Chapter 509: Xu Xiaoshou, do you dare to move the 'Three Days Frozen Calamity' and try?

"Hello? Hello?"

"Moshi moshi?"

Xu Xiaoshou temporarily gave up on communicating with the Jin Zhao Huo Zhong and focused all his attention on the Bai Zhu instead. He felt that if he didn't deal with this thing, he wouldn't be able to sleep or cultivate properly.

After calling out for a while, the Bai Zhu remained completely still, as if it had returned to its previous dormant state. No matter what method he tried—even using his spiritual sense to reach out—there was no response at all.

"Playing dead, huh?"

Xu Xiaoshou furrowed his brow. He glanced at the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong," whose power had been forcibly restrained, and snapped angrily, "You could communicate just a moment ago, and you could hear me speaking. What's going on now?"

"Put on airs?"

He waited for a while, but his angry words vanished like a stone dropped into the sea, with no reply.

"How arrogant..."

Xu Xiaoshou realized that with conventional methods, he was destined not to talk to that unknown entity. He rolled his eyes and let his expression darken.

"Are you crazy? You're already in my Yuan Court—can't you see my situation?"

"I need to use the Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong's power right now. I need it—do you understand?!"

"With its energy completely sealed like this, how can I activate it? How can I combine this fire seed's energy with the San Ri Dong Jie to blow up this small space?"

He ranted in frustration, wrapping his spiritual sense around the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" in an instant.

"Look!"

"I could still feel a bit of warmth before, but now no matter what I do, it's gone."

"So, are you trying to sabotage your own fire seed, or do you really want to help me grow stronger so I can help you later?"

"If that's your plan, then loosen the seal a bit! Let me easily draw out the power from the fire seed."

"That way, once I get stronger and get out, I can help you with your tasks, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou manifested a physical form with his spiritual sense, gesturing wildly as he spoke. He wasn't sure if the other side could see everything in his Yuan Court or just hear the sounds.

But he had to fully express his urgency.

Still no response.

Even though his emotions were intense this time, the Bai Zhu didn't react directly like before. Without the Dao Yin, the Bai Ku map wouldn't appear. And without the map, the void rift wouldn't exist.

In that case...

Xu Xiaoshou frowned, as if he had figured something out.

"Could it be that only when the Bai Zhu is actively calling out can it sense my communication and respond in time?"

It was very possible!

Recalling the earlier situation, he had been communicating with both the fire seed and the Bai Zhu simultaneously, which kept the Dao Yin going and allowed a response from the rift.

Now, it was like the phone line had been cut.

No matter how emotional he got, it couldn't detect him.

"That's a relief..."

Thinking about this, Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit more at ease. At least, this entity couldn't come and go as it pleased.

It was probably separated by more than just one small world. Even if that disheveled saint wanted to help, it would cost them something.

"How's the gray fog person doing over there?"

Xu Xiaoshou extended his spiritual sense and saw the scene on the other side.

Clearly, without ice or fire attributes, or even with incredibly powerful sealing abilities, collecting something like the "San Ri Dong Jie" was still quite difficult for the gray fog person.

Watching the sealing mist grow thicker and denser, Xu Xiaoshou guessed that the other side was probably still clueless.

After all, he had managed to take in the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" into his Yuan Court so quickly only because of the special existence of the Bai Zhu in his mind.

"Perfect..."

Knowing he had gained a big lead, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't in a hurry anymore.

He steadied his mind after the shocking realization and quietly noted the time.

With the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong's" power fully sealed, he couldn't use it to continuously communicate with the intent inside the Bai Zhu.

But there was another way...

Ten minutes!

Every ten minutes, the Bai Zhu would awaken on its own.

If his theory was correct, then in three minutes, everything could be verified.

"Mama..."

In the sealed domain, A Jie softly called out beside him.

It had no idea what Xu Xiaoshou was doing.

But this state of completely zoning out, as if he could stare blankly all night...

A Jie was used to it.

"Almost there!"

Xu Xiaoshou kept an eye on the time and saw that nothing unexpected was happening outside, so he focused entirely on the Bai Zhu.

Sure enough, right on time, that purifying voice echoed again.

At the same time, the small map encompassing all the terrain and treasures of Bai Ku appeared.

Ignoring everything else, the moment the voice started, Xu Xiaoshou locked his gaze on the rift at the far end of the map.

"Wait!"

He shouted sharply, then spoke rapidly, "I need to use the Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong's power right now, but you've completely sealed it off. What's that about?"

"If I can't activate the fire seed's power, I can't blow up this space; if I can't blow up this space, that guy outside will kill me; if I die, your whole plan falls apart, and no one will run your errands—do you get it?!"

"Understood? Then unseal it!"

"Don't fully unseal it—that would kill me too. Just release a little power, enough for me to use."

"As for the level..."

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly stopped, watching as the Bai Ku map vanished completely after the voice ended, leaving him feeling parched.

He weakly finished the rest of his words:

"As for the level, it should be about the same as the 'Jin Zhao Da Huo Zhong,' maybe even a bit lower, just stronger than the 'Jin Zhao Huo Zhong.'"

"That way, my cultivation won't be so exhausting..."

"Forget it, you figure it out..."

He gave up.

The Bai Ku map was gone, so how could the other side still hear him?

As for whether the first part of his words got through...

"Sigh."

Xu Xiaoshou was troubled.

What a mess!

Manifesting a form in his Zi Fu Yuan Ting and yelling like this—if anyone saw it, they'd think he was crazy.

Before his self-mockery ended, he heard that voice ring out again.

Surprised, he looked over and saw the Bai Zhu displaying the map once more.

From the deepest rift, an irresistible force surged out.

The force turned into a beam of light, steadily shining on the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong."

Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was witnessing a miracle.

This... actually worked?

"Amazing!"

The beam didn't fade.

Soon, Xu Xiaoshou felt the temperature in his Zi Fu Yuan Ting starting to rise.

"Not leaving?"

As the beam infused it, the milky-white fire seed gradually shed its dullness, blooming with its own radiance bit by bit.

Xu Xiaoshou realized that the other side probably didn't know the exact level needed either.

So, they chose this gradual method of increasing the temperature, allowing him to stop whenever he reached his limit.

"Smart!"

Xu Xiaoshou praised loudly, but as the beam fluctuated, he panicked. "Hey, hey, steady it, steady!"

"Sizzle..."

His spiritual sense began to make creaking sounds under the strain, and Xu Xiaoshou started feeling pain.

Notifications popped up in his info panel, but he didn't stop right away.

If that disheveled saint was unsealing the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" this way, he could treat it like the "Jin Zhao Da Huo Zhong."

That meant, even without the one in his Yuan Mansion, he could use this original seed to cultivate Bai Yan!

"Hiss!"

The temperature grew exaggerated, and Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was about to burn up.

Having seen the Bai Ku skeleton's Bai Yan and Sang Lao's battles, he roughly understood what level his next cultivation step required.

Even if it hurt, he had to endure.

"A bit more, just a little more!"

Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth and held on.

The "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong" was in an awkward spot.

If it were above his Qi Sea, he could use spiritual energy to block some of the pain.

But now, in his Zi Fu Yuan Ting, there was nothing but his defenseless spiritual sense to shield him from the heat.

The beam suddenly weakened a bit.

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. "Don't! I can take it—keep going, keep outputting!"

"Uh!"

"Mama..."

A Jie turned back at the muffled groan and saw Xu Xiaoshou, who had been staring blankly, with blood starting to seep from his forehead.

Then it spread to his seven orifices, his neck, and his whole body...

"Mama?"

A Jie looked around in panic.

But just like last time, it saw no enemies.

"Mama!"

A Jie turned angrily toward the gray fog person.

It tried to lift its leg but found that Xu Xiaoshou wasn't stopping it this time.

That meant the foggy one was definitely causing trouble and hurting "Mama."

Whoosh!

A Jie shot off like lightning, charging straight at the massive cluster of sealing gray fog.

"Mama, Mama!"

Boom!

His Zi Fu Yuan Ting shook violently, like it had been struck by a massive hammer, once the temperature reached a certain point, exploding with overwhelming strain.

Whoosh!

As the sound ended, the beam vanished instantly.

With that final echo, the Bai Zhu map disappeared.

"Gone?"

Xu Xiaoshou snapped back to his senses and realized his spiritual sense had shrunk dramatically under the high heat, condensing into a lump.

"Hiss!"

The intense pain hit him, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

But the next second, he noticed that even though his spiritual sense had shrunk significantly, his detection range hadn't decreased—in fact, it had increased slightly.

And the images from his spiritual sense seemed even clearer than before.

"Compressed into essence?"

Xu Xiaoshou immediately understood.

Though the images from his spiritual sense weren't as clear as his "perception," he had unintentionally discovered a way to train it.

After all, spiritual sense typically only grew with cultivation, and across the entire continent, there were hardly any spiritual techniques dedicated to training it.

"But this training process is way too painful!"

Xu Xiaoshou felt like he might pass out.

He glanced at his info panel.

Notifications were still popping up every second.

Unlike the last time with the "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong," this mental-level damage was truly excruciating.

"Hold steady, stay calm!"

Forcibly soothing his turbulent spiritual force, Xu Xiaoshou quickly reached out toward the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong."

He couldn't take it anymore.

Even if this was a cultivation method, having this fire seed in his Zi Fu Yuan Ting would probably turn him into an idiot in less than a day.

"I have to move it to above my Qi Sea ASAP!"

His compressed spiritual sense latched onto the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" again, but with part of its power unsealed, the fire seed's core was beyond what this level of spiritual sense could touch.

With a sizzle, his spiritual sense burned away instantly.

Xu Xiaoshou clutched his forehead, feeling like he was breaking down.

Then he remembered the "breathing method."

"Yes, exhale first, then inhale!"

He acted on the thought immediately.

Focusing entirely on the fire seed, Xu Xiaoshou used the breathing method to exhale deeply.

Buzz!

The "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong" trembled.

"It's working?"

Xu Xiaoshou was thrilled.

If it moved, that meant he could save himself!

"Hah!"

He exhaled again.

The fire seed trembled more, shifting a bit further this time.

"Again!"

Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth and used the breathing method to inch it forward, finally sending the fire seed all the way to the entrance of his Zi Fu.

Boom!

His spiritual sense collided, and the Zi Fu gate swung open.

With a final forceful exhale, Xu Xiaoshou pushed the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" out through his forehead.

Hiss!

Not daring to relax, worried the fire seed might break its seal once out of the Bai Zhu's range, Xu Xiaoshou watched it leave his body and mimicked what he did with his Ling Palace—suddenly inhaling sharply.

Sizzle...

The fire seed, carrying terrifying heat, seared through his throat and was delivered to his Qi Sea dantian.

"Damn..."

The pain, like swallowing a red-hot poker, nearly ended him on the spot.

Thankfully, the plan succeeded.

The "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" was now above his Qi Sea.

The injuries from that series of actions healed quickly under the effect of "Sheng Sheng Bu Xi."

Sizzle, sizzle...

His body turned red-hot, and thick steam poured out from his pores.

Xu Xiaoshou figured that without "Sheng Sheng Bu Xi," he'd probably dehydrate and die in this heat.

But it was different this time.

With the Qi Sea core already transformed into "Jin Zhao Ling Yuan" as a foundation, facing this higher-level power of the same origin, the pain was temporary.

In less than a few breaths, Xu Xiaoshou felt his spiritual energy's quality being refined, compressing and condensing.

"Good one..."

He lifted his hand, looking at the dense steam on it, feeling like he had leveled up.

He checked the unsealed power of the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong."

"It's roughly at the energy strength of the 'Jin Zhao Da Huo Zhong'..."

"But, what a shame."

Xu Xiaoshou sighed.

He already had the "Jin Zhao Da Huo Zhong." At the same level, the one in his Yuan Mansion would be useless.

If that disheveled saint could unseal a bit more power, he could handle it.

Then, the one in his Yuan Mansion and this one could fully integrate his cultivation system. With enough time, he might even achieve a saintly body.

"But there's no way around it..."

After all, it was in his Zi Fu Yuan Ting at the time.

He believed that disheveled saint had sensed it too—if they kept releasing power, Xu Xiaoshou really would be scorched into an idiot by the fire seed.

"Alright!"

Watching the jumping notifications in his info panel, Xu Xiaoshou knew he had fully mastered the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong" now.

The next step in cultivation was to break this space open and find a place to absorb higher-quality Jin Zhao Qi.

"The Wang Zuo Body, Bai Yan, Long Rong Realm... it's all within reach!"

Excited, he slapped his hand, ignoring the continuous pain from his body.

He was no stranger to this kind of pain. Back when it was forced on him, he endured it; now, actively taking in the fire seed, how could he be defeated by mere pain?

"A Jie, let's go deal with that guy..."

"Huh?"

"Where's A Jie?"

Turning around, Xu Xiaoshou realized he was patting empty air—A Jie was gone.

Soon, he focused outward and heard the nonstop banging sounds.

"This..."

He quickly looked over, his eyes sharpening.

On the other side, the gray fog person, who should have been quietly collecting treasures, had somehow stopped and was now locked in a fierce fistfight with A Jie.

"Damn it, taking advantage while I'm away to bully my treasure spirit?"

Xu Xiaoshou was furious.

He knew that gray fog person had no good intentions.

What bad ideas could A Jie have? As long as he didn't give orders, it would guard him even to death!

For this to happen, it was undoubtedly the gray fog person trying to sneak an attack and getting intercepted by A Jie!

"You backstabbing bastard, we agreed to cooperate, and now you're playing dirty tricks? What do you think you're doing?" Xu Xiaoshou flew over and shouted angrily into the void.

Boom!

In the distance, A Jie landed a punch that exploded the gray fog person into a cloud of mist.

It reformed in another spot and snarled in rage, "You little brat, Xu Xiaoshou! I was already planning to cooperate with you, but you're still up to no good!"

"I knew it, I knew it—you..."

Whoosh!

The sound of wind cutting through the air interrupted it.

A Jie was like a persistent shadow, giving the gray fog person no chance to breathe.

Before it could fully form, A Jie flashed over and struck again.

Boom!

The mist scattered.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but laugh. "Serves you right! I told you so many times, with A Jie around, you can't pull off a sneak attack."

"Why not just focus on collecting your 'San Ri Dong Jie'? Had to try your sneaky games, huh? Now look what happened."

"You haven't gotten the treasure, and you've pissed off A Jie. What now?"

"I..." The gray fog person hastily reformed elsewhere, its lungs practically bursting with anger.

This Xu Xiaoshou was insane!

It was so close to securing the "San Ri Dong Jie"—why bother with any schemes against him?

It had been waiting for the space fragments to form so it could take his body and the treasure along the way. Wasn't that better?

It had no spare energy to attack a kid with a Wang Zuo Body bodyguard!

Whoosh!

Another rush of wind.

A Jie was truly enraged.

It had adapted to the gray fog person's tactics, drawing on experience to sense the sealing aura before it fully formed and striking first.

Boom!

The space shattered!

The gray fog person's form was blasted back dozens of yards.

Pfft!

It spat out blood.

"You... you despicable villain!!!"

The gray fog person clutched its chest, its face completely ashen.

Because it had been absorbing the "San Ri Dong Jie," most of its Qi Sea spiritual energy was frozen.

Even if it could use spiritual energy, the slowed muscle reactions from the "Dong Jie" power couldn't keep up with A Jie's unmatched attacks!

The gray fog person was hopping mad. "I..."

"A Jie, beat the crap out of it!"

Xu Xiaoshou saw something was off with the gray fog person.

Normally, it wouldn't choose to fight A Jie hand-to-hand.

Since it was doing so now, that meant some reason had left it not at its best, even for a sneak attack.

He didn't know why it was in this state and pulling such a stunt, but it didn't stop him from kicking it while it was down, given his deep wariness.

Whoosh!

With the command, A Jie's eyes glowed even redder as it charged madly at the gray fog person.

"You son of a..." The gray fog person's body trembled, cursing before abruptly stopping and turning to flee.

"I'll teach you to sneak attack!"

Xu Xiaoshou snorted coldly.

He wiped away the blood on himself, burned off the coagulated blood scabs, and glanced at the gray fog person being chased like a stray dog, finding it hilariously pitiful.

"This guy's lost it—how could it be so stupid to try a sneak attack..."

Back then, trusting A Jie, he had focused all his mind on his Yuan Ting, so he had no idea what happened outside.

But now, with things as they were...

"If you dare sneak attack, don't blame me for... well, returning the favor!"

He nodded slightly and shifted his gaze to the "San Ri Dong Jie."

The gray fog person wanted the "Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong," so why wouldn't Xu Xiaoshou covet that cold flame's power?

Since the gray fog person was occupied, he had an obligation to seize the "San Ri Dong Jie" and lay the groundwork for blowing up the space and saving the three people trapped here!

Whoosh!

With that thought, Xu Xiaoshou's body shot through the air, flying straight to the "San Ri Dong Jie."

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

A heart-wrenching, unwilling roar echoed as the gray fog person went berserk. "If you touch the 'San Ri Dong Jie,' just try it!"

"Oh?"

Xu Xiaoshou turned to the fleeing gray fog person, a wave of irritation rising in him.

Only the officials are allowed to set fires, not the commoners?

He sneered mockingly and lifted his chin arrogantly.

"What's there to be afraid of?"