Chapter 631: Head Exploded

"A human shield?"

At such a critical juncture, not to mention a human shield, even a mere straw would likely be seen as a lifeline by a drowning person. What's more, Yu Zhiwen was the Saintess of the Holy Divine Palace, Dao Xuanji's direct disciple, and Dao Qiongcang's grand-niece. With such connections, simply holding her up would likely make even Ai Cangsen hesitate.

Yet at this moment, if it were anyone else, they might instinctively lose judgment due to Yu Zhiwen's words, "human shield." But for Xu Xiaoshou, those desperate words caused the frenzied light in his eyes to dim slightly instead.

"'A human shield?'"

"'Since when, in the face of life and death, do I, Xu Xiaoshou, need a woman to be my shield?'"

From the very beginning, from the moment he found Yu Zhiwen in the Yuan Mansion, he hadn't entertained even the slightest thought like that. Just like when he cast out Mu Zixi, he only pulled Yu Zhiwen out because the Yuan Mansion certainly couldn't block Ai Cangsen's arrow. No one had a reason to die with him. Even though their positions differed, Xu Xiaoshou was clear about the object of his hatred.

Ah Huo, Ah Bing, Ah Jie...

None of this had anything to do with Yu Zhiwen, who had been trapped in the Yuan Mansion all this time. The reason for Xu Xiaoshou's rage was that arrow; the object of his hatred was solely Ai Cangsen.

In this world of blurred rights and wrongs, of black and white intertwined, there was no truly clear demarcation line of so-called justice. Some people, as they journeyed, shifted from white to black, from right to wrong, simply because they lacked a measure to gauge the world in their hearts.

Xu Xiaoshou was different! From start to finish, he had walked his path with unwavering resolve. Perhaps there were other thoughts along the way, traces of coercion, but looking back at his entire journey, ignoring everything else, just observing his footsteps... Xu Xiaoshou's footprints were straight and fearless, without even a single misstep. How could he possibly let Yu Zhiwen's single sentence disrupt the scales of judgment within his heart?

Bang!

Without hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou backhanded Yu Zhiwen away. He faced the arrow of the Sinful Bow, which had now fully magnified in his pupils. Before his eyes, he saw Ai Cangsen, who sat in a wheelchair yet seemed to tower over the world like a mountain. The light of hatred surged. The enraged giant raised his arm.

"Passive Fist charge: 8.64."

Fully ignited!

At the same time, under the assault of this arrow, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't the only one launching an attack. And this person wasn't even Sang Lao, but Gou Wuyue!

Ai Cangsen's arrow had forced Xu Xiaoshou to reveal a continuous stream of hidden trump cards, truly astonishing Gou Wuyue. If this person had been his peer, he might not have been so shocked. But one must remember, this was a Xiantian. A mere Xiantian, possessing trump cards at least at the peak of the Sovereign realm? Was this real? And when that Heavenly Secret Puppet appeared, Gou Wuyue simply couldn't describe the mixed emotions in his heart.

He had a strong urge to intervene. Not for Xu Xiaoshou, but for Ah Jie! For Dao Qiongcang's First Generation Heavenly Secret Puppet! As one of the two ruling masters of the Holy Divine Palace, outsiders might not have known Dao Qiongcang's feelings when he destroyed this First Generation Heavenly Secret Puppet back then, but Gou Wuyue did: helplessness, and unwilling compliance... This was a true reflection of Dao Qiongcang's inner state at the time.

But due to his mission, and because it was an arrow shot by Ai Cangsen, Gou Wuyue suppressed his impulse and didn't act. The First Generation Heavenly Secret Puppet was already dead. Its current fleeting appearance, blossoming for a brief moment before perishing again, wasn't necessarily an incomplete ending. After all, if this thing were allowed to continue existing, it would likely cause even greater upheaval in the future.

But that fellow... that little Shi Tanji... he still had someone! Gou Wuyue had no idea what he was thinking when he saw the woman appear in the golden giant's hand. Whether from subjective judgment or objective reasons, he only knew that Yu Zhiwen could not die! Her existence was more important than the current mission to apprehend the Saint Slaves. Even Ai Cangsen's arrow could not be allowed to kill her.

"'A human shield...'"

Yu Zhiwen's original intention was cried out. Gou Wuyue could hear it. This single phrase wasn't just for that little Shi Tanji. It was also for himself, and for Ai Cangsen, who was watching the battle from tens of thousands of miles away with his Eye of the Grand Dao. The arrow had left the bow; spilled water cannot be retrieved. Ai Cangsen chose not to forcibly recall the arrow; he could bear the consequences, but Gou Wuyue could not.

Gou Wuyue also didn't know what that little Shi Tanji was thinking. He only knew that even if Ai Cangsen were to destroy the arrow at the last moment, and even if that little Shi Tanji didn't know Yu Zhiwen's value and wouldn't choose to use her as a human shield... even if the probability of all these possibilities was high, he still had to act.

To save her, even at the cost of his life!

With his famous sword held upside down, Gou Wuyue's eyes narrowed.

"'Illusionary Sword Art, Chronos, Reverse!'"

Pfft!

The moment Xu Xiaoshou flung Yu Zhiwen away, Gou Wuyue spat out a mouthful of vital blood. The famous sword 'Nulan' rose with difficulty amidst the bloodstains. Though the sword was clearly light, Gou Wuyue at this moment seemed to be on the ocean, attempting to overturn the entire vast sea by pulling up the tip of an iceberg.

Crack, crack!

Space fractured, and the Heavenly Dao became chaotic. The gears of time meshed, pushing forward step by step into the future. But the instant Gou Wuyue's famous sword was drawn out an inch, with a 'boom,' the rules of heaven and earth dramatically changed. Yin and Yang inverted, the four seasons in disarray.

At this moment, heat and extreme cold intertwined, the Heavenly Dao collapsed, and everyone felt as if they had fallen into an inferno of ice and fire. Life and decay appeared in disorder, spring and autumn coexisted, bodies aged, yet souls seemed to revert to infancy. Chaos! Whether it was Gou Wuyue, Sang Lao, or Xu Xiaoshou... under this sword, they all felt that the fundamental order of heaven and earth had been thrown into disarray. Plants withered while simultaneously sprouting new green, sand transformed into rock the instant it eroded...

Day and night arrived simultaneously. Sunrise chased sunset, repeatedly crisscrossing the sky from west to east, refusing to set behind the mountains. Bone-chilling winds permeated through pores, but as they escaped the soul, they became the scorching breath of a desert.

"'An illusion?'"

Xu Xiaoshou felt his violent urges recede. A corner of clarity in his spiritual mind also expanded continuously with each layer of this chaos. The strength in his arm was unaffected, but the arrow before his eyes...

"'It's retreating?'"

Xu Xiaoshou was horrified. Ai Cangsen's arrow, which had pierced two realms and was about to penetrate his skull, had retreated? Time reversal? No one could describe Xu Xiaoshou's horror at this moment. This chaotic scene utterly surpassed his understanding of the entire world.

"'Mama...'"

In his ear, like a hallucination, the vanished voice of Ah Jie echoed again.

"Received Call, Passive Value, 1."

Only when the system notification popped up was Xu Xiaoshou finally certain. This was not a fantasy. This was truly time flowing backward... Space-time reversal! Xu Xiaoshou watched the indescribable scene before him with dread. Spatial cracks appeared, from which disoriented flesh and bones flew out. With rustling sounds, they pieced together, forming Ah Jie's head from before he turned back. Then, the scattered parts reassembled: a leg, an arm, including the torso... The black mist on Ah Jie dissipated, returning to the retreating Sinful Bow arrow. The arrow flew back, and at a certain point, with a 'bang,' Ah Bing's body parts were drawn back from all directions, reassembling. Next, Ah Huo revived again, howling wildly at the retreating Sinful Bow arrow.

"'This...'"

Xu Xiaoshou was filled with both surprise and fear beyond words. He felt it was all too unreal, too illusory. But it wasn't until the bonds of 'Cinderfire Seed' and 'Three-Day Frost Tribulation' reappeared in his mind, and he could sense and receive feedback from them with a mere thought, that he understood: this was not a daydream. Gou Wuyue's sword had truly inverted the natural order and reversed the Heavenly Principle!

"'A Sword Immortal is merely at the Void Sovereign realm, how could he possibly reverse a demi-saint's arrow?'"

Hardly had the thought surfaced in his mind when Xu Xiaoshou felt a figure appear before him: Gou Wuyue!

Unlike the graceful exiled immortal he usually saw, Gou Wuyue also stood with his sword angled, but the exhaustion in his eyes was undeniable. His face seemed to have aged completely. Several crow's feet appeared at the corners of his eyes, and even his black hair had completely faded to gray-white. The cost of a single sword strike!

"'You, how are you here?'"

Gou Wuyue, who had appeared before him, didn't even spare a glance for Xu Xiaoshou; he stared at Yu Zhiwen in disbelief, his face filled with shock.

"'I...'"

Yu Zhiwen, from being flung away to returning to Xu Xiaoshou's golden hand, was dizzy and couldn't regain her composure. She suddenly felt unsteady on her feet, staggering.

Crack!

Looking down, the golden hand beneath her had already cracked. Violent power raged within it, almost tearing her apart.

Roar...

Xu Xiaoshou let out a painful roar. Gou Wuyue's sword strike was too slow, yet also too fast. Amidst the instant and complete astonishing change, and the reverse progression of space and time in all directions, the only thing unaffected on the scene was Xu Xiaoshou's 'Passive Fist,' ignited with its full power. This punch, originating from the system, actually ignored the reversal of space-time!

Since the last time he nearly killed the 'Red Dog' with this punch, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't used it again. Yet the Passive Fist's charge had continuously accumulated and stacked with the high-intensity damage he'd endured from Sovereigns and Dao Seekers along his journey, reaching 8.64. Harming a thousand enemies, damaging himself twelve hundred. Xu Xiaoshou vaguely remembered that after unleashing that punch previously, he himself had almost lost his life. If he could, he absolutely didn't want to use the Passive Fist. But under Ai Cangsen's arrow, he had no choice but to use it, and even felt that 8.64 charge was far too little.

Now, Gou Wuyue's 'Chronos' sword had reversed the rules of the Heavenly Dao and the constant principles of space-time, yet it couldn't force Xu Xiaoshou's punch to retract. How could a punch originating from the system possibly be retracted?

Vent!

Even before he swung the punch, Xu Xiaoshou felt his right arm's golden light scattering and cracking. Pain surged. At this moment, he needed a target for release, something to absorb the blow, to alleviate the backlash from the Passive Fist. Ai Cangsen's arrow had retreated, and Yu Zhiwen's abilities were insufficient. The Sword Immortal Wuyue, who had aged significantly after this sudden sword strike, was, it must be said, an excellent target.

"'Gou Wuyue.'" Xu Xiaoshou murmured. He had no favorable impression of the person before him; it was because of this guy's appearance that he almost died. Even his companions in the Yuan Mansion, who followed him, had died once to protect him. Their stances were fundamentally different. Nor did Xu Xiaoshou believe that Gou Wuyue's sword strike was meant to save him.

So, in this situation of intertwined pain, where even his sanity was about to be shattered...

Attack!

"'Hmm?'"

As Gou Wuyue approached, he finally noticed the violent power emanating from little Shi Tanji, which had been overlooked under the arrow's threat. He tilted his head, only to see a massive golden fist expanding before his eyes.

"'Take this punch!'"

The fist itself withered and eroded as it swung. Even his forearm, upper arm, and indeed half his arm, exploded into golden light and blood mist along the punch's trajectory. Gou Wuyue only saw the fist for an instant. Then, the punch vanished. But Xu Xiaoshou's violent will remained firmly locked onto Gou Wuyue. The form was gone. Yet an unnamed force, whistling through the void, startled Gou Wuyue.

In his weakened state, he only had time to raise his sword horizontally and gather his spiritual energy. 'A Xiantian is just a Xiantian, even if they struggle desperately, what good can this punch do?' This was his inner thought. However, Gou Wuyue, whose attention was completely drawn to Yu Zhiwen, was completely unaware that the power of this punch was something even his own sword strike couldn't reverse.

At the instant of impact between light and electricity, "Whoosh." The famous sword bent slightly. Xu Xiaoshou's body leaned forward. The obstructed, invisible force finally materialized in the area where his arm had exploded, forming a phantom giant fist in miniature. After a faint 'hiss,' the world fell completely silent.

Yu Zhiwen's eyes widened; she wanted to say something, but as her red lips parted, no sound emerged. Sang Lao stopped in amazement behind them. He had originally thought Gou Wuyue wanted to finish off Xu Xiaoshou prematurely, but he never expected the other party's attention to be entirely on that young girl. On his way to rescue his disciple, the world was suddenly swept into a vacuum by a punch, so he selectively paused.

Sometimes, Sang Lao was actually quite afraid of Xu Xiaoshou. Horrifying images of this disciple from the past surged through his mind: such as a fire seed shooting up a nostril, burning the Spirit Vault Pavilion, furiously blowing up the Tianxuan Gate, and furiously demolishing the City Lord's Manor... That kid, with only Houtian cultivation, was capable of harming his internal organs. What was he doing now?

He looked up. He saw Xu Xiaoshou's phantom punch, after a brief pause during its clash with Gou Wuyue...

Boom!!!

Sounds assailed from all directions, and the space for several miles vibrated explosively. The deafening roar was enough to tear Sang Lao's eardrums. Immediately after, Xu Xiaoshou's entire body was blasted backward by the explosion, tearing into several pieces with sizzling sounds, as if dismembered by five horses.

As for Gou Wuyue... he seemed to have realized his mistake only at the very first instant of the punch and sword meeting. But he didn't immediately attend to himself; instead, after enveloping Yu Zhiwen with a domain, he chose to bear the impact alone. As for the result of bearing it...

Sang Lao's gaze shifted, following the direction of Xu Xiaoshou's punch, his head twisting as he tracked the extremely compressed black line in the void.

Rumble.

The black line released its pressure, turning into a terrifying shockwave that blasted a distant mountain into rubble. Sang Lao's eyelids twitched violently. A few rustling sounds. The famous sword Nulan spun mid-air with a clatter, then plunged into the ground. This was the scene before him.

And in the distance... Gou Wuyue, who had been blasted dozens of miles away, embedded deep within the mountain beyond the first mountain... Sang Lao's spiritual sense probed. Gou Wuyue's body was indeed preserved because his famous sword was held horizontally before him, but it was shattered into pieces, almost like a lotus root whose fibers still cling. And his head, under a focused strike and completely unguarded...

It was gone!

His mouth began to twitch. Sang Lao tried to push down his straw hat, but his hand met only cold, bare scalp. His straw hat had long been blown away by the aftershock; he hadn't even been able to keep it. Refusing to believe, Sang Lao probed Gou Wuyue's injuries once more. He finally confirmed it, yet his eyes were still filled with shock.

"Gou's head, it really exploded?"