Chapter 537: You Know Nothing About Power

"What kind of spiritual technique is this?"

Lu Ke, with his long sword on his back, was also bewildered. Xu Xiaoshou, wielding the renowned sword 'Blazing Python,' surely meant he was an exceptional sword master, worthy of such a weapon's recognition. But now, beyond swordsmanship, the abilities Xu Xiaoshou displayed far exceeded Lu Ke's understanding of him.

"This oppressive force..." Lu Ke could hardly believe that this pressure, usually felt only from senior figures at the Throne level, was actually being generated by Xu Xiaoshou. Not only was this aura steadily rising over time, but the mere fact that Xu Xiaoshou could use it to inflict physical harm was astonishing.

"I must break through it first!" Lu Ke's expression grew solemn. Though Xu Xiaoshou's aura was strong, it hadn't fully formed yet, only capable of restraining the numerous Xiantian realm experts present. While Grandmaster-level spiritual refiners would also be affected, the impact on them was definitely not as severe as on the Xiantian realm cultivators. If he were to act, his movements might be somewhat delayed, but with his renowned sword, a single strike could indeed break this aura.

Yet... his gaze wavered, glancing towards Yu Zhiwen. Hesitation welled up in Lu Ke's heart. He had certainly never seen this woman at the Holy Divine Palace headquarters. However, on this continent, the Grand Hall Master wasn't truly the only person capable of mastering such profound Heaven's Mystery arts at such a young age. "Is she from the Saint Emperor's Secret Realm?" This thought lingered in Lu Ke's mind for less than a second before it was instantly dismissed. How could those who transcended the mundane world possibly fall into a mere mortal place like White Cave? It was simply absurd!

Clang— A sword's cry pierced through the sky. A resonant dragon's roar followed closely as Lu Ke drew his long sword, pointing it towards the heavens. Boom! The void suddenly trembled. In that instant, everyone immediately felt the oppressive force that had bound them vanish without a trace.

"It worked!" Almost simultaneously, a look of delight appeared on Yu Zhiwen's face. As her hands danced, the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' shone brightly in mid-air, and the heavenly mechanism began to converge. The next second, the heavenly mechanism fed back, directly enveloping an area of dozens of miles. Buzz! Buzz! At this, many clearly wished to directly rush into the sky. But the surging spiritual energy within their Qi Sea directly stifled most people's intentions. Nearly dozens of people were on the verge of breaking through simultaneously. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered wildly, rustling, and directly coalesced into mist in the air.

"Well, well!" Xu Xiaoshou sighed inwardly. This scene was truly spectacular. He had thought he could suppress the entire scene with 'Devour the Mountains and Rivers,' but Lu Ke's sword strike had clearly shattered his plan.

"Charge! The 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' is right above us! Why bother breaking through now? If we get our hands on this, won't we have endless opportunities to break through later? Quickly, go!" Someone shouted amidst the chaos. Immediately, most people were startled awake, hastily suppressing their impending breakthroughs, and chose to draw their swords and ascend.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Yu Zhiwen, exhausted, released her hold and descended, just as dozens of light figures darted upwards. Xu Xiaoshou was about to make a move when a weak voice reached his ear.

"Wait!" Xu Xiaoshou turned to look at Yu Zhiwen. Yu Zhiwen landed beside him and explained, "It's not that simple. If the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' were so easy to obtain, I would have just taken it myself. Why go through all this trouble?"

"True." Xu Xiaoshou instantly understood and asked, "But what do you mean by 'not simple'?" Yu Zhiwen took a breath. "A Heaven's Mystery Array!"

"Oh?" Only then did Xu Xiaoshou fully extend his 'Perception' onto the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' once more. Sure enough, he saw familiar, arcane Heaven's Mystery array patterns on it. The white skull sculpture was very small. But outside it, layer upon layer of nested Heaven's Mystery arrays, like an ancient tower the height of a man, firmly suppressed it in place.

"Seize it!" The crowd surged forward, instantly reaching the side of the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone'. At this point, even if some were still puzzled as to why Yu Zhiwen hadn't simply taken the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone', under the current circumstances, there was no time to ponder much.

Boom! The first to arrive struck, seemingly about to touch the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' itself. But the invisible, multi-layered Heaven's Mystery array outside it suddenly flashed, and with a roar, directly blasted the person dozens of feet away. Blood splattered over the faces of those nearby. Those still behind were stunned. However, the momentum of those in front was like arrows released from a bowstring, impossible to retract. Originally, they weren't too far apart; in fact, they were quite close. At such a close distance, even seeing someone instantly blown away, they found it difficult to stop themselves. At this, the scene became somewhat spectacular.

Boom, boom, boom... More than a dozen continuous roars exploded. Those who had intended to gain the upper hand were directly blasted unconscious by the multi-layered Heaven's Mystery Array.

"My heavens, is it really that terrifying?" The blood spraying everywhere finally made those behind calm down. Everyone hovered in mid-air, completely afraid to move.

"Is this a Heaven's Mystery Array? Wait, didn't that girl just now unlock the Heaven's Mystery Array and complete the repair? Why is it still here now? Could it be... she laid it down when she withdrew her hands!" Discussions erupted, buzzing loudly. In no time, everyone's gaze converged on Yu Zhiwen.

"This young lady..." Before the words could fully leave their mouths, Xu Xiaoshou, standing beside Yu Zhiwen, couldn't listen anymore. These guys, blinded by greed, truly could think up anything! From the looks of it, after Yu Zhiwen had fixed the premature emergence issues of the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone,' they still wanted her to unlock the array for them? Could she even do that? Xu Xiaoshou glanced at Yu Zhiwen's pale face and immediately couldn't hold back. He stepped forward, the renowned sword in his hand tilting.

"Get lost!" His voice was like thunder. As his roar settled, the void's airflow churned, as if a large cannonball had been fired into the crowd. With a 'bang', those who had collectively turned their heads were directly sent sprawling. A terrifying oppressive force once again swept over them.

Xu Xiaoshou himself was surprised. But he quickly understood. It turned out that the momentum accumulated by 'Devour the Mountains and Rivers' could indeed be shattered. However, being shattered didn't mean that the previously accumulated momentum would completely dissipate. On the contrary, during Xu Xiaoshou's brief period of standing by, all this momentum had been re-hidden. Now, with a surge of anger, it could be unleashed with renewed force!

"Damn it, what in the world is this?" "It feels even more terrifying than before..." All those hovering in the air were obediently pressed back to the ground after a single glance from Xu Xiaoshou. At this moment, even Grandmaster experts felt extremely restrained. Not to mention those Xiantian cultivators... These people, merely hunching their bodies, felt as if they had expended all their strength. And when they tried to circulate their spiritual energy, their Qi Sea felt as if it bore the immense weight of Mount Tai, making it difficult to move.

"Ugh!" Each person, straining as if constipated, with veins bulging, couldn't utter a single word. The scene once again fell into an eerie silence.

Rao Yinyin, behind Xu Xiaoshou, had lost count of how many times she had been startled. Xu Xiaoshou's aura attack was truly too powerful. If he also directed his oppressive force onto the Spirit Palace members, their group probably wouldn't be able to stand straight... Indeed, very few would remain upright. "Xu Xiaoshou... how exactly did he grow, how did he progress so rapidly?" Rao Yinyin fell silent. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' in the void, silently took a step back, and tucked her fingers into her sleeve, seemingly intending to withdraw from the struggle.

"This pressure again..." Lu Ke felt the heavy pressure on his shoulders, his back almost bending involuntarily. Without a word, he drew his sword again, ready to strike upwards.

"You, quiet down too!" How could Xu Xiaoshou let him have his way? He immediately swept his gaze, and as his vision focused, the overwhelming oppressive force converged entirely on Lu Ke alone.

Boom! Only then did Lu Ke finally understand why those previous individuals had been so pathetic. He only managed to horizontally position 'Azure Scale Ridge' in front of his chest. The invisible oppressive force, like a grenade launcher, blasted him flying backward.

"Damn..." The crowd in the field was horrified. The youth with the renowned sword was also forced back by a single glance? "What in the world is this spiritual technique?" "Who is this person?!" Everyone turned their heads, their gazes finally converging once more on the only youth still hovering in the field. Without a doubt, this was the great demon king of this place!

"Perhaps you didn't hear clearly before, but that's alright, I can say it again..." Xu Xiaoshou indifferently sheathed his sword, raised his chin, and with a haughty look in his eyes, declared: "This 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' is something I, Tan Ji, have taken a liking to! If any of you feel unhappy about it, just swallow your displeasure!"

Tan Ji: ??? His figure, seated cross-legged while healing, suddenly trembled. The moment his Qi Sea surged, a mouthful of blood sprayed out. Pfft! "Xu Xiao—"

"Shut up!" Xu Xiaoshou turned his head, sweeping a cold glance over him. Tan Ji's mind buzzed, a complete blank. He felt as if a colossal giant from ancient primordial times had stomped down, almost kicking his soul into oblivion. This time, even though Xu Xiaoshou had held back his power, Tan Ji was still sent flying with a single glance. With a thud, his body hit the ground. Tan Ji was stunned. He turned around again to look upwards, but Xu Xiaoshou had already turned his head away. Yet, that slightly slender figure, under the crimson moonlight, was deeply etched into his mind. Tan Ji figured his future nightmares would be inextricably linked to that figure.

"So, this is the true gap between us, after all..."

Received 'Feared' emotion, Passive Points +1.

"Too strong!" "Where did this Tan Ji come from? How come I've never heard of such a person before?" "My god, with this oppressive force, am I encountering a Throne?" "Could this perhaps be an undocumented visitor? Otherwise, how could he suppress all of us so completely with just his aura?" Everyone exchanged whispers, either through spiritual transmissions or eye contact. But without exception, facing Xu Xiaoshou's forceful suppression, almost no one present had the power to resist.

Received 'Suspicion' emotion, Passive Points +121.Received 'Awe' emotion, Passive Points +135.Received 'Glared At' emotion, Passive Points +36.

"So weak." Xu Xiaoshou looked at the pop-ups in the information bar and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He wondered when it had started, but his opponents no longer seemed to be his peers. Or perhaps, among the few prefectures gathered in White Cave, there simply weren't many true geniuses. As a result, when facing these people, Xu Xiaoshou didn't even need to use a tenth of his power. Everyone was already at their wit's end.

"No." "It's not that they're too weak." Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized, flicked his sleeve, and looked up at a forty-five-degree angle at the sky, "It's that I'm too strong..."

"Xu Xiaoshou, I need to rest for a bit to have the strength to unlock that Heaven's Mystery Array. But that array has many layers of nesting, so it will probably take quite a bit of time and effort," Yu Zhiwen said.

"No need for all that trouble." Xu Xiaoshou casually glanced at the sky. At this moment, people were still being attracted and arriving in succession. However, surprisingly, among those who came this time, there wasn't a single major figure, meaning an expert above the Throne level. But then again, in White Cave, it's not every time a treasure appears that it attracts Throne-level undocumented visitors. Perhaps this kind of struggle purely among the younger generation is the norm? But for Xu Xiaoshou, as long as no Throne-level experts appeared, what difference did it make how many small fry came?

"Do you have a way to cut off the space where the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' is located? As long as the Heaven's Mystery Array cannot affect the surrounding space, it can be transferred," Xu Xiaoshou said.

Yu Zhiwen's eyes lit up: "You mean..."

"Mhm." Xu Xiaoshou nodded. He indeed didn't need to directly break the Heaven's Mystery Array. Such a small-scale restraint was not like a grand array similar to the 'Freezing Realm'. With his Yuan Mansion, he could simply transfer and absorb it. However, he had just tried. Due to the isolation of the Heaven's Mystery Array, or perhaps the attraction of Heavenly Dao power and its repulsion of external forces, the moment his spiritual sense touched the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone,' it was instantly dissolved. The desired item simply couldn't be brought into his Yuan Mansion.

But, this was still not a problem. As long as he could sever the connection between the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone,' the Heaven's Mystery Array, and the surrounding space, he believed that for that instant, the White Cave's small world's link to the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' would also temporarily dissipate. Seizing this opportunity, he could absolutely bring it into his Yuan Mansion. After all, the Yuan Mansion itself was formed from the fall of a complete alternate dimension. Its rules were indeed severely lacking. But in terms of small world levels, it was on the same level as White Cave.

"I understand." Yu Zhiwen took a deep breath, swallowed a pill, and her hand movements began to change.

"They're going to break the Heaven's Mystery Array!" Immediately, exclamations came from the crowd below. Clearly, these immobile individuals, no matter how frustrated they were, paid close attention to Xu Xiaoshou, observing every detail.

"But..." "What can we do?" "This guy is a bit too unsolvable, isn't he? This one spiritual technique alone is impossible to break." "Even if we wanted to resist, who here has the ability to do so?" This rhetorical question directly rendered everyone speechless. It was obvious. Unsolvable!

"Also, that renowned sword in his hand..." "This guy should also be a sword master. If I'm not mistaken, this spiritual technique might just be a minor move of his." "If it were truly broken, what would you use to contend with the renowned sword in his hand?" The crowd fell silent once more.

Xu Xiaoshou watched the flickering messages in the information bar, feeling a bit helpless. Too strong. "I'm too strong. How are enemies supposed to fight this?" If every time he collected a treasure, things developed like this, so 'normally,' wouldn't he just be gaining something without effort? Look. Just by standing there, he was already invincible. This... What's the solution?

"Xu Xiaoshou!" Yu Zhiwen suddenly called out from beside him. He saw her strike out with hand seals, and the space where the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone' and the Heaven's Mystery Array were located suddenly cracked open with patterns. The next second, a familiar heavenly curtain swept past, directly obscuring the heavenly secrets of the 'Dao Pattern Primordial Stone,' erasing it from the White Cave's small world's perception.

Roar— But just then, as Xu Xiaoshou was about to make a move, a loud dragon's roar echoed from afar. Arriving instantly with it was a streak of azure sword light.

"It's you again, kid!" Xu Xiaoshou was annoyed by Lu Ke. He immediately swung his sword back. "White Clouds Drifting!" Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! In an instant, countless dark red, searing sword lights flashed across. They not only shattered the azure sword light but, as if they had eyes, directly surged towards the direction from which the azure light had roared, striking rapidly.

Boom, boom, boom! Smoke and dust scattered. Amidst the roaring sounds, all sword masters present felt their scalps tingle. The next second, all the spiritual swords in the vicinity whizzed upwards, coalescing in mid-air, and bowed slightly towards the rear.

"Myriad Swords Returning to the Source!" Lu Ke's figure, holding his long sword, burst out from the dust. With a flick of his sword tip, dozens of spiritual swords pierced towards Xu Xiaoshou.

Facing such peril, Xu Xiaoshou seemed utterly unconcerned. He turned his head at light speed, his cold gaze sweeping directly over Rao Yinyin's pretty face behind him. "I advise you, it's best not to!"

"Uh..." Rao Yinyin's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, stiffened, and her expression instantly froze. After Xu Xiaoshou finished speaking, he said no more. With his back to the dozens of spiritual swords behind him, he barely raised the Blazing Python in his hand.

Crack, crack, crack— The void instantly cracked open. Fragments of space solidified, turning into crystalline small swords, a thousand of them, rushing towards the incoming spiritual swords like a flood.

Bang, bang, bang! At this moment, the clashing and exploding sounds of the void swords and spiritual swords directly made everyone's eardrums feel like they would burst.

"Void Condensing Sword Art?" The many sword masters were dumbfounded. Each one, first 'Myriad Swords Returning to the Source,' then 'Void Condensing Sword Art.' Plus Su Qianqian, who had previously displayed Grandmaster sword intent... "When did Sword Grandmasters become so common? Are they just giving them away for free?!"

"Wait!" Soon, everyone reacted. "Th-this damn, what exploded, was my sword!" Looking at their own spiritual swords completely pulverized in the Sword Grandmaster showdown, all the sword masters were dumbfounded. When Immortals fight, mortals suffer? Th-this... They struggled for a moment, but everyone still found themselves unable to break free from that oppressive force. So, not only did they have to watch their own spiritual swords shatter, but when the aftermath of the battle swept over, not a single person present could escape?

"Oh god, can you guys seriously fight somewhere else, not right above my head—"

Received 'Fear' emotion, Passive Points +143.Received 'Request' emotion, Passive Points +32.

"Void Condensing Sword Art?" Lu Ke's expression was indifferent. Watching the dozens of spiritual swords completely overwhelmed, he raised 'Azure Scale Ridge' in his hand again. Crack, crack, crack— Similar to the phenomenon Xu Xiaoshou had triggered earlier. But this time, the sound of space cracking came from within the thousand void swords!

"To use their own methods against them!" Lu Ke chuckled lightly, pointing his long sword. Whoosh! Those tiny swords, reborn from Xu Xiaoshou's void swords, instantly changed direction and pierced towards the location of the Spirit Palace. A thousand swords, a single sound. Clearly, in terms of control alone, Lu Ke's 'Void Condensing Sword Art' was far superior to Xu Xiaoshou's.

"You're never going to stop, are you?" Xu Xiaoshou grew even more impatient. He didn't want to fight this guy. Or rather, he couldn't be bothered to provoke anyone with a powerful background. That was the disciple of the Wuyue Sword Immortal; what he disliked most was hitting the younger one only for the older one to appear. But now... there was no choice! He had to admit, this Lu Ke certainly had some tricks up his sleeve. But swordsmanship was no longer Xu Xiaoshou's strongest ability!

"Freeze!" His eyes glared open. Icy blue mist swept over the heads of the people on the ground, instantly filling the surroundings. Crack! After a single sound, the thousand tiny void swords that had been flying forward directly turned into lifelike ice sculptures, frozen solid in mid-air with a 'crack'. Thump, thump, thump— The tiny swords fell.

"Ouch." "What the hell!" "What was that..." The crowd below suddenly felt as if their skulls were about to be pierced. If that were all, it would be fine. But when they tried to circulate their spiritual energy in their Qi Sea to block the damage, the power of frozen calamity emanating from the tiny void swords instantly froze everyone's spiritual energy. Even their body temperatures instantly dropped to freezing point.

Hiss! Gasps of cold air were exhaled throughout the field. Not from shock, but from genuine cold...

Received 'Cursed' emotion, Passive Points +156.Received 'Fear' emotion, Passive Points +155.

"Ice element?" Lu Ke was startled. The renowned sword 'Blazing Python' that Xu Xiaoshou held was a fire-element treasure. If he had ice attributes, how could he make this fire-element renowned sword acknowledge him as its master? "Wait." Lu Ke's thoughts shifted, and he exclaimed, "Your ice element... is it flame? Three-Day Frozen Calamity?"

"You have some insight." Xu Xiaoshou sneered and focused his eyes again. He realized that now, fighting basically didn't require much physical action. After all, enemies that could be killed with a gaze didn't require him to exert much effort.

He inwardly roared: "Cinderflame Heaven-Burning!" The air, which had been abruptly lowered to freezing temperatures by the power of frozen calamity, instantly boiled. The void instantly distorted. The massive power of cinderflame raged outwards. The crowd below suddenly shivered. This 'double heaven' sensation of ice and fire...

"Big shot, please spare us, we won't dare again!" Everyone wailed helplessly. But it was no use. The inexpressible power of frozen calamity was still lingering in their Qi Sea, while extreme high temperatures were burning on their bodies. They were practically about to burst into flames, alright?!

"What in the world is this ability now?!" "Isn't this guy a sword master? How is he also an ice element user?" "Fine, ice element. But now, damn it, you're telling me he's also an extreme fire element user?" "I...???"

Received 'Astonishment and Doubt' emotion, Passive Points +128.Received 'Fear' emotion, Passive Points +149.

"Flames?" Lu Ke instinctively moved to dodge. But how could the upgraded Cinderflame Heaven-Burning be something he could dodge? Within Xu Xiaoshou's line of sight, with just one glance, even a Throne would spontaneously combust!

Fwoosh! A faint sound emerged from his Qi Sea. The Cinderflame Heaven-Burning instantly seared through his Qi Sea, burning throughout his entire body. Fwoosh. The flames made another sound, directly piercing through his body. Their form was no longer invisible, but unmistakably... white flames! At this, Lu Ke's pupils contracted sharply. He found that all his methods, such as spiritual energy, sword intent, Heavenly Dao... were completely unable to extinguish these bizarre white flames! On the contrary, all his methods were like pouring oil on a fire, all igniting themselves!

"What in the world is this thing?" Lu Ke horrifyingly looked up, and for the first time, panic flashed in his eyes.

"Contend with me?" Xu Xiaoshou chuckled from afar, stating indifferently, "Little brat, you know absolutely nothing about power!"