Chapter 576: Turning the Tide, A Last-ditch Comeback

The entire audience was dumbfounded.

Even then, a few individuals could still somewhat follow Lan Ling and Yu Zhiwen's train of thought and judgment. But when the words "I am Xu Xiaoshou" genuinely sprang from the Saint Slave's second-in-command's mouth, delivered with an air of absolute absurdity, no one dared to believe it any longer.

Preposterous!

This was truly an absurd, frustratingly illogical, and utterly laughable conclusion!

The Saint Slave's second-in-command!

Standing before them was Wuxiu, the Saint Slaves' second-in-command! An unparalleled existence who, over a decade ago, escaped from Immortal Wuyue's grasp, and even today, dared to face Gou Wuyue alone once more.

And Xu Xiaoshou...

Everyone knew him as an "Innate expert." No matter how powerful his personal skills were—be it Grandmaster Physique, Grandmaster Sword Intent, Grandmaster Spirit Array, or even his ability as a furnace-exploding alchemist—ultimately, he was just a mere Innate realm practitioner.

No matter how convincing his facade. His aura, insight, courage, strategic vision, and so on... Could he truly achieve that? Could he possibly feign it?

Yu Zhiwen's ability to calmly deduce and methodically present her insights amidst a battle involving Thrones and Severed-Path experts had already astonished all the Red Robes. However, that level of insight was only attainable by a favored daughter of heaven, nurtured by the Saint Divine Palace with an exceptionally strong background and abundant resources, as Dao Xuanji's direct disciple and second on the Dao Division's Heavenly Ranking. This background was enough to allow her to maintain a shred of composure in such a dire situation. She could stand her ground, unfaltering and un-trembling, to voice her thoughts. In this era, how many young individuals possessed such a background and resources?

And who was Xu Xiaoshou? A junior who had risen from Tian Sang Spiritual Palace and achieved his current realm in mere months. His aptitude was indeed excellent! But what about his vision and insight? How could he possibly have deceived the Storyteller, dominated the entire scene amidst a situation involving Thrones and Severed-Path experts, and made everyone so circumspect?

One hundred percent likelihood... Impossible!

Among the Red Robes, Lan Ling was giggling maniacally under her breath. She, too, had now clearly grasped and understood this point. Too many profound mysteries, when traced back to their core... everything, in fact, had long since become self-evident.

Not to mention Xu Xiaoshou could not possibly possess the strength to appear in such a manner. Even if, by some incredible stretch, he truly pretended to be the Saint Slave's second-in-command... Would the Storyteller, being a fellow Saint Slave, not see through the deception and allow himself to be reprimanded? He was at the peak of the Severed-Path realm! A contemporary peak expert who had survived all nine deathly thunder tribulations! He could doubt the Red Robes, but could he possibly doubt his own kin from the Saint Slaves? Could he truly suspect that such a peak expert would cooperate with Xu Xiaoshou, someone he might not have even heard of, to stage this elaborate play?

Impossible!

In conclusion. The premise of that previous deduction was fundamentally flawed. And any self-deceptive reasoning built upon a flawed premise was, at best, merely an attempt at self-justification. When a certain point could no longer be reconciled, one could only retrace their steps. And then they would discover... utter chaos! The mere presence of the Storyteller had already disproven everything!

"Zhiwen..." Lan Ling smiled bitterly. She felt she had truly let this girl down. And at the same time, she had placed too much trust in her. No matter how excellent or how influential her background, even if she had rushed from the Saint Divine Palace headquarters to assist... Yu Zhiwen's actual mission was merely to help decipher the "Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array." No one had ever said... not even the high-ranking Saint Slaves had ever stated that Yu Zhiwen could assume a controlling role in a high-stakes conflict. When truly faced with a major battle... Yu Zhiwen was, after all, just a child!

Lan Ling didn't blame her own thoughts for being gradually misled by Yu Zhiwen. She only hated herself for entrusting such a crucial task to that little girl, simply because she was from the Saint Divine Palace headquarters, allowing her to independently unravel a situation that even Lan Ling herself couldn't manage. And the outcome... A single word, "Run," ultimately shattered all their delusions!

"Second-in-command..." The Storyteller watched his second-in-command, who was laughing uncontrollably, even wiping away tears. To be honest, the panic in his heart at that moment was no less than Lan Ling's. He had never witnessed such a loss of composure from the second-in-command, unable to stop laughing; it was simply... "Am I going mad? What exactly am I doing?" "Am I doubting the second-in-command just because of a few words from that little Red Robe girl?" "No matter how exceptional Xu Xiaoshou is, could he possibly be so similar to the second-in-command, as if carved from the same mold?" "Not even twins would be this alike, right?" "His abilities, appearance, demeanor, expressions..."

The Storyteller pressed his hand to his chest, slowly backing away. Luo Leilei's voice still seemed to echo in his ears, but he instantly blocked it out. What the completely deranged second-in-command would do next was utterly unimaginable. He didn't even dare to be distracted!

"Second-in-command, you..." The Storyteller swallowed hard, asking with difficulty, "Are you alright?"

"Received concern, Passive Point, 1."

"This old man is fine..." Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand, panting. Once his breathing steadied, he seemed to snap back to reality and said, "Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine. How much trouble can Xu Xiaoshou get into?" "Even you all were suppressed by me. Under heaven, is there anything Xu Xiaoshou cannot accomplish?"

"Received doubt, Passive Point, 19."

The Storyteller's mouth began to twitch. "Second-in-command, take it easy. Don't... don't mess around. The Xu Xiaoshou thing, everyone's just joking!" "Those individuals..." He pointed at the scattered Red Robes and sneered, "They're just common fools; there's no need to stoop to their level."

"Indeed." Xu Xiaoshou nodded, meeting his gaze, and said solemnly, "But with you, it truly is necessary to have a bit of a confrontation, isn't it?"

"Me..." The Storyteller was instantly speechless. His hair stood on end, and he nearly blew open the ancient book space to flee for his life. Brother, save me... The second-in-command wants to kill me!

"Hehe, heh..." "But I'm not... I'm not..." The Storyteller's eyes darted about frantically, his gaze settling on the Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc in the second-in-command's hand. An idea struck him, and changing the subject, he said: "Wasn't I just frightened by your... what was it, Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc?" "Didn't that little girl say this item was on that Xu Xiaoshou?"

Xu Xiaoshou sighed deeply. "Whatever the Red Robes say, you believe it... Storyteller, is that what you mean?"

The Storyteller's legs turned to jelly.

"Received fear, Passive Point, 1."

"That's not what I meant!" He frantically explained, "It's just because what they said sounded too real, I... I..." He glanced back at Lan Ling, whose face was filled with utter dejection. At this moment, the Storyteller truly realized that he had been led astray by the Red Robes' demeanor earlier. Look at Lan Ling. Her current discomposure, didn't it signify that they, too, had recognized the truth—that the person before them could not possibly be the so-called Xu Xiaoshou in disguise? If that were truly the case, what was there to doubt? This was truly the second-in-command standing before him. Yet, he had suspected him simply because of a few words from the Red Robes? The Storyteller felt like he would die of self-inflicted stupidity at that moment. He wished he could slap himself a few times to quell the self-loathing fueled by his own foolishness.

"Then this Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc..." Although his heart still quailed with fear, the Storyteller understood that he absolutely could not let the second-in-command's attention fall on him at this moment. Otherwise, he would surely make him his scapegoat. Divert his attention, ask him how he acquired the Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc—yes, that was the way... The Storyteller had an idea. "So, you also obtained it from Xu Xiaoshou?" the Storyteller asked, avoiding his gaze.

"This old man is truly going to die laughing because of you all." Xu Xiaoshou flipped his hand, retracting the Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc. As he steadied his breathing, he shook his head and sighed, "I did encounter a junior earlier, but this old man doesn't know him." "The Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc wasn't even this old man's objective." "These items..." Xu Xiaoshou sighed, "This old man is completely uninterested."

The Red Robes were all dumbfounded. Uninterested, yet you still took it?

"Received disdain, Passive Point, 12."

Not even interested in the Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc? At that moment, Lan Ling also suddenly realized that in all her previous deductions, she had overlooked a crucial factor. "Coincidence!" What if, in this small White Cave, Xu Xiaoshou and the Saint Slave's second-in-command had actually met? "Impossible." "Such a coincidence wouldn't happen." "Unless, the Saint Slave's second-in-command personally sought out Xu Xiaoshou and seized the Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc from him." "But this is also a point of doubt." Lan Ling's thoughts raced. "Saint Slave Wuxiu should be an alchemist, and thus wouldn't be interested in the Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc, as evidenced by his previous statement." "He didn't seek out Xu Xiaoshou for this reason..."

Lan Ling had no time for guilt. She cast her gaze upon the thoughtful Storyteller. Though her eyes now held a touch of timidity, she still awaited an answer that could be validated. If even the Storyteller knew why the Saint Slave's second-in-command sought out Xu Xiaoshou, and the second-in-command wasn't just trying to justify himself... then her previous reasoning was simply a joke. Because the only remaining crucial factor was that Xu Xiaoshou was dead! The Saint Slave's second-in-command had obtained everything from him! So, what could it be? What would compel a dignified, unparalleled expert to target a mere Innate realm practitioner, who was as insignificant as an ant?

The Storyteller was equally bewildered by the second-in-command's words. He pondered for a long time. Suddenly, a scene he had witnessed in Ling Rongze flashed through his mind. When he had arrived at that location, the icy domain had just collided with the fiery aura, resulting in an explosion. But at that time, everyone was searching for the "Three Days of Frozen Calamity." Even he himself had been drawn there by the "Three Days of Frozen Calamity." After all, the "Cinderlight Genesis Seed" on the other side was a monstrous entity he wished to avoid, and those juniors were even more powerless. But! Back then! On the eve of the second explosion, though the image was fleeting, he had still glimpsed a faint figure darting out from the direction of the "Cinderlight Genesis Seed." That was Xu Xiaoshou!

"So..." The Storyteller's eyes lit up, and he slapped his forehead forcefully, splattering cold sweat. "Foolish!" "I truly am incredibly stupid!" "This whole situation..." The Storyteller was so mortified he almost buried himself in a spatial rift. The "Cinderlight Genesis Seed," which everyone dared not touch, Xu Xiaoshou had dared to seek out and even excavate, simply because he had gained a bit of opportunity from the second-in-command. Subsequently, when Xu Xiaoshou and the Sealed Ghost Beast emerged from the ancient book space, he hadn't detected even a hint of Cinderlight aura on the beast. This implied that the Cinderlight Genesis Seed had fallen into Xu Xiaoshou's possession. And the Cinderlight Genesis Seed, which everyone feared like thunder and dared not touch, was, for the second-in-command, a significant restorative! Back then, when he was searching for the "Three Days of Frozen Calamity," wasn't he also considering that if he could obtain the "Cinderlight Genesis Seed," it might help the second-in-command recover from his old injuries? Now, the second-in-command himself had entered the White Cave. Sensing power of the same origin as his own, and having been gravely wounded in his recent battle with that Gou fellow, he was in urgent need of replenishment. Under such circumstances, would he not seek out the so-called Cinderlight Genesis Seed? And the Cinderlight Genesis Seed was on Xu Xiaoshou... And at this moment, the second-in-command also possessed the Heavenly Pivot Mechanism Disc. This, didn't it mean...

"It's so simple!" The Storyteller squatted in mid-air, clutching his head. He was going to cry from his own stupidity! Wasn't all this incredibly simple? "So, second-in-command, you sensed the aura of the 'Cinderlight Genesis Seed,' found Xu Xiaoshou, and took the item from him?" "And incidentally..." The Storyteller lifted his head, eyes welling with tears, "And incidentally, you also recovered from all your injuries?"

*Boom.*

At this sound, Lan Ling felt her strength drain away, her steps faltered, and she slumped into Xin's arms. Wrong. All of it was wrong! So it turned out that the last factor truly wasn't a coincidence after all. The Saint Slave's second-in-command sought out Xu Xiaoshou simply because their powers shared a common origin, simply because of the Cinderlight Genesis Seed, and simply because he desperately needed to recover from his injuries after his battle with Immortal Wuyue? So, he had devoured the Cinderlight Genesis Seed from Xu Xiaoshou's body?

Lan Ling felt her heart breaking. In that moment, her worldview seemed to disintegrate, collapse, and scatter into chaos, unable to reform.

Shouye's heart instantly clenched. If that deduction was true... "Xu Xiaoshou... is he dead?"

"Received doubt, Passive Point, 1."

"Is that so hard to understand?" Xu Xiaoshou, still in mid-air, chuckled wryly. "Isn't this obvious?" He remained silent for a moment. He gazed at the utterly silent crowd. Xu Xiaoshou realized that after Yu Zhiwen was gone, and after Lan Ling, who had been completely misled by the final shout of "Run" and couldn't be brought back on track, had utterly lost her judgment... not a single person present had a functional mind.

The Storyteller had ideas. Shouye also had many thoughts. But their thinking wasn't true strategic thinking; they couldn't control the situation at all. At best, their thinking could only be considered combat-oriented. It was the kind of combat thinking that could exquisitely pinpoint a specific detail during a battle, thereby turning the tide. As for controlling the situation, with Yu Zhiwen and Lan Ling, the two masterminds, gone, Xu Xiaoshou stated bluntly... among those present, no one was his match!

He pondered for a brief moment, and only after everyone had barely recovered their composure, did he slowly flip his hand.

*Buzz—*

Instantly. Not only did four swords tremble in his other hand, but among the Red Robes, a multitude of their sheathed swords also vibrated incessantly.

"The Famous Sword, Fiery Python!" Shouye's eyes nearly popped out of his head. What the Saint Slave's second-in-command had just revealed, struggling and trembling, was none other than the famous sword, Fiery Python, whose ownership he had gifted to Xu Xiaoshou in the name of the Red Robes!

"So..." "Xu Xiaoshou..." The light in Shouye's eyes dimmed. He had indeed witnessed Xu Xiaoshou's upright and unyielding character, and greatly admired it. But similarly, he could also foresee that if that fellow continued to develop according to his temperament, one day he would encounter external forces that he simply couldn't resist with his own strength. And a person of Xu Xiaoshou's character, to put it plainly, would rather die than yield!

"So..." Shouye shook his head, still in disbelief. He had indeed anticipated the outcome. But he had never, ever imagined that simply because of such an unexpected turn—because the Saint Slave's second-in-command happened to enter the White Cave and also happened to take a liking to the Cinderlight Genesis Seed—Xu Xiaoshou had encountered such an irresistible force ten thousand steps ahead of schedule!

"What happened to him?" Shouye took a step forward, asking unconsciously. In his voice, there was even a hint of grave murderous intent.

"Received concern, Passive Point, 1."

"Him?" Xu Xiaoshou glanced at his info bar, then turned back and smiled nonchalantly. "Quite formidable, isn't he? Didn't that little girl just say that Xu Xiaoshou is her friend and can even teach her many things?"

"I asked..." Shouye's anger flared, and he said impolitely, "What did you do to him?"

"He also has a lot of items." Xu Xiaoshou's reply was completely off-topic. He weighed the constantly trembling and "resisting" Famous Sword Fiery Python in his hand, then turned to the Storyteller and chuckled, "Another famous sword, an unexpected gain."

"Mhm, mhm, mhm..." The Storyteller nodded rapidly, like a pestle pounding garlic. He was filled with utter regret. The second-in-command still remembered even his brother's desire to collect famous swords. Why did he go and provoke such a huge problem? Storyteller, are you out of your mind to doubt the second-in-command? You're utterly insane!

"Second-in-command, so that Xu Xiaoshou... is he dead?" The Storyteller asked weakly, now not daring to steer the conversation toward himself at all. As soon as he saw the second-in-command's meaningful gaze, he felt his neck grow very, very cold...

"Not dead." Xu Xiaoshou smiled as he put the famous sword back into his ring.

Shouye's heart suddenly eased, and even his breathing unconsciously smoothed out considerably. Immediately afterward. However, the Saint Slave's second-in-command adjusted his straw hat and added, "This old man says he's not dead. Does anyone dare to believe it now?"

At this, Shouye's body stiffened instantly, his face as pale as paper.

"Received glare, Passive Point, 1."