Chapter 533: Famous Sword, Azure Scale Spine

He chuckled hollowly. The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou observed the Spiritual Palace team, noting the varied reactions of laughter and anger, and his eyes immediately sharpened.

"It seems you truly don't know what's good for you."

He raised a hand, and the ground suddenly began to tremble. Grains of sand and pebbles bounced, then cracked open, transforming into white sword energy.

"Crack, crack..."

In an instant, an overwhelming sword intent pressed down. At this, all unnecessary chatter ceased abruptly.

"Innate Sword Intent?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Su Qianqian's eyes. To her, this whole scene was incredibly amusing. Not only was this person impersonating "Little Beast Brother," but he actually possessed Innate Sword Intent?

But if he could achieve this much, why didn't he even recognize Little Beast Brother himself?

Everyone simultaneously looked at Xu Xiaoshou again. Even Rao Yinyin, at this moment, retreated, allowing all attention to focus on the young man in front.

"Heh, and you still claim you're not the leader?"

The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou snorted coldly, pointing a finger as sword intent surged in all directions. "I'll give you one more chance: get out, or die?"

"Threatened, Passive Points +1."

"Oh, ho."

Xu Xiaoshou was amused to the point of anger. Impersonating him was fine; it showed he was popular. But he, Xu, had never been so arrogant! If this tarnished his reputation and spread, how would he live? Wasn't this just creating enemies for him out of nowhere?

"You're Xu Xiaoshou, right?" he asked.

"Indeed!" The other party raised his chin.

"If you are Xu Xiaoshou, do you know who I am?"

"You?"

The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou was taken aback. "Just an ant. I, Xu, have no interest in knowing your name."

"Then what about her!" Xu Xiaoshou pointed at Rao Yinyin, then looked around. "And them? You have no interest in knowing them either?"

"Silence!" The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou roared, and the void suddenly trembled. "So you won't leave without seeing a renowned sword, eh?"

"That's impressive, how did you do that?" Xu Xiaoshou asked curiously. Watching this person's unprovoked display of power, he immediately thought of "Aura of Dominance." But the crucial point was, the other party was a fake! He couldn't possibly possess "Aura of Dominance." So, was this also a counterfeit spiritual technique? Yet, it seemed his own "Aura of Dominance" had only made its first appearance during his fight with Tan Ji, right? What was going on...

"Too much talk. If you want to die, just say so; why beat around the bush?" The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou raised a hand. "Charge!"

The people behind him showed no hesitation, immediately releasing spiritual mist and rushing forward. These individuals, who clearly looked like lambs, had encountered such groups many times in the White Cave. Disciples of the Spiritual Palace? Heh, their attire was indeed very colorful! But a fledgling was still a fledgling; no matter how splendid their appearance, if their strength was insufficient, they couldn't escape the jaws of the wolves.

"Kill!"

The rushing dark figures instantly closed in, and the Spiritual Palace team braced for a major battle.

"Stop!" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly raised his hand and shouted loudly.

This shout not only made the black-robed figures opposite him jolt abruptly. Even the Spiritual Palace team, their own people, felt their hearts skip a beat. The surging killing intent halted, and everyone's footsteps stumbled to a stop.

"Huh?" Xu Xiaoshou was pleasantly surprised. Could a single emotional shift from "Aura of Dominance" have such a miraculous effect? If he suddenly unleashed this once during a battle, wouldn't it be able to instantly kill someone on the spot?

"This is a divine interrupt technique..." As he thought, he momentarily forgot to continue speaking.

"What else do you want to... rattle on about?" The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou also found the shout unsettling. But the young man opposite seemed formidable; he waved his own people back.

"Nothing, just returning the courtesy," Xu Xiaoshou regained his composure. "You introduced yourself, so by rights, I should introduce myself too. It's a polite greeting between opposing parties."

"But I'm really not the leader." Xu Xiaoshou nodded sincerely, pointing at Rao Yinyin. "She is."

Rao Yinyin: ???

"Suspected, Passive Points +1."

"Do you know who she is?" Without waiting for anyone to speak, Xu Xiaoshou continued, "This person is Rao Yinyin, the Senior Disciple Sister of the inner courtyard of the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace's handsome, unrestrained, and brilliant Xu Xiaoshou, whom you mentioned."

"And this one!" He pointed at Su Qianqian and said, "This is Su Qianqian, the junior sister of the outer courtyard to the elegant and remarkably talented Xu Xiaoshou, whom you mentioned."

"And this one!" He then pointed at Mu Zixi, his lips just parting.

"Xu Xiaoshou, have you no shame?" Mu Zixi's face turned as black as charcoal.

"Ahem." Xu Xiaoshou coughed lightly twice, completely ignoring her, and continued, "This person's surname is Mu, and her name is Charcoal."

Mu Zixi: ???

"Cursed, Passive Points +1, +1, +1, +1..."

Everyone listening burst into laughter. Even the Spiritual Palace members, who had initially been somewhat at odds, became intrigued by the external force. This true and false Xu Xiaoshou... Interesting! Truly interesting!

"Xu Xiaoshou?" Though Mu Zixi's voice was low, the black-robed Xu Xiaoshou's side also heard it.

"Boss, this..." The black-robed second-in-command, who had just introduced the black-robed Xu Xiaoshou, suddenly grew anxious, turning sideways as if to communicate.

"Hahahaha!" Suddenly, the black-robed leader burst into roaring laughter, tears seemingly about to stream from his eyes.

"?" The black-robed second-in-command. Even his close associate didn't understand the meaning of this action.

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

"What a Xu Xiaoshou!" The black-robed leader angrily declared, "In front of me, Xu, you are the twenty-seventh person I've seen in the White Cave who dares to impersonate Xu Xiaoshou!"

"As for your coordinated act..." He glanced at people like Mu Zixi, nodding. "I admit, it's very good!"

"At least, among these twenty-seven, you're the most convincing imposter."

"But..."

"Wait!" Before the black-robed leader could finish, Xu Xiaoshou skillfully interrupted him.

"Did you misunderstand? I'm not impersonating Xu Xiaoshou, alright? I also feel I'm not worthy of Xu Xiaoshou's outstanding and exceptionally heroic image."

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm not faking it. Xu Xiaoshou is too great; I'm not worthy."

Black-robe: "..."

He extended his hand, his lips muttering a few times, suddenly unsure what to say. This fellow, why didn't he play by the rules? Every three sentences were praise, and never repeating himself. How did he come up with so many words to describe Xu Xiaoshou? If he hadn't seen Xu Xiaoshou's portrait, the black-robed man would have claimed he almost fell for the second fake Xu Xiaoshou opposite him. This guy never once said, "I am Xu Xiaoshou." But his words and actions... Were truly similar! Truly powerful!

"You brat, don't think you can escape this calamity by flattering me." The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou's mood was unpredictable; he suddenly didn't want to say anything more. "Charge, eliminate them!"

Although the other side's act was convincing. He knew it wasn't the real one, and that was enough. And as long as it wasn't Xu Xiaoshou, could those ragtag individuals, not even one of whom had a Grandmaster's cultivation, withstand his specially assembled assault force?

"Charge!"

At the command, everyone charged again.

"Stop!" Xu Xiaoshou immediately shouted again.

At this moment, everyone present again felt their hearts skip a beat. Once could be a fluke. But if the second time brought the same sensation, it couldn't be dismissed.

"Boss?"

"This guy seems off; maybe we should..." The black-robed second-in-command prompted his boss, looking at the young man whose cultivation he couldn't discern, feeling somewhat flustered. Another Xu Xiaoshou? Damn it, could this be the real one?!

"What kind of demonic spiritual technique is that?" The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou's sense of unease intensified. He looked at his subordinates, who had paused halfway, hesitant to proceed. He knew that unless he revealed something, the other side probably wouldn't give up.

"Very well."

"Xu Xiaoshou? Very well!"

"It seems you're determined to keep up the act until you see a renowned sword."

With that, the black-robed Xu Xiaoshou flipped his hand, and a long box appeared in his palm.

"Click."

After a sound, the long box opened. Instantly, sword intent soared into the sky.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz"

As if encountering the Lord of Myriad Swords, the longswords wielded by the many sword cultivators present immediately trembled uneasily.

"This is...?" Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted. He had thought this was merely a naive imposter. But lying quietly in the long wooden box the fellow produced seemed to be a genuine renowned sword? A longsword!

"Damn, are renowned swords so common now?!"

"Even someone like this can own one?" He was momentarily stunned.

"A renowned sword?" Su Qianqian also exclaimed in surprise; merely sensing the familiar fluctuations of a renowned sword in the void, she blurted out, "Azure Scale Spine!"

"Hmm?" Xu Xiaoshou looked at the girl.

Su Qianqian explained, "The Azure Scale Spine, crafted from innate dragon bone, ranks fifteenth on the list of renowned swords, titled the Dragon Sword."

"Hiss."

Well, well. Now *this* was a proper sword wielder! Xu Xiaoshou sighed in admiration, truly confirming that his feeling had not been mistaken. But how could a renowned sword appear in the hands of such a person? This wielder seemed a little too weak, didn't he?

"Where did you get your sword?" Xu Xiaoshou questioned.

"What business is it of yours where I got it? And what 'Azure Scale Spine'? This is the Blazing Serpent!" The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou felt there was a small chance he had encountered an expert. The other party's confident demeanor, even listing the sword's rank, almost made him believe it.

"Kid, that thing in your hand could get you killed, you know that?" Xu Xiaoshou was no longer in the mood for jokes. He took a step forward, and a pervasive aura descended as he demanded, "Azure Scale Spine, where did it come from?"

With a rumble, the ground slightly caved in. Everyone felt as if they were in a gravity chamber, their movements becoming incredibly sluggish.

"That move again?" Rao Yinyin frowned as she watched. It was the second time she'd seen this peculiar spiritual technique, yet she still couldn't decipher its secret. He clearly hadn't even released any spiritual energy. How did Xu Xiaoshou manage to materialize his aura to such an extent?

"What Azure Scale Spine!" The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou seemed genuinely flustered. Despite his Grandmaster cultivation, he was suppressed by a single step from the young man opposite. How was this possible?

"Die!" With a furious roar, he snatched the "Azure Scale Spine" from the long wooden box and swung it violently. Innate sword intent immediately attached itself. The longsword swept across the sky. A magnificent blue sword energy ripped towards the Spiritual Palace team.

Everyone panicked. Innate Sword Intent itself was no ordinary existence. With the added power of a renowned sword, this single, casually struck sword energy was estimated to surpass most Grandmaster-level spiritual techniques!

"Whoosh!" Just as Xu Xiaoshou was about to move, he saw Su Qianqian shoot forward.

"Ya!" She drew a large white greatsword from her ring and fiercely cleaved at the blue sword energy sweeping across the void.

"Boom!" The greatsword struck, and the void seemed to split open. Scattered blue light points shattered. The heavy sword was unsharpened, and no sword energy even appeared from it. But the wooden box in the distant black-robed Xu Xiaoshou's hand exploded with that resounding impact.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"

Immediately afterward, his clothes tore apart, and the mask on his face cracked noisily and fell off completely, revealing a panicked, bewildered face. This was a somewhat dull-looking man with a square face and a stubbly beard on his sideburns. Normally, holding a renowned sword, he should have been looking down on all sides. But looking at the young girl in white close-fitting attire before him, his entire face turned green.

"Grand... Grandmaster Sword Intent?" The black-robed Xu Xiaoshou felt his mind go blank. The real Xu Xiaoshou hadn't even appeared, and a random young girl jumps out with Grandmaster Sword Intent?

"What a joke!" Refusing to believe it, he once again grasped the "Azure Scale Spine" and slashed fiercely.

"Buzz!" At the same moment, a sword energy erupted from the black-robed leader's body, piercing through him from top to bottom.

Xu Xiaoshou had made his move. He *was* the sword, immobilizing the fellow. With another flick of his hand, white sword energy filled the entire "Azure Scale Spine," and despite the renowned sword's fierce resistance, it was pulled back into his grasp.

"A renowned sword has an owner?" Seeing such strong resistance, Xu Xiaoshou turned his head and asked Su Qianqian.

"Yes." Su Qianqian nodded, a hint of hesitation on her face. "But this guy is so weak; how could the proud Azure Scale Spine obey him?"

"He..."

"He's not the sword wielder!" Xu Xiaoshou declared suddenly, staring at the renowned sword.

"Huh?" Everyone looked on in surprised doubt, and even the black-robed Xu Xiaoshou's entire face was filled with horror. These two guys... They were real. They were the *real* ones!

"Respected, Passive Points +1."

"Feared, Passive Points +1."

"Buzz!"

"Buzz!"

Xu Xiaoshou gripped the renowned sword, examining it carefully. This "Azure Scale Spine" was remarkably slender. Its blade was blue, adorned with patches of dragon scale patterns, truly extraordinary and divine. The guard was narrow but thick, shaped like a coiled dragon's body. In the center was a golden inverse scale, glowing brilliantly under the crimson sky. And the hilt was where the dragon's head was located. When Xu Xiaoshou gripped it, he directly held half of the dragon's head.

"What a sword!" A powerful spirituality emanated from the blade, and Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Every time he encountered a renowned sword, he would instinctively marvel at nature's uncanny craftsmanship. That heaven and earth could forge such a spiritually potent renowned sword was simply unbelievable!

"Buzz"

Waves of vibration came through. The "Azure Scale Spine"'s resistance was too intense. Even with Xu Xiaoshou's Grandmaster body, the web of his hand was split from the vibrations.

"This sword... I think I've seen it before?" A hint of doubt appeared on his face; Xu Xiaoshou felt this longsword seemed familiar. He tilted his head, pondered for a moment, then had a sudden realization.

That's right! He had indeed seen this longsword, but he had never clashed with it. Back when the "Blazing Serpent" emerged, three sword cultivators whom he had paid close attention to appeared. Two of them were Gu Qing'er and Gu Qing'san. The remaining one was a youth wrapped in a mask, armored head to toe, yet somehow drawing more attention to himself. This sword had been briefly glimpsed on his back.

"Red Cloak?" He recalled that at the end of the Blazing Serpent incident, Night Watch had called out to that youth, but the other party hadn't listened and had run off. So now, was he here?

Xu Xiaoshou said nothing. However, his "Perception" swept over all the black-robed figures present. Sure enough, not far behind the black-robed leader, among the few black-robed individuals still guarding, he saw a youth who was comparatively small and wrapped tightly from head to foot.

"Heh!"

"Still pretending?" Xu Xiaoshou gripped the renowned sword "Azure Scale Spine" and sneered, "It's come to this, and you still won't show yourself?"