Chapter 538: Red-robed? Ghost Beast

"White Flame?"Rao Yinyin, standing behind Xu Xiaoshou, was utterly dumbfounded.She had previously suspected an unknown connection between Xu Xiaoshou and Elder Sang, which was why she had asked Xu Xiaoshou for the Throne Pill. But to suggest they were master and disciple... Rao Yinyin didn't believe it! Given the Vice Dean's eccentric nature, his disciples would likely be tormented to death rather than grow.However, when the iconic White Flame, characteristic of Elder Sang, ignited on Lu Ke, Rao Yinyin became completely convinced. It wasn't a possibility; it was a certainty. Xu Xiaoshou was Elder Sang's disciple!

If it had merely been the familiar "Cinder Flame of the Sky," one could still argue that Xu Xiaoshou was just another of the Vice Dean's test subjects. However, the true power of the White Flame was something only those who had spent a long time in the inner court had witnessed. Its ability to incinerate half of the Cloud-Reaching Peak, the tallest peak in the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace, and forge it into the Cloud Platform with a single glance, was not something just anyone was qualified to cultivate.Feared, Passive Points, +1.

Previously, she had harbored some minor reservations. But now, Rao Yinyin genuinely dared not act recklessly. The terrifying power of the Cinder Flame of the Sky was already enough to threaten all Spirit Cultivators. As for the White Flame, even if one achieved enlightenment and became a grandmaster, it possessed the ability to incinerate even the Heavenly Dao itself. It had no fixed target. Yet, if one had to say, everyone present—whether sword cultivators, body cultivators, or spirit cultivators—was being targeted by Xu Xiaoshou. Such was the terrifying extent of the White Flame!

"Retrieve!"Xu Xiaoshou stood in the void, seeing the entire scene suppressed. Without hesitation, he waved his hand, transferring the "Primal Dao Pattern Stone" along with the Heaven's Secret Array into his Origin Mansion. Such matters were prone to complications if delayed. Not to mention, people were still continuously arriving at the scene."Flicker... Flicker..."Eerie burning sounds echoed in the silent space. Those above ground were completely helpless. Even as they watched Xu Xiaoshou pocket the "Primal Dao Pattern Stone" they had long dreamed of, they could do nothing. At this moment, their only remaining desire shifted from seeking the treasure to hoping Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't direct his anger at them. After all, no one present could withstand that rage. Including Lu Ke!

"Hiss! Argh!""What in the world is this?!"Lu Ke shrieked. His cries contained three parts panic, three parts pain, and nine hundred ninety-four parts helplessness. He had no way to neutralize the White Flame damage inflicted by Xu Xiaoshou's single glance! And the White Flame, a qualitative leap derived from the "Cinder Flame of the Sky," burned with astonishing speed. Previously, even a Xiantian realm expert's spiritual essence would take half a day to burn away completely. Now, Lu Ke couldn't even last twenty breaths before his Qi Sea was almost completely depleted. But he understood that using spiritual essence to buy time was merely a temporary solution. Once his Qi Sea truly emptied, the White Flame's target would shift from his spiritual essence to his actual physical body. And judging by the temperature... Within a few breaths, Lu Ke would undoubtedly vanish into thin air!

"Xu Xiaoshou!"Lu Ke looked up in horror, his eyes filled with a plea for mercy. But like many young men, he would suffer greatly to save face. Even though he could no longer hold on, he merely mumbled a few words, unable to utter any pleas for mercy.

"Little one, I told you not to oppose me.""But you, you just wouldn't listen.""Why bother?"Xu Xiaoshou sighed helplessly, "Killing isn't my intention. Besides, you're a Red Cloak, and I have some acquaintance with Senior Shou Ye. I truly don't want to see you die miserably.""Then quickly extinguish this flame on me!" Lu Ke pleaded desperately. At this moment, his Qi Sea was completely empty. Without the spiritual essence shield, and with such high temperatures descending upon him, he wasn't a grandmaster's body, nor even a Xiantian body. How could he resist?

"Freeze!"Xu Xiaoshou made a grasping motion with his hand, perfectly controlling the White Flame. It didn't invade Lu Ke's body, but the residual heat it emitted was slowly roasting him. A foul smell of burning flesh permeated the air. Lu Ke was completely bewildered. This half-release, half-torment... "What exactly do you want?!" he screamed in frustration. This must be what it felt like to wish for death rather than live, or to be in unbearable agony! Lu Ke had never imagined that one day he would become the pile of meat on someone else's barbecue grill. He'd rather just die with dignity!

"I won't kill you," Xu Xiaoshou said slowly. "As I told you when you arrived, I just want to make a deal with you. After all, I'm a businessman."Cursed, Passive Points, +1.Cold sweat and hot sweat simultaneously broke out on Lu Ke, but they evaporated instantly."What deal?""A very simple deal."Lu Ke was speechless. He clenched his fist, only to find his hand empty. Looking down, in just a short while, even with Xu Xiaoshou controlling the temperature, the flesh on his hands had completely shriveled. In some places, even scorched bones were exposed.

"A demon..."Everyone below shivered in unison. This person, whether named Tan Ji or Xu Xiaoshou, was truly a demon. A true great demon, one that had crawled out of the abyss! Others were nearly roasted into mummies, yet he was still leisurely spouting nonsense... This had to be deliberate, right? Definitely deliberate! This guy was getting revenge!Feared, Passive Points, +162.

Lu Ke felt his consciousness beginning to waver. At this point, he was too weak to complain about Xu Xiaoshou's actions."What simple deal? You... you quickly tell me...""Very simple."Xu Xiaoshou smiled and pointed to the long sword on Lu Ke's back. This was probably the only divine object on Lu Ke that was completely unaffected by the White Flame. Even under such high temperatures, the "Azure Scale Spine" showed no movement, not even a hint of scorching.

"You want my sword?"Lu Ke felt a sudden splash of ice water in his mind, and his consciousness temporarily returned. Then, he flared up in anger, "That's impossible! Even if you burn me alive, or roast me to death, I will never hand over my Azure Scale Spine!""Then go die."Without a moment's hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou clenched his hand."Flicker.""Argh!"Lu Ke's face instantly contorted into a mask of agony, his wailing cries echoing through the air, truly pitiable to hear.

"Xu Xiaoshou, isn't this too much?"Mu Zixi quietly floated up, extending her small hand to poke Xu Xiaoshou's kidney."He's a disciple of the Seven Sword Immortals, after all. If you really burn him to death in front of everyone, the situation afterward will become uncontrollable."Inside the Origin Mansion, she had also heard Yu Zhiwen's legends about the Ten Revered Seats and the Seven Sword Immortals. Naturally, she knew that Lu Ke's background was far from ordinary.Dissuaded, Passive Points, +1.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced back at Lu Ke. He knew that even if Mu Zixi spoke in a low voice, given the opponent's strength, it wouldn't be difficult for them to overhear with their spiritual sense. Yet, even under these circumstances, Lu Ke merely endured, without uttering any nonsense like, "That's right, my master is the Moonless Sword Immortal, you can't kill me." This made Xu Xiaoshou regard him with a bit more respect. It had to be said, this young man was very stubborn. Of course, also very difficult to deal with.Xu Xiaoshou frowned and turned back. Since that was the case, they might as well put on a show! With his junior sister also present, they could play good cop, bad cop, and force the guy to submit. A renowned sword had just appeared before him. Such a good opportunity, and one that could be obtained through a transaction. Even if it involved a little coercion, it was still a transaction. Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't let such an opportunity slip away.

He looked at Mu Zixi, his eyebrow twitching, his eyes darting around. After a few subtle signals, he said in a serious tone:"What you said is true, but now I'm already on the Red Cloaks' blacklist. He pushed me so hard; if I don't kill him, I lose face. If I kill him, I gain a famous sword. Why wouldn't I do it?""What's more, even a cornered dog will jump over a wall!""No matter how prominent this guy's background is, have I, Tan Ji, killed few people of great origin?""If they want to seek revenge, let them come. They'll have to take a number and wait patiently in line!"

Everyone below shivered involuntarily. Lu Ke, still enveloped by the White Flame, also trembled and his face filled with despair.Feared, Passive Points, +121.

Mu Zixi visibly froze for a moment. She didn't understand what Xu Xiaoshou's previous winks and nudges were meant to convey, nor why her senior brother, who was essentially somewhat afraid of death, had suddenly become so ruthless.However..."If you're going to kill him, you can't do it openly, can you?""Oh?" Xu Xiaoshou followed her lead, asking, "Then what do you suggest?""Hmm..."Mu Zixi hesitated, seemingly pondering a solution. After a short pause, she pointed to the crowd below and lowered her voice, "Now, doing it secretly is out of the question. After all, so many people just saw you burning him.""If Lu Ke dies, everyone will know it was you... Tan Ji.""So..."After another brief pause, her junior sister's eyes turned fierce: "I suggest we silence everyone here to prevent the information from leaking out!"

Everyone below: ???"Where did this little girl come from? Are you trying to stir up trouble?""Enjoying the show even if it causes a huge commotion?"Those who had been clinging to a sliver of hope now completely panicked."Young lady, that's not right!""We have no grievances with you, why are you being so heartless?""Nobody here saw anything... Hey, wait, why is it dark?""Huh? What's wrong with you... Oh, oh, right, right, why is it dark?! Damn it, where's the sound? I can't hear anything!"The entire crowd froze. The next second, they all erupted."Holy cow, it's true! Did someone cast a spell? I literally can't see anything since just now, even my spiritual sense is blocked, this, this, this...""Help! Someone save me, I can't hear any sound!""Damn it, why are you yelling so loudly? My ears are going deaf—no, wait, I can't hear anything either, okay? Go yell somewhere far away.""I'm blind, I'm blind! Where are my eyeballs? I can't even feel my eyeballs anymore!"Startled, Passive Points, +1.Called for help, Passive Points, +86.Feared, Passive Points, +155.

The scene had completely spiraled out of control. Various wails and shouts rose and fell, startling even Xu Xiaoshou."What the heck...""Are these people acting?""But Mu Zixi, what's wrong with you?"Xu Xiaoshou looked at his junior sister in disbelief."I asked you to play the good cop, but how did you suddenly turn so fierce?""You're truly the conniving Demon King, aren't you? I, Xu Xiaoshou, didn't even have the thought of wiping out everyone here..."

"Xu... Xiao... Shou!"Summoned, Passive Points, +1.A voice, seemingly warped by scorching, echoed from behind him. Xu Xiaoshou's heart leaped, and he whipped his head around. He saw Lu Ke, still engulfed by the White Flame, had, at some point, begun to exude wisps of black mist. As the chilling, sinister black mist appeared, even the air temperature seemed to drop."Xu Xiaoshou, do you really think I can't do anything?!"Lu Ke's face was completely contorted. Pain, resistance, dissatisfaction... A kaleidoscope of emotions surged, as if the devil within him was about to be unleashed, beginning to unleash evil power.

"What the hell is that?"Xu Xiaoshou's pupils constricted. He could actually sense the extreme Yin power on Lu Ke, the kind he had only ever felt on ghost beast hosts before. But how was this possible? His mind reeled. Xu Xiaoshou thought he was seeing things. But when his "Perception" focused entirely on Lu Ke, he realized that this was the truth!"Impossible!"He exclaimed inwardly, completely disbelieving. Who was Lu Ke? He was a Red Cloak! He was a disciple of the Moonless Sword Immortal, one of the Seven Sword Immortals! With backgrounds in both the Red Cloaks and the White Cloaks, two of the continent's most transcendent organizations, how could he possibly be in league with ghost beasts? Moreover, judging by the increasingly sinister and eerie black mist, this guy had definitely done more than just come into marginal contact. He had to be a ghost beast host!

"But... something's not right..."Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts were a tangled mess. In that instant, various strange emotions flooded his mind. Red Cloaks, ghost beasts? Extermination, test subjects? Seven Sword Immortals, White Cloaks, Holy Divine Palace, and... Justice, evil?"What in the world is this?!"Xu Xiaoshou was flustered. At this moment, his mind was truly in a panic. What he was panicking about wasn't the ghost beast power suddenly erupting from Lu Ke. Instead, it was the fear of the unknown that caused the Holy Divine Palace's supposedly consistent righteous conduct to suddenly be called into question. It was also the panic that the Red Cloaks, who always prided themselves on justice and sought to carry out a genocide plan against ghost beasts, harbored a ghost beast host within their own organization—one that should have been impossible to overlook. Lu Ke... a ghost beast host? That was utterly impossible! Yet now, this completely impossible thing was happening right before his eyes. How could anyone not believe it?

"Perception" swept across the entire scene; everyone was equally surprised by the unknown power emerging from Lu Ke. But looking at their expressions, Xu Xiaoshou realized that not a single one of them truly recognized the so-called ghost beast power. In fact, the four characters "ghost beast host" were probably only something they had read in books. But Xu Xiaoshou was different! Having dealt with these things countless times, how could he not know the intricacies involved?"This is a deep mess. If I wade into it, I might die!"Xu Xiaoshou felt he had uncovered some unspeakable secret. He wanted to believe it was a coincidence. But... was it possible? If it were another Red Cloak, maybe. But for someone with Lu Ke's prominent background to become a ghost beast host, could that be a coincidence? This was definitely a massive secret! Xu Xiaoshou understood that if he delved deeper into this secret, the consequences could be something he absolutely couldn't bear. Not possibly. Inevitably!

"Argh!"A heart-wrenching roar interrupted Xu Xiaoshou's tangled thoughts, and he snapped back to reality. He saw that after the black mist billowed forth, Lu Ke's back seemed to open up like an invisible gaping maw. The terrifying White Flame was directly swallowed whole, vanishing completely."Buzz!"After completing this, Lu Ke suddenly looked up. His scarlet eyes, like sharp swords, directly pierced through the void and into Xu Xiaoshou's mind."Ghost beast!"At this, Xu Xiaoshou was completely certain. Based solely on those iconic red eyes, Lu Ke was definitively a ghost beast host!

"Brother, calm down."Xu Xiaoshou pulled Mu Zixi back a step.Mu Zixi paused, "Xu Xiaoshou, you...""Don't speak, something's wrong."Xu Xiaoshou cut off his junior sister's question; he had no time to explain now. Judging from previous situations, if Lu Ke truly unleashed the ghost beast within him, Xu Xiaoshou, with his current strength, would absolutely be unable to resist. His previous narrow escape from death was only because Shou Ye came to clean up the mess, which led to that outcome. Ghost beasts were truly not something ordinary people could trifle with. Starting from the Throne realm, with no upper limit. Who could withstand that?

"Xu Xiaoshou..."Lu Ke mumbled unconsciously, his skeletal fists clenched tightly, but his eyes were shut, as if he were fighting something."Calm down.""Calm down!"Xu Xiaoshou retreated again. Without much thought, he switched hands and grabbed Yu Zhiwen's fair wrist."Can you use teleportation arrays? Get ready; use it for self-preservation if necessary!"Cursed, Passive Points, +1, +1, +1, +1...

Yu Zhiwen didn't reply. Just as Xu Xiaoshou was about to ask further, his "Perception" suddenly noticed her expression. Concern. Deep concern. But! Other than overwhelming concern, Yu Zhiwen's eyes showed no other special emotions. Xu Xiaoshou's heart plummeted. This wasn't logical! As the Holy Maiden... of the Holy Divine Palace? Let's just assume she was some kind of Holy Maiden! Yu Zhiwen couldn't possibly be like those ignorant folks who had crawled out of forgotten corners, completely unaware of the existence of ghost beasts. In fact, she had seen a ghost beast when the "Blaze Serpent" first appeared! Under such circumstances, her first reaction to a ghost beast aura emanating from a Red Cloak shouldn't be shock and disbelief? Concern? What kind of reaction was that?!Xu Xiaoshou shivered, unconsciously releasing Yu Zhiwen's hand. This girl, she definitely knew something! Moreover, it wasn't just knowing; could she possibly...?Xu Xiaoshou pulled Mu Zixi back a few more steps. At this moment, he fully felt the world's malice towards ignorant commoners like them. Perhaps, among the upper echelons, such information was common knowledge? But... why was all of this completely different from the ghost beast information circulating in the world? The Red Cloaks' actions, the existence of the Holy Divine Palace, the plight of ghost beasts... Was all of this truly as simple as he currently understood?

Elder Sang's face inexplicably appeared in Xu Xiaoshou's mind. Against a completely dark and gloomy background, the image of the emaciated old man wearing a straw hat suddenly became so towering and unfathomable."Before you possess absolute power, diligently play your role as a pawn!"He slowly spoke again, the content the same as before. But the meaning, as it fell upon Xu Xiaoshou's ears, had completely changed."A pawn, the player of the game?"Xu Xiaoshou felt that if he were to find a breakthrough, Elder Sang should be the one person closest to him who knew the most inside information. After all, almost every word the old man had spoken in the past seemed to corroborate the truth of the world Xu Xiaoshou himself was discovering!

"So... what's going on?"Turning his head, Xu Xiaoshou asked Yu Zhiwen.Yu Zhiwen hesitated, then said, "What you're seeing.""What I'm seeing, and what I know..."Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, unable to continue. Yu Zhiwen remained silent."You know something."Xu Xiaoshou tightly clutched his junior sister's hand. If possible, he hoped to get an explanation from Yu Zhiwen, rather than having to confront Elder Sang later. And, deep down, there was a small glimmer of hope. Was this shared experience of life and death, still a beautiful memory, worth Yu Zhiwen telling him everything he wanted to know?Beside him, Mu Zixi winced from the tight grip and wanted to cry out. But realizing the atmosphere was wrong, she forced herself to swallow her cry of pain. Her gaze shifted between the two figures before her, and she pursed her lips.Cursed, Passive Points, +1, +1, +1, +1...

She shook her head.After waiting for a short while, Yu Zhiwen still said nothing. Xu Xiaoshou understood. He closed his eyes tightly."Let's go!"Without further hesitation, seeing that Lu Ke seemed on the verge of losing control of his power, Xu Xiaoshou scooped up Mu Zixi and turned to leave immediately. At that moment, the only person he could hold onto was his seemingly naive junior sister.Yu Zhiwen... Never mind. Some beautiful memories were destined to end with just two words: "what a pity."

"If you don't want to die, get the hell out of here!"Having thrown that statement from afar and retracted all his imposing aura, Xu Xiaoshou released everyone from their restraints. The only thing he left behind was a dark silhouette tossed down from the sky. He had made a promise, and even if he couldn't fulfill it in the end, he had to do his best."Plop."The dark silhouette landed in her palm; Yu Zhiwen reached out and grasped it, her eyes instantly dimming. The Blackfall Scabbard!"Xu Xiaoshou..."She murmured, looking at the retreating back of the young man in the distance, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Once, she had indeed wanted this scabbard that contained four swords, which was why she chose to team up with him. But now... Even though she had the scabbard, why couldn't she feel even a hint of happiness within?

"Argh!"A cry of pain interrupted everyone's thoughts. The freed people from underground, including the Spirit Palace team, also sensed that something was amiss and began to scatter and flee."Run!""Quick, run! The great demon is gone, the crisis is over.""But what about Lu Ke? I feel like...""Who cares what you feel? He looks like he's about to go berserk. It's a famous sword, but can you handle it when the time comes?""Hmm, you're right."When phenomena occurred, people gathered; when disaster struck, they scattered. For a moment, only Yu Zhiwen and Lu Ke remained in this space.

"Little Ke...""Did you see it?"Among the two figures speeding away in the distance, Fu Xing asked softly.Fu Yinhong was puzzled, saying, "What happened? Why did Xu Xiaoshou suddenly give up the famous sword? He...""Ghost beast!"Two words interrupted Fu Yinhong. She paused, her eyebrow raising, "You mean Lu Ke?""Yes.""Impossible!" Fu Yinhong gasped, as if startled, "He, isn't he a Red Cloak?""Indeed..."Fu Xing sighed softly, recalling his father's countless warnings and admonitions that night in the study. If he didn't know a little inside information, why would his father not disclose even a single piece of information about Xu Xiaoshou's suspected ghost beast nature to Uncle Shou Ye from the Red Cloaks?"You don't need to think about anything else, just remember one thing."Fu Xing collected himself and said gravely, "Regarding anything to do with ghost beasts, stay far, far away from now on. Don't touch it even a little bit!"