panel lit up immediately.
"Received attack, passive value, 1."
"Received attack, passive value, 1."
"Hiss." He sucked in a breath through his teeth.
The damage wasn't severe—just his fingers slightly charred and peeling.
One cycle of "Sheng Sheng Bu Xi" would heal it completely.
But the problem was, he hadn't even touched the core yet, and it was already like this.
If he tried to swallow it, it might burn a hole straight through him, just like in that deep pit underground.
Maybe something like this was only meant for someone at Sang Lao's level?
"Try with spiritual sense?"
Xu Xiaoshou refused to give up.
As soon as he thought it, he released his spiritual sense.
But as expected, the moment it attached, a sizzle sounded, and his spiritual sense was incinerated.
Xu Xiaoshou's head throbbed, the pain making his whole body shudder.
"This is insane..."
He clutched his forehead, looking utterly dejected.
Just as Xu Xiaoshou was about to resort to brute force and move it into his Yuan Mansion...
Suddenly, in his Zi Fu Yuan Court, the white pearl that usually only released a call every ten minutes trembled slightly.
This call appeared, and once again, he saw the map of Bai Ku.
"This?"
He was startled.
Xu Xiaoshou was certain about the timing—he couldn't have miscounted.
This call wasn't the scheduled one; it was triggered by his spiritual sense touching the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong"!
"There's a connection?"
"These two seem linked?"
Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up.
His thoughts drifted back to the illusion of the ragged saint.
Back then, that illusion was scorching, with temperatures beyond imagination.
And that power—now that he thought about it—was basically an advanced version of white flame.
"Could that ragged saint be from the Jin Zhao lineage too?"
Xu Xiaoshou was shocked by his own idea.
Honestly, he'd considered it before.
But it didn't make sense!
There was no reason for him to keep running into Jin Zhao treasures or predecessors in Bai Ku.
So, that thought had been nipped in the bud.
But now, seeing the white pearl react to the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong," he couldn't ignore it.
"This white pearl is the guidance the ragged saint left when he fled."
"His goal was undoubtedly that large void rift."
"If I'm right, he wants me to find him at that rift..."
"But!"
A cold sweat broke out on Xu Xiaoshou's back as he pieced it together. "How could this guidance interact with the 'Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong'?"
He felt dazed.
Was it possible that everything he'd done since entering Bai Ku was following some predetermined path?
"But that's impossible!"
Xu Xiaoshou didn't think of himself as the chosen one, so why this string of luck?
Even Mu Zi Xi, who swallowed the "world source point," didn't have luck this good.
"What the hell..."
Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was being manipulated again.
But what could he do?
There was no way out!
If he gave up, forget the saint's scheme—for just Hui Wu Ren in the same space, if it mastered the "San Ri Dong Jie," Xu Xiaoshou might not handle it.
"So be it! Die if I have to!"
"Damn it, I don't believe you all can plan this far ahead."
Xu Xiaoshou defiantly attached his spiritual sense to the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" again.
Sizzle!
Agonizing pain hit him.
Sure enough, that deep, resonant call like a heavenly chant echoed again.
Xu Xiaoshou's head pounded, the pain making him grit his teeth.
He looked at the map and felt like he was grasping something new.
"Wait, another map..."
"Last time, Sang Lao told me to enter Tian Xuan Gate, and it was a map, but at least it had clear guidance."
"This time, he just told me to go all out in Bai Ku..."
"Could this saint be part of his guidance?"
Xu Xiaoshou's pupils dilated, finding the idea absurd.
How powerful was Sang Lao?
He couldn't possibly scheme against a saint.
But if not, how could these two be connected? Xu Xiaoshou couldn't believe it.
The deduction was ridiculous.
Yet the result might be completely accurate!
As Holmes said, when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the truth.
"So, is that the reality?"
Xu Xiaoshou realized he'd just escaped one chess game with Sang Lao, only to fall into another larger one.
In that moment, he gained a deeper understanding of Ye's "cage theory."
His body twitched abruptly.
"Received fright, passive value, 1."
Staring at the info panel, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly cursed out loud:
"Shut up!"
He gritted his teeth, his face set with determined resolve.
"Screw it! Die if I have to!"
Part of his spiritual sense entered the white pearl, yielding no reaction.
Xu Xiaoshou then fiercely attached another part to the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong"!
Sizzle...
This time, no matter how much his mind hurt, he didn't let go.
He poured it on relentlessly.
His spiritual sense clung to the fire seed desperately.
A scorching aura spread.
The heat seemed ready to burn through his entire Zi Fu Yuan Court.
"Urgh!"
Blood flowed from Xu Xiaoshou's seven orifices, the agony overwhelming.
He clenched his fists, nails digging deep into his flesh, refusing to back down.
It was like an ancient bell tolling.
Each time his consciousness faded, that heavenly chant would ring out, jolting his spirit awake and cleansing his mind.
Xu Xiaoshou saw the Bai Ku map unfolding continuously.
Every point was crystal clear.
The void rift at the map's end even seemed to leap off the page, its pull so strong it felt like it could swallow his soul.
"Move already!"
"Aren't you reacting?"
"Take this fire seed for me!"
Xu Xiaoshou roared inwardly.
It was as if his command worked.
After the call persisted, a surge of intense, surging power emerged from the rift's depths in the map, piercing through his Zi Fu Yuan Court, following his spiritual sense, and enveloping the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" in the void.
Whoosh!
A flash of white light.
Xu Xiaoshou felt his Yuan Court shake violently, like a thunderclap on a clear day, nearly splitting his skull.
"Holy shit..."
Puff!
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
His vision blurred with red as he clutched his head and plummeted from the void.
"Mama..."
A Jie reacted quickly, extending an arm to catch Xu Xiaoshou in a princess carry.
"Mama?"
It called again, looking at Xu Xiaoshou's bloodied head with concern.
What happened?
An attack?
A Jie scanned around but saw no suspicious figures.
It suddenly whipped its head toward the dense sealing mist on the other side, glaring angrily.
"Mama!"
A Jie moved, cradling Xu Xiaoshou, ready for revenge.
"Wait—wait a minute!"
Xu Xiaoshou's weak voice emerged.
A Jie halted immediately.
"Mama?"
"Received worry, passive value, 1."
Seeing the sudden notification, Xu Xiaoshou felt a warmth in his heart, as if it soothed his throbbing head.
"Stay calm, it wasn't that guy's doing. It hasn't moved that fast yet..."
Struggling to rise, Xu Xiaoshou quickly looked up.
"Gone?"
The "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong"—it was gone?
He immediately used his spiritual sense to inspect his Zi Fu Yuan Court.
Sure enough, besides the white pearl left by the ragged saint, there was now an additional milky-white fire seed.
The nonstop pain came from the intense heat it was emitting.
Xu Xiaoshou was panicking.
"You've got to be kidding!"
"You just pulled this thing in like that?"
"Can I even handle it? If it burns me to a crisp, what then?"
"You want me to do big things for you? Dream on... Ah, shit!"
"Dammit..."
His head shook violently, his temples throbbing.
In the midst of cursing, Xu Xiaoshou felt like his hair was about to singe off.
He was truly frantic.
He'd thought the white pearl would help absorb and digest it.
But yanking it in like this—who could withstand it?
He could open his spiritual sense wide, risk turning into an idiot, and pull it in himself.
Even then, he'd have a second of life to cultivate once it reached his Qi Sea.
But this, with no restrictions...
Mutual destruction?
It seemed the white pearl was jolted awake by his scolding.
From the rift's depths in the map, another surge of mighty power emerged, directly enveloping the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong."
In an instant, the fire seed's scorching heat vanished.
It was as if it had been completely sealed, its warmth even weaker than that of the "Jin Zhao Fire Seed."
Xu Xiaoshou thought he might have gone numb from the burns.
But glancing at the info panel, the "Received attack" notifications had stopped.
That meant the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" was truly suppressed!
"Good grief..."
Xu Xiaoshou was stunned.
He wasn't surprised that a treasure like the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" could be sealed so easily; instead, he looked incredulously at the pearl.
"So, you can actually communicate?"
He felt a chill.
He'd originally thought this pearl was just a gift from the ragged saint before he left.
At most, it was a sealed treasure map with no other functions.
But now, after a few angry words, he'd uncovered an undeniable fact.
"This pearl is absolutely the saint's backup plan!"
"It's for communication in critical moments!"
"And since it can communicate and channel power through that rift, does that mean, whenever needed..."
"He could come over anytime?"
Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
"Received fright, passive value, 1."
