Chapter 591: Sad Masked Man

Darkness receded before his eyes, and crimson hues filled his vision again.

"Whoosh!"

From a tiny spatial rift, a stooped old man sprang out.

Upon landing, he immediately laid the figure he carried on his back onto the ground, then furiously slapped the person several times across the face.

"Wake up, wake up!"

"Heavens, I told you not to try it, but you insisted! Do you think you're still who you were before?"

"You're only in the Houtian realm now; why are you still rushing into spatial currents?"

"You're infuriating me!"

Cen Qiaofu even wished he could slap the person on the ground a few more times.

But he also realized.

Slapping him like this wouldn't wake the unconscious person on the ground.

"Damn it."

Gritting his teeth, Cen Qiaofu drew the small axe tucked into his waistband, his expression hardening as he raised it high.

"Cough, cough..."

Just then, the unconscious person on the ground suddenly coughed violently twice, then...

"Pfft!"

The sound of spitting blood lasted only half a beat before it was forcibly suppressed.

The masked figure swiftly rolled over on the ground.

"What are you doing?!"

"Uh..."

A bead of sweat trickled down Cen Qiaofu's face. He awkwardly withdrew his hand. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

"Saving you!"

When Cen Qiaofu mentioned "saving," he instantly became filled with indignation.

"I told you to let me do it; couldn't you just listen?"

"Are you a child?"

"Do you think you can withstand those spatial currents?"

The masked figure remained silent, his voice deep, his gaze still fixed on the small axe.

Cen Qiaofu rolled his eyes in annoyance. "If ordinary methods couldn't wake you, I could only wake you up with pain!"

The scene fell silent.

Cen Qiaofu retreated two steps, shifted his gaze, and looked out at the White Cave world. He let out an "Ah" and then said, "As expected, there's activity in the White Cave. It probably won't last much longer before it shatters."

"And where is that Storyteller fellow?"

"Shouldn't he have appeared immediately to deliver the intelligence?"

"Heh, lovely weather..."

Cen Qiaofu finally embarrassed himself, unable to help but turn back and roar, "Anyway, you won't die. One axe strike will definitely wake you up. Given the current situation, is this really the time for you to be sleeping?"

"Indeed." The masked figure finally swallowed back the rebellious blood that had risen to his mouth.

He could feel that his injuries had worsened significantly.

"Something's not right."

Stumbling to his feet, the masked figure scanned his surroundings; there was no one.

He closed his eyes, then opened them, a flash of sword light seeming to cross his gaze.

"No one's here."

"Everyone in the White Cave, including the cultivators, seems to have left?"

He turned his head, casting an inquiring look at Cen Qiaofu.

Cen Qiaofu sighed. "You've regressed again, as expected."

Composing himself, he continued, "The Li Jian Grassland incident and the black hole entrance are likely the critical points for the White Cave's collapse. As for the Storyteller..."

Cen Qiaofu's pupils lost focus as he scanned in all directions, then said disappointedly, "That guy is a master of escaping; he basically never reveals his true form in person, so it's normal not to find him."

"Anything else?" the masked figure asked.

"Hmm?"

Cen Qiaofu was puzzled. "Anything else what?"

The masked figure said nothing, slowly raising a single finger, and both fell silent simultaneously.

All was quiet.

"Rustle..."

The sound of wind.

"Click, crack—"

The sound of space cracking.

Rain!

Cen Qiaofu's pupils suddenly constricted.

"Rain?"

He suppressed his subconscious urge to look up, turning instead to his Chief in disbelief.

"Heh."

The masked figure chuckled softly, not bothering to hide anything.

"When did it start raining in the Jinzhao Purgatory Sea?"

Without the slightest hint of concealment, the masked figure brazenly looked up, directly facing the curtain of rain from the heavens.

Though clearly still in a very frail body, the word "retreat" seemed utterly absent from his vocabulary.

When faced with a problem, there was no other solution but to confront it directly, no extraneous methods.

"Hum—"

An extremely faint, yet piercing high-frequency sword hum, as if flashing from his cloudy eyes, cut straight into the sky.

"Shhh!"

The rain curtain broke.

Then.

It continued to fall undisturbed.

The curtain, three feet high, hung from the nine heavens, suspended above the hearts of men.

"Who?"

Cen Qiaofu grew uneasy.

Deep down, he didn't want to expose the person so quickly.

But since his Chief had already exposed himself, he couldn't let him confront that mysterious person alone.

Stepping forward, he positioned himself in front of the masked figure, and Cen Qiaofu called out loudly again:

"Who?!"

The rain continued, without the slightest hint of hesitation, as if it had been suspended above the White Cave's sky since time immemorial.

Cen Qiaofu seemed to feel his neck go numb and subconsciously lowered his gaze.

Then, as if electrocuted, his entire body tensed instantly, and he abruptly looked up again.

"Who?!"

This time, a raging tempest erupted in his heart.

Overlooked?

He had just been staring intently, but in that instant, he had a moment of confusion, as if he had been...

"Hypnotized?"

The masked figure's amused gaze finally shifted from the rain curtain to Cen Qiaofu. He slowly said,

"To be able to hypnotize you in your current state means that this person at least possesses the power of the Grand Void."

"However, the Grand Void cannot enter Jinzhao Purgatory Sea, or it will only backfire."

"That means this person is, at best, at the peak of the Dao-Severing realm, having fully overcome the Nine-Death Thunder Tribulation, yet still capable of fighting a Grand Void expert."

"Or, the last explanation..."

The masked figure paused, looking at Cen Qiaofu's shocked expression, and nodded. "Just like you, they sealed their cultivation."

"I'll chop him down!"

With a whoosh, Cen Qiaofu drew the axe from his waist, ready to rush into the sky.

"No rush."

The masked figure reached out to stop him, glanced upwards, and chuckled, "They just want to be an honorable voyeur and aren't making a move. Why are you being so impolite?"

"Besides..."

His gaze shifted, and wherever he looked, there were curtains of rain.

"With such heavy rain, can your little axe chop through it?"

"If I can't chop through the rain, I can chop this world instead." Cen Qiaofu was furious. Such sneaky, underhanded types should be cut in half with an axe!

"Ah."

The masked figure nodded in agreement, then said, "But others are still here. This world cannot be destroyed..."

He glanced up again, thoughtfully.

"And it can't be destroyed."

Cen Qiaofu: "..."

Since his Chief had said so, he wasn't enraged to the point of bursting. He immediately lowered the hand holding the axe.

"Who?" he asked.

"I don't know," the masked figure shook his head, "but they should be from the Holy Divine Palace? Without their restraint, this White Cave should have shattered long ago... Who?"

He changed the subject, throwing the question back at the old man.

Cen Qiaofu rolled his eyes. "Everyone I knew has already turned to ashes. How could I remember someone like this?"

"That's true."

The masked figure immediately nodded, pondering slightly, and tapped his fingers. "I do recall now, there was once a child, a water elemental ability user with great potential?"

"Oh, you still remember people?" Cen Qiaofu was quite surprised.

"Didn't I just say it? Good potential."

The masked figure didn't mind. He said, "I've forgotten what happened decades ago, but if I'm not mistaken, his father should have..."

He slowly looked up.

"Died by my hand."

Cen Qiaofu's eyebrow twitched, and he too looked up.

The rain continued, showing no sign of increasing or decreasing.

Not even the slightest fluctuation was present.

It fell continuously, without wavering.

"What a temperament!"

Cen Qiaofu laughed loudly. "As expected of a water elemental ability user, broad-minded and accepting!"

The masked figure frowned upon hearing this.

"It was just a normal fight. Why are you mocking him? He might still be a child."

"Uh..."

Cen Qiaofu was stumped for a moment, unsure what to say.

The rain continued to fall, and the scene fell silent.

Both men withdrew their gaze, looked at each other, and remained taciturn.

"Hmm?"

Just then, the masked figure's expression suddenly shifted, and he looked intently into the distance.

"Someone's coming?"

"Whoosh!"

A sword tore through the air.

Xu Xiaoshou gently gripped the hilt of the You Si Sword, letting it freely rush towards the shores of happiness.

Traveling at high speed didn't cause much pain to his Master-level body.

And now, Xu Xiaoshou's inner yearning for freedom completely overshadowed the physical pain.

"Soon..."

"Soon!"

He could clearly perceive that the You Si Sword was moving in a perfectly straight line.

If they continued like this, they might actually pass through the White Cave's weakest spatial node and return to the Holy Divine Continent.

But not long after, the white orb in his mind broadcast again.

This time, it seemed much louder than usual.

"Om..."

Xu Xiaoshou's mind was suddenly jolted awake.

"What does that mean?"

"The white orb, an anomaly?"

He suddenly tightened his grip on the You Si Sword and forced himself to stop.

This white orb was the Disheveled Saint's legacy.

Relying on the White Cave map within it, Xu Xiaoshou had already gained immense benefits.

But normally, this thing never fluctuated randomly.

The only other time it had acted unusually was when he had asked the Disheveled Saint to help him suppress the Jinzhao Origin Seed.

Now...

"Something's wrong!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the You Si Sword, which was trembling more and more violently in his hand, and suddenly realized: what if this sword wasn't sensing his desire to leave the White Cave?

Then what was the purpose of its current commotion?

Taking advantage of the brief moment the White Cave map appeared, Xu Xiaoshou glanced at it and his heart immediately clenched.

"A rift!"

The You Si Sword was taking him to the deepest part of the White Cave map, to the location of that extradimensional rift.

"Are you kidding me?"

Xu Xiaoshou was terrified.

He didn't believe that rift led to the Holy Divine Continent.

After all, if what the Storyteller had said earlier was true, the Holy Slave Chief should currently be in that rift.

Going there himself would be like walking right into a trap!

"Calm down..."

Xu Xiaoshou tried to make the You Si Sword stop trembling, but this time, it really seemed to sense his will.

"Clang!" came a violent tremor.

The Ferocious Sword directly unleashed its Fiendish Demonic Power, pulling Xu Xiaoshou forward at light speed.

"Holy crap!"

Xu Xiaoshou tried to let go, but then he realized his hand was completely stuck, as if glued to the hilt.

Fiendish Demonic Power continuously poured into his body.

He couldn't even let go!

"Damn it..."

Xu Xiaoshou was going crazy.

"Am I Tripitaka? Do these eighty-one tribulations really have it in for me?"

Having just escaped from the jaws of death, was he now going to enter another death trap?

"Let go of me!"

He clenched his hand again, trying to use the recoil force to bounce himself off the You Si Sword's hilt.

But he couldn't.

He hadn't even had time to exert force when the crazily surging Fiendish Demonic Power almost completely destroyed his consciousness.

"Mama..."

The stone ring, A-Jie, murmured softly, beginning to absorb the fiendish demonic energy.

Xu Xiaoshou regained a sliver of clarity and immediately shouted, "Cut off my hand!"

"Mama?" A-Jie was confused for a moment.

"Quick, cut off my hand!"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced ahead; the distance was already very short.

He could vaguely sense that there was indeed a living presence ahead.

That was the Holy Slave Chief!

How could he go there?

"Quick!"

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head urgently.

In the brief moment of A-Jie's confusion, he had almost been destroyed by the fiendish demonic power again.

Was this You Si Sword crazy?

Why did it suddenly burst out with such enormous power?

"Mama!"

A-Jie called out steadily.

It completely refused to harm the "Mama" who was leading it to freedom.

"Rejected, Passive Points +1."

Xu Xiaoshou nearly spat blood.

He had no time to explain much to A-Jie now.

But at this moment, it seemed that without an explanation, it really wouldn't work.

"Listen to me..."

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but before he could utter even half of them, Xu Xiaoshou froze.

Ahead...

Sword Intent!

That familiar Sword Intent, even though he had only witnessed it once at the Tiansang Spirit Palace... it was unforgettable for life!

"Gulp."

His throat suddenly felt parched, and Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized that he could do nothing at all.

He hadn't even seen the person yet, but he felt like he was already facing a dead end.

How could this happen?

Why is this world so hostile towards me?

"They're here."

At the spatial rift, the masked figure stared ahead, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Cen Qiaofu took a step forward, directly blocking in front of him.

As expected, the next second, a figure flew out.

"Brother~"

"How did you notice me? I thought I was well hidden!"

The Storyteller opened his arms wide, completely ignoring the old man in front of the masked figure.

Cen Qiaofu's mouth twitched.

So it was this guy?

He was hiding nearby?

No wonder they couldn't find him earlier...

Seeing the person rushing towards him, Cen Qiaofu immediately stepped aside, moving to let the masked figure behind him pass.

He definitely didn't want to be hugged by this perverted freak!

"Brother~"

The sweet, coquettish call came again. A flicker of doubt crossed the masked figure's eyes, but then he relaxed.

He waited just barely until the Storyteller approached, then suddenly ducked down.

Then.

"Thump!"

"Ouch."

The disheveled Storyteller sprung up from the muddy ground, and a small fist then hammered against the masked man's chest.

"Annoying!"

"You came alone?" The masked figure batted his hand away.

"Mmm-hmm?"

The Storyteller pouted. "What's wrong?"

The masked figure sensed something was amiss even more strongly. "Did you bring me a famous sword?"

"Famous sword?"

The Storyteller repeated, as if stunned, "No, I didn't!"

He only brought a Ghost Beast as a gift and hadn't even given it yet.

Famous sword?

He had indeed seen a few of these things, but how could they be so easily snatched?

The last one was still with that damned Wen Ming!

"That's strange then..."

The masked figure frowned. "How did I smell the aura of a sword?"

Just then.

"Whoosh!"

A dark streak of light, with lightning speed, suddenly rushed forward.

"Watch out!"

Cen Qiaofu had been standing far away, afraid his ears would be defiled, but now he couldn't help but roar, flying over with his small axe.

At the same time, the Storyteller's face turned pale with fright.

"Brother, look out!"

He immediately stepped forward, pushing the masked figure away and taking his place.

But the dark streak of light seemed to have eyes; it veered sharply just as it reached the Storyteller's chest, turning towards the direction the masked man had fallen, and directly pierced into his chest.

"Pfft!"

The masked figure's eyeballs nearly popped out.

His lips parted, and with a "Pfft," blood filled his mask, smearing his face.

"I..."

His head lolled to the side, and the masked figure collapsed unconscious on the spot.