Chapter 638: Eight Venerable's Given Path

After a satisfying meal, several bodies lay sprawled in a deep, unconscious sleep within the cave.

Xu Xiaoshou had not poisoned them.

He had merely added some harmless hypnotic drugs to the barbecue.

Normally, these drugs would have absolutely no effect on Dao Severers.

But after a fierce battle, everyone was exhausted, and with the prevailing desire to lie down, in just a short while, they all succumbed.

Only the mastermind remained, conspicuously awake, lying supine at the top of the cave with his hands clasped behind his head, gazing blankly at the night sky.

Scattered stars dotted the sky.

Xu Xiaoshou felt a pang of melancholy as he looked.

After the battle in the White Cave, Elder Sang had left, and there was no longer any thought of returning to the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace.

Joining the Saint Servants was also not his original intention.

He knew full well that he could not truly be like Storyteller, Cen Qiaofu, and the others, who would even sacrifice their lives for the so-called Saint Servant faith.

A person who cherishes life could never do that.

However, as for the next direction, where should he go?

"The future..."

Clouds obscured the moonlight as Xu Xiaoshou murmured to himself.

A soft rustling sound came from below as Mu Zixi crept up and squatted beside her senior brother.

"It's time to go."

"Prompted, Passive Point, +1."

Clearly, Xu Xiaoshou was not the only one who felt lost.

"Where to?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"I don't know."

Mu Zixi shook her head, then paused and said, "Wherever you go, I'll go."

"Don't you want to find out about your past, your secrets?" Xu Xiaoshou glanced sideways.

One of the sleeping individuals below had streaks of tears. Xu Xiaoshou had long sensed that his junior sister was hiding something, and if she spoke up herself, he might be able to find out something.

Mu Zixi still shook her head.

"I don't want to know."

"Then let's just go with the flow."

Xu Xiaoshou's lips curved slightly; he was equally nonchalant.

He only knew that after Elder Sang left, the only person he could still rely on in this world was probably just this junior sister.

Of course, that was assuming she always remained as innocent as she was now.

But life was unpredictable, and Xu Xiaoshou truly didn't know how long this state could last.

"Let's go!"

After another moment of reflection, feeling the more even breathing sounds from below, Xu Xiaoshou turned and stood up.

"Where to?" This time, it was Mu Zixi who asked.

Xu Xiaoshou paused.

What goal did he have?

If Elder Sang were still here, perhaps he would have a goal.

Because even if that old man didn't say it, he knew that his next destination was the "East Heaven King City" that everyone talked about.

That place seemed to be the gathering place for talents from all over the world, a stage truly belonging to the younger generation to compete on.

But without Elder Sang's restraint, Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit lost for a moment.

The younger generation...

As for himself now, could he truly still be considered part of the younger generation?

The trial of the East Heaven King City was said to be only for those below the Grandmaster realm.

But even a Grandmaster, could they withstand one of his attacks?

It wasn't that Xu Xiaoshou was being arrogant.

After this experience in the White Cave, he felt that an opponent who could force him to use his full strength should at least be a Throne realm expert.

This didn't even include Ah Jie, Ah Huo, and Ah Bing, who followed him and had each died once.

If all these powers were to be accounted for, then perhaps a Throne realm expert wouldn't be much of a match for him.

"East Heaven King City!"

A hoarse voice suddenly echoed in his ears.

Xu Xiaoshou's ears twitched, and he turned his head to look.

Under the starry night, that scruffy-bearded uncle almost perfectly overlapped with the person from his memories who had slain the Red Dog and given him the "Sword Observation Tome."

"You weren't asleep?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"None of us were," Bazun An replied.

The two looked at each other and both smiled silently.

Yes, indeed, they were all Dao Severers.

Even if they were exhausted, exhaustion was when their vigilance was at its highest.

At such a time, how could they truly be knocked out by a mere bit of hypnotic drug?

Not waking up was merely part of the act.

"Then why did you wake up?" Xu Xiaoshou suppressed his smile.

"You've lost your way, so I came over."

Bazun An sat down abruptly, patted the ground, and gestured for Xu Xiaoshou to sit as well.

Only after Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment and then sat down again did Bazun An raise two fingers, saying, "No matter what, I'm half your master."

"Half?"

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised.

Bazun An didn't reply, but above the two raised fingers, a faint sword intent emanated, and Xu Xiaoshou instantly understood.

So that's how the incomplete Ten-Segment Sword Finger manual in the Spirit Collection Pavilion truly became a complete original?

"The second Elder Sang left you behind," Bazun An said. "So I have an obligation to take care of you; at the very least, I can't let you remain in a daze."

Bazun An looked up at the starry sky, seemed to find it uncomfortable, and simply lay down, saying:

"Temporary tranquility is just that—temporary."

"What you see now is merely a brief calm after the storm."

"Larger waves are brewing behind us; if you relax your guard, when the waves sweep over again, it will truly be too late."

Xu Xiaoshou was silent. How could he not know?

But this pace, honestly, was too fast for him.

How long had it been since he came to this world, constantly pushed forward by all sides, forced to grow?

Xu Xiaoshou felt that in just a few months, he had already experienced the excitement and thrill that most people would never encounter in a lifetime.

"I'm a little tired..." He blurted out involuntarily.

"Being tired, isn't that normal?"

"Comfort, it only belongs to corpses."

Bazun An didn't commit to a reply for Xu Xiaoshou's words and continued on his own: "The second Elder Sang was taken to Mount Guizhe, but as long as I'm still alive, they certainly won't dare to kill him."

"But even if they don't kill him, the torture he deserves will probably be unavoidable."

"If you have no direction, you can try heading towards Mount Guizhe."

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but laugh.

He was only at the Innate realm, and he should head towards Mount Guizhe?

What a joke!

He'd be walking straight into a trap.

"He's thick-skinned; having cultivated to that realm, there's probably no suffering he can't endure."

He himself, having cultivated to the Grandmaster realm, was somewhat immune to pain.

God knows what that old man Sang went through to cultivate to such a monstrous realm.

Perhaps, for him, those so-called tortures were merely enjoyment.

Trembling Sang... A smile appeared in the corner of Xu Xiaoshou's eye.

Bazun An didn't respond and continued along his own train of thought: "From the Eastern Region to the Central Region, and then to Mount Guizhe—that's a very long journey."

"You're at the Innate realm now; by the time you reach that place, you'll probably have become a Saint."

"Then, when you ascend the Holy Mountain and grandly retrieve him, wouldn't that be magnificent?"

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless for a moment.

How could this person be even more confident than himself?

Starting from here and becoming a Saint by the time he reaches Mount Guizhe—where did he get such confi... faith?

"You, an unparalleled genius of Three Breaths Innate and Three Years Sword Immortal, haven't become a Saint after all these years, so why are you so optimistic about me?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, a comical look on his face.

"I'm different," Bazun An said, his expression very serious. "In my eyes, there is no such thing as Saint at all; Saint is too insignificant."

"What do you mean?"

Xu Xiaoshou was astonished.

Saint is insignificant; how are others supposed to live?

"Do you know about Void Island?" Bazun An asked, plucking some weeds and crushing them between his fingers as he spoke. "You should have seen the Saint Emperor in the White Cave, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled.

Was he really a Saint Emperor?

Not a Half-Saint?

He nodded slightly.

"'If you don't become a Saint, you'll be a slave' – that saying isn't nonsense, but even after becoming a Saint, many still struggle to break free from their shackles and can't escape the fate of a Saint Servant."

Bazun An paused as he spoke, turned his head, and gazed at Xu Xiaoshou: "I saw this point, so I sealed my sword and don't intend to strike again."

"Then?" Xu Xiaoshou didn't understand.

He didn't intend to strike again, so why did he still declare war on the Saint God Temple and even use a mere twig to severely humiliate Gou Wuyue, one of the Seven Sword Immortals?

That was a blatant slap in the face!

Now, he was just waiting for their retaliation, and he still... wouldn't strike?

"Only when I'm almost ready can I strike."

Bazun An smiled, knowing what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking, and continued: "Saint is too insignificant, and even a Saint Emperor cannot turn back the tides. Therefore, I intend to become a god, and on the day I draw my sword again, I will sever this defiled world until it bleeds profusely."

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily stunned.

Even Mu Zixi, who was secretly listening in from behind, had her heart skip a beat at these words.

She already knew that the person before her was the legendary Eighth Sword Immortal.

But she had never imagined that the Eighth Sword Immortal's aspiration would be so grand.

Xu Xiaoshou was silent for a while, but couldn't help but ask, "Are you just talking big?"

"Talking big?"

"Doubting, Passive Point, +1."

"You're not even a Saint, yet you want to directly become a god? Why don't you just ascend to the heavens?" Xu Xiaoshou retorted.

"Hahahaha..."

Bazun An burst into laughter, and after a long while, stopped, "You doubt me?"

"Yeah."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded without hesitation.

Bazun An's lips twitched, truly not expecting this person to be so blunt.

He sighed.

"Young man, do you know my legends?"

Xu Xiaoshou bared his teeth: "If legends are right in front of you, then all that divinity and embellishment are false. What I see is just filth... uh, sloppiness... uh, well, not bad, actually pretty good."

Seeing the other's increasingly gloomy expression, Xu Xiaoshou decided to play it safe.

Bazun An gave a wry smile and said, "Do you know the concept of Three Breaths Innate? It's not a legend; it truly took only three breaths for me to step into the Innate realm."

"So?" Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.

Bazun An counted on his fingers: "'Three Years Sword Immortal' is also not an exaggeration, but it also doesn't represent my cultivation level."

"I merely traveled the continent for three years, and when I felt like it, I broke through from Innate to Sword Immortal; I just didn't bother to claim the title of Sword Immortal."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart twitched.

Damn it, he's showing off again!

"Contending for the title of Sword Immortal, huh..."

He keenly caught onto a piece of information and asked, "So that time you fought against Hua... Sword Immortal, was there an inside story?"

Bazun An shook his head, didn't answer, and continued along his own train of thought.

"What I want to say is, they are all realms. Why can one break through from an ordinary person to Innate, and then from Innate to Void, but not from Void directly bypass the Saint realm and enter the Divine Court?"

Xu Xiaoshou was once again astonished by this person's bold statements.

He stammered a few times, unable to utter a word.

This...

How can that be the same?

He turned his head and exchanged a glance with Mu Zixi; both saw the unspoken words in each other's eyes: *What nerve!*

As far as Xu Xiaoshou knew, Half-Saints were already at the pinnacle of the continent, let alone a Saint Emperor above them.

Those who truly entered the Divine realm in ancient times couldn't even have their names remembered.

The Eastern Region's Sword God Heavens.

Legend has it, it was created by Jianzu Gulouying, one of the Ten Ancestors of ancient times.

Gulouying was not his true name; people merely coined the title from the proud solitary figure on a painting titled "Ten Swords Guarding the Tower" that was passed down.

And the so-called Sword Ancestor was the first wielder of swords who created the ancient sword cultivators.

The Nine Great Sword Arts, Eighteen Sword Flows, Three Thousand Sword Paths... all originated from him.

Only such a person was worthy of being called an Ancestor, a Sword Ancestor; a God, a Sword God!

This uncle in front of him...

"Where do you get your nerve?" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly quipped.

Surprisingly, Bazun An didn't refute him.

He clasped his hands behind his head, assuming the same relaxed pose Xu Xiaoshou had just taken, looking utterly content.

"Perhaps... it's arrogance!"

He shook his head and said nothing more.

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent.

Arrogance...

He himself said he was arrogant; what else could Xu Xiaoshou say?

But looking at this guy, while he claimed to be arrogant, his expression showed no trace of it.

That relaxed and casual smile made it seem as if he was treating this matter as mundane as eating and drinking, stating it so casually.

Arrogance?

More like confidence!

But if it was "confidence"...

Xu Xiaoshou truly, unequivocally felt that this was a bit *too* arrogant.

Damn it, he's showing off again!

"Where do you want to go?"

Bazun An paused for a moment, then brought the conversation back to the main topic.

He didn't even give Xu Xiaoshou time to reply, and said, "I've told you my story, and I think you can also achieve it, so if you truly have no direction, there's no harm in doing what I suggested earlier."

"Mount Guizhe?" When Xu Xiaoshou uttered these four words, he felt his head spin.

"Yes."

Bazun An closed his eyes and said leisurely, "From the Eastern Region to Mount Guizhe, you'll pass through East Heaven King City, participate in the city's trial, win first place, then gain qualification to enter the 'Four Symbols Secret Realm,' and from there, proceed to the Holy Palace."

"The Holy Palace is the cultivation center for Saints of the continent; your master came from there."

"There, perhaps you'll find the answers you seek."

Xu Xiaoshou was astonished.

He had only heard of East Heaven King City.

That subsequent string of things, what on earth was it?

"Four Symbols Secret Realm, Holy Palace?"

Hearing this, Bazun An explained: "You should have heard of them; you just don't understand them."

"The East Heaven King City trial is merely to select the top three young talents below the Grandmaster realm from the major King Cities across the continent's five regions, and then qualify them to enter the Holy Palace trial."

"As for the Holy Palace trial, barring any surprises, this time it will be the 'Four Symbols Secret Realm'."

Xu Xiaoshou was baffled.

The East Heaven King City trial gathered talents from all major commanderies, but only the top three were chosen!

And these top three only gained the qualification to participate in the "Holy Palace trial," not direct entry.

So this Holy Palace...

When Xu Xiaoshou remembered that Elder Sang came from the Holy Palace, he immediately realized what a remarkable person he was!

How many piles of bones must he have stepped on to earn such a title?

This competition is terrifying, isn't it?

"Otherwise, what did you think so many talents on the continent were desperately suppressing their cultivation for, just for a King City trial?"

Bazun An sneered: "It's because the Holy Palace is recruiting, only selecting talented candidates below the Grandmaster realm from the King City trial!"