Chapter 621: The Strongest Rebirth — Yulingdi

Two gazes fell upon him, and Xu Xiaoji awoke with a start.

He had never imagined Xu Da Majin's plan would be like this.

Could he really escape just by sending out that ice sculpture of unknown origin from the Yuan Mansion?

So, that ice sculpture still had a significant use?

But now, it seemed it was no longer the time to ponder these things.

Xu Xiaoji's eyes darted around.

These two White-Clothed figures...

Were those small eyes full of doubt curious about his inability to keep up with Xu Da Majin's pace in time?

This wasn't important!

Xu Xiaoji didn't pay any attention to their gazes.

What he was more worried about was Xu Da Majin, who, after two reprimands, had involuntarily turned his body halfway around.

Although he couldn't see Xu Da Majin's eyes, judging by the tone of voice, which had risen by several decibels, Xu Da Majin was truly angry!

If he messed up now, wouldn't that be a suicidal act?

Even if he could escape the encirclement of the two White-Clothed figures in front of him, if he later fell into Xu Da Majin's hands, he wouldn't die, but he'd at least suffer greatly, right?!

The scene was quiet for a full three seconds.

Xu Xiaoshou and the White-Clothed figures stared at him solemnly.

Xu Xiaoji felt his legs beneath his robe start trembling again.

He tried his best to support himself, pulling his body away from the ancient wood and standing freely. Then, after a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "It's time to go."

The voice was Haitang'er's.

The tone, however, was extremely solemn.

Before the two White-Clothed figures could fully react, Xu Xiaoji looked at Xu Xiaoshou, then turned his head to look behind him, his gaze fixed on a spot he didn't even know where he was supposed to be looking.

Finally, he locked onto a cloud and imagined it as a middle-aged man in a blue robe.

"He's coming soon."

He sighed softly.

The matter was settled.

Even though Xu Xiaoji didn't explicitly say, the two White-Clothed figures understood who "he" was from his solemn tone.

Besides Senior Wuyue, who was pursuing the two Holy Slaves.

Who else could "he" be?

Xu Xiaoshou's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled back down.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yes, this was Xu Xiaoji!

He was originally a born actor, but an oddball existence whose talent had been stifled by his own series of confinements.

He still remembered that time at the City Lord's Mansion entrance, when, to enter the mansion and seize the Tian Shu Mechanism Disk, this guy performed without props, calling him "Big Brother" with every other word, in a truly intimate way.

His current performance at least lived up to his previous reputation.

Xu Xiaoshou "perceived" the reactions of the two White-Clothed figures; seeing their complex yet helpless expressions, he finally felt much more at ease.

He didn't say much, but instead continued the conversation, coldly stating, "Then let's go. Why wait any longer? Are we waiting for him to come and for us to have a tearful reunion, putting on an emotional show?"

"Heh."

Xu Xiaoji's mouth twitched. He didn't know if it was out of fear from Xu Da Majin's tone or if he was genuinely scoffing.

He said nothing, but very slowly lifted one foot and struggled to set it down.

The two White-Clothed figures parted their lips, as if to speak.

Xu Xiaoji steadied his trembling feet and didn't move for the moment.

He couldn't move now; if he moved again, his deception would be exposed!

So he spoke, cutting off the two in front of him before they could speak, and calmly said, "Gentlemen, please stay here for now. In this place, you can advance but not retreat."

"Don't worry, I won't kill anyone. I've left you three steps of movement."

"What will happen if you take more than three steps... that I won't know."

Xu Xiaoji said, then nodded, "Take care."

Xu Xiaoshou's expression froze as he listened.

He didn't expect Xu Xiaoji to either say nothing.

Or, if he did speak, to be even more ridiculous than himself!

What "three steps"...

If they just ran on this hillside, the two White-Clothed figures wouldn't be affected at all.

At most, they'd just get a bit tired!

But this guy's scare tactics seemed quite effective?

He watched as the two White-Clothed figures' expressions became even more solemn after Xu Xiaoji's words.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare to urge him anymore.

He knew Xu Xiaoji's legs must have gone soft; otherwise, given this guy's usual behavior, he would definitely not stay longer than necessary if he could quickly leave the White-Clothed figures. How could he still be spouting nonsense there?

"Senior."

Lin Ruohuan's feet seemed nailed to the ground, but he still turned his head and spoke to Xu Xiaoshou, "I..."

"Hold it."

Xu Xiaoshou reached out to stop him from speaking; he didn't even have the desire to listen.

"The three-step opportunity, we're not kidding."

"When your other companions come over and step into this area, remember to warn them too."

"We don't want to kill anyone."

Xu Xiaoshou said, looking around at the flowers and plants, and calmly stated, "When the flowers wither, that will be the time for you to move. Before that, please stay put!"

With that, he waved his hand.

"Let's go."

With a swish, his figure instantly vanished.

"Holy crap!!"

Xu Xiaoji was stunned by what he saw and heard.

He knew Xu Da Majin could use vanishing techniques, but this guy was too mean to him, right?

"Just because I was a bit slow, he really abandoned me?"

Seeing that the Eighth Sword Immortal had vanished, the two White-Clothed figures both turned back to look at Haitang'er.

Xu Xiaoji, in Haitang'er's form, felt his scalp tingle with fright.

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue something.

Before he could say more, he felt as if a finger was pressed against his backside.

Immediately, the panic in his heart disappeared, and a great weight was lifted.

"We'll never meet again."

With a grin, Xu Xiaoji also flicked his sleeve.

His figure vanished.

"Step to Heaven!"

"Two Steps to Heaven!"

"Three Steps to Immortality!"

Xu Xiaoshou felt that ever since he obtained "Step to Heaven," he had used it most often for escaping after encountering various big shots.

He teleported several times in his vanished state and landed in an uninhabited spot.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately exited his vanished state.

It wasn't voluntary.

It was because, in the short time they were talking on that hillside, although "Full of Vitality" restored a good amount of spiritual energy, it wasn't enough.

But this amount of spiritual energy was truly not enough for the vanishing technique, which consumed it by the second.

"Damn Xu Xiaoji, he's so unreliable, and his legs went soft..."

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou wished he could pull this guy out of the Yuan Mansion and give him a good beating.

He almost blew his cover.

And blowing his cover meant death!

"I wonder how long that weakened version of 'Hometown of Floral Fragrance' can trap them..."

Xu Xiaoshou clicked his tongue, feeling a little flustered.

Once Lin Ruohuan and the other dared to try taking a few more steps, they would definitely realize they had been tricked in an instant.

At that time.

Probably all the White-Clothed figures surrounding this place would know that he, Xu Xiaoshou, possessed such shapeshifting abilities.

"Shapeshifting" works once.

But if someone with malicious intent guarded against it, as long as they tested it, Xu Xiaoshou would surely be exposed.

This meant that this move, having been used this once, would basically be useless in this area.

How long Lin Ruohuan could hold out before verifying meant how much time Xu Xiaoshou had to run.

But this path...

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the mountains, one after another, his expression darkening.

"There's no end in sight!"

"Can't run anymore?"

A playful laugh suddenly echoed in his mind.

Xu Xiaoshou felt a little lost.

"Yeah..."

He didn't know why he had been drawn into this vortex.

It was like this every time.

It was clearly not a situation he actively got involved in, yet every time he had to become a pawn.

This feeling of being at someone else's mercy was truly unpleasant.

"Strength."

The voice in his mind sounded again.

Xu Xiaoshou nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, in the end, it's all a matter of strength."

"If I wasn't at the Congenital stage now, but rather Tai Xu... no, a Sovereign!"

"These damn people who dare to provoke me would be annihilated with a flick of my finger!"

"Congenital?" The voice in his mind had a hint of surprise. "Are you really only Congenital?"

"What else?!"

Xu Xiaoshou's dejected retort suddenly made his pupils contract.

Who am I talking to?

In this instant, he felt a chill throughout his body. Scenes of self-hypnosis in White Cave flashed through Xu Xiaoshou's mind, and he was horrified.

"Who?!"

With a startled shout, he desperately tried to shift his attention towards the notification bar.

But it was like sleep paralysis; he clearly knew he was being controlled and should wake up, but his mind wanted to go in that direction, his hands wanted to move...

Yet his soul felt like it had left his body; he could only watch as his thoughts, consciousness, and actions stepped by step moved towards the controller's predetermined direction.

"Ah!"

He bit down on his tongue, crying out in pain.

Blood welled up on his lips; he nearly bit off his tongue.

But similarly, through this self-harming act, he regained a bit of control over his body.

He quickly glanced at the notification bar:

"Hypnotized, Passive Point, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart sank.

He knew it was over.

His mind couldn't help but make him scroll up the notification bar.

Sure enough, among the layers of "awe" and "admiration" from the White-Clothed figures earlier, there were occasional entries of "being watched" and "being hypnotized"...

These two notifications had been there for a very, very long time.

Xu Xiaoshou scrolled for a while, and they were still present.

It seemed he hadn't just fallen victim after encountering the two White-Clothed figures on the hillside.

But rather, he had been inexplicably controlled within the battle in the Eight Palaces earlier!

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes heavily and slowly uttered a name.

This method was not unfamiliar.

In White Cave, he had experienced something even more terrifying.

He had clearly discovered "being watched," and then was forcibly hypnotized, preventing his thoughts and consciousness from dwelling on the idea of being watched.

Finally, it was only when he met Bazun An that the secret was revealed with a single word.

The hypnosis failed.

All "being watched" notifications originally came from the curtain of rain in White Cave's sky!

But now...

"There's no curtain of rain!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked up at the sky.

The sky was clear.

Let alone rain.

After Yu Lingdi was destroyed earlier, the rain stopped immediately.

At this moment, it wasn't even cloudy; it was just a sunny and beautiful day!

There was no reply in his mind, so Xu Xiaoshou spoke again, asking in surprise.

Still no response.

Xu Xiaoshou felt his vision blur, sensing as if something was hindering his thoughts.

The fear of sleep paralysis attacked again.

As expected...

"Hiss!"

Biting his tongue again, Xu Xiaoshou looked at the notification bar:

"Hypnotized, Passive Point, 1."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"If you want to kill someone, just come out directly. Is it fun to keep hypnotizing me?"

Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of breaking down.

He nearly burst into tears, angrily stating, "I'm just a mere Congenital. Joining the Holy Slaves was also forced upon me. You could see it in White Cave; could I have refused then?"

The mountain forest was deathly silent.

The roar echoed several times between the cliffs, and then its echo faded.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't even care anymore if such a roar would attract the White-Clothed figures.

When he realized that after escaping the encirclement of the two White-Clothed figures, he was still in the midst of the situation, no one knew the complexity of his emotions at that moment.

His mood crashed on the spot!

The kind that couldn't be shattered any further!

This situation...

How could he possibly escape?

These people were like maggots clinging to bone, impossible to shake off!

Since he was already in the game, there was no longer any possibility of escape!

"You're right."

A heart-wrenching roar finally elicited a response.

The voice in his mind seemed to have no intention of hypnotizing him anymore, but instead chose to converse directly.

"You, are you really only Congenital?"

"Questioned, Passive Point, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou stared intently at the notification bar.

At this stage, the only way he could distinguish reality from dreams was this notification bar.

The problem was, this notification bar wasn't that effective...

He should say his strength was too weak, and he was too easily hypnotized!

Xu Xiaoshou had no choice but to self-harm every few seconds to keep himself constantly awake and avoid being hypnotized again.

He knew that if he lost his self-awareness again at this moment,

He probably wouldn't even know how he died.

"Stop self-harming, I'm not hypnotizing you," the voice in his mind appeared. "Just one question, are you really Congenital?"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes were bloodshot and streaked with red; his mind wasn't on that question at all.

He asked himself.

"Congenital?"

"I am Yu Lingdi." The voice in his mind gave up the struggle.

Xu Xiaoshou's mind buzzed with a loud bang.

The image of Yu Lingdi, whose body and soul were instantly destroyed after being besieged by the three Holy Slave overlords, appeared in his mind again, and Xu Xiaoshou couldn't believe it.

"Impossible, weren't you dead?"

"Not dead."

"This isn't scientific..."

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded. "How could you still be alive, and... inside me?"

Yu Lingdi chuckled, "Who am I? The Master of Water-elemental mysteries, the Head of the Spirit Division, commanding so many geniuses under me. Do you think I'd die that easily?"

"But..."

Xu Xiaoshou felt like his mind was breaking.

He could clearly recall Cen Qiaofu's actions at that time.

"The water elements between heaven and earth were destroyed by an axe, the Water-elemental Great Dao was also severed, and the rain... that incessant rain was even absorbed by Haitang'er's flowers!"

"Even as the Master of Water-elemental mysteries, you're merely a Sovereign."

"Without these Dao, elements, and a body..."

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils trembled, and he gasped in horror, "How could you still be alive?"

"Water elements..."

Yu Lingdi softly murmured a sentence, and Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt an itching and pain in his chest.

The next second.

"Gurgle..."

The water inside his body frantically gathered towards his chest, and blood droplets and water beads seeped through, dampening his clothes.

A water-like head, mixed with blood and white mist, formed on Xu Xiaoshou's chest.

It turned.

Its eyes were fixed on Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou stumbled backward, so shocked that his tongue got tied, and he couldn't even speak.

He seemed to understand something.

The blood-water head of Yu Lingdi on his chest grinned and said:

"The water elements you spoke of, were they truly all gone from the scene?"

"Then, if not even a single drop of water existed, why would humans exist?"

As his words settled.

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized, but his mind was struck blank.

After coming to this world, he had stopped believing in science.

But at this moment, he had to believe in science again.

Similarly, before dealing with this Master of Water-elemental mysteries, Cen Qiaofu had probably considered and eliminated all possibilities!

But what he never would have imagined was...

Science: The human adult body is approximately 70% water by weight!

P.S. Request at month's end.